"Now, move aside. I'd like to greet Miss Clara that you were trying so hard to hide from me."
"I see why you were able to unlock such a rank-up, your highness."
The crown prince waved his hand dismissively, shooing Victor away, but the brown-haired youth didn't budge, merely pointing out in an indifferent voice.
"...what was that supposed to mean…?"
Ester froze up and asked, his face getting slightly red because he could not control his anger to that degree yet.
"Merely some words of praise, Your Highness. Nothing more and nothing less. But since you've already made abundantly clear why you wanted to see Clara, we will be on our way."
It was Victor's turn to show a mocking smirk as he turned around, making sure that the white-haired girl would not be subjected to another glimpse of the crown prince.
He wasn't the tallest, but he was tall enough.
...and the broadness of his back was like the visual representation of the impenetrable shield with which his ability was associated.
"I didn't give you permission to leave, Victor!"
"I didn't ask for your permission, your highness."
Ester called out furiously at Victor, but that didn't stop the brown-haired young man from going back into the carriage together with Clara.
"Hah! I see what it is! The shield of the kingdom chooses a woman over the next king!"
Ester did not move from his spot, but he sure couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Your Highness, make no mistake. My older brother was the one doting on you."
"!!!"
Instead of an official goodbye, Victor looked at the crown prince, reminding him in a cold voice, stunning Ester into complete silence before closing the door.
The coachman didn't need any instructions, and Graniteis's carriage left the royal family's summer residence before the crown prince regained his voice.
"I do apologize, Miss Clara. Both for the inconvenience of making you travel for such an audacious display and for showing you such a disgraceful act of my own."
"Just Clara is enough, young lord. Just like you did back there. And you don't have to apologize for anything. I am deeply grateful that you stood up to the crown prince in my defense!"
As they left the mansion behind, Victor lowered his head to Clara and apologized profusely, but the girl hurriedly shook her head while waving her arms to dismiss such an idea.
"I'm sorry for that, too. It wasn't just for your sake. In fact, it was such a selfish act that I am disappointed in myself."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
The brown-haired young man raised his head and glanced at the shocked girl only to look down again.
"You were struck by a demonic curse. In my case, my family was ripped away from me by demon followers. My older brother was kidnapped by them, and my mother and younger sister died because of a demonic curse that was inflicted on them in an attempt to scare my father into submission. If I'm honest, I barely stopped myself from beating Ester to death for dressing up like a demon-crowned human. Like the same people who took my brother twelve years ago. I am… not the kind soul you see me as."
"..."
Victor confessed bitterly, and the flustered Clara had no idea what she could do to ease his burden.
"B-but it seems that he realized what he did at the end… when you mentioned your brother being the one… doting on him…?"
In the end, the white-haired girl figured out that it might be best for Victor to say everything bothering him, so she asked.
"Ha! If only!"
Victor scoffed, straightening his back and sitting upright with his eyes focused on something beyond the physical plane.
"My older brother, Ned, was Ester's first friend. You already know that everyone sharing the Graniteis bloodline looks older than they actually are. Ned was an exception. Not only that, our mother and the prince's mother were cousins, and fate wanted Ned and Ester to look extremely similar. Even with Ned's white and Ester's red hair, people seeing them for the first time would mistake them for twins."
Victor revealed.
"And just like I said to Ester, Ned was the one doting on him. Ned said that he would be his protector knight. Ned was spoiling him rotten. He even dyed his hair red and acted as Ester's body double a couple of times. No one complained. Ned's ability was more than enough to make him reliable far beyond his age… it was straight out of a heroic legend. Champion of Justice. For the duration of an encounter, all of his stats would continue increasing as long as his spirit wasn't broken, his conviction unshaken, until the end of the fight… Anyway, I did mention Ned to make Ester realize that he went too far, and I'm happy to hear that it worked, in your opinion, Miss Clara. Once again, I'm sorry."
He finished what he wanted to say and let out a deep sigh.
"Once again, there's nothing to apologize for, and just Clara is enough, young lord."
The girl corrected him quietly, quietly shifting in her seat as if she was about to get next to the young man, but…
"...?"
As she moved, a white handkerchief dropped out of her clothes and drifted to the floor, only that as it unfurled, a half-crushed insect fell out of it, making Victor raise his brow as he noticed it.
"...!"
Clara noticed that he noticed and tried to hide it still, although in vain.
"You… really like insects, don't you…?"
"!!!"
Victor pointed out, and for the first time in quite some time, Clara's composure broke completely, with the girl biting her lips while getting completely red from shame.
"I-it's not like that…!"
She cried out, grabbing the dead insect with the handkerchief and showing it off to the young man.
"Th-this is an insect with a weak nerve paralyzing poison…! I… I was going to… slap the crown prince and act as if I did it for his sake, showing off the dead insect in my hand… and all…"
"...!"
Clara admitted to a childish plan, deeply embarrassed, although it was debatable whether she was embarrassed about the plan itself or about not being able to carry it out.
"Hhngh…! Thank goodness that didn't happen… Miss Clara, many things can be said about Ester, but he is serious about his training. His reflexes are on par with the top adventurers. Your plan would be foiled, and you would end up in a really bad spot."
"...I'm sorry… and just Clara is enough, young lord…"
Victor masked a snort as he cleared his throat and pointed out, trying to hide his amused expression. Clara muttered, bashfully hiding her face.