Showing My Arrogant Side to My Fiancé desu wa!

As Summer's education progressed, she absorbed knowledge like a sponge and grew to the level where she could work as a maid in no time at all.

Koleha couldn't help but smile with satisfaction at this. After all, having a "pointlessly competent retainer" meant this was Koleha's story. It was only natural that she'd smile at the thought of the serves-you-right awaiting the heroine someday.

"Emma-senpai. Ojou-sama's smile is so very adorable, isn't it… haa, lovely."

"To me it looks like she's plotting something. Well, I suppose you'd think that if you didn't know the old Ojou-sama."

"The old Ojou-sama must also have been adorable without a doubt!"

The maids said such things, but — well, it's fine.

In truth, she was a villainess plotting serves-you-right in the future.

One day, Marquis Yarkot brought a letter to Koleha.

A letter in a gaudy envelope with a gilt border. It was already opened, likely because the marquis had checked it.

"Koleha. An invitation from His Highness Harks at the royal castle for a tea party."

"A tea party? How bothersome, desu wa. I don't have that kind of free time."

"You can't refuse an invitation from royalty."

So it was a date invitation from her fiancé… Good grief. She could easily imagine he'd written it reluctantly at the queen's urging.

Looking at the letter just in case, it followed proper etiquette, and the handwriting was neat as well. That said, there were surely scribes at the royal castle who could ghostwrite it, so it wasn't necessarily in his own hand.

"You've been working a bit too hard, Koleha. Go relax a little."

"Father? Do you seriously think a tea party with royalty is relaxing?"

"Now, now. There will likely be delicious sweets from the royal purveyor."

Hmm, that was indeed interesting, Koleha nodded.

"Also, His Majesty has granted dispensation for informality. If you have anything to say to His Highness, feel free to say it."

"My! That sounds… that sounds delightful! Understood, I shall make preparations!"

Apparently they had secured a promise that, being children and being engaged, they could say what they liked to each other.

"Father. In other words, no matter how much I mock that nasal-stuffed prince at this tea party, I won't be charged with lèse-majesté, will I!?"

"That's right."

Koleha's eyes flashed.

(This is my chance! I'll plant an inferiority complex in the prince here and make him dislike me, his fiancée! Then at the academy he'll carelessly fall in love with the heroine, awaken to blind 'true love', and head straight for the foolish farce of a condemnation scene full of holes!! And that's when my serves-you-right will shine!)

Fufufufu, a laugh quite unlike that of a child slipped out.

Marquis Yarkot shrugged with a helpless look.

Incidentally, the "dispensation for informality" was a scheme by their parents: "If their compatibility seems poor, let's cancel the engagement early."

After all, House Nyarlathotep had recently made a tremendous leap with the herb business, to the point where it wasn't an exaggeration to say they now held the nation's medical care in their hands.

It was consideration to ensure that Koleha — the driving force — wouldn't be lost abroad.

"Fufufu, fufu! Just you wait, Prince! I'll show you, desu wa!"

At this rate, she would be able to carry out serves-you-right smoothly.

Koleha had no doubt about that future.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

In the courtyard of the royal castle, the tea party with the prince began.

"I am honored by your invitation. Thank you very much for receiving me."

"Hmph — no, good that you came. Take your time today."

The prince had shed a bit of his chubbiness.

Previously he'd been "Hmph," but now he was "Hmph — no" That was a great improvement. Probably. Surely. Perhaps. A little at least.

"Your Highness, have you slimmed down? You look sharper than before, desu wa."

"Mm, you can tell? Indeed. I have begun studying swordsmanship. I practice swings for three hours a day."

"Heh, three hours… of just swings?"

"Hmph — no, of course it isn't just swinging. A scholarly tutor reads textbooks aloud to me during as well. In other words, I do my book learning orally while practicing swings. How about that, impressive, no?"

"My. Efficient use of time. Well done."

He seemed to be doing a surprisingly packed curriculum. Not to be underestimated, thought Koleha.

"Are you able to concentrate properly on both?"

"Hmph. If I should one day inherit the throne, I must be able to judge far more things simultaneously than this. This much is nothing."

