Chapter 99

"Hmm~"

"That's a tough one..."

Tiara Roses groaned as she had been racking her brain about this since noon. Aka, who was staying at Marine Forest, nodded in agreement.

Recently, a lot had been happening, and Tiara Roses had a lot on her plate.

Firstly, the matter concerning Salavia, the emperor of Sandros.

Since he had given Tiara Roses a gift, Aquasteed was supposed to return the favor. However, the recipients were his wives, so Tiara Roses had to choose the thank-you gifts.

Secondly, there was Filine.

Things seemed to be going well with Elliot, but she had to return to her family home.

Of course, that wasn't a problem, but Tiara Roses thought she might as well go with her, combining it with a visit to her own hometown. Naturally, Aquasteed would come too.

"Coral and pearls, which are specialties of Marine Forest, would be the standard gift for Sandros, wouldn't they?"

"Yes, but it feels a bit too ordinary..."

"Indeed, it lacks originality."

Olivia had made the suggestion.

Tiara Roses had considered it, but since it was a gift from royalty, she wanted to put a bit more thought into it.

Aka, upon hearing this, sighed and sank into the sofa, saying, "That's a tough one~"

The three of them—Tiara Roses, Aka, and Olivia—were in Tiara Roses' private room. They were having tea and discussing Filine and the others.

They were also brainstorming what to gift to the empresses of Sandros.

"His Majesty Salavia shouldn't have given a gift to Lady Tiara in the first place! Let's just decide quickly."

"Yes."

While smiling wryly at Aka's pout, Tiara Roses nodded.

However, it wasn't that easy to decide.

But she wanted to give something related to Marine Forest.

—That narrows down the options.

Things from the sea, like coral and pearls.

Flowers and minerals from the mountains and forests.

However, due to climate and transportation issues, flowers and food might not be the best choices.

—And what she really wanted was the Tiara Rose flower.

But she judged that giving it would be difficult.

...That's it.

"What if we use coral and pearls to make accessories in the shape of the Tiara Rose flower?"

"Great idea! I'm in favor!"

"I think it's a good idea too. No one has made accessories in the shape of the Tiara Rose flower yet."

This way, they could incorporate the request from Sandros to have the Tiara Rose flower.

They could ask their usual tailor to design it. With this problem solved, Tiara Roses felt a weight lifted off her chest.

"Then there's the love story of the villainess's maid! I never thought she'd have such a presence when I was playing the game!!"

"Regarding Filine Sanfist, there was hardly any information disclosed."

Aka, as if to say, "This is where it gets serious," revealed that she had thought Filine was just a minor character. Indeed, in the game, she wasn't a particularly memorable character.

Olivia confirmed this by mentioning that the character introduction in the strategy guide was only half a page.

Clasping her fists tightly, Aka exclaimed, "I'm excited~!"

Just then, there was a knock, and Aquasteed entered.

"Oh, you're here."

"Aqua-sama!"

"I'm intruding, Your Majesty Aquasteed."

Aka instantly put on a smile, and Olivia elegantly bowed. Aquasteed told them to relax and sat next to Tiara Roses.

Aka and Olivia sat opposite them.

Tiara Roses informed them that the gift for Sandros had been decided and made a plan to discuss the design with Aquasteed later.

Aka, watching this with a smile, asked Aquasteed a straightforward question.

"So, Aqua-sama, how long will it take for Elliot to become a noble?"

"That's hard to say. It's not just a matter of him working hard."

"Is that so?"

Aka, sounding disappointed, made Aquasteed chuckle and shake his head.

"It's especially difficult to achieve merit during peaceful times."

"Oh, I see... Indeed, it's hard without contributing to the country."

Aka nodded and muttered that the timing was bad. She then clapped her hands and was about to say, "Then—," but Tiara Roses interrupted her.

"Aka-sama, you can't do something underhanded."

"Tch. I was thinking of causing a little incident for Elliot to solve."

"It's out of the question..."

You can't be serious. Tiara Roses thought.

Such actions wouldn't make Filine and Elliot happy and would be too underhanded.

Seeing Tiara Roses reprimand her, Aquasteed sighed softly. The conversation then turned to their plans to visit Lapis Lazuli to go to Filine's family home.

Since they were going anyway, Aka decided to return at the same time.

"I also want to pay my respects to Filine's family. During our stay, I hope Aqua-sama will visit my family home."

"I will."

"Hey, I want to stay at Tiara-sama's house too!"

"No way."

Aka raised her hands in protest, but Tiara Roses shook her head and refused.

