Here's what the difference is between the anime and the light novel if anyone cares:
-The scene with the nobles from the start is an anime original.
-They skipped the conversation where Duke Grantz was willing to disown Euphie in order for Euphie to be adopted into the royal family as queen.
-The scene in episode 11 with Tilty finding Anis after she ran away. In the novel, Tomas is the one who finds Anis and converses with her. Their conversation leads to one where Anis truly shows the real reason why she doesn't want to be a queen.
(Tomas) "…I thought you didn’t care about the throne?"
(Anis) "I didn’t! But that was because I had Allie to fall back on! I always thought he would make the better king, but he’s gone now, and the responsibility falls on me…"
If I didn’t do this, what good was I as a royal princess? If those around me decided that I was a poor option as a queen due to my inability to use magic, that I didn’t need to worry about becoming queen…then why had I even been born a princess?
"It’s awful, and after everything that’s happened, she has the gall to say I should just give up!" I shouted. "That I’m not cut out for it. Because I should follow other dreams. So she won’t allow it, she says! As if I need her permission…!"
(Tomas) "…What are you going on about? If you don’t become queen, you can keep on living like you have. And if Lady Euphie gets into trouble as queen, you can always give her a helping hand, no?" Tomas said, crossing his arms with a sullen look.
(Anis) But I found myself shaking my head. "…I don’t know. That’s why it’s come to this. If it was that easy, this wouldn’t even be a problem! I don’t want the responsibilities of the throne, but I don’t want people to refuse to recognize my legitimacy either! I just want to learn more about magic, to pursue magic that I can use. But I don’t want to sacrifice anyone else to save myself. I’m a royal princess, and if I can’t even do this much…then what good am I as a princess?"
(Tomas) "Why does that bother you so much?" Tomas asked sharply.
Why did I care about being a royal princess? But the more I tried to put my jumbled thoughts and emotions into some sense of order, the more confused I found myself.
"Princess or not, you’ll still be you."
(Anis) "Well… I guess…"
(Tomas) "I don’t really get why you’re so earnest about it all, but you don’t need to worry so much, you know? There are people who care about you."
As Tomas spoke, several faces came to mind—Euphie’s first, followed by Ilia, Lainie, my father, and…my mother.
(Anis) "…Ah, it’s no good."
(Tomas) "Huh? What’s no good?"
(Anis) "I…have to carry out my responsibilities…as a royal princess…"
(Tomas) "Look, I don’t know much about royalty, but you’ve been doing pretty damn well this far, don’t you think?"
I looked up and met Tomas’s gaze. He was staring right at me.
(Tomas) "You’re not just any old princess, that’s for sure. But there are plenty of people who would love to have you as their queen. That’s how good of a job you’ve been doing."
(Anis) "But…the nobility won’t accept me…"
(Tomas) "What’s the problem, then? You don’t need to force the matter… I’m worried about you, too. I’m worried that if you take the throne, you’ll be crushed by it. You’re too kind at heart."
(Anis) …Was I really? I didn’t know. I had simply been living my life according to my own whims. I hadn’t paid much attention to what people thought of me. I hadn’t cared what they thought.
But I couldn’t keep up that attitude if I was going to inherit the throne. I didn’t want to live in a world that refused to accept me—but I didn’t want to lose my freedom, either.
Even so, I couldn’t give up on being a princess. And part of me whispered that I should cast my selfishness aside. These two extremes of my emotions kept bandying me back and forth. I found myself unable to say anything—I couldn’t even muster enough energy to touch the cup of tea Tomas had brewed for me. |