Drop!! ～A Tale of the Fragrance Princess～

Volume 06, Intermission: Meddling with Sworn Brother

Translator: Blushy

Editor: delishnoodles

Vernoux’s Perspective

Gille stared at me until Dilly returned to the venue, and I deliberately sighed.

I don’t think he would be exposed at a time like this, but when it comes to this Prince, he has a bad habit of going incognito, but he is still a good-for-nothing guy.

“Hey. I told you to come as 『Sylvester』if you come, right?”

In a way, I wanted him to get close to Dilly as 『Sylvester』, that’s why I didn’t use my magic to change him into 『Gille』.

I told Dilly that I was going to stop delivering their letters for them, but I think he should make progress or give up if he can’t.

But, even if I think like this, he has a strange hobby… no, the black-haired Prince, who likes to collect mysterious masks, turned away from me with the mask still on his face. This guy is probably the most secretive person in this kingdom.

It seemed like he hadn’t forgotten what I had told him, and it was like Gille to come as 『Sylvester』, but his attitude shocked me a lot.

“The gatekeeper has to let you pass, so you should have snuck in as 『Sylvester』instead of 『Gille』. Tonight is just for exchanging greetings. You already know Dilly, and she’s the daughter of your honoured teacher. You could have snuck in and just greeted her before going back home.”

“I can’t, I wasn’t invited. I thought it might make a bad impression on the Earl.”

“Yeah…”

It’s not like I can’t understand that.

“I gave the Earl my congratulations yesterday. But he didn’t even invite me out of politeness.”

“Did you think that Earl would do that?”

“No, but I was going to go if he invited me. But I’m glad he hadn’t invited me.”

“Why?”

I wonder if he will say that he’s not ready yet.

“If I were to come, then I would take the limelight away from Dilly. She’s the main star today. I shouldn’t get in the way of that.”

“I’m praying that that isn’t an excuse from you being a good-for-nothing.”

He had talked in a calm voice, so I didn’t retort much.

Well, I’ll let him off for today. His timing for appearing as 『Sylvester』has already been lost.

However, Gille didn’t change the topic even though this was the best opportunity to do so.

“Vernoux, you’re so relentless.”

“I’m kind enough, aren’t I? I even held myself back and didn’t say that you could have danced with Dilly if you had gotten engaged with her.”

“Didn’t you just say it now?”

“You’re the one who made me say it.”

I said and Gille shrugged.

“It’s not like I hate it, and I’m thankful to hear it. Vernoux, I think of you like a real brother.”

“You’re saying that now? You don’t have to thank me or anything, just move forward.”

“Yes, I’ll get close to her properly. But with the current pattern, she’ll probably run away from me.”

It was rare to see him being optimistic, so I looked straight at him.

I can’t see his face because of the mask, but he wasn’t just saying that.

He always looked worried, but he didn’t look like that now.

“What’s with you today? You’re really bold right now.”

“Do I look a little cool?”

“If you didn’t have a mask on… hey stop joking around.”

I thought he was acting a bit weirdly, then he turned around and had his back towards me.

“It would also help dispel that rumour if I show everyone how much Dilly wants to avoid me. I won’t hold back if it’s for Dilly.”

“That’s really positive thinking. But, that’s only if she avoids you.”

“Well, at first. But I think it would be great if she gradually came to accept me. I’m also a little jealous right now and I thought about doing something like that.”

“What? Jealous?”

I scowled, then Gille turned around and pointed at me.

“You’re jealous of me?”

“Yes. I’ve always been jealous of you, but when I saw you two talking, I wanted Dilly to tell me that she was glad to have met me too.”

“You heard all that? It’s distasteful to eavesdrop.”

But it’s good that it ignited him.

I enjoyed watching over the two of them, but the time limit is approaching.

“Good luck. Not only you, but Dilly has also received a lot of marriage proposals. Having said that, I don’t think things would progress too quickly since the Earl loves his daughter. You’re more likely to meet other girls first.”

“I know.”

