CH 45

March 16th, 2023

“Isaac. Did she catch you by any chance?”

As soon as the appointed time of 6 o’clock arrived, Marie went back to the dorm, leaving just the two of us, and Nicole asked me a question as we were left alone. When I shifted my gaze to her, I could see a worried and anxious expression on her face.

It seems that she was worried that the secret might have been discovered after seeing the friendly relationship between me and Marie. However, contrary to her worries, except for a few mistakes, I haven’t been caught.

“Don’t worry. I haven’t been caught. So far we’re just friends, friends.”

“…Really?”

As Nicole expressed her doubts, she gave me a suspicious look. Seeing that, I felt a little bewildered.

Who does she think is a loner with no real friends? I also knew that my social relationships weren’t that great, but seeing Nicole giving me that kind of look made me feel a little hurt.

“What is that look? You don’t seem to trust me.”

“Well… forget about it. Anyway, she doesn’t know anything about your secret, right?”

It didn’t seem like an illusion at all when she abruptly changed the subject. I put aside the suspicions that were rising in my mind and replied to her question.

“I’ve made mistakes, but I’ll be fine with just that.”

“If it’s about the mistake… you mean when you showed her the picture last time? Was that her?”

I nodded silently as she widened her eyes and asked for confirmation.

Nicole also knew that I had accidentally shown the picture to someone else, but she had no idea that the person was Marie. I decided not to tell her, as I thought it would only cause unnecessary worry.

However, I said it would be fine, because I thought it would be okay even if it was revealed to Marie, now that I have gotten to know her.

“Haa…”

Nicole’s reaction was somewhat unexpected. After staring at my face for a moment, she let out a deep sigh. I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous about her response.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she spoke to me in a quiet voice.

“…Isaac. Did you get a letter from father too?”

“That the tail was stepped on?”

In response to my question, Nicole nodded her head in affirmation. It seemed like she had also received a letter from our parents, just like me.

However, unlike me, she seemed to take the current situation quite seriously, and upon examining her expression closely, it was stiff and hardened.

Perhaps another letter was sent to Nicole, so could it be that? I shook my head and, feeling a growing sense of unease, opened my mouth with a cautious voice.

“Didn’t mother say you don’t have to worry about that?

My mother’s letter to me reassured me not to worry and that it was just a minor issue, literally “stepping on the tail,” so there wouldn’t be any big problem. Frankly, except for that, there was nothing different from the usual greeting letters she sent me.

Of course, I wasn’t just acting as usual and was being somewhat cautious. Thanks to Marie’s sudden and unexpected question earlier, it was almost a big disaster, but I managed to get through it safely for now.

Nicole looked even more embarrassed as she saw my reaction. Her expression resembled that of parents who had just put their child out by the river.

“…Isaac. Do you know what it means to have your tail stepped on?”

Nicole asked me a question with a weaker voice than before. I sensed something was off instinctively as I listened to her question, so I nodded silently without saying anything.

Nicole stared at me for a while, then shook her head from side to side after a while. Her mind seemed to be a bit complicated.

“…No. I’ll talk about that later. Let’s have a meal for now.”

“…Yeah. By the way, what about Adelia?”

“She suddenly had something come up today and couldn’t make it. When I asked her the reason, she said it was the day a letter sent from her home was supposed to arrive. She said it’s been almost a year since she received a letter.”

“Is that so?”

I was a little disappointed, but I could understand her feelings. She hadn’t heard about her family’s situation for almost a year, so as far as she was concerned, the letter from home must have been something she had longed for.

Since my home was located quite close to the Halo Academy, it would take at most a week to get there, but it was not the case for other people. Usually, it takes a week as a minimum, and if the home was far away, it could take over a month to get there.

Especially for commoners, it’s even more difficult because there’s a law in the Empire that prioritizes the mail from nobles. The reason for this is that nobles often hold important government positions, so each piece of mail they receive could be crucial.

However, since mail cannot be sent using magic, the only option is to use a carriage. As a result, it could take a very long time for the letter to be sent and for the recipient to receive it.

“Where does Adelia live to receive the letter in a year?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I asked about it before, and they said it’s a bit far away. One thing for sure is that it’s not in the Minerva Empire.”

“Hmm. Is she a noble who hid her identity or something like that?”

“She does look like a noble. I thought she was one at first too. But it turns out she’s not. She’s definitely a commoner.”

