Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Author Note:
A chapter on Kurt and Cedric.
Thank you for the typo reports as always.
Chapter 059 – Fufufu, Son. It’s Time to Help Them Out [A]
“Alfin, Elise, and…… Kurt. What do you mean by ‘civil war’?”
“Your Highness Cedric……”
“Mildine? Also…… err, who are you?”
When Rean and Musse returned to the guest room, the tension was rife.
Musse muttered the identity of the boy who had just entered the room, so Rean was able to guess his name.
It was Alfin’s younger twin brother and the second imperial prince of the Erebonia Empire, Cedric Reise Arnor.
Rean guessed that Cedric had probably heard from a servant or someone that his sister had invited Kurt to a tea party and thus came over.
But at an unfortunate moment, he overheard someone blurting out something about the civil war.
“Your Highness, the remark spoken just now was——”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness Cedric. My name is Rean Schwarzer, the eldest son of Baron Schwarzer who is in charge of the Ymir territory. Having accepted the invitation from Her Highness Alfin, I, together with Your Highness’ friend Kurt Vander, have come to visit.”
As if to interrupt Kurt’s words, Rean gave his greetings to Cedric.
Rean didn’t miss the fact that Cedric’s face briefly looked happy when he heard Rean refer to Kurt as his friend.
Realizing that the stranger was Kurt’s acquaintance, Cedric accepted his greeting while feeling taken aback by Rean’s apparent lack of consideration of the atmosphere.
“N-Nice to meet you…… Schwarzer-san. Speaking of Schwarzer, does that mean you’re Elise’s……”
“I am her adoptive brother. Elise, how is the Princess feeling?”
“Y-Yes. The Princess is……”
“I…… am alright, Rean-san.”
Alfin took a breather, drinking the water she received from Elise.
Musse’s expression seemed to suggest that Rean shouldn’t have asked at all.
“Musse.”
Rean sent her a small message.
Musse reflexively looked up at the sound of Rean’s voice.
“I’ll take care of the rest. Musse, you should look after the Princess, your worried friend.”
Rean motioned for Musse to sit on the sofa and called out to Cedric.
Musse seemed to mutter something softly, but Rean couldn’t hear it.
“Your Highness, you shouldn’t stay standing as we talk, so why don’t you sit down for now?”
“Rean-san!”
As Rean was clearly trying to explain the details of the situation to Cedric, Kurt approached Rean with a rough tone.
The one who was surprised by Kurt’s behavior was none other than Cedric.
Kurt grabbed the collar of Rean’s uniform and exuded anger, but Rean responded to all of his actions calmly.
“Kurt, it’s impossible to divert the topic now it has come to this point. Since Princess has heard of the story, it’s not right to leave Prince Cedric out of it, right? Besides, it’s not up to you to decide what His Highness will do.”
“Guh…… Kuh…… But, even so.”
As he spoke, Rean removed Kurt’s hands from around his collar.
Kurt felt a sense of despair that his own physical strength was so easily overcome, but even more than that, the gaze Cedric revealed held a sense of impatience.
Kurt slowly turned around and his eyes met Cedric.
They didn’t say a word to each other.
Rean pushed the two’s back.
“——But you can express it with words.”
“What do you mean……?”
“If you are really concerned about His Highness’ safety, then you should just say so. How His Highness feels about what you say is up to him.”
Rean slapped the stunned Kurt’s back.
Kurt’s feet slightly stumbled as he was pushed forward in front of Cedric.
“Your Highness……”
“Kurt…… what exactly are you guys talking about?”
Cedric would likely remain confused and unable to grasp the situation.
Even so, with Kurt, the person close to him by his side, he asked for an explanation.
In response to Cedric’s question, Kurt just bowed his head and was unable to say anything.
At that moment, Rean came to their aid.
“Your Highness. Please consider that finding out what we were talking about might make you not in good condition like your elder sister did. If you would still like to know despite that——”
“No!”
Kurt cut off the words Rean was about to say.
Cedric flinched at the loud voice shouted in front of him, but Kurt continued regardless.
“It’s something Your Highness doesn’t need to know……”
“Why?”
“Because if His Highness finds out, he will feel troubled……”
“His Highness asked for the reason. He wants an explanation, you know?’
“But, it is, my, Vander’s, duty, to keep those things, out of His Highness’ eyes.”
Even so, Kurt haltingly explained the reason why he kept Cedric away from it.
Emotions overflowed like waves, and it wouldn’t be surprising if those trapped emotions burst out at any moment.
With that in mind, Rean drew some words out of Kurt then turned his attention to Cedric.
Cedric, shaken by the sight of the current Kurt, which he had never seen before, he noticed Rean looking at him.
“Your Highness, although the details are unclear, Kurt is worried about Your Highness and is trying to distance you from the matter…… even taking those feelings into consideration, do you still wish to know?”
Cedric just looked back and forth between Kurt and Alfin after hearing Rean’s words, unsure what to say.
——How much time has passed?
Cedric muttered, as if squeezing the words out.
“If…… just if, I were to nod then, what would happen?”
“Nothing in particular. Until the day the question is answered, Your Highness will simply have to continue living your normal life as usual.”
“Until all that suddenly crumbles.” Cedric gasped at those words.
Kurt turned around and approached Rean again.
“That’s a cowardly way to put it! After being told that and with the Princess in such a state, there’s no way the kind Prince would back down!”
