Simple Suitor Life

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How did it come to this?

I had been so full of confidence the night before as I knelt before Queen Veranda that I hadn't thought of the biggest obstacle for someone like me to overcome if I were to court Princess Amber. And that, of course, was…

My supreme lack of experience with women.

It wasn't as if I hadn't tried romance before, contrary to what I told anyone who asked. My interaction with Hanabe-chan was simply par for the course for how my interactions with girls my age tended to go.

For example: Back in middle school I gave a love letter to the most popular girl in class, placing it neatly in her locker for her to find after classes. Jun warned me against it, as she had a tendency for hilariously elaborate rejections. In my overconfidence, I didn't listen to the words of my good friend. Though I wish I had.

The next day when I came to school, my locker was covered from top to bottom in sticky notes. They all communicated practically the same message.

"Not on your life, glasses."

I now hid in a rose bush, the same one I was supposed to be trimming as Morningstar Castle's newest butler. Why was I hiding in shrubbery in the middle of the castle courtyard? Let's flashback a bit.

THE PREVIOUS NIGHT...

"I guess that settles everything. Cedrick, can you show Sakuta to his quarters, and where he'll be working starting tomorrow?" Queen Veranda asked in a sing-song voice.

"As you wish, your majesty..." Cedrick sounded rather irritated at the prospect of me becoming a suitor and living in the castle. "I oversee all day-to-day operations, and staffing within the castle. It's a pleasure."

"Thank you for having me. I look forward to working with you." I bowed slightly.

"Right... This way then." We left the dining area and approached the dormitories. It was the same area all the maids and butlers appeared to be residing. The castle complex was absolutely massive so it took us a while to get there.

I understood where Cedrick was coming from since I had my apprehensions at first about the Queen's offer, and would have preferred a swift exit to my own world.

I just hoped that my presence wouldn't cause any major issues going forward for the rest of the staff, including Cedrick. This may end up being a temporary solution until I can make some money and figure out a way home. However, that didn't mean I wanted to lead a stressful life here.

"This is your room." The elf led me to a fancy-looking room at the end of the hall.

It wasn't nearly as big as the one I woke up in, but it was more than enough to live comfortably.

"Normally we would place you on the lower levels where the bulk of the new staff tend to reside, however…” Cedrick sighed. “Due to your position as a potential marriage partner for the Princess—and because Her Majesty told me to—you will be allowed to live here with the more experienced staff."

"Thanks... Oh!" I suddenly had a thought. "What will I do about clothes and such? I didn't bring anything with me, but what I'm wearing."

"Uniforms and leisure wear are already in the walk-in closet in your room," he replied. "Any other necessities can be brought up directly with any senior member of staff, and you will be provided for. As long as it is within reason."

A walk-in closet? Very high-class!

"One thing I should mention. Your relationship with Queen Veranda aside, I don't think it wise to bother Her Highness any more than necessary." Cedrick cautioned me. “She is far too busy to be babysitting the likes of you. Understood?”

"You got it, don't bother the Queen. Wouldn't dream of it." I nodded.

After a brief tour of my new bedroom, Cedrick took me back downstairs to the main areas. There were so many different rooms that it made my head spin. We finally approached the kitchen, our last stop of the night.

"If it isn’t my least favorite elf, and who might this be?" A tall maid came walking up to us in full dress. The young woman had jet-black hair styled in a bob cut and dark purple eyes.

However, the most intriguing part about her was the ears sitting atop her head... Dog ears.

A beast person! I hope that's the politically correct term at least.

And so, the buck didn't stop with elves.

"This is the young man who will be joining our staff starting tomorrow. Sakuta, this is the head of her majesties' maids." Cedrick explained. “You'll be reporting directly to her whenever I am not around. By some strange miracle, Queen Veranda trusts her.”

I’m… sensing a bit of a rivalry going on here.

"My name is Yamada Sakuta, and you are?" I asked.

"You can call me Poppy! I've worked in the castle pretty much my whole life. If you run into trouble, feel free to come find me." Poppy introduced herself, giving a small curtsy. "And one other thing..."

"One other—" I began to speak, but Poppy suddenly produced a dull butter knife from somewhere, pressing it to my neck. Huh!?

"What are you–!?"

"I've known the princesses and many of these maids since they were babies. I held them in my arms, helped raise them. If you attack any of them or do something ungentlemanly... You may come to regret being born male. We're clear on that?" Poppy's polite smile never wavered as a bead of sweat rolled down my forehead.

