Episode 6: Tea Party with Her Highness
"Hey Kai, it's about time you wake up."
The voice of the man in the same room echoes loudly in my head.
My eyelids feel unusually heavy.
Let me sleep in on my day off...
"It's already past 11, but don't you have an appointment with His Highness before noon?"
"Whoa... wait, what?! Is it already this late?! Thank you!"
At my roommate's words, I quickly regained consciousness and forcibly pried open my crusty eyelids, covered in sleep.
My body, exhausted from the weekday military training, throws a tantrum saying, "I still want to doze in bed," but I can't afford to say that.
The short hand of the clock hanging on the wall of the room has already started to pass 11 o'clock, just as he said.
Whipping my heart, I force my body out of bed.
Today, I have been invited to a private tea party with Her Highness.
Being late is problematic in various ways.
Besides, I can't help but look forward to meeting that friendly and cheerful cute girl myself.
Even if, considering the difference in social status, marrying such a person is unthinkable.
Hastily throwing off my pajamas, I head to the washroom.
"Hey, I know you're in a hurry, but it's really inappropriate for a guy to dress like that."
"Huh? Ah, it's not like I'm looking at anyone else anyway..."
"You'll make excuses again like that."
My roommate Norihiko in the boys' dormitory raises an objection to me wearing just a thin shirt and pants.
Even though it was a day off, he was dressed in the tight light blue uniform of the nursing course.
He is a good guy at heart, but he always nags me about my messy clothes and keeps saying things like "as a gentleman, you should..."
I want to say that this level of attire is fine among men, but unfortunately, in this world... according to common sense, what he's saying is more correct.
While casually brushing off the meddlesome man who keeps nagging me from the side, I activate the
While washing his face with the water overflowing from the magic stone and tidying his messy hair, Norihiko's lecture continued uninterrupted.
"First of all, you show too many weaknesses all the time! You need to be more guarded around women. Women are like wolves!"
"Wolves, huh..."
"I personally would actually welcome being sexually assaulted by a beautiful woman"
…is what I want to say, but I keep my mouth shut.
After washing my face, I donned a khaki-colored military school uniform resembling an officer's uniform with a single cherry blossom button, and hung a small metal nameplate around my neck.
"Besides, men are already precious as it is. And when it comes to beautiful boys like us..."
"Calling yourself a pretty boy, huh? That's just normal."
"But it's the truth, right? Just walking around the city with you, the women get all worked up and start staring at us, don't they?"
I look at my face reflected in the bathroom mirror.
There stood an ordinary man with a inconspicuous -like face, the exact same face as my previous life.
(Why am I being treated as a handsome guy with this face in this world...) I was about to sigh as usual... but more importantly than that, I need to hurry now.
As I hurriedly grabbed the military magic wand leaning against the wall and was about to head out, Norihiko forcefully stepped in front of me.
Hey, hey, is the lecture time still going on? If we don't leave soon, we're really going to be late.
"Hey, since we're on the topic, let me just say this. Women who aren't popular with men tend to misunderstand even the slightest bit of kindness from a guy."
"Huh? Misunderstanding?"
"Yeah. There are people who, just because you show a little kindness or even just greet them, start falling for you on their own. And then when you reject them after they confess, they hold a grudge."
"Uh... what were we talking about again?"
"...It's about Her Highness. You're getting awfully close to that woman, aren't you?"
"Close... The princess treats everyone equally, doesn't she?"
Sighing, Norihiko shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't you realize... you're the only one the princess invites to his private tea parties?"
◆◆◆◆◆
A leisurely afternoon on a day off.
I was hurrying to a small brick building a little distance away from the military academy's auditorium for the tea party with Her Highness.
(I'm cutting it close! This is bad!)
At the gate, there is a bronze sign inscribed with the calligraphy "Shinonome Shinonome Hall."
This building is originally a place where only imperial family members and students from the imperial family who visit the military school for inspection are allowed to use.
As usual, I showed the guard at the entrance the princess' introduction letter and quickly walked inside.
In the courtyard of the building, vibrant green plants cover one wall, and their natural shade keeps the space cool day and night.
