A Barbaric Proposal Side Story 12

※Good News, Bad News※

It was a beautiful day, much like any other. The sun shone brightly, and the breeze was cool.

In this season, just before the arrival of summer, Nauk was filled with days of fluttering excitement and anticipation, as if preparing for the abundance to come.

It was also the time of year when news of all sorts traveled most frequently.

And so, the news arrived on such a day.

[Shellan] "This is a sudden piece of misfortune. I refuse."

[Dief] "Oh, I like it."

The answers from the two children clashed. When Dief gave his clueless response, Shellan glared at him with narrowed eyes.

[Shellan] "Why don't you think before you speak?"

[Dief] "Huh? Is there something to think about?"

He gave a sunny smile, completely oblivious to his sister's internal turmoil.

[Dief] "It just means guests are coming from Alito. It’s not the first time."

[Shellan] "That’s exactly why I’m saying this. Do you not remember how it was back then?"

[Dief] "I remember. Everyone got along just fine, didn't they?"

[Shellan] "What?"

Her jaw dropped in disbelief, which in turn startled Dief.

[Dief] "Was it not? But we never fought... we had a good time."

[Shellan] "......It seems you have no idea how much I had to exhaust my patience for the sake of that meager peace."

[Dief] "What does 'meager' mean? Does it mean 'meaty and cheerful'? Oh, wait. No, that’s not it."

[Shellan] "Forget it. Dief, don't say another word."

She turned her head away from her twin brother and looked at the Royal Secretary who had delivered the news.

[Shellan] "I am against this invitation. Please convey that clearly to Their Majesties."

[Secretary] "Um... Princess Shellan. About that..."

[Shellan] "Yes?"

[Secretary] "I wasn't instructed to ask for your opinion."

Both sovereigns were brilliant, and the Chancellor was even more so. To make matters even more daunting, the eight-year-old Princess was equally sharp.

Consequently, the standards for choosing a Royal Secretary had to become increasingly high. In other words, the King, the Queen, and the Chancellor detested having to give the same instruction twice.

If they had intended to decide on the invitation based on the children's wishes, they would have asked long ago. Thus, much to the Princess's disappointment, the matter was already settled.

[Shellan] "That’s too much."

She bit her lip.

[Shellan] "They did this because they knew I would refuse, didn't they?"

The Royal Secretary bowed his head to hide his expression.

[Secretary] "I merely follow my instructions, Princess."

[Shellan] "......So, when are they arriving?"

[Secretary] "They were said to have departed Alito yesterday morning, so they should be crossing the border today."

[Shellan] "That’s undeniably cruel!"

Her voice rose. This time, her "undeniably" was genuinely heartfelt.

She had intended to show her parents that she was upset they made such a decision without consulting her, and then use that as leverage to negotiate a stay at Bellisa Castle near the southern border until summer began. But they hadn't even given her the time to do so.

[Shellan] "Why are they doing this to me?"

The Secretary's eyes darted around, but he never made eye contact. He had already been advised by the brilliant Chancellor: when speaking with the clever Princess, avoid eye contact as much as possible. It made answering far easier.

[Secretary] "How could a mere secretary presume to fathom the will of Their Majesties? I most earnestly beg of you to withdraw that question, Princess."

In truth, the Secretary knew the reason so well. This was all because of Shellan.

If one used "normal" as a baseline, Prince Dief was a magnificent prince. He wasn't exceptionally brilliant, but there was nothing he couldn't do. Every private tutor remarked that he was a very healthy and upright young man. No matter how one looked at him, there was nothing to criticize or correct.

However, once the standard shifted to Princess Shellan, things became complicated.

Though the two had learned their letters from the same teacher when they were younger, their lessons had long since been separated. Shellan had been studying different subjects under different masters for a long time. For Prince Dief to take the lessons Shellan was currently receiving, he would need at least five more years of foundational study.

This was a constant worry for the two sovereigns.

The clever Princess was always capable of looking after herself, but because of that, she was always busy. She always had a book to read, something to study, and a self-imposed quota of learning to complete. Consequently, she had little time to socialize.

When they were younger, her twin brother had always been by her side, but now that their lessons were divided, even that was difficult. Naturally, she had no friends her own age. Her favorite person to play with was the Chancellor, but since the Chancellor was even busier than the two sovereigns, even that was often impossible.

That was why, even though neither Liene nor Black were particularly fond of the people from the Alito family, they never failed to invite children of the same age from that house.

Well, as far as the Secretary was concerned, the children of Alito House were little more than foals who had accidentally learned a few words of human speech compared to the Prince and Princess—but he understood the sovereigns' intent. A person needs a "counter-example" to learn from.

