I Was Reincarnated as a Villain Prince’s Follower, but I Refuse to Be Ruined—Turns Out the Prince Is Surprisingly Competent - Chapter 12

Two days later, the soldiers sent from the royal capital took custody of the Count and his associates.

Jeremy took a breather and shared some tea with Rufus in the Prince’s room.

Today, as with the previous days, the weather was clear and pleasantly sunny.

“The governor has been safely sent to the capital, so for now, our job is done. All that’s left is to wait for his confession.”

“…………”

“Your Highness?”

When Jeremy placed a hand on Rufus’s shoulder, the Prince blinked as if snapping out of a daze.

“W-What is it?”

“I said that for now, we’re finished here.”

“Ah, yes… You’re right.”

“Are you still worried about it? They had so many men. Your group was outnumbered, so it couldn’t be helped.”

“That is part of it but I feel I was too eager for results and pushed the knights too hard. I should have avoided such reckless actions.”

Jeremy thought that perhaps Rufus had been in a rush to clear his bad reputation.

However, considering Rufus’s situation, it seemed unavoidable.

“No one on our side was injured, and if you hadn’t moved then, that man surely would have destroyed the evidence.”

“Jeremy, I feel like I’m relying too much on your kind words.”

Rufus gave a weak smile.

“If it helps, please rely on me as much as you like!”

“You are very kind.”

“This much is only natural.”

Rufus was no longer the “Villain Prince” who held Jeremy’s fate in his hands.

Even so, the desire to do something for him never went away.

Was it sympathy for his circumstances, pity, or loyalty…?

(No, it’s not something negative or even something that grand…)

It might simply be affection. A desire not to betray the feelings of the person who called him a friend.

“Your Highness, we return to the capital tomorrow, right? Why don’t we head out into town today for a change of pace? The officials from the capital said they would handle the necessary paperwork.”

“A change of pace, huh?”

“You enjoyed the hot springs, didn’t you? A change of scenery is important, especially after finishing such a big job.”

“I suppose so.”

Jeremy felt relieved to see Rufus smile.

“Then let’s go!”

Jeremy took Rufus’s right hand and started walking, practically pulling him along.

“There’s no need to rush; the town isn’t going anywhere,” Rufus said, his voice sounding a bit flustered.

“Time is limited! Besides, we can sneak out now without the guards noticing. If anything happens, I’ll protect you, so you can count on me!”

“I see. With you, I feel as strong as a hundred men.”

The town had been temporarily noisy with the news of the governor’s arrest, but things were back to normal now.

To the common people, the governor’s corruption was just trouble among the upper class that didn’t affect them; it held no more value than juicy gossip.

As expected of a town famous for metalworking, shops selling accessories lined the streets everywhere.

“What should we do?”

“Weren’t you going to buy a souvenir for Chris?”

“Oh, that’s right!”

“I know a good shop. I asked the governor about it on the first day. I’m glad I asked before he was arrested.”

Rufus laughed jokingly.

“Oh, as expected of Your Highness. You’re very thorough.”

“You’re the one at fault for not researching it beforehand.”

“M-My apologies.”

The shop had a charming, rustic atmosphere. It was a world apart from the trendy, flashy shops on the main street. You couldn’t see much inside, making it the kind of place a first-time visitor might hesitate to enter.

“I hear they carry high-quality items here.”

Clang-clang. The sound of the doorbell echoed loudly in the overly quiet shop.

“Welcome,” a raspy voice called out from the back.

“…It’s a little spooky, isn’t it?”

“The owner is said to be a true craftsman.”

Perhaps due to a lack of lighting, the shop was dim overall.

The shelves were packed with various handcrafted items. It had a cluttered feel, but in a good way. It wasn’t a “super luxury” store, which made Jeremy feel more at ease.

“Isn’t this beautiful?”

“…Yes, it is.”

It was a beautifully decorated lapel pin made of pure gold, shaped like a crescent moon.

“What are these engraved letters? A foreign language…?”

“It’s an ancient tongue. Don’t they teach this in your classes?”

“Ah… I think I’ve seen it before…?”

“Honestly. It says ‘Good luck to you.’ It’s like a lucky charm.”

“Heh, that’s stylish. I’ll take this one then. Chris likes the moon, and the price is within my budget.”

“I’m sure he’ll be happy.”

“And… Your Highness, please let me know if you see anything you like.”

“Hm?”

“Since I received a birthday present from you, too.”

“I don’t need anything in return.”

