A Barbaric Proposal Side Story 35

※A Win-Win Solution※

[Fermos] "Agh! No! No!"

He had been completely outmaneuvered. The fact that Dief was not present in the room meant he was somewhere else—and that "somewhere else" was his own office, which he had just left.

To put it plainly, his office was currently empty, and the secret missive that had arrived today—the very one mentioning the "rabbit hunt"—was sitting right there on his desk, ripe for the taking.

[Fermos] "Oh, Princess! This is too much!"

He turned to Randall and shouted.

[Fermos] "What are you doing? Go! Secure that letter this instant!"

[Randall] "Wh-what? Right! On it!"

Randall, who took a second too long to grasp the situation, scrambled to pull open the lounge door.

SLAM!

It was already too late. Dief was standing right outside the door, holding a familiar small scrap of paper in his hand.

[Dief] "Sir Fermos, what exactly is a 'rabbit hunt'?"

[Fermos] "Uaaah..."

It was a total defeat. Fermos had not expected Princess Shellan to grow so sharp, so soon. He clutched his head with both hands, his face a mask of despair.

[Fermos] "You are genuinely heartless, Princess..."

Shellan let out a sharp, dismissive scoff.

[Shellan] "You started it, Sir."

[Fermos] "Uuuuugh..."

[Shellan] "Sit back down. It’s time we resumed our negotiations."

[Fermos] "Uaa—"

[Shellan] "Sir Fermos."

[Fermos] "......"

The eight-year-old Princess was merciless.

In that moment, Fermos couldn't help but feel a flicker of resentment toward how much she resembled her father.

---

Fermos did his best. Or rather, he tried to.

In truth, it was a battle he was destined to lose from the start. It wasn't just because Shellan held the missive containing the pirates' location. It was because she looked so much like Black that looking at her made it impossible not to think of him. To Fermos, arguing with her felt like defying His Majesty, and his conscience couldn't bear it.

[Fermos] "……So, that is how things stand, Princess."

He continued, ready to drop to his knees or even squeeze out a few tears if necessary.

[Fermos] "Please, show me some mercy. I am well aware of the gravity and ingratitude of my actions, but those Rambasol bastards are so wicked their heads wouldn't even be fit to serve as toilet brushes for the Sea God. The sooner we sweep them away, the cleaner the seas will be."

In essence, he was asking them to wait just a few more days. When Shellan offered nothing but an ambiguous hum in response, Fermos turned a pitiful gaze toward Dief.

[Fermos] "Prince Dief, I beg of you."

This had some effect. Dief had been born with a profound sense of justice.

[Fermos] "If we don't act now, we may never get another chance. If you postpone our departure for Bellisa by just two days, Randall and I will stake our names on wiping those villains out."

[Dief] "Well, if that’s the case, I suppose it’s okay—"

[Shellan] "It’s not okay."

She cut Dief off immediately.

[Fermos] "Princess?"

Fermos turned back to her, trying to maintain a calm facade. Shellan met his gaze, her lips pursed.

[Shellan] "You're lying."

[Fermos] "What? No! How can you say that? Why would I lie!"

Fermos frantically retraced his words in his head. Even though he’d been caught regarding the Rambasol pirates, he hadn't breathed a word about the secret deal he’d made with Black. If he admitted to that, his head would likely be separated from his shoulders. Black would never forgive such a slip.

So, he had bypassed that detail with a workaround. He’d explained that the Rambasol pirates were moving unexpectedly, that they couldn't afford to lose track of them, and that they would escort the children to Bellisa if they could just wait a little longer.

[Shellan] "I understand that you and Sir Randall are busy with these 'toilet brush' pirates. But Sir Renfel isn't, is he?"

[Fermos] "Renfel is busy too! He is currently monitoring the location of those toilet brush bastards."

At some point, everyone had naturally started calling Rambasol "Toilet Brush."

[Shellan] "Then I suppose Madam Renfel is the commander of this pirate suppression mission."

[Fermos] "I’m not sure I follow your meaning, Princess."

[Shellan] "Because Madam Flambard said Sir Renfel was away running an errand for his mother."

This was a detail Fermos hadn't been aware of.

[Shellan] "And yet, Madam Renfel had no idea such an errand even existed."

[Fermos] "Well, that’s because it’s a secret mission—"

[Shellan] "Do you really think I’m that easy to fool?"

She was far too intelligent for that. Fermos fell silent and averted his eyes. Shellan pursued him relentlessly with her gaze.

[Shellan] "You were blocking us from going to Bellisa. And the person who made you do that was Father."

