246 - With 'Disappointing' Attached to the Front
A few days after handing over the plan for reviving Saint Yuuta Hiraga's secret arts to Alfred, that same Alfred visited the detached palace accompanied by a beauty so stunning that one's eyes were naturally drawn to her.
...Wow. A beauty. An incredible beauty...!
She was so beautiful that my mind was completely filled with the word 'beauty.' Just beautiful, overall. Her overall face wasn't exactly like it, but the area around her eyes resembled Alfred a little. Which meant she might be Alfred's older or younger sister. Her hair gleamed with a lustrous golden shine, and the color of her blue eyes was closer to Alf's than Alfred's. From her refined bearing, I could tell she was a woman of noble standing deserving the title of lady, but her hair was surprisingly short, like a boy's. However, whether out of personal preference or a playful touch, a part of her bangs swept back had a curl to it, giving her a charming quality like the perked-up horn-like feathers of a horned owl.
...But, how should I put it...?
I could tell she was a lady, but there was something off about her clothes. In this world, there seemed to be a trend of 'wear whatever suits you,' and when you went out into the city, you'd sometimes see young people in cosplay-like outfits, but this beauty's clothes were different from that kind of cosplay. She wore a long, elegant sleeveless dress, but for a dress worn by a 'lady,' it felt like there was a bit too little fabric.
"Christina-sama, please greet Felicia-sama."
"Huh? Ah, yes..."
It seemed I had been a bit too mesmerized. Nadine, who usually focused on watching over my behavior, prompted me.
"I am..."
Saying 'Tina' would be bad, of course, so I knew I should introduce myself as Christina, but my tongue just wouldn't move properly. I only had to greet her politely, but the beautiful woman before me was so stunning my head was full of her. As a result, I could only open and close my mouth foolishly, like a fish out of water. A beauty who could steal one's thoughts like this was not someone one encountered often.
"Auh..."
Words wouldn't come out, but I couldn't look away. Anxiety that this was bad ran up my spine, but I couldn't do anything about it through my own will. I wanted to at least ask for help from Leonardo behind me, but I couldn't even do that because I couldn't tear my eyes away from the beauty.
"Christina-sama..."
"It is quite alright. Being captivated by my beauty is only natural law. Even at an age one can only call a girl, you clearly possess a proper understanding of beauty itself. Please do not scold her, Nadine. Before me, this is simply inevitable."
To the beauty's words, which continued with 'a wonderful child with an eye for appreciating beauty,' a gap of 'Huh?' was driven into my thoughts, which had been filled with the word 'beauty.' I felt like I'd regained a bit of composure.
...She's an incredibly beautiful lady, but she's also a big sister who's just as confident.
Just as I was starting to feel like her personality might be disappointing, Alfred, who had brought the beauty, whispered to me. He said I'd get used to the beauty in three days.
...If we're going with that saying, I think it's 'a beauty gets boring in three days, an ugly person you get used to in three days,' though.
Still, thanks to that, my tension was properly loosened. I straightened my back again, tucked my chin, and performed the lady's courtesy Hermine had drilled into me toward the beauty.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Felicia. I am Christina. I am the little sister of Leonardo, who is here."
"Oh my, has your fascination already broken? You were as adorable as a little monkey's toy."
...Little monkey?
Was I being praised or insulted? Unable to judge, I pushed the question deep behind the mask of a lady.
"I am Alfred's sixth older sister, Felicia Christoph Evelina Angela Ividia. I will specially permit you to call me 'Henrietta.'"
"Henrietta-sama, is it?"
Where did the name Henrietta come from? There was no answer to that question, and Felicia took away the '-sama.' Apparently, I was now to call Alfred's older sister by the origin-unknown 'Henrietta.'
...Is that okay? She's a princess, you know.
I thought so, but it seemed that unless I called her 'Henrietta,' any address from me would be silently ignored with a glamorous smile, so I had no choice. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, I decided to reluctantly call Felicia 'Henrietta.'
...Huh? Sixth older sister?
Being the sixth older sister probably made her the Sixth Princess. The Eighth Princess was the original owner of this detached palace, and I hadn't heard any rumors about the Seventh Princess in between. As for princesses I hadn't heard rumors about, I hadn't heard of the First through Fifth either, but the number six did ring a bell.
"The rumored fully nude princess... mmph!"
The fact that I'd recalled nearly flew out of my mouth, and I hastily covered my mouth with both hands. 'Fully nude princess' was not something you could say in front of the person herself, obviously.
"Oh my, so you've heard that I usually don't wear any cloth? Alfred, it seems such cloth was indeed unnecessary after all."
Pinching the hem of her dress fluttering it, Felicia furrowed her willow-leaf brows discontentedly and glared at Alfred. An angry beautiful face had its own impact, but even so, she was still so beautiful I found myself entranced.
...That aside, Felicia-sama calls Alfred-sama 'Alf,' huh.
Since they originally had the same name, I supposed confusion was inevitable, but this was probably why Alf went by 'Alf' in everyday life. From the perspective of someone who knew both, it was nothing but a source of confusion. And since Felicia called Alfred 'Alf,' I was in the middle of absolute chaos too.
