Akatsuki Translations

“Ricardo-kun, is it okay to put the vase labeled number 12 on this shelf?” -Alfina

Alfina, standing on a stepladder, asked me while stretching on one foot. To be honest, I didn’t care where she put it as long as she didn’t get hurt.

She was wearing a white dress with a longer hem instead of her uniform. It had embroidery that wasn’t too flashy. However, I wondered how long it would take even a skilled craftsman to create those regular sine curves by hand.

Was this close to everyday wear for a princess? It was barely, somehow, at the level of a wealthy young lady who had come to play in the downtown area. As she stood on one foot, the back of her knee, which had been hidden by her skirt, was exposed. It was a truly precarious sight.

The sweet scent wafting through the narrow storeroom should have been the familiar smell of honey, but why did it feel even sweeter today?

No, it’s not good to escape reality. I tried to accept the reality that a princess was in our underground storeroom. Yes, that was just an hour ago.

On the morning of the second day of summer vacation, my father, whose complexion had returned due to Drefano’s downfall, came to the storeroom with a pale face. I had just decided on the steps to clear the backlog of work, but I learned at the front door that it had all fallen apart.

Standing there was a classmate I wasn’t supposed to see for at least a month, holding an introductory letter that looked too luxurious to be worth the cost of a reply, considering our product prices. The letter was, needless to say, from Archduchess Berthold, her guardian and current investor we were negotiating with.

It was written in a casual style, stating that since our response was slow, they decided to start with an inspection first. It said that since her niece had taken an interest in the merchant company’s work, she had entrusted it to her.

Recalling her interest in the stalls at the tea party, I cursed Riruka, Mia’s friend, for a moment.

By the way, my father left his son at the front door and went off to some meeting. Since he went out ignoring the princess’s visit, it must have been an incredibly important meeting. It was incomprehensible that I, who was supposed to be the successor, didn’t know about it.

I invited her to a room with only chairs and tables and tried to gloss over it by introducing a new way to eat honey. However, without even giving me time to brew tea, Alfina said she wanted to help me. If she had become interested in the business, I wanted her to start with her first purchase.

And so began the royal-level hospitality.

Right now, Alfina is counting the empty vases on the shelf. Suppliers don’t always provide the same size items, and having uniform sizes affects efficiency in all aspects of product handling, transportation, and storage. In other words, the number of empty vases is important. After emphasizing that point, I assigned her this seemingly safest task.

I thought she might find it boring, but Alfina is working hard without a single complaint. Well, I’ve come to understand that’s the kind of girl she is. However, even taking that into account, she seems unusually enthusiastic.

“Ah!” -Alfina

“Watch out!” -Ricardo

As expected, Alfina’s hand slipped. It was an anticipated event. However, as she reached out for the falling vase, her stepladder shook. I clung to Alfina’s waist, ignoring the falling vase. The vase that had fallen to the floor rolled and came to a stop in front of us.

Since it was an empty vase, no honey had spilled. But the sweet scent had intensified.

“I-I’m sorry, Ricardo-kun. …But I’m fine.” -Alfina

“Senpai. Sexual harassment right off the bat?” -Mia

A cold voice struck my back. My reliable secretary, who had mastered the words from another world I had taught her, was standing there.

“N-No, that’s not it. I thought, just in case, if she got hurt…” -Ricardo

“On a stepladder that’s not even half the height of her knees?” -Mia

Mia’s voice added insult to injury as I hurriedly let go and Alfina turned her face away, blushing bright red.

“So, how did this delightful situation come about?” -Mia

Mia asked, making Alfina and I stand in front of the shelf.

“I selfishly insisted on experiencing the work. I ended up being a hindrance rather than helping. I’m sorry. I’ll compensate for the broken vase.” -Alfina

Alfina picked up the vase that had rolled onto the floor and spoke sadly.

“Your Highness’s present labor value is currently in the negative. The more you work, the more damage you inflict on Vinder. It’s not about the price of the broken vase. It’s because you’re taking up the most valuable time of Senpai. You seemed to be interested in the Consort’s Festival, but Vinder isn’t running a stall.”  -Mia

“Th-That’s… I’m sorry.” -Alfina

“H-Hey, Mia, that’s going too far…” -Ricardo

“Of course, the greatest responsibility lies with Ricardo-senpai, the work supervisor.”  -Mia

Mia turned to face me. Her arched eyebrows indicated that her words were not out of deference to Alfina.

“Even so… No, I have no retort.”  -Ricardo

I had been completely swayed by Alfina. It was a pitiful story in my own home. I hadn’t confirmed a single important thing. In other words, I had failed to establish a clear policy and had only thought about making her do work that seemed appropriate.

However, if a cute classmate, or rather, a princess, suddenly visited during summer vacation, anyone would be flustered.

“From Mia’s perspective, it must have looked like I was playing along with Alfina-sama’s whims during work.” -Ricardo

At my words, Alfina grasped her skirt with both hands and lowered her face.

“However, I couldn’t believe that Alfina-sama came here out of mere curiosity or on a whim.”  -Ricardo

She certainly seemed a bit giddy, and she wasn’t at the stage of helping but was completely getting in the way. I knew she was a girl with a strong longing for a world she had never seen before. I think there were such elements as well.

