"Well, say hello to your second
lover," Sara says, and Alexis leaves the doctor's office after receiving
birth control pills.
（I don't have a second one, not even a first
one...）
Alexis thought so, but decided to go to his
next appointment.
The place Alexis arrived at was a workshop
in the basement.
As expected, Dorothea was
there.
She was sitting on a chair in the corner of
the workshop, lying down on the table, and staring blankly at the table.
「Ah...」
Alexis was afraid to call out to her,
because she seemed to be in a daze. But thinking about it again, he had done
something terrible yesterday, which he had to worry about.
（Should I apologize? No, it's not a problem
that
can be solved by apologizing...）
Apparently still unaware of Alexis'
distress, Dorothea lets out a sigh.
**a
「...*Sigh* It's still
tingling...」
She said with a hand on her lower abdomen,
and she sighed again, "Ugh...what if I have a baby..."
She kept sighing and sighing, so Alexis
decided to call out to her.
"Dorothea," said Alexis. and
Dorothea jumps up.
「P-P-Princeee?!」
Dorothea gets up from her chair with a loud
clatter, and Alexis takes a step toward her. But Dorothea takes a step backward.
「W-What do you want? Don't tell me you...
you... will do it again...」
A wary look came from her
eyes.
「I-I'm not going to do anything
Alexis says hurriedly, but Dorothea looks at
him sharply, "I don't trust you!".
Well, it's obvious response because he had
done something that can't be trusted.
For now, Alexis decides to give up on
approaching her, and he tosses the birth control pills out of his pocket and
hands them to her.
Dorothea hurriedly accepted it when it fell
in front of her chest and then asked Alexis, "What's this?".
「Birth control pills. You need them, don't
you?」
Dorothea looks miffed.
「I-If Prince hadn't done that, I wouldn't
need them...?」
「I know that, but...」
Alexis had no choice to explace. Thought, he
seemed to be in a very bad mood.
「Well, you know, yesterday I just... no
matter how hard I tried to get you to pull away from me, you wouldn't wake up,
and then I just got so horny. I'm sorry, I'm sorry」
Alexis finally apologizes and Dorothea's
eyes flutter and she lets out a sigh.
「...what, you're just going to simply
apologize?」
「What? What's wrong with
apologizing?」
Dorothea miffed. And then, she shakes her
head, "Well.".
「You're a prince too, and I thought you don't
like to do that to common people. And besides... I'm aware of my bad sleeping
habits...」
Dorothea finally smiled a little, and Alexis
was relieved.
「Okay, I'm going to go now, but please let me
know if you get sick or if there are any changes in your health. You seem to be
a bit of a pushover when it comes to blacksmithing. I want you to take it easy」
「Do you mean if I'm having a
baby?」
Dorothea asked, and Alexis shook his head in
haste, thinking that this could certainly be taken as a meaning.
「No, no. You were a virgin, weren't you? I
mean you might have injured or something!」
「Uh... yeah」
Dorothea's cheeks are stained and she puts
her hand on her lower abdomen, as if she has an idea.
「It's true that there's still a little
tingling or zinging sensation...」
「Ah... yeah」
Even Alexis is embarrassed and turns his
face away from her.
It reminds him of the fact that he had slept
with the woman in front of him yesterday.
「Well, I'll work again today」
Dorothea said, and Alexis was taken
aback.
「How stupid are you, you blacksmith? At least
when you're not feeling well...」
「It can't be helped. Because I don't want to
be reminded of that. I have to move my body or I'll remember!」
Hearing Dorothea's line, Alexis can't help
but fall silent.
「Besides, it's true that the work is getting
harder and harder. If I don't do it, there will be no one to replace me.」
Dorothea picked up a hammer from the wall
and looked back at Alexis, who looked dejected, saying "...but..."
「I feel a little better now that you're
here... I thought you'd be a bit of a jerk after what you did, but you're so
serious, even for a prince. So...I'm a little relieved.」
Seeing Alexis's expression change to a
vacant one as he says this, Dorothea feels some embarrassment and her cheeks
turn red.
「So... just get out when you're done. I can't
concentrate」
Alexis nodded, "Okay," as Dorothea
hurriedly looked away from him.
Alexis then says again, "I'm sorry
again... and bye," and leaves.
After confirming that he was gone, Dorothea
let out a big sigh.
She looks down at the birth control pills
she is clutching in her other hand, the one that is not holding the hammer.
「Huff... I was thinking of what I'd say to
him if he comes over, but he's acting so regretful like that...」
She missed the timing to say it and her
shoulders slump in disappointment.
「If my lord is other person, I have to cry
myself to sleep anyway. But he seems to be on a roll, and then he responds with
such sincerity. He is different from the one I imagined the 6th prince to be,
or in a way, he is just as I imagined...」
Dorothea had heard that the prince is a
commoner from the beginning, but she didn't expect him to be that much. And
then, it made her think, "Well, it's much better than dealing with a
royalty who looks like a royalty.".
