“Akane, you are the princess of fox kingdom. You mustn’t forget that you only live for our citizens.”
“You can’t let anyone trample on our pride.”
“You are the pureblood white fox so you can’t anyone tarnish your blood.”
The members of the royal family always say something along this line. They say that I’m the hope they are waiting for.
No one knows but I really feel uncomfortable all this time.
I have to properly conduct myself to be suitable for this position. It gives me a bad feeling because of this reason. They want a strong-willed person but I can’t be like what they want. I’m not strong but I can’t be weakling either.
I have to do this for our citizens. I live only for them.
When I was ten years old, the war between fox kingdom and wolf kingdom ended. Because they wanted to unite this land, I had to engage with their prince. I understood the meaning of engaging, but that didn’t mean I want to get engaged.
I don’t have any right to say in this because this’s not for me to decide. It’s for our citizens.
I have to do my best because It’s my duty.
I’d heard that prince Teo from wolf kingdom is a friendly person. He is handsome with a dark brown hair that matches well with his light green eyes. I hope I can be friend with him because of our similar age. That’s what I’d thought before I met him. I don’t know why but he always gives me a cold shoulder.
Maybe It’s because we haven’t talked yet. I will try my best and be friend with him. This way he will surely open up to me.
We enroll in the elementary school together. I hope this will finally make him open up to me. I will not give up easily.
What did I do to him!?
He’s only acting indifferently toward me!
I try to beg him to accompany me to the mixed bath one day. He questions me as to why didn’t I take a bath in my room instead. He finally gives in when I beg him many times and walks with me to the bath even if he goes back to his room after that.
I don’t think there’s already someone in here. That thing was also moving toward me. I guess from its shape that It’s a ghost but It’s actually a vampire. She had foul-mouthed and dares to argue with me nonstop. Don’t you know that I’m a princess!?
She’s insulting me right in front of my face! How dare she!? I can’t let her walk away just like that!
I want to get back at her, but I should find Teo first. Later, I see him talking to an unknown girl. Why hasn’t he talked to me like that? I walk up to him to chase that girl away. When that girl was gone, Teo turns around and shouts at me.
“Stop following me!!!”
“Aren’t we engaged?”
“I will not marry with you, a girl, who’s shoved to me by others! Keep yourself away from me, Akane!”
“T-teo”
He disregarded me completely and left me alone in the hallway.
We can’t even talk to each other…
Teo…
Because I have a lot of free time, I’m going to make that girl name “s.h.i.+wa” apologized to me. During this time I also find out some information about that girl.
Her name is s.h.i.+wa, the oldest daughter of Garnet house and a fiancee to the prince of the vampire. I once heard the name of this house as they are very influential in this demon world. Her mother is also the headmistress of this school, but that doesn’t mean she can get away like this!
She isn’t afraid of anything at all. She smiles and tells me that I don’t have any authority here. She will not kneel down and apologize to me.
I should be angry at her more than this instead…
I feel happy.
I think that she and Luler are very close to each other. I always see them together despite studying in a different cla.s.s.
That makes me curious about how close they are to each other and the reason that makes them like that. I follow her to her room one day. I don’t think they are so close that they can come to each other room!
Is it normal for an engaged couple to act like that? Will I have to go to Teo’s room too?
I want to know her technique! How can I win over my fiance’s heart just like s.h.i.+wa!?
She doesn’t tell me anything that I want to hear so I will observe you instead!
That’s my goal at first but when I’m with s.h.i.+wa, I don’t feel alone anymore. I guess that she will be fed up with me but It’s not like that at all. She never acts indifferently toward me.
I believe in her even if she told me to give up on Teo. I will continuously believe in her.
Although my heart seems like It’s missing some piece.
“Your cousin?”
“That’s right, I have to meet my mother at the director’s room today. I feel bad leaving you to eat lunch alone that’s why my cousin will accompany you instead.”
s.h.i.+wa tells me that she has some business concerning her home. Are you ok with me eating with them!? Your cousins are very good looking, you know.
I’m standing there gasping at their face for some time. They are a twin. They look alike but different at the same time. I know that s.h.i.+wa is cute like a doll but I don’t think of her cousin to be this good-looking.
“My name is Oden and this is my little brother, Iden. It’s my honor to meet you, princess Akane.”
“Your beauty has far exceeded our expectation.”
“Ah…”
They are very charming…
Is that because they are an incubus? My heart is throbbing because of them!
“I will get going. Please take care of her!”
s.h.i.+wa walks away not listening to any of my protests. Her cousins escort me to the cafeteria. They treat me like I am a princess…Wait…I am the princess, aren’t I? I guess staying with s.h.i.+wa made me forget that I am really the princess.
I try to distant myself from Teo but why is he sitting there at the table opposite from me!? He uses that scary glare on me again. I don’t understand what he wants from me! Haven’t I distanced myself from him!? Why does he look so angry at me!?
Humph! He told me not to get close to him so I will not concern myself with him again. I will not look at him too!
Pang!
“Akane, come with me now!”
“W-what?”
When I’m looking up, he already stops at my table. He pulls my hand to make me stand up.
“I don’t think what are you doing right now is a proper thing to do, your highness.” Oden trying to s.h.i.+eld me from Teo.
“This isn’t your business.”
Teo tells Oden off then proceed to drag me to the garden. He touches my ears! No one can touch our ears and tail except for when they are married. His action and that scary glare that he uses on me are something only a barbaric would do. We haven’t even married yet!
