The Two Babies Changing the Original Story Chapter 21

“…Pardon?”

Marquis Simon stared blankly, unable to understand what Ellie had just said.

Ellie cheerfully explained:

“We pick them in the order of whoever scores highest on the test! You can’t just have anyone as a teacher! If we want good teachers, shouldn’t we test them?”

“Huh…”

Marundial honestly felt impressed.

Selecting teachers by test scores guaranteed fairness. It completely blocked the usual talk of connections and lobbying.

Appointing a regent was easy to say, but the process involved terrible political struggles. Wearing the crown or not, the position was practically that of a king.

But with exams, and several teachers instead of one, all of that could be prevented.

And since they were teachers, once the king passed all the tests and “graduated,” they could be dismissed easily. Even if it was an indirect regency, having a clear time limit prevented any one person from gathering too much power.

Well, well.

She was impressive.

Marundial looked at Ellie with something like wonder.

How could such a tiny kid—someone who until now had only been doted on as a sweet, adorable princess—come up with such bold ideas?

Not knowing Ellie had been rigorously trained from infancy by her genius archmage brother, Marundial could only be shocked.

Maybe…

Maybe Nérendis could move in a completely new direction—not the predictable patterns and predictable disasters of the past.

The rigid supporter of the regency faction finally felt his heart shift.

“…Very well. I will support this.”

“Kyaa!”

She had convinced the Minister of Justice!

Ellie cheered, hugging Madam Laval, then hugging Marquis Simon. And then, the newest person on Ellie’s side—Marundial…

She wanted to hug him too… but would that be okay?

Ellie peeked shyly at Marundial.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

Marundial also seemed to be sneaking glances at her.

If he disliked the idea, he would have turned his body away or avoided her eyes entirely.

If Ellie ran toward him, he would accept the hug—but initiating one himself would be awkward… That was exactly how he looked.

After a moment of hesitation, Ellie hopped forward and gave Marundial a hug just like the others.

“Ahem. Hmph.”

Marundial froze awkwardly, then gently patted Ellie’s back.

That clumsy touch was just like her brother’s.

Her brother had once earnestly explained to Ellie that he would be awkward with physical contact until the day he died, so she shouldn’t be hurt by it.

When Ellie ran to hug him or begged him to hold her, he would do it—but the awkwardness never went away.

Anyone who resembles my brother can’t be a bad person!

If her brother heard that logic, he’d be horrified, but in Ellie’s heart, the conclusion was final.

Fortunately, all this happened after the Minister of Justice had joined Ellie’s side.

 

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

The surprise-visit operation was a success.

First and foremost, they had brought the crucial Minister of Justice over to their side.

As long as the Duke of Wheaton did not become regent, the rest could be solved step by step.

“You were splendid, Your Highness. How did you think of something like that?”

“I was impressed.”

Madam Laval and Marquis Simon praised Ellie endlessly inside the carriage.

Ellie became so puffed-up with pride she nearly started dancing in her seat.

Even if she added up every compliment her brother had given her her whole life, it wouldn’t match the amount she had received these past few days.

Compliments are great!

Her brother would always say, ‘Don’t do things just to be praised. Do what you want to do.’ So he was stingy with compliments.

Ellie, who had been bouncing in delight, suddenly thought of her brother and calmed herself.

She had felt hurt and sad when she wanted praise from him but didn’t get it ― yet looking back, she realized she preferred being able to do whatever she wanted.

Good. From now on, I’ll keep doing things my way!

Ellie strengthened her resolve to live exactly as she pleased.

At that moment, the view outside the carriage window widened to reveal a vast mansion.

Beyond a wall as tall as a forest, an estate with a blue roof rose high atop the hill.

“Wow! That house is huge! It looks like a palace!”

Ellie pointed at it, shouting with excitement.

It was nothing like the other homes they had passed in the city.

Marundial’s mansion had been large and ornate as well, but this one was even bigger. Nearly as big as the royal palace.

“Oh—that is the Berndt Duchy estate.”

Marquis Simon, who had been too busy praising Ellie to notice how far they had traveled, glanced outside and instantly identified it.

“What?! Duke Berndt lives there?!”

Ellie exclaimed in shock.

And suddenly, Cleus’s words resurfaced in her mind.

‘…You may come visit whenever you wish.’

Cleus had clearly given her permission to visit anytime, as she pleased.

Ellie’s eyes sparkled brilliantly.

