"...I’m exhausted."
I muttered the words to myself as I walked down the hallway.
The ring I had bought two days ago. Yuka, and the shadow of the Empire that loomed behind her.
"..."
Even though I had decided to stop dwelling on it, the weight of it all remained lodged in the back of my mind.
"...I need some air."
I stretched my stiff muscles and headed out toward the Academy courtyard.
"Oh, my."
A calm voice called out to me.
"A rare guest has graced us with his presence."
"...Hm?"
I turned around to find—
"Her Royal Highness Princess Mireille."
Instinctively, I straightened my posture.
Standing there was the Princess of the Kingdom herself. She possessed a quiet poise and a gentle smile—the quintessential image of royalty. It would have been harder to mistake her for someone else than it was to recognize her.
"There is no need to be quite so formal," she said with a soft chuckle. "Here, I am merely another student."
"No, well... easier said than done."
Her royal aura was far too potent to ignore.
"Fufu. But you seem a bit different than usual, don't you?"
"...Well, perhaps I am."
When you're this tired, it’s hard to keep up a public facade.
"I'm a little worn out, so my manners might be a bit lacking."
"I don't mind. And as for being worn out..." She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Would it be regarding that matter?"
"...Which matter would that be?" I asked, feigning ignorance. "Too many things have been happening lately."
"Fufu." She laughed as if genuinely enjoying herself. "Then, among those 'many things'… I assume you include the Lady Imperial Princess of the Empire as well?"
"..."
So she knew.
"Was Your Highness there as well?"
"Given my position, such information naturally reaches my ears."
I suppose it would.
"..."
A brief silence settled between us.
"...Were you surprised?" Mireille asked softly.
"...Well, yes." I nodded honestly. "If someone tells you their maid was actually an Imperial Princess, you don't exactly just say, 'Oh, is that so?' and move on."
"True enough." She gave another small laugh. "However..." Her expression shifted, becoming more serious. "You didn't change."
"..."
"I found that rather mysterious."
"...Did I?"
"Yes." She nodded firmly. "Normally, people would either distance themselves or attempt to take advantage of the situation. I don't mean to sound cynical, but it is almost always one or the other."
"..."
She was speaking from experience, no doubt. Realistically, I couldn't imagine doing either.
"But you were different." She looked directly into my eyes. "It was as if you had known from the very beginning."
"...It wasn't like that at all."
Far from it. I was just currently in a state of mental shutdown. In a way, having given up on thinking made me invincible.
"...It's nothing so impressive," I said with a weary laugh. "It was just too much of a hassle to change my attitude after all this time."
"Fufu. That, too, is a kind of talent."
"Are you praising me?"
"I am praising you, you know?" she replied with a bright smile.
"..."
The tension in the air softened slightly.
"What about you, Your Highness?" I found myself asking. "As the Princess of a nation."
"Yes?"
"Isn't it all... a massive pain?"
"..."
There was a momentary pause.
...Did I just cross the line? That was definitely bordering on being disrespectful.
But then—
"Incredibly so."
"Wait, really? I knew it!"
I bit on the topic immediately.
"Responsibility, expectations, political ties..." she listed them off with a level head. "All of them are attached to me as a matter of course."
"..."
That’s just the nature of her world, I suppose. It made my own burdens feel relatively light.
"However," she said, looking up toward the sky. "That is my 'duty.' The option to run away was never on the table to begin with."
"..."
She reminded me a little of Yuka.
"...You are strong, Your Highness," I muttered.
"No." She shook her head. "I have simply grown used to it."
"..."
Somehow, those words carried a much heavier weight.
"Lord Luka." This time, Mireille turned the focus back to me. "What will you do?"
"...About what?"
"The situation with the Empire. And—" she paused, her voice turning slightly more meaningful. "Including other matters as well."
"..."
For a split second, the ring in my pocket crossed my mind.
"...Probably," I said, averting my gaze. "I'll just let things take their course."
"Fufu."
She laughed at me again.
"You really are a fascinating person."
"Is that a compliment?"
"I am praising you, you know?"
She was definitely making fun of me.
"...Ah, that's right." Mireille spoke as if suddenly recalling something important. "I should give you one piece of advice."
"...Yes?"
"The Empire will not give up."
"..."
"That nation has a fierce obsession with bloodlines and status," she stated quietly. "And it is especially intense when it involves 'Imperial Royalty.'"
"..."
The cold eyes of that Imperial Prince flashed in my memory.
"...Well, I figured as much." I let out a heavy sigh. "The troubles just keep piling up."
"And you are the one standing right at the center of them all."
"Please, spare me."
It was the truth, but I didn't want to hear it.
As we were about to go our separate ways, Mireille stopped me once more.
"...Lord Luka."
"Yes?"
"One more thing." Her eyes were now entirely serious. "Please do not undervalue yourself."
"..."
"You are no longer a 'simple student.'"
"..."
I couldn't find the words to respond.
"Well then."
With a graceful bow, Mireille walked away.
"..."
I was left alone in the courtyard. I looked up at the sky.
"...What a massive pain."
I let the words slip out. But—
'—And yet, you have no intention of running, do you?'
That voice echoed inside my head. I reached into my pocket and touched the ring.
"...Shut up."
'—Hmph.' It felt strangely amused. '—You really should learn to treat me with more respect.'
"Why on earth should I?"
A quiet wind swept through the courtyard.
'—For everything.'
"...Hey."
'—What is it?'
My daily life was continuing—or perhaps it only looked that way on the surface. Regardless of how much of a hassle it was, I was the one who had to act.
"If I made a wish to you... would all my current problems just vanish?"
'—Indeed. In the most optimal way imaginable.'
...Yeah, definitely not doing that. This thing had been suspicious since the moment I saw it.
'—What? You aren't going to make a wish?'
"Do you want me to make a wish that badly?"
'—Of course. It is my raison d'être, after all.'
"Is that so? Well, I'm going to the bathroom now."
'—Hey! Are you even a man?!'
"What does that have to do with anything?!"
If this thing caused any more trouble, I was going to flush it down the toilet.