Rellia wanted to spend mealtimes apart from those guys, at least.
So that day, having woken up early alone, she hurriedly washed and headed to the dining hall.
"Hmm~"
Having shaken off the sticky ones who had been following her for days, she felt so good that she even hummed a tune.
Rellia entered the dining hall and sat in an empty seat. Despite the early hour, several children were already eating.
After sitting and waiting a little while, a servant soon brought her meal.
It was a fresh salad with boiled beef, warm bread, and a savory soup filled with mushrooms, vegetables, and meat pieces.
'If it were up to me, I'd never go back and want to live here forever.'
Having three proper meals a day served to me is so wonderful. Plus, they perfectly consider the nutrition when preparing them.
Light breakfast, substantial lunch, splendid dinner.
Moreover, if you want, you can come eat more anytime. They don't mind even if you eat five meals a day.
'I need to eat as much as possible here and get healthy.'
I couldn't eat much when I was young, so I need to eat diligently now to grow. Once I return, I probably won't be able to eat properly again.
Rellia began eating heartily, and thanks to being focused on the food, she didn't notice the gaze of the surrounding children.
"That's the one."
"They say those kids call that one 'Boss'?"
"They say it's the Crown Prince of Auralaria."
"So cool…."
The girls whispered while looking at Rellia.
And after Rellia finished her meal, when she was eating the post-meal dessert and drink the servant had brought—
"Hi?"
"…."
Rellia turned her head in surprise.
A pretty girl was sitting in the seat next to Rellia, smiling.
'She's pretty.'
Rellia thought unconsciously and returned the greeting to that girl.
"Hi."
"…His Highness the Crown Prince of the Auralaria Empire. Right?"
"…Hmm. Yeah."
Rellia tensed for a moment.
'Don't tell me she's a noble from the Auralaria Empire?'
When the temple gathered young royals to the neutral zone, they calculated the average age of young royals from each nation. Then they selected the age range that would capture the most children and requested that children of those ages be sent.
The Emperor of Auralaria, knowing his son's age fell exactly within that range, screamed his lungs out.
"Kreuz Temple bastards! Damn sons of bitches!"
However, after sending Rellia off, he became very calm.
Having regained his reason, the Emperor examined the list of noble children to send with Rellia. First, children who had seen the real Crown Prince's face couldn't be sent.
Fortunately, he had overprotected the Crown Prince since childhood, keeping him close, so there weren't many children who knew his son's face.
The Emperor selected only children from the lowest-ranking nobles possible to send with Rellia.
Knowing this fact, Rellia still avoided the girl's gaze just in case.
She didn't want to show her face in detail.
'Still, the Crown Prince has similar hair and eye color to me….'
It won't be a big problem later.
In the first place, if she stays here safely and returns, the current Emperor and Crown Prince will die anyway.
"I came from the Nikea Empire. My father is Count Cherdes."
"Ah, really?"
Knowing she wasn't from Auralaria, Rellia brightened and looked at the girl again.
When Rellia smiled brightly, the girl's face briefly reddened.
"Um… well. I just wanted to get to know you too. You're usually only with the boys."
"Ah, those guys?"
"Yeah… everyone calls you 'Boss'?"
"That's just, well."
Rellia shrugged indifferently as if it was nothing. Somehow felt like she'd become a cool man….
'Even though I'm just an elementary schooler at best.'
Rellia felt slightly pathetic about having been proud of herself for a moment, but without showing it, she smiled at the girl.
It didn't matter with the four guys she'd taken as subordinates, but she wanted to manage her image with other children.
Somewhat gentle, yet dignified and righteous— that kind of image?
"Hey, um."
"What is it? You can ask me anything you want."
"Has Lord Griffith ever mentioned me?"
"Huh?"
"Well… actually Lord Griffith is my fiancé."
"…."
Ah. Was that it?
Rellia thought for a moment then said.
"I don't really have deep conversations with him. I don't really… eat together with my subordinates much either."
"I see…."
That's when it happened. The large door of the dining hall burst open.
"Boss!"
Calix could be seen approaching from afar, waving his hand. And the other three guys too.
'They're already up. Those sticky ones.'
"Th-then let's talk again next time. Bye."
The girl who had been sitting next to Rellia started in surprise, then stood up and left.
The girls who had been waiting for their turn to talk made sad faces in the corner.
"You bastard. Why did you go alone! Do you know how surprised I was when you weren't in the room!"
Calix, who had come close, hit Rellia's back hard and said.
Either call me Boss or just casually— pick one, just one….
The four children took the seats on both sides of Rellia and across from her. It felt exactly like being surrounded.
"Boss, what's with that girl earlier? You trying to make a girlfriend, surely?"
"…."
