“If our two countries support one another, I believe we can face any situation,” I said.
“Yes. May our pact last forever.”
If her eyes were always focused on her high ideals, she could very well trip over the stones in her path.
Though, if I was always focused on the realistic details on the ground, I might lose sight of our goal.
That was why we had to walk together.
We each looked at the screen and nodded to one another.
Elfrieden Historical Idiom Lessons: Number 5
To Use Shrimp as Bait to Catch Sea Bream, but Instead Catch a Shark
Type: Idiomatic Expression
Meaning: (1) To attempt to achieve great results with minimal effort, only to be disappointed by an unexpected outcome. (2) When something that was initially thought to be a disappointment turns out to have a surprising upside. (From the fact that, even though shark meat does not taste very good, their fins are highly valuable.)
Origin: These words were spoken by Great King Souma, who had tried to annex just Van, the capital of the Principality of Amidonia, and was disappointed when the rest of that impoverished country came with it. In the case of (2), the shark fin would be Princess Roroa.
Synonyms: “Counting your tanuki before they’re caught,” “A jewel in a dunghill”
Chapter 3: An Unusual Slave Trader
— 30th day, 11th month, 1,546th year, Continental Calendar — Royal Capital Parnam
With the confusion caused by the annexation of Amidonia having settled, the people had regained their calm.
It was fully winter now, and on this morning I was finding it harder to leave the warmth of bed. When I woke to the sound of a door hurriedly being shut, I began to stir, my mind still only half-awake.
Brr… I’m cold. Also, my head feels heavy. Did I catch something? I ought to get more blankets for this simple bed in the governmental affairs office. I’ll ask the maids about it later.
While I was thinking that, I turned over and something soft touched my forehead.
“Ahn,” said a strangely amorous voice.
…Something strange was going on.
As my head cleared, I came to understand my current situation. First, my head was in a lock. It seemed someone was holding it tight. Was this why it had felt heavy to me? Well, at least it wasn’t a cold…
Wait, that wasn’t the problem here! My forehead was pressed up against this person’s bosom. If it was slightly soft, that meant…
“Whoa, what?!”
I hurriedly broke free of the person’s hold.
There, before my eyes, was Roroa with a pleased look on her sleeping face. She was drooling a little, but I pretended not to notice that part.
Huh? What? This situation… Why is Roroa sleeping next to me?!
This room… It was definitely the governmental affairs office. I was in my simple bed, no doubt about that. So, why was I sharing it with Roroa? She was… wearing clothes, at least.
Actually, neither of us were in our nightclothes; we were both dressed in regular clothes.
Huh? What on Earth happened last night? I wracked my brains, trying to recall what had happened yesterday…
“Souma? What, pray tell, are you doing?” I heard a cold voice from above me.
I turned my head slowly, with a creaking sound like a robot that’s run out of oil, and there stood Liscia with a smile that gave off a terrifying aura like a hannya mask. Behind her was Aisha, who was in tears for some reason.
“Oh… morning, Liscia, Aisha,” I murmured.
“Don’t you ‘morning’ me!” Liscia shouted, pulling the covers off me.
Roroa curled up into the fetal position, looking cold, but she still didn’t wake up.
Liscia put her hand on her hip and asked, “What is the meaning of this?! Aisha rushed into my room in tears, and when I asked her what was wrong, she said, ‘I went to rouse His Majesty, and I found him sleeping with Roroa!’”
“Why would you lay your hands on Roroa before the princess or me?! I can’t accept it!” Aisha shouted through her tears.
Um, please, don’t say that so loudly, I silently pleaded. If the workers in the castle overheard, they’d talk about how I was “caught in the act”!
“Calm down, Aisha! Roroa and I are both wearing clothes, right? I’m pretty sure whatever you two are imaging didn’t happen… I think.”
“Why can you not be more certain?!” Aisha shouted.
“Well, I don’t remember what happened before I went to sleep,” I said. “Why are we together in the same bed with our clothes on, anyway?”
“What really happened?” Liscia demanded. “Why don’t you try to remember what you did last night?”
Following Liscia’s suggestion, I went through the events of last night in my head.
I recalled having done some work to sort things out after the annexation of Amidonia, in order to adjust the taxation scheme (the Principality of Amidonia had a lower population than the kingdom, and to compensate, the individual tax burden was higher). I had summoned Roroa, Colbert, and bureaucrats from the finance ministries of both countries for meetings that had lasted late into the night.
Those talks had been going on since the day before yesterday, and we had already pulled one all-nighter on them. We had been taking breaks as we went along.
In the end, by the time we’d come up with an overall plan, the day had changed, and it was around 3:00 in the morning today. Everyone had been pretty out of it then.
Colbert and the bureaucrats had shambled out of the room like zombies, while I had taken a dive into the simple bed set up in the office with my clothes still on… and fallen asleep, probably. Some time had passed between then and now. Perhaps Roroa had slept here rather than return to her own room.
I shook Roroa’s shoulder as she continued to greedily indulge in more sleep.
“Hey, Roroa. Get up.”
“Hm… What’s up? Darlin’… I’m still sleepy.” Roroa rubbed her eyes as she sat up in bed.
“No, not ‘What’s up?’” I demanded. “Why are you sleeping here?”
“Cut a gal some slack,” she said. “I was downright exhausted after all the meetin’ yesterday. I didn’t have the energy for draggin’ myself back to my own room, so I joined you in bed, Darlin’.” Roroa stretched, then stood up from the bed on unsteady legs. She was still groggy and couldn’t see straight. “It’s no good. I’m still tired. Gonna go back to sleep in my own room.”
“Yeesh…” Liscia said, with an air of one who’s washed her hands of the whole situation. “Aisha, please, would you carry this girl back to her room?”
Aisha snapped to attention out of her daze. “Yes! At once, princess!”
“Also, haven’t I told you not to call me ‘princess’?”
“U-Understood. Pri… Lady Liscia.”
Now that Aisha had become the second candidate to become a primary queen and their positions were close, Liscia had started telling Aisha not to address her as princess, but to use her name instead. Aisha was still getting it wrong, though.
Aisha supported the groggy, staggering Roroa and led her out of the governmental affairs office.
Having watched the two of them go, I hesitantly looked to Liscia.
“Um… That’s how it is, so could I perhaps ask for your forgiveness this time?” For some reason, I sounded like a man making excuses after he was caught cheating, but this is what it means to live as a man.