This time, the story is told from the perspective of the scheming prince, Prince Alex.

What he felt and what he thought when he first met Christina at age seven and when he later saw the cross-dressing Christina at their first tea party…

* * *

I first met her at the debut ceremony when she was seven.

My first impression was, Ugh, what is with this girl? She’s dressed up so gaudily—how embarrassing.

But that thought lasted only an instant, until she lifted her face and showed a faint, almost nonexistent smile.

In that moment, I was instantly captivated.

The clothes and jewelry that had seemed nothing but excessive decoration suddenly became nothing more than items meant solely to make her even more beautiful.

That was how much brighter and more beautiful she herself was.

So much so that I forgot to breathe.

Until my father, the King, spoke to me—“Alex, what do you think of Lady Christina?”—I was completely frozen and all I could manage was a hastily pasted-on smile and a safe, utterly unremarkable reply: “Yes, she is a very beautiful young lady.”

After that, I couldn’t take my eyes off her at all.

The thought that someone so beautiful existed in this world completely occupied my mind and although I greeted many nobles and their sons and daughters afterward, none of it left any impression on me.

When the dancing began, I rushed to her side first and offered her my hand.

As she danced, she was so delicate and graceful, like a young goddess who had descended from the heavens.

When even my younger brother Leonard asked her for a dance, I felt a twinge of irritation, but after that, noble sons one after another flocked to invite her and it continued until the dance ended.

In the end, I never found the timing to speak to her properly that day.

Even though I wanted to talk to her again.

Then I remembered my father suggesting that we invite Lady Christina to a tea party, so I hurriedly made preparations and sent her an invitation.

Would she come?

No, she couldn’t possibly refuse an invitation from me, a member of the royal family.

Even so, I waited the entire time with my heart pounding, worrying about what I’d do if she didn’t come.

But on the day of the tea party, the one who appeared was a boy with black-brown hair grown so long it nearly covered his eyes, wearing plainly colored clothes and standing there timidly.

He bowed neatly like a noble’s son, but the only person I had invited today was Lady Christina.

I had no memory of inviting a boy like him.

I spoke to him with irritation brewing inside me, wondering who he was—and received an unbelievable answer.

“…Who are you? This is a private tea party and I invited only one young lady.”

“Yes, I am Christina Fitzering Rosenschwert, who received your invitation today.”

“…Huh? …What? …What are you saying?”

What on earth was this guy talking about? I thought, tilting my head.

Then the boy continued.

“I am the Christina who received your invitation today.”

“What are you saying? The Lady Christina I met the other day was—”

“A girl with platinum-blonde hair and blue eyes… correct.”

“Yes. A very beautiful young lady, nothing like you.”

“We are the same person.”

“Huh?”

“I am, without a doubt, Christina. I changed my hair and eye color with magic.”

…Changing hair and eye color with magic?

Even so, she looked like a completely different person. What in the world was going on?

“…Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because I intend to live as a man and become an adventurer.”

The answer was so far beyond my expectations that I was left dumbfounded.

Snapping back to my senses, I immediately questioned her again.

“W-What… a man? A man?! Are you a man?!”

“No. My sex is female.”

“Then why?!”

She was a ducal young lady—moreover, an incomparably beautiful one. Why take on such a plain male appearance?

To my rapid questions, she responded smoothly, as if she had prepared her answers in advance.

“To become an adventurer, being only female increases danger and causes many inconveniences. So I decided to learn male behavior early on and live as a man.”

She answered, but the content was far beyond what my mind could process.

“…What is that supposed to mean?”

I learned that my father had already met her in this form.

Then why had my father so strongly pushed for her to become my fiancée?

Now I couldn’t understand my father’s thinking either and confusion began to set in.

“…For now, I understand that you’re Christina. Sit here.”

“Is that alright?”

“Hm?”

“I thought that once Your Highness saw me like this, you would refuse the tea party.”

So she knew all along.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have deliberately appeared before me like this.

But sending her away here would make me seem small-minded.

I had to show some composure.

“S-Since you came all this way, at least have a cup of tea.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

After bowing deeply, Christina sat in the seat opposite me.

