"—Aurelia!?"
With those words, the air came to a standstill.
"..."
Yuka’s shoulders trembled, if only for a fleeting second.
"...Yuka?"
I called out to her.
But there was no answer.
Slowly, she turned around.
The expression on her face was one I had never seen before.
It wasn't her usual, doll-like, expressionless composure.
For just a moment, she looked shaken. Bewildered.
"...So, it really is you."
The youth from the Empire—the Imperial Prince—took a single step closer.
"It has been a long time."
Though his voice was restrained, it was unmistakably filled with emotion.
Just what exactly was going on? Who was "Aurelia"?
Yuka didn't offer a word in response. She simply took a single step backward.
I couldn't make head or tail of the situation. The Prince’s expression, his words, and Yuka’s reaction—none of it was connecting in my head.
"...Yuka?"
I called again, this time feeling a distinct sense of unease.
"...Why?"
Yuka muttered. Her voice was tiny—so quiet I almost missed it.
"...Why are you here?"
"That is my line!" the Prince shot back immediately. "I heard everything from Father! I was looking for you, truly!"
He scanned the room with desperation.
"And now I have found you! In a place like this!"
For a split second, his gaze snapped toward me.
"...Who is that?"
Wait, why is all this hostility suddenly pointed at me? His eyes were clearly not those of a friend.
My brain was starting to scramble. What was the relationship between Yuka and this Prince? How did he know her?
"Let us go home, Aurelia. Father is truly reflecting on his actions," the Prince said softly.
...Go home?
"Everyone is worried. Myself included, of course."
"Was... Father worried as well?"
"...Yeah."
Yuka’s fingertips tensed. Her grip on my sleeve tightened.
"Yuka, you..."
This time, I called her name more firmly.
"...Forgive me," she replied. It was soft, but the answer came back clear.
"Lord Luka."
She slowly turned to look at me. Her eyes were no longer shaking. She had returned to the Yuka I knew.
...No, was she just making it look that way? I wished she would stop trying to act so tough.
"My apologies."
She took a step forward, putting herself in front of me.
"I have cast aside both that name and that status," she declared with quiet finality.
She cast them aside? Her name and her status?
"...Aurelia," the Prince said, repeating the name once more. "That is your name, is it not?"
"It is not," she replied instantly. "The person I am now is..."
She paused for a heartbeat, looking back at me.
"Yuka. I have the name given to me by Lord Luka."
"..."
Silence fell over the hall. The surrounding crowd began to buzz with frantic whispers.
"...Hey."
"That name just now..."
"The missing Imperial Princess...?"
The whispers spread like a wildfire.
Imperial Princess!? Someone definitely just said Imperial Princess! What does that mean? Yuka is a princess!? Is that how it is!?
"...I see."
The Prince let out a long, slow breath.
"...So that is how it is."
I had no idea what he had just convinced himself of, but it was terrifying. My head wasn't going to fly off because of this, right?
"...Then all the more reason," he said, stepping closer. "You should return. Because you are—"
"The First Imperial Princess of the Edelgrat Empire."
"Aurelia Edelgrat."
"Oh..."
The sound escaped my lips before I could stop it. Between the Prince’s words and the gossiping crowd, I had finally put the pieces together.
...Listen, I only bought a slave. I didn't know! From now on, slave merchants really need to start issuing proper identity documents!
Yuka said nothing. She didn't even try to deny it. She simply closed her eyes in silence.
"...Yuka? Or, uh, Princess Yuka?"
Involuntarily, I reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Is what His Imperial Highness the Prince is saying... for real?"
"..."
After a few seconds of silence, she gave a small nod.
"Yes."
"So, in other words... Yuka is the Imperial Princess of the Empire, and the Prince’s sister?"
"...That is correct."
Oh my god. The phrase crossed my mind in perfect English.
No, no, no. Seriously, hold on a minute.
"An Imperial Princess!?"
My voice cracked as I shouted. I couldn't help it. Even though I understood the words, the shock was too much to process. The gazes from the crowd intensified.
Please, make it stop.
"Selena, help me..."
"Don't worry," Selena replied firmly. "If anyone tries to do anything horrible to you, I'll protect you."
Yes! Selena is so reliable! I was practically weeping with gratitude.
"I am truly sorry," Yuka said, bowing her head toward me. "I apologize for keeping this from you."
"No, that's not even the problem right now!?"
There was just too much information to handle.
"Why is someone like that working as my maid!?"
It was a perfectly reasonable question.
"...That is..."
She paused for a fleeting moment.
"...Because it is what I desired," she said quietly.
"Nnuuu..."
I still didn't get it. I really didn't.
"I chose to be by Lord Luka's side."
She looked straight at me. Her eyes were devoid of any doubt. I couldn't have questioned her sincerity even if I wanted to.
Those were words that made being a master feel like the greatest job in the world, and I was grateful. But was now really the best time to say that? Right here?
The Prince let out a bitter sigh.
"...I thought as much."
He turned his full attention to me. Since he looked anything but friendly, I figured our relationship status had officially been updated to "Hostile." Thanks, world.
"What did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything! This is all a misunderstanding!"
I really didn't want to die for a crime I didn't commit! If I had to go, I wanted it to be much cooler than this!
"Let me say one last thing, Brother."
Yuka stepped forward again.
"If you intend to harm this person, I will return that hostility in kind."
Her voice was ice-cold. It was different from anything I’d heard from her before, but for a moment, I felt like I caught a glimpse of their shared history as siblings.
The Prince stared at Yuka for a long time. Eventually, he gave a small nod.
"I understand. The setting is poor today."
He glanced around at the watching crowd before looking back at us one last time.
"But I will definitely take you back. This is a matter for our family—no, for the Empire."
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away.
A loud commotion erupted as everything came rushing back at once. Yuka simply stood there in silence.
"...Yuka, are you sure about this?" I asked, lowering my voice.
"Yes," she replied.
It was her usual response. But it had been just a fraction of a second late. I couldn't tell if that delay came from hesitation or some other emotion.
"Anyway," I said, scratching my head. "Let me try to organize this info, okay?"
"Yes." She nodded obediently.
"Okay. Yuka is an Imperial Princess."
"Yes."
"But she's still a maid."
"Yes."
"I don't get it."
"That is not true. I am Yuka, Lord Luka's maid."
An Imperial Princess for a maid, huh? This was starting to feel like a real fantasy world. Drop dead, fate.
We stood in silence for a moment, and then I thought I saw the corners of Yuka’s mouth soften, just a little.
I guess this world is just full of things I’ll never understand. But that’s why it never gets boring, and it’s how I got to meet Yuka.
The fact that it also constantly puts my life in danger was just that "other-world quality." It was the absolute best—and the absolute worst.