Marry X Princess

XXIII: Urgency

"Mr. Watanabe, wake up." A familiar voice called out to me, repeating the command when I didn't respond. It was Helena, and each of her calls were like a crane stubbornly attempting to lift me from the depths of darkness.

I groaned, shutting my eyes tighter. I knew it was a losing battle, but I was willing to fight for every millisecond more of sleep that I could get.

"Mr. Watanabe you need to get up. The Princess would like you to meet her in the garden for breakfast."

"..."

"So be it."

The cursed sound of curtains being yanked open assaulted my ears, and a hellish light pierced my eyelids as if they were made of paper.

"All right, all right, I'm up! Just shut those curtains!" I cried, sitting up and shielding my frying eyes with my hands.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't do that. The Princess wants you right now. Please get up and get dressed. I will return in five minutes to retrieve you again."

I said nothing as the faithful servant of the royal family took her leave. Once she was gone, I raked my fingertips across my face which stretched along the trail my digits traced.

It was hard to believe so much had occurred in a single evening. From the worst dinner of my life, to being violently attacked outside the casino I had just illegally gambled inside of. The night ended with a dreamless sleep, but not enough of it.

I eyed my phone which was still powered off. I didn't dare to change that fact, as I knew full well that I likely had well over a thousand hysterical messages from my parents and Mizuki waiting for me. I would surely pay for it later, but they would have to wait a little longer to hear from me.

I dragged my heavy body out of bed and slipped into autopilot. With my permission, my brain drifted into a thoughtless lull as my body performed all the functions of hygiene in the room's fancy bathroom. The wires in my skull were thoroughly frayed and sparking, the last thing I wanted to do was damage them any further before my meeting with Cynthia.

As promised, Helena came knocking on the door in a short five minutes, and I assured her I was almost ready. After another three minutes, I was. And with a needless escort at my side, I made my way to the garden where Cynthia was sat at a table stocked with food, not unlike the first time we had shared a meal there.
"I'd say good morning, but it isn't," Cynthia remarked, sipping tea.

I sat across from the blonde and agreed. "Is it ever?"

"Let's cut right to the point, Shinsuke. While you were asleep, I called Eva."

"What about?"

"Last night, of course. You have a month to prepare for this fight, and that scrap you got into last night proves you aren't ready. Not even close. You're going to lose at this rate."

My fingers found my temples and massaged them wearily. "So, what? You asked her to work me even harder than she already is?"

"Yes," Cynthia confirmed. "And I called in a favor from her as well."

I shot her a confused glance and she continued speaking. "By now, you already know that we're on our own in this. I can help you with my own resources, but my parents will surely intervene and override anything I do to aid you that involves the benefits of my lineage beyond my individual status."

"Which means?"

"Which means I had an idea, but I couldn't be the one to execute it. We need all the time we can get, and school is clearly interfering with your ability to train."