"V-very clear! Extremely. You have nothing to worry about, ma'am!" She paused to consider my words, and then I heaved a sigh of relief as she lowered the knife back to her side.

What's with all the violent women in this castle!?

"Great! As long as you understand, we're friends now. Let me know if you need anything at all, or if Cedrick gives you a hard time. See ya!" Poppy practically skipped away as I sat there in disbelief, rubbing my neck.

"Is she always like that?" I asked Cedrick.

"I'm afraid so." He replied, rubbing his temples. "That concludes the tour of the areas you'll be focusing on. You'll start with the hedges early as we discussed, and work your way inward. Best be off to bed now."

"Thanks for the tour, C. I won't let you down!" I bowed, and Cedrick left me without another word.

Now, time to get some shut-eye.

Upkeep for such a massive place was going to be a new experience even with others helping me. I needed as much rest as I could possibly get if I was going to juggle cleaning and courting. How I planned to do the latter, I had absolutely no clue.

Just as I approached my bedroom door, I noticed a familiar figure standing in front of it.

Well, this is a surprise…

Basking in the light of the moon was Princess Amber, her hair still wet from the bath. The silk pajamas she wore highlighted her curvaceous figure. Her beautiful refrain was in stark contrast to the stern look on her face.

"Hey, glasses!" She called, her voice echoing in the hallway. It was quite late, and most of the servants had already gone to sleep.

"Hey..." I replied. Silence ensued.

........................

What now?

"Listen, I'm sorry about earlier..." I broke the awkward tension. "I really shouldn't have touched you without your permission. I hope we can still be on good terms moving forward. So—uhh… Good night." I swiftly made my way past the Princess, but she surprised me by grabbing my sleeve.

"Actually... I'm the one who should apologize." I turned to face her as she spoke. She sighed deeply, catching me by surprise. "It was wrong of me to body slam you. I guess I was a little surprised, but you did save Mother so... Sorry."

As she grumbled an apology, I could see her cheeks turn slightly red.

"So that’s why you came out here. No worries, Princess. We all have things we're dealing with.” I held out my hand to shake. “So how about we just call this a blank slate?"

"Blank slate, huh?" She cautiously accepted my handshake and turned around. She took a few steps towards the end of the hall, but slowly turned her head back towards me. "And, glasses... Thanks for catching me."

With the tiniest smile, she sent my heart fluttering into the castle wall. It was bizarre, the look on her face. Warm and gentle, unlike the one from earlier. Having nothing further to say, I went to my room and collapsed onto my bed.

"Ugh... It's been a day..."

Tomorrow the real work begins.

My heart rate eventually normalized. However, with the thought of our moonlight meeting fresh on my mind, I didn't get a wink of sleep all night long.

THE PRESENT...

"So, why are you in the rose bushes again, Sakuta?" Princess Mavis, who happened to be walking by, asked me.

Wait... Where was I going with this?

"I was in the middle of trimming them, but then I saw Princess Amber walk by and sit down at the gazebo. I got startled, and fell into the hedge." I admitted. "I thought I could learn more about her tastes by observing. She came and apologized last night, but I have no idea how to talk to her."

"Oh, if that's all, you should just walk up and start a conversation!" Princess Mavis smiled. "Sissy is a little abrasive, but if you approach her honestly she can be a lot of fun."

When Princess Amber apologized to me last night it caught me by surprise. She certainly wasn't as unapproachable as I had originally thought.

"And not to be rude or anything, but you do look a bit like a stalker out here. Hehehe." She giggled.

"STA—!" I quickly hopped out of the rose bush, dusting myself off.

She's right... I reeeally hope Princess Amber didn't see that creepy display.

As my face flushed in embarrassment, Princess Mavis' laughter slowly faded until I couldn't hear it at all. I looked up to see what caused the shift in her mood.

"Oh no... It's him again." Princess Mavis' voice morphed into a low growl as she glared in the direction of the gazebo.

It appeared that someone, a man, was approaching Princess Amber.

3.2

Without warning, Princess Mavis pulled me into the rose bush I had just climbed out of.

"What are you doing?"

"Shhh. Let's listen in." She whispered.

So much for not hiding. Might as well start calling me 'Stalk'uta while we’re at it.