I took a deep breath of the cool air from the garden to steady my breath and headed towards Her Highness.
"Your Highness, I apologize for the wait."
"No, not at all. Oh, but you're all sweaty. Did you oversleep and run here?"
"Huh? Ah, no. This is..."
Wiping my sweat with a handkerchief, she chuckled and guided me to a seat at the garden table.
"There's no way I can have Her Highness make tea for me..."
"You are my guest, after all. It's the host's duty to serve tea to the guests."
When I tried to help prepare the tea set, she smiled and stopped me, eagerly arranging the teapot and tea snacks on the small table.
"And also, I've told you many times, we're classmates from military school. I've said it's fine to call me 'Kanade' like in the old days, right? Besides, I'm younger than you, so it's okay not to use honorifics."
"Um, then... Kanade Sonata?"
"Hmm, at least it's better than 'Your Highness'... Well, for now, I'll put up with it."
I couldn't help but be captivated by Kanade's mischievous, lighthearted smile.
Her long black hair had silver highlights here and there, radiating a cuteness reminiscent of white fish swimming in a beautiful stream.
The bright golden eyes shine like a crown, and just looking into them brings an indescribable sense of happiness.
(Ah~. Kanade is really graceful and cute, isn't she?)
When I gaze at the face of this beautiful girl, who resembles the gentle princess of the forest spirits, my heart starts to flutter and my feelings become more vibrant.
To avoid my face, which had turned red without thinking, being seen, I lowered my gaze, only to have two incredibly ample curves jump into my view.
I cup or more, I wonder?
When Kanade moved her arm slightly to drink from the cup of tea, her ample breasts swayed enticingly each time, and I couldn't help but stiffen in my lower regions.
Kanade, in her casual yukata, looks very refreshing compared to her usual brown military school uniform.
The jade skin visible from her collar is lightly colored, and I still can't take my eyes off her lustrous body.
She is second in line for the throne, Higashikujou Kanade.
The only ones who could possibly stand up to her, who belongs to the imperial family at the pinnacle of the "Empire," are probably the heads of the "Three Great Houses of the Empire."It would be a mistake for someone like me, the son of a poor viscount family, to casually talk face-to-face with someone like that.
But she wants to be treated here just as a classmate, Kanade.
Well, even if I forget about social status differences, it's impossible for me, who has always been a virgin in both my past and present lives, to treat such an incredibly beautiful girl as just a classmate...
I just can't help but get nervous, and my words and actions become stiff.
Well, regardless of my actions, stiffening my groin is the height of disrespect, so I must somehow think of something else to suppress my excitement! Something else! Something else...!
(This beautiful girl is being treated like an ugly one. This world where beauty and ugliness are reversed is insane.)
I recalled Norihiko's earlier statement and once again pondered the concept of beauty and ugliness in this world.
In that way, I struggled to divert my attention from the beautiful girl in front of me, trying to suppress my own arousal... but it was no use at all. This thing won't shrink no matter what I do.
Ignoring me, Kanade suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Oh, by the way, yesterday when I returned to Miyagi Kyujou, I met Kai's mother. She secretly asked me to take care of her son."
"Cough cough!? Huh? Um, my mother?"
"Yeah, I was surprised too. Even the head of the feared Toudou family, known as the demon warrior, changes when it comes to her cute only son, ~aa"
I was so surprised that I accidentally spat out the tea I had in my mouth.
The imperial palace a place specifically, the emperor's residence where Kanade apparently met my mother.
It's not really surprising in itself.
In this world, my mother was an embodiment of the word "soldier."
Recently, it seems that despite holding the rank of brigadier general, she has been entrusted with quite important military duties at the colonial governor's office.
So, I had heard that she occasionally showed up at the Imperial Diet or the Privy Council in the palace to participate in military discussions about the military situation in other countries and measures against insurgents in the colonies.
However, my mother, who was so opposed to my admission to military school, is now personally asking someone of higher status, and even from the imperial family, on my behalf...
I thought I was practically estranged, but I couldn't hide my surprise at my mother's unexpected behavior.
"Ah, it seems my mother has caused you some trouble. I'm sorry about that."
