The Youngest Prince Returned as a Heavenly Demon - Chapter 12

On the second day since the royal and magic tower investigation teams arrived, the Marquis demonstrated how to purify a kobold corpse using a Clover.

Well, it wasn’t particularly impressive.

“Hehe, is it really that simple?”

“That’s surprising. We’ve already received the documents, but… is this really all there is to it?”

All it took was cutting the monster corpse into a suitable size and placing it in a container with Clover inside.

For something that could potentially shake the continent, the process was surprisingly simple.

“I couldn’t believe it at first, but after seeing the results, I couldn’t deny it.”

“I see.”

The results would be available in a week.

So, what would happen in the meantime?

Actually, both the royal family and the magic tower didn’t doubt the experiment results much.

So many people had witnessed it, and there was no reason for the Marquis of Verdine to lie about something so easily exposed.

What truly mattered now was the upcoming “negotiation.”

‘How will this go?’

‘I’m not going to let myself get taken advantage of.’

Crackle!

Though everyone had smiles on their faces, sparks were clearly flying in the eyes of both parties.

But at that moment, a voice suddenly interrupted.

“Heheh, daddy~”

A pretty little girl, smiling brightly, approached.

Her clear and large pale green eyes were almost angelic.

The Duke of Luke, a doting father, melted at the sight of his daughter’s smile.

“Oh~ What’s the matter, our Serah?”

“I have a request!”

“Uh, huh? A request?”

“Yes!”

As soon as I heard the word “request,” I felt an uneasy sensation rise.

She was too cute, pretty, and lovable, but sometimes it was impossible to predict what trouble she might cause.

“Okay… What’s your request?”

“Well, you see~”

She glanced at me.

Wait…

Why is she looking at me?

And there was a meaningful smile on her face.

Then she finally spoke.

“Can I go see the area outside the castle with Evan?”

“What?!”

The Duke of Luke jumped in surprise.

On the opposite side, the usually calm Marquis was also unable to hide his surprise.

But the way his pupils were darting around…

Is it really such a shocking request?

“Th-the princess is… calling our Evan by his first name…?”

Ah.

So that was the point of the shock.

I realized once again that they were just as hopelessly doting as they were in the other room.

But still…

‘Damn it, why does she keep going after me?’

I originally planned to somehow sneak into their discussion. I had prepared potential scenarios for the Marquis and the butler, Sebastian, but being present at the scene would help us steer the negotiation in our favor.

“Uh, ahem! Duke Luke, it might be dangerous outside the castle, so…”

The Marquis, not wanting this, tried to take the lead, but the cheeky little lady read the situation and cut him off.

“Why not just go with the guards?”

Ainsera, wanting to see the Verdine estate, insisted she wouldn’t feel satisfied leaving without seeing it properly.

“Please, daddy~! Okay~?”

“Well, how about you stay inside the castle and play…”

“But even outside the castle, no monsters are coming out, and if we’re with the knights, I don’t think it’ll be too dangerous?”

“Heh…!”

The Duke of Luke was speechless.

It was true, so there was nothing more to say.

“Sigh, sorry, Marquis.”

“…It’s fine.”

In the end, the Marquis and Duke allowed Ainsera and me to go outside the castle.

Despite it having nothing to do with my will.

Damn it.

“Yay! Thank you, daddy! I’ll listen to the knights, and we’ll be back safely, so don’t worry too much~!”

“Haha, alright.”

Ainsera jumped for joy.

She was just like any other little girl—innocent and cute.

But the moment our eyes met―

Hee- chuckled.

‘Huh? …What’s this?’

That meaningful smile made me feel like something was off.

However, the dice had already been rolled.

‘After all, she’s just a ten-year-old girl.’

No matter what kind of mischief she causes, how bad could it really be?

…Probably nothing.

I left the castle with Ainseira.

Even though the Berdin Marquisate was a small, poor fief on the outskirts of the empire, it was still a town where people lived.

To the west, the lord’s castle and the defensive walls surrounded the area, and behind it, around the plaza, there were inns, restaurants, general stores, and weapon shops, creating a market.

Clamor clatter—

“Wow! Evan, look at this!”

Ainseira, who was browsing the market, lifted a gigantic sweet potato that was as big as her arm.

‘Wow, it really is huge…’

The display stands had potatoes and radishes that looked like they were at least twice the size of my head.

They all had a dark, almost black color.

These enormous vegetables were special products of the Berdin Marquisate.

They grew so large because the land was rich in mana, thanks to the influence of the Behamag Mountains.

Crunch crunch.

“Ow, ow―!”

“Your Highness, be careful not to burn yourself!”

Ainseira was eating a roasted sweet potato, which she had asked the vegetable shop owner to prepare.

In her other hand, she was holding a skewer piled high with grilled onions, peppers, carrots, and the like.

‘The noble princess likes this kind of street food?’

It was a little surprising.

Noble ladies usually avoided such foods, claiming they were unsanitary, didn’t they?

While I was thinking about this, Ainseira stopped at another street food stall.

“Princess Ainseira, where will we go next?”

“Hmm~ Gilbert’s Workshop on the north side of the plaza. I heard it’s famous!”

“Wow… How do you know our fief so well, Your Highness?”

“Hehe, I always do thorough research before going anywhere.”

