Drop!! ～A Tale of the Fragrance Princess～

Volume 05, Epilogue: A Little into the Future Part 02

Translator: Blushy

Editor: SenjiQ

I was jealous that Vernoux could change his mood so easily, but he probably wanted to avoid talking about this. Without concealing that feeling, he brought up a different topic.

“Oh… Come to think of it, it seems like Dilly won’t be back for the New Year celebrations.”

“Yeah. Isma and Elvis will be working anyways. She said she met Cyrus in Ertiga.”

“Ertiga isn’t close enough for us to go incognito.”

“It’s not that far that I wouldn’t be able to go if I make up some ridiculous excuse.”

“Don’t do that. Clay will get angry if you do.”

Vernoux shrugged, and a knocked echoed in the room.

“Excuse me, Sylvester-sama.”

It was Clay who Vernoux was just talking about.

“Wow, speak of the devil…”

Vernoux said in a small voice, but fortunately, his voice died down before the door opened.

Still, Clay sent an icy gaze to Vernoux when he came into the room.

“Vernoux-dono. Where on earth are you sitting?”

“Well, it’s a good position to look at paperwork right now.”

“Even children understand that a desk is not a chair…”

Ah, he’s angry after all. However, Vernoux, who had made Clay angry, didn’t seem like he would put up with it at all and got off the desk in disappointment.

“Why didn’t you tell Vernoux-dono to get off the desk, Sylvester-sama?”

“No, His Highness did tell me to. I just didn’t get off.”

“Why don’t you obey what your Lord tells you to do!?”

“Well, isn’t it fine when no one’s around?”

“You don’t know when someone would enter the room! I entered, didn’t I?!”

“I knew it was you from your voice and didn’t get off.”

Ah, they’ve started already.

However, when I see them interacting, I remembered Dilly again.

Come to think of it, Clay also thinks of Dilly as a threat.

Clay hasn’t said anything about Dilly in particular since their first meeting. Well, he probably doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t know that I’m exchanging letters with her as 『Gille』. Even so, he didn’t like it when I had matches with the Earl before, but it doesn’t seem like he minds now.

It’s good that he doesn’t hate it anymore, but I’m a bit curious to know if something happened between him and Dilly. However, if he suspects something because I brought Dilly up, then Dilly might be troubled. That’s why I’ve been trying to find the right timing to bring it up, but…

“Oh, Clay. What’s that?”

“… It’s nothing.”

A letter slipped onto where the documents were placed from Clay’s chest pocket, and Vernoux’s gaze was glued on it. Clay immediately picked it up and put it into his inner pocket, but that letter is definitely from her.

“That sealing wax. I recognise it.”

Clay probably didn’t intend to talk about it, but he sighed at Vernoux’s words and took it out again to show Vernoux.

“… Of course, you would. It belongs to the Pameradia House.”

“Eh, who are you writing to?”

“It doesn’t matter, right?”

“No, wait… Well, it isn’t the Earl, and if you’re not writing to Cyrus-dono, then you’re not writing to Isma-dono. Which means… don’t tell me it’s from Dilly?”

“So what?”

Clay put the envelope away while showing his disgust to Vernoux, who didn’t hide his surprise.

Clay didn’t notice, since he wasn’t looking this way, but I think I looked stupid too.

“Huh? Clay and Dilly are on bad terms… I mean, Clay you hated Dilly a lot, didn’t you?”

“We don’t have a good relationship now either. We’re just communicating for gains.”

Clay replied indifferently, but Vernoux and I were surprised since we hadn’t heard about this from Dilly.

“What? Weren’t you saying she’ll cause harm to His Highness or something like that before? So, why are you interacting with her?”

“I still have concerns about her now, but she’s a little weird and has bad taste, so I don’t have to worry.”

“What?”

“Anyway, His Highness and Earl Pameradia aren’t alike at all, so it’s fine, right?”

The words that Clay had clearly stated were correct, but they pierced my heart. I know we don’t look alike, but I want him to respect my feelings since I’m trying my best to reach her ideal type. Well, Clay doesn’t know about this, so I guess he can’t respect my feelings.

“Besides, it’s not like Cordelia-jou doesn’t listen to what people say. At least, she listens more than you, Vernoux-dono.”

I stopped moving reflexively when Clay said that.

Vernoux opened his eyes wide, then grinned.

“Hey, what do you mean…? Is what I’d like to ask, but 『Cordelia-jou』, huh? I should ask you more about that.”

That’s true, I’m sure Clay called her Pameradia-jou. Clay frowned at Vernoux’s question, but I didn’t stop the conversation because I wanted to know as well.

“It’s not a big deal. She just told me to call her that.”

“『Just』. If you don’t want to call her that, then you would have definitely refused.”

I agree with what Vernoux had said. I was also shocked that Dilly had said something like that.

Dilly and Clay haven’t known each other for very long, and they’ve met as much as 『Sylvester』 had met up with Dilly, but they’ve talked enough for this type of conversation to pop up. It doesn’t feel like they would have that type of conversation. I felt a little frustrated when I thought that, and I wanted to know how he got her to ask him to call her that.

Clay sighed unpleasantly at Vernoux when I thought that.

“You know about it too, right? We talked because of what happened with the miss from the Clydereine House.”

“Oh, that? So that’s where your interests match.”

“What else is there?”

Vernoux sounded shocked, and Clay replied indifferently. But, judging from how Clay was behaving, he wasn’t writing to her against his will. If he was, then he would be angry.

