“I’m exhausted…”
Mia collapsed onto the table in the lounge space and let out a sigh.
Kousuke watched her with a wry smile before placing his right hand on her head.
“Thank you for your hard work. …So? How did it go?”
“I wasn’t looking at it from a personal perspective, but only from the viewpoint of the King’s little sister, so there was no result to speak of.”
Mia stated this firmly, and Kousuke simply replied, “I see.”
Just a moment ago, Mia had been attending the evening party hosted by Towa.
The evening party, however, was not one where current influential figures gathered for various exchanges, but rather one for the younger generation.
In short, it was something like a marriage interview party held inside the castle.
This was not the first time such an event had been held; it had happened several times before.
However, this was Mia’s first participation, so the number of participants had swelled to an unprecedented level.
Since most of the participants were there for Mia, she had no choice but to converse with many people, leaving her in a groggily state.
Furthermore, the reason Mia was exhausted was not solely due to the sheer number of people.
As Mia had just told Kousuke, everyone she met wanted to take advantage of her position as the King’s sister, and not a single person looked at Mia as an individual.
Mia, having been raised as a princess, was well aware of this, but even so, dealing with such people was exhausting.
“While I can overlook the usual flattering phrases like ‘You’re beautiful,’ or ‘You’re stunning,’ how can they bring up my older brother as a reference!”
As Mia continued to complain, getting angrier by the minute, Kousuke thought that this would likely continue for a while.
Since she had been caught, he intended to listen to her complaints until the end, but it was inevitable that he would resent Floria for making a hasty retreat.
The marriage interview party hosted by Towa could, in a way, be considered an official event.
Mia, who had been barred from public appearances due to a previous incident, was able to attend this party because her “guilt” from that time had been officially forgiven.
Initially, Mia had been granted a general pardon related to Towa’s marriage, but she had been observing the situation rather than appearing in public immediately.
The marriage interview party, about which Mia was now complaining so enthusiastically, was chosen as that first opportunity.
It was unavoidable that various people would flock to Mia, who had reappeared in public after a long time, seeking to leverage her royal status.
However, this did not mean that Mia, who had to deal with them, felt nothing.
As a result, Kousuke ended up listening to Mia’s complaints.
Just as Mia’s complaints were running out, and the atmosphere was about to shift to a more relaxed mood.
As if timing it perfectly, Towa appeared in the lounge space.
Towa, who should have been busy, appearing here could only have one purpose.
“Hello. Mia, how was it?”
Towa’s question caused Mia’s mood, which had just started to recover, to plummet again.
“Doesn’t the result speak for itself without me having to tell you?”
“Hahaha. Well, I can somewhat tell from your expression.”
Towa laughed and brushed off Mia’s fierce gaze.
His ability to deflect like this was indeed befitting of an older brother.
Mia let out a sigh, having been so easily brushed off. Too tired to complain further, she decided to give Towa the information he was seeking.
“For starters, there were about three people whose ambition was so strong that I thought they wouldn’t work out. Would you like to hear about them?”
“Please do.”
Towa leaned forward, nodding at Mia’s words.
He had invited them to the party with the desire that his dear sister Mia would find a suitable partner. That was precisely why people like those Mia mentioned were also in attendance.
It would be best if there were no such individuals, but it was impossible to have none in the world where Towa existed.
Afterward, Towa nodded several times with a satisfied expression at the names of the three people Mia had mentioned.
“…I see. Those three, huh? That was quite useful information.”
“I’m glad to hear that. If possible, next time, please gather the information without sacrificing me as a scapegoat.”
“Oh? ‘Scapegoat’ is quite a strong word. I invited them because I wanted my dear sister to find a partner soon.”
Mia let out an exaggerated sigh towards Towa, who shrugged his shoulders.
“…If possible, I’d prefer if you said those words without smiling.”
While Towa’s tone and demeanor were completely serious, only his eyes held a smile.
However, this was a subtle change that could only be noticed by someone close to him.
“Oh? My apologies.”
Towa widened his eyes exaggeratedly and then bowed his head to Mia, also with exaggerated movements.
Normally, such an exchange could escalate into worsening their relationship, but since both understood it as a joke, Kousuke, watching from the side, chuckled at their familiar banter.
“Don’t you two think you should stop bickering?”
“Father, I don’t think I was bickering.”
Mia puffed out her cheeks and complained, but Kousuke saw that she had no real force behind her words.
“If you showed that attitude to the party participants, I feel like you’d attract any number of good people.”
“…Father, what do you mean by that?”
Mia placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head, surprised by Kousuke’s unintended words.
Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes held no mirth.
Realizing he had said too much, Kousuke chuckled and quickly stood up.
“Well, I think you’ll understand more if you ask Towa about the details. For now, I’ll be going.”
Mia let out a big sigh as Kousuke waved his right hand and left.
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As if to replace Kousuke, Floria entered the lounge space.
“Hmm? What, did Kousuke do something again?”
Upon seeing Mia’s face, Floria instantly sensed that something had happened, which was indeed impressive.
“Sigh… I envy Mother.”
“What is it, suddenly?”
Mia’s unexpected words made Floria widen her eyes.
“How can I meet someone like Father?”
“Ah… so that’s what it is.”
Mia said this with a tone of genuine envy, and Floria nodded in understanding, crossing her arms.
Floria tilted her head for a while in that posture, then shook her head from side to side as if giving up.
“…No good. I thought I might have some good advice, but I can’t come up with anything.”
After all, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Kousuke and Floria were brought together by the guidance of the gods.
If you consider just that aspect, it could be called a fated encounter, but in reality, it wasn’t that romantic.
Kousuke aside, Floria had looked down on him, so her first impression could be considered the worst.
Of course, that bad impression was shattered in an instant by the existence of Mitsuki.
In any case, whether Floria’s own experience could be of help to Mia now was rather questionable.
And Mia, who had asked the question, did not expect an answer from Floria, so she simply replied, “Is that so?” with a casual attitude and did not inquire further.
Mia’s position has been restored.
Mainly due to Towa’s convenience lol
Will spring ever come for Mia!?
(The author doesn’t know either)