Romeo raised one eyebrow and asked, and the other guys' gazes fixed on Rellia.
"Giiirlfriend?"
Calix sneered with a face that looked like he'd burst out laughing any moment.
"B-boss… i-is that true? G-girlfriend… you say…."
Oscar interrogated Rellia while stuttering severely.
Rellia didn't answer the two and frowned, glaring at Griffith.
Griffith, perhaps knowing the girl's identity, had a nonchalant attitude.
Look at this shameless guy?
Rellia shrugged.
"What's the big deal if she's my girlfriend? She's none other than Prince Griffith's fiancée, you know."
"Fiancée? You have a fiancée too?"
Calix looked at Griffith with a 'you bastard' face.
"…Is there anyone here without a fiancée?"
Romeo asked in an incredulous tone.
"I don't have one."
"…Really?"
Everyone looked puzzled at Calix's answer of 'I don't.'
"I-I don't… uh, have one either…."
Even Oscar answered that way.
'It's only the ones hated by the Emperor who don't have fiancées.'
Rellia clicked her tongue inwardly and thought.
Romeo's blue pupils were shaking wildly.
"Really, you don't? Then what about you, Boss? You don't have one either?"
"Huh?"
Uh… right. Did the Crown Prince have a fiancée?
'Given that Emperor who'd die for his son, he might have arranged one already… but he'd be extremely picky about choosing, so maybe there isn't one yet….'
The four stared at her, waiting for Rellia's answer.
Rellia finally found a wise answer.
"Um… I did hear Dad talking about something similar. But since I'm rather frail. He didn't tell me in advance because he was worried I'd be concerned. There probably is one? Or maybe there isn't yet."
It was the 'I don't know' tactic.
At Rellia's words, the four children nodded, thinking that could be the case.
"But you're saying you're frail? You look scrawny but you had good strength?"
Calix said, tapping her forearm.
"…Hey, if I hadn't received healing from the priest that day, my arm muscles would've been shredded. If you ask me to carry you again, I won't be able to, ever in my life."
"Tch…."
"You should be grateful. Huh? How much did I want to save you that I exerted such superhuman strength?"
At Rellia's words, Calix kept his mouth shut.
The five children present, including her, roughly knew about that day's events.
At least that a wolf appeared and that Rellia carried Calix down the mountain.
However, only Rellia, Calix, and Griffith knew that the culprit who summoned the wolf was related to the Emperor of the Askard Empire.
After that incident, Calix and Griffith wondered how Rellia had known that fact in advance.
Rellia couldn't tell the truth, so she made up an excuse, saying something like 'I sometimes have prophetic dreams.'
"Boss. If I were in danger, you would've done the same for me, right?"
Romeo thought for a moment then asked.
"…Huh?"
At Rellia's blank expression, Romeo got upset.
"Ha. You're hesitating, right now? I was the first one to get close to you, Boss! Don't you remember? Is your head clogged?"
"Ah, I remember! I know! Of course I would've."
Rellia answered as if annoyed, and Romeo laughed, saying 'that's what I thought.'
"B-boss… th-then what about m-me?"
"Oscar? If it were you, I'd carry you every single day."
You're smaller than me so you'd be light.
At Rellia's answer, Oscar put his fist to his mouth and giggled.
'Cute. Like a fairy.'
Rellia stroked Oscar's silver hair. I said he's really like a younger brother.
Come to think of it, Oscar and she had different eye colors, but similar silver hair. It wouldn't be strange if they became sworn siblings.
With a sudden thought, Rellia said to Oscar.
"Oscar, come to think of it, we have similar hair colors so someone might think we're siblings."
"R-really?"
"Ha, really! Siblings? You're all being ridiculous! Saying things that would cause bloodshed between two nations."
"Sometimes I want to tape Boss's mouth shut."
Calix and Romeo said in succession.
Rellia snorted.
Then she looked at Griffith who hadn't said anything since earlier. He was the only one in this place who hadn't asked, 'You would've saved me too, right?'
He was clearly afraid of hearing the answer 'no.'
Griffith had been following Rellia around with the other guys for the past few days, but he remained distant with her.
'How bothersome….'
Rellia, watching servants bringing meals from afar, tossed a remark at Griffith.
"Griffith, for the record, I would've done the same for you. At least you guys wouldn't cry and throw a tantrum refusing to be carried like Calix did."
"Hey! Who cried and threw a tantrum!"
Griffith bit his lips tightly whether Calix screamed or not.
"…I didn't even ask."
He answered with effort, but Rellia had an unconcerned attitude.
Soon the servants set meals before them at their table. It was the same in front of Rellia.
"Let's eat, kids!"
Rellia shouted energetically, then nonchalantly began her second breakfast.