Episode 19
Get Along With Each Other (2)
The three men stood blankly, stunned by my words.
“Well, now that we’re done talking—”
“But Odelia!”
The first to regain his senses was Baizen.
As expected from the first one I conquered, he recovered the fastest.
Soon, Rudolf also came to his senses, but sadly, only Ian stood there, half-dazed for a long time.
I had no intention of listening to any more of their nonsense.
I had notified them; now it was up to them to think it over on their own.
“That’s all I have to say.”
I cut off any further talk in a flat tone, and Baizen lightly bit his lip.
Moreover—
“Before you say this or that to me… don’t you all look a bit too pathetic right now?”
At my words, the three men looked down at themselves.
They looked absolutely ridiculous.
Baizen, having been swamped with work for two weeks, had dark circles down to his jaw and patchy stubble on his unshaven face.
Ian, who seemed fine at a glance, had bloodshot eyes from stress, puffy lids from crying during our reunion, and a bit of snot hanging under his nose.
Rudolf looked the most intact, but the tear streaks left on his face were pitiful.
“Alright, Oppa, go wash up and sleep now. Your Highness, wipe your face and return to the palace. Rudolf, you go back to the Magic Tower.”
I clapped my hands decisively to settle the situation, and the three men parted their lips as if to protest.
“But—”
“Tsk, zip it! Not today. I don’t care. All of you go home and rest.”
I ended it cleanly and rose from the sofa.
“Oh, and just in case.”
Really, just in case, I turned back to look at the three of them and continued,
“If any of you sneak into my room while I’m sleeping or start fighting the moment I leave, I’ll head straight to the Duke of Starwood’s mansion.”
Their shoulders all flinched at once.
You jerks, were you really thinking about doing that?
It was absurd, but I figured they wouldn’t try it now since I’d warned them, and I left the office.
Having just returned from the Magic Tower, I was exhausted, a wave of fatigue crashing over me.
I quickly prepared for bed and was about to crawl in when a familiar shadow tapped on my window from outside.
✦ ✦ ✦
I once read a comic like this.
There was a dog, a cat, and a mouse chasing each other, each trying to catch and torment the others just for the sake of it.
They weren’t running around now, but that exact scene was unfolding before my eyes.
And in this case, the target was very clear:
Me. Odelia Snifter.
“Odelia, I brought those macarons I mentioned before. Made by the palace chefs, top-quality.”
The dog—His Highness the Crown Prince—was trying to tempt me with food.
“Odelia, today, I’ll do anything you want.”
The cat—the crazy muscle sexy man—was seducing me with his half-unbuttoned chest.
“Odelia, I was good yesterday, right? I went straight back to the Magic Tower.”
The mouse—our dear deer—was behaving well, trusting in his own cuteness.
Whatever they were thinking behind those faces, I could guess what they all wanted:
They wanted me to stay with them out of my own will, not out of coercion.
Should I just sit in Baizen’s broad lap, with Rudolf clinging to me on the side, while Ian feeds me macarons?
The thought crossed my mind for a second before I dismissed it.
If I really did that, rumors would spread that I had truly lost my mind.
And as a person, I knew such things were best left as fantasies.
I watched the three for a moment, then rested my chin on my hand.
“So, what do you all really want?”
“Send these other bastards away.”
“Tell the others to leave.”
“Stay with me.”
In order, Rudolf, Baizen, and Ian all spoke at once as if they had practiced it.
Wow, you’re all so in sync. Why don’t you all just play together?
I uncrossed my legs and stood up, flashing a bright, sweet smile.
“I told you idiots to get along…”
My short words shut up Baizen and Ian, but the clueless Rudolf pouted.
“I don’t like idiots. I don’t want to get along. The one I like—”
“I like Oppa and His Highness, though.”
My words brought color back to Baizen and Ian’s faces, their ears practically perking up for attention.
Ignoring them, I called out to Rudolf, who was scowling.
“Rudolf, I’m not asking you to like the people I care about. I’m just telling you not to fight.”
“Odelia, think about it. Would you fight with bugs?”
Rudolf sneered, curling his lip, glancing at Baizen and Ian with disdain.
Ian, finally snapping, stepped forward, clenching his fists.
“I refuse to spend even a minute with such a disrespectful—Odelia, this is a royal command. You must not refuse—”
“A crow arrived last night.”
At my words, Ian’s body stiffened in tension. Oh, he knows what this is about.
Before I went to bed, the Emperor’s crow had arrived at my window with a message.
Realizing Ian’s foolishness and lack of planning in this incident, the Emperor must have sent it thinking I was the one shaking Ian up the most.
Inside the letter was a command for me to come to the palace and become the Crown Princess.