“Whoa! You’re even better at knowing things than a local like me!”

“Hahaha! Oh, it’s not that great.”

Harber, the large man, made a fuss, though Ainseira humbly downplayed it. Her knowledge was definitely impressive.

Even though the Duke of Luke’s family was a powerful house in the central region, it wasn’t easy to know so much about our far-off fief.

‘Wait, who would even spread tourist information about this backwater village?’

I couldn’t understand it.

Anyway, we went to Gilbert’s Workshop, where we spent more than two hours browsing various clothes and trinkets before leaving.

The sky was already turning red with the sunset.

“The sun will set soon, so how about we head back?”

I was starting to want to go home and rest.

Though it was my first time going outside the castle today, it had been quite interesting and fun…

Sigh, but that was only for an hour or two…

Especially at the workshop, where Ainseira kept squealing over things she wasn’t even going to buy, I was getting tired.

But she seemed to still be disappointed.

“What? Are we already going back?”

“It’s not already. It’s been seven hours since we left the castle.”

“Hmph… Really?”

Ainseira, who seemed to be thinking for a moment, then said there was one last place she wanted to go.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Well… you’ll find out when we get there.”

Her faint smile seemed a bit suspicious.

What kind of plan could this mischievous little lady have…

But since she said there was one last place she really wanted to go, it felt awkward to flatly refuse.

“So, this is really the last place?”

“Sure.”

So, we ended up heading to the northwest of the fief.

It was the most underdeveloped area in the Berdin Marquisate.

A so-called slum.

It was the area closest to the defensive walls, yet it had fewer soldiers guarding it, making it the most vulnerable to monster attacks.

‘What could possibly be in a place like this…?’

I had been silently following her, but I couldn’t hold back and asked.

“Hey, Ainseira.”

“Hmm? What?”

“Where exactly are we going? Are we even heading in the right direction?”

But then Ainseira asked me right back.

“You… don’t know where you are, or where I’m taking you?”

“What?”

This is absurd.

She’s not even telling me the destination, and yet she’s taking me somewhere she wants to go. What is she saying?

At that moment, she, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned to look at the guards, Harbor and Jess.

“Sir Knights.”

“Yes, Lady.”

“I have something I’d like to discuss with Lord Evan. Would you mind stepping aside for a moment?”

“…Huh?”

Ah… so this is it?

At first, I was confused, but soon I understood what was happening.

She’s taking me to a quiet alley.

‘This… this is troublesome.’

But still, it felt somewhat good.

Heh, this popularity of mine…

Now, how do I refuse her?

If a woman harbors resentment, it’s like frost falling in the middle of summer, and saying the wrong thing could turn me into an enemy of the Duke of Luke’s family.

However, accepting this right now wouldn’t be wise since I don’t have the time for romance at the moment.

“Ainsera, I…”

“Please wait just a moment!”

Just as I was about to say something, Jess, breaking all etiquette, hurriedly intervened, looking pale.

“L-Lady Ainsera! This is not right! Please reconsider…!”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“Well, what I mean is…”

If this situation escalates, the wrath of the doting Duke of Luke will be unimaginable…

The very thought terrified Jess.

But the one at the center of this, Ainsera, looked confused.

‘Ugh! If this goes wrong, there might be a territorial war…’

Jess awkwardly tried to convince her, desperately trying to avoid the worst scenario.

“Hmm! No matter how handsome Lord Evan is, men can’t be judged by their appearance….”

However, it was unexpectedly Harbor who snapped and shouted loudly.

“What do you mean by that, Sir Flip?! Are you saying there’s something wrong with our Lord Evan?!”

Right, now that I think about it, he’s quite the doting one himself.

Harbor, still worked up, yelled.

“Just by looking at it, it seems that Lady Ainsera truly sees the true qualities of our Lord Evan and gathered the courage to act, yet how can a servant like you speak ill of him instead of supporting him?!”

“No, Sir Randolf! I didn’t mean it that way… The two of them are still too young to understand love, and they’ve only just met…”

“Be quiet! Even in the Imperial classic romance Romeo and Juliet, the protagonists fell in love at first sight and secretly…!”

“Wait a minute!”

In the tense atmosphere where a fight seemed imminent, Ainsera hurriedly intervened.

“It seems like you two are misunderstanding something!”

“Yes?”

“…What do you mean?”

This time, the two knights were puzzled.

Then, the girl, with a serious expression, spoke firmly.

“This isn’t a confession, so please don’t get ahead of yourselves.”

“…Huh? Isn’t that what this whole thing was about?”

“Ah! I-I’m sorry…”

Only then did they realize they had misunderstood.

I, too, was in the same boat.

‘What? It’s not like that?’

Then what on earth is she trying to say?

…I can’t figure it out, no matter how much I think about it.

“I ask for your understanding. Please step aside for a moment, and of course… I’d appreciate it if you didn’t eavesdrop.”

With a serious expression, Ainsera made her request again.

However, Jess still looked uneasy.

“Ahem… You’re really not confessing, right?”

“Ugh—! No, I told you it’s not?!”

Only after getting a clear answer did he finally back off.

As soon as the two knights left, Ainsera immediately got to the point.

Her expression turned cold in an instant.

The words that suddenly came out of her mouth were so shocking that my heart dropped.

“You’re a fake, aren’t you?”