Knock knock knock!!

“Wake up already!”

The next day.

The morning sun, awakened above the water’s surface, invaded the bedroom beyond the curtains.

Nigel barely opened her eyes and opened the bedroom door at Allen’s urging from outside.

“Good morning!”

Allen was standing in front of the door with a bright smile. Faintly smelling of fresh soap, Allen was fully prepared to go out, wearing a cool-looking white sailor collar outfit and neatly carrying a bag.

“…… Normally, one doesn’t enter the bedroom of the opposite sex, right?”

“I just told you to wake up, not to open the door?”

Come to think of it, that’s true.

Nigel quickly understood and let Allen into the bedroom.

This place was a bedroom in name only – it was one massive room with a spacious living room with a 4-person tea table, a bedroom that could easily sleep 10 people, and an attached bathroom with a bathtub to comfortably soak in.

“I’ll get ready quickly, so stay put and behave over there.”

“Normally, you don’t let someone of the opposite sex into your room, right?”

Allen sat on the sofa and giggled.

Thwack!

Immediately, as punishment for the teasing, a cushion flew at Allen’s head with merciless speed.

“Ack! Sorry, sorry!”

Bang!

Ignoring Allen’s words, Nigel headed to the bathroom. Soon after, the refreshing sound of running water was heard.

Left alone, Allen took out a notebook from her bag and organized today’s schedule.

Although she had invited Nigel herself, she had been unable to play with Nigel until now due to her parents, so she planned to use every moment efficiently without wasting any time.

Especially after lunchtime, Noah would arrive, which would surely surprise Nigel……

“Why are you smiling to yourself?”

Just then, a dry voice accompanied by cold water droplets was heard from behind.

“Ah! You startled me! If you’re out, shouldn’t you make some noise?”

“No, you were grinning so amusingly without me, I just wanted to tease you a bit.”

Nigel said playfully from behind the sofa, drying her hair vigorously with a towel.

“Hurry up and change your clothes!”

“Okay.”

Nigel nodded obediently and entered the bedroom.

As soon as they finished a simple breakfast, Nigel and Allen set out.

“So, what’s the plan for today?”

Nigel asked, resting her chin on her hand.

“Since the magic tool workshop that Mother sent me to is near the beach, we’ll first look around the shops near the beach, then have a seafood course for lunch. After that, we’ll stop by the workshop and play near the beach. We’ll also try the salt ice cream that’s only sold in Obeliu.”

Allen spoke without any hesitation.

“Sounds good.”

“What should we do to have fun today, Nigel?”

“……”

Nigel, who knew the answer, turned her head sharply towards the window. And that head had no intention of turning back until the carriage stopped.

“Well then, shall we have a blast today?”

It absolutely wasn’t because she liked it. Mrs. Evans had said there would be many people, so it was an unavoidable measure to not lose Allen.

Allen quickly led Nigel, who was rationalizing the act of her arm being tightly gripped to Allen’s arm – linking arms – with a serious face, to a stall.

“Nigel, look at this!”

On the stall were delicate accessories made of rainbow-colored shells and milky pearls.

“Hmm… I think this would suit you well?”

Allen, who was looking at the accessories with sharp eyes, quickly picked up a shell hairpin with a purple jewel. And pinned it in Nigel’s hair.

“That’s enough. It’s cumbersome, isn’t it?”

As Nigel raised her hand to remove the hairpin, Allen quickly held up a mirror.

In the mirror, a hairpin sparkling with rainbow colors could be seen among Nigel’s black hair every time she moved slightly.

“How is it, pretty right?”

“Well, not bad.”

Feeling awkward at her own appearance, Nigel flipped the mirror upside down while speaking.

“I’ll buy this! I’m not even haggling, so you’ll style her hair nicely, right?”

The shop owner nodded gently with a soft smile at Allen’s banter.

“…… You have no eye for these things. Wouldn’t the one with pearls next to it suit the lady better?”

Just then, a dignified voice was heard from behind.

At the same time, a snow-white hand wedged between Allen and Nigel. And instead of the purple jewel, it pinned a hairpin with pearls in Nigel’s hair.

“As expected, much better.”

For a moment, amber round eyes met Nigel’s wavering purple eyes.

A girl about Nigel’s age, with pale pink hair hidden in a pure white robe, innocently curved her eyes into crescents upon seeing Nigel.

“Who, who are you?”

Allen stumbled over her words at the sudden appearance of the intruder.

“Me? Yeni…… Call me Yeni.”

The weighty voice was gone, and the girl who introduced herself as Yeni in a voice mixed with aegyo tightly held Nigel’s hand.

Allen had asked the question, but Nigel was the one receiving the answer.

“What is the lady’s name?”

“Ni, Nigel.”

