The Princess, whose face had softened, quietly nodded.
“A friendship contract… When you become friends, do you set out each other’s obligations and rights in a contract? That’s not bad.”
“I thought about a plan that would make the Princess and I as satisfied as possible.”
At my answer, the Princess smiled.
“You’re pretty confident, aren’t you? Even though you do not know yet whether I will make Lady Annethy my friend or not?”
“Yes, I am confident as I will be faithful to the Princess.”
I had a bright smile on my face.
“If you lose me, the Princess will lose someone who is willing to become her most loyal friend.”
“……”
Bright blue eyes stared at me.
Those eyes are like a deep, deep lake.
I couldn’t even guess what was going on in her mind.
So all I can do is try my best to persuade the Princess.
“So, if the Princess ends up throwing me out…… Wouldn’t it be a loss to the Princess as well?”
My mouth was dry due to tension.
I tried to keep my attitude as relaxed as possible.
“Of course, I can’t be friends with someone as wonderful as the Princess. It will be a big loss for me too.”
Finally, I quickly added a word of flattery.
The Princess remained silent for a long time.
And.
“Why aren’t you acting frustrated this time?”
“Yes?”
“Just a little while ago, you suddenly started degrading yourself. It made people who saw you feel annoyed.”
Princess, if you tell the truth just like that, it’ll hurt me so much……
However, the Princess’s timely violence had no intention of stopping.
“You have no control over yourself, and you only follow Lady Lopez around, and besides, Lady Lopez waits on you as if it was a given too, right?”
The Princess clicked her tongue as if to make others hear it.
“What kind of friend is that? I wouldn’t treat a maid like that either.”
“……”
Despite those sharp words, I couldn’t bear to say ‘no’.
‘If I hadn’t suddenly realized the original story…… I would probably still be living like that, right?’
I became a little bitter.
At the same time, the Princess nodded her head.
“Anyway, I like it.”
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you say you would be my temporary friend?”
The Princess crossed her arms and added her words sullenly.
“I said I like it.”
Wow, really?!
My eyes sparkled.
“Thank you so much! I’ll do my best! I’ll do my best so you won’t be disappointed……!”
“Enough of your lip service.”
The Princess huffed and turned her head away.
But even for a moment.
She glanced sideways at me and opened her mouth.
“Well, so.”
The Princess’s cheeks had suddenly turned bright red.
“We did become friends. Of course, we’re not real friends, just temporary.”
The Princess emphasized several times that I was her temporary friend.
She asked me a question in a clear voice.
“……what should we do from now on?”
For a moment, I froze.
‘What is this?’
It may be a bit blasphemous to think this way about a Princess who is considered one of the noblest ladies in the empire……
‘She is so cute!’
How can I say that it looks like an extremely pretty cat of a high-quality breed?
Although it is so innocent and arrogant, it doesn’t hurt people’s hands easily.
But it doesn’t seem like she hates the attention itself……
“What is it? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
As I was lost in other thoughts for a moment, the Princess glanced at me pointedly.
“You said you’re friends with me, even if it’s only temporary. Are you saying you don’t like hanging out with me?”
“It can’t be!”
I suddenly came to my senses and quickly answered.
“Then, shall we start by getting to know each other?”
“What does that mean?”
“We just said we’d be temporary friends, but we don’t know anything about each other, right?”
Of course, I know the basic personal information.
Isn’t that what information is needed between friends?
“It’s okay whether it’s a hobby, a favorite food…… anything will do.”
I smiled brightly.
“Could you please tell me a little more about the Princess?”
***
A carriage with a sword and rose pattern glided to a halt in front of the Duke’s townhouse.
Dalkag.
The carriage door opened, and a handsome-looking man got out of the carriage.
The butler who had been contacted in advance and was waiting quickly bowed his head.
“You are here, Master?”
Light-pigmented platinum hair, and eyes as blue as the ice sea unique to the Duke family.
And even the beautiful appearance that seems to have been created with great effort by God.
He is the current head of the Claudius family and the sharpest sword of the empire.
It was Dietrich von Claudius.
“I was surprised that you came back early for some reason.”
“Sometimes there have to be days like this. The government meeting ended early……”
As Dietrich was crossing the garden while chatting with the butler about various things.
He suddenly stopped.
“Ahaha, is that really true?”
It was because a clear laughter could be heard beyond the garden.
Dietrich looked a little surprised.
“Eva?”
Under the shade of gorgeous roses.
His younger sister, Evangeline, was bursting into laughter.
Across from her sat a lady with long black hair.
It was difficult to see her face because her back was turned to me.
However, her sitting posture was very straight and elegant, indicating that she was well-educated by her family.
“It’s