We crouched low, looking out towards the gazebo. The small wooden structure had a table and two chairs in the middle, and was surrounded by a garden of multi-colored flowers. Princess Amber sat there peacefully, filing her nails.

The man who approached her looked to be around my age—maybe a bit older—but was much closer to my friend Jun in terms of build. He also had shiny blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes that I could see even from this distance.

He was wearing a solid white tailcoat with two sets of buttons lining the front, and matching trousers. Completing his ensemble was a gaudy-looking white cape that flew behind him majestically. Strictly speaking, this man...

Is a total dreamboat! He's the main love interest of every otome game! How handsome can you get!?

I ground my teeth and shook my fist in jealousy. We gazed upon the perfect specimen of a man in front of us. Princess Amber hardly paid him any attention as he walked up, and began speaking to her. She appeared to be much more interested in staring at the flowers than anything else.

"Damn it all, I can't hear what they're saying." Princess Mavis whispered. “Oops, excuse my language.”

"Who is that guy, your highness?" I asked her as she glared daggers in the young man's direction.

"He's the Duke of Aurelia's son, Count Charles Cleishay." She replied. "Wait, why are you laughing? Sakuta!? Jeez!"

It's perfect...

I tried to hold back my laughter, but I let a few giggles slip through. Princess Mavis puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms in response.

"Hahaha, I'm sorry, Princess. It's an Earth joke. I'll tell you about it sometime. So, the way you're looking at him tells me he's bad news." I whispered, getting the conversation back on track. “What’s Dreamboat's deal?”

"Right... Count Cleishay is among Sissy's many suitors for her hand in marriage. Though, he's totally rotten if you ask me." Hearing the typically polite Mavis badmouth someone else gave her words added weight. "Overbearing, silver-tongued, doesn't take no for an answer. He's the worst kind of nobleman."

"Doesn't sound very noble to me..." I replied. We were caught off-guard by a rustling in the bush behind us.

"Why are we hiding?" A raspy voice suddenly appeared from my left. A large mitt pressed itself over my mouth to prevent me from yelping and giving our position away.

"Mmmphy??" I tried to say the woman's name through her sizable hand, but she kept my voice sealed beneath it. Poppy, the head maid, crouched beside us in our newly acquired hiding spot.

"I was doing my rounds, and saw that cowlick of yours popping up through the hedges. You definitely lose some points for stealth." Poppy gave me a toothy smile.

Oops...

"We're keeping an eye on Sissy to make sure she isn't bothered by Count Cleishay." Princess Mavis answered. "So far they've just been—"

We heard a slam originating from the gazebo. I looked up to see Princess Amber pinned against one of the beams holding up the structure by Count Cleishay's outstretched arm. She had attempted to stand and leave, but he blocked her escape.

Unsurprisingly, Princess Amber tried to punch him in response. However, he caught and redirected her wrist without much effort.

Should we intervene? That thought crossed my mind. Poppy bared her teeth and growled.

Princess Amber was tough and seemed like she could handle herself in a fight. Was it really my place as a servant to interfere with her and a member of the nobility? I could risk upending my peaceful life here before it even began.

I looked over at Princess Mavis who clutched her dress in anger, tears welling up in her eyes. I pivoted back to her sister and was stunned by what I saw...

Princess Amber looks... distressed! She looks like she's gonna cry. You CAN see that, can't you, Sakuta??

I could see it, and there was no use in pretending I couldn't. My conscience continued to nag at me, and I made up my mind. Her romantic affairs may not have been my business, but I wasn't going to let the Count do whatever he wanted either. My grandfather always told me to protect girls, even if they’re tougher than me.

"Sakuta, where are you going?" Princess Mavis tugged at my sleeve as I emerged from the rose bush. Steam must have been pouring out of my ears as I charged towards the gazebo.

Luckily, I had my own cliché or two to pull from my bag of tricks. I just hoped Princess Amber had the common sense to play along with it.

"I told you to back off, Charles! I don't care who your dad is, I'll still fold you like a towel if you don't take a hint." Princess Amber held her ground. “Why do you insist on acting like this, anyways?

"Is that any way to talk to your future husband? I think an attitude adjustment is in order for you, Your Highness." He gently put the back of his hand to her cheek, causing her to wince.

"Oh, there you are, Princess! I've been looking all over for you!" Panting, I approached the two of them. “You wouldn’t believe how massive this place is. Well.. I guess you would since you live here.”

