Original subtitles

Anyone who has any objection to Lady Elianna Bernstein standing as my princess, come forward now!

Oh no. I thought I was supposed to be a fiancé in name only.

So much is happening at once, I can't keep things straight.

Me, as the princess… Your Highness, what did you mean by that?

I'm a phony…

Eli.

Lord Theodore.

I'm sorry.

Since you were considered to be in danger, you weren't able to come near the archives.

The threat no longer exists, so please use the archives as you normally would.

Okay.

I must apologize as well.

Everyone has been on edge for a while, and it must have been scary for you.

That isn't true...

Good grief, I see your faces way too often around here.

I'm doing what I always do, though.

I suppose that's true.

I... want to stay with them forever.

I'm so happy.

At any rate, Chris really had us fooled.

I can't believe he'd use that situation to push his matrimonial plans.

Opportunity only knocks once.

The last barrier, Earl Casull, has given in as well.

Even the elder Bernstein should have nothing to say now.

My grandfather?

You should thank me for calling on Eli, just when I thought it was time for things to draw to a close.

Well, personally, I wouldn't mind at all if things grew worse as they were.

That's enough. You can stop acting like you're in some illicit love affair with your nephew's betrothed.

Well, I am the one Eli gets along with the best.

I'd appreciate it if you'd stop saying Eli's name repeatedly.

That's quite enough of your banter, thank you.

Have you forgotten all the new work piling up thanks to the statements made by Your Highness?

I'm begging you, give us a break.

Like with the unofficial matter

where we suddenly have to secure a month's worth of hard evidence in three days time,

are you trying to work us to death?

Three days is plenty of time.

We were rushed no matter the time limit you gave us...

Time limit?

Oh, no... well...

Good grief.

Just a little more and the first "Brain of Sauslind" to be brought out front and center that

we've had in generations would have once again been made to live in seclusion.

You have had four years, but what in the world is the charming prince doing?

No joke. I'm stunned the prince is actually this lazy.

Once again, I am Alan Ferrera.

I am the one who spread your pet name "fairy princess" around.

Fairy princess?

So, is he honestly moving from the Fairy Princess to Lady Irene?

I'm the fairy princess?

In the past, I have been called the "Phantom of the Library," but...

I'd be overjoyed if you we could have a close relationship similar to what you have with Alec and the others.

Alan. Since you've publicly showed yourself, that has placed everything going forward in a delicate situation.

What? It's about time, isn't it?

It's now fairly known that I am the prince's secret pawn, you know.

I am so terribly sorry that I didn't realize that until now.

I will be more careful going forward, master musician of the royal court.

The one who truly wasn't noticed once in four years;

I am Alan.

I am Alan...

Eli!

Brother.

I heard there was a commotion out here... Are you all right?

Yes.

Good to hear.

Alfred.

Give this message to the elder Bernstein. Tell him "All requirements have been met."

Okay. I will let him know. However,

if you put that look on my younger sister's face again,

even if I have to mobilize all of the Bernstein brain power, there will be consequences.

Please keep that in mind.

Brother?

I am aware.

Your Highness, the king and the chancellor have called on you.

They'd like to hear the details of this situation.

The king?

Tell them to give me some time, I have an urgent matter to attend to.

It's a grave matter concerning the destiny of the royal family.

Uncle, Alec, I'm counting on you to explain ahead of time.

A grave matter concerning the destiny of the royal family?!

And So the Two...

A grave matter concerning the destiny of the royal family?!

That's what he said, but...

What is going on here?

I've finally caught you.

Y-Your Highness?

I'm sorry, Eli... I've incited so many misconceptions and given you much anxiety.

To tell the truth, when I got engaged to you, I was given requirements by the elder Bernstein and the Baron.

Requirements?

First, you must receive approval from the other nobles, without using the alias of the Bernstein name.

Second, you must gain more of Eli's interest than books do.

The deadline was four years, the time until you came of age.

If those requirements were not met by then, the engagement would be...

You were to stay at the estate with the Baron and Alfred.

Oh...

Therefore, even though I came of age, I couldn't proceed with the marriage plans.

I wish you had said so much earlier...

Yes.

Had I told this to the Eli from four years ago,

Ruthless

Don't bother going to so much trouble and choose someone else as your fiancé.

...would definitely be the first answer I received.

He's correct, that surely sounds like something I'd say at the time.

My deepest apologies.

Well, you apologizing for that puts me in an awkward position...

But you ended up showing me more interest than you did books.

Isn't that right?

I worried you even more when I was with Irene.

Both Glen and Alec probed into Lady Irene, but not only was nothing found,

the threat to your safety began.

So, I decided to find out for myself. Your aunt worked with us as well.

Huh? Then, my aunt's illness was...

Right. It was an excuse to get you away from the palace.

But in the end, it caused you to be misled.

At that time, my mind went blank.

Well... it seems like you were made aware of it all thanks to that.

But... I truly regret the fact that I hurt you deeply.

This is a book that I sought out for you.

I wanted to see your face full of joy.

Will you...

accept it once more?

"There's no special meaning in gifts from the prince."

That's what I believed that day.

But...

