Chapter 10: The Mirror Image of the Four Royals

“Have you ever met Lady Lululu, Takeru?”

“No. There’s a rule that only female knights may enter Lady Lululu’s chambers.”

“Ah—right, that’s true, isn’t it?”

King of Saripa has four children, myself included.

Two sons, two daughters—born in alternating order.

“There aren’t many female knights, so I did suggest that security might be too thin.”

“But big sis would never agree to that, would she?”

“No. In fact, she apparently tries to use those security gaps to escape. Commander Paulik has quite a hard time with her.”

“She’s much more active than I am, after all.”

And the youngest of the four children is me—Second Princess Rishali.

Luckily, I don’t have a bad relationship with any of my siblings.

If anything, I’m pretty sure my eldest brother and big sister dote on me excessively.

Because of that, whenever a sibling quarrel broke out, I was usually roped in as the mediator.

“What kind of person is Lady Lululu?”

“Well, if I had to sum her up in one word…”

That slightly selfish princess who spoils me so much—Lululu—is…

“…a genius.”

“A genius?”

Unlike me, she’s overflowing with all sorts of talents.

“More than you, Lady Rishali?”

“I’m not even in the same league. Haven’t you heard the rumors, Takeru?”

First Princess Lululu.

Since she was little, she’s demonstrated overwhelming talent in every field—academics, physical prowess, even magic.

She’s the very person who engraved in me the understanding that I’m just “average.”

“There’s a saying—‘The Mirror Image of the Four Royals.’”

The Mirror Image of the Four Royals.

No one knows who started it, but the phrase is clearly meant to describe us four siblings.

For example, my sister Lululu and I are often referred to as “the genius elder sister and the prodigious younger.”

Sister Lululu is a brilliant beauty with a forceful, tomboyish personality.

She can grasp ten things from hearing just one and rivals the knight order in magical ability.

People often call her a “prodigy”—too gifted to be confined to just being a woman.

On the other hand, I—Rishali—though plain in skill, am known for my obedient, gentle demeanor, the adorably “prodigious” type (seriously).

I’m a diligent and hard-working girl, kind to everyone, graceful and refined—your ideal “princess” (please ignore my dead eyes).

Fortunately, no one in high society has yet discovered my hobbies of observing ant nests or the knight commander’s backside.

Perhaps because of that, I receive more marriage proposals than my sister.

“Now that you mention it, I think one of the knights said it before. That Lady Rishali is the kindest and easiest to talk to.”

“My siblings are just too strict, that’s all.”

By the way, my two older brothers are total opposites.

In mirror to us sisters, our eldest brother Sario is the “prodigious” one, and our second brother Jikei is the “genius.”

Sario is serious and inflexible, strict about rules and order.

He’s solid and straightforward, diligent in study, and a top-class swordsman.

Though humorless, he’s righteous, incorruptible, and lives by chivalry—a true knight.

He believes a king should act as a king ought to, which earns him deep trust from his subordinates.

Meanwhile, younger brother Jikei is lazy, but no matter what he does, he outperforms our eldest.

He’s flirtatious and fond of jokes, yet without much effort he surpasses our brother in both swordplay and academics.

He’s talented in many ways, especially in politics, where he already handles several important duties.

He’s well-liked by civil officials, and his “faction” is currently the most powerful.

Because he’s able to navigate both pure and murky politics, many advocate for him to succeed the throne.

“My brothers are so exceptional that they can’t understand what it’s like to be average.”

“But you’re also quite gifted, Lady Rishali.”

“Compared to them? I’m practically a mud-stained pebble, dear.”

The relationship between eldest brother Sario and second brother Jikei is, to be blunt, awful.

Their rooms in the royal palace are located on opposite wings because their relationship is that cold.

These days, they barely even speak in official settings.

Father has clearly declared, “Sario is the heir,” but…

Among the retainers, the debate over which brother should inherit the throne never ceases.

“Now then, this is Sister Lululu’s room.”

“…Is it really okay for me to go in?”

“I’ll ask on our behalf. It’d be a waste not to—let’s have a tea party.”

“A tea party? Me!?”

But unlike the hellish dynamic between the two brothers—

My relationship with Lululu is not bad at all. In fact…

“She won’t refuse if I ask her.”

“Having tea with both princesses… I’m not worthy…”

“It’s nothing that fancy, really.”

With no friends our age, my sister and I are among the few people each of us can speak to as equals.

That’s why Lululu and I have the kind of relationship where we’re both family and best friends.

“Excuse me, Sister. It’s Rishali.”

“Mmm?”

When I called out from the other side of the door, there was a brief pause.

Before long, the door to Lululu's room burst open with a flurry of noisy footsteps.

“Rishali? What brings you here at this hour? Come on in, come on in!”