And she had just declared she would live however she wanted from now on.

“I want to visit!”

“…Pardon? The Berndt estate?”

“Yes! He said I could come anytime and do whatever I want!”

“…Duke Berndt did?”

“Uh-huh! Right, Sister Rilkea?”

Ellie stuck her head out the carriage window to call to Rilkea, who was riding alongside on horseback.

“Your Highness! That’s dangerous!”

Rilkea nearly fainted and quickly cupped her hands around Ellie’s head.

Ellie’s occasional lack of formality was cute… but in moments like this, Rilkea’s heart dropped straight to her feet.

Our princess, who used to be as dainty as a butterfly…

has become a wild forest creature!

Sometimes Ellie behaved so fiercely that Rilkea could hardly keep up.

Is it because of her memory… or her age…?

Still, Ellie was far cuter now than the picky, aloof princess she used to be.

“Rilkea?”

Ellie leaned her chin on Rilkea’s hand and looked up.

“Ah—c-cute—”

Rilkea almost blurted out her inner thoughts before swallowing them back.

She still hadn’t answered Ellie’s question.

Rilkea had been present during Ellie’s private conversation with Duke Berndt. Only she knew exactly what had been said.

“Ah—yes. He did say you may visit anytime.”

But after answering, Rilkea tilted her head.

“However, didn’t he also say… ‘Just send notice before you come’?”

“Oh.”

People only hear what they want to hear, and remember only what they want to remember.

Ellie stared at the mansion with a face full of dripping regret.

“If I knew we’d pass by, I’d have told the palace to send a message first…”

“Ah—Your Highness!”

Seeing Ellie look like she might burst into tears, Rilkea panicked.

“Oh dear, what should we do? Perhaps if we just ask for forgiveness this once…”

Madam Laval hurried to find a solution too.

But Ellie was already on the verge of sobbing.

“T-then what if—what if we go now and tell them you’re coming?”

Rilkea blurted out the first idea she could grasp in her desperation.

“…Hm?”

It worked. Ellie stopped sniffling.

Madam Laval silently mouthed good job behind her.

Encouraged, Rilkea straightened up boldly.

“As long as they’re informed before the princess arrives, it should be fine. We can simply go ahead and notify them. After all, it was Duke Berndt who said you may come anytime.”

“So that’s allowed?!”

It absolutely was not allowed.

But Rilkea shut her guilty conscience with a firm nod.

Better to stab her conscience than let her princess cry.

“It will be fine!”

She urged her horse forward with dramatic confidence.

“Rilkea, you’re so cool!”

With Ellie cheering behind her, Rilkea’s conscience squeezed its eyes shut even tighter.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

“Suddenly?!”

“…I’m terribly sorry, but that is what has happened.”

Rilkea apologized repeatedly to the astonished butler of the Berndt estate.

Even nobles did not visit each other without prior notice unless they were truly intimate.

And for the princess—who required the most careful hospitality—to arrive unannounced like this…

“T-this is… not something I can decide. May I consult His Grace the Duke?”

The butler looked down the hill.

The princess’s carriage and escort knights were plainly visible, seemingly protesting for the gates to be opened.

Keeping the princess waiting would be disastrous.
But this was the Berndt Duchy—the noble house least friendly with the royal family. They couldn’t simply throw open the gates either.

“Of course. Please do.”

Rilkea agreed graciously.

“Then please wait just a moment.”

The Duke should be at the training grounds at this hour.

This was no time to send a servant and wait for a reply like a proper noble.

The butler took off at a sprint toward the training grounds.

“Huff—haah—haah! M-my lord! Hah!”

As the butler expected, Cleus was at the training grounds.

The estate’s knights, training diligently alongside Cleus, all turned at the butler’s chaotic arrival.

“Has the butler joined training starting today?”

Cleus asked the knight-captain casually.

“Is that your intention, sir?”

The captain followed up respectfully.

Judging by the amount of sweat pouring down the butler’s body, he looked as though he had been running harder than the knights themselves.

The usually sedentary butler had pushed himself to a full sprint.

“I—hah—It’s not—hah!—that!”

The butler frantically pointed toward the entrance.

“T-the princess—Her Highness—!”

The extra exertion left him unable to finish his sentence.

And nothing invited misunderstanding more quickly than an unfinished sentence.

Cut off right there, it sounded exactly like:

“Something terrible has happened to the princess at our estate entrance!”