「Oh... no, I shouldn't be thinking. I have to
get back to work as soon as I take the pills.」
Dorothea comes to herself and, out of habit,
she puts the hammer on the floor. Then she went to the table to fill a glass of
water.
Fortunately, there is a water tap in the
workshop and cups are always available.
（...Prince, when he saw my privates, he
didn't look at me strangely. He didn't say it was weird. Rather, I can't
believe he said it was sexy...）
She thinks absentmindedly while holding the
cup in her hand, and then she come back to herself.
「So... w-what!? Haven't I decided not to
think about it any more? If so, I'm not going to think about it any more!」
Dorothea shakes her head and vows not to
think about anything else this time.
**b
* * *
Now that he had finished all of his planned
errands, Alexis was walking down the corridor, thinking that he would have the
rest of the day free.
The small courtyard, which can be seen from
the corridor built in the middle of the fort, has a well-maintained flowerbed
and an elegant table and chairs for two, which is not typical for a fort.
He had always wondered which of the sturdy
soldiers packed in here would use this place, but that question has just been
answered today.
「Your Highness, may I serve you some
tea?」
「Thank you very much」
There was a beautiful princess in a white
one-piece dress and her beautiful blonde maid beside her, which was not
suitable in a fortress.
Moreover, it seems that it is the tea time,
and they are drinking tea and enjoying sweets.
「Would you like to join me,
Fatima?」
「No, it is not good for me to spend time with
Your Highness」
Fatima looked at Fransisca with mild
eyes.
「Fufu, Fatima. You don't have to worry about
it」
「No, I'm doing what I want to
do.」
At the sight of the two of them, people
might think for a moment that they are in a palace somewhere.
Anyway, Alexis decides to call out to them
to get their attention.
「Hey, you two」
Fransisca and Fatima started to look
simultaneously.
Fransisca's cheeks are stained and her eyes
are fluttering, and Fatima's expression becomes blank.
Alexis wondered if it was better not to talk
to them. Just as Alexis was about to ask, Fatima said, "Well, well, isn't
this Alex?"
「Yes, both of you. Sorry, I guess I
interrupted you」
With that Alexis turned to leave, but then
quickly turned back because he had something on his mind.
「By the way... who has prepared these flower
beds, chairs, and desks that don't look like something in a fortress?」
"Ah, that?" Fatima said, smiling
proudly.
「Her Highness and I take turns taking care of
them. Last year or so, I suggested that a place like this might be needed, and
was told that it would be a good idea to put some work into the courtyard」
「I see...」
Alexis is impressed that they are so
careful, but it is also a bit disturbing to have so many places that are so
stuffy. However, it's also a bit rough to live in such a place all the time.
「Umm, isn't it good?」
Fransisca seems to have taken Alexis'
silence
in the wrong direction and gives him a worried look.
"Well, it's good," Alexis
replied.
「Having a feast for the eyes improves the
morale of the soldiers」
「Yes, flowers are a great comfort to
everyone」
Fransisca smiles in relief.
「No, not that flowers...」
（I mean, the view of two well-bred beauties
having tea time together is a feast for the eyes...）
Alexis thought so, but decided to keep
quiet.
He was tempted to say that this kind of
behavior might be a part of the reason why the soldiers were looking at them
with ulterior motives. He was tempted to say so, but he decided to keep quiet
about that, too.
「...What's wrong?」
Fransisca looked at him with a puzzled look
on her face. But Alexis said, "No, nothing," and then turned to leave
again.
「Ah... yes, Alex, may I have a
word?」
Fatima stopped him as if she remembered
somehting, and Alexis stopped again.
「What is it?」
Fatima's expression was one of shame as she
looked back at Alexis.
**c
「Well, about today. I have a favor to ask
you, if you're free...」
Fatima's fidgeting looks unusual to
Fransisca, and she turns her eyes to the vassal by her side.
「I-I'd like to ask you to take care of the
monster at a time convenient for you...」
Hearing Fatima's line, Alexis rolls his eyes
while Fransisca's expression becomes indescribable.
At this, Alexis thinks, "Well, it's
been almost four days."
「Yeah, no problem. I've been messing around
with my free time all day」
He readily agreed.
Fransisca looks at Alexis with a somewhat
disgruntled look in her eyes.
「Alexis-sama... at least hide a little in
front of me...」
「Why do I have to do that?」
「B-Because I'm Alexis-sama... blah, blah,
blah...」
Fransisca moves her mouth in a difficult
manner, and now Fatima looks at her strangely.
「What? Do you want to do the same
thing?」
Alexis grins and Fransisca's cheeks
flush.
「...Your Highness?」
「No, nothing!」
Fransisca shakes her head in response to
Fatima's question, but she can't seem to hide her loose cheeks.