"That's true. I'm unexpectedly impressed at how properly you're doing as a prince."

You've got some guts, she praised frankly.

"What do you mean, unexpectedly? More importantly, what about you? As my fiancée, I trust you are striving to behave in a way that is not embarrassing?"

"Yesterday I was reading lazily. Ah, and since the invitation for this tea party came, I've been busy getting this dress made."

At that, the prince grinned.

As if he'd found an opening.

"Then let me ask. Your dress — do you know how much of the people's blood-tax was poured into making it?"

"Oh my. Are you aware how much this dress cost to make, Your Highness Harks?"

"Hmph, do not underestimate me. That dress is a custom-made from Shima Village, the brand currently popular in the castle town. In that case, the price per piece — roughly one hundred gold coins."

Harks answered proudly. In fact, that estimate was roughly accurate.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho! It seems you've been studying, haven't you? However, not a single drop of the people's blood is in this dress."

"What was that? But the dress was made by House Nyarlathotep. If it's noble income, all of it comes from the people's taxes!"

Koleha maintained her smirking smile at Harks' declaration.

Of course. Because this line was within her expectations.

"Oh my, your studies are rather one-sided, Your Highness. Are you not familiar with the recent herb business of mine; of House Nyarlathotep?"

"Herb business… Mm. I do recall hearing a little."

"We're profiting with that. So there isn't a single drop of the people's blood-tax in this dress. Not even a single copper coin, desu wa! Oh-ho-ho-ho!"

"Guh — e-even if it's the house's money! It is not your own achievement—"

"Oh my, my, my! You don't know this either? The herb business was my initiative to begin with, you know? True, I borrowed Father's and the gardener's help for the first field, but I paid them back with a tip on top! This is a bona fide dress made entirely with my own money, which I can use as I please!"

Yes. In truth, today's dress — specifically for this day, specifically for this delight — had been made with Koleha's pocket money alone: a completely tax-free dress!

She had heard that Harks had been studying taxation lately and had anticipated that he would surely bring it up to take the upper hand!!

Incidentally, the source was His Majesty. Highly reliable information via Marquis Nyarlathotep.

"W-what…!?"

"To not know even that… one can tell the level of education at the royal castle, desu wa—! Oh-ho-ho-ho!"

"Grrr…!"

Koleha's triumphant laughter echoed through the courtyard.

Yes, that's the one…! That vexed 'grrr face' was exactly what she wanted to see!!

"Aaand? Your Highness Harks, how much blood-tax was poured into your current attire, hmm? How many gold coins did you pour into that piece from the royal purveyor?"

"Ugh…! E-eighty gold coins."

"Oh my. You did your homework. Good boy. I'm relieved you weren't the sort to put your own matters on the shelf while criticizing others. Not as royalty, but even as a mere subject."

"Guh… Apologies. I was shallow."

Harks inclined his head.

This, in turn, surprised Koleha.

"… !? Your Highness can apologize!?"

"W-what? Even if I am who I am, if I was in the wrong, I can apologize, can't I!?"

"Well, I thought you were the type who would never admit mistakes, saying 'royalty mustn't apologize easily.' That was prejudice. I apologize in turn."

"Certainly there is that side to royalty… but you are to be my partner in leading the nation in the future. Therefore, I consider you particularly equal. Setting others aside, if I cannot apologize to you, then who will stop me when I err?"

He's thinking more properly than expected!? Koleha was surprised anew.

It even made her suspect, for a moment, whether he had memories of a past life.

"If we're equals, could you stop calling me 'kisama' already?"

"… Isn't 'ore-sama' equivalent with 'kisama'?"

"Tutor! Someone fetch the tutor! What are they teaching His Highness!?"

Afterward, it was discovered that one of the prince's tutors held some particularly extreme ideas, but in any case, the tea party ended without issue.

Koleha had firmly taken the upper hand against His Highness Harks, the royal purveyor's sweets were delicious, she also got to see the despairing face of the tutor who was dismissed and sentenced, and she even received gifts to take home — altogether, it was a most satisfying day for Koleha.

And since she ended up saying, "Today was so very enjoyable, desu wa—" the engagement was to continue.