Chapter 3: The White Horse Prince

"Princess Sonia, it’s been a long time. I am Sirlot from the Kingdom of Paptes. Do you remember me?"

Before me, a slender young man knelt and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand.

The next morning. To attend tomorrow’s engagement celebration, a delegation led by the first prince of the neighboring Paptes Kingdom—Sirlot—arrived at the Kingdom of Sugarcreek.

The sight of a young prince kneeling and kissing a hand looked like something straight out of a movie. If you framed just this moment, it would be beautiful enough to hang in a gallery. I found myself thinking this for no particular reason.

Ah—yet somehow, it still felt strange.

Being kissed on the back of the hand by a man didn’t stir any particular feelings in me. Sure, right now I looked like the female Sonia, so visually it was fine. But expecting me to fully switch my mind to that of a woman in just a day or two? That’s impossible.

Prince Sirlot raised his face and met my eyes. Then he smiled.

The way he flashed his perfectly white teeth as he smiled felt a little smug—enough to irritate me slightly.

This prince was slender. Not exactly handsome, but better than average. Even as a man, I could admit he had a clean, presentable face.

Compared to the surrounding guards, though, his frame clearly wasn’t built for combat.

As I studied his face more closely, it suddenly hit me.

…This guy. He’s from the game. At the start, he resisted me— When I was playing as the Demon King—until the bitter end, trying to protect Princess Sonia.

A brave man who, despite crying and screaming, swung a sword he wasn’t used to in a desperate attempt to save her.

Of course, in the game, he was decapitated by the Demon King in an instant and wiped out. Such is the sorrow of a mere NPC.

But back then, I’d assumed he was just some guard. Turns out, he was actually a prince of the neighboring Paptes Kingdom.

It’s no wonder trivial NPCs in games rarely get good characterization. Can’t really blame the devs.

Honestly, even appearance-wise, the Demon King is much better-looking. After all, the Demon King is the player’s avatar, naturally designed to be handsome.

Even discounting that, this prince still has a rather plain face—the type destined to die quickly. Poor guy.

"I am Sonia of the Kingdom of Sugarcreek. Prince Sirlot, it truly has been a long time," I said.

My lady-in-waiting, Kamina, had—just in case—briefed me the day before about all the guests attending the engagement dance. She probably suspected that I, being the silly, carefree Sonia, would have forgotten everything.

It was a huge help. Good job, Kamina.

…Honestly, I didn’t even know the NPCs’ names. The game never bothered to give them proper ones.

Kneeling, I returned a graceful smile to Sirlot, who was meeting my gaze. I had practiced it a lot in front of the mirror last night to make sure it looked elegant.

"Ah, Princess Sonia, you are as beautiful as ever," Sirlot said, smiling brightly.

He quickly stood and slipped his hand around my waist. Huh. Aren’t you being a little too familiar all of a sudden?

"Prince Sirlot, I hope your journey was not too exhausting."

I summoned all my steel-like self-control and smiled while acknowledging the hardships of his travel. After all, in my past life (?), I had survived multiple death marches. A minor inconvenience like this was nothing.

"Tonight, we have prepared a small reception for you. Tomorrow, at the engagement celebration, we shall both be busy attending to our duties, so I hope you will relax and enjoy yourself until then."

…Tomorrow night will be a matter of life or death. My entire future hangs in the balance. I must rest today and gather strength for what’s to come.

"Hm?"

…By the way, this prince hasn’t been looking me in the eyes. His gaze has been fixed on my chest the whole time.

As a woman, I realized you notice these things far more than I expected. Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling.

…Well, until the evening banquet, it’s time to part ways with the prince and take a bath.

Prince Sirlot clung to me until the very last second, insisting he wanted to stay with me even a moment longer. He genuinely seemed reluctant to let go, but I reminded him that I had preparations for the ceremony and forced myself away. Let me breathe a little, will you?

The fort—Gaikoku Fort—stands on the northwestern borderlands of the Kingdom of Sugarcreek. It’s essentially a command tower, keeping watch over the border with the Demon King’s territory.

Despite being on the frontier, the fort is surprisingly well-equipped. It even has a proper bathtub.

…Though in this world, daily bathing in a tub isn’t normal. Most people pour hot water into a bucket and wash themselves with a cloth, or take a steam bath once every few days.

I personally found this unacceptable. But as they say, when in Rome. At least with the prince visiting, I now had a legitimate excuse to indulge in an actual bath.

With Kamina’s help, I stripped down and inspected my body from head to toe in the bath.

Just like in the CG.

Slim yet busty, looking much smaller clothed than naked. Proportions designed to appeal to men. A loli face paired with big breasts. Truly, a body made to seduce.

It was fun to assault in the game. Experiencing it from the other side? Absolutely miserable.

"How is the water temperature?"

My lady-in-waiting, Kamina, asked.

I’d been lost in thought while soaking, but her voice yanked me back to reality. Unfortunately, this nightmare wasn’t going anywhere.

"…It’s fine. Feels good. Ah, I guess it’s about time to wash my body."

"Understood. I shall assist you," she replied.

Still fully clothed, Kamina stood beside me and began washing my body with something like a sponge, working up a lather with what looked like soap.

Huh. So they have soap here too?
Well, it’s not your typical medieval fantasy world—it’s an eroge universe, after all.

Once she finished, I decided to try something I’d been thinking about.

"Hey, Kamina. I’d like a little time alone to think."

"Understood. Should you need anything, please call for me."

"Thanks."

After confirming Kamina had left, I stood alone in front of the mirror. Then, deliberately, I struck that infamous pose: both hands flashing peace signs, face twisted into the ecstatic ahegao expression from the CG.

……

Exactly like in the CG…

Ugh. No. I don’t want this. Absolutely not.

Clinging to that stubborn resolve, I sank back up to my shoulders in the bath. I would survive this hell and escape it at all costs.

Later, at the dinner banquet, I hosted the princes’ delegation.

I offered polite smiles to Prince Sirlot and the others while sharing a meal, occasionally pouring drinks here and there—a display of a host’s service spirit, if you will.

I took a bite of the beef stew that had been served.

Hm. The meat is tender and delicious. Clearly good cuts.

"…Heh. Princess Sonia. I have prepared a poem for you. A poem that expresses the feelings of my heart, written just for you. Might I… request a moment tonight, just the two of us, to recite it?"

Prince Sirlot, slightly flushed from drinking, met my gaze with earnest intensity as he spoke.

The lines were undeniably romantic—but he kept glancing at the cleavage of my dress, betraying his true intentions.

"I apologize, Your Highness. I am not feeling well today… It is most regrettable that I cannot hear your poem. Please, take your leave," I said coldly.

"…Quite different from what I had expected,"

Prince Sirlot muttered to himself in his room, sipping an ale with a wry smile.

"The guard is tight. I had heard that Sonia is a romantic type… But, well, in terms of appearance, she certainly lives up to being called the most beautiful woman in the western lands."

He drained his glass, a faint smirk lingering on his lips.

"Well, this is the formal engagement celebration. Once we get through this, it will be difficult for her—or anyone else—to break off our arrangement. Having to wait a little is… tolerable, I suppose."

Eager to claim Sonia as his own, Sirlot poured himself another ale, brooding yet resolute.