The Tanaka Family Reincarnates

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The Prince’s POV

I lay down Emma, who insists she is alright on the bed, and she immediately falls asleep while I’m gently wiping her sweat.

Thinking that she has been forcing herself to look fine until now pains me.

Even though I really, really want to take good care of her, in the end, Emma always seems to have a hard time.

Is it only my selfishness if I want her, who cares for others and never stops smiling to comfort the people around her, to rely on me more?

The royal castle is a mess these days, so I don’t really have much time to go to class.

Even so, I have noticed that Emma’s condition has slowly worsened these past two weeks. During breaks, she only lay down limply on her desk and rested.

Whenever I called out to her, she would only smile and say she was alright. Every time, I never inquired any further, but today she can’t deceive anymore as she obviously doesn’t look fine.

When Emma suddenly spoke Imperial Japanese, I was so surprised that I couldn’t move back then.

The Kingdom’s citizens can’t understand the Imperial Japanese language.

Its pronunciation, grammar, and letters are like words from a different world. Some even said that the Kingdom people just don’t have the ears, eyes, brains, or basically the sense organs that can recognize them.

There are times when we can vaguely catch the words, but to keep remembering them is difficult.

It’s not only limited to the people of our kingdom. Many countries also can’t communicate with Imperial Japan because of this.

Imperial Japan has isolated itself from the outside world for a long time. However, the bad weather condition from last year has made it difficult for the country to continue to be self-sufficient in its food supply.

A few months ago, a request for aid came through an island country called Balitu, one of the few countries that can communicate with Imperial Japan.

The Kingdom was probably chosen because of its abundant resources thanks to its large land and the magicians’ blessings for successive generations.

Not a few oppose the diplomatic relation with this mysterious country, but the King has arbitrarily decided to do it because it seems “interesting.”

The biggest problem is, as expected, the language barrier. Balitu, who acted in the middle, is far from the Kingdom and has the national character of being very laid-back. Hence, the diplomatic talks haven’t proceeded much as everyone expected.

In the meantime, Imperial Japan started to get impatient because their food reserves have been decreasing.

The Imperial family of Imperial Japan was a god-like existence to its citizens because of its bloodline.

And that god, the Imperial Prince, personally learns the Kingdom language and stays here in the name of studying abroad to carry out the negotiations. Through his efforts, diplomatic relations between the two countries have managed to be established.

In today’s banquet that was finally held after many hardships, it couldn’t be helped that the Imperial Prince and the King were so excited when Emma spoke Imperial Japanese.

However, when the King drew even closer to the confused Emma, her body seemed to stiffen for an instant.

When I looked at the place the King was grasping, I finally woke up from the shock and pulled the King, who had returned to his sense, away, but I realized it was too late.

Emma’s smiling face seems a little forced.

Her voice saying “I’m alright” is also shaking.

Her forehead is dripping in sweat, and she looks like she will collapse any time now.

For the Kingdom, understanding why Emma can speak Imperial Japanese is a very urgent matter.

How much Imperial Japanese does she understand, whether she can read and write the letters, how long will it take to translate it into the Kingdom language. Those are the information the King and nobles who are aware of the situation want desperately.

This is a matter related to the interests of our country, and if other countries come to know of her existence, she will undoubtedly become their target.

But…

More than any of that, I can’t stand seeing Emma before my eyes to be in pain.

I don’t want to show this sight of her to anybody.

…this, too, is my selfishness.