Chapter 98 The Princess’s Letter and the Twin Daughters’ Trap
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Now, what on earth is this…?” the bearded captain muttered, peering at the item in his hand.
It hadn’t been part of the original arrangement, but I had decided that now was the time to play my trump card: the letter of introduction from Liliarette. I had initially intended to save it for when the Kelna Merchant Guild¹—the very guild that appointed the council members—finally made contact. However, having stumbled upon the twin daughters on my very first day in town, I had been wrestling with the best moment to use it. Besides, they already knew about the sugar. If I didn’t use the letter now, it felt as though the opportunity might slip through my fingers forever.
(A letter of introduction connecting a council member of the Kelna Merchant Guild to the princess of a nation… this should certainly get things moving,) I thought.
Surely, they couldn’t simply ignore such a document. With any luck, it would be the key to finally getting them to listen to reason. Liliarette had been quite thorough when she penned it. Since Resource Point² could now be earned infinitely within the Dominion³, there was no longer any need for her to act from a position of weakness. She was the sort of person who insisted on maintaining the upper hand in negotiations—a trait that clearly spoke of her royal upbringing.
I handed the letter to the bearded captain, who maintained a look of deep suspicion as he passed it along to the twin sisters.
”…This seal?” one of them murmured.
”It’s the crest of the Emmeld Kingdom⁴,” Aris noted, her eyes narrowing. “Why would someone like you have this?”
”If you read it, you’ll understand,” I said. “I intended to give that to someone from the Kelna Merchant Guild. You two are related to one of the council members, aren’t you? I wanted to hand it over to the council member himself, but given the circumstances, this will have to do.”
Without hesitation, the twins broke the seal and began to scan the contents. I watched them, making a mental note that I really ought to start studying the local script soon. Eme-chan stood silently by my side, watching the scene unfold with bated breath. Surely, once they understood the letter, their attitude would shift. After all, I was an acquaintance of a former princess and a reliable source of sugar for the guild. Once they realized I wasn’t an enemy, they would surely see that cooperation was far more profitable than conflict.
”…I see. Do you understand, Iris?” Aris asked.
”Perfectly, Aris,” Iris replied.
Iris handed the letter to the elderly butler standing behind them and then turned her gaze back to me, her expression hardening.
”To think you’d try to worm your way into the Kelna Merchant Guild using the name of a missing princess!” Iris cried.
”A beast through and through,” Aris added. “Many try to approach the council through the guild, but I never imagined someone would use such a despicable method.”
”What!?” I gasped.
This was not the reaction I had anticipated. Not even close. The twins were radiating pure hostility, and the guards had begun to glare at me with intimidating intensity.
”No, wait! You’ve got it all wrong!” I exclaimed.
”Silence!” Aris snapped. “Princess Liliarette was abducted by a wicked sorcerer just before her marriage to our Republic, and her whereabouts remain unknown! How could a humanoid monster like you possibly receive a letter from her?”
”Exactly,” Iris agreed. “You probably thought you could use the name of someone who’s vanished to your advantage. News of the princess has reached even this town. If this letter is real, then you must be an accomplice to the sorcerer who snatched her. Either way, we cannot let you go.”
I felt a cold bead of sweat roll down my neck. Eme-chan and I had completely overlooked the fact that she was officially a missing person. No, that wasn’t quite right. Liliarette likely knew exactly how she was perceived. She had written the letter as a gesture of gratitude to the council member who had looked after her, intending to signal that she was safe. She had even mentioned using a certain tone to convey that message when we first discussed it.
To the council member himself, the letter would have been a discreet sign that Liliarette wanted to maintain their connection despite her circumstances. But to anyone else… it looked like a confession from a kidnapper. I had played my hand far too early.
As anxiety began to gnaw at me, Eme-chan finally spoke up.
”Wait! That letter is definitely from Princess Liliarette herself! It even contains a secret cipher!” Eme-chan shouted.
”A cipher? Where? I don’t see anything of the sort,” Iris sneered. “If you’re going to lie, at least try to be more convincing.”
My mind raced. The letter was supposed to prove its own authenticity. Then it clicked. Liliarette had mentioned that when she dealt with the council member, she did so through kingdom nobles to avoid direct contact. We had been so cautious that only the council member himself would know about the ciphers! The twin daughters wouldn’t have a clue that their relative had been in secret contact with the princess. To them, the very idea was likely unthinkable.
I had failed. My lack of experience in the complexities of high-society politics had led me to assume that anyone related to the council member would view the letter favorably.
”Forging a princess’s letter to infiltrate the guild…” Aris said, her voice dripping with disdain. “A mere humanoid monster certainly has a lot of nerve.”