But despite her clumsiness, she tried to tackle each task. That’s why I had trouble gauging her intentions.

“For someone who pretends to be a schemer, Senpai is easily swayed and untrustworthy. Alfina-sama, please tell us why you took such an unexpected course of action.” -Mia

Mia looked straight at Alfina. Alfina let go of the skirt she had been gripping and turned to face Mia.

“…I wanted to see the world that Ricardo-kun sees.” -Alfina

“Huh?” -Ricardo

What in the world does that mean…?

“It’s about the prophecy. At that time, my words didn’t reach anyone. At first, I thought it was because of my bloodline. That’s why I was happy when Ricardo-kun listened to me. You said you wouldn’t believe it but verify it, but I was just glad that you faced my words.” -Alfina

Alfina paused for a moment after saying that much.

“But it wasn’t just that. Ricardo-kun, you were completely different from me. And you moved Fuglsig-san and Auntie, and ended up moving the kingdom. I know. No matter how hard I try, I probably can’t do what Ricardo-kun did. But I wanted to at least understand. I thought that if I knew about Ricardo-kun’s work, it might help me achieve that, even if just a little…” -Alfina

Alfina’s words poured out as if a dam had burst.

When I first met her, she was a princess with her head in the clouds, detached from the world, including her sense of responsibility. She didn’t give in to the pressure around her, spoke what she believed to be the truth, and in the end, made a great comeback as the savior priestess.

To be honest, I had a slight doubt. I thought her modest attitude might be an adaptation to her unfortunate circumstances, and there might be a backlash from the past.

However, the realist and self-preservationist in me say that I can’t be completely moved by it. That was the worst in terms of self-preservation. It’s an experience that should never be had. Rather, it would be more reassuring if she became a bit more conceited.

“…But that was still my selfishness. I think I was taking advantage of Ricardo-kun’s kindness.” -Alfina

After saying that, Alfina lowered her face again.

“In other words, even though it’s Vinder…”  -Mia

Mia muttered with an increasingly difficult expression. Unconsciously, she fidgeted with both hands. It’s a habit she has when she’s troubled by something.

“…I have to admit that you were more serious about work than Senpai, who was chasing after a girl’s behind.” -Mia

“H-Hey, Mia.” -Ricardo

“I understand. I’ll allow Alfina-sama to help out at the store.” -Mia

Despite arbitrarily disparaging her superior, Mia spoke with a frustrated look on her face.

“Is that okay?” -Alfina

Alfina looked up in surprise.

“…It’s against my will, but Alfina-sama needs to know about our company to a certain extent.” -Mia

Of course, I had also considered that. She is the lady of Leiria, if only in form, and the niece of Archduchess Berthold, with whom we will be deeply involved in the future.

“However, there are two conditions. Since the sexual harassment senpai is out of the question, I’ll take over guidance. What we can show you is ultimately the environment where Senpai is, the state of Vinder, but is that still okay?” -Mia

Mia looked straight at Alfina.

“Thank you very much. I look forward to working with you.” -Alfina

“Understood. And the other thing is…” -Mia

I braced myself, wondering what kind of abusive language would assault me next. However, Mia pointed at Alfina’s long skirt with a relieved expression.

“That outfit won’t do at all. Please change.” -Mia

With the words “Senpai, please admire the account books, not the girl,” the door closed. I had no choice but to engage in a staring contest with the account books in the next room. I don’t dislike following numbers, but when I think about what’s beyond the wall, the numbers slide over my eyes.

Just as I stubbornly buried my face in the account book, I heard the sound of the door opening.

“U-Um, Ricardo-kun. How is this?” -Alfina

I timidly lifted my face from the account book. There stood a perfectly ordinary beautiful girl. If I were to analyze it using modern Japanese knowledge, the answer would be a pure and innocent maid.

A simple dark gray dress that could be recognized as a merchant’s daughter at a glance. The skirt was a little shorter than before. On top of that, she wore a white apron dress. There was a small frill attached to the shoulder of the apron, but it was an extremely ordinary outfit. However, the combination of the contrasting outfit and the cute girl was against the rules.

Moreover, she was fidgeting with her skirt and worrying about her neckline. If she had been wearing this outfit when I hugged… I mean, supported her earlier, it might have been seriously dangerous.

“What’s the matter, Senpai?” -Mia

Mia grinned mischievously. She was aware of it and enjoying it. By the way, the one with the frill was the only one of these clothes. When we made it a little larger for Mia, who was supposed to be in a growth period, we added a frill on a whim. Incidentally, my father had sealed it away, saying it was absolutely forbidden. I now realized that my father was right, and it was a seal that should not be broken.

But wait, I’m not a child who would say something true like “You’re the story king” to the king. Truth can be cruel at times. The truth spoken by the weak is not just sometimes, but in most cases, cruel. For the speaker, that is.

“…It suits you very well.” -Ricardo

But in this case, flattery and true feelings were the same.

“I’m glad to hear that.” -Alfina

Even though it should be rude to say that commoner’s clothing “suits” her, Alfina smiled, holding her cheek.

The first semester had ended like a raging torrent, and I thought I might be able to take a breather during the summer vacation. But it seems that such hope is no longer within my reach.