Chapter 365 An Incognito Date in the Capital ⑤
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I was starting to worry the boy’s tastes were being irrevocably corrupted.
The undercover date between Prince Roland-sama¹-His Highness of Canaria-and Lady Unia-sama, the daughter of the Grand Duke, continued. After finishing their meal at the Adventurer’s Guild, the two spent the afternoon wandering through the various districts of the town.
They revisited the main thoroughfares, poked their heads into the market stalls, and crossed the broad boulevard to visit the Garou Merchant Guild. Finally, they arrived at the destination they had viewed from Northwest Park at the very start of their date: the Great Canarias Cathedral.
Inside, the cathedral was entirely deserted, reserved for their private use by order of Archbishop Trantestar. Hand in hand, the two stepped into the sanctuary, where a heavy, sacred silence reigned.
”It’s a magnificent cathedral,” Lady Unia² said. “You can really feel the weight of history here. I wonder when it was built?”
”Apparently, it’s been here since the town was founded,” Roland replied. “They say a monastery stood here before the First King slew the Evil Dragon. He built this cathedral to thank the Church for their help.”
”No wonder. I don’t suppose that old monastery still stands?” she asked.
”I’m fairly certain it does. Though I’m never actually visited it myself,” Roland said.
Well, yes-that monastery is currently the main factory for ‘Ddo-Buddy’³ pleasure toys. Of course, that’s a secret I have to keep for a dozen different reasons, but it seems Lady Unia has a keen interest in history and architecture as well.
She looked around restlessly, occasionally pointing out details. “This style was popular three hundred years ago,” she noted, “but this section over here looks original.”
”You might actually know more about this than I do, Uni,” Roland said with a laugh.
”It’s only book learning,” she replied. “It isn’t ‘living’ knowledge-not like actually touching the stones.”
”I don’t think that’s true. You can see so much just by looking,” Roland said.
”I suppose so. Thank you, Roly. Because of you, I’m having a wonderful time,” Unia said softly.
Excellent. Right on cue. They’d almost been fleeced on the boulevard earlier, but they had settled into a perfect rhythm now. Alright, Roly! Now’s the time! Do it!
Whether my thoughts reached him or not, Roly seized the moment. While Unia was distracted by the vaulted ceiling, he pulled a simple, rustic necklace from his breast pocket.
”Uni? I was hoping you’d accept this… as a memento,” Roland stammered. “I bought it with my own allowance, so it’s nothing fancy, but…”
”Oh! Are you sure?” Unia asked, her breath catching.
”Yes. I want you to have it,” he said.
In my old world, gifting jewelry was a blatant mark of possession. That hasn’t changed here. Roland’s infatuation was obvious, but a gift from a future King carried an even heavier weight. Since it wasn’t a formal piece for a royal ball, the meaning was slightly less intense, but it still gave Unia the right to refuse. Roland’s fingertips were trembling.
The brilliant Unia seemed to grasp the full gravity of the moment, pressing a finger to her lips. She looked conflicted, as if wrestling with a complex theorem. Perhaps even she hadn’t realized he was this far gone.
”Could I tell you a little bit about myself?” Unia asked after a long pause.
”Eh? Oh, sure,” Roland replied.
”As you’ve likely realized, there are many things in this world that I love,” she began. “I love the Greter Dukedom. I love my studies and the trade routes I manage. I love my father, my mother, and my brother.”
”Right,” Roland said.
”I love the Kingdom of Ferguson, too. My uncle, King William-heika⁴, is a bit of a loose cannon, but he’s doing a remarkable job. And his children are just the cutest things,” she said.
Just what was she trying to tell him? And why did she sound like a proud aunt talking about the King? Roland listened intently, his expression serious.
”I love history, commerce, and flowers. I love singing, and I’m fascinated by monsters. I love so many things,” she continued. “And I’ve come to love the Canaria Kingdom as well. This is a truly wonderful country.”
”Th-thank you,” Roland whispered.
”Fufu. And I like you, too,” she said, smiling.
”What!?” Roland gasped.