It makes me scared.
Can I marry and be together with this person?
He never acts gently with me unlike s.h.i.+wa and her cousins. They make me feel happy.
I’m scared to the point that I cry. A princess should be strong not crying and act ungracefully like this.
If I can’t do that, how can I rule over my kingdom?
“Stop crying…I will bully you again if you don’t stop.”
Stop using gently voice like that. I don’t want to be close to you again!
“*sob* It can’t stop! *sob*”
*lick*
The tip of his tongue is touching my eyelid. His t-tongue!!!
I don’t know what to do anymore. Don’t he know that for us, fox, using a tongue to lick another body is only meant for a mate?
“ah!!!”
*push*
I don’t care anymore! Enough is enough! Don’t make me confused! I should believe s.h.i.+wa and call off this engagement from the beginning!
I run aimlessly into the building just in time to see a teacher walking out of the first-aid room so I enter it. I can still feel his touch lingering at my eyelid. Why did he do that?
It makes me feel warm.
I suddenly remember what I told him that I will call this engagement off. Oh no! This engagement is only for stopping the war. If they know it and displeased at my action, will they start a war again? Because of me….
No….
At that time, s.h.i.+wa enters the first-aid room. I don’t know how she knows it but she has always been the clever one. It shouldn’t be hard for her to figure out where I am. She tells me to stay in this room as she will tell our teacher that I take leave. She cares about me even when she’s not my family or citizen in fox kingdom.
She always sees me and stays with me whatever I’m through bad times.
This time, she’s still willing to stay with me again.
Thank you… I only have this word to give to you even if you deserve more than this…
‘tuck’
“Ah…”
I slowly open my eyes thinking who is the one that comes toward me. I unconsciously fall asleep but It should be s.h.i.+wa who comes to wake me up.
“Is the cla.s.s over, s.h.i.+wa?” I drowsily sit up not noticing the one who sits on my bed
“No…”
“!!!”
This isn’t s.h.i.+wa’s voice. This one is from a boy and I clearly know this voice.
“T-teo!!!”
“Keep your voice down! We are in the first-aid room.”
“Why are you here?”
“…”
“…”
“You should think that for yourself. Turn your face this way.”
“What are you doing? let me go! AH!”
He cups both of my cheeks and turn my face to face him. My cheeks are being squeezed so hard. He is being rude to me again! Do you think that because of your position, you can do whatever you want, heh!? s.h.i.+wa once told me that this isn’t your kingdom so you have no authority here!
“Your ears are still red…Lie down…I will find something to help that.”
“What? You don’t have to do this. Go away! You can’t stay in here! You aren’t even sick!”
“Don’t be noisy! Are you always this loud?”
“Yes! My personality infuriate others! People tend to stay away from me! Why do you have to concern yourself with me? Go away and find your loved one!”
“Oh…You sound like you are jealous.”
“W-who’s jealous!? I don’t want to stay near you! Ah!! It’s cold!”
He suddenly presses an ice pack down to my eyelid. My pain subsides by its coolness.
“Can you say that again?” His tone is a lot colder than this ice pack. H-he can’t threaten me with this! I’m not scared of him!!
“N-nothing”
“Hmm…I can see your ears are flatting down so you are telling the truth.”
I apologize that I’m not brave enough…Mother…Father.
He’s continuously pressing the ice pack down to my eyelid. I don’t know what he’s thinking as I close my eyes tightly. We stay like this for a while until my pain lessens.
“It’s okay. You can open your eyes.”
I open my eyes and find that his face is only an inch apart from my face. My heart is beating so hard that It’s almost ripping out of my chest!! No way! I can’t be soft-hearted! He will surely revert back to that cold-heart jerk again! Every royalty are like this e-except for s.h.i.+wa!
“If you are finished then go away…”
“Don’t you have to say ‘thank you’ before that?”
“Thank you”
“Hmm…”
Why doesn’t he go away!?
“Are you like this normally?”
“What?”
“Your twitching ears.”
He squeezes my ears again! This time, I will not let you do it.
“If you don’t let go, I will…”
“What are you doing to me then?”
*squeeze*
“Ah!! Let go of my ears!!!”
He doesn’t listen to any of my words and continue to squeeze my ears even more. He is a pervert, right? That must be it! A pervert who likes to touch a girl’s ears!!
“Please let go…” I can only beg him although that put a big hole in my pride.
“…”
Aha! It’s more effective than I thought. He stops still then plops himself into the bed pulling me along with him.
“W-what are you doing?”
“I don’t hate you.”
“W-what?”
“I hate being forced to do something I don’t like. I don’t like this engagement with benefits”
“…”
“but…an engagement with you…I will rethink this.”
“…”
I hate being forced to engage.
This engagement with benefits.
Rethinking this.
I’m trying to interpret his meaning. He was angry because of this reason. When he said that he wants to rethink this, does he means…
Oh! I get it!!!
“We can be ‘friend‘, right?”
“…”
*bite*
“Ah! Why do you have to bite my ear!?”
“Think that yourself!”
I’m being nice to him here. Why did he have to bite me!?
–Next>>
Author: “Teo, do you see that?” *points at a wall*
Teo: “Yes, What is that?”
Author: That thing is stronger than anything even a t.i.tanium can’t pierce it.
Teo: “What is the name of that thing?”
Author: “It’s called friend zone.”
Teo: “…”
TL: Thank you for reading~
RAW:
