Chapter 39 The Princess And Her Friends
Thanks to my victory, I was able to start a tea party with Princess Rifine without any issues.
...But, as expected, the princess didn't seem too satisfied.
"That's so unfair! That's cheating! We should have a fair fight!!"
Bam bam! The princess kept banging on the table, protesting.
I had said that we would have a proper tea party after my first win, but this was just us sitting across from each other, not really a tea party at all.
Well, I guess there's no helping it.
"Alright, how about we settle this with an arm wrestling match? The first one whose hand touches the table loses."
"Oh ho! Sounds good! There's no way you can win with those skinny arms of yours!"
With a smirk, the princess extended her arm.
...Skinny arms, huh? I think the princess is pretty strong herself.
Does she realize that? It seems like she's trying to boost her strength with some magic.
Fine, if that's how it is, I'll use my own tricks.
"Ready... Go!"
At the same time as the call, I activated my magic.
A gentle breeze brushed against the princess's ear, like a brushstroke.
As expected, she let out a cute little scream, "Fuhyaa!?" and her focus slipped from her arm.
In that moment, I quickly slammed down my hand.
"Alright, I win!"
"Wait a minute!! You used a sneaky trick again, didn't you!?"
"I didn't use any sneaky tricks! It was just a coincidence that the wind blew, right?"
"Knowing it was the wind means you're confessing to being the culprit!!"
The princess shouted with teary eyes, so cute.
I don't know, it just makes me want to tease her more.
But I think I should hold back a bit, so let's make this the last round.
"Okay, this time let's have a fair match. Arm wrestling, no magic from either side, just pure strength."
"Y-You really mean it, right...?"
"Of course."
The princess looked at me with suspicion as I smiled brightly.
You don't have to doubt me so much; I really will keep it fair this time.
No matter what... in a pure test of strength, there's no way I, who trains every day, could lose to a smaller, sheltered princess.
"Yes, it's my win."
"Why is this happening!!"
The princess shouts in disbelief at my easy victory.
Unfortunately, this is reality.
"You're strong, Princess, but you rely too much on magic. If you don't train your body properly, you won't be able to move when it really matters."
"Mugugu... are you saying you train?"
"Of course. I can lift your body like this."
"Whoa!?"
I approach the princess and lift her up.
Even though she's smaller than me, it's still a bit challenging, but as a member of the Granbell Family, I can manage this much.
"Do you understand now?"
"I-I get it, I get it, so put me down already!"
"Alright, alright, I got it."
I gently lower the blushing princess to the ground.
As she quickly steps away, I can't help but think she looks like a stray cat, and I take my seat at the table again.
"Now then, let's resume our tea party. I'll think about the two 'commands' for Princess Rifine next time."
"Wait, does that last match count!?"
"Well, I didn't retract it or anything. But first, let's fulfill the first promise properly. Now, please sit down."
When I urge her, the princess reluctantly takes her seat at the table.
However, she still seems somewhat unsatisfied.
"...Do you really dislike tea parties that much, Princess?"
"Of course! What's so fun about just drinking tea and chatting? Everyone talks about things I don't know..."
Fuming with anger, the princess spills her complaints.
Ah... just like the tomboy princess she is, she has no interest in the usual topics that noble ladies discuss.
Things like dress designs, love stories, or art must be incredibly boring for a princess who's still a bit childish.
It seems like she prefers fists over flowers, in a way.
In that sense, it feels a bit strange that a guy like me can keep up with the conversations of noble ladies... I mean, it's fine, though, right?
"What's wrong?"
"Uh, it's nothing."
I try to brush it off as the princess tilts her head in confusion, then I clap my hands and say, "Oh, right!".
"Then, how about we change things up a bit today and have a tea party that the princess can enjoy too? You like magic, right?"
"Huh? Well, I do like it."
"Then, how about this?"
I clap my hands and activate my magic.
I gather light in my open palm and create an illusion of a fairy.
"Whoa...!"
As expected, she seems interested in this kind of thing.
The princess's eyes sparkle.
But this is just the beginning.
The real highlight of my performance magic starts now.
"W-What!?"
The princess must realize that this fairy is an illusion of light at first glance.
That's why I made the fairy lift a cup.
Sure enough, the princess is so surprised that her mouth drops open.
"Here, enjoy."
The fairy carries the cup to the princess's mouth and makes her drink the tea.
The princess blinks in disbelief at what is clearly real.
When I bring the fairy closer to her face, I have it kiss her cheek.
I hear a clear "chu" sound of the kiss.
Naturally, she must have felt it too, as the princess covers her cheek in shock.
"This is Performance Magic, (Servant Pixie). How was it?"
"N-No... no way, how did you do that!? It looked just like an illusion magic, but how!?"
"Hehe, do you want to know? I don't mind, but there's just one condition."
"C-Condition? What is it?"
The princess looks at me with a nervous gaze, swallowing hard.
Her expression is oddly amusing, and I can't help but laugh.
"It's nothing serious. Just become my friend."
Since Prince Sigurt asked me to, I figured I might as well get to know this princess really well and help her shake off that wild princess reputation.
When I suggested it, the princess looked at me wide-eyed, confused.
"F-Friends? With me?"
"Yeah, did you not want that?"
"N-No, that's not it! ...R-Really, is that okay? You won't back out later, right?"
"Of course. I want to be friends with you, Princess."
As I smiled and said that, the princess's expression brightened up.
"...!! F-Fine then! If you insist, I'll accept you as my friend! It's not something I do often, so be grateful!"
"Yes, I'm honored, Princess."
When I said that, the princess pouted her lips.
What's up with that?
"Don't call me 'Princess,' call me 'Rifine!' We're friends, right!?"
Looks like she didn't like how I addressed her.
I thought it was really cute, so I corrected myself.
"Sure, Lady Rifine. I'll be in the royal capital for a while starting today, so I look forward to spending time with you."
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