[Fermos] "Mmm, Princess... please understand that I cannot comment on that."

[Shellan] "But that’s why it doesn't make sense."

[Fermos] "What doesn't?"

[Shellan] "The toilet brush pirates. According to the missive, they’re in Blue Warren right now, aren't they?"

[Fermos] "That is correct..."

[Shellan] "And you absolutely have to 'sweep' them away. Then why are you still here in Nauk?"

[Fermos] "I find that fact deeply regrettable myself. But for me, nothing takes precedence over His Majesty’s commands."

It was beyond regrettable; it was tragic. He wished this brilliant Princess would understand that, in his heart, he was already charging toward Blue Warren. If she could just pity him and stay quietly in the castle for two more days...

[Shellan] "Father must have told you to keep us from coming to Bellisa."

[Fermos] "……Just a few more—pardon?"

[Shellan] "He didn't tell you to stay away from Blue Warren."

[Fermos] "Excuse me?"

His jaw dropped. Randall was in the same state. A moment later, Dief’s expression mirrored theirs.

[Dief] "Shellan? Did you just say Blue Warren?"

[Shellan] "Yes."

She clapped her hands together with a sharp pop.

[Shellan] "We’re going to Bellisa in two days anyway, right? So, we leave two days early and make a quick stop at Blue Warren on the way. That way, nobody is technically disobeying Father’s orders. Dief and I don't have to stay in this empty castle without Mother, and you and Sir Randall get to sweep away the pirates. It becomes a win-win solution."

Randall, unable to contain his overwhelming admiration, cried out.

[Randall] "The Princess is a genius!"

[Fermos] "You idiot!"

He grabbed Randall by the scruff of his neck.

[Fermos] "Is that something you should be saying right now? You want to take the children to Blue Warren?"

[Randall] "Ghk—let go! I mean, if His Majesty doesn't find out—cough!"

[Fermos] "As if he won't find out! As if!"

[Shellan] "Then don't let him find out."

Her voice bolstered Randall. Fermos flinched, his grip loosening, and Randall seized the opportunity to slip away.

[Shellan] "You said you and Sir Randall were going to handle the 'sweeping' yourselves. I suppose that includes Sir Ashker now, too. That means no one else knows, right? Not even Father. If the five of us—Dief and I included—keep quiet, we can pretend it never happened."

[Fermos] "But, Princess, we have sworn an oath of loyalty to His Majesty. We cannot fabricate a lie."

[Shellan] "It’s not a lie. It’s simply not saying anything. Father won't ask about things he doesn't know to ask about, will he?"

[Dief] "Shellan. I don't think that’s right—"

Dief started to say that keeping secrets from their parents was wrong, but the words died in his throat. He had seen the sparks of excitement igniting in Fermos’ and Randall’s eyes.

[Fermos] "If you go to Blue Warren, the two of you must stay inside the manor. The 'sweeping' is something we will handle safely and very quickly."

[Randall] "Exactly. In fact, it won't even be much of a sweep. It’ll be over before you know it. It’ll just be like we’re taking a quick stroll for ourselves."

[Shellan] "That’s for you to handle. No matter how foolish an eight-year-old might be, they wouldn't dream of fighting pirates. Right, Dief?"

[Dief] "Huh? Me...?"

Dief looked back and forth between Shellan, Fermos, and Randall. At first, going to Blue Warren seemed like a terrible idea, but his heart began to race.

Besides, Dief felt his resolve to stay in Nauk and accept his "punishment" fading. It had been fading since the moment he realized Father was using the Knights to block them from Bellisa.

It felt a little unfair. When he thought they were being left behind because their parents were angry, he felt worried and sad—but to find out they were being actively blocked was a very different feeling.

Making it so we couldn't even meet Sir Renfel... that's a bit petty.

Perhaps this small act of rebellion was justified. Since Father was the one who made a secret first, it seemed only fair that they have one too.

Dief nodded with a look of solemn determination—impressive for an eight-year-old.

[Dief] "Fine. I want to go to Blue Warren too."

[Shellan] "We aren't fighting pirates. Keep that in mind."

[Dief] "What are you talking about, Shellan? Eight-year-olds can't fight pirates."

[Shellan] "See?"

She gestured toward Dief as she spoke to Fermos and Randall.

[Shellan] "So, is there any other reason we shouldn't go to Blue Warren?"

[Fermos] "Not a single one, Princess."

There was none.

Fermos and Randall couldn't hide their excitement as they firmly shook hands.

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