Yes.

Thank you, Prince Christopher.

Eli.

Your Highness...

What is my family, the Bernstein's, alias?

Well, would it be all right if I told you later, Eli?

Huh?

Is Prince Christopher out again?

Yes. He was heading towards the royal library earlier.

I tried to stop him, but it seemed there was something on his mind today.

He could use some manners.

I did it!

Apologize!

Apologize to the book!

Excuse you! Do you know who you're talking to with such a-

It doesn't matter who you are!

Books are silent ancestors. They are humanity's treasures.

Were you taught that it was okay to be cruel to those who can't speak?

You're exaggerating. It's only a book, you know.

"Only?"

How old are you?

T-twelve.

This book that you threw was written over a hundred years ago,

and it is a historical document that even now continues to be reprinted.

So wha-

And people like you who have only lived twelve years are practically a baby compared to this book.

A peep-peeping chicky with shell still stuck to its butt!

A...a chicky...

Apologize to the great ancestors!

I-I'm sorry.

What are you reading?

Are you here to violate another book?

I won't do it anymore.

What's that book?

Legends from a country in the east.

Is it good?

Yes.

You wish to speak about your engagement?

To the daughter of the baron.

And what is the young lady's name?

No sooner had I said the name, than my father and the chancellor started to panic.

Oh dear. Was it a person of noble status?

Eli...

Yes.

I'm currently telling an old story about us.

Huh?

You mean, even with all that said, you don't remember?

I-I sincerely apologize.

Well, I thought I had made the most awful impression on you, so perhaps this is fortunate...

Anyways, that was the first time I heard the alias "the brains of Sauslind" in relation to the Bernstein family.

It's an alias known only to people of the royal family and a small part of the palace.

The brains.... of Sauslind?

The people of the Bernstein family have been equally prosperous during the reigns they served.

Your father and your brother Alfred are both highly valued for that ability.

However, because it is the nature of the Bernstein family,

the two of them chose to be live buried in books than rise to prominence.

Wow.

It is living surrounded by books that can be said to be the source of that high ability.

The fact that they don't put weight on their ability is a virtue of the Bernstein family, and also a fault.

It's an honor to be told this, but...

I thought that my family was simply generations of a group of people who loved books.

Do you remember when you spotted that Zelger as a fake?

Yes.

That time as well.

In an art book, it said that the Zelger is considered a royal treasure

because it uses an ore that is no longer available,

and the color called "Zelger blue" that is produced by a unique mixture is highly valued.

"Zelger" means "dawn" in the ancient language. Basically, "Zelger blue" is the rich blue found at dawn.

It appears to be a solid color, and according to an old book, the crest also...

Alec and I marveled at your family, full of extensive knowledge.

Yes, it's subtle.

That's just something I knew from reading a book.

But there's more. The Weimar bribery revelation and the stability of diplomatic relations with Maldura,

both happened due to your advice.

You are quite the "brain of Sauslind"...

You yourself proved it.

But, an engagement with the Bernstein family, who does not pander to authority is difficult...

My father and the chancellor both warned me there may be a chance the request could hurt your family.

But since I can't give up, I didn't listen to their advice and immediately approached Baron Bernstein.

Then...

The next day, you had disappeared from the royal capital.

You had returned to the estates.

Oh...

My thoughtlessness at that time...

I truly wish I could shove myself down from behind.

Your Highness... I don't think it's possible to shove yourself down from behind...

After that, my application was rejected many times.

When you were finally introduced into society, and I thought we could finally meet again...

you didn't remember me at all, and you'd return the same greeting no matter who addressed you.

Your Highness, that's what I normally do.

I apologize for my rudeness...

Eli.

Though you may be the "Phantom of the Library" or a "fairy princess" or too dull,

my feelings won't change.

At last, I have you.

At this point, no matter what happens, I have no intention of letting you go.

I can feel His Highness' emotions.

He doesn't want the Bernstein name... He wants me, personally.

But, but...

But, I haven't taken any preparatory classes.

Here is what my mother and the court ladies are already saying concerning that:

Your knowledge, education, etiquette, appearance, and temperament are all great.

Huh? I-I...

I'm not good at socializing.

That isn't true.

When entertaining foreign guests, Mother made sure to let you sit with them, right?

Your knowledge of culture and language concerning foreign countries has been a huge help.

I don't believe that... That's just the role of the fiancé of the crown prince.

Eli. You are firmly building your own place here, with your own power.

He has too much to say after my rebuttals...

I can't help but feel like I'm being rolled around in the prince's hand.

But...

I feel that the uneasiness that was in my chest, the burden of being a phony fiancé, is fading away.

Eli. Perfection is expected when you are in charge of people, but luckily,

there are people around us who make up for that.

What matters most is that I want you to be by my side, now and forever.

Don't you want that, Eli?

May I.. be by your side?

Eli... Elianna.

You are the only one I want by my side, eternally.

I understand clearly now.

These four years, the time that I spent in my normal routine,

that was something irreplaceable to me... I never wanted to lose it.

For the first time, I learned of something in the world that I couldn't understand through books only.

Eli.

My beloved...

bibliophile princess.