No matter how you looked at her, she was a completely different person—sex aside, she looked entirely male.

“Even if you changed your hair and eye color with magic… you look like a completely different person.”

“I believe I’ve disguised myself quite well.”

She answered with odd pride, making me frown without meaning to.

Then she spoke.

“Your Highness.”

“What?”

“Please tell His Majesty to treat the engagement between us as if it never existed. As you can see, I am not suited to be a queen or a prince’s consort. Before I cause shame to Your Highness, please…”

So that was it.

Had she dressed like this deliberately just to annul the engagement?

Was that also why she had shown this appearance to my father?

Did she hate the idea of being engaged to me that much?

“There is no way someone like me could enter the royal family without it becoming a disgrace. Please tell His Majesty before matters escalate, Someone like that cannot be my partner.”

For some reason, I hesitated to reply, I understand.

Instead, I felt a strong interest in her swelling within me.

“I don’t particularly mind.”

She tilted her head in surprise.

The gesture was oddly cute and I felt heat rise to my cheeks.

Idiot. If I blushed here, it would look like I was flustered by someone dressed as a man.

Trying to cover it up, I spoke—and ended up saying something outrageous.

“I don’t particularly mind you.”

She stared at me in clear shock.

“T-That’s impossible. Your Highness, why would you say such a thing?”

With guards and maids nearby, it was hard to speak freely.

I ordered them away with a glance and a gesture.

Once we were alone, I sighed deeply.

“I’ll speak normally, so you speak normally too. I want to hear your true feelings.”

She insisted she was already telling the truth, but I called it a lie.

Then I spoke my own thoughts.

“My opinion was never really considered from the start. So if I have limited choices, I want to choose for myself. There were other candidates, but I thought being with you would be less exhausting.”

She didn’t seem particularly bothered.

After studying my face for a moment, she sighed lightly and then spoke—in a completely different tone.

“…Understood. Then I’ll speak normally.”

Her sudden change startled me.

“So that’s the real you.”

“Yes. Since Your Highness ordered me to speak normally, don’t accuse me of disrespect.”

I told her I wouldn’t.

Then she asked again why I wanted her as my fiancée.

I said her true appearance was the one from the debut ceremony.

She replied flatly that she would never look like that again.

Because it was a pain.

She complained at length about dresses, jewelry and shoes, comparing herself to a chandelier.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

She went on to praise men’s clothing for its comfort.

Then she stated clearly that she planned to become an adventurer and leave the country, so the engagement should be annulled.

Leave the country?

A ducal young lady?

She explained she would buy a house in another country and live quietly alone.

When she talked about eventually dying alone in the mountains, I lost my temper.

That would disgrace the royal family. She was too important, too vulnerable.

But she brushed it off, saying she wouldn’t leave as Christina and would take nothing related to the ducal house.

She asked me to treat her as if she never existed.

I couldn’t understand her at all.

She thanked me for trying to understand her, but insisted she was unfit to stand beside me.

She admitted she knew she was strange.

She was learning swordsmanship and martial arts.

She started at five.

I asked what had happened to her.

“Nothing in particular.”

She said she simply wanted to live freely and chose the path closest to her ideal.

I fell silent.

I understood the desire for freedom—but not why she had to become a man.

Still, I asked if she could be free in this country.

She answered calmly that neither of us could be free while bound by our titles.

She asked again for the engagement to be annulled.

“That’s separate.”

Her surprise was obvious.

I had accepted my growing interest in her.

I wanted to see how Christina Fitzering Rosenschwert would live her life—preferably from the closest possible position.

She warned me that if she were chosen and later fled, I would be mocked as a prince whose fiancée ran away and she would be executed for disrespect.

I told her it wouldn’t happen.

I would never let her escape.

Thus ended the tea party where I succeeded in peeling away her disguise—one that would greatly influence my life.

At the time, however, the seven-year-old me thought only, What an interesting person. I’ve found a favorite toy.

* * *

Christina’s wish was in vain (laugh).

Whether it was the game’s forced narrative or some other factor, things were clearly moving in a direction she would not enjoy.