Published: January 4, 2026
After listening to Alice’s singing for a while, I left the shop and returned to the mansion.
In front of the mansion at dusk, several men were kneeling and bowing deeply.
But it wasn’t just any bowing—it was a deep bow directed at my mansion, the residence of the thirteenth prince of the Ararat Empire.
Curious, I entered the mansion.
“Welcome home, Master.”
It was a young maid who specialized in reception who greeted me.
Whether guests arrived or I returned home, her face was always the first I saw.
In a way, she was the face of the thirteenth prince’s residence.
“Evelyn, there were some people bowing outside. Do you know what that’s about?”
“Yes, they came to offer an apology to Master.”
“An apology?”
“Apparently, they came with a subordinate who displeased Master to apologize.”
“...I see.”
So, it was that moneylender and his boss.
They were chased off by me, but when the boss found out it was me—the prince—he brought them back to apologize.
“What will you do?”
“…Send them away. Tell them that a prince isn’t someone you can just meet whenever you want.”
“Understood.”
Evelyn took my order and went outside.
“That’s a good move.”
“Brother!?”
As if on cue, my older brother—Fourth Prince Henry—appeared from deep inside the mansion.
“Brother, you were here all along?”
“Yes. Your handling just now was good. Meeting such people lightly would only lower the dignity of the royal family and princes. Well done.”
Henry praised me with a pleased expression.
“That’s one reason, but there’s another.”
“Oh?”
I started explaining what had happened.
I went to listen to Alice’s singing, then the father’s debt collectors showed up, and I intervened to chase them away.
After setting that as the premise, I continued.
“It’s better if they think I’m still angry. That way, they won’t dare touch Alice. But if I do that, it would be like pouring fuel on the fire.”
“I see.”
Henry’s eyes gleamed.
“To think you can think this far at your age, impressive.”
“Sometimes people stir things up again just when we’ve forgotten.”
“That’s true. Some jump back in just after things cool down. Good judgment. However—”
“However?”
I wondered if I said something wrong, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Henry grinned, skillfully curling one corner of his mouth.
“Was her singing really that good?”
“Don’t take her away, brother. I want to enjoy watching her grow.”
“You really like her, don’t you?”
“Alice has potential. As long as she keeps singing, she’ll improve.”
“I see. Then take me there sometime.”
“Understood. I’ll show you.”
We chatted as we walked deeper into the mansion, entering the living room I usually use.
Naturally, I offered Henry the seat of honor while taking the lower seat myself.
Even though it’s my mansion, he’s still my older brother.
So I offered him the seat of respect.
Balancing these things is tricky.
The Crown Prince naturally takes the seat of honor without question.
As the next emperor, he’s like our lord in many ways.
And for elder brothers like Henry, who are as old as a generation above, guests are guests, so they get the seat of honor.
For brothers closer in age, around the tenth or so, I take the host’s seat.
Getting this wrong leads to serious trouble, but thankfully, I’ve never made that mistake.
“You’re always so polite.”
“That’s only natural.”
“At your age, those from Frank, the ninth prince, to Gary, the fourteenth, aren’t like that. They’re still children. Especially Gary…”
“Your younger brother, right?”
This is quite difficult even for commoners, and rare among nobles.
We are all children of His Majesty the Emperor, but each has a different mother.
Among us, Henry and Gary share the same mother, which creates a unique bond different from the others.
“No matter how much I teach him, he won’t learn court etiquette. It’s troubling. Not saying he’s at your level, but he needs to improve.”
“Gary will understand eventually.”