“Pardon the intrusion~”

“I was just getting bored, so perfect timing!”

Greeting me with a bright smile was none other than Sister Lululu.

In contrast to my completely cold relationship with Brother, hers was like a perfect mirror image of warmth.

“Is it okay if Takeru, my escort, comes in too?”

“Eh? Well, as long as he doesn’t touch anything, I suppose it’s fine.”

“Th-thank you for having me!”

We sisters were extremely close. In fact, we had never fought even once since we were born.

---

“This is Rishali’s favorite? Hmm… well, he does have a cute vibe.”

“Takeru is not only cute, he is also very strong.”

“Yeah, I heard! He took out Paulik-san in one blow, right? I honestly couldn’t believe it.”

With a cheerful grin, Sister Lululu poured us both some tea.

That’s just how easygoing things were between me and my sister.

“He’s strong, huh? I’d love to see him in action someday.”

“I-It would be an honor.”

Takeru nervously accepted the tea with a stiff face and downed it in one gulp, trembling all the while.

Sister watched him, giggling at how amusing he was.

“Takeru-kun, do you have a girlfriend?”

“N-no, I don’t…”

“Hmmm. Then how about someone you like?”

“Th-that’s… far too presumptuous of me…”

“Oh? So it is someone you shouldn’t be harboring feelings for?”

“N-not at all, I would never—!”

Judging by Sister’s expression, she seemed to have taken a liking to pure-hearted Takeru.

And now she was clearly having fun teasing him.

“Sister, I think that’s enough…”

“Takeru-kun, Takeru-kun—between me and Rishali, which one do you prefer?”

“Wha—!?”

There’s not much in the way of entertainment at the royal palace.

Most of the day is taken up by things like academics, magic, dancing, and social duties—basically, ‘work’.

So for Sister Lululu, teasing a knight like this was a rare form of amusement.

“I-I, um—I'm Lady Rishali’s escort!”

“Ahhh, I’ve been rejected. You must really be into her, huh?”

“Th-that’s not it, really! I’d never be so full of myself—”

“Pffft! Ahahahahaha!!”

“Sister, that’s enough already…”

As Takeru turned bright red and looked ready to pass out, I threw him a lifeline.

He really wasn’t used to being around women. At this rate, he’d just end up being my sister’s ideal target.

“Takeru-kun, you really are such a beginner… fufu.”

“Please don’t tease him too much, Sister. You’re being mean.”

“Buuut! Think about it. A mere commoner getting to attend a tea party with two princesses! That’s unbelievably lucky. You should be honored, okay?”

“H-ha… ha ha… yes…”

“Aaahahaha! You’re too tense, seriously!”

In a palace without proper entertainment, the only way we could really enjoy ourselves and relax was through these “sister tea parties.”

Since they were technically “practice for socializing,” no one could complain no matter how many we held.

“Rishali, you didn’t drag Takeru-kun along to go bug hunting or anything, did you?”

“Of course not. Lately, instead of catching bugs, I’ve been observing their butts.”

“You’re as strange as ever…”

Meanwhile, Takeru, seated at the same table as two princesses and overwhelmed with nerves, had become a nodding machine, responding to everything with mechanical head movements.

“Oh right, Sister. Just the other day, I made this amazing magical tool for catching butt-cutter bugs!”

“Yeah, I heard. From Paulik-san. You’d better go apologize later.”

“To make up for the horrible punishment, I even named the tool Paulik…”

“Seriously—make sure you apologize later.”

But really, Takeru, there’s no need to be that tense at this tea party.

After all, what do you think two princesses of an entire kingdom talk about when left to their own devices?

“I heard you skipped out on social events again, Sister. Your suitor was reportedly furious.”

“Mm, I just don’t like my current fiancé. I want someone cooler and more intellectual.”

“Are you in any position to pick a spouse based on preference?”

“Well, if I can choose, then I will.”

I only talk about “bugs,” and Lululu only wants to talk about “men.”

This tea party isn’t the kind of refined gathering where everyone giggles “ufufufu~.” It’s more like we sprawl across the table and stuff ourselves with cookies.

Honestly, I think it’s hopeless.

“Listen to this, Rishali. That fiancé of mine sent me a letter, and it was full of typos.”

“He’s a knight, isn’t he? Even if he’s not good at it, the fact that he picked up the pen himself should be praised, I believe.”

“He spelled my name as Ryuryu. I mean, how do you mess up your own fiancée’s name?”

Our sisterly tea parties were often dubbed “Royal Princess Gatherings”, with outsiders wondering what kind of lofty topics we must be discussing.

But in truth, they were nothing but chaotic chatter filled with complaints about fiancés and bizarre insect trivia.

And judging by Takeru-kun’s changing expression, his tension was slowly giving way to disbelief.

