The Bewilderment of the Sacrificial Second Princess

Chapter 57: Discussions before honeymoon planning, starting

“So, with that being said, I thought I would consult with Gauche who has a world map, and ask if this type of souvenir would be appreciated. Also, I would like the Shadows of Nejia to be a part of the escort.

“I see… I understand about the escort. We’ll bring a reasonable number so as not to raise suspicion, but I think our budget will be significantly reduced. Buying the jewelry is a good idea since it will save time. While it would be nice to bring jewelry from our own country, I think art pieces like Seanapse’s works will be well received in any country.

During our usual evening tea time, I showed Auglia-sama the plan we had compiled during the day, and he nodded in agreement.

“That’s good… I thought Auglia-sama was knowledgeable about neighboring countries, but I assume you’re busy with your daily duties before the trip? I just go to the General Affairs Department and work as I please… I’m really looking forward to this trip with Auglia-sama.”

“Yeah, I’m happy too, Claire. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to show your face at the warehouse.”

He smiled at me and nailed me. I guess a report had been made, and I felt disappointed and dropped my shoulders.

“I got too excited…”

“I knew that you were curious, but… I’m just a little bit jealous that you visit Gauche’s place but not my office.”

“Jealous?”

Come to think of it, I haven’t told Auglia-sama that Gauche is my blood-related older brother. I had that consciousness, so I ended up speaking casually, but this is getting complicated to talk about.

First of all, Gauche has lived as a citizen of Nejia, and works with pride.

If I tell him that Gauche is my older brother, the  brother-in-law of the crown prince, the Baratonia Kingdom must acknowledge and either publicly announce or give Gauche a certain position. It’s necessary because of the status.

Gauche doesn’t want that. Also, he is the leader of the Shadows of Nejia. Standing out too much is not good for anyone.

Living as a hidden straw mat in Baratonia as a noble, rather than in Nejia… if he becomes a Duke by having the blood related to the royal family… If he has to live that way, the Shadows of Nejia will gather around Gauche.

Even though it’s a sensitive time as we’ve just become independent and are still aware of the distance between us and other countries, and with the recent tension of possibly being attacked by the extreme winter land, there is also growing distrust among the citizens and nobles of the Baratonia Kingdom.

“Um, Auglia-sama.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

I held Auglia-sama’s hand with both of my hands, faced him with a serious expression, looked straight into his sunset-colored eyes and pleaded with all my heart in a sincere voice.

“For my entire life, I won’t allow myself to have any social activities with anyone other than Auglia-sama… I may dance, but I will not allow a single kiss.”

“…Haa… Being natural is scary.”

“Natural? What do you mean?”

Auglia-sama, who sighed and dropped his shoulders while holding his forehead with his free hand, smiled bitterly and tried to hide his words, then softly touched my cheek.

Ah, the heat of this palm is melting my thoughts.

With my eyes slowly closed, I let my cheek be embraced by the palm and just accepted the approaching lips.