”As a person, you understand? I respect you deeply,” she clarified. “I’m envious of how you challenge yourself. I’d love to try swinging a sword, or dismantling a monster, or learning ‘suspicious’ things from a suspicious teacher.”
”Kento-san is suspicious, but his lessons are… mostly sound, I think?” Roland said tentatively.
She was being a bit rude to me, but at least she was being honest. She had just dropped the “I like you as a friend” line-a total death sentence in my old world-but Roland didn’t flinch. He kept his gaze fixed firmly on her.
”What I’m trying to say is… I don’t think I’m suited for it,” Unia said.
”Suited for what?” Roland asked.
”For being a Queen. Or even for the act of loving another person. To be honest, I’m currently more interested in the proper way to skin a Giant Bear than I am in romance,” she said.
Unia faced him, her eyes unnervingly steady. There was a glimmer of obsession in them that bordered on madness. The Prince had fallen for a very difficult woman indeed.
”I find myself wondering what kind of King you’ll become. But I suspect that isn’t the same thing as ‘love,’” she added.
Unia made a troubled gesture, but her face remained serene. To a genius like her, was the human heart just another curiosity to be dissected?
”I see,” Roland said, his face tightening. “Then I guess I’ll just have to work my hardest to make sure you never lose interest in me.”
Unia blinked, her mouth hanging open in genuine confusion. “Um… is that how this works?”
”W-was I wrong?” Roland asked.
”I suspect you are… Fufu… fufufuh! Ahahaha!” she burst out laughing, the brightest smile of the day illuminating her face. Roland simply watched her with a gentle gaze. I don’t really get it, but as long as she’s laughing, it’s fine.
”Roly! Won’t you put that necklace on me?” Unia asked suddenly.
”Is that… okay?”
”Yes! In fact, I’ll be quite cross if you don’t!” she insisted.
Unia swept her golden hair back, baring her neck. Blushing, Roland undid the clasp. He approached her timidly, reaching around her from the front. The position forced them into a close embrace, his face turning crimson as he struggled with the small catch.
”S-sorry. My hands are shaking,” Roland muttered.
”It’s alright,” she whispered. “In fact… the longer it takes, the better.”
”Eh?”
”Never mind me,” she teased.
They stood close enough to feel the warmth of each other’s breath until the clasp finally clicked. As Roland tried to pull away, Unia stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead.
”Uni, just now…!?” Roland stammered.
”I’ve decided that I won’t let anyone but you take this necklace off,” Unia said, her voice firm. “And I won’t be taking it off myself, either.”
”Y-you really should take it off to bathe or sleep, though!”
”Honestly! In that case, you’d better make your words a reality quickly,” she said, looking him in the eye. “I want you to be the one taking this necklace off me every single night.”
”I… uh…” Roland choked out.
The light filtering through the stained glass bathed them in brilliance-a silent blessing for the two young lovers.
—
Trivia:
- The ‘Ddo-Buddy’ factory is located in an old monastery within the town.
- Unia is considered a genius by the King of Ferguson.
- Roland used his own ‘allowance’ to buy the gift, emphasizing its personal rather than political value.
- Unia admits to being more interested in monster skinning than traditional romance
—
Character Insight:
Unia shows significant self-awareness of her ‘madness’ or clinical detachment, yet chooses to engage with Roland on her own terms. Roland demonstrates resilience by accepting Unia’s eccentricity as a challenge to remain interesting to her.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the Cathedral setting to provide a stark contrast between the sacred atmosphere and the protagonist’s lewd business secrets hidden in the monastery.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Roland – he younger brother of Queen Cecile and the heir apparent to the Canaria throne. Clean, golden-blonde hair, same color as the Queen, innocent, beautiful face that could be mistaken for a girl but dressed in a boy’s formal wear.
• Unia – The third daughter of the house of Duke Greiter. Has blonde hair tied in an intricate style, dol-like beauty, and expressionless face.
• Trantestar – The middle-aged man Archbishop of Canarias and the initiator of the current trial. He is an alleged ally of Kento but remains suspiciously neutral.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply