"D-Don't you dare mock Alicia!"
Mariana’s body trembled as she glared at Edward, her eyes brimming with tears that looked ready to spill at any moment.
"You don't know anything! How can you be so quick to judge her?!"
"No, I—"
Edward stumbled back, cowed by her sheer intensity.
"I heard a little about what happened..." Mariana said, biting her lip and breathing hard. "I thought it was the most tragic thing in the world. If it had been me, I probably never would have set foot in the Academy again. I would have spent the rest of my life consumed by resentment."
She paused, her voice shaking even more.
"But Alicia came back! No matter how much she lost, no matter what people whispered behind her back, she quietly endured it all just so she could smile at me!"
Mariana’s voice rose to a shout as she emphasized how incredible that was. Compared to herself—someone who had done nothing but cower in fear of the nobility—Alicia was a woman who had accepted her past mistakes and moved forward. Even though she was being treated far worse than any commoner, and even though it clearly caused her pain, she was the one standing up to protect others.
"Even if it were an order from my parents, I couldn't do what she does..."
"Mariana..."
Alicia found herself tearing up as well.
"It’s enough. I’m so sorry for making you say all that on my behalf."
"It’s not enough! I’m not the kind of person who can just stand by while a friend is insulted! If this is Lese-majesty, then fine! I'm prepared to go to hell for it!"
Whoa. She’s a total heroine.
There was no mistaking it; that was pure protagonist energy right there.
"Alicia, you are strong. I truly respect you."
"I’m not that special..."
"You are! When I offered to heal your scar, you refused, didn't you? You told me it was proof of your fight. That was the moment I decided I would stay by your side forever."
Wiping her tears, Mariana gripped Alicia’s hand firmly.
"I will help you bear any other wounds. And I will be the one to heal them."
"Mariana... thank you..."
At those words, even the resolute Alicia finally let the tears track down her cheeks.
So this was what it meant to be a Saint. Or rather, a girl burdened with the destiny of becoming one. Even if she was speaking in the heat of the moment, I wondered if there was anyone else in the world who could say such things to the Crown Prince’s face. Especially someone who suffered from a deep-seated trauma regarding the nobility.
There wasn't, surely.
Someone who can stand up for another is truly strong. I had always known she possessed a resilient heart because of her past, but I hadn't realized it went this deep.
"I love you, Alicia..."
"Mariana, I love you too..."
As the two of them embraced, I felt like total air. My murderous intent had long since evaporated, drowned out by Mariana’s momentum. It was that strange phenomenon where, when you’re on the verge of snapping, seeing someone else get even angrier than you makes you suddenly cool down. It’s like being in a haunted house—if the person next to you is screaming their head off in terror, for some reason, the ghosts stop being scary.
I wondered if there was a name for that. It was a bizarre feeling.
"Your Highness. She is not at fault."
Alicia turned around and stood before Edward, her expression clear and firm.
"If you insist this is Lese-majesty, then I will take full responsibility."
"No..."
Edward’s gaze flickered momentarily to the scar over Alicia’s left eye. That scar was a consequence of her own previous selfishness. In this world, when someone tries to force their will onto reality, the backlash always lands somewhere. The Alicia from the game world had let her reason wither until she became a monster, but the current Alicia was a formidable woman who had accepted her burdens.
I felt proud of her. Honestly, I could start calling her "Big Sis" at this point and it wouldn't feel out of place.
"Since I am incognito today, I am technically not present in this carriage. Therefore, no charges of Lese-majesty will be brought... No, I will not permit them..."
Edward managed to squeeze the words out. Even if he said that, his status as Crown Prince meant his subordinates would likely act on their own anyway, but I decided to keep my mouth shut.
This prince was soft. I could feel it—if he kept up this habit of charging ahead without thinking, he was going to lose something irreplaceable.
Actually, hadn't he already lost it? He’d lost the ultimate, peerless, beautiful wife that was Alicia! There was no way they were getting back together, so he really ought to just go home before someone killed him.
I couldn't exactly say that in front of Alicia, so I just flipped him off in the privacy of my own mind.
"Your Highness, that's enough for today, isn't it? Let’s head back."
Clive offered an unexpected lifeline. He was likely accompanying the Prince as a guard, and he’d probably judged it best to make an excuse and retreat to the Special Carriage rather than staying in the General Carriage. Then again, he might just have wanted to leave because the atmosphere was incredibly awkward.
"No, I refuse. I went to the trouble of paying for your ticket as well. It is only proper to sit in these seats until we reach our destination. It would be a waste otherwise."
Wait. Are you seriously not leaving, Your Highness? You're worried about wasting money? Your parents probably paid for every single seat in this entire carriage just to clear it out; "waste" is a meaningless concept here.
"...No, but isn't this getting a bit uncomfortable?"
"I apologize for making things uncomfortable. I also apologize for bringing up the past and making such misguided comments."
As he spoke, Edward actually bowed his head.
"I am a Crown Prince capable of humility."
He flashed a sparkling, handsome smile, his white teeth practically gleaming. At the sight, Clive slapped a hand over his face and let out a heavy sigh.
Hey, even if you apologize, a commoner might still end up dead depending on how the people around you interpret the situation. Cut it out with the "Death Sorry."
"...Right."
Even Alicia looked genuinely bewildered by his behavior.
"You have changed," Edward continued. "But I won't ask you to forgive me for that incident, nor will I apologize for it. I have no regrets about the path I chose. That much is certain."
"W-Well, if you say so...?"
Facing Edward’s sparkling eyes, Alicia’s cheek twitched. Her face was a mask of "That's not what I meant at all."
The point was that if he was the Crown Prince, he should act like one, but this selfish prince who hated his role simply couldn't be reasoned with.
"Your Highness, do you really intend to stay?"
"I do. We agreed that you would play the role of Patricia so I could practice how to properly escort her in a General Carriage, didn't we?"
So that was his plan. That was probably his excuse for clearing the carriage in the first place.
"I’ve been going along with it because I had to, but I really don't want to do that in this situation..."
Everyone present except for Edward was in total agreement with Clive. Having them do something that cringeworthy right next to us was the last thing we needed. Just go do it in the Special Carriage.
"Are you breaking your promise? Clive, I thought we were friends!"
Who was the one who broke the engagement, then? I screamed internally.
"Your Highness, there's no point in being incognito anymore, so let's just go! I'll play along in the Special Carriage! Come on, move it!"
"Wait, the setting is the most important part! Clive! I don't discriminate against anyone, and in fact, the Margrave, where the sturdy Adventurers of the Brave territory—"
Whether it was because he truly hated the idea of playing Patricia in public or not, Clive grabbed Edward by the ear and dragged him away.
In the original game, "Edward Gran Etherdam" was portrayed with more detail than almost anyone else. It wasn't just the sparkling prince moments; the game focused on how he tried to adapt to commoner culture to be with the protagonist. He tried to love their way of life, attempted to cook, and even made stuffed animals. He failed a lot, but he grew more domestic and down-to-earth. Because of that, players who finished other routes often felt a sense of "homing instinct" and returned to him, thinking he was the best choice.
But knowing that he was doing this kind of "rehearsal" behind the scenes left me with a very complicated feeling.
He's a moron. There's a genuine moron right there.
"...W-Well, for now, let’s just drink our coffee."
"Good idea. How should I put it... Royalty are quite unique, aren't they?"
"Only him."
"Agree."
In the middle of that incredibly strained atmosphere, we drank our coffee.
Wait, was "Agree" the only thing I said this whole time?