Because elves are very sensitive to negative emotions and energy.

“Well…….”

It was a very tempting offer.

It’s good for the daughter of Hardland to become the Crown Princess, so the Empress will bear with me, but it will be a different story when I get engaged.

Tess may be shocked, but it’s good enough to put a distance between us. Bonart and mine are from equal families, so it’s not burdensome to ask for a dissolution from our side later.

Because it is a union of Duchies, the Emperor might feel a little intimidated. But I’m going to end it anyway, so it’ll be fine.

Before I go to the original world.

… no that’s not it.

“Hold on, Mother. Shouldn’t Ethyl’s opinion be taken into account?”

“It’s Duke Bonart, I just need to convince Millen, I think Ethyl would like it too? He’ll be your sweet fiancee. Yes, he will come to Hardland every day.”

“Ethyl?”

He must be busy with swordsmanship training.

“If you are worried, let’s think about it first while training with Ethyl. What do you think?”

Whether it’s an engagement or marriage, I don’t want to bother doing anything that binds me in the slightest, but for now I nodded my head.

***

These worries went away the next day.

“Ethyl can’t train with me because he’s going to the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes, when the Emperor heard that Bonart’s eldest son was devoted to training, he allowed him to come to the palace with a reward, allowing him to see the training of the Knights up close. Ethyl said it would be difficult to train for a while because this is going to continue in the future, so Ethyl came and told me earlier.”

It is difficult to enter the Imperial Palace and not do anything concrete unless you have an official position or were a family head.

That was why I said it was a privilege when I was given the Imperial Palace entrance plaque and the right to go to the library. That’s a good thing, so Ethyl should be congratulated too.

Also, I’m not the only one who enjoys the privilege, so it’s good to be free from gossip.

“And Euel.”

“Yes?”

“The Crown Prince has finally got up from his sickbed and resumes his classes. There is a magic class today, and by imperial order you were asked to participate as well.”

Mother spoke in a calm tone, but strangely, her expression darkened.

“I will prepare quickly. I also have to go to the library.”

“Euseniel.”

“Yes?”

“If you don’t want to go to magic class, you don’t have to go. Even if it’s an order, you can refuse.”

Rarely, Mother was trying to convince me. She’s the one who always lets me do what I want to do.

“There is no need to go to the Imperial Palace, Euel.”

“I like taking magic class, Mother. Now, Tess, no, the Crown Prince’s body doesn’t have enough magical power, so it’s only a theory class, but it’s fun enough.”

If I keep in contact with the Archmage, I might be able to get the information I want.

At that time, the Archmage said he didn’t know how to get to another world. But maybe I can get a clue from other parts.

“Euseniel.”

“I’ll go and get ready!”

Hoho, things seem to be going well.

I headed to the Imperial Palace earlier than class time.

I was supposed to return the book I had borrowed before and see if something new had arrived. The Imperial Palace has a lot of books, but it’s especially good because new books arrive quickly.

People stare at me as I get off at the entrance of the Imperial Palace and trudge to the library with a large book.

Yes yes. I am Euseniel Hardland who has been given the privilege.

“It’s dark.”

I feel it every time I come to the Imperial Palace, but the air here is very heavy. It felt like tying people’s necks. Seeing that Father felt the same way, the whole Imperial Palace itself must have been like this.

Even in the Imperial Palace, the library was a fairly large building. Thanks to that, the door was huge, but there was no one passing by, so I had to open the door alone with a whimper.

“Hello. I brought a book here.”

“Hoho, it’s Euseniel. A new book related to magic has arrived.”

Now, the head of the library, whose gray hair started to grow, welcomed me. After rummaging through the new book corner to get what I wanted, I headed to a nook where people couldn’t see me.

Books from the Imperial Palace Library cannot be borrowed in the first place, but only those that are not from special areas and new publications are allowed for me.

Since I have been listening to the gossip about preferential treatment, it’s only obvious.