“Don’t be modest. I want to give you something. Or should I just pick something based on my own taste?”

“…Well then, I’ll let you choose for me.”

“Let’s see…”

Jeremy stopped in front of a certain item.

“How about this?”

It was a hexagonal snowflake necklace made by twisting gold and silver together.

It seemed the silver represented the color of the snow, while the gold captured the way it sparkled in the sunlight.

“The craftsmanship is exquisite.”

“It looks a bit dusty, though.”

“Since you chose it for me, let’s go with that one.”

Rufus reached for the necklace to pay for it, but Jeremy hurriedly stopped him.

“I’ll pay for it!”

“Don’t you have a tight budget?”

“Umm… I’ll be fine!”

(…It’s going to cost a lot more than the allowance I’m getting for this inspection, but still!)

His desire to give something back to Rufus won out.

Ignoring Rufus’s protests, Jeremy finished the payment.

“There, it’s already paid for.”

“This is the first time someone has forced a gift on me.”

Rufus muttered with a wry smile.

“Your Highness, should I have them wrap this? Or…”

“No, I’ll wear it right now, so there’s no need to wrap it.”

“Understood.”

He only had the gift for Chris wrapped.

“Your Highness, if you like, I can put it on for you.”

“Could you?”

“Please lean down.”

“Like this?”

It took a little effort, but Jeremy managed to fasten it.

“How is it?”

Rufus touched the crystal while looking in the shop’s mirror.

“I think it looks very good against your fair skin.”

“…Thank you. It’s lovely.”

Rufus gave a shy, carefree smile.

It was such a powerful smile that Jeremy’s heart skipped a beat.

Even after leaving the shop, Rufus seemed to really like the necklace, as he kept touching it.

Just then, Jeremy’s stomach let out a loud growl.

“Is it already time to eat? Since we’re here, let’s eat in town. Which shop should we—”

“If we’re going to eat, why don’t we do something you can only do here?”

“Only here? Two-Tone is famous for metalwork, but is there a food specialty like that?”

“It’s not what we eat, but how we eat it.”

“?”

Jeremy pointed toward a food stall catering to commoners.

“In the capital, you can’t exactly eat while standing in the street, right?”

Here, only a few people knew Rufus was royalty. At most, he would just look like a wealthy person from the city.

“First, let’s try that meat!”

“It smells delicious.”

They bought two skewers of grilled meat.

“Is there no plate?”

“You just bite right into it like this!”

“Like… this?”

“Exactly!”

“Mmm… it’s savory and delicious. It’s so juicy! I’ve never had meat this tasty before.”

Since it was grilled over charcoal, the nice smoky aroma clinging to the meat made it even better.

Rufus smiled, his lips and fingertips glistening with grease.

“But you seem very used to talking with the shopkeeper. Do you eat at stalls often?”

“Well, sometimes. I’m the second son of a Baron, so I’m free.”

By the way, this was all based on his experience from his past life. Even for a Baron, it was normally unthinkable for a noble to eat casually outdoors.

“I see.”

They went around buying snacks from different stalls. They tried fruit wine and ate sweets made of fruit coated in candy.

Jeremy was full and satisfied.

“Stalls are great, aren’t they?”

“You’re right. It’s amazing to be able to eat so many different kinds of food like this. It has a different kind of charm than a multi-course meal. Even in the capital—”

“To do that there, we’d have to lose the knights.”

“That sounds like it would be quite a lot of work.”

Rufus gave a bright smile.

When they returned to the mansion, the captain of the guards gave them a stern warning for sneaking away. However, as long as the troubled Rufus was smiling again, Jeremy didn’t care how much he was scolded.

But Rufus seemed to think Jeremy was being blamed because of him.

“The responsibility is entirely mine. I was the one who suggested it. Captain, if you are to punish someone, punish me.”

That is what he told the captain.

Jeremy tried to tell the truth that he was the one who suggested it but Rufus didn’t give him a chance to speak.

Once Rufus said that much, the captain didn’t press the matter any further.

“Please be careful in the future.”

And that was the end of it.

They returned to Rufus’s room.

“Why did you protect me? You even told a lie like that.”

“In the end, it was my decision to go along with your suggestion. Since I have the final say, it is wrong for you to be blamed.”

“But…”

“Then, if I had insisted on bringing the guards, would you have pushed your opinion through?”

“Well…”

He surely wouldn’t have done that.

“Then that’s that. Don’t worry about it.”

And so, Jeremy and the others began their journey back to the royal capital.