“But you’ve done a great job making it to adulthood without a fiancée.”

People have been looking for a fiancée for Gille since we were young.

The most conspicuous method were the tea parties aimed at children that the Queen hosted. Well, Gille would have been happy if Dilly attended one of them and a lot of things could have progressed.

The frequency of those tea parties decreased as we got older, but they were still held once every season, however when did those stop?

“… Actually, mother found out.”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, she hasn’t found out about Dilly. But she knows that I have been exchanging letters with a lady. I think she found out when I was 12. She noticed that I was choosing stationery to send to Dilly.”

Is it something that can be found out with something that trivial?

A mother’s observational skills might be sharper than I thought.

“Fortunately, she didn’t tell father.”

“Is that fortunate?”

“I wouldn’t want him to tease me. I thought you would understand, Vernoux.”

“… Ah, yeah.”

I don’t think my father would tease me. However, he would do something much worse than that.

It’s not difficult to imagine that if my father heard any love rumours about me, then he would gleefully ask me about it in detail. I can even predict that he would get heated talking about how he met my mother again.

I don’t think His Majesty would get that heated up, but Gille and I might feel the same level of discomfort.

But whatever the reason, it’s great that he’s decided to interact with Dilly as 『Sylvester』.

But there is something that is troubling me.

Gille used the word ‘jealous’. In other words, he isn’t composed.

There… How is he… or rather, how will he let her know that 『Gille』and『Sylvester』are the same person? Isn’t he completely forgetting about this?

He’s always open but when it comes to Dilly, he becomes like this.

“But you’ve committed yourself, right?”

“Huh?”

“I’m talking to myself.”

But well, there’s something I have to tell him first.

“Just don’t take risks.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t risk it to gain happiness. Don’t think about giving something a try just because you have nothing to lose.”

I can imagine what expression he was making underneath that mask when I saw him stop moving at my words.

“Keep it together younger brother.”

“Eh, I’m the younger one?”

“You want to be the older brother?”

“Because you have bad manners.”

“I won’t call someone, who got found out, an older brother. Never.”

Well, even if I have to compromise, I would probably say we were twins, but there’s no point in arguing about it.

“Oh yes, I want to confirm this just in case, but you haven’t met Miss Clydereine yet, have you?”

“No, I have.”

“Isee… Wait, what?! When?”

“Yesterday. I ran into her when she went to deliver something that Earl Clydereine had forgotten. I met her when I was on my way to my lesson with Earl Pameradia. She was with Earl Clydereine.”

“Weren’t they ambushing you then?”

The place that Gille uses for his lessons with Earl Pameradia isn’t off-limits to other people, but it’s not a place where people will go. But Earl Clydereine must have wanted to introduce Miss Clydereine to Gille since she wasn’t alone. It wouldn’t be odd for the Earl to know Gille’s itinerary.

Well, since she’s called the 『Dreamer Girl』, she might have known he would be there from her power.

I wasn’t the only one who thought this, Gille, who was smiling wryly, also thought the same.

“So, what was your impression of her?”

“She’s a very cute girl. She speaks politely and her voice is nice too. I was a little surprised since she wasn’t like what the rumours say.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. If she only talks, then I could still call her a normal lady. She didn’t talk about her dreams either.”

I knitted my eyebrows at those words.

I’ve met her a few times, and I got the impression that she was a scheming girl. Did she make herself that presentable in front of Gille?

“But I felt a little strange talking to her.”

“What do you mean?”

“We didn’t talk for that long, but she had her eyes wide open even when I was reacting in a normal way, so it surprised me. And, I also received replies as if she had heard me say something completely different.”

“Rather that strange… it’s really weird. Are you sure you want to put her in the category of people who you can talk with normally?”

Gille only laughed at my question and didn’t confirm or deny it.

However, what on earth is she thinking, that lady?

I’ll probably meet her some day at some evening party, so I probably should greet her next time and try to find out what’s in her mind.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t even be able to help these childhood friends of mine when they’re in trouble.