Chapter 159: Conscription Notice
Quite a blatant request.
There was a moment of silence between them, yet the meeting didn’t go awry.
Wasn’t it just a simple favor?
Shiron thought so, and Victor didn’t think Shiron had belittled him by making such a reckless statement.
“What are you thinking?”
Victor simply wanted to understand his friend’s intentions. If it was merely about not wanting to respond to the draft, seeking asylum in a neighboring country, or stubbornly refusing would suffice. Shiron had the capability to do so, and Victor believed he also had the right to demand it.
It’s common for children of the upper class to use tricks to avoid military service or to be transferred to relatively comfortable positions. Shiron’s request might have had the same purpose, but Victor didn’t believe his long-time friend came to him for such a simplistic reason.
Shiron tilted his head at Victor, who seemed hard to convince.
“What do you mean, ‘what am I thinking?’”
“Are you really asking if that’s all there is to it?”
“Are you saying you don’t want to listen?”
“Of course not. It’s not difficult for me to be flexible on this matter, but...”
“Not difficult, but what?”
Victor leaned forward a bit in response to the probing question.
“Is there something more you want?”
And he crossed his legs, smiling with his eyes. If asked why he was acting this way... he couldn’t answer properly. Without thinking, she didn’t like the current situation.
Shiron Prient. A childhood friend he’s known for a long time. But that’s all there was to it. Even though she’s facing Shiron right now, she’s not satisfied. She felt a burning desire to make Shiron hers right away.
‘What should I give? Or what should I do?’
No, to make Shiron Prient hers, she shouldn’t just be a giver.
The relationship had to be mutually complementary.
Even if it’s been barely two years since Victor got to know Shiron, she had a rough blueprint in mind for making him his person.
And,
From the day she secured the position of Crown Prince, her goal shifted to the long-conceived blueprint.
In a moment of contemplation.
“There’s nothing.”
Shiron pulled back, surprised by the proactive attitude. He had come to ask for a favor, but the young man in front of him seemed willing to give everything without reserve.
“...Ahem.”
Was he aware of the wariness? Victor coughed a few times to scatter his attention.
“Uh, no. I’ve thought about it, and it seems appropriate to end it here.”
“What? Leaving me feeling uneasy.”
Shiron straightened up, grumbling.
“Are you teasing me now? If you don’t want to listen, just say it clearly. Don’t change your words later.”
“It sounds like a not bad proposal, right? To put it simply, you’re asking me to ensure your autonomy.”
“It’s not just that. I want to be involved in the decisions you make.”
“As if I would ignore your words?”
Victor responded with a fresh smile to Shiron’s frown.
“We’re friends, right? I told you before, right? There’s a lot I want to do for you.”
“...Don’t talk about weird things in front of others.”
“Yeah, yeah. Am I being insensitive?”
It was not only for Victor’s fiancée, Louise.
In the suburbs of the empire, at the residence of Viscount Biscont.
After meeting with Shiron, Victor led his attendants to arrange the next meeting.
“Your Highness, you’re late.”
Crossing a massive stone gate and climbing the stairs, a terrace awaited. There, a lady with a pure appearance sat in front of a cooled teacup.
Her slightly reddish-blonde hair seemed pink in the sunlight. Facing her striking blue eyes, Victor took his seat, leisurely brushing off her reproach.
“I had an urgent prior engagement. I hope you can forgive me with a generous heart.”
“I am not a narrow-minded woman. I feel deeply cherished that Your Highness did not stand me up, so please refrain from saying too much.”
Louise smiled and extended her hand towards Victor, a gesture asking for an embrace. Occasionally, Victor’s fiancée sought to confirm affection through physical closeness.
Victor complied, embracing Louise with tender hands. Her flat chest met hers with a maternal touch, and Louise blatantly rubbed her body against Victor’s lower abdomen.
An affectionate act that was severely uncomfortable for broad daylight.
Victor felt troubled but did not scold Louise.
Victor understood why she was doing this.
Louise’s aggressive behavior was to check if Victor could fulfill her role as a man. Despite the political struggles preventing them from having children, Victor had never engaged in intimate relations with Louise.
Even in past years and even in foreign countries, it was common to consummate the relationship before the prince’s appointment to have children in advance. However, because Victor staunchly refused to share a bed with Louise, she was always dissatisfied.
“Your Highness.”
In the midst of this, Louise whispered softly.
“Who did you meet before seeing me?”
“I visited an old friend. Haven’t I mentioned him often before? Shiron...”
“...So that’s why you smelled so much like a man.”
Louise continued, moistening her lips with her tongue.
“I’m very envious of this man named Shiron. I even feel jealous of the man who monopolizes Your Highness’s attention and love.”
“...Why?”
“I should have been born a Prient daughter. Feeling inadequate as a mere noble lady without any power.”
“You are not lacking. I can assert you’re the most noble woman in the world. Otherwise, I would have broken off our engagement long ago.”
Victor sighed as she spoke, and Louise took a deep breath.
“Then, the jealousy towards the man who monopolizes Your Highness’s attention and love becomes a foolish sentiment.”
“Again, Shiron is a man.”
“That’s why I feel even more miserable.”
Louise trembled, holding Victor’s face with both hands.
“Doesn’t it mean my charm is less than that of a man?”
“Not at all. It’s just...”
“I can boast that I know you better and have a longer relationship. So,”
Louise pressed her lips against Victor’s.
“All Your Highness needs to do is act correctly. It’s wrong for you to prioritize him over me.”
“Yes. It’s my fault.”
“If you’re aware, please act so I don’t become a pitiful woman jealous of a man.”
“I’m sorry.”
Victor stood on tiptoe to comfort her fiancée. Normally, she wouldn’t have done so, but Louise’s face looked so sad that Victor couldn’t resist her compassion.
