The Prince Is Dead, So Let’s Start Over Everything Again! - Chapter 3.6

Ah…

Hariella something Lurupel, just 8 years old.

Only a month into my 4th life, and I’m already heading to my 5th life…

As I was saying farewell to the world with a hollow heart, I suddenly heard laughter.

“…Why are you laughing?”

The source of the laughter was, needless to say, the 3rd Prince.

He was giggling as if he had seen something very amusing.

Small teardrops were even hanging from the corners of his eyes.

“…I’m sorry. It was a joke. You often make jokes, so I wanted to try it once too.”

The 3rd Prince wiped away his tears and lightly clenched and unclenched his palm.

With that, the lightning above my head disappeared without a trace.

“Why would I let Miss Lurupel be struck by lightning?”

“…You seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit though.”

“It was a small mischief. Don’t be too angry. After all, it’s true that Miss Lurupel broke the contract, isn’t it?”

I couldn’t tell if he was trying to comfort me or tease me.

Is this the same kid who was acting so shy until just recently?

I thought that perhaps this might be the 3rd Prince’s true personality.

His genuine self that even he doesn’t know, without any pretense…

“I won’t hold Miss Lurupel responsible.”

The 3rd Prince approached me, still with a face full of amus*ment.

“Well, that’s very gracious of you.”

My mood still had not improved, I snorted and made a slightly sarcastic remark.

However, the 3rd Prince didn’t seem to mind at all.

He revealed his true intentions without hesitation.

“Instead, I’d like you to help me a bit.”

“…What? Help? With what?”

“We’re accomplices now, aren’t we?”

What accomplices!

The 3rd Prince had turned me into a criminal.

Suddenly becoming a criminal, I was so dumbfounded that my mouth fell open.

“No one in this palace should know that I’m studying magic. Nor the fact that I’m a witch’s son. All of this should remain a secret between just me and Miss Lurupel.”

“I see. But couldn’t you just leave me out of it? Come to think of it, I don’t think I heard or saw anything.”

“Of course not.”

Was this morning’s breakfast butternut squash soup?

The 3rd Prince, with his soft, chubby cheeks, was unnecessarily firm in a way that didn’t suit him.

“Article 13, Clause 1. Both parties shall keep strictly confidential all important matters learned during the contract period. Here, important matters refer to matters that one or both parties wish to keep secret.”

That was one of the confidentiality principles created because of the 3rd Prince’s request to keep secret that he was the owner of Delique Port.

“Article 15, Clause 1. Both parties shall do their best to uphold all contract terms.”

“…Their best?”

Did I use such a vague expression?

“Yes. That’s what Miss Lurupel wrote.”

When I gave him a suspicious look, the 3rd Prince handed me the contract.

…Does he always carry this around?

Anyway, when I opened the contract with a doubtful mind, the two words ‘their best’ were indeed written there exactly.

Come to think of it, I remembered planting a few such ambiguous clauses, thinking there might be some back-and-forth with the 3rd Prince later.

I can’t believe this.

I fell for my own trick.

“…Well then, shall we see Miss Lurupel’s best now?”

The 3rd Prince clapped his hands with a bright smile.

It seemed to be a habit that came out when things went his way.

I was worried he might develop a clapping neurosis at this rate.

The lightning above my head had long disappeared, but the back of my neck still felt chilly.

***

The ‘best’ that the 3rd Prince asked me to show was truly absurd.

“Miss! What book did you read with His Highness today?”

“Hm? What was it… Does Mommy Squid like Daddy Squid?”

“…It’s <Mommy Duck Loves Baby Duck>.”

“Well, close enough.”

“Not close at all! Miss, really. You always remember it so carelessly!”

“I’m busy, that’s why. Look at me these days. Reading books in the morning, preparing for the engagement ceremony in the evening, how busy am I? This is the first time in my life I’ve lived so diligently since I grew hair!”

The task that the 3rd Prince entrusted to me.

It was to participate in his ridiculous puppet show.

Every day, as soon as I finished breakfast, I headed to the library and read books with him until lunchtime.

Of course, this was just on the surface.

In reality, rather than reading books, I often lay on the sofa and took naps.

The 3rd Prince sometimes practiced magic and sometimes explored various parts of the library.

As time passed, the days he explored the library became more frequent than the days he practiced magic.

Judging by his muttering about magic stones, it seemed he was looking for them.

Of course, there was no way such precious items as magic stones would be embedded in such an unexpected place.

“…What are you doing?”

In most cases, I didn’t pay attention to the 3rd Prince’s incomprehensible actions.

However, when he stuck his head into the fireplace, I couldn’t help but intervene.

To my question about what on earth he was doing, the 3rd Prince responded with another question.

“Are you curious?”

“Yes.”

“Are you prepared to do your best to keep the secret?”

“…Hmm, no. I don’t think I’m curious anymore. Let’s just pretend I didn’t ask.”

Our days usually passed aimlessly like this.

According to the 3rd Prince, my role was to be the sentinel guarding the library.

At first, I couldn’t understand what he meant at all.

“A sentinel? Me? Don’t you see these weak arms? Even though I’m said to be capable of anything, I’m not particularly good at using strength.”

“Is that so? My servant who collided with Miss Lurupel had his leg broken, though.”

“…You’re joking, right?”

The 3rd Prince just smiled without giving any answer.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen that arrogant servant, Anchobin or Andrun or whatever his name was, lately.

…It must be my imagination.

“Anyway, I do expect Miss Lurupel to play the role of a sentinel.”

The 3rd Prince informed me that his servant had tried to enter the library before.

Of course, this was before I started frequenting the library.

“Why does that servant keep suspecting Your Highness?”

“Do your best to keep the secret…”

“…I’m not prepared to do that. Let’s pretend I didn’t ask.”

As we met face to face every day, the 3rd Prince and I became quite close in just a few days.

However, I still didn’t try to dig into the secrets the 3rd Prince held.

I felt this level of distance was just right for him and me.

If possible, I wanted to continue this peaceful and uneventful daily life forever.

…Of course, that wouldn’t be possible for those who had been assigned the major roles of villain and sub-male lead.

On the morning five days before the engagement ceremony.

The 3rd Prince finally made his move.

I wore a bewildered expression in front of the scene of the incident caused by the 3rd Prince.

“…What, what is this?”

“It’s a secret passage!”

“A, a secret passage?”

“It must have been made in preparation for wartime. I’ve only seen it in books, this is my first time seeing one in real life!”

The 3rd Prince had discovered a secret passage hidden in the library!

One of the many bookshelves in the library was the entrance to the secret passage.

“Will Miss Lurupel stay here? Someone might come looking.”

“Wait a moment! Your Highness, are you planning to go inside?”

“Of course!”

“What do you mean, ‘of course’! Do you know where this leads to? What if you get lost?”

I tried my best to dissuade the 3rd Prince.

However, he didn’t listen to a word I said. At times like this, he acted like a child.

The 3rd Prince finally stepped into the secret passage. Then he inserted the book he had pulled out from inside the passage.

The door of the secret passage began to close slowly.

“Ah! I’d rather go with you!”

Letting a child go alone to a dangerous place was unthinkable.

I hurriedly followed the 3rd Prince.

And so, an unwanted cave exploration began.