Flip, flip.

I like the space filled with only the sound of pages turning-

“Euseniel.”

– Aaand, the moment I thought that, an uninvited guest appeared.

“Te, no, Your Highness.”

I stood up to say my greeting, but Tess grabbed my shoulder and stopped me.

“It’s just the two of us. Don’t bow down.”

As the Crown Prince, Tess was still not used to my formality in front of him.

“Hello, Tess.”

“I missed you, Euseniel.”

The child who suddenly hugs me.

“You got… big.”

Now my lips are on Tess’s shoulder.

“Yes, Euseniel. I am now taller than Euseniel.”

A child who released me from the hug bent his eyes into half moons and smiles.

“Now I will be even bigger in a little while. Then I will be able to hug you warmly.”

After clasping my cheeks with both hands, Tess continues to smile happily.

… smile?

The child who smiled with his mouth open every day? Even now, he is smiling. He never did it when I taught him.

And now I know, Tess’s hands are perfectly covering my face. It’s clear that he used to have smaller hands than me.

“Tess, you-”

“I like you, Euseniel.”

Kiss, kiss.

Something soft touched my lips and disappeared.

“How many times have I told you not to?”

“You don’t know how lonely I was because Euseniel didn’t come after that. I always waited for Euseniel to come, but only useless things come every day.”

Tess was very tall, but still crying. Pretending not to hear what I was saying, he only talked about what he wanted to say.

“I didn’t want to look at them because my eyes hurt and I felt like I was going to vomit, but I endured it because I had to look mature. I wanted to cry, but if I cried, Euseniel won’t like it, so I didn’t cry”

The blue eyes, which have changed to darker shade than the ones I knew, looked directly at me. I can’t hide my surprise.

“So Euseniel, don’t reject me.”

My childhood friend once again asks me, who has forgotten how to open my lips.

“Please like me, Euseniel.”

“Uh…… huh?”

I almost answered ‘oh, right’. If Tess hadn’t smiled for a moment.

What was it?

As if I was possessed, I almost agreed with Tess’ words, and Tess was very satisfied seeing me like this. As if he knew this would happen.

“Don’t put your lips on me. It’s rude, Tessvalun.”

Pretending not to be shaken, I smacked the hand that was now bigger than mine, which was holding my arm.

“And I’m reading a book, so don’t disturb me. If you’re bored, read a book next to me too.”

It was disappointing that the face quickly filled up with tears. I turned a blind eye to it and climbed into the chair, whimpering.

I pretended to be calm, but my heart beat ominously. My childhood friend has a lot of weird things about him.

When I turned my head to the side, there was a boy looking at me with a sullen expression.

“Why?”

When I look at him, his expression clears up quickly, replaced by twinkling eyes. This child, as always, was just Tess.

“Why, Euseniel? You want to kiss me?”

“… go read your book.”

That idiot couldn’t have done that. Right, it’s not like that. I’m tired, so I must have seen something wrong.

“We will continue to take magic classes together.”

I turned to Tess again. I see the child with his body turned toward me and his chin resting with both hands.

“I asked Father. Euseniel is Hardland’s daughter, and she studies very hard, so I said it would be nice to take a class together.”

So he knows how to come up with such wonderful ideas?

I stroked his soft hair to tell him that he did well and turned my gaze back to the book. However, it seems that Tess’s story is not over.

“The Magic Tower is close to the Imperial Palace, and once you become a member of the Imperial Family, you can freely enter and exit the Magic Tower.”

“Therefore?”

“Marry me.”

I turned my head back to Tess. Tess then narrowed his eyes and smiled.

“Marry me and live with me, Euseniel.”

“How many times have I told you that I won’t marry you?”

“Then are you going to marry that Bonart guy? His eyes aren’t black. He’s even smarter than Euseniel.”

“I have no intention of marrying Ethyl. You are unqualified, too, Tess.”