“And get this! The other day, he greeted me with, ‘Good morning, Muscle!’ Can you believe that!?”

“Oh, I’ve heard. That greeting’s been trending among the soldiers lately.”

“And that’s who I’m supposed to marry? No way! Help me, Rishali!”

“Maybe he just wanted to come off as humorous.”

“I was completely put off!!”

Honestly, I wouldn’t want a fiancé who greeted me like that either.

“I wanna stay single forever. Just live in luxury off my parents’ money.”

“I can sympathize with that.”

“I don’t wanna wear corsets anymore. My belly’s gotten chubby and now it’s suffocating me.”

“……”

Seeing the two of us like this, Takeru’s expression said it all—his illusions had shattered.

Maybe he had been expecting more elegant, refined princesses.

Sorry to disappoint you, Takeru. But princesses are just people too.

“By the way, Sister. I’m here today on Father’s orders.”

“…Ah. You don’t have to say anything. I already know.”

As the tea party hit its peak, I seized the moment to bring up the real reason I’d come.

This wasn’t just a casual visit. I was here to persuade her to return to high society.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you attended another function? Three straight no-shows is pushing it.”

“I know that already, you don’t have to tell me… But I just can’t work up the motivation!”

Even Sister seemed aware that she’d been slacking a bit too much lately.

Though she pouted, she did nod at my suggestion.

“If my fiancé were cool, I’d be happy to go. But talking to idiots is just exhausting.”

“There aren’t many nobles out there smarter than you, Sister.”

“Let me dream a little, will you!?”

To be fair, from what I’ve heard, her current fiancé really does seem like a terrible match.

Even I wouldn’t want to marry someone who greets me with “Good morning, Muscle.”

“I have my ideal prince too, you know. Slender, sharp-featured eyes…”

“Here we go again…”

“He’d have a cold tone, but only be kind to me. Brilliant, a little mean, and then forcefully sweep me off my feet—someone like that!”

“Please keep the daydreaming in moderation, Sister…”

“Because! Real men are just so disappointing. Of course I escape into fantasies.”

Honestly, I think Sister is a genius—no bias.

She can read a thick book in ten minutes and recite its contents from memory.

When it comes to pure academics, I believe she’s the most gifted among the four siblings.

Which is exactly why she grew up proud, demanding, and selfish.

“Well, true enough. A man smarter than you, Sister, and also a cool, composed adult…”

“Yeah, there’s definitely no one like that around here.”

“Father is sharp, at least.”

“No thanks. That smelly, tactless man is not for me.”

Because she was so intelligent, it was rare—if not impossible—for Sister to find someone who met her ideal: a man smarter than herself.

That’s likely why she was so disillusioned with the idea of marriage.

But we are princesses. Marriage is part of our duty.

We’re expected to let go of such childish dreams of ideal romance and properly face the partners chosen for us...

“...Oh.”

“What’s wrong, Rishali?”

Just as I was about to finish, it hit me.

Right—lately, I had met someone. A genius on a whole other level.

“There was a man who might be smarter than you, Sister.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“And he’s a cool, mature type.”

“You’re kidding me!!?!?”

That’s right—Lululu. Of all people, she needed to know about him.

Even Father acknowledged Lululu’s genius. If she pitched the value of steam power to him, she might actually secure a research budget.

“What kind of person is he?”

“Someone who’s developing a groundbreaking new technology—completely devoted to his research.”

“Sounds promising. What’s his name?”

“I believe it was… Juugi, or something like that.”

“Juugi? Doesn’t ring a bell. Is he a commoner?”

“No, I believe he’s from a fairly distinguished house.”

Lululu seemed to take an interest in this man called Juugi.

Maybe if the two met, something would click between them.

“Takeru, hey Takeru. Do you know what family Juugi-san’s from?”

“Uh? Um, I think he said he was the eldest son of the Wett family.”

“The Wett family!!? That’s one of the top marquess houses!”

Wait, a marquess house!? He’s from that kind of elite lineage?

Well… come to think of it, only someone from a noble house of that level could afford to research for years purely on family funds.

“...It’s doable. If he’s from a marquess family, I can negotiate to make him my fiancé!”

“Eh? Sister?”

“Father wants me to rejoin high society, right? If I propose replacing my idiot fiancé with Juugi Wett, he might just go for it...!”

It seemed something had clicked in her the moment she heard he was a smart, cool nobleman.

...She really loses all composure when it comes to men.

“Now all that’s left is to confirm whether this guy’s really a cool, intelligent hunk or not!”

“R-right…”

“Take me to him, at once! I’ll judge him myself!”

Sister jumped to her feet, practically snorting with excitement.

“If he’s really smarter than me, I’ll be the one to find out!”

Eyes sparkling with anticipation, she was already fantasizing about the mysterious Juugi she’d never even met.