Chapter 67

The daily life of the silver-haired twins who appeared in the main story.

This is a story from before Lucia and Phil got married, when they would go to play in Laguren.

(I think it's around somewhere in the second volume of the book.)

By the way, Aldos is the knight who reluctantly took Phil to the northern fortress and brought him to meet Lucia before returning to the capital.

On the day the young King Rosfield's child was born, the capital was filled with joy.

Seven years have passed since that day.

The twin prince Alroad and princess Lidalia, born as twins, are running around the palace today as well.

This is not a metaphor.

The prince and princess literally run around the entire palace, and whenever they get a chance, they climb trees. They are energetic children, fitting of Philoed's description of them as "monkeys."

Chasing after these twins are not the nursemaids or the ceremonial guards.

It is the knights of the First Army, their bright red capes fluttering.

While it may seem like they are casually following the children, in reality, the young knights' faces show no sign of ease.

"Your Highness! Please walk down the stairs!"

"Sliding down the banister is forbidden!"

While saying such things, they are desperately running down the stairs, skipping two steps at a time.

They should be saying, "No running in the hallways" and "No running on the stairs," but such thoughts have completely disappeared.

The twins, who were about to climb onto the banister, puffed out their cheeks but obediently stepped away from it and ran down the stairs.

The children of the king both have beautiful silver hair. Their eyes are purple, a combination identical to their father's.

Their facial features are a perfect match to their mother, Queen Marizia, and everyone expects them to grow into handsome princes and beautiful princesses.

However, their eyes sparkle with more energy than the dignity of the royal family.

Descendants of a man who rose to become a king in one generation often possess extraordinary physical abilities.

It seems that the blood of the ancestors is strongly present in the royal family's silver-haired twins, and despite their slender and small bodies, they run faster than their age would suggest.

Moreover, these twins are quick-witted.

When they see the knights chasing them let their guard down, they suddenly change direction and slip away into hiding in an instant.

But this is the daily life of the palace.

Proof of this is that the knights they pass by, though surprised, greet the twins with smiles.

"Good morning, Your Highnesses!"

"Where are you going today?"

Responding with bright smiles that make it hard to believe they were running, the twins answer.

"To Aldos! Do you know where he is?"

"Captain Aldos was in the cafeteria."

"Thank you!"

The twins change direction and run towards the knights' cafeteria.

The young knights, with serious expressions, follow behind them.

The other knights watching are carefree, shouting things like "Run faster!" and "Your uniform is disheveled!" It's unclear whether they are cheering or just amused.

Some even call out to the palace maids, but the young knights, who are desperately trying to catch the twins, don't hear them. If they did, they would pretend not to.

The twins dive into the bushes in the courtyard.

The branches catch on their clothes, but the fabric is as sturdy as the knights' uniforms, so the branches just slide off.

It's not just the fabric.

Despite being a prince and princess, their clothes are designed for ease of movement. Even when passing through branches and leaves, neither Prince Alroad's nor Princess Lidalia's clothes get caught.

This is the result of the struggles with the unruly young Prince Philoed, which have been applied to dealing with the twins.

The trees in the palace may seem to grow wildly, but they are carefully pruned by the gardeners.

Passing through the bushes, which are easier to navigate than they look, the twins can see many relaxed-looking knights and hear their lively voices.

It's the knights' resting place—the cafeteria.

The twins run towards the large doors.

A knight who happens to be coming out is taken aback by the running children.

"Move, move!"

"Stop the pursuers!"

The knight hurriedly opens the door wide and steps aside. The other knights, spotting the young knights who have run around the bushes, grin.

"Asked to stop us, but what should we do?"

"I'm weak for authority. I can't refuse the princes and princesses!"

"You're just trying to find an excuse to talk to the maids, aren't you?"

"You're aiming for the queen's maids, too, aren't you?"

While saying such things, they start talking to the young knights, who are out of breath, saying things like, "Well, since you're here, why don't you have something to eat?"

Waving to the knights who don't hide their ulterior motives, the twins slow down and run into the cafeteria.

They are slightly out of breath, but their eyes shine as they look around the cafeteria. They quickly spot their target and run over.

"Aldos! I found you!"

"Tomorrow is your day off, right? Will you come with us?"

Approaching the man who is quietly eating, they circle around him, starting their "pleading."

The twins are addressing the leader of the elite knight squad of the First Army, a man with a stern face that even fearless knights find intimidating. Even when the twins speak to him noisily, he doesn't crack a smile.

Still, he stops eating, takes a drink of water, and then looks up.

"May I ask where you got the information about my day off?"

"That's a secret!"

"Protecting your sources is a basic principle!"

"…So, it seems the captain of the royal guard leaked the information again."

"Don't worry about the details. Maybe, maybe not."

"Exactly. Don't worry about it. Anyway, we want to go to the city tomorrow! If we go with Aldos, Father will probably allow it, so please come with us!"

The twins sit next to Aldos, looking at him with sparkling eyes. However, Aldos continues to eat calmly, showing no signs of being moved.

The subordinates at nearby tables watch their superior and the twins with bated breath.

