Bertia 17 Years Old (4)

 

 

Part 1/5

Translated by LynneSuzuran & Senhiro

 

 

“…”

Someone’s voice could be heard in the distance.

 

Along with the sensation of getting my consciousness pulled up after being submerged in the profound depths of the sea, I felt relieved because I was able to return from that unpleasant world at last.

My head, which was still faint in some respects as of now, should return to its usual clear state a while after I have woken up.

The little sluggishness isn’t that different from what I usually feel right after waking up in the morning.

My field of vision gradually became brighter, and the sounds and voices from my surroundings became more distinct little by little.

 

“…! …-ness!!”

 

I’m sure that I have made you worried.

I need to apologize as soon as I regain my consciousness, then after resting my body for a little while, I need to get the situation under control and…

 

“Your Highness!! Please wake up quickly!!”

“There’s no time to rest!! Bertia-sama is…!!”

“Wake up, and please control this situation as soon as possible!! Otherwise…”

“Wake up!! Stop Bertia!!”

 

 

……It’s extremely lively, huh.

You guys, don’t you understand that I just lost my consciousness and collapsed?

Show me a little bit of concern or pity…

 

 

“I-if you don’t hurry and wake up, Bertia-sama will… your fiancée will have a shaved head!!”

 

………Wait a second.

Just what kind of situation can lead Bertia to have a shaved head?!

 

“”Your Highness!!””

 

The people around me who jolted my body to wake me up gave shouts of joy once I opened my eyes from their shocking statements.

However, it wasn’t because of their relief that I woke up, I feel like their cheers were more like the cheers that people made when a savior appeared.

 

“…What’s up with Bertia, again?”

Originally, I wished for a slower awakening after I lost my consciousness from receiving the light spirit’s attack, but I felt like I heard some words that I couldn’t afford to ignore, so there’s no way I can express my wish.

It can’t be helped. I lightly shook my head that hurt from waking up so suddenly and immediately swept my gaze around in order to confirm the situation.

 

Miss Joanna was kneeling on the bed I had been sleeping in, as she grasped the nape of my neck and jolted me around.

Miss Silica was lightly patting my cheeks with a ghastly pale face.

Zeno was sitting behind the bed as he supported my upper body and slapped my back.

Marquis Noches was trying to splash the water inside the finger bowl at me… wait, whatever the circumstances may be, you can’t be doing that to me, the crown prince, okay, Marquis?

 

 

Well, what the other members were trying to do was also felt a bit… inappropriate, though.

Especially Zeno.

You were hitting me on purpose because you knew I was already awake, right?

I also heard quite clearly how you muttered, “For my daily grudge…,” in your low voice, you know?

Do you still hold on to the grudge from the other day because I mistakenly gave your snacks to Bertia?

Next time, when I feel like giving sweets to Bertia, I’ll certainly buy Zeno’s portion as well, so would you quit clicking your tongue?

Ah, naturally, I’ll be scolding you the entire time you’re eating the snacks. Look forward to it, okay?

 

 

“Y-Your Highness! Please stop Bertia quickly!!”

When I was sending a silent smile towards Zeno, Marquis Noches at some point had placed the finger bowl back on the table before I even noticed it, and pointed slightly further away, at where the guard knights and my close aide candidates were frantically trying to calm Bertia as they held her down.

 

“Please let me go!! I have to become a [nun]!! If not, Cecil-sama willlll…!! Scissors! If there are no scissors, then a dagger will do!! If that isn’t available as well, please lend me the sword that you’re wearing at your waaiiiist!!”

As large drops of tears spilled from her eyes, Bertia struggled without caring for her appearance.

It was a frantic form that would cause others looking upon her to be distressed, but… what she said was beyond unsettling.

 

Just why the heck did things turn this way?

In the first place, what is a [nun]?

 

“She’s been trying to cut her hair while shouting incomprehensible things such as [I’ll become a [nun], so please save His Highness!!] or [I will have my head shaved at this place!!] from some time ago.”

“Even while moving to this waiting room, she fervently appealed to that woman called Heronia while crying, saying [If you can save Cecil-sama, I will go to the monastery or even anywhere else], [Please, Cecil-sama…]. After we pulled her away from that woman named Heronia and brought her here together with Your Highness and you still hadn’t awakened yet, she madly rambled things like [What should I do?! I will even go to the monastery, okay?!], [I’m even willing to shave my head and enter the priesthood!!]…”

 

Miss Joanna and Miss Silica hurriedly took their hands away from me and continued to behave as if nothing had happened, as they urged me with uneasy expressions just like some typical bewildered noble ladies.

It’s not like I didn’t think anything of it, but… we’re in a situation where it doesn’t seem to be possible to bring it up now.

 

“Whoa?! Wai-!! Bertia-sama, please don’t draw out a sword on your own!! It’s dangerous!!”

“Please hand it over to me immediately!! I’m only going to use it to shave my head!! I won’t use it for anything dangerous!!”

“A sword isn’t something that can be used for shaving hair!! But more importantly, please don’t shave it!!”

