Original subtitles

It's from Lady Mireille.

She is of the same opinion, Prince Christopher.

What remained in the Totti Caves was the murals of the Gael Civilization, said to be the most ancient.

The Kai Arg Empire set out on continental domination, the defeated country was admonished for idolatry,

and history books say all the wall paintings were destroyed.

I wish there were some left.

Yeah.

Eli? What's wrong?

It's nothing.

You're usually feeling pretty down whenever you want to drink hot cocoa with me.

Alfred…

Tell me, what happened?

Lady Anna, it's all right.

Well, it was something I was going to talk over with the prince.

I see… If there's anything I can do, let me know.

Me too, I'll help you with anything I can.

Okay. I appreciate it, Lady Anna, Alfred.

Here you are, Lady Elianna.

Lord Alexei.

If you have the time…

Can you deliver these documents to their respective places?

Okay.

There's a shortage of workers right now…

Intentions of the Butterflies

Excuse m-

My apologies.

Oh, no…

Get to these documents without delay.

Yes, sir.

This is from Lord Alexei.

Ah, thank you. Please take this to the office.

Okay.

Excuse me, please take these too.

Sure.

And these as well.

O-okay…

Perhaps they should increase the amount of workers here right now.

Lady Sharon, aren't you here as Lord Glen's fiancé?

Yes.

Well then, I suppose you felt you'd like to take part in the Holy Night's Banquet here in Sauslind.

Yes, and one more thing.

I came to this country to kill the insects.

My sister Mireille will surely be overjoyed.

Lady Sharon, I feel we will become very good friends!

Lady Mireille… I'm also aware that the person currently known as Lady Lamond was, a long time ago,

very close to being engaged to His Highness.

Why has His Highness chosen not the Pearl Princess of Miseral,

but the bibliophile princess?

I think His Highness has his reasons.

At that time, I was under the impression that I was a phony fiancé, so I answered unbothered.

But now…

It's from Lady Mireille.

Those look heavy. I'll help you, Lady Elianna.

No, I've got it.

Don't be modest.

It's okay.

What is it about my presence that goes unnoticed even dressed as a professional?

I am Alan.

I am Alan...

Oh dear, Lord Alan. Please accept my apologies. I had something on my mind.

Was that something on your mind… Prince Chris?

Well…

Hm?

Please don't tell this to His Highness.

Hmm, what you don't want him to know about… is it the annoying young lady?

Or maybe something else entirely?

Something else…

Has Earl Dauner reinforced his remarks?

Err…

Then it really is true.

If my ideas are taken to enrich a country,

I thought that I wouldn't mind if they spread that idea and claimed it as their own.

However, if it's used by someone who is a military diehard connected to Earl Dauner

other countries may think that we are oriented for military intervention conflict zone northeast of Sauslind.

To think that I've interfered with His Highness' plans with my careless remarks...

Oh, Lady Elianna.

It is true that we're one step behind, but it's all right.

In my opinion, well, Prince Chris would never let you be on the receiving end of all of that.

Then I'm just being protected by the prince, like I always am.

Huh?

That's because you're serious almost to a fault.

Prince Chris' busyness right now is of his own making.

Go ahead and barge in on him, that's nothing you need to worry about.

Okay.

Now then, I'm going to deliver these, so go take those to Chris.

Thank you, Lord Alan.

I've been so afraid of seeing His Highness that I've avoided his office since morning.

I have to have a proper discussion with him.

He isn't here today either.

She is of the same opinion, Prince Christopher.

Preparations for the Holy Night's Banquet are complete, but...

you seem distracted, Lady Elianna.

My apologies.

Are you concerned about the issue with the concubines for His Highness that the queen hinted at?

I do not believe the queen will speak of it, so I will tell you.

Viscountess Dauner is promoting her daughter, Lady Matilda,

because she has entrusted her daughter with her own unfulfilled dream, I believe.

Oh?

The Viscountess herself was a candidate for marriage to His Highness in the past.

So now, since your father, Marquis Bernstein, is cutting the military budget every year,

he is not thought highly of by those associated with the military.

In order to maintain balance in the inner court,

it seems he's bringing his granddaughter into the court as a concubine, to put pressure on the Prince.

Now then, Lady Elianna, how will you proceed?

What do you mean?

The concubine issue is essential to the succession of monarchs.

Can you accept the prince's concubines?

I...

And one more thing, Lady Elianna.

About the leak of information,

is there a maid in the palace that you suspect would do that?

No. I can't imagine any of them would do anything to betray the royal family.

Lady Elianna, you have your own strengths.

Never forget that.

Now, moving on... I will tell you about the guests for the Holy Night's Banquet.

Okay.

In the end, I couldn't see His Highness yesterday either.

Morning, Sara.

Good morning.

I can't put this off any longer.

I must discuss my inappropriate comments and the activity in the inner courts... ?

But, more importantly...

I have to see His Highness and have a proper talk with him.

An accident at the Tessen River construction site?

A step on the bridge girder collapsed, and some workers were injured.

The site supervisor was someone young and inexperienced,

and there is also a possibility of a lack of leadership on the field.

Well, he's from the Azul Region.

He's also influential to the locals and should have a veteran advisor with him.

Hard to imagine there's discord on site.

I want to see the on-site environment.

