Come to think of it… When he recruited me, His Majesty said something, yes. That “we will decide if something’s useful or not.” He may have meant to say that there aren’t many things in this world that are completely useless. Like how even I, a person whose only talent is for eating… was able to help this country somewhat…
Poncho was able to feel a little more confident in himself.
While Poncho and Ginger were having a lively conversation like that, Serina and Sandria looked on in exasperation from a short distance away. The two men didn’t so much as glance in their direction, having fun exchanging opinions about research. The two maids had no doubt they’d ceased to exist in the men’s minds.
While looking at her master, Sandria asked, “…Do you suppose all gentlemen are like this?”
“You might be right about that,” Serina said. “I’ve often seen the princess watching His Majesty anxiously like this. I feel like when His Majesty is applying himself to the work of governing, she must find it both reassuring and frustrating to watch him.”
“How is it for you, Serina?”
“Me?”
“Do you feel anxious and impatient right now?”
“Hm? My mistress is the princess,” Serina said without batting an eye. “It’s true that I am close to Sir Poncho, but I would never feel anxious and impatient because I saw him talking to someone.”
Sandria thought about it for a moment and then asked, “…Then, how would you feel if Lord Ginger were a woman? If it were a woman that Lord Poncho was having such a good time talking to right now, would you still not feel the least bit anxious about it?”
Having asked that, she stared hard at Serina.
In response to the question, Serina looked at Poncho and Ginger. What if, right now, Poncho were talking to a woman instead…?
Having pondered the question for a while, Serina finally opened her mouth to answer. “No matter who he was talking to, I don’t think I would think anything of it.”
“…You’re sure?”
“Yes…However, if Sir Poncho were to let that person do all of his taste-testing… well… I wouldn’t like that. Even if it were someone like a member of his family, or his wife, a person it was perfectly natural for him to be doing his cooking with… I might still be upset by it. Now, that is odd. I wonder, why would I feel that way?”
Judging by her expression, it seemed even Serina didn’t understand her own feelings. Sandria was a little surprised, but she didn’t ask anything more.
Even Serina herself wasn’t sure if her words just now had come solely from her gluttony. She placed her hand over her chest, which was filled with pent-up emotions.
When I get back to the castle, I will have to have him make me the toasted sandwich he promised. That will help dispel this hazy feeling, I’m sure.
Those were Serina’s thoughts.
Chapter 3: The Fiancées’ Bridal Course
One day in the 3rd month, 1,547th year, Continental Calendar
Hello, I’m the candidate to become Souma’s first primary queen, Liscia Elfrieden.
On this day with the end of winter drawing near, and the coming spring beginning to make itself felt, all of Souma’s fiancées were gathered in a certain room in Parnam Castle. I, Liscia was one of them. The rest were Aisha the kochiji, Juna the lorelei, and Roroa, the former princess of Amidonia.
There was no sign of Souma here, and even the maids who were always waiting in the corner of the room had been asked to leave today. On top of that… this room was weird. There was a blackboard, desks, and four desks and chairs. The desks were lined up in a row, making it look almost like one of the classrooms at the Officers’ Academy.
“Hey, Big Sister Cia?” Roroa asked. “What’d we all get called in here for today?”
“I couldn’t tell you,” I said. “If anyone here would know…”
I looked over at Juna. However, Juna only looked down and shook her head.
“I’m sorry. Lately, even I’m not sure what goes through that lady’s head.”
“If Madam Juna doesn’t know, then the rest of us don’t stand a chance of figuring it out.” Aisha rested her hands on the back of a chair, tilting her head to the side in puzzlement.
It was a fair assessment. That lady was completely unpredictable. Just what was she thinking this time?
Then the door to the room opened, and the one who had gathered us here arrived.
“I see everyone’s here.”
It was the blue-haired sea serpent beauty, Excel Walter.
In addition to being the commander-in-chief of the National Defense Force, she was a beautiful woman who looked to be around twenty-five. With her blue tresses, from which tiny horns sprouted, trailing behind her as she walked, she had always been a picturesque beauty. But this time, she was carrying something in her hands, too: two bundles that were as thick as dictionaries. One was wrapped in white, the other in black.
Excel left the bundles on the lectern, then pulled out and donned a pair of spectacles and a square academic cap. “Now then, let’s have you all take your seats.”
“U-Um… Grandmother?” Juna hesitantly raised her hand and asked.
“What is it?”
“Um… I thought you had good vision?”
“Oh, these spectacles? They’re just ordinary glass, not corrective lenses.”
“Then why are you wearing them?”
“It gets me in the mood.”
Her mood?! That was the issue?! Wait, what was she about to start?!
In the end, we were each ushered into our seats by Excel with no clue what was going on. From Excel’s perspective at the lectern, going from left to right, we were seated Aisha, Roroa, me, and Juna.
Excel started to write something on the blackboard. When I read it, it said:
“First Lecture — Bridal Training Course”
Yeah, I wasn’t even sure where to start.
For one thing, by “first,” did she mean there were going to be several of these gatherings?! What was a bridal training lecture even supposed to be?! Then Excel tapped lightly on the lectern.
“Now, all of you will be becoming Souma’s brides this year.”
““““…””””
We all got very quiet. We were ready for it, of course, and we even wanted it now, but having someone else point that fact out to us still felt a little embarrassing.
Excel told us, “Though some of you will be primaries and some of you secondaries, the fundamental nature of things will be the same for all of you. There is a husband and a wife, they build a household, eventually children are born, and they become a family. If the family is harmonious, then they will be happy; if it is not, they will become unhappy. The problem is that if there is discord in the royal family, that leads directly to discord within the kingdom. Princess Liscia.”
“Y-Yes!” I responded and stood up without meaning to. It was just like being back in officers’ school.
Excel gave me a serious look and asked, “Princess Liscia, you have no relatives outside of your father and mother, yes?”
“Uh… Yes. That’s what I’ve been told.”
“Why is that?”
“When my mother’s father… that is to say, the king before the last one died, there was a succession crisis, and nearly every member of the royal family but my mother was wiped out.”
“Yes. That was a painful time,” Excel said with a truly pained look on her face. “The three dukes and I distanced ourselves from that conflict. If our military forces had gotten involved, it would have turned into a civil war, after all. We were all desperate to keep our forces in check. Instead, there were bitter struggles within the royal house that set even the closest relatives against one another.”