“If I don’t shave it!! If I don’t receive any downfall, Cecil-sama will definitely not wake up!! Destiny won’t, the heroine won’t allow it!!”

“I’m telling you it’s all right!! His Highness is a person that couldn’t be killed even if you tried!! That’s why, please calm downnnnn!!”

 

 

“Your Highness! Please stop being absent-minded and stop her immediately! Otherwise, Bertia’s hair style at the wedding ceremony will become something unspeakable, you know?!”

Noticing that I had woken up, Charles and Nert who were trying to stop Bertia along with the guard knights continued to blurt out rude remarks as they desperately appealed to me.

 

…I feel like the treatment from the people around me is getting more and more cruel as the years pass by somehow, or is it just my imagination?

In the first place, everyone has been pushing me around too much, don’t you think?

At least, know that I’m just an ordinary human, not an immortal, okay? It’s fine to treat have more sympathy towards me, all right?

 

Bard stepped in between Bertia and the guard knight, interfering with Bertia’s efforts in trying to snatch the sword from the guard knight.

I’m sure that Kulgan and Shaun who weren’t present here were in the middle of managing things at the party venue somehow.

Because my father’s figure also couldn’t be seen, there’s no doubt that he was also lending them a hand.

 

Everyone seems to be in trouble, but is it absolutely necessary for me to deal with all that trouble this time?

As for me, it seems interesting to observe them, and I’d like to take a little rest while observing them, though…

 

“””YOUR HIGHNESSSSS!!”””

 

Everyone except Bertia noticed that I had regained my consciousness and called my name.

Of course, the message that could be read from those eyes wasn’t ‘concern’ or ‘relief,’ it was a request to rescue them, like ‘Do something about this situation!!’

Those were gazes mixed with the reproach that I should take their shifts immediately now that I’m awake.

I know that you are all desperate, but… I think it’s fine to be a little more worried about me, okay?

Well, it’s fine though, since Bertia cares about me for her part.

 

 

“…I understand. It can’t be helped, right?”

I showed a wry smile and slowly lowered my legs from the bed to stand, while checking the sensation of my body.

Well, in such a state, she would surely not notice me even if I tried to call out to her, so I will probably have to approach her to get her attention.

Fortunately, the place that hit the floor when I fell unconscious was only a bit painful, so there weren’t any particular difficulties moving around.

 

“Tia, calm down. I’m all right.”

“Cecil-sama isss!! I have to hurry and receive my downfall!!”

“No, it’s already impossible, okay?”

“God, [Buddha], Heroine-samaaaaa!! I don’t care what becomes of me, so please somehow save Cecil-sama and this countryyy!!”

“No, nothing will change even if you ask her, okay? Besides, I’m already fine even without their help, right?”

“Aaah, I can hear an auditory hallucination of Cecil-sama’s voice!! Could this be the rumored [Bedside Dream]?!”

“…I don’t understand what you mean. Besides, it isn’t an auditory hallucination, okay? At any rate, won’t you calm down a little?”

“Cecil-sama, what am I supposed to do?!”

“…For now, let’s calm down, okay?”

 

 

I grasped Bertia’s hands as she didn’t seem to listen to my words at all, so that she couldn’t struggle anymore, and examined her expression which was soppy with tears.

Her gaze that hadn’t been focused on anything slowly turned to me, and finally, our eyes met.

 

“Ah… Cecil-sama?”

“Morning, my cute Tia? I’m completely awake now, so it’s all right.”

When I deliberately smiled at her and used a sweet tone of voice, Bertia’s face was warped for a moment, and even more tears began to overflow.

 

 

“Cecil-sama!! I’m glad. So gladdddddd!”

Bertia’s entire body clashed into mine to hug me, and I embraced her back, caressing her back gently to comfort her.

 

“It seems that I’ve caused you to be very worried. I only took a quick nap, so I’m all right.”

“Aah, God, [Buddha], Heroine-sama, thank you!! I haven’t shaved my hair, but… Aah, it’s surely a deferred payment, isn’t it?! Understood!! I will properly enter the priesthood and work hard for [Buddha]…”

“No, you don’t have to do that, though? Although I don’t know what kind of thing that [Buddha] is. You’ll be permitted to offer your prayers every morning at the church that’s in the royal palace, but you still have your duties as the crown princess, okay? You can’t enter the monastery, okay?”

“Eh?! But I’m the villainess!! If I don’t get my downfall, Cecil-sama and this country’s happiness will…”

“The downfall has been completed already, hasn’t it? Everything has ended, hasn’t it? The future where I will be tied to the [heroine] that you said won’t ever come. As for me… I’m aware that it’s already impossible for me to be together with someone other than you.”

“Eh? Eh? B-but… But, uhm, eh? Me? But, then, what about the development that will come after this…?”

“…Is there still something to be worried about?”

“…?! Uhm… That…”

 

 

Wide-eyed, a blush creeped into Bertia’s cheeks from my words, and she began to be flustered.

Judging from her reaction, I quickly understood that there should be something else that I must hear about. However, she doesn’t readily tell me the continuation of her words.

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