Author: Himezaki Shiu	Original Source: Syosetu
Translator: PunishedLyly	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

With my conversation with Father concluded—he mentioned that he would speak with the Hausen family as soon as possible—I was heading toward my long unoccupied bedroom when I ran into someone I would have preferred not to: Brother Vilibart.
Like a predator spotting prey, he approached me the moment I entered his vision.

「Miiya, so you’re back.」
「Yes, elder brother. I have returned.」
「It must be nice to be you—so free, with no royal duties.
Where did you go this time?」
「To the Hausen territory.」
「How carefree.」

You’re the reason I had to leave in the first place. But I’m not going to say that out loud.
Brother Vilibart behaves this way because he dislikes me, so even if I said anything, he’d just dismiss me as being cheeky.
Brother thinks of me as lazy and frivolous. He seems to believe the reason I have more free time and fewer assignments than our other siblings is simply that I’m pampered.

I previously exhausted my wits trying to dispel his misunderstanding, but due to my inadequate explanations and his own disposition, he never accepted my reasoning. From then on, he ignored any attempts I made to clarify.
Brother Vilibart only pesters me like this when Father and our other brothers aren’t around, so perhaps actually has a vague understanding of my position.

「Come to think of it, you’ll be enrolling at the second academy, right?」
「Yes, that is correct.」
「Well, isn’t that the perfect place for you? Enjoy all the flattery over there.」

Leaving those words behind, Brother cackled as he walked away.
He must be heading toward Father based on his direction, but will he even be given any attention?
While this cynical thought crossed my frigid mind, I hurried back to my bedroom.

Despite his behavior, Brother Vilibart actually has a decent reputation amongst the people.
This is because he uses his mobility as a fourth prince to assist citizens in a bid for popularity.
Apparently, he loves being showered with praise, so he puts on quite a good front for the public.
Rather, he reserves his oppressive behavior solely for me.

That’s just the way Brother Vilibart is. I don’t have any major issues with him at this point. While I wouldn’t be against seeing him blunder his way to ruin, something on that scale would likely negatively impact Ausente.
As such, I’d prefer he continue his publicity stunts without further change.

◇◇◇

Night passed, and it was now the day of the second academy entrance exam.
Generally, everyone is eligible to take the exam and receives equal treatment. However, as a member of the royal family, I alone am given special treatment.
After all, with my position, my presence at the examination venue could cause a ruckus. Unlike the first academy, the second academy crams its entire entrance exam into a single day. Due to that, the academy would also prefer to avoid anything that may cause needless delays.

I took the written exam in a room specifically dedicated to the royal family, and shortly after I finished, Runya arrived.

Runya flung the door open vigorously, and upon seeing me, she yelled, “Lady Mii!!” and ran toward me in a very flustered state.
This was unthinkable behavior from her usual self, so instead of admonishing her, I urged her to explain.

「What’s wrong?」
「There’s another one.」
「Another one?」
「Another one who I can’t read with my appraisal!」

Unable to read with her appraisal… The masked girl was also able to block her appraisal.
It’s not necessarily an act impossible to achieve, but the number of those capable of such a feat is very limited. Sorceric items that can invalidate appraisal are rare and extremely expensive. Simply possessing one indicates either a prestigious lineage or a significant position in the underworld.
Whichever it is, I should have already received information if such an individual intended to enroll in Ausente’s academic institution.

Appraisal obstruction can also be achieved through sorcery. However, only highly skilled sorcerers are capable of fending off Runya’s appraisal.
Her capability is of the extent that she can typically extract information even from sorcerers of A-rank level as long as they do not actively prepare countermeasures against it.
And people of that caliber don’t appear so frequently.

「What sort of individual was it?」
「She was a small girl. Her most eye-catching characteristics were her long white hair and blue eyes.」
「So she doesn’t have black hair… Wait, white hair and blue eyes…!?」

That means it wasn’t the masked girl. No, in hindsight, it felt as though the masked girl was deliberately drawing attention to her black hair.
It was as if she wanted that specific trait to stand out. This is mere speculation for now, but I’ll keep it in mind.
More importantly, I cannot ignore the fact that this girl has white hair and blue eyes.

While this combination is rare, it’s not entirely unheard of.
That’s why the probability of what I’m thinking is low. However, I cannot disregard the fact that this girl matches the description of the recently adopted daughter of Mistress Fiiyanamia.
The news of Mistress Fiiyanamia’s daughter has yet to reach Ausente, which is likely why Runya doesn’t seem to realize the potential connection.

I can’t help but feel a bit envious of her. Because had I not made the connection myself, I wouldn’t be feeling this tightening knot in the pit of my stomach right now.
Regardless, investigating this girl is likely necessary. It would have been ideal to consult Father for guidance, but there’s no time right now.

「I understand, Runya. I’ll handle the rest, so would you mind waiting for further instructions?
We’re still in the middle of the exam, after all. Prioritize that first and foremost.」
「I understand. Princess, please take care.」

After watching Runya leave the room, I summoned my attendant.
I instructed them to gather information about the girl in question. Even if all they can retrieve are the details from her admissions documents and her test results, it’s still better than having no information at all.
Now the only task remaining is to find a way to make contact with her.

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And that’s it for this half of the Princess Leshy interlude! We’re right before their second meeting at the dance test! It seems like she really can’t take a break…

Minor thing (on hindsight, it was not minor, lol), but I do like the characterization of the fourth prince being popular with the people because he’s a crowd pleaser. It does align with the prophecy of him possibly causing division, and him making use of his freedom as the ‘fourth’ prince (as he is bound to fewer duties as a result). And honestly, I like how you can almost ‘taste’ the bitterness he has against Leshy, I assume that he’s the youngest of the princes and is envious of the attention given to Leshy (who I also assume is the youngest of them all, since the fourth prince is her onii-sama). You can see a parallel with the two; the fourth prince given a lot of attention by the vassals due to his potential and talent, while Leshy was given a lot of attention due to her unique status. Doesn’t justify being a prick, though.

Also, I love how Runya was panicking because *there is another*. Like, *what do you mean there’s someone else who can block my abilities when we just met some overpowered character yesterday?* Her reaction is very understandable.

Now then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to comment. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a nice day~!