"Glasses? What the hell are you doing—?" Princess Amber was interrupted.

"You might not be able to see through those thick lenses of yours, but we're a little busy right now, manservant. Leave us, and get back to your duties." The Count shooed me away. "Unless—of course—you get paid to rudely interrupt your betters."

I'll show you better, blondie!

"Ahem. I'm very sorry sir, but it's a direct order from Queen Veranda herself. It sounds rather urgent, and she requests the Princess' presence immediately." I lied through my teeth, but I felt like I did a fine job. The Count clicked his teeth in response and backed away.

"Whoa, hey! W-what’s the big idea!?" I took Amber by the hand and led her towards the castle hastily. Her face was bright red as she squeezed my hand painfully.

Ow ow ow! Take a hint, Princess! We're almost in the clear...

"Wait a moment! What is your name?" Count Cleishay called out behind us just as I thought we had given him the slip. "Don't tell me you're..."

"My name is Yamada Sakuta, a regular new hire and a butler serving Queen Veranda." I said, glancing behind me. "I'm not anyone you should concern yourself with."

"Oho? I think I'll be the judge of that. There's something rather... interesting about you. I'll be seeing you around, Yamada Sakuta." Count Cleishay bid us farewell in a gentle yet menacing tone.

Does he know I'm from Earth? I guess I never intended on keeping it a secret, but when he puts it like that I almost want to...

I was sweating a bit as I looked back again. The man pulled out a comb and hand mirror nonchalantly as Princess Amber and I scurried away to safety.

"That was a close one..." I sighed, relieved that we had made it to the main doors where Princess Mavis and Poppy were waiting patiently.

"Mavis, your clothes are a mess! Where were you?" Princess Amber asked her sister as we walked up. She shook my hand away as I had forgotten to let go.

"Sissy!!" Princess Mavis ran crying into her arms. "I was so worried about you."

"You didn't answer my question, messy girl. I'm fine, I'm fine. See?" Princess Amber insisted, flashing a bright smile towards her sister. "But you..."

She looked at me momentarily, her stern gaze softened slightly. It seemed like she wanted to say something. Turning back to her sister, she had the same warm smile that never faded. It was kind of endearing to watch.

"I'm glad Sakuta here did something about that pompous ass, otherwise I was this close to throttling him myself." Poppy huffed, crossing her arms. "It would have been worth the punishment to mess up that pretty face of his..."

"If he's openly harassing Princess Amber, why doesn't the Queen do something?" I asked.

"Not sure I can say…" Poppy looked reluctant to delve further into that topic.

"It's fine, Poppy. Just tell him." Princess Amber said calmly.

"As you wish, Amber. The Queen's word is final of course, but Duke Marlon Cleishay holds a significant amount of power in this country." Poppy explained. "The Cleishay family has been prominent in Aurelia since before it was a matriarchy."

"Before it was a matriarchy??" I repeated.

"There's even an outspoken faction of nobles who think the Duke should lead the country. His son Charles is practically untouchable. Wait, that was a secret..." Princess Mavis clasped her hand to her mouth.

That made things more clear, if only a little bit. At the very least, it would explain what gave Count Charles the gumption to waltz into the royal castle and hit on the Queen's daughter. At that moment, I also understood why the Princess was apprehensive around suitors, with scum like him lurking around.

Incredibly handsome scum, but still scum.

"Can you two excuse us for a little bit?" Princess Amber said, looking at me for a moment before turning back to the others. “I'd like to speak to glasses here alone.”

"Sakuta." Princess Mavis corrected her.

"Huh?"

"I said Sakuta. That's his name, Sissy. You really shouldn't be so cold towards someone who helped you again, and saved mother!" Despite being younger, she gave her sister a good scolding. Her maturity and grace were a cut above Princess Amber's.

"Alright, alright… I'm going to speak to Sakuta in private.” She humored her sister's request, sighing. “Can I catch up with you both a bit later?"

Wait a minute... In private!??

Princess Mavis nodded, smiling. The two of them left the courtyard through the castle doors, leaving Princess Amber and me alone. I felt my heart rate spike to a million beats per minute.

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" she suggested.

3.3

We walked aimlessly—and silently—down one of the corridors aside from the sound of our footsteps. This situation...

This feels like some kind of secret romantic rendezvous. No, that's crazy... Don't jump the gun.

