Refuse Harem
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Prius
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 196 – Sophie Linier’s Dream ―The Given Words― V
Author Note:
Sorry, I wanted to write more, but I ran out of ideas ( ;∀;)
Okay, now that it has already come to this, might as well continue till the end!
Sophie didn’t interrupt Remiel’s story and was determined to listen to it until the end.
“Hahaue had been unusually particular about aniue succeeding the throne since long ago.”
It was so thorough that every single thing that Ferio possessed had been highlighted so that everyone would think he was worthy to be the first prince. Second Prince Remiel had always given something inferior to show the clear difference.
“Once upon a time, aniue wanted the same richu set as mine.”
Remiel pointed to the board and pieces in front of him and said, “It’s this set.”
The parts other than the squares had plants carved on them, and the pieces made from processed wood were well-polished, showing the great skill of its craftsman. However, something like that was something easy to obtain for aristocrats.
Even Sophie could easily acquire as much as she wanted using her personal property, and if someone like Lars asked for one from his father, it would be delivered to the academy for him by the next day.
“Aniue had the glass richu set that was handed down to the first heir of the throne for generations, but he preferred something more mundane than what he had.”
Perhaps the reason Ferio asked it was because he wanted the same thing as his little brother?
Or perhaps the glass set was of too high quality that he couldn’t enjoy the game comfortably?
…No, I’m sure he asked because if he got the same thing as Remiel, it would show the queen loved him as much as her actual son. I’m sure of it.
What Ferio really wanted wasn’t the richu set, but the heart of the queen.
However, that wish didn’t come true.
“No matter how much aniue begged hahaue, she wouldn’t give him the same thing as me… there was a time I tried to pass this set to aniue, but hahaue knocked it over.”
The queen also yelled that it wasn’t worthy for the next king.
Remiel said that was the first time the queen spoke with a rough voice.
From then on, Ferio had given up on wanting anything from her.
“From the perspective of people around, hahaue’s behavior was seen as correct and splendid, but from my perspective, that’s just out of obsession. Not to aniue, but to Consort Floria――”
Remiel picked up the white queen from the board and moved it next to the black queen.
The two pieces next to each other seemed to hint at something.
“During their days in the girl’s academy, Consort Floria was devoted to hahaue, but from hahaue’s perspective, she merely gained one more follower. But a few years later, their positions reversed… No, I guess it’s weird to put it like that. The consort’s devotion to hahaue didn’t change, after all. What changed was hahaue’s dependence on Consort Floria.”
“Dependence…?”
“Consort Floria’s sincerity, which had nothing to do with eloquence, must have resonated with hahaue’s ice-like heart.”
She gave a gentle smile that exuded the goodness of a person. She also gave pure respect.
And above all, a person that could make someone think “This person alone would definitely never betray me no matter what” was something practically unattainable within the royal court.
In the midst of this, Floria, who became the maid of honor for the princess, had been approached by many men with proposals for marriage.
As she was also pushed to marry by her parents before the flower finished blooming, she consulted the queen about this.
“Since chichiue also liked Consort Floria, hahaue didn’t recommend she marry him, but to become his concubine instead.”
“…Hey, it’s not like I’m a woman who is sensitive about the subtleties of a woman’s emotion, but is it okay to decide on a concubine that way?”
Due to Sophie’s previous life memories of being raised in modern Japan, she couldn’t quite understand the feelings of the queen recommending someone as a concubine.
When Sophie timidly asked about that, Remiel spoke calmly.
“Hahaue only sees chichiue as a ‘king’.”
Be a vassal who serves the king as his queen, not as his wife.
That was the concept she had cultivated in her education as a queen since she was young.
“That person lacks subjectivity after all.”
As Remiel declared so, Sophie tilted her head.
“She doesn’t have subjectivity? But isn’t Her Majesty the Queen known as the person who supports the rights of women?”
Until a long time ago, women weren’t even allowed to ride horses, and even when they had to, they must be in dresses and sit sideways. It was said it was thanks to the queen that such a view was improved, such was what Lilina told Sophie back in the girls’ academy.
In a male-dominated society, it must have been difficult for the queen to raise calls for changes to women’s rights. It was hard to believe the woman who made that happen was someone that lacked subjectivity.
However, Remiel turned his amethyst-like eyes that lost their luster toward Sophie and said,
“She certainly established her view as a queen. But it was only as a ‘queen.’ She lacks personal feelings. She is a person who believes everything is correct as long as it’s within the rules of the royal court after all.”
Be it her recommending Floria to be a concubine, or making the gap between Ferio’s possessions with Remiel’s, all were based on her standard and status as a “queen.”
“It wasn’t like Consort Floria consulted a matter of marriage proposals to hahaue because she wanted to become a concubine. She just wanted hahaue’s advice in that matter…”
Reject the marriage proposals and stay by her side――――
If the queen said that, Floria would have resolved to stay unmarried and stay by the queen’s side for the rest of her life.
“You seem to understand the queen’s feelings toward Floria-sama to a disgusting degree, but did you hear that directly from her?”
“There’s no way that person would tell something like that to another person. I just read the Consort Floria’s diary.”
“Eh… diary?”
When a diary was mentioned, Sophie recalled her letters to Tenma she wrote in her diary and thought, “What if they were read by others?”
Did this man have a hobby of reading other people’s diaries?
“That’s a terrible taste you have there!”
“I’ll admit that much.”
“If she found out you read it, won’t the queen be furious with you? I don’t want to be dragged into that!”
“Hahaue had no idea of the diary’s existence. It’s something I found on my own.”
“On your own… eh, how?”
“When I was six years old, I took a chance to take out the items that were hidden in Consort Floria’s clothing box that hahaue kept. Since I was an infant, I was always curious why the box’s height didn’t match the box’s content depth.”
“Infant?! You have memories of when you were an infant?!”
“You don’t?”
“You normally won’t have it!”
Being told of what was considered obvious by someone with photographic memory made Sophie sigh.
Moreover, doesn’t this man have great spacial awareness?
Perhaps that was likely how he discovered the secret door within the library.
Why did God grant two talents to a man like this…?
Sophie couldn’t help but want to click her tongue.
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