"Tina is still growing, so please keep yourself covered so she doesn't get depressed seeing your magnificently perfect naked form, sister."
"Do you think so? There is no need for her to be depressed. My beauty is a miracle granted by the gods. No matter how charmingly pretty one's features may be, there is no logic by which an ordinary person could stand on equal footing."
...This is probably meant to be encouragement, right?
Her own beauty was a blessing from the gods, and since there was no way an ordinary person could be on the same level, there was no need to be depressed by comparison. The act of comparing itself was meaningless, she was saying. It seemed the Sixth Princess, Princess Felicia, was indeed the kind of princess I'd heard about. Apparently, she had a personality where all sorts of things were, in a sense, completely off the charts, like a scone... or not.
...But, she did have the reason to wear clothes when meeting a little girl for the first time.
It seemed Alfred had made her wear clothes, but even a fully-nude-ist princess had an ear for her younger brother's advice. Her personality might have been off the charts, but she was rational nevertheless. This was probably a characteristic of this country's royalty. As a citizen, I respected that they kept public and private strictly separate, but that private part was way too far in the wrong direction.
"...She is a somewhat amusing and lively sister like this, but she is trustworthy. While I am away, you may rely on my older sister Felicia."
"When you say you will be away, Alfred-sama..."
The recovery of Saint Yuuta Hiraga's research materials in the city of Grenore must have been decided. I was about to ask when he would depart the capital, but Felicia's white arm reached out and cupped my cheeks. The force was gentle, but my face was firmly fixed in place, and I couldn't see Alfred's face.
"So you are the rumored reincarnated Japanese person? Ah, I have finally met you. Something so interesting, and Mother and my older brother forbade me from approaching the detached palace. Don't you think that's cruel? Well, Father seemed to be faithfully observing the approach ban from Mother as well, so as his daughter, I had no choice but to endure it."
Ufufu, the beauty was smiling right before my eyes, but my spine felt a little ticklish. It wasn't a chill of fear, but I wanted to run away from this too-beautiful face right now.
...Sh-she's so beautiful it's scary.
Alfred said I'd get used to her in three days, but before I got used to her, it felt like I'd come down with a fever from mental exhaustion.
...Huh? But, even though it's our first meeting, I don't feel that much aversion...?
I thought she was too beautiful and scary, but I didn't feel the usual urge to hide behind Leonardo, nor was I at a loss for how to respond. It seemed I simply didn't have the leeway to be timid and fretful, with my eyes and thoughts stolen by her beauty.
"Oh my, you've gone silent again? I came all this way hoping to have a fun chat."
"It is impossible to ask someone meeting you for the first time to stay calm while looking at your face up close, sister."
"Leonardo was perfectly fine from the very first meeting. Since you are his sister, I thought you would naturally not become a doll even when seeing me up close, but..."
"Felicia-sama, I would ask that you please keep that story out of Tina's ears..."
"Aside from family, you are the only man who did not swell with excitement at the sight of my usual self, Leonardo. You are one who can properly perceive beauty. You may take pride in that."
Such a conversation was being exchanged above my head, but Felicia's blue eyes were fixed intently on me. Her too-beautiful face, which never looked away even once, was starting to make breathing difficult.
...Leonyaldo-san, he saw. The fully nude princess in her fully nude state.
I was surprised that she apparently really did strut around fully nude, but I was also surprised by the story that Leonardo had no reaction. Could there really be a man who could see a beauty like this naked and feel nothing?
...Or, is it that? Even if she's fully nude, she's too dignified to be arousing. It's that thing about how peek-a-boo is the real eroticism. How shyness is virtue, right?
While distracting myself by thinking strange thoughts, I felt like I'd gotten a little more used to Felicia's face. I couldn't help but be drawn to her beautiful face, but considering her remarks, Felicia was, regrettably, a 'disappointing beauty.'
After introducing the lively Princess Felicia, Alfred repeated that I should stay by Felicia's side while he was away. He said that by making it known to those around that I had royal patronage behind me even when Alfred wasn't present, it would reduce some of the harm that could come to me.
...So it was insurance (Felicia) for my safety.
After seeing Alfred off, who said he'd depart right away upon returning to his residence, from that day on, Felicia took up position in the detached palace's guest room. I'd thought she'd just visit occasionally to check on me, but it turned out to be a live-in arrangement. When Princess Felicia moved into the detached palace, the silver-white knight serving as her guard also came to the detached palace. As a result, the security concerns for the detached palace were slightly alleviated, which I was grateful for.
The rumored fully nude princess only wore clothes for the first three days. Apparently, she had been waiting for me to get used to her face. By the third day, I had managed to escape the state where I couldn't even return words due to being mesmerized, but Felicia seemed to find that uninteresting, and she finally stripped.
She was fully nude, just as the rumors said.
Her perky, upturned breasts with their beautiful shape, the supple curve of her waist, everything was exposed in broad daylight. However, she was wearing a small gold-colored covering as a modesty piece. It was a small metal undergarment with no apparent support -- a kind of front covering -- and I tilted my head wondering just how it worked. When I did, Felicia's maid brought the same undergarment and showed it to me.