I tried to remind myself that there was a clear, established order to these things.

"I was pretty surprised... You and Mavis sure became fast friends." Princess Amber put her hands behind her back. "She wouldn't defend someone like that unless she had a high opinion of them. Or… hide with them in a bush."

"You knew!? Then say something earlier! Aw, geez..." I was mortified, but she seemed to find it quite funny. "Where are we going, Your Highness?"

She suddenly turned around and got somewhat close to my face.

"Listen, gl— Sakuta... If I'm gonna use your first name you have to use mine too. That's how this works." She pointed her finger at me. "No more Princess Amber this, or your highness that. I get enough of that from the other servants. I'm sure my sister would ask the same."

I paused for a moment to think about it. I had never been close enough to a girl to use her first name before. It was very familiar-sounding, and I didn't think we had known each other well enough for that just yet.

But... If she insists so strongly, who am I to refuse?

"Alright, you got it. Amber it is." I nodded, smiling.

Pretty soon we reached the end of the corridor, entering a huge room. Amber smiled slightly as she led me in. The space was surrounded on all sides by stained glass windows with beautiful storytelling mosaics.

"Woah..." My eyes glistened as I took a look around.

Sitting in the back, up against the wall, was Queen Veranda's throne. It was a large wooden seat with red cushions making up the sitting surface and armrests. It was decorated with a golden trim along the edges. An almost ethereal light poured in from one of the windows.

"This is my mother's throne. It should be quiet enough here, and we won't be easily disturbed." Amber said.

"Disturbed? Doing w-what, exactly??" I stammered.

"You'd better not be thinking of anything perverted, or I'll beat the cowlick off of you." The vein popped out of her forehead as she forced a grin.

Noted.

"No... The reason why I called you out here is to talk. About you mostly, and why you do what you do. I mean... First in the dining room, and that stunt just now." Amber rubbed her chin, blushing a bit. "I don't sense any malice in you, but at the same time I can't say I understand what motivates you..."

She scanned me over as if she were picking out something to critique. Now that I was standing in front of her, I noticed we were about the same height. It made me feel a bit small, but helped us maintain eye contact.

She was exceptionally well-endowed, much like her mother, but I did not attempt to steal a glance at her chest. That would be the same as forfeiting my life as far as Amber was concerned.

"Sense any malice? Can you do something like that?" I asked.

"It's my family's bloodline magic. Ancient families like ours have passed down all kinds of techniques going back generations." She turned towards one of the stained glass windows. "The Aurelia family technique is called intention. It gives me a warning if someone I'm talking to has less-than-honorable motives. Our whole family can use it at our discretion."

Fascinating... I guess that would make it pretty hard to lie to her. I bet she can see right through scum like Cleishay.

"And so, I don't sense that you're going along with this whole suitor nonsense for greed's sake. So why do you do it? Surely you have a goal." She looked at me with her honest eyes. The urge to lie was suddenly quelled by her unwavering red gaze.

"A goal, huh? Listen..." I sighed. "It's not as if I don't find you a little charming, or that I haven't liked the palace in the short time I've been here."

I thought back upon the busy couple of days, and a smile swept across my face. From the moment I woke up in the castle I had been subjected to a whirlwind of new experiences. I couldn’t say I hated all of it.

"Go on." She urged me to continue.

"With that being said... I have a family. My younger sister, Yuki. I love her to death, and I can't just leave her to go mess around in a new world." I clenched my fist. "One day she'll grow up, and get married. Maybe have a family of her own. My parents aren't getting any younger, and my best friend is getting looked at for the majors. I can't afford to miss any of that."

"I see... I acknowledge your reason for being here. What I still don't understand is the correlation, though. How does trying to woo me help get you home?" She paced around slightly, taking a few moments to look back for my response.

"It doesn't... at least not directly," I admitted, hands on my hips. "My thought was that I could buy myself enough time–and make a decent wage– I could finance a voyage to Dagon. From there... I don't know."

I was truly at a loss. My goal and the reality of the situation were two separate issues entirely.

"Wait a minute... Did you just say... Dagon...?" Amber's soft lips pursed into an expression of displeasure, and her eyes gained a look of intensity.

"Yeah, the Demon Kingdom or whatever it was called. I was told The Crossing relocated to its capital, and my only way home is through that door. But I need the key their leader has..." I trailed off. It all sounded rather ridiculous when I said it out loud.

