After a carriage ride with Lilia-san, we stepped out to find an imposing, grand gate standing before us.
"I usually see it from a distance, but seeing it up close, it really feels like a Royal Castle."
"Yes. It’s a familiar sight to me, but it must be quite a novelty for you, Kaito-san."
I had come to the Royal Castle today to receive a formal apology from the King. Personally, I had been harboring a faint hope that it would end on a light note—a simple "I'm sorry" and "It's fine"—but unfortunately, it didn't feel like that at all.
As the large gates opened, knights were lined up in perfect rows on either side, creating a path. It wasn't an exaggeration to say the atmosphere was exactly like that of welcoming a state guest. A man clad in armor notably more ornate than the rest guided Lilia-san and me inside.
While marveling at a scene that looked like it had been plucked straight from a storybook, we walked down the hallway and reached a large, open room—the Audience Chamber. Inside, the nobility of the country were gathered in full force. It was a restless, intimidating sight.
Wait, what? I thought I saw someone who definitely shouldn’t be in this country... Was it just my imagination?
At the end of my gaze, standing before the throne, was a man dressed in luxurious clothing with short, deep golden hair swept back. He had the same blonde hair as Lilia-san, but unlike her, his eyes were a sharp red. This man, who looked sturdier than I had imagined, was undoubtedly the King. According to Lilia-san, he was supposed to be quite a bit older, but he looked young enough that I would have believed it if someone told me he was only in his twenties.
"Welcome to the Royal Palace, Miyama-dono. Thank you for taking the time to come here today."
"Ah, n-no, thank you very much for inviting me."
When Lilia-san and I reached the center of the room, the King slowly stood from the throne. He descended to our level before speaking again. His voice was heavy and carried a natural dignity, making me instinctively straighten my posture as I returned the greeting.
"I am the King of the Kingdom of Sinfonia, Ryze Rea Sinfonia XVIII. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Ah, yes. I’m Kaito Miyama."
"Now then, please forgive the rudeness of moving straight to the main subject after only a brief greeting."
"Y-Yes!"
Perhaps it was the pressure of being exposed to so many gazes, but I replied with a fair amount of nerves. So this was Lilia-san's brother, the King who appeared so often in Lunamaria-san's stories? He felt different from the image I had of him.
To be honest, I had pictured someone who disliked me and was only being forced into this apology because Lilliwood-san had demanded it. But looking at him now, that didn't seem quite right.
As I pondered this, the King suddenly dropped to his knees on the floor and bowed his head deeply.
"The fact that the invitation did not reach you previously is entirely my fault. I offer you my heartfelt apology... I am truly, deeply sorry."
"Eh? Ah, yes... Um, p-please raise your head. I really don't mind, and I've already accepted your apology."
I was definitely wrong about him. I had expected a long-winded explanation or some excuse about how the invitation went missing by mistake, but his apology was direct, without a single excuse. Because of that, I could feel his sincerity.
Since I was the central figure of the occasion and had declared my forgiveness so easily, the matter didn't become complicated. The King simply bowed his head deeply once more and concluded the session.
"That was unexpected," Lilia-san murmured as we walked down the wide hallway. "For my brother to offer such a sincere apology... I was certain he would try to frame it as a simple clerical error."
"Yeah. He felt a bit different from the stories I’d heard, too..."
"He’s a foolish brother, but I suppose he is a King after all."
We were scheduled to stay at the Royal Palace for the night, and we were currently heading to the rooms prepared for us. Afterward, we were supposed to go and greet Lilia-san's parents—the former royal couple.
After meeting the King, now I had to meet the former King. I felt like I was doing nothing but meeting VIPs, which made me restless, but Lilia-san assured me her parents were cheerful and kind.
However, on the way there, a messenger from a certain guest appeared, saying they wanted to speak with me. Because of who the person was, even Lilia-san looked hesitant. She quickly checked with her parents, and since they said later was fine, I ended up meeting this other person first.
To be honest, I really wanted to refuse. But given the circumstances, saying no would only cause trouble for Lilia-san. With a heavy heart, I moved to the designated room, knocked, and entered once I heard permission.
"Hello, Miyama-sama. I apologize for calling for you so suddenly."
"Ah, no, it's been a long time, Chris-san."
The woman who welcomed me was Chris-san, whom I had met in the Arclesia Empire. She was someone I found particularly difficult to handle. Whether it was a genuine courtesy or one of her usual traps, there was no one else in the room besides her.
"I felt bad interrupting your schedule, Miyama-sama... but I cannot stay here for long. I wanted to see you while I had the chance."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. My maidenly heart simply couldn't contain its desire to catch a glimpse of the gentleman I've set my sights on."
"..."
She could say things like that with such a straight face. She truly was someone you couldn't let your guard down around for a second. As I shook the hand she held out, I felt my usual exasperation at her antics, but then she leaned toward me with a smooth, natural movement. Her blue hair swayed slightly as she drew close—just barely shy of touching me. My heart skipped a beat despite myself.
"Tell me, what do you think? Knowing I would see you today, I applied a bit of makeup, which I don't usually do... Do I look feminine enough for you?"
