―― The voting day.
Early in the morning, together with Freed I headed for the plaza where the voting would be held.
I woke up early and couldn't sleep. I wanted to go for a walk, and it turned into Freed going out with me.
We walked through the town together. Because it was the early morning, there were only few people on, we only occasionally passed by people strolling or jogging. Pleasant smell of baked bread wafted through the streets from a bakery.
We arrived at the plaza at the end of the main street.
Two ballot boxes where coins would be inserted were installed side by side in the planned location. Posted around them were multiple soldiers on high alert.
"Good morning."
"Good morning! Your Highness, Princess Consort!"
When I greeted the soldiers, they noticed us and returned a greeting together with a respectful bow.
Freed asked them.
"Did you see any suspicious people between the evening and the morning?"
There should be no such people. I thought so, but an unexpected answer came back.
"Five people that looked like thugs aimed at the ballot boxes late at night. We counterattacked as necessary and arrested them."
"… Eh? They aimed at the ballot boxes?"
"Yes."
"What were they intending by that?"
I guess Wire had planned something, but I don't understand what. As I tilted my head, one of the soldiers said.
"When questioned on the spot, they said they were ordered to tamper with the ballot boxes. Currently they're imprisoned in a simple jail at the station. They will be transported to the castle in the afternoon… Does Your Highness want to question them?"
Asked for instructions, Freed told them with a harsh expression.
"No, it's unnecessary. Transport them as planned in the afternoon. Did they say Wire's name?"
"No, they didn't seem to know who their employer was. They did it because they had received a lot of money."
"I see. So he at least made a little effort not to get exposed. The culprit of aiming at the ballot boxes is obvious though."
"… He is. And that's despite saying he'd compete fair and square… Weren't gamblers supposed to keep their word?"
I'm disappointed.
I was stupid to think he'd be proper during a match despite being fundamentally a scum.
"Uu, I'm suddenly worried. Mr. Wire promised, right? That if I win, he'll never again approach the Royal Capital. I'd be really troubled if he had lied even about that…"
What did I even accept the match for?
While I was becoming uneasy, Freed said.
"It's alright. Lidi, if you win, I'll absolutely make him keep his word. I won't let a promise to my consort be made light of. That's why don't worry and keep doing your best until the end."
My reliable husband's words made my anxiety subside in an instant.
"Thanks. But, doing my best won't help me now. Today there's only voting."
I did everything I could. All that's left is to leave the rest to heaven and pray.
Moment by moment, the time of the decisive battle approached.
The voting began at noon.
The plaza is overflowing with people, each of them putting the coins they'd received in the ballot box of their choice.
I and Wire are standing behind the ballot boxes as the representatives of our stores, but within thirty minutes since the voting began, I was astonished by a shocking sight.
―― Almost everyone puts coins in the box of my store.
"… Eh? What does it mean?"
The outcome is clear without looking at the results.
When I glanced next to me, I saw Wire's plump body shaking in anger.
"U-Umm… Are you alright?"
"W-Why…!"
"M-Mr. Wire?"
Despite being surprised by him suddenly raising his voice, I called out to him. Wire pointed at me and yelled at people gathered around.
"You all! Didn't you eat at my store with pleasure! What are you thinking voting on this lass despite that!! I don't understand!!"
Wire turned red in a fit of rage, but I agree with him.
There was a queue to Wire's store every day. I don't think everybody likes Japanese confections either. There should be many customers charmed by Irvine cuisine.
And yet, almost everyone votes for my store, so much you could suspect fraud.
Of course, I believe nobody involved with my store would do that, but I can't help but suspect there's something deliberate in it.
"After all, it was scary…"
"Eh?"
The one who muttered was a boy around ten who had just finished voting. The boy was holding his mother's hand, but when he noticed Wire's gaze on him, he hid behind his mother in panic.
Then he stuck out his face and quietly said.
"I heard angry shouts at his store every night. My house is a little away from his store, but I still heard them. I heard them every day. I don't want to vote on him no matter how delicious it was."
"Wha!"
Wire's eyes widened in surprise. As the boy said that, those who had already voted agreed with him.
"That's right. I heard them too."
"I've heard about it from a friend."
"I actually saw him shouting in anger. I felt sorry for the cook."
"I heard the sounds of violence."
"Me too."
One after another everybody accused Wire of verbal and physical violence. Wire must've not expected it to be known, as he froze from surprise.
"… Everybody was unexpectedly watching."
"Cain?"
Cain, who was standing a little behind me as my escort, muttered. I asked about what he meant with my eyes.
"Princess, you said it was fine, but I couldn't help but be worried, so I scouted Wire's store a few times. There, I saw it."
"Saw what?"
I expected what I'd be told, but I just had to ask. Cain spoke clearly, without any vagueness.
"Wire's violent words and actions against the cooks."
"Ah!"
I unconsciously gasped.
"He looked greatly vexed to lose customer to Princess's store. It seemed to be happening from the first night. He blamed his head chef for not showing results despite costing him a lot of money… I feel sorry for the head chef. He always looked on the verge of tears…"
"…"
"It happened every day. Princess, you were too busy with your own store to notice, but actually, the number of Wire store's customers was gradually decreasing. Do you know why?"
"… I don't."
I really don't know. There was a miserable expression on Cain's face as I looked at it.
"He was shouting angrily and behaving violently every single night, right? There's no way cooks could keep up their energy. Wire's store had delicious food for the first three days. Afterwards, it gradually turned bad. It became a rumor together with the violence."
"…"
"Nobody would want to go to such a store, right? On the contrary, everybody always smiles when they come to Princess's store. Everybody there works happily, and the original recipes are interesting. It's fun to visit. It's natural that everybody would vote for Princess."
"That…"
I couldn't hide my shock that Wire was being violent unbeknownst to me.
Certainly, Wire didn't commit any fraud. Sending thugs was in a gray area close to black, but there's no evidence, so he didn't do anything obviously fraudulent.
However, it didn't matter anymore.
Townspeople told Wire.
"None of us will vote for you store! We don't want people like you in town. All of us are on the side of Princess Lidiana who makes sure we have fun!"
"Princess Lidiana…?"
Wire, who had been burning with anger, showed a confused expression. Seeing that, I understood he still hadn't realized that I'm the Crown Princess.
That's how much everybody hates Wire. Not even one person told him about me.
While I was thinking that I should finally come out, I heard a voice from behind the crowd.
"That's enough! The outcome of the match is clear. There's still time to vote, but the winner of this match is the Japanese café!"
"Ah, Older Brother."
The voice was my brother's. Brother managed almost everything about this event, so in a way it's natural he appeared, but he was much earlier than I'd expected.
Brother pushed his way through the crowd then stood before Wire and grinned.
"Yo, Wire. It's been a long time."
"… Vivoir's little brat! Why is he here…!"
Wire looked at me in surprise. Then he shouted like he'd expected it.
"I see, I understand. You didn't want to lose to me so much you used your brother. You did it while telling me not to cheat. It's void! I won't recognize such a match!!"
"You idiot. Lidi isn't you, she wouldn't do something like that."
"Older Brother, your tone…!"
Fundamentally Brother often feigns innocence in the castle, so I'm surprised he spoke to Wire naturally. When I pointed that out in a whisper, Brother laughed scornfully.
"There's no point keeping up appearances with him. He no longer has peerage, right?"
"T-That might be so, but…"
I wonder if it's so simple, but if Brother says it's fine, I can't say anything more.
Brother faced Wire and showed him a fine smile.
Chapter end
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