It was a deep regret that Princess Shellan had yet to realize the necessity of having a counter-example.

[Secretary] "I shall take my leave now. Please, do not forget your mealtime today."

The Secretary left with a kind farewell.

From the end of morning lessons until lunch was the children's rest period. Unless there was a special event, they finished their meals here in the lounge.

The problem was that Shellan often couldn't wait for the food to arrive and would disappear back into the study to hide away with a book, but for now, that was the routine.

[Shellan] "Outrageous."

She clenched her fists as if she were genuinely fuming.

Dief watched her with a gaze that was both sympathetic and confused.

[Dief] "Do you really hate them that much? They aren't bad kids. They taught us games we didn't know."

[Shellan] "When I’m with them, I feel as though my intelligence is vanishing one teaspoon at a time."

[Dief] "That’s... well, that’s not true, Shellan. The Alito children came last year, too, but you’re still smart. No, you’ve become even smarter."

[Shellan] "I believe eight is an age where one should be able to distinguish between metaphor and reality."

[Dief] "......Uh, what?"

She stared at him for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

[Shellan] "No. I’m being too harsh. Even among eight-year-olds, you are one I can actually talk to."

[Dief] "Yeah. As long as you don't use difficult words on purpose."

[Shellan] "You’re wrong, Dief. I don't use difficult words on purpose; I use simple words on purpose. For your sake."

[Dief] "Oh, really? Then I’d appreciate it if you kept doing that."

[Shellan] "......Do you have any idea how much I endure just because of those puppy eyes of yours?"

Exhaling another sigh, Shellan brushed his hair. Dief said, "You don't have to do this for your big brother," but he still bent his knees slightly to make it easier for her to reach.

Everyone else knew this behavior was learned from Black, but the family itself was unaware. To them, it was simply too mundane to notice.

---

[Berel] "Your...... Your Majesty. I have returned."

[Liene] "Well done, Sir Berel."

The Royal Secretary had completed his mission successfully. Returning after delivering news he knew Shellan would hate, and receiving nothing more than a "that’s too much" in response, was a feat worthy of praise for his competence.

[Liene] "But I am a bit worried."

Once the secretary had left the dining room and the two of them were alone, Liene spoke to Black.

Black, who was placing finely cut pheasant meat onto her plate, nodded.

[Black] "Yes. If she weren't already plotting revenge, she wouldn't be Shellan."

[Liene] "She’s certainly thinking of a way to escape. ......And 'revenge' is a bit much. Shellan is just thinking of a countermeasure; she’s not trying to retaliate against us."

[Black] "The problem is that she’ll take it out on the Alito children, not us."

[Liene] "No. Shellan has matured a lot. This year will be different. At the very least, she knows those children are not at fault."

Black chuckled and popped a piece of grilled eggplant into Liene’s mouth just as she finished the pheasant.

[Black] "Your mind is elsewhere. You almost missed your favorite food."

[Liene] "I was going to eat what was on this side first. ......Anyway, you didn't answer me. Shellan will—"

[Black] "She will do something. If she doesn't, she knows the same thing will happen every year."

[Liene] "I...... suppose I can't deny that."

[Black] "I’ve given instructions to keep an eye on things once they arrive from Alito. No one will be seriously hurt."

[Liene] "But then it really is revenge. We can't have that. We were the ones who invited them."

[Black] "Can you really call that an invitation? I’d say it’s closer to us granting a desperate plea."

As always, Black was ruthless toward people he disliked.

Liene gave a wry smile and this time pushed a piece of pheasant into Black’s mouth.

[Liene] "You eat, too. Don't just feed me. It’s been so long since we’ve had lunch together. And 'desperate plea' might be a diplomatic violation, so... let’s compromise and call it an 'earnest request'."

[Black] "I refuse."

She was slightly startled by the sudden change in his tone. His voice became a pitch lower and rougher than usual.

[Liene] "Pardon? What did you say?"

[Black] "I said I refuse. I hate that man is coming."

Black grabbed the armrest of her chair and turned it so she was facing him directly. Because he gripped the chair and leaned his face so close, Liene momentarily caught her breath.

[Black] "Do you even remember how that man acted toward you last year?"

---

Unfortunately, Side Story 12-44 doesn't have an illustration. I think this is because of the four-year gap between the releases of Side Story 11 (October 2021) and Side Story 12 (June 2025). I assume the author and illustrator's contract only covered up to Side Story 11. I really hope they'll release the illustration soon.

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