Our Strange Duet (Yandere Modern Princes x Reader)

Chapter 73: Trade

(Y/n) had been able to make a lot of friends. Although she was scarcely able to interact with others for long, retreating to the sides of the princes, they showered her with compliments. For her to open up was a great success for present and future events. She had even seemed happier for being able to connect with others, a gentle smile on her lips. The males found her walking along with some servants, speaking joyfully. It filled them with pride.

The day after their beach excursion, despite the success the (h/c) haired girl had making friends, the castle was noticeably tenser than it was before. The brothers refused to look at one another, and while Ichiro and Rei attempted to hog the younger girl's attention, Kazuki had been strangely distant. In fact, she hadn't seen him since dinner the previous day. Starting to worry her, she asked and looked around the castle for his whereabouts.

However, he seemed to have disappeared for no reason at all. As such, she had remained in her room, reading peacefully while Rei went off to work. He promised he would finish early and spend time with her, and she intended to take him up on that offer. Still, there was time to kill and with her drained energy for socializing, she decided spending time alone was the best for her then. She couldn't have known what the males were facing.

It might have just been a normal day for Rei. He went about his duties as king as per usual, meeting with nobles, discussing trading routes, taxes, etcetera. The elegance in his day-to-day life was nothing more than what he expected even if it was hectic at times. Of course, (Y/n) was on his mind an awful lot, filling him with the desire to do his best in order to have achieved the right to see her again.

However, Ichiro wasn't so positive about the day. He was actually quite frightened about the meeting he was about to endure. Some nobles weren't so thrilled to be under the rule of the youngest son of the youngest daughter relative to the former queen. They would much rather have seen Kazuki on the throne, but considering he had prior arrangements in Athain, he would be distant. As such, Ichiro was considered a better replacement than Rei, planning a coup d'état for the bluenette's stronger right.

As the male was led to a noble's home in the city, he was surprised to find a large number of noble families. He would have thought that Rei would have better aligned with their views, considering they prized luxury and grace above all. Ichiro was more along the lines of one who conversed with others regardless of station and wanted more evenly dispersed funds for the poorer. Still, they must have wanted him on the throne for some reason.

"Your royal highness," a noble said, the rest of the people in the room bowing low to the male, "I thank you for coming here."

"It's fine. Just raise your heads."

The nobles did as he said, the younger children in the room shying behind their parents. From what they had been told, it was a dangerous endeavor their parents were planning. Rebelling against a direct descendant of Ezdia herself was as good as blasphemous. It had seemed that they were doing it in favor of a proclaimed bastard, but clearly, the male's mother never did have a reputation for being truthful. On the contrary, some called her a witch, her deceitful and selfish actions prompting uncertainty in her role in the castle.

Servants ushered around, pushing forward a comfortable chair for the bluenette to sit in while the nobles stood. It was a sign of respect, the children unused to either being in a royal's presence or having to adhere to strict rules. That being said, the male had a soft spot for the small things, knowing that someday, he would have some of his own. He smiled gently at them, motioning for them to sit in front of him.

Most were apprehensive of his actions, hiding as best as they could. Of course, their parents were not going to have them go against a royal's wishes, pushing them forward. Some shook, not wanting to embarrass or make their parents enemies of the male, but he was not one to lose his temper at disrespectful statements. They didn't bother him anymore.