"Ah, ha-ha, yes. I think you look very beautiful."
"Thank you. Please, feel free to touch me if you wish... If you desire it, I will make time for us to deepen our friendship in private. Look, there is a bed right there. We could continue our talk there..."
"I'll pass."
"Oh? Rejected again? How disappointing."
I really wished she would stop transitioning so effortlessly into a honey trap every time we met. Even the letters she sent were love letters that made my skin crawl. This woman was like an ant-lion; if I let my guard down even an inch, she’d pull me right into her pit.
Chris-san pulled away with a light, wry smile. I really was bad with her. She seemed to grasp exactly how little experience I had and precisely what kind of behavior I struggled to handle, and then she attacked from that direction. It was dangerous. Her timing was always perfect, and her letters were hand-written, making them hard to ignore. If I wasn't careful, something irreversible might happen.
"Now then, Miyama-sama. On another note, I had the pleasure of observing the events in the Audience Chamber earlier."
"Eh? Ah, yes."
"The King of Sinfonia is quite a handful, isn't he? To prioritize personal feelings despite being a King, and to even go so far as to cause trouble for you... Harassing someone just because he doesn't like them is an unforgivable insolence."
"..."
Something felt off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I wasn't convinced.
"Living in a land ruled by that King must be a constant source of worry for you, Miyama-sama. If you like, our country is always open to you..."
"Is that really true?"
"Oh?"
"Did the King really harass me just because he doesn't like me? Was that the only reason?"
"..."
The reason I wasn't convinced was largely due to my Sympathy Magic. That apology earlier—it had been truly heartfelt. The emotions I felt from the King were deep, sincere regret... and sympathy? At any rate, I was certain it wasn't a superficial act.
"It's just a feeling, but... I think the King intended to apologize to me eventually, even if this incident hadn't happened."
"Hoh... well, he was likely 'impatient' regarding that matter as well. Otherworlders are difficult existences to account for. He probably genuinely regretted acting on impulse, didn't he?"
There was a difference between doing it officially versus privately, but I suspected the King had intended to apologize from the beginning. In fact, if he truly regretted it, he hadn't done anything to harass me since that first evening party. He seemed very different from the image Lunamaria-san had painted.
"This is just my guess," Chris-san continued, "but didn't he send a letter of apology immediately? Not as a formal royal document, but as a personal letter?"
"Um... Ah. That might have been tossed into the warehouse without anyone even checking the addressee."
"Oh my..."
Chris-san suggested he might have sent a letter right after the incident, but I didn't remember seeing one. Then it hit me—the twenty-plus personal letters sent to Lilia-san every month. Because they were personal letters from her brother, they were likely buried in that pile. Lilia-san didn't even know where they were stored and hadn't checked the contents. They were definitely in there. Suddenly, I started to feel a bit sorry for the King. Come to think of it, I’d never seen any of his letters reach Lilia-san's hands, except for formal state documents.
As I felt a pang of pity for him, Chris-san flashed a knowing smile.
"Should I say, 'as expected of you,' Miyama-sama? You have a good eye for seeing a person's essence."
"Eh? What do you mean by..."
"That man is, in a word, a 'Snake.' I've known him for quite a while, and he's a cunning one. He looks full of openings, but if you step in carelessly, his poison will spread through you. He’s a difficult opponent. I dislike him, and the feeling is mutual—we call each other Vixen and Snake."
"..."
"However, when it comes to his younger sister, he becomes a fool. Or rather, he accepts the act of folly and acts upon it regardless. It seems he’s even prepared to abdicate and pass the throne to his child if it becomes necessary for his plans."
Chris-san sat down and gestured for me to join her. Once I was seated, she looked me straight in the eye.
"You would probably figure it out soon enough, Miyama-sama, but I will give you a hint. That man began to eliminate men who drew near to Princess Lilianne—pardon me, Duchess Lilia—eight years ago."
"Eight years ago?"
"Yes. At the time, he wasn't as aggressive as he is now. He merely kept them in check. However, since the incident four years ago, he has been eliminating men and 'others' who approach her by any means necessary."
Eight years ago, when Lilia-san was fourteen... Wait, I remembered hearing something about that. Shortly after I arrived in this world, Lunamaria-san had said something...
—He even crushed the spirit of the 'fiancé candidate,' and the talk of engagement was...
A fiancé candidate. So that was the source of my nagging suspicion. At the time, Lilia-san had someone she might have married. But I hadn't heard anything about the King eliminating that person back then. Given the timeline, the current King, Ryze-san, would have already been on the throne. So he wasn't always eliminating every man who approached her.
And according to Chris-san, his behavior became extreme four years ago. It didn't take much thought to realize what happened then. It was the same time the Second Division was led into a trap, and Lilia-san was forced to change her name and accept a ducal title.
Dear Mother, Father—
After visiting the Royal Palace and receiving an apology from the King, I reunited with Chris-san. Through my conversation with her, I’ve started to understand the true nature of my doubts. As it turns out, the King’s inner thoughts—were a bit different from what I imagined.