"Aaaaaaaaaah!" A scream that sounded like silk tearing echoed through the royal castle courtyard.
I looked around to see what was going on, but the reason soon became clear. Judging from the conversation, it seemed that an insect or something had gotten into the clothes of the girl who appeared to be a princess. "I'm sorry, Lady Kazuhaine. I don't like bugs. I'll bring someone else, so please wait a moment!" The maid ran off in a panic.
I saw the girl called Kazuhaine. If I remember correctly, the name was the same as the daughter of the first prince, Ichabod, and his wife, Fassone. Her appearance was the spitting image of her mother, Fassone.
It wasn't hard to imagine that Fassone must have been like this as a young girl. However, Kazuhaine's aura was completely different from that of my eldest brother, who seemed to walk around arrogantly in clothes, and from her mother, who was looked youthful and dressed flashy despite her age. She was the very image of a pure and innocent princess who would not be embarrassed in any situation. "You seem to be in trouble." When I spoke to her, Kazuhaine, who had been constantly moving due to something crawling on her back, stopped moving for a few seconds. She seemed to be looking at my face. However, she did not seem suspicious. What was it? "Excuse me, but is there something on my face?" "N-no, it's nothing...! Excuse me...!" When I called out to her again, Kazuhaine looked flustered.
What is it really? I pulled myself together and told her what I wanted. "If it's okay with you, may I retrieve it for you?" It was not Kazuhaine herself who answered, but her maid.
"I do not know who you are or where you are from, but Kazuhaine is an important unwed maiden. I cannot allow a man to see her exposed skin." "No, Servana." Kazuhaine stops her. "I can only feel pure kindness in this person's eyes. I don't mind leaving it to him." Unlike before, she now shows a resolute attitude befitting a princess.
But then,
"Besides," "Ah what is it, Lady Kazuhaine?" In response to the maid's question, "Even as I speak to you now, something is crawling up my back...! I can't stand it...!"
She said this while trying to keep herself calm, but it was clear that she was barely managing to hold back. I felt bad for her, but it was a little amusing. "Well then." I immediately went into action.
I went around her back and looked down from above, where something must have been. Her white back and white underwear were dazzling. However, I didn't have time to leisurely look at it. I found a spider crawling on Kazuhaine's back and gently picked it up with my fingertips. "I got it out, don't worry." As I said that, I let the spider go.
"It was a blessing in disguise. That spider wasn't the kind that would harm people. On the contrary, it was a useful spider that gets rid of pests." "Wouldn't it have been better if you had just killed that kind of insect?"
Even though I said it wasn't a pest, the maid said that. It seemed that she had quite a strong dislike for insects. "As I said before, that spider was a good one."
I say before continuing.
"Because of my job, I often have to kill animals, so when I'm away from work, I try not to kill as much as possible." "Excuse me, but what is your job?" The maid asked while looking at me suspiciously. "Monster extermination." "Monster extermination?"
"Yes, it's the job with the highest demand in the world right now." This world is inhabited by humans, but humans control less than 10% of the land, and although at a very slow pace, we are currently in the process of expanding our territory. To do that, we need to hunt monsters. As long as you're skilled, it's a job that will never leave you hungry. I'm still in my teens, but I've been doing this for years.
"I am the tenth prince, Eucharlouch. This is the first time I've met you, Kazuhaine."
"Eucharlouch... you..." "It seems that you at least know my name."
"Yes. Since you are my uncle, you were able to take it without any trouble." Kazuhaine said as if she understood. "That's right. No matter how beautiful your niece is, if you become aroused, you are not fit to be an uncle." I said jokingly. "Well..." Kazuhaine's cheeks turned rosy when I said she was beautiful.
Although she was still young, she would surely transform into a beautiful adult woman in another two or three years. "I have no intention of making you feel obliged to me, but I have one request." "...!" The maid's face changed color when I said that. She must have heard the bad rumors about me. She seemed wary of what unreasonable requests I might make.
However. "Please keep our meeting a secret from your mother." "...Is that what you're asking me to do?" I could feel the relief in the maid's response. "Yes. That's what I'm asking." I answered nonchalantly.
"I can promise you that. But why?" It seems the innocent Kazuhaine doesn't know the reason. "I think you've heard the bad rumors about me."
I'm hardly ever at the palace, and unlike the other princes, I don't have an entourage, so people spread all sorts of funny rumors about me.
Even though it’s for the purpose of monster extermination, I do travel a lot, so the rumors about my "life of debauchery" aren't necessarily false. "Besides,"
I continued.
"Your mother doesn't think well of me, so I feel uncomfortable letting her hear about things, especially things that would upset her.”
Her father, Ichabod, doesn't care about me, a low-ranking prince, but his wife, Fassone, is different. She keeps the other princes in check at every opportunity. I'm no exception to that, and the criticism is especially harsh on me, as I have no backing. "You may have heard about me from your mother,"
I continued,
"My mother was just a town girl. Although she has the same status as a queen, her position is quite different from that of Lady Fassone, who comes from a distinguished family. For that reason, she must not be pleased." "But... aren't we from the same royal family...?" "The BraveLord family is a family that values bloodline supremacy. It's not that your mother is saying something wrong, so please don't take it personally." The blood of the hero that flows through me is nothing but the result of adhering to the principle of blood purity.
I couldn't deny that. "So you're protecting your mother, not yourself..." Kazuhaine muttered with a sad look on her face. She probably thought I was lamenting my origins. "Please don't misunderstand." "Yes."
"I'm simply aware of my position, and I don't feel ashamed of being born to my mother. On the contrary, I'm proud. I'd like to let you know that much." "So you respect your mother." Kazuhaine looked relieved. That was fine.
"Yes. I agree. Well, I will be off now." I turn my back to the two of them. However. "Umm..." I am suddenly called out. The voice is Kazuhaine's. "What is it?" "Can we... meet again?" "Yes..." What would be the best way to respond to her? I searched for the right words.
"If the opportunity arises, I would say so." "Really?" "But I would advise you not to get too involved with me. Your mother wouldn't approve." I gave her a faint hope, but I made sure to put a firm warning in. Is this the compromise? "I look forward to meeting you again, Lord Eucharlouch." Kazuhaine smiles back at me, not taking my words at face value. "Yes, if the opportunity arises." I replied with a touch of my true feelings mixed in. And so ended my very brief first meeting with my niece, who was close to my age.
Chapter length 3840 characters.
Note: This is the only chapter.
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