Alec, adjust my schedule. Glen, prepare my horse.

What?! Are you really going to the Azul Region right now?

What about the Holy Night's Banquet?

I'll make it back in time for the banquet.

Quit grumbling and get ready.

Another forced march...

Your Highness, you don't have to go all the way-

Eli!

Y-Your Highness...

I need more of you, Eli.

Why do I see so little of you, though we're in the same palace?

This must be deliberate, or some sort of conspiracy...

I was just about to have Glen teach me how to steal into a woman's bedroom at night.

What?

Don't say that, for decency's sake!

Any conspiracy would be traced back to you, Your-

What a bunch of unrefined louts they are, interfering with a lover's rendezvous.

I'm sorry I couldn't get any time away, Eli.

I'll be sure to make some time for you by the new year holidays.

Okay, I understand.

Good.

U-um...

Were you lonely, Eli?

If we're going, let's go, and let's get there fast.

Right. Since you've got time to flirt, you can get there fast and clear everything up.

Tch.

There's an unseasonable amount of mosquitoes out now, and I'm on extermination duty.

I have it under control, though, so don't worry.

Thank you, Your Highness. Please be careful out there.

I will. Sorry to be so hasty, Eli. I'll be back soon.

Though I was finally able to see His Highness,

I felt even more pressure in my heart than before I met him.

A few days later...

Lady Elianna.

Lady Sharon is waiting for you.

She is?

Lady Elianna, I'd like to have a talk with you about something.

A talk?

Yes! Can the two of us speak?

Lady Sharon.

You excused as well, Elen.

I hate beating around the bush, Lady Elianna.

Right.

I will be honest with you.

I want to be Christopher's partner for the Holy Night's Banquet instead of you.

Pardon me?

If I come as his partner, as someone from the Miseral Dukedom,

it will be clear to everyone else as well that His Highness has a high regard for my big sister Mireille, right?

It's still for the best considering what comes next.

What's going to come next?

There's already no helping that you are the princess consort.

The word is already out, and though Mireille had a traditional wedding, she was married once.

But, when Prince Christopher and Mireille are together once again, everything will go back to how it was.

You get it right? They're the Yule Lovers.

The Yule Lovers?

Jeez, you're just as slow as you look, huh?

It's the love story of Prince Christopher and Lady Mireille!

The princess and the prince from the neighboring country loved each other since they were children!

Even though they made a promise for the future, the prince is assigned to a fiancé who gets in the way,

and the princess is forced to marry an old man.

Just when it looked like their relationship was doomed...

The princess is discovered to be the Yule maiden who is loved by the goddess

and her purity was guarded by the divine protection of the goddess.

Both the old man and the interfering fiancé are eliminated,

and the two live happily ever after!

In Miseral, everyone understands that the models for this book are Prince Christopher and Lady Mireille.

Oh, really?

That's why, Lady Elianna, this distorted relationship should be fixed.

You're nothing but the prince's burden.

So I want you to liberate the prince already.

Liberate the prince?

Yes, if Lady Mireille were in your position,

she'd be able to hold down the prince's concubines as well as the nobles in the inner court nicely.

You can stay a figurehead princess who only reads books.

Lady Mireille will handle all the essential duties.

You understand, don't you? You're a nuisance in this story,

so let go of the prince and give my big sister her rightful place.

That's a fitting figure for this story.

A nuisance...

I can't feel the murmur of the books that I always do...

I don't know whether or not His Highness is willing to take in concubines,

and I won't know unless I ask him, but...

What if I am in the way of Prince Christopher and Lady Mireille loving each other since they were children?

I have to ask His Highness directly.

But then, what if he agrees?

I want to be with His Highness.

Since our feelings for each other were mutual, I've tried my best to be worthy of being next to His Highness.

But...

I'm a little exhausted.

I'll say it once more.

My brother...

Countess Anna Hayden...

will you attend the Holy Night's Banquet as my partner?

Lord Alfred...

I'm serious, Lady Anna.

As a man, I am captivated by you.

Will you please be my partner?

It seems His Highness has returned.

I'm glad he's back in time for the banquet.

Yes.

Come on, don't be so ridiculous, Prince Chris!

It's going to take time because it's another country you're looking into.

If you have time for idle talk, then you've got time to go work with the intelligence department.

I'm making good use of the time I have in between preparations for the Holy Night's Banquet,

so I hope you can tolerate me falling a little behind.

I may sue you for overwork.

Do it. It would all come back to me, anyways. I'd crush you to a pulp.

Yikes! What a tyrannical ruler!

Abuse of power, terrible working conditions and regulations,

overthrowing worker's basic human rights, unfair overtime!

Prince Chris has the ears of a donkey!

Your Highness. Um...

Can we postpone the wedding ceremony?

I'm sorry.

Lady Elianna.

I saw you running by...

Oh, don't move.

What mischievous holly, to try to damage such lovely hair.

It's all right now.

Elianna.

Eli, let's talk this over.

Prince Christopher, you should calm down.

You have nothing to do with this. Stand back.

It's true I am not involved, but I can't disregard a frightened woman.

This problem is between me and her. I'd appreciate it if you didn't interfere.

Come here, Eli.

I deeply apologize, Your Highness, but... could you please give me some time?

I want to go home, just for today.

Okay. Understood.