How to Survive as a Princess in a Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 34
“Um…… It would’ve been nice if you had given us a heads-up too. I won’t lie, it stings a little.”
“Reno.”
“No matter how much Duke Yelpen is Your Highness’s fiancé, we’re still your guardians. You could’ve trusted us just as much as him.”
“Enough, Reno Harsen.”
“Well, pretending like nothing’s wrong won’t change things, will it? I mean, even now, Your Highness is still keeping an eye on us.”
“…….”
“And Isaac, don’t think I didn’t notice you feeling a little hurt, too.”
Reno nudged Isaac with his elbow, trying to lighten the mood.
‘So it was obvious after all.’
Of course, it would’ve been strange if they hadn’t noticed. Even though I knew I’d been acting too self-conscious, and now seemed like the perfect moment to clear the air.
“I’m sorry. I was too caught off guard to tell you.”
“…….”
“I hadn’t planned on telling Killis either…… but when he started questioning me about skipping lessons, I just blurted it out without thinking.”
“Right. Duke Yelpen can be intimidating when he interrogates someone. He’s similar to Isaac in that way, but a little different too. Both of them have a way of making people feel small and self-conscious.”
“It’s not quite that bad…… but anyway, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Honestly, I was lying about feeling hurt.”
“Huh?”
“It was our fault for not noticing sooner. I did think something was off, but I didn’t realize it was this serious. I apologize for any confusion it caused you.”
“Oh…… no, it’s fine. Actually, I—”
“No, it’s on us. We failed to earn Your Highness’s trust.”
Isaac was the one who said that last part. Though I was comfortable around Reno, it was always harder to face Isaac, and his words left me speechless. I could only open and close my mouth, not knowing what to say, until Reno, smiling brightly, chimed in.
“You heard him, right? It’s our fault for not gaining Your Highness’s trust, so no need to feel bad. We’ll work harder to be better from now on. Even if we hadn’t overheard your conversation with Duke Yelpen today, if we had done our job right, you would’ve told us eventually, wouldn’t you?”
“Uh, yeah.”
I nodded, almost instinctively.
Was I really planning to tell them later? Of course not, I thought. They were only being kind to me because they believed I was Nepheli.
‘Especially Isaac…….’
He barely had any affection for me, and his loyalty was the only thing keeping him by my side.
‘If he finds out I’m not really Nepheli, he’ll be the first to try and kill me.’
That’s why I couldn’t let them find out, and I definitely couldn’t be the one to confess the truth. There would be no reason to, anyway.
‘After all, I just need to finish the quests and return home.’
Recalling the warning from the message window reminding me to be cautious so no one around me became suspicious, I tried my best to conceal my true intentions.
Thankfully, the tension in the air gradually faded, likely because my excuse seemed believable enough. Just before we entered the Princess’s Palace, Reno turned to bid me farewell.
“Well, I’ll be heading back now. I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”
“The day after tomorrow? Ah, right, you mentioned you all take turns every two days.”
To my words, Reno said “Yes, you remember well.” and bowed his head.
“May the light of Lublin be with you.”
He turned and strode away, his cape fluttering with each step, and I quickly lowered my gaze.
It wasn’t unpleasant to look at—in fact, it was quite the opposite—but I was too embarrassed to keep staring directly.
I really couldn’t understand why they wore uniforms like that. They normally wore different uniforms, but since they all showed up to the banquet in them, it seemed like something they only wore occasionally.
I glanced sideways at Isaac, who stood beside me.
“Um, Isaac?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Aren’t you going back with Reno? I heard this was the last event on today’s schedule. And the guarding doesn’t start until tomorrow, right?”
“That’s correct, but there is something I wish to ask Your Highness.”
“What…… Do you want to ask?”
Why would he ask me something only after Reno had left?
Especially Isaac—he was always hard to deal with, which made me even more nervous.
“I overheard Duke Yelpen mention that Your Highness may have lost your memory due to frequent mana surges.”
Was he suspicious of me after all?
I tried my best not to show it. Even if he was suspicious, there wouldn’t be much he could do if I just stuck to my story. As long as I was careful moving forward, everything should be fine.
I was bracing myself mentally when Isaac spoke again.
“I believe it would be best to shorten the interval in which Your Highness provides mana. I wanted to hear Your Highness’s thoughts on this.”
“When was it done originally?”
“Usually, it was once a week. However, when Your Highness experienced your monthly cycle earlier than expected, you would often delay the process, sometimes reaching your limit.”
“What does that have to do with a monthly cycle…… Oh.”
It hit me what Isaac was referring to. Giving mana to a Guardian meant forming a physical connection with them.
It was something I’d seen written in the numerous warning messages and something Killis had also explained to me, yet I’d forgotten.
Maybe it was because Isaac spoke so calmly and without any sign of awkwardness?
Even though it was an embarrassing topic, for some reason, it didn’t feel awkward. His demeanor made me feel bold enough to ask more directly.
“Um, I don’t quite understand. Why did it become dangerous after delaying it? Wouldn’t it have been fine to do it before your monthly cycle? Or couldn’t you have taken some contraceptives instead……?”
I wondered if contraceptives worked differently in this world. Or perhaps Nepheli was unable to accept the medication?
“I’m not sure why Your Highness is mentioning contraceptives, but Guardians have a magic inscribed on their bodies that prevents pregnancy.”