"Why not...?"

"Have you forgotten what you did? My father would never allow Aka-sama to stay."

"!"

Tiara Roses' father would never forgive Aka.

However, he knew they were friends, so he maintained a polite facade.

"Then I'll give up on staying at Tiara-sama's house. But if my father is still angry, I want to apologize soon."

"Thank you, Aka-sama."

Whether this would appease her father was uncertain, but her sincerity would likely be conveyed. Thinking this, Tiara Roses felt a bit warmer.

Olivia was also watching Aka, hoping everything would go well.

"The only thing left is the issue with Filine's family. It's hard for Filine to bring up, but she's worried about the financial situation... It would be great if Elliot could help with the financial support."

Tiara Roses knew that Filine sent a significant portion of her salary to her family.

Upon hearing this, Aquasteed said, "There shouldn't be any problem with that. Elliot has more money than some nobles."

"Really?!"

Elliot received a good salary and had many allowances. He was also very busy and had little time to spend money, so he was actually quite wealthy.

Filine had even said she was willing to give up her noble title. In other words, she was fine with Elliot remaining a commoner.

"Maybe they can get married as is?"

"Indeed, if they don't insist on a noble title, that could be an option."

Tiara Roses and Olivia agreed.

For Filine, a baron's daughter with an uncertain future, this would be a good match.

However, Aquasteed put a stop to this.

"Since Elliot has already announced he will become a noble... He probably won't retract that."

"True..."

Elliot wouldn't just say, "Let's get married with money alone!" He was serious and honest and wouldn't go back on his word.

While they had hoped the two would get together, it seemed there was still a long way to go...

***

"Phew, that's a wrap for today."

Elliot stretched and tidied up the empty office. All he had to do was lock the door and leave, and his work for the day would be done.

Leaving the office, he walked through the courtyard, where a cool night breeze was blowing, heading towards his room.

As a close aide to Aquasteed, Elliot was given a room within the castle grounds. This allowed him to respond quickly to any emergencies and use the castle's dining facilities, which was quite convenient.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly sensing something, Elliot stopped.

An intruder in the castle? Looking around, he saw Salavia emerge from the shadows of a building.

"Hello, it's a nice night, isn't it?"

"Your Majesty Salavia...! Why are you here...?"

Since he hadn't been invited, Elliot was confused. However, he couldn't be impolite to the emperor of another country, so he bowed deeply.

"Is there something you need? If you need to see Aquasteed-sama—"

"No, I came to see you today."

"Me...?"

Caught off guard by this unexpected statement, Elliot's mind raced. He couldn't afford to say or do anything that might cause trouble for Aquasteed.

His heart was pounding as he wondered what Salavia would say.

"Hey, Elliot. I'll make you a noble."

"Wh—"

At this casual statement, Elliot almost doubted his own ears.

"Then you can go and get her, right? I like supporting hardworking couples."

"Your Majesty Salavia..."

To Elliot, these words felt like a magical honey.

Salavia's words seeped into Elliot's heart, stirring his desire to go and get Filine.

However, these words didn't reach Elliot.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Your Majesty. I am proud to be a close aide to Aquasteed-sama."

"Ah, that's a shame."

"If you're leaving, shall I arrange a carriage for you...?"

"No need. I have my aide waiting. The carriage is already arranged."

Hearing this, Elliot nodded in understanding.

He escorted Salavia to where the carriage was waiting and saw him off. Once the carriage was out of sight, Elliot clutched his aching stomach.

"Phew, that didn't go well."

"Such things don't happen easily. Recruiting a close aide to the king is no small feat..."

In the carriage, Salavia, who was slumped in his seat, sighed in exasperation, echoed by his aide, Izzet.

"Besides, I said from the start that it was impossible."

"I don't like giving up before trying."

"Indeed..."

Even if he thought it was impossible, Salavia would still try. If it didn't work, he would change his strategy and try again.

As long as he didn't give up, there was always a possibility.

"I was thinking that if I made Elliot a noble, he could help me get closer to Tiara Roses as a thank-you."

"That's impossible. Besides, I don't think she would leave His Majesty Aquasteed."

"Izzet, you're too rigid. Once she falls in love, she'll come to me."

"Oh, we're almost at the inn."

"Hey, don't ignore me."

Tired of his master's talk, Izzet lightly brushed him off and quietly said, "Please rest for the night."

---

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By the way, the 7th episode of the manga adaptation has been updated. If you haven't seen it yet, please check it out.

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