When Yuuya was continuing his training.
The royal family of a certain country in Europe was in the midst of a hectic atmosphere.
"Please reconsider, Your Highness!"
An old butler complained in a room furnished with fine furniture.
A young man with neatly arranged brown hair received such an appeal.
The young man, who was called Your Highness, said to the butler who tried to stop him.
"Don't stop me. I have already made up my mind."
"No, that's not allowed! Please reconsider!"
"Huh… James, why won't you agree?"
"I'm not saying it's me who can't approve it; I'm saying it's the royal family who can't approve it!"
"What did you say?"
The young man frowned at the words of the butler named James.
"What are you objecting to now? I have long made it known that I have someone in mind. And both my dear father and dear mother approved."
"Yes, indeed, they did. However! His Majesty and Her Majesty both approved it because they thought the person Your Highness had in mind was a person from this country!"
James caught his breath and announced again in a clear tone.
"…But you say that the person you seek is a commoner of Japan. Certainly, there are those who have established connections with the royal family from the standpoint of commoners. But with people from other countries…"
"Kaori's family must have been quite wealthy, even if they were not a noble family."
"Even so, the country's standard is very high. The future queen must learn the history and traditions of this country. Etiquette is also a must. Do you have any idea how much work that is?"
"No problem. Kaori is an excellent woman. She will surely become a worthy queen."
"First of all! Are you sure that this Kaori doesn't already have a special partner?"
"Of course not. I was the one who looked at her. Nobody would be stupid enough to touch her."
"….."
James' head hurt from this baseless statement.
"I've told you time and time again that my mind was made up from the beginning. When I come of age, I will bring Kaori as my queen."
James, realizing that there was nothing he could say that would help, let out a heavy sigh and said something that suddenly caught his attention.
"Where did you meet this woman named Kaori?"
"At a party at our academy."
"The academy? Oh, sponsored by the royal family…"
"That's right. At the entrance party of the second class there, I think. Kaori was there as a family member of one of the students who will be admitted to our academy."
The young man remembered those days while telling this story.
──The academy, which is run by the royal family, has one of the highest standards in the country.
Therefore, the graduates of the academy are active in a variety of fields, just like the Ousei Academy in Japan.
The school held a grand party for the entrance and graduation ceremonies.
Of course, it was hosted by the royal family, and people from the royal family attended.
It was really a coincidence that the young man attended the party.
Normally, his father, the king, and the queen would have attended the party, but unfortunately, neither of them had time that day due to their important official duties.
So the young man, the Crown Prince, had to attend the party as a substitute.
However, the young man, who had never liked crowded places, found the entrance party nothing but misery.
"Hah… I can't wait for it to be over…"
He couldn't help but complain about the party.
An adult could enjoy a drink, but a young man who had not yet reached adulthood cannot even do that.
Besides, it was a party hosted by the royal family, so the food prepared was exactly what he was used to.
Besides, he was inundated with people who wanted to take advantage of his position as the crown prince.
After spending such a boring time, the young man suddenly looked around the party hall.
"Hmm?"
Then he noticed that there were people who were unusually uninterested in him as the Crown Prince.
"Nee-chan! The food here is amazing!"
"Yes, you're right. But don't get too excited, okay?"
"I can't help it! There are so many delicious-looking things here; it would be weird if you didn't get excited."
"Maybe, but you should have a little more manners…"
"Ah, geez! You should stop talking like mother!"
He could tell at a glance that they were foreign sisters.
Of course, there were foreign students in the royal family's academy.
However, there were only a few of them, as it was not an academy that could be entered easily.
At first, the young man was a little interested, but his interest soon faded… Or so it should have been.
"Huh…"
However, the moment he saw the girl rebuking the excited younger girl, the young man's heart beat loudly.
She had flowing black hair and a somewhat modest appearance.
And yet, the young man was captivated by the girl's interesting presence.
The young man could not hide his bewilderment at the sensation he had never felt before.
The chatter of the partygoers around him continued, but nothing reached the young man's ears.
The sound of his heart beating loudly and the feeling of his cheeks growing hot.
The world seemed to shine so brightly after seeing the girl that he felt as if the world he had seen before was dull.
The other partygoers who had called out to the stunned young man had strange looks on their faces.
"Yo-Your Highness?"
They all shouted worriedly, but nothing reached the young man's ears.
He simply surrendered to his current sensations.
At the same time, he realized what that feeling was.
"I found it."
──Thus, the young man fell in love with the woman of his destiny──Kaori.
"I'll never forget the shock of that moment…"
The young man who told the story of his encounter with Kaori thought back to that moment, chewing over his words.
"…I never thought something like that would happen at that party… Indeed, and I intended to ask Your Highness to join at some point in the future. And that included, in no small part, the name of finding a partner for Your Highness. That was the first and…"
"Oh. I never thought this would happen at that party, either. But the moment I saw her, I fell in love."
"I see… And then you got to know this girl named Kaori?"
"No, I just watched her from a distance."
"Huh? You didn't even talk to her?"
"What do you mean? I greeted her, but… just briefly."
"J-just greeted her…?"
"Yes, Kaori's charm was so great that I couldn't speak at that time… I'm sure my feelings were conveyed to her!"
"….."
James was speechless.
Such a thing was not even a relationship anymore. And he was absolutely sure that it was not a relationship of a lover.
But for some reason, the prince was convinced that he and Kaori would be together.
James was unable to say anything about the situation, which was too absurd, but then he suddenly realized.
"No, wait…? If the relationship has not been established, then His Highness' confession will surely fail… Then, even if I don't convince him here, he will fail and give up…? It doesn't matter what I say; once he feels the pain…"
"What's wrong?"
"No, nothing?"
James, who had collected his thoughts in an instant, changed from before and put on a serious expression.
"I understand Your Highness's serious thoughts. Let us prepare for the journey immediately."
"Oh, you finally understand! I'm counting on you!"
James bowed respectfully and left the room.
The young man looked out of the window and stared into the distance.
"Kaori… I can finally come for you…"
The young man, blinded by love, did not know that his feelings were one-way.