And, subsequently, Alan began playing the piano. For the sake of fairness, he was playing the same children’s song as me. And it was supposed to be the same song…… but it rang throughout the room like a completely different tune. Starting from me, everyone in the room held their breath. That was how amazing Alan’s performance was. I was enthralled by the performance. I thought he was just a self-important prince, but I’m very surprised to find out he has such a talent. And then, after his performance ended, the applause that did not occur after my performance filled the room.
“That was amazing. Prince Alan. You’re so amazing.”
I said that by instinct. Honestly, even though I don’t know very much about music, I thought it was great to listen to. However, Alan himself had a stiff face.
“It wasn’t such a big deal.”
“Nothing of the sort. Isn’t it a great talent?”
“……Something of that extent isn’t what I can call talent.”
For some reason, when I praised him, his face became even stiffer. And then –
“As you say Katarina, it was quite amazing.”
Jared praised the performance just like I did.
“……Even though you don’t think that at all.”
Alan practically spat that out. His face had the same terribly bitter expression as before.
“Stop giving me compliments you don’t mean! I’m sure you’re only here to make fun of me that can’t do anything!”
Alan shouted. Then, he ran out of the room almost as if he was being chased by something.
Exactly, what on earth is going on…… When he escapes so agitatedly, it really gives off the impression that something is chasing him.
While giving the stunned servants a contemptuous glance, I chased after Alan like the heroine of a shoujo manga.
It seems to be true that when a person is looking to escape, they will go to a familiar place. Alan was under the tree that we always climbed for our matches. As I approached, Alan raised his head a little, but after seeing that it was me, he lowered it again.
“……Did you also come to laugh at me?”
“Huh?”
Alan muttered, but I didn’t understand what he meant at all. What does it mean, he thinks I came to laugh at him. That doesn’t seem like anything pleasant.
“……Surely you came here to laugh at me for being able to play the piano a little.”
“……Saying that you can only play the piano a little…… I don’t think it’s on the level of only being a little. It’s an amazing talent.”
When Alan showed off how well he could play the piano, I thought he would be all self-important like usual, but he’s actually being quite humble. Comparing that to my performance, it would be like ranking down my so-so performance to worthlessness.
“Such flattery. I can’t do anything anyways. Always second to Jared.”
I thought he was a self-important prince, but he’s actually a negative prince instead.
“……But it’s not just flattery…… Prince Alan, why is that you won’t believe in yourself more?”
“Hmm. Ever since I was born, I was always being compared to Jared, and I can’t beat him in anything, no matter what it is. Jared took all the good parts starting from our birth, and I’m only ever left with his leftovers, how am I supposed to have self-confidence?”
Ohh, I get it. Come to think of it, this was also the game setting. Ever since they were born, Alan was always compared with Jared and couldn’t win in anything. No matter how hard he desperately tried, Jared could always beat him with a cool face.
Certainly in such a situation, it wouldn’t be easy to simply tell him to work hard and have self-confidence.
After all, in the game, even the kind and cute Mary couldn’t save him.
But Alan has never been inferior. In the game, his academic grades have always been top class. His brother Jared was just too much of a superman. And, his piano performance just now was really impressive. Alan might just have a talent for music. Indeed, in the game there was even a great scene where Alan played the violin to the heroine. I think he probably has more talent than Jared in music. Therefore –
“……I don’t think it’s a question of being suitable or not.”
“……What do you mean?”
Uh oh. I’ve said it now. Alan is looking at me intently.
“Well, uh…… Prince Jared has things that he is good and bad at, so Prince Alan surely also has things that you are good at, it’s natural that people will be more suited to some things than others.”
I became a bit flustered, but somehow I explained it.
“Being suited or unsuited…… Then, is there anything that Jared’s bad at? I’ve never heard of anything.”
Indeed, it appeared that there was nothing that the genius Jared could not do skillfully. He is very good at swordsmanship, and his head just as good. He should have been like this when he came over to visit me…… He even helped me harvest the field, clearly with more efficiency than me.
There isn’t anything that he can’t do, he shouldn’t have anything that he’s bad at. That’s what I always thought. However……
“Hahahaha. I know what Jared’s weak at!”
“!?”
I laughed fearlessly.
In fact just recently, I realized what Jared’s not good at. Or maybe it’s better to say discovered.
Even I thought at first that Jared was an absolutely perfect prince with no weaknesses. However, as time passed by, while harvesting the field, I only became aware of it because our meetings turned into something similar to a neighborhood women’s meeting.
“Prince Jared’s weakness, is, well.”
“……Is?”
When I saw Alan waiting with bated breath, I smiled wickedly.