I couldn’t ask anything more since Nicole was so certain. I pushed Adelia’s beauty, which I couldn’t believe was that of a commoner, out of my mind.

Right now, eating with Nicole is more important than Adelia. It was a meal with no one else but Nicole, so I could have dinner in peace…

“Hmm?”

“…Lord Leort?”

There was a time when I thought that… Until I ran into Leort in front of the front door of the restaurant I was thinking of having dinner in.

“Hello? What a coincidence.”

“…I know, right.”

To make matters worse, Rina was with Leort. When I greeted them, feeling uneasy, Rina smiled warmly and waved her hand.

I don’t know how this happened, but it seems that Leort and Rina were also planning to have a meal together as siblings. Seeing that they were wearing school uniforms, not their own clothes, they seemed to have made an appointment in advance.

However, who could have predicted that we would bump into each other at the same restaurant, at the same time, and as siblings? It was an extremely unlikely coincidence.

I checked Nicole’s face as I looked at the two of them, I knew intuitively that things had gone wrong. She also seemed embarrassed as if she had never imagined meeting the two.

“Did you also come here for dinner?”

When the subtle atmosphere subsided, Leort asked us in a pleasant, low-pitched voice.  Nicole answered urgently, coming to her senses.

“Oh, yes. Yes, I’m here to eat with Isaac.”

“Hmm…”

“… …”

After Nicole’s reply, Leort looked at us siblings alternately and eventually raised the corners of his mouth. Seeing his smile, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

I was silently hoping that my uneasiness wouldn’t come true, but unfortunately, ominous premonitions always seem to come true.

Leort then held out his hand and proposed to us in a soft tone.

“Since it turned out this way, how about having a meal together? I will pay for everything. By the way, I have a lot to discuss with you.”

“…All right.”

It was just a suggestion, but it was practically half forced. Who would refuse the proposal of a crown prince who is a leading contender for the next emperor?

Nicole also seemed to reluctantly accept the proposal, well aware of this fact. Even if she refused, it wouldn’t be a big deal since Leort wouldn’t hold a grudge over something like this, but there would be nothing good if we made him feel uncomfortable.

More than anything else, there is one part of Leort’s proposal that worries me. He mentioned having a lot to discuss with us.

Looking at the fact that such words are brought up, there is a possibility that it will be an important issue whether it is good or bad for us. Nicole had no justification to say no, and would have said yes even if only out of curiosity about what Leort would say.

“All right. What about you, Isaac?”

“I don’t mind either.”

“Okay. Then let’s go in. As I said before, I will pay all the money, so you can order anything without any hesitation.”

“Really?”

“Isaac.”

When I asked in a tone that implied ‘Is it really okay for me to do that?’, Nicole next to me nudged me with a stern voice. It was only then that I realized I had made a slip of the tongue and quickly shut my mouth.

However, Leort responded with a faint smile as if he liked that.

“Hahaha. Of course. You can order anything you want. Be it steak or wine.”

“Isaac, you haven’t forgotten who we are, have you?”

“… …”

After Leort’s answer, Rina smiled lightly and asked teasingly. After hearing Rina’s teasing, I blinked at her, and then my face started to heat up from the shame.

What kind of people are they? They are the royal family who rules the Minerva Empire. If it’s about wealth, they are so rich that it overflows.

So asking a question like that is foolish in itself. Nicole knew that too, which is why she called my name.

Usually, I tend to think twice before speaking, but in the current situation, it just popped out of my mouth.

“Sigh…”

“… …”

Even when Nicole sighed in embarrassment, I couldn’t say anything.

Rina found our appearance amusing and covered her mouth with her hand, giggling. Thanks to her, I became even more embarrassed.

“Are there any four-person rooms with good soundproofing?” You don’t have to worry about the money.”

“Yes. Please follow me for a moment.”

After a slight incident, Leort asked the waiter to book a room for him. However, the feature he wanted for the room was a little peculiar.

Unless it was an important matter, there was no reason to choose a soundproof room over a regular one.

From that moment on, a sense of unease and worry started to stir deep inside me. I felt a strong, ominous feeling and looked at Nicole.

Nicole seemed to have sensed that something was off about the situation, as she tightly shut her mouth and her expression stiffened slightly.

“If you need to call a staff member, just ring the bell here.”

“Thank you.”

“Have a good time then.”