“Even though you know that much about His Highness, it is none other than yourself who tried to distance him away from the matter, Kurt.”
“!”
There was rage in Kurt’s eyes.
Like a fuse on the verge of exploding, Kurt felt such heated emotions that a single straw on the camel’s back would propel him to draw his sword, even though they were in the presence of royalty.
Perhaps sensing that heated emotion, the only one in the world who could stop the current Kurt made his move.
“It’s okay, Kurt. I’m glad that you’re that worried about me.”
“Your Highness……”
Kurt weakly turned to Cedric.
Cedric replied in a husky voice.
“I can’t bear seeing Kurt and Alfin spending your days worrying like that. That’s why…… I want you to tell me. There may not be anything I can do, but at the very least, if it can help Kurt not make that expression…… I want to know.”
Strangely enough, it was similar to what Alfin had said to Kurt.
Stepping up for a friend was a noble emotion that may seem ordinary but was in actuality, difficult to put into practice.
In front of Cedric, who seemed to express such feelings, Kurt wavered.
Rean patted Kurt on the back.
“Are you still against it?”
“…………………No, I’m not.”
It seemed Kurt still wasn’t convinced.
But even so, that was when Kurt decided to respect Cedric’s wishes.
“So, what exactly happened……?”
“Cedric, I’ll tell you about it.”
Alfin, who had been watching the exchange, interjected.
With Elise and Musse’s care, Alfin had regained her composure and there was no sign of agitation in her eyes.
Cedric nodded and sat on the sofa opposite of Alfin, with Rean and Kurt sitting on either side of him.
From there, Alfin spoke of the conflict between the “Noble Faction” and the “Reformist Faction” that Rean and Musse had revealed, and her warning of the civil war that lay ahead.
Cedric, who had learnt of the same information as Alfin, turned pale and bowed his head.
To comfort them, Rean told them some information about their elder brother.
“Fortunately, Prince Olivert and the Regular Army are aware of this information. Therefore, they are prepared to take measures against it, so they aren’t completely unprepared.”
“I see, so brother……”
With the name of their respected elder brother mentioned, smiles finally returned to the faces of the royal siblings.
Rean understood that the eldest prince was someone who could be considered their spiritual support.
“Rean-san, did you come to the capital at my brother’s request?”
“……There’s no doubt that His Highness has made a request, but this is more of an indirect matter.”
“Indirect matter?”
“There was a theft incident at the military academy. There is a possibility that the culprit is the same person who has been causing trouble in the Imperial Capital recently, so Prince Olivert has sent me here.”
According to Musse’s speculation, this will eventually lead to a civil war.
Rean wanted to say he had been able to reach that conclusion thanks to Musse, but he refrained, because he knew he couldn’t put her in the spotlight.
If one looked at the action alone, Rean would appear as someone who claimed Musse’s achievement as his own, but it was none other than Musse herself who didn’t wish for her action to be discovered, so it couldn’t be helped.
When Rean bowed his head to Musse with that intention in mind, it seemed she realized his intentions and gave a faint smile…… For some reason, Elise’s eyes narrowed in response.
“I see, my brother made such a request…… Even though you’re still a student, Rean-san is incredible.”
Cedric’s voice was filled with admiration towards Rean.
Next to him, Kurt’s eyes shot up. Rean could tell that Kurt still harbored anger towards him.
“I wonder if someday I too, can become a man my brother could entrust something with……”
Feeling this admiration for Olivert, Rean suddenly got an idea.
So he asked Osbon about Cedric.
…………Dad, do you know much about His Highness?
[“Fufufu, son. Are you going to make your move?”]
Just answer me, do you?
[“Of course. He——”]
After hearing the general information, Rean winked at Elise. His adoptive sister had been puffing up a little from his earlier exchange with Musse, but now she had a serious expression.
Rean put his finger over his mouth, signaling that she shouldn’t interfere. Elise blinked slightly, but then slowly nodded. Then Rean put his idea into action.
“Although not directly, there is a way to make that wish come true.”
“Eh?”
“Your Highness, if you don’t mind, could you please cooperate? I wouldn’t go as far as asking you to apprehend the culprit, but this is a case that is troubling Prince Olivert. I hope that Your Highness can help solve……”
“What are you talking about!”
Kurt instantly interjected.
Just explaining the situation to Cedric was already dangerous enough, and it was clear that Kurt didn’t want Cedric to be dragged into it deeper.
Rean ignored that and continued.
“The cooperation I am asking for is a guide to lead the way. Even if there are many troops of Regular Army patrolling, they may be able to overlook us to a certain extent if Your Highness is with us.”
“But still!”
This is it, Rean thought as he told Kurt the cruel truth.
“I will serve as your escort in the meantime. If I, who is stronger than Kurt, does this job, there will be no issue to His Highness’ safety, and Kurt will also feel safe, right? If one wishes for a sword of guardian, it’s only natural to choose a stronger blade.”
Rean declared, deliberately in a provocative manner.
Even Alfin and Musse were shocked by his unexpected words and tried to interject, but Elise held them down and stopped them from speaking.
While thanking Elise in his heart, Rean approached the men with such force he wouldn’t accept refusal.
“What do you think, Your Highness? Could you please cooperate with Prince Olivert’s request? I will inform Prince Olivert myself, so could you just please cooperate with me for a day tomorrow?”
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