Allen and Nigel had different ways of dealing with this absurd situation.

Allen’s eyes drooped, realizing early on that playing alone with Nigel was out of the question due to Yeni’s gaze fixed solely on Nigel.

On the other hand, Nigel quickly remembered the identity of this girl holding her hand.

‘Pink hair and amber eyes. Plus, if her name is ‘Yeni’, then surely…!’

There was no mistake. This girl was the princess of the Crena Kingdom and the crown prince’s fiancée.

Certainly, in the original work, it was this princess who had ditched all her attendants and run away, nearly getting into big trouble before being saved by the protagonists, who was now holding her hand and smiling brightly.

Nigel silently pressed her forehead.

It seemed that today, which should have been full of only joy, was about to become much more complicated.

Amidst Allen and Yeni’s continued bickering, Nigel left the stall with hairpins on both sides and her hair beautifully braided.

“Your hair looks much better styled. Especially the hairpin on the left.”

“Indeed. Nigel’s pretty neckline is revealed, making her look refreshing. Especially the hairpin on the right side suits her well.”

The arms tightly clinging to her left and right, Allen and Yeni’s fierce gazes fixed on each other, felt heavy.

However, Nigel had no time to show it. She was just racking her brain on how to safely and naturally send ‘Yeni’ to the guards.

…… Ah, that would work.

“Allen.”

“Huh? Oh.”

Allen, who had been staring intently at Yeni, responded a beat late.

“When did you say Beselion would arrive?”

Nigel asked, hiding her anticipation.

According to the novel, Yeni was, to put it bluntly, a ‘face-con’. And at quite an extreme level.

In fact, the reason the princess of the Crena Kingdom became engaged to the crown prince of the distant Arenium was that Yeni had fallen in love at first sight with the crown prince when she went to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday as a child.

While it was understandable given that the Crena Kingdom was also known as the country of arts, Yeni took it to an extreme.

Her Imperial language skills, without a trace of awkward accent, were the very evidence of this.

Well, Yeni had learned the Imperial language solely for the purpose of conversing fluently with the crown prince.

So if Noah Beselion, who was as handsome as the crown prince, were here, the situation would be easily resolved.

“Ah, he should be arriving soon, I think?”

…… But it was ruined before it even began.

“Oh, I see.”

Nigel, not noticing Allen’s rolling eyes, fell back into contemplation.

“Nigel!”

Just then, Yeni called Nigel’s name sweetly. Unaware of Nigel’s burning anxiety, Yeni’s footsteps pranced like an excited puppy.

“Yeni, aren’t you busy?”

“Not at all! If I can spend time with Nigel, I can free up a whole month.”

“…… How do you know what kind of people Allen or I are to follow us around?”

“It’s okay! My intuition tells me Nigel is a good person!”

“What, what about me?”

Allen asked with a bit of expectation.

“Hmm, Allen is ambiguous. Not bad, but… the overall harmony is lacking? Still, you don’t seem like a bad person.”

“Ah… Well, thanks.”

Allen responded sourly. Regardless, Yeni hugged Nigel’s arm tightly.

Expecting to part ways soon, Nigel barely swallowed a sigh at Yeni’s behavior showing no signs of leaving.

No matter how positively she thought about it, it was a big problem. Whether Yeni got into trouble as in the original story, or got into trouble because she was with Nigel.

Being none other than the crown prince’s fiancée, in both cases, in the worst scenario, it could lead to execution or the exposure of her identity.

“…… All of this might be Lady Kirelia’s plan to guide me to meet Nigel!”

Meanwhile, Yeni closed her eyes and clasped her delicate hands towards the blue sky.

Haah, this time a sigh escaped Nigel’s lips unbidden.

Tap tap.

Just then, Allen tapped Nigel’s shoulder.

“…… Nigel. Shall we run away like this?”

It was quite a good idea… but Nigel shook her head.

No matter what, abandoning a seemingly fragile girl alone was not the right thing to do.

Also, Mrs. Evans’ words about Obeliu’s worsening public safety bothered her.

“I guess so, right? Well, can’t be helped! Let’s consider it making an unusual friend!”

Allen grinned and approached Yeni.

Yeni, who had been wary, soon burst into laughter as Allen spoke to her in a friendly manner.

Watching the scene from behind, Nigel slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

This is why she liked Allen. Allen acted as if Nigel and Noah were her only friends, but in reality, she had a kind power that made people smile by treating everyone kindly.

That warm power that even made Nigel, who initially avoided and was wary of Allen, melt.

“Nigel, what are you doing there alone? You might get lost like that?”

“Hurry up, Nigel! Allen says she knows a delicious restaurant!”

Nigel approached Allen and Yeni and linked arms with them first.

At the same time, the laughter of the three people, unable to hold back, blended into one.