Before long, I entered the four-person room that Leort had requested from the waiter, which was also a soundproofed space.

As the waiter closed the door, I looked around the room. It was quite spacious for a dining area.

Overall, the design was no different from an ordinary restaurant. The only difference was a square table placed in the middle of the room.

I had expected a secretive atmosphere due to the soundproofing, but it was quite different from what I had imagined.

“Come on, let’s all sit down. Rina, sit next to me.”

“Alright. Isaac sit down too.”

“…yes.”

I followed Rina’s instructions and sat down on my chair. Naturally, Nicole sat next to me.

By the way, Leort and Rina were seated before we were seated. Thus, I faced Rina and Nicole faced Leort.

“…I didn’t have a chance to greet you earlier. I’m Isaac’s older sister and the eldest daughter of the Michelle family, Nicole Ducker Michelle. It’s an honor to meet the Princess who will become the Empire’s Sun.”

Just before the awkwardness settled in, Nicole introduced herself, bringing a fresh air to the atmosphere. Come to think of it, Nicole had met Leort before, but it was the first time she had met Rina.

In response, Rina faced Nicole, who introduced herself in a stiff tone. Then she smiled gently, placed her hand on her chest, and greeted Nicole according to the etiquette of the Empire.

“Nice to meet you, Nicole. As you may know, I am Rina Urmi Christine, the first princess of the Minerva Empire. Please feel free to call me Rina, not the princess.”

“All right, but…”

After Nicole finished greeting her, she looked back and forth between Rina and Leort. Their smiles were so similar, that it clearly showed they were siblings.

However, there was a strong feeling that the smile was hiding something, even I felt it, so Nicole might feel the same way.

At that, Nicole opened her mouth in a cautious yet wary voice.

“May I ask what the important matter you mentioned earlier is about?”

“It’s better to place an order first before we discuss that matter. We can talk about it after the meal is finished.”

“…All right.”

It seems that they plan to discuss the matter after they finish their meal. Nicole accepted Leort’s request without any objection.

“By the way, Isaac liked wine, didn’t he? He drank a lot at the last gathering.”

“…really?”

Suddenly, Rina, who was sitting across from me, kindly brought up the dark history of our past gathering. I was momentarily flustered by the sudden topic, but the real problem was Nicole because she turned to look at me as soon as Rina mentioned it.

She gave me a look as if asking for an explanation of why a princess like her was bringing up such a thing.

Feeling intimidated by her fierce gaze, I hastily raised both hands and anxiously explained that I didn’t do anything wrong, even though I didn’t know what misunderstanding I had caused.

“I-I just drank wine! Nothing happened! It’s true!”

“…really?”

“Haha. It’s true. He drank too much wine and slept in a chair instead.”

“Isaac?”

Why do you even bring up such a story? Even when I looked at her with a resentful gaze, Rina just smiled, as if she was having fun.

Is she still resentful that I rejected her invitation back then? Unlike the others I’m not really close with Rina, so I wasn’t sure.

“Then we can order wine, too. You said you drank it at the gathering, so it’s Alcyone, right?”

“…yes.”

“I see. What do you guys want to eat?”

“I…”

Surprisingly, the meal itself went smoothly. Although since the family meal I expected was over, I had no choice but to promise that later.

Moreover, because Leort made the atmosphere comfortable, I was able to have a comfortable conversation. Rina also brought up interesting stories from time to time to make the atmosphere comfortable.

In fact, having a meal with the royal family like this can be said to be unconventional from my point of view.

Eating a meal with the crown prince, who is likely to be the next great emperor, means that I am acquainted with him, and furthermore, it is in line with the fact that I have solidified my political position from the beginning.

If someone in my family gets into politics, it would make a great connection, but as you know, my family is far from politics. I would also hate to throw myself into complicated politics.

Thus, the meal was finished in less than an hour. Originally, it was a restaurant I frequented, but perhaps because it was an expensive steak, it tasted much better than the one I ate before.

“It looks like the meal is almost over, so let’s bring out the story we want to tell you guys.”

While I was satisfied with the feeling of fullness, Leort wiped his mouth with a napkin and said. I concentrated on his words, feeling the comfortable atmosphere disappearing.

Nicole, who was tidying up, also flinched as soon as Leort said it and looked at him.

As all eyes of the siblings turned to Leort, he gently placed the napkin on the table and opened his mouth.