...I think I've seen this briefly in a photo or something in my previous life. I think it was a carnival dancer's costume.
The metal plate that covered her private parts had protrusions in a clearly different shape from the plate itself. In other words, that was how it worked. This metal undergarment, which wasn't supported by strings like a string panty, fulfilled its role as underwear by inserting the protrusions into holes.
...No wait, is this even called underwear anymore? It's something else, right?
If she was this committed to being a nudist, I wondered why she bothered wearing even a modesty piece at all.
...Speaking of what I'm curious about, what about Leonyaldo-san and Felicia-sama's relationship?
My big brother, who seemed to have a healthy sex drive in a certain sense since he visited prostitutes, had no reaction to Felicia's almost-naked form. Even if a commoner reacted to a princess, it would be problematic, but truly, there was nothing. When I beat around the bush and asked him the reason, he answered that if he thought of her as a sculpture, he didn't particularly feel anything. If she was too beautiful, one just had to not think of her as human, and it was no problem.
...Is that really okay, though?
Still, if I thought of her as a nude statue, I also no longer had trouble knowing where to look. Four days after she went fully nude, a week after we'd met, I could not only look away but even look her in the eyes while talking, and Felicia seemed extremely satisfied. She said I was indeed Leonardo's sister.
"I like that aspect of Leonardo."
"And in that same sense, I like you too," the beauty with the face of a goddess said, kissing my cheek. Having quickly gotten used to Felicia's nudity, Felicia asked me for my trick, and since it wasn't anything to hide, I honestly answered what I'd learned from Leonardo. If you thought of her as a statue, even if she was naked, it didn't feel lewd. There was no need to look away.
"Aside from my family, it was only Leonardo. The one who saw not my beauty, but me myself as I am."
She was murmuring something with her cheeks flushed, but why was that? I didn't sense any feelings of longing or affection toward Leonardo from Felicia at all. If you only picked up the words, it sounded like she had feelings for Leonardo, but I could absolutely tell that wasn't the kind of story this was.
"Huh? Is that how you take that story?"
"She's just too dignified, so you can't feel what you'd normally feel..."
"Rather, if you want people to see you yourself, I think you should start by wearing clothes."
"Or rather, if Tina said she wanted to imitate you, I'd be in trouble, so please wear clothes."
"I won't imitate you."
What are you worried about, I thought, and baptized Leonardo's foot with my custom-made shoes. I'd recently noticed that while I was in the capital, I couldn't order custom shoes with reinforced toes. This was a serious situation.
"I'm still a child and don't have a body impressive enough to show off!"
I puffed out my flat chest and insisted that Leonardo's worries were unnecessary. If I, a child with a flat chest and flat bottom, tried to imitate Felicia, it would only be ridiculous.
"Concealment itself is blasphemy against the gods! Rather, you should have a body magnificent enough to show off!"
Standing beside me, Felicia shook her large breasts and puffed out her chest. When I struck the same pose, I felt like it emphasized just how disappointing my infantile body was.
"Tina is cute, but Felicia-sama, please have some shame."
"There is not a single place on my body that requires me to feel shame."
...Ah, I've heard that line before.
Some time ago, I was sure Leonardo had said something similar. In other words, Leonardo and Felicia must have been close enough that their verbal tics rubbed off on each other.
...Huh? Does that mean there's a possibility that Felicia-sama could become my sister-in-law...?
She seemed to be a beautiful woman with a refreshing temperament, but I felt a little resistant to calling her my older sister. For me to call her sister, I'd need her to increase the area she covered at least a little.
...If I made some lace underwear, would she wear it?
Since she loved her beautiful self and said concealment was blasphemy against the gods, if I made beautiful bobbin lace underwear, wouldn't she put it on?
...No, what do I know? She seems like the type who doesn't wear makeup or accessories either, saying her natural self is the most beautiful.
While I was thinking such things, Leonardo quietly whispered to me. He said I must absolutely never imitate Felicia's clothing, but I should watch her mannerisms carefully and learn from them. Felicia might have a provocative appearance, but she had never once been a victim of sexual crime. She had many followers in the name of admirers of her beauty, but no one committed foolish acts like stalking or breaking into the detached palace, and Felicia had everything properly under control.
...In other words, Alfred-sama introduced Felicia-sama to me as a countermeasure against a second or third Nico-something.
The nudity aside, he probably meant I should learn by observing Felicia. Felicia's beauty was on a different dimension, but in this life, I did indeed have a fairly cute face. How to handle men who made advances was a skill I would likely need in the future.
...Ah, but if I stayed by Felicia-sama's side, I'd probably fade into the background and be hidden, wouldn't I?
In that sense too, I felt like Felicia was the most suitable person for my peaceful life. If she wasn't fully nude, I might even call her 'Big Sister.'
Whether I'd call her 'Sister-in-Law' was a different matter entirely.
And so, that is the fully nude princess, Felicia-sama. As for why her hair is short, it's something along the lines of, "If I grew my hair long, it would hide the beautiful lines of my back, would it not?"
Typos and omissions again another day. Fixed any typos and omissions I found.