Chapter 55
Dugudugudugu!
“Stop making drum sounds with your mouth.”
While Sir Ain was noisily imitating drumbeats and staring at me, I glanced past him at Dad, Killian, and Adel one by one before raising my signboard.
In an instant, hope and despair split apart.
“The answer is… X! Ah… what a pity, Your Majesty. Still, it’s a relief you realized it now. Heheh.”
Sir Ain!
He’s so thrilled he doesn’t even notice my dad’s stern face. You’d better guard your neck!
As I silently screamed this, Sir Ain walked toward me. For a moment, I thought he had heard my inner voice—but no, that wasn’t it.
“Now, the one question everyone here most wants answered! What is Crown Princess Celestia’s favorite color? Please give us a clear answer, Your Highness.”
So he really was a master MC, the type who scratches at the viewers’ curiosity.
If only he would scratch at my heart instead.
“Now then! Is the answer blue, as Young Lord Märchen claims? Or could it be something unexpected like… purple?”
Pfft! A laugh burst out of me.
That would be hilarious—an answerer, but no winner.
From Dad’s expression, it seemed he was secretly hoping it wasn’t blue.
Still, I couldn’t lie.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on me. I swallowed hard and opened my mouth.
“Blue!”
“Wow! Of course!”
Sir Ain quickly rushed over, raised Killian’s hand, and shouted:
“The correct answer, blue, was guessed by Young Lord Killian Märchen! Let’s move on to the next quiz!”
Cheers rang out, and in the next round, an unnamed child was eliminated.
In the end, it came down to Killian and Adel.
This wasn’t exactly a family feud, but I was stuck wondering who I should root for.
“So now, we have the two children closest to the Crown Princess competing against each other. I wonder if the quiz I’ve prepared will be enough to decide the winner.”
“Indeed. I’m curious to see who will win. Hm…”
Dad, who had returned to sit beside me, stroked his chin.
“But Tia, is your favorite color really blue, not green? I was sure it was green. After all, your eyes are green. How embarrassing for me. For Young Lord Märchen to know when I didn’t… I feel ashamed, humiliated, and so small. So from now on, will you spend more time with me? I need to learn everything about my Tia.”
He went on endlessly—about making a Tia Encyclopedia, a Q&A called One Hundred Questions, One Hundred Answers, needing a rematch, and how he must win next year’s contest.
I clamped a hand over his mouth.
“Quiet, Dad. This is an important moment. The contest isn’t over yet.”
“Ah! Right, Tia. Sorry. I was just so shocked….”
At last, Dad’s chatter came to a firm stop.
I turned my attention back to Sir Ain, waiting for the final quiz.
“Now, I’ll present the thirtieth question, which will determine today’s champion! By coincidence, it’s also the last one I prepared. If there’s still no winner, then Her Highness the Crown Princess herself will decide. Any objections?”
“None.”
“No, none at all.”
Killian and Adel, who had been holding hands until now, let go and faced each other.
They almost looked like they were glaring, though that was probably my imagination. It wasn’t often they got along as well as they had lately.
With a solemn expression, Sir Ain declared:
“The winner of this quiz contest will receive a wish granted by His Imperial Majesty! Now, the final question. Listen carefully and answer with O or X!”
Everyone held their breath.
“Crown Princess Celestia’s favorite fruit is strawberries. O if true, X if false!”
I expected them both to pick O. Instead, Adel chose O while Killian chose X.
I had my reasons for expecting O.
Killian and Adel both loved strawberries so much that whenever we were together, they ate nothing else.
Since I’d never explicitly mentioned my preferences—because I never meant to brag—I never imagined Killian would choose X.
“Did Killian decide to let Adel win?”
I muttered to myself, but Dad leaned close to whisper in my ear:
“No, Tia. Young Lord Märchen doesn’t intend to yield.”
“Huh?”
“Look at his eyes. That certainty—you saw it before too.”
Something about that fierce determination unsettled me. Surely not…? No, it couldn’t be. It mustn’t be!
Dad murmured:
“Even so, how could a seven-year-old boy possibly know your fruit preference when you’ve never told him?”
It was different from guessing based on my favorite color.
As expected, Sir Ain swooped in with an interview. This round would definitely decide the winner, so it was only natural.
Ambition as host, duly noted.
“First, let’s speak with Lady Adelaide Lewendif, who chose O. My lady, why do you think Her Highness’s favorite fruit is strawberries?”
“W-Well, Tia—Her Highness always eats strawberries for dessert. Strawberry cake, strawberry tart, strawberry parfait….”
Her voice was small, but she spoke firmly to the end.
And she didn’t even stutter! I was so proud of our Adel.
“Oh! I see. Judging by dessert preference, it does seem likely strawberries are her favorite fruit. Now, let’s turn to Young Lord Killian Märchen, who chose X.”
As he approached Killian, Sir Ain cast a long glance at Dad for some reason.
“A moment ago, you proved your closeness with Her Highness by correctly guessing that her favorite color was blue, not green. Now, why did you choose X?”
“Of course, as Lady Adel said, Her Highness often enjoys strawberry desserts. But… I don’t think strawberries are actually her favorite fruit.”
“And why is that?”
“Because whenever we eat strawberry desserts, Her Highness is always busy giving the strawberries to us. If it were truly her favorite, I doubt she’d do that. Rather… I think it might be oranges.”
At the word orange, Dad clicked his tongue—“That boy, really”—though I couldn’t tell if it was approval or disapproval. Either way, I didn’t care. Ever since the color question earlier, Killian had been overwhelming me with one emotional blow after another.
The blessings of one’s favorite person really are too much to bear.
“Oranges?”
“Yes. Whenever orange salad is served, Her Highness is delighted. She usually leaves the salad for last, but on those days, she eats it first—and sometimes even asks for more. Also, in this greenhouse… there are more orange trees than any other.”
“Wow… Young Lord Märchen, your powers of observation are incredible.”
“Haha….”
As Killian laughed shyly, goosebumps prickled my arms and I rubbed them furiously.
He was right.
I’d always known he was a bit obsessive and detail-oriented, but I hadn’t realized he was observing me so closely, without ever showing it.
Getting that kind of attention from my favorite person made my heart swell—but at the same time, it felt like I was doing something cruel.
If he thought about me this much, how betrayed would he feel when I eventually disappeared without a word?
Anyway! After finishing the interview, Sir Ain stretched an arm dramatically toward me on the stage.
“So, what is Crown Princess Celestia’s favorite fruit? If it’s strawberries, the answer is O. If not, X. This final question will decide the winner. Now, Your Highness—the answer?”
Dugudugudugu! The children echoed Sir Ain’s drumroll.
Some slapped their thighs, some stomped their feet, some drummed on the tables with their fists. At the height of the tension, I raised my signboard!
“Waaah!”
“It’s X! X!”
“Yes! The answer is X! Which means the winner of today’s quiz about Crown Princess Celestia is… Young Lord Killian Märchen of House Märchen! Congratulations! And congratulations as well to our runner-up, Lady Adelaide Lewendif!”
Sir Ain looked like he wanted to ask me directly what my favorite fruit really was, but I decided to stay silent—for Adel’s pride, and because admitting it was oranges would only stir my heart up even more.
Killian… why does he know me so well?
When I shook my head, Sir Ain caught on quickly and moved briskly to close the event.
“The awards ceremony will begin as soon as the prize is ready. Children, until the trumpet sounds again, you are free to enjoy yourselves!”