His soft voice seemed to be piercing through my ears.

“I’m telling you in advance, even if we didn’t meet today, I was going to call you guys separately in the future. It was just a coincidence that we met today.”

“… …”

“Do you know who the author of Xenon’s biography is?”

This was a question that was already ominous. At the same time, the father’s letter, “The tail was stepped on,” came to my mind vividly.

The atmosphere, the fact that they were going to call us separately later, and the fact that they asked that question.

I expected it to some extent, but when Leort, not anyone else, brought out such words, the ripple effect was beyond imagination. My whole body’s blood cooled and my heart began to beat violently.

“…I do not know.”

Unlike me who had a hard time opening my mouth, Nicole reacted as calmly as possible. However, her voice trembled a little because she felt that her current situation was also tense.

In the meantime, Leort smirked when he heard Nicole’s answer and spoke in his unique low-pitched voice.

“But if you have a long tail, you’ll be stepped on someday. Even if it is the author of Xenon’s Biography.”

“… …”

“The person who submitted the manuscript to the publishing company was nothing but a mere errand boy. It was like trying to investigate a lizard’s tail – there was nothing to be found. So I just tossed it out there haphazardly, and someone took the bait. I don’t know who it was, but they’ll find out it was a fruitless endeavor soon enough. That was about ten days ago.”

I received the letter exactly two days ago, today. It roughly matched the time it took for my father to send me the letter after hearing that his tail was stepped on.

While I was thinking about that, Leort continued with his lips curled up. It was a smile full of composure.

“In the end, I even pressured the publishing company to show me the contract, but it was meaningless. If you sign a contract using a pseudonym, that’s the end of it. So I tried to stop pressuring the publishing company. Until I happened to check their tax returns.”

“Tax returns… You mean taxes?”

When Nicol asked with doubt, Leort nodded.

“Yeah. Taxes. As you know, taxes are more complicated than you might think. The amount you have to pay in taxes varies widely depending on the law. And publishing companies also pay taxes according to the tax rate. In fact, there’s no problem up to this point. The contract stipulates that the publishing company pays the taxes in advance. But the problem is that they’re also required to pay taxes once more here.”

“… …”

“If you don’t understand what I mean, it’s like this: When a commoner earns income, they only have to pay taxes to their lord according to the tax rate. But a lord is different. They have to pay part of the taxes they receive from the commoners to the empire, and they also have to pay taxes according to a specific tax rate. It’s to prevent them from easily accumulating wealth.”

Regardless of East or West, “wealth” is directly linked to power. With money, you can increase your military power or improve the welfare of your subjects to make their lives more comfortable than before.

Moreover, this world has a well-developed “currency.” The fact that currency is well-developed means that the economy has greatly advanced, and as a result, the country’s power has become stronger.

However, unlike the economic power of the Minerva Empire, science was not keeping up. As Leort just mentioned, there are many problems because taxes have to be calculated manually, one by one.

But who would have known that they would get their tails trampled on because of that problem?

I gulped and looked at Leort quietly. My fists were clenched and I could feel the cold sweat running down my cheeks.

“Paying taxes twice means that you are not a commoner, but a noble. I found this out because the tax rates are subtly different. Furthermore, because they combined the taxes into one instead of paying separately, it took a long time to notice. But since taxes have to be calculated manually, there were traces of it.”

“… …”

“In any case, the taxes were divided into two and went to different places. One went to the lord of the territory where the publishing house is located. The other went directly to our empire without going through the lord. But it wasn’t coming straight away. There was a place in the middle where it passed through. We traced it back to find out who it passed through.”

Leort blurred his words and looked at me and Nicole. My heart was beating like it was going to explode at that, and my clenched fists were dripping with sweat.

Nicole wasn’t much different. Her golden eyes were shaking uncontrollably, and she was also clenching her fists like me.

Eventually, Leort spoke the name that we siblings never wanted to hear from him.

“Hawk Ducker Michelle.”

“… …”

“He was the commander of the Navy Knights and was a knight who boasted of his power as a Red Lion.”

Honestly, I thought it was over the moment my father’s name came out of Leort’s mouth. So, I closed my eyes tightly.

“And he is suspected to be the author of Xenon’s Biography.”

“…?”

Until Leort mistook my father for the author, that is.

Translators note:

LMAO

Also ‘Adele’ and ‘Adelia’… author…