"Well, it’s quieter than I expected, isn't it?"
"Right? It’s difficult to find peace and quiet in the Royal Capital..."
A pair of Capture Target Characters sat in the booth across from us, elbows resting on the table as they gazed out the window.
One was Edward Gran Etherdam—the Crown Prince of this kingdom and Alicia’s former fiancé.
The other, a man with short brown hair who had tagged along with him, was Clive von Gungbolg. He was another Capture Target, the son of Marquess Gungbolg, whose family had commanded the Royal Capital Imperial Guards for generations.
To put it simply, he was a hot-blooded spearman with absolute confidence in his own strength. While he was aggressive and his language was often crude, he had a dedicated fanbase who admired his blunt, straightforward nature.
He was known as the Spear Fellow.
Because he was always the first to volunteer to accompany Edward on these incognito trips, he appeared surprisingly often in the game's Edward Route. Since their fathers were close, Clive had likely been ordered to watch over Edward since they were toddlers.
Thanks to those two taking the seats right next to us, I was currently trapped in a thick, suffocatingly awkward atmosphere.
"...Auh... auh..."
"...There, there. It’s okay now. I’m here."
Alicia had her eyes closed, gently petting Mariana while the girl muttered incoherently.
Technically, Mariana was their classmate, but judging by her reaction, I doubted she had ever interacted with them on anything more than a formal, administrative level. I had been in a different carriage when they first ran into each other, and before I could get the full story, Alicia had ushered me into my seat. Now, everything was a mess.
Incidentally, there were no other passengers in the carriage.
I didn't want to think it, but had word of His Highness’s travel plans leaked? Had this entire carriage been cleared out in advance? If so, the railway shouldn't have let our reservation go through in the first place!
"...Hah! Was I unconscious again?"
"You were."
"Ah, auh... wait, Alicia, don't pet me so much. It’s embarrassing..."
"Just stay still and let me pet you for now."
"I-If you say so... I mean, there’s no way royalty would actually be in a General Carriage, right? Phew, what a scare."
Mariana nuzzled against Alicia like a kitten seeking warmth.
"Mmm, Alicia is so soft... purr, purr, meow..."
No, she was definitely a cat now. Had her brain short-circuited after fainting? That was supposed to be my spot eventually, but I decided I could yield it to her for today.
"...Are you awake? You suddenly fainted while foaming at the mouth. Are you truly all right?"
For some reason, Edward decided to speak to them.
"Eek! It wasn't a dream?! Blub-blub-blub-blub."
Mariana promptly fainted again. Alicia let out a heavy sigh and turned her gaze toward Edward.
"Sigh... She has a trauma regarding nobles due to a past accident. I believe I told you to act as if we weren't here and leave us be."
So that was what had happened before I returned. Despite her firm warning, Edward pushed further.
"No, but—"
"Edward-denka. This is a General Carriage. You should consider the fact that when royalty travels recklessly, these are the sorts of incidents that occur."
Mariana’s reaction was extreme, but I really wished he would consider the feelings of ordinary passengers. If royalty was in the same carriage and something went wrong, the commoners could be executed without a second thought. Setting aside the danger of being targeted by assassins, their difference in status was high enough that being near each other was a life-or-death situation.
Come to think of it, the enemy I’d dealt with in the toilet had mentioned something about another target. Was it possible they were actually after Edward?
What a massive pain.
I sat there silently trying to turn into "air," mentally exasperated that I’d ended up in the same carriage as another troublemaker.
"...You’re still saying things like that, I see."
Edward gazed at Alicia with sorrowful eyes.
"I knew that since returning to the Academy, you had become close with the other Sage's Disciple—a commoner. I thought that meant you had changed... but it seems my words never reached you after all."
"This is not the Academy."
"That wasn't the essence of what I was trying to tell you back then. Don't tell me... is the only reason you’re traveling with the Sage's Disciple because your parents ordered you to?"
I felt a sharp surge of irritation at his thoughtless words.
I hadn't heard the details of the annulment from Alicia myself, but in the game, Edward had vented about how their marriage was forced by their parents and how he found Alicia’s constant obedience to her family stifling.
He really was beyond help.
The only reason he could enjoy his school life or play at being "incognito" was because of the very status he took for granted, but the Prince was clearly oblivious to that. He likely viewed this as some noble path he had chosen for himself.
—Should I just kill him? This royal?
The dark thought had barely crossed my mind when an unexpected voice rang out.
"D-Don't talk about Alicia like that!"
Mariana was trembling, her eyes brimming with tears, but she was glaring straight at Edward.