"So... You planned on going to Darkspire—hostile demon territory—all by yourself? To get a key from the Demon Empress... on a servant's salary??" Amber sighed heavily, covering her face with her palm. "You know... With those glasses, I thought you might be smart, but you're actually kind of a dumbass!"

Demon Empress? That's a new one. And did she just say 'dumbass'!?

"Hey! I know I didn't think the whole plan through, okay? I was kind of put on the spot last night!" I was a little miffed at her assessment of my intelligence, but I couldn't deny the truth to her words.

My so-called ‘plan’ made little sense in actuality. It all amounted to a big excuse, designed to convince myself that I was doing something productive to get myself home.

"Well, I've decided." Amber suddenly said, nodding her head with certainty.

"Decided on what, exactly?" I asked.

"You said that you're going to Dagon? Well... As it turns out, our goals just so happen to align." Amber stepped closer to me. "I have my own reasons for wanting to go to Darkspire. It's no exaggeration to say I've been training half my life for it."

She had a somber, far-off look as her voice broke into a whisper. I could see her expression soften, lost in thought.

"And...?" I crossed my arms.

"Slow on the uptake? I'm saying that I have a plan that can get us both closer to our goal, and get a whole lot of unwanted attention off my back." She twirled around with an aura of beauty and resolve. "Tomorrow in front of my mother and all of Aurelia's court officials..."

We locked eyes momentarily. Time seemed to stand still as a smile formed at the corners of the Princess' mouth.

"—I'm going to declare my intent to initiate the engagement ball, and then give you my hand in marriage when the time comes!"

.............................

"I know I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but did you just say MARRIAGE!? As in matrimony, life-long commitment. That marriage!?" I stood dumbfounded at her proud exclamation.

"It's exactly as it sounds. Your position is a convenient one, and absolutely necessary for this plan to work." She pointed her index finger at me once again and put her other hand on her hip.

"It's just..." I've never even had a girlfriend before. That was the first thought that came to my mind, but it wasn't like I could tell her that. "You haven't even explained this plan of yours. How does this arrangement even help you?"

"It will get a great majority of the suitors to leave me alone. At least the ones that respect my boundaries. I doubt it'll do much to deter men like Charles, but no plan is perfect..." She shrugged, sighing as she did. "You'll be my fiancé in title only."

"And I'm somehow different from all those other guys?" I asked. “How so?”

"You can be loud, and annoying at times, sure. But... I've also seen you act kind. You were actually... pretty cool back there when you led me away." She mumbled the last line, and her bashfulness spread to me as I looked away. "As far as fake fiancés go... I could do worse."

A lot of backhanded compliments in that explanation, but she sounds pretty sincere otherwise...

"So you'll be using me as a wedge between you and the other suitors... It's not a bad idea, but I can't help but feel a little dirty being used like that." I complained. "Do you think your mother will even buy it?"

"Hey, how do you think it makes me feel? And here I was thinking you were after me for my charms." She blinked quickly and innocently. "Mother will be ecstatic that I've chosen someone, and I can finally focus on training to achieve my goal."

"I think I understand the plan now, but where do I fit in during all this? What should I be doing?" I asked quizzically.

"You'll be training too, of course! You can still attend to your butler duties, but without any magic or combat skills you'll just be dead weight." She said matter-of-factly.

I hate to admit it, but she's right. What would I do, use the hidden power in my cowlick??

"Alright... I've given it some thought, and I'll take you up on this plan of yours. Do you mind divulging what your goal is at least?" I asked. "I feel like I'm the only one exposing everything here."

"I'm sorry, Sakuta. I still don't think I'm willing to share that yet. Not until you've shown me that you're serious about this." Amber turned her head away from me. "Training begins tomorrow morning, meet me by the castle gates."

She immediately began walking towards the exit, leaving me standing there in a daze.

"Huh!?"

"And don't sleep in, or I'll have a special alarm clock set-up in your room!" With that cryptic warning, she waved me goodbye.

What just happened?

I felt like I couldn't get a word in edgewise for the entire conversation, and yet it all worked out for the best. For the first time since I had arrived in this world, I finally had some solid ground to stand on.

And it was all because of this strange First Princess. Just who was she on the inside? I only hoped that getting involved in Amber’s affairs wouldn't come back to bite me eventually.