A Happy Life in the Empire - The Princess Once Called a “Failure” Becomes the “Most Important Person” as a Hostage in the Empire - Chapter 13

At night, I visited Duke Edward’s room.

I felt uneasy about owing a favor to a noble, but I had something to ask of him.

When I knocked on the door, a maid opened it.

“I have something I would like to discuss with Duke Edward…”

When I said that, I was immediately allowed inside.

“Lady Sophia, what brings you here so late at night?”

Duke Edward was sitting in a leather chair.

He had a gentle smile, but his eyes were still sharp.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were working…”

I looked at the desk in front of the Duke.

A large pile of documents was stacked like a mountain.

“Don’t worry about it. So, what is the matter?”

“Actually, I have a small request for you, Duke Edward…”

“A request?”

The Duke looked surprised for a moment, then smiled gently again.

“If it is something I can do, I will gladly help. Please, do not hesitate to ask.”

He said this without any sign of displeasure.

Even if it was just a calculated act, his kindness was appreciated.

I bowed deeply and said, “Thank you very much,” before making my request.

“I heard that in Grandfell, there is something called an ‘exchange ticket.’ I was wondering if you could give me one…”

I had learned about it while walking around town with Alto today.

The exchange ticket could be used at all stores in the city and could be exchanged for items up to a certain value.

The tickets were divided into five ranks, and the amount they could be used for depended on their rank.

The one I wanted was the second-highest, the Gold Exchange Ticket.

The highest, the Platinum Rank, was in a league of its own, so I couldn’t ask for that.

“An exchange ticket? But why do you need one, Lady Sophia? If there is something you want, I can buy it for you.”

The Duke looked puzzled.

“Well… I want to buy it myself.”

“Yourself?”

“Yes. Actually, I want to give Alto a present…”

I wanted to thank him for buying me clothes.

I had the idea, but there was a problem.

“But I have no money at all… So, I know I am being rude, but I was hoping you could spare me one Gold Exchange Ticket… Of course, I will repay you! While I am staying here, I will help clean the castle and assist with meals!”

Yes, I truly had almost no money.

When I was in Rockwell, I was only given the bare minimum amount.

It wasn’t because the Empire was stingy but because I had been too modest to ask for more.

The system allowed me to apply at the town hall for the money I needed, but I always felt bad asking for extra, so I only took the minimum amount for living expenses.

“No, no, I cannot let you work, Lady Sophia.”

Duke Edward laughed as he spoke, then opened a drawer in his desk.

He took out a small metal case.

“So, I will give you a Gold Exchange Ticket for free.”

“Eh?”

I was so surprised that my eyes sparkled with excitement.

“…Or at least, that is what I would like to say, but I’m terribly sorry. I don’t have any Gold Exchange Tickets.”

Saying this, Duke Edward opened the case.

He took out a thick, silver-colored card.

“So instead, could you accept this Platinum Exchange Ticket?”

“Ehhh!? A P-Platinum Exchange Ticket!? That’s way too expensive…!”

“Please, do not worry. If it makes you happy, giving you a Platinum Exchange Ticket is no trouble at all.”

“Duke…!”

I was so touched that I almost jumped for joy.

But then, I calmed down and became worried.

(What does he want in return for a Platinum Exchange Ticket…!?)

Nobles always think about profit.

Of course, the Duke would expect something in return.

If it were just a Gold Exchange Ticket, the favor would be small.

But a Platinum Exchange Ticket was another matter.

He might ask for something huge in return.

As I braced myself—

“Please do not worry. I expect nothing in return. This is purely an act of goodwill. If I were to put it in noble terms, I am simply ‘lending you a favor.’”

The Duke chuckled as if he had read my thoughts.

“I-I’m sorry…!”

I bowed deeply, my face turning red with embarrassment.

“B-But are you sure? A Platinum Exchange Ticket is incredibly valuable…”

“It is indeed valuable, but you are using it to buy a gift for Prince Alto, correct? Giving him something that can be exchanged with a Gold Ticket might be seen as a problem.”

“Ugh…”

He was right.

“I-If that is the case, I will accept it with gratitude…!”

I bowed many times as I received the ticket.

“Thank you for coming to me for advice. I am glad I could be of help to you.”

I could not thank the Duke enough.

I kept bowing as I left the room.

But then, I suddenly remembered something important and stopped.

“Um, Duke Edward, could you keep the Platinum Exchange Ticket a secret from Alto?”

“Haha, of course. I would not be so tactless. You may rest assured.”

“Thank you! I won’t forget this kindness! Please excuse me for disturbing you so late!”

I knew I had to repay the Duke one day.

◇

The next day,

After breakfast, Alto invited me out again.

I hadn’t expected him to invite me two days in a row, so I panicked.

I had planned to buy a gift with the Platinum Exchange Ticket today.

“I’m sorry, Alto! I want to spend the day alone today…!”

As a result, I turned him down.

Right after saying it, I regretted it—

I could have given him the gift tomorrow instead.

I was such a fool.

“I see… Well, everyone needs time alone sometimes.”

Alto looked disappointed.

He seemed more downhearted than I expected, which made me feel even worse.

But I couldn’t change my answer now.

“I’m sorry, Alto…”

“It’s fine, but… Is something wrong? You seem restless.”

Alto looked worried.

If I were good at thinking on my feet, I could have made up a good excuse.

But sadly, I was not.

