As a teacher, I’ve seen so much of the other world. I’ve seen the beautiful and ugly side of everything. And yet, all of this hasn’t prepared me to see a little princess tackling her brother and starting to complain about how hard his abs are…

“You can’t be like this, Brother Hansel. You need to let me hurt you every time I see you!” she said.

“... I know for sure that’s not how things work-”

“And who this might be?”

She noticed me for the first time, having inquiring eyes. She quickly surrounded me, inspecting my clothes.

“A peasant!” She concluded… Oh, man. That was harsh. “But why would my brother have a peasant in his room? So many questions!”

“Y… You can actually ask your brother there?”

“But that’d leave the fun part out! Is this your new lover, Brother Hansel?! What happened to the last one?”

Hansel seemed tired, but also amused, he sighed before answering.

“I haven’t had a lover, Moira, and I’m not going to start right now. Please, behave.”

“But the two ladies at the Hunter’s Banquet just past midnight two and a half years ago!” That’s awfully specific.

“They pretended to be lost and waited for me here, nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“This is rather frustrating, Brother. When will you have a lover?! It doesn’t help my ships to set sail.”

“Y-Your ships?” I reluctantly asked, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.

“Don’t you have your imagination for that? And I’d say that it's already dangerous enough.”

“Noooooooo,” it’s the end of the world for her, I think. “You there,” she pointed her finger at me. “Fall in love with my brother, marry him and make him the queen of this realm!”

I was paralyzed, didn’t know what to say. Probably it was best to keep it quiet so she can’t get any crazier ideas than that.

“That’s not how heirship works-”

“It works like that in my stories, brother. Anyway, I think I fooled around just enough. Who is this? It’s so rare for you to have guests, let alone peasant guests.”

“Of course, this is Leonard Sica. This is the soldier I told you about.”

“The one that saved you?! Yes, my ship is not completely sunk after all. I’m Moira Lyonwhite, Second Princess of the Amanres Queendom.”

The girl had black skin, just as beautiful as his brother’s, had round glasses and blue eyes. She was quite small but had a lot of energy. Her hair was styled in two buns, each on the sides of her head.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Moira.”

“Oh, by the ancients. He is so well mannered. No wonders my brother fell for you!”

“Please, stop saying that, Moira. I don’t want any weird rumors running about.”

“Sure, Big Brother,” yeah, she won’t keep this a secret, will she?

Even so, Moira was such a nice person. I don’t like to be called a peasant, but she didn’t use the word contemptuously. She was a little too much to handle, that’s for sure, but she was also easy going and a really bright person. Hansel told me she even had a small laboratory, since she was such a prodigy in magic.

“My talent is not as battle oriented as my brother and sister, but I can handle anything that comes my way!” She said with a shining smile on her face.

“And yet,” we heard another voice coming from the hall. This time, there was a woman wearing armor, dark skin and murderous eyes. “Here you are, running away from your responsibilities, Moira…”

“Sister Maya…”

“Didn’t I tell you to meet me an hour ago? Don’t you want to train?”

“I’m training my own way, Sister, and I’m actually learning more like this. I do appreciate the concern but-”

“Is… that… so?”

I couldn’t even see when she closed the distance between us. She was already holding Moira by her wrist. What is this incredible pressure in the air? I can barely breathe. This killing intent is coming from the woman?

“That’s not your decision to make, little sister. Orders are orders.”

“And you blindly follow them? You think that’s the best for me?”

“I think that’s enough, Maya. Hand her over before you start hurting her,” Hansel had a straight face, almost threatening.

“What are you going to do, Artisan? Bore me to death? Or perhaps…”

“Enough.”

Yes, things can and, actually, got worse. An astonishing figure entered the chambers now. I instinctively bow to him. The delicate silk and innumerous golden rings and ornaments in his clothes, as well as the incredible well crafted crown in his head. He had a round belly, and you might think he’s the classic lazy king, but the muscles in his arms said otherwise. Also, his presence was so overwhelming I was too tempted to kneel, just so I don’t fall because of that.

I’m glad I’m not the only one bowing before him, but I can only imagine the fear and respect his own kids feel for him.

“Maya, I recall telling you to train Moira in combat without delay.”

“We were on our way to do so, Father.”

“I expect Moira is not complaining about this again.”

“... No, Father. I was just paying a visit to my brother before heading to the training grounds,” Moira sounded kind of sad, she doesn’t want to go so bad.

“Time is wasted. Go now. As for you, Hansel. I don’t know what you were thinking when you brought such a pet to your chambers, but I remind you you are still a Prince, and Nobility and myself expect you to behave as such. We are no charity, and I fail to see any use for this peasant to be here. Get rid of it and gather with the rest of the generals in the Meeting Room. There is so much to discuss.”

“... Yes, Father.”

Just as fast as he got in, he left us with an unpleasant feeling. Moira saw me with a discomfort in her eyes, apologetic, as she left with a quiet Maya.

“I’ll leave too, then.”

“I’m sorry it has come to this…”

“You have nothing to worry about, Hansel. We’ll see each other tomorrow.”

The King of Amanres… is a terrifying person. He didn’t even look at me while he talked to Hansel. Perhaps I’m not relevant to him at all… I shouldn’t let this get me. It’s only natural for this to happen, especially with royalty. There are dysfunctional families everywhere after all. What is left for me is to prepare the spells for tomorrow’s test.