I was so dumbfounded that I immediately sent a letter back that night:
“I am not interested in your son. I intend to remain as a friend, not a lover. Please find a more suitable Crown Princess. Also, please give your son more work so he will stop coming to my house.”
The next morning, another crow arrived, stating that if Ian was being unreasonable because of his royal status, the Emperor himself would take responsibility, so I should feel free to refuse.
And if Ian acted like a spoiled brat or overstepped as royalty, I was given permission to scold him as much as I wanted.
Even to hit him—without limit.
In the novel, I had disliked the Emperor for oppressing Odelia because of Ian, but… wasn’t His Majesty actually pretty awesome?
Handing Ian the letter I received from Lucy, I smiled brightly.
“Your Highness, please don’t push your luck before I tell His Majesty.”
And with a sweet, sharp smile, I clenched my fist.
A fist filled with the resolve to smack him if he acted out.
It might look like I was getting cocky under the Emperor’s protection—and I was.
When else would I get to act like this?
Baizen seized the opportunity, nodding in agreement.
“Odelia is right. Also, this is my house, so from now on, please do not enter without my permission. Odelia, you too shouldn’t let others—”
“Should I just leave, then?”
“…What?”
“You don’t like that, do you? You’d rather I stayed and played here, right?”
“…Yeah.”
Baizen fell silent, bowing his head.
You may think you’re the master of this house, Baizen, but I sit above your head.
You don’t like it either if I leave and meet them elsewhere, do you?
Baizen, looking dejected, fiddled with the buttons of his dress shirt.
Just a while ago, he hated me even touching them, keeping them tightly buttoned, but lately, his strategy must have changed because more and more buttons were undone each day.
Ignoring the puppy-like men’s antics, I turned to Rudolf.
Of the three, Rudolf was the least happy with the current situation, so I had some expectations.
As I looked at him with a hint of hope, Rudolf simply rested his head on my lap as if it were nothing.
“If you say so, Odelia, then I’m fine with it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’m just happy being with you.”
Rudolf smiled adorably, tickling the back of my hand as if asking to be petted.
Like a child seeking praise, he wrapped his arms around my waist, acting so well-behaved that it was touching.
When I praised him and patted his head, Rudolf closed his eyes with a sleepy smile like a content cat.
“Rudolf is so good.”
“Yeah, I’ll only do things you like, Odelia. If I’m a good boy, you’ll love me more, right?”
“Of course. I’ll keep loving our Rudolf every day. So please get along with my silly Oppa and His Highness, okay?”
“Nope.”
With a smile so radiant it was dazzling, Rudolf replied.
Ah, our Rudolf… your good behavior doesn’t even last a minute, does it?
Rudolf giggled lazily, pushing his hair back as if what he was about to say was obvious.
“I don’t associate with such stupid fools.”
Ah, there it was—our Rudolf’s devilish face again. You brat.
I told you to get along. I’ll only survive if you idiots stop fighting, you insufferable child.
Yet in Rudolf’s eyes, there was no arrogance or deceit.
He genuinely believed, without a shred of doubt, that he was a genius.
Well, he was the archmage who knew everything, after all.
It was understandable that the likes of a marquis and a crown prince seemed like fools to him.
But still, you shouldn’t look at Baizen and Ian as if they’re complete idiots!
Seeing the three of them growling at each other again, I shook my head.
There really was no hope for them.
I sighed deeply as I watched them.
I couldn’t leave things like this anymore.
It was time for drastic measures.
“Get lost, mage!”
“Your Highness, please get lost as well!”
“Shut up, you idiots.”
First, I had to clean up the chaos in front of me.
“Alright, all three of you, that’s enough.”
“But…”
“Tsk! But what? Come here. Right now.”
At my call, the three of them gathered in front of me, poking each other’s sides, squabbling like preschoolers.
Are you kids?
“Stop fighting. Now, give me your hands.”
They all placed their hands on top of mine at the same time.
“Now, not on me, but hold each other’s hands.”
“What? No—”
“Hold them.”
At my low, threatening tone, Ian immediately grabbed Rudolf’s hand.
“Now, look at each other and say, ‘I’m sorry.’”
“What do I have to be sorry—”
“Tsk! Don’t you dare let go.”
“I hate this!”
They all shouted in horror as if they had seen something filthy.
Are you brothers or what? Why do you all sync up so well?
I glared at them sharply as they continued to throw a tantrum.
Surely it must be terrifying if the cute, pretty, sexy Odelia was glaring at you.
So hurry up and do it before I really leave.
When I bared my teeth and glared, the three of them finally held hands.
“Repeat after me: ‘Hello.’”
“…”
“Or should I go see Duke Starwood? Maybe get married?”
“…Hello.”
Their hello sounded more like a plea for death than a greeting.
These idiots.