Aldos is a true soldier, loyal to his duties and impartial to any high-ranking noble, even the king's brother.

He is a strict knight who shows no mercy, even to the king's brother.

Because of this, he has earned the absolute trust of King Rosfield.

And for some reason, the twins seem to like this man and talk to him frequently. His unwavering calmness in the face of their mischief is apparently a good trait.

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, Aldos, having finished his meal, sighs.

"If you follow my instructions, I will accompany you."

"Yay! I'll report to Father now…!"

"Wait, Lid. We should hear the instructions first!"

Princess Lidalia, who was about to stand up, is calmly stopped by Prince Alroad.

His cautious gaze is intellectual and doesn't seem like that of a seven-year-old. But since this is a familiar side of the energetic prince, Aldos continues speaking.

"There are three things I need you to follow. First, you are not allowed to go anywhere other than the planned locations."

"Hmm, I guess that's okay."

"Second, you must bring at least one maid in addition to us knights."

"Hmm, that might limit our range of movement…"

"Third, you must hold hands with one of us at all times while moving."

"Hands!?"

"That will limit our freedom of movement!"

The twins, who had been nodding with a serious expression, suddenly widen their eyes and panic when they hear the third rule.

Aldos, still expressionless, continues firmly.

"If you cannot follow these instructions, I will not accompany you."

The twins fall silent.

When Aldos says "follow," it means it must be followed without fail.

Otherwise, he will refuse. If they disobey, he will end the outing early or refuse to accompany them in the future.

This is a problem.

The twins' "play" is allowed because they have a reliable method to avoid major dangers. The guards should be knights everyone trusts, and if not, they won't be allowed to go out at all.

The twins' father, Rosfield, is not just a gentle and kind person. Therefore, to ensure future fun, they must not anger Aldos.

The twins fall into deep thought.

But they are not so well-behaved that they would give up on a fun outing. They communicate with each other through eye contact, nod slightly, and clench their fists as if making a decision.

"Alright, we will follow Aldos's instructions."

Prince Alroad speaks with the dignified tone of a royal.

But he quickly returns to his energetic self, leaning forward with sparkling eyes.

"We will follow the instructions, so I want to hold hands with Aldos!"

"I want to hold hands with Aldos too!"

"…I am a knight. I cannot hold both hands, so please designate another knight."

"Then Al can hold hands, and I can ride Aldos's horse on the way there and back. Is that okay?"

"Hey, I want to ride Aldos's horse too!"

"Al, you often ride Aldos's horse. Can you let me this time?"

"…Hmm, that's true. Okay, I agree!"

"Deal!"

The twins, who seemed about to start arguing, surprisingly come to an agreement quickly.

The knights, who had been watching with bated breath, sigh in relief and are impressed. Then, they remember and look at Aldos.

The serious man slightly raises an eyebrow but otherwise remains expressionless, turning to his subordinates.

"Since my day off is canceled, will you come with me?"

"Of course. It's easier than searching for the prince."

"Is it? I don't think it will be much different."

The subordinates agree to accompany him, some smiling and others tilting their heads.

Aldos nods in gratitude and then turns back to the twins.

"So, have you decided where you want to go tomorrow?"

"Yes, we have!"

"We want to find a present for Lucia!"

The twins mention the name of their uncle Philoed's fiancée without hesitation.

Uncle Philoed often plays with them. Not only because it's the home of their uncle's fiancée, but also because Laguren is a place where they can relax and play a lot.

Aldos nods in agreement.

"Since you visited Laguren recently, is this a thank you?"

"Yes, but that's not all."

"We want to visit again and ask for a good time next time too!"

The twins smile.

Aldos, who was about to stand up and adjust his uniform, pauses at their words.

But he quickly shakes his head and sighs.

"…Well, how you interpret it is up to you. Later, we will visit the head maid to discuss the details."

"Okay, I'll let her know!"

"See you tomorrow!"

The twins hug Aldos's arm and then wave to the surrounding knights before lightly running out of the cafeteria.

As soon as they step outside, the twins are caught by the knights who had been holding them back. Having achieved their goal, they now obediently return to the north wing where their rooms are.

Or so it seems, but they escape to climb a tree along the way.

However, thanks to the forced eating and drinking during the delay, the knights are not completely disheartened.

It seems that the delay was not just a stalling tactic but a considerate act by the senior knights.

The young knights, deeply grateful, can only sigh and continue the chase.

(End of the Extra Chapter: The Twins' Daily Life)

Thank you for reading to the end.

[Book Information]

"Even Though My Engagement Was Broken, I Was Invited to My Ex-Fiancé's Wedding. I Can't Refuse, So I'll Ask My Brother's Friend to Accompany Me." Volumes 1 and 2 are now available from SQEX Novels.

(Volume 1 is equivalent to the main story of the web serialization, with significant additions and revisions. Volume 2 is a new story.)

◇◇Currently preparing for the new Volume 3!◇◇

Please check the activity report for more details, which will be announced later.

[Comic Information]

Currently serialized on Gangan ONLINE, the third volume of the manga is available on June 12.