"Troublesome? Not at all! Well, well, it's only natural to worry since a cute boy like you is surrounded by a bunch of rough women at military school."
Usually, Kanade, who behaves with plenty of composure, only shows a shy expression when she points at me and says, "You're cute."
Damn it! If only I were at least a duke or a marquis, no, at least from an earl's family, I might have had a chance to date this beautiful girl...
"No, a low-ranking noble like us asking the imperial family for a favor... Even sharing tea here is too much to ask..."
When I can't help but spit out some self-deprecating words due to the harshness of reality, Kanade puffs her cheeks a little.
"Hey, you often say things like 'it's too much for a viscount like me,' but you come from the imperial lineage that carries the 'Higashi' character! And besides, someone as beautiful as you... No, never mind! Anyway, there's no need to feel 'it's too much'! We've known each other for a long time, so just relax and interact more casually!"
It is a publicly known fact that noble families allowed to have the character "東" in their names are originally blood relatives of the imperial family.
My family, the Todo family, also traces back to imperial family members if you follow the family tree. (Well, you have to go quite a ways back, though.)
The head of the familys mother, who isn't very talkative, would only boast about this when she was drunk, and I had heard it so many times that I could have gotten a callus in my ear.
Highly regarded as a soldier and also a distant relative of the imperial family, as the son of the head of the Todo family, I had been made to play with Kanade in the palace several times since childhood.
So, in reality, she and I have a long-standing relationship.
However, in reality, our family was demoted from the imperial family to the status of general nobility a long time ago.
Above all, the head of the family, my mother, was so overly serious that she was poor at managing finances, and due to her failures in managing the territory, our household finances were barely holding up.
Living a poor life, one might wonder if it's appropriate to call it noble.
There's no way I, a poor noble, could call her "Kanade" without an honorific like I used to.
As I forced a wry smile to brush it off, Kanade said nothing more and began to sip her tea elegantly with a slightly sulky expression.
No matter how much I rise in the military, there's no way I could date a woman from the imperial family.
Ahh, how harsh the class society is.
As I sip my tea while lamenting the fickleness of the world in my heart, Kanade keeps glancing over here. Hmm? She seems like she wants to say something...
"Speaking of which... how about we go to the opera together tonight? I got the tickets from the manager of the Imperial Theatre. Of course, only if it works for you!"
"Ah..."
I couldn't help but stammer.
Tonight, I already had plans for a study session with Erika.
Under normal circumstances, it would be taboo for a low-ranking noble like me to refuse an invitation from the imperial family.
If I say that Erika was also invited by Her Highness Kanade, she might accept the postponement of the study session...
"Actually, I have a prior engagement."
I had turned down Kanade's offer.
Spending the night at the opera with a cute girl like Kanade is quite tempting, but... Erika's sad expression keeps popping into my mind and won't go away.
"Could it be... Ms. Jougasaki?"
Kanade had sparkling eyes filled with expectation, but upon hearing my response, her tone suddenly turned sulky.
"Um, yes. That's right. I have plans to study with her."
"You and Ms. Jougasaki get along quite well, don't you? Even after that 'Magic Training Battle,' it's been non-stop."
"Um, well, I guess you could say we're just study buddies."
"Yeah... but recently, Jougasaki-san, your grades in academics have been improving to the point where you don't need my help anymore, right?"
"Ah, yeah. Actually, lately, it's more like I'm the one getting help with my studies..."
"Hmm..."
Even though I'm not doing anything particularly wrong... I can't seem to calm down.
"Ah, what a pity. Well then, I guess I'll just have to watch today's opera alone and feel lonely. Sniff sniff."
"Excuse me..."
When I made a face that looked awkward, Kanade said with a teasing tone, "Just kidding. But I'm envious of Jougasaki-san for being assigned to the same group as Kai," and laughed elegantly.
(Considering the difference in status, it's absolutely impossible to become lovers with His Highness Kanade... but if I could marry such a cute and kind-hearted girl, I would be so happy.)
While carrying such bittersweet feelings, I decided to fully enjoy the time with the beautiful princess sitting in front of me.