When I see how Clay is acting, I thought that I would hate it if he became my rival in love, though I wouldn’t say it out loud. Clay said that he was writing to Cordelia for gains, but Cordelia is away from the royal capital, so how could she get information about the Clydereine House… when I think about these things, I felt that they could talk about other things as well.

Leaving that aside, I’ve also heard from Clay that Clydereine-jou had falsely accused Dilly. The day when she came to the castle with Earl Clydereine, she quarrelled with Dilly… or rather, she criticised Dilly one-sidedly. Clay was quite angered by Clydereine-jou’s etiquette, but I think he was furious because it had something to do with me… It seems like he was worried about Dilly too.

Honestly, if what Clydereine-jou said was true… if Dilly really came to see me, then how welcoming would that be? However, Dilly would stop interacting with me unless she needed to if that were to spread.

I get a headache when I wonder what she would do.

I’ve never met Clydereine-jou, so I can’t complain about her… but, it’s quite annoying that someone whom I don’t know at all is doing something I don’t want, for my sake.

I thought that and suddenly realised.

I wonder if Dilly avoided me since long ago to escape from such troublesome things.

If Dilly’s type is someone like Earl Pameradia, then I wouldn’t be her type, but she wouldn’t avoid me just because I wasn’t her type.

But, what if she wanted to distance herself from me because of my position as 『Prince』 and not because of me personally? She might not have been able to predict the things that would happen because of Clydereine-jou, but she might have guessed that people would criticise her if she got close to me. I also intend to understand what my position is.

Of course, I’m not confident that this is true, nor do I have any proof, but I can’t deny the possibility.

But after thinking a bit, the things I can do won’t change, even if that’s her reason for avoiding me.

After all, no matter the reason, if Dilly doesn’t take an interest in me then nothing will start. That’s why I have to become someone who she will be interested in, so I need to become someone who I can be proud of.

No matter how big I talk, the biggest problem right now is talking about my identity, and it’s pathetic since this problem started before I even reached the start line.

“So, how often do you two write to each other?”

“Not that often. If you ask how often, then it’s about as often as before.”

“I don’t know how often that is.”

Vernoux and Clay continued talking even while I was thinking.

I should stop them soon since Clay was gradually looking gloomier, but I was also a little curious, so I decided to wait until the last second.

Then, Clay sighed deeply.

“I’m not the only one who writes to Cordelia-jou. She writes a lot to the Hale sisters, and to the people who are doing welfare work with her.”

“Why do you know that?”

“…”

I’m sure Vernoux wanted Clay to say it because he knew that they were chatting in their letters.

“Vernoux, you shouldn’t insist on knowing what people write in letters.”

“Are you saying you’re not curious, Your Highness?”

Vernoux, who was grinning and speaking in an unnatural voice, also seemed to be saying 『If you’re going to say something like that, then I won’t tell you even if you ask about it』. But Clay would get really angry if things carry on like this, and the words I said were my true feelings. Even I want to hide the things said in letters.

“You can just ask Cordelia-jou about it yourself if you’re curious. It’s not weird to send your childhood friend a letter, right?”

“By myself, huh. Well, that’s true.”

Vernoux had easily backed down, so he was probably going to stop teasing Clay soon. Clay, who was no longer entangled with Vernoux, sighed and turned to me before speaking.

“Your Highness. About Clydereine-jou… She’s still doing dream fortunes and is apparently respected by the people.”

“Are her dreams true?”

“Basically. Therefore, some people want to introduce her to you, including Earl Clydereine, her father.”

I shrugged at those words.

“We will meet somewhere if they just want us to meet, but that’s probably not what they want.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll keep in mind that I might not be able to avoid it. The Clydereine House is a house that can’t be taken lightly.”

Clay nodded at my words, bowed, and then left the room.

I’m grateful that he’s a workaholic, but I’m more concerned about what I’d just heard instead of being deeply grateful.

“It would have been great if all her dreams were false. Only the part about Dilly is different… I wonder why that is?”

“Who knows? She’s pretty vicious if she did it intentionally, and if her fortunes are like other fortunes, then they’re not always correct. In any case, it’s a little too dangerous for you to rely on that power considering your position.”

Vernoux said as he shrugged.

Her power is preposterous if she could really see the future.

But…

“I want to be able to create my own future without being deceived by other’s dreams. Of course, I’m not going to rely on dreams that trap people.”

“Well, do your best to convince those around you if you want it to be that way. Fortunately, Their Majesties aren’t positive about marrying you to Clydereine-jou, and you just need to persist. I can help you too.”

I nodded.

I know some people want Clydereine-jou to become queen, and I can imagine that Dilly would receive harsh treatment from others the stronger those voices get. Considering Dilly’s position as Earl Pameradia’s daughter, it wouldn’t be surprising if people viewed her as the number one obstacle for Cyldereine-jou.

Dilly has used her own power to get people to recognise her ability and personality. So, she has a lot of allies, and it probably won’t be easy for her to fall into a predicament.

But if she were to be hurt by unfounded words, then I want to help her either as 『Sylvester』 or 『Gille』.

And, if I want to protect her, then I have to let people realise that my words are trustworthy. If they think my words are too light, then they would only react to it like how I’m reacting to the words of the Dreamer Girl right now.

Thinking that, I dropped my eyes onto the third page of the letter I was going to read.

『I look forward to going to the flower field again when I get back.』

That one sentence blew away the dark feelings inside me.

I can only try my best right now.

So that she would think of me as someone she could rely on a little when she gets back…