”Guards, seize this beast,” Iris commanded. “He may be linked to the sorcerer who took the princess. What’s more, the princess herself might be hidden away in this beast’s lair.”
It was clear now. The twins didn’t believe the letter for a second, but they were using it as a convenient excuse to justify seizing my land and finding the source of the fruit. Even now, they were probably planning how to squeeze the location out of me. I looked at them; despite their stern words, their eyes were dancing with delight. They were thrilled that such a perfect pretext for a land-grab had fallen right into their laps.
I let out a low, dark chuckle.
Good heavens, I thought. These spoiled brats really are something. I had actually considered building a proper relationship with them because they were charming, but I had been far too soft. The guards were drawing their swords, clearly ready to use force.
”Don’t kill him,” Aris warned. “We won’t find the princess if he’s dead.”
I conceded that I’d messed up the timing of the letter. But honestly, it didn’t really matter anymore. With the farm area running smoothly, I didn’t even need the money that badly. The Dominion’s situation had changed drastically since Liliarette wrote that note. In the end, the letter was just a courtesy—an attempt to be neighborly. And this was how they repaid my grace?
I had been blinded by their cute faces, but this was nothing more than extortion and robbery. They were using the guards to frame me. The entire town was against me. These girls, born with silver spoons in their mouths, clearly thought the world belonged to them. They had likely never faced a single hardship in their privileged lives. It was written all over their smug faces; they thought they could handle me with a single finger.
They were probably already picturing themselves occupying my farm and monopolizing the fruit. They had no idea whose territory they were trying to claim. I felt a sudden, burning desire to hammer some reality into their happy, ignorant heads.
”…Ami-chan,” I said quietly.
”Hmm? I can smell something getting quite spicy over here… what’s up?” Ami-chan asked.
”We’re going with Plan X⁵…” I declared.
Eme-chan let out a small cry of surprise. She had surely expected us to use teleportation as a last resort to simply flee. That would have been the sensible choice. Plan X was something Ami-chan had come up with almost as a joke—a way to show off our power if we were going to use teleportation anyway. It was flashy, unnecessary, and would draw far too much attention. But I didn’t care. I wanted these brats to understand exactly who they were dealing with.
”Oho! Are you sure? Are you really, really sure?” Ami-chan giggled, her eyes lighting up.
”Yeah… if we just run away, they’ll never learn. They need to know who they’re talking to,” I said.
”Okey-dokey! Then… come on out!” Ami-chan shouted.
Ami-chan vanished for a split second, returning in less than three heartbeats. But she wasn’t alone. Standing beside her was Vectra-san, a formidable figure gripping a massive halberd in his right hand.
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Summary:
Shimizu attempts to use Princess Liliarette’s letter of introduction to gain favor with the twin daughters, Aris and Iris. However, the plan backfires when the twins reveal the Princess is officially missing, leading them to accuse Shimizu of being an accomplice to her kidnapping. Realizing the twins are simply using this as an excuse to seize his farm, Shimizu decides to abandon diplomacy. He calls for ‘Plan X,’ leading Ami-chan to teleport the powerful warrior Vectra-san onto the scene to turn the tables.
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Character Insight:
This chapter marks a turning point for Shimizu’s patience. Initially trying to navigate the situation through ‘civilized’ means like letters of introduction, he realizes that his opponents’ greed and perceived social superiority make dialogue impossible. His internal monologue reveals a shift from treating the twins as ‘cute’ children to seeing them as dangerous, entitled enemies. By invoking ‘Plan X,’ Shimizu chooses to exert dominance through power rather than status, showing a more ruthless side of his personality when pushed into a corner.
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Behind the Scene:
The ‘Plan X’ mentioned by Shimizu was originally a playful suggestion by Ami-chan, highlighting the dynamic between the protagonist and his more chaotic companions. The misunderstanding regarding the letter serves as a narrative device to bridge the gap between Liliarette’s hidden safety and the world’s perception of her as a victim, further complicating Shimizu’s public standing.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Ami – A palm-sized fairy-like being from a world separate from both Earth and the isekai realm. She has light blue hair tied in a ponytail, mischievous blue eyes, and tiny wings that flutter behind her. Her outfit consists of a provocative high-cut leotard and a short jacket that looks like a miniskirt from the back, leaving her legs bare. Despite her playful appearance, she is actively searching for a contractor who can protect her from dangerous pursuers in exchange for the powers she offers.
• Vectra – A Unique Individual maid with white skin and white hair. Height 170cm, Bust Size D. Class: Duelist. Attribute: Darkness. Weapon: Star-Strike Battle Axe Volkein
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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