My Fiancée Hates Me

[Erik's Perspective]

After leaving Father's office, I ran into Viscount Craig Corrine.

"Greetings, Your Highness," he said as he bowed his head slightly to me.

"Greetings, Viscount," I said.

"You seem a bit shaken...Is it because Your Highness just found out that you are not an only child?" Viscount Corrine whispered.

Such private information and he has his hands on it already?

"... What do you know?" I asked.

"...Nothing much...If you happen to find that child alive, you will no longer be the only possible heir to the throne," Viscount Corrine said as he said with a smug grin on his face as he left.

It almost sounds as if Viscount Corrine knows who the missing Prince is...

When I started investigating males of the same age and birthday, I figured that the child would have entered an orphanage around the same time, unless he was brought up by a Noble family. In that case, it would be much easier to find him.

I also began investigating Viscount Corrine in secret. He did not have any heirs supposedly due to his barren wife.

I also heard that he had begun looking into young boys whom recently left orphanages due to their coming of ages.

Was he hoping to find the missing Prince to adopt him and give himself more political power?

"I am a bit surprised that you asked me for tea," Arielle said as she sat across from me.

For some strange reason, I found myself asking Arielle to have tea with me once I saw her walking through the Castle.

"...I am [surprised at myself] too," I said awkwardly.

"Pardon?" Arielle said as she tilted her head slightly.

She seemed to be shining brightly even more than usual today...

Ah! Ugh! Calm down, my heart...

"I mean...you seemed to be wandering around," I said as I quickly made up an excuse to talk to her.

"I was planning on going to the Library to kill some time," Arielle said with a smile.

She looked pretty as usual with her neatly straight hair and in her short yellow dress with long sleeves and matching hairband. "...A date, is it?" I asked.

She seemed a bit embarrassed when she answered, "Yes."

I could hear my heart shattering.

"...I was just on break and happened to see you, so I called you over as a conversation partner," I said.

"Did you have to justify your actions?" Arielle asked.

I suddenly felt embarrassed.

"...I guess not," I said.

Arielle chuckled softly.

"Even you have your awkward moments," Arielle said with a charming grin.

It had been so long since I saw her genuinely smile...Nevel Pillar's death must have been a large influence on her, or is it because she is with Garett?

"It is a bit sudden, but do you know much about Viscount Corrine?" I asked.

"Currently...or do you mean in the past?" Arielle asked as her expression suddenly turned serious.

"Both," I answered.

"...In our past lives, he was among the people I purged," Arielle said with a cold smile.

"Why did you purge him?" I asked.

"He has close relations with Marquis Pillar and was the one who also hurt Charlotte just so that he could help Marquis Pillar escape from his execution. At the time, I did not have any definite proof other than the words of the witnesses, but even the information from witness testimonies can be skewed as well. That is why I looked up other information that I could use to implicate him. I found things like him money laundering and exposing military secrets to The Balik Empire and had him quickly disposed of, so that may be why your memory of him is not as strong as the one I had of him," Arielle said.

"Border control is particularly tight now ever since Kaya Ouchi brought in foreign mercenaries... It would be difficult to contact The Balik Empire," I said.

"Is the Viscount particularly bothering you?" Arielle asked worriedly.

I sighed.

"Not for now....It is just that I wanted to confirm a few things with you," I said.

It irks me a bit from how her information networks seem to always be a bit more reliable than mine...Are they biased towards women?

"If you need any of my help, please come to me," Arielle said with a smile.

I would rather not rely on you more than I have to again...

"I would like to try some of your cooking again," I said.

"...I seem to only remember being able to make simple food apart from survival food," Arielle said.

"Survival food? Have you increased your repertoire?" I asked.

"...My mother is a rather paranoid person, so I picked up a few survival methods," Arielle said nonchalantly.

The once weak Duchess now has a surprising survivalist instinct in her...

*Jungle music*

"I see..."

"I would be happy to have you as my guest again," Arielle said.

When she shows such an innocent smile, I somehow want to ruin it, but then you would cry again...

"Please ask if your fiancé would be fine with it first," I said.

I was once your fiancé, but I am just a friend...

"Of course," Arielle said with a slightly stunned expression.

She soon jumped out of her seat lightly and then rummaged through her bag and placed a rectangular red velvet box on the table.

"What is that for?" I asked.

"It is your birthday present if you do not mind accepting it," Arielle said.

My birthday?

I suddenly remembered that my birthday was in a few days.

"You remembered my birthday?" I asked.

"I never forgot...I did wonder if I would trouble you by giving you a present after all of this time," Arielle said with a melancholic smile. "Do you mind if I open it?" I asked.

"Go ahead."

I opened the box and found a delicate gold chain for a pocket watch. I suddenly remembered that the chair was currently using for my grandfather's watch was already worn down. I needed to change the chain but constantly forgot because I kept putting it off.

"Thank you, Arielle," I said with a smile.

"... You are very much welcome," Arielle said.

I want to ask, but I feel like I should not for some reason....

"Arielle, I have one last question...When is Garett's birthday?" I asked.

I soon received the answer I was looking for...

Garett soon came by to pick up Arielle, while I went to my office to lounge around on my couch.

"You will become even more sloppy if you make resting like that a common thing in your office, Your Highness," my Private Royal Tutor Roy Grant said.

Roy Grant is a thirty-year-old man with long gray hair and a monocle over his right eye. He has been my Tutor since I was young, so he has practically always been there for me whenever I needed his advice. "You should still knock first," I said.

"I did knock. You just did not answer," he said.

"Just because I did not answer does not mean that it is still okay to enter," I said.

"When did you learn to be so cocky?" he asked as he flicked my forehead.

"Ow!"

I rubbed my forehead to ease the pain of the aggressive flicks.

"It does not seem like you were sleeping. Were you in deep thought?" he asked.

"Let us just think hypothetically...What should I do if I have a sibling who is of the same age?" I asked.

"...A sibling of the same age?" he asked with widened eyes. "I suppose that it would have to depend on who the mother is. Is she of a low born Maid or a Noble?"

"The child is a twin who was meant to have died on the day it was born but had been put up for adoption instead," I said.

"I see, a twin...I would dare not say anything too blasphemous," he said.

"It is a hypothetical situation," I said again as if to convince him.

"...Then, I believe that you should kill him before he is able to announce that he is your sibling," he said coldly.

"Pardon?"

"Your Highness has been the only

rightful heir to the throne as long as

anyone can remember... What if a child appears who said that he is your twin and has grown up alongside the people? It would make a good sob story for the people and present an opportunity for Nobles with hidden intentions against both Your Highness and His Majesty. Someone who has grown up outside of the Castle may become resentful of the Crown and easily persuaded by people of the Court. I suggest that you also get rid of him before he is able to gain the support of powerful families like those rising in power such as Viscount Corrine, or families with established General and War Heroes like Marquis Pillar, and or long-established Nobility like Duke Maddox," he said.

"...Why those people?" I asked.

"They are all without sons to continue with their family name," he explained.

If they adopt the child, they would all gain something.

Garett is marrying into Arielle's family as well...

"Arielle will be continuing with taking over her family's name," I said.

"Lady Maddox has a rich bloodline and perfect qualities as a Queen. It is a shame that she was not able to become your Crown Princess. If you were to marry her, no one could easily threaten your position even if your supposedly twin brother appears," he explained.

"... Is coexistence possible?" I asked.

"It is impossible as long as he is alive," he answered.

...To keep my position, do I have to get rid of Garett?