Ore no Osananajimi wa Joshikousei de Yuusha Chapter 42

“Ivan Kingdom First Heir, Her Highness Rosé Vosne-Romanée Gran Cru Ivan, Is at Cooouuurrrt!!”

A bald old guy in prim getup announced with all his power.
I was a bit taken by surprise and at the same time the people around went down on their knees all together and bowed their heads.
Arina and I confusedly did the same.

We are at the Ivan Castle’s highest ‘Royal Throne Room’
It was tall and wide and had a magnificent air.
The word ‘solemn’ might be appropriate here.
The first thing that catches your eye would be the huge stone statue.
It’s a statue of a sage with a long moustache in a cape, and is about as big as a daibutsu¹.
He’s this country’s founder, Ivan the First.
Underneath him, he watches over two red thrones with gilded edges.
The thrones were put on a raised platform like an altar and there were stairs leading down from there.
Red carpet was laid down on the room that was probably over 50 meters wide, and there were stone arches on either side in an out of reach place. On them there were cloth with coats of arms drawn on them arranged evenly. The pillars supporting those were made of marble and was decorated with three dimensional ornamentations of mythical beasts, and the mosaic picture on the inside enhances the solemnity of the room.
The high ceiling of the atrium-like hall was painted with angel-looking humanoids with a western touch.
¹ «TN: large Buddha statue»

Inside the room that won’t feel strange to be called a temple, were several tens of n.o.bles, officials, and knights in ceremonial garb in a line, and at their head were two rough-looking high schoolers bending down, imitating the people around them.

Yep, they were Arina and Me.

“T, this feels like… a period drama, doesn’t it?”
“They do things the same way, I guess. Though they seem to do dogeza over there”
As we were talking in whispers, a woman slowly entered from behind a door at the back of the altar, accompanied by a deep and solemn pipe organ BGM.

Wearing a dress, white, symbolizing purity.
Her face was covered by a veil, and she was holding a swaying, balance-like metalwork.
She had makeup on her face and vividly colored lipstick.

Though her individuality is being covered up, she is unmistakably Princess Rosé… the girl who fought with us during the Isky Manor Incident.
“Hieee…. L, looking like this, she really looks like a princess doesn’t she?”
“Shush!”
I shut Arina up, but I feel the same way.
Taking her time, Princess Rosé sat down on the throne.
The BGM stopped right at that moment.
One of the n.o.bles lined alongside us stood up.
“I congratulate Your Highness for resolving this case yourself. All the retainers present wish to offer you our heartfelt thanks”
“It was all in service to the Fatherland”
Princess Rosé responded from her high station.
Her voice was devoid of emotion or intonation, but it resounded through the whole throne room.
The room might have been constructed that way.
Then Rosé said, “Yuuki, Arina, raise your heads”
“… huh, us?”
“w, w, we can stand, right?”
“She did tell us to…”
“Y, Yuu-kun…”
While we were hesitating, the n.o.ble next to us yelled.
“You’re in the presence of Her Highness, hurry it up!”
… with a murderous voice.

“I don’t mind. Stay there”
As Princess Rosé said so, she stood up and went down from the altar.

Immediately, our surroundings started to get noisy for some reason.
“I think we did something bad?”
“M, m, maybe. But I don’t know what…”
Princess Rosé went down the stairs and stood in front of us.

“Sorry, I took you along for some formalities all of a sudden, you must’ve been surprised”
She said to us in that tone.

“Y, Your Highness, to step down from the throne for commoners is…”
One of the n.o.bles protested, but…
“Considering their achievements, it’s obvious, no? Or do you have something to say about my friends?”
As Princess said so, he nervously fell silent.
“I’d like to introduce you two to everyone so please stand. … you can relax you know”
Even if you say so…
The two of us stood up and looked at each other as if to say “what do we do now?”
Then Princess Rosé prompted us to go toward the stairs.
From a slight distance, we stood in front of the n.o.bles.
Just like some honor students being presented before the morning a.s.sembly.

“Shimoyama Yuuki and Sakurai Arina. These two risked their lives protecting me against Marquis Isky’s son Glenn Irish Isky’s treason.
If not for them, I probably wouldn’t be here safe and sound right now.
I shall grant these two the t.i.tle of Ivan Kingdom Honorary Citizens.
By the name of Rosé Vosne-Romanée Gran Cru Ivan, I grant them all the rights and social services befitting a citizen of this country.
They shall not lack for anything as long as they are within the country
… though normally I would’ve granted them medals and peerages”
Princess Rosé sent the n.o.bles a cold glare.
“But it seems that certain honored personages would be inconvenienced by that”
… shouldn’t you just not have said that?
or so I thought, but given the time and place, I stayed silent.