“N-No, nothing…!”

I could only stammer.

◇

After leaving the Duke’s castle, I arrived at a street lined with clothing stores.

Men’s clothing shops stretched along both sides of the road.

There were both casual stores and high-end boutiques.

Naturally, most of the shoppers were men.

I was probably the only woman walking alone.

People gave me curious glances.

But I couldn’t let that bother me.

Clutching the Platinum Exchange Ticket, I nodded to myself.

(First, let’s start with window shopping!)

I had already decided that I would give Alto clothing as a gift.

Since he bought me clothes, I thought it would be best to return the favor with clothing as well.

Besides, if I chose something else, I wouldn’t know what would be appropriate.

I should have asked the duke for advice, but it was too late for that now.

(What kind of clothes would suit Alto?)

As I was thinking about this, I suddenly realized a big problem.

(Huh? I’ve only seen Alto in casual clothes once—yesterday!)

Alto usually dressed in a military-style outfit.

Unlike me, he did change clothes, but his overall style remained the same.

Basically, he only wore work attire or what could be considered a uniform.

He dressed like a commoner in this city to hide his identity.

However, once he left the city, he would return to his usual outfit.

Would it really be a good idea to give him clothes as a present?

Even if I gave them to him, would he even have a chance to wear them?

(Hmm… Should I choose something other than clothes?)

I started reconsidering my plan.

Instead of clothing, maybe… accessories could be a good idea?

Some stores sold accessories for men.

Necklaces, earrings, rings, and so on.

I wondered if those would be a better choice and less of a burden.

(Wait… but Alto doesn’t wear accessories, does he?)

Alto didn’t seem to like flashy, noble-like things.

Even when he picked out my clothes, he didn’t even glance at the extravagant dresses.

Thinking about that, there was a chance he wouldn’t appreciate accessories either.

(This is bad…! I have no idea what would be good…!)

The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became.

As a result, I ended up walking back and forth along the same street multiple times.

However, this suspicious behavior actually worked in my favor.

(That’s it!)

An idea came to me when I saw a certain store.

There was one gift that Alto would definitely like.

It wasn’t clothing, but it was something closely related to clothing.

(That would go well with his usual outfits! It would also match his formal wear and casual clothes!)

It could be used in many different situations.

And it was something that even the Crown Prince wouldn’t look out of place wearing.

Once I had made up my mind, I ran around the city searching for the perfect item.

◇

That evening, after dinner, I called Alto.

The meeting place was the balcony on the upper floor of the castle.

Since it was higher than the other buildings, we had a clear view of the beautiful Grandfell nightscape.

Even at night, the city was as bright as if it never slept.

“What’s wrong, Sophia?”

Alto asked, looking a little worried.

Today, he was dressed in simple clothes like a commoner, but they were different from yesterday’s outfit.

“First, I want to apologize for turning down your invitation this morning!”

I bowed my head and said, “I’m sorry!”

“That’s all? It’s not a big deal. In fact, I was happy about it.”

“Huh? You were happy?”

“You’re the first person to ever refuse my invitation. Since I’m the Crown Prince, people around me always try to be polite. They can’t say no when I invite them.”

“That’s true…!”

Refusing an invitation from the Crown Prince would normally be unthinkable.

“That’s why I was glad you didn’t hesitate.”

Alto smiled brightly.

I suddenly felt even more guilty and let out a small groan.

“P-Please don’t say it like that…! Now it’s even harder to bring up my real reason for calling you here…!”

“My real reason? Wasn’t that the reason?”

“No, it’s not!”

“Then… what is it?”

Alto tilted his head in curiosity.

I grinned proudly and said,

“I came to share some happiness with you!”

“Huh?”

“It’s my way of returning the favor!”

“Returning the favor…? Oh, you mean about the clothes yesterday?”

“That’s right!”

I took out a thick black box.

It was carefully wrapped.

“What’s this…?”

“Open it and see!”

Alto looked puzzled as he opened the box.

“Oh! It’s a cape!”

Yes, the gift I had chosen was a cape.

It was a deep navy blue, made from the finest fabric by a top-class craftsman.

The lining was pure white. It was simple yet elegant.

The moment I saw it, I knew—this is the one!

“This looks like a high-quality item… You’re giving this to me?”

Alto’s eyes widened.

Feeling a little shy, I nodded.

“Yes! I was so happy when you bought me clothes! So I wanted you to feel the same happiness! I also thought it would go well with your military uniform!”

“I see.”

Alto picked up the cape and examined it from different angles.

He was smiling just as much as I was, clearly pleased.

“Thank you, Sophia. I’m really happy. This is my first time receiving a gift like this. Can I wear it right now? Though my clothes are pretty simple today.”

“Of course! It’ll still look great!”

“I hope so…!”

Alto draped the cape over his shoulders and fastened the clasp.

The contrast of navy blue and white perfectly complemented his silver hair and deep blue eyes.

“How does it look? Does it suit me?”

Alto asked, looking a little embarrassed.

I was so happy that my eyes sparkled as I answered.

“It looks amazing! You look really good in it, Alto!”

Alto smiled, slightly blushing.

Just then, the wind blew, making his cape flutter.

“Wow…!”

I couldn’t help but gasp.

He looked like a knight straight out of a painting.

“I’ll treasure this cape.”

“Yes!”

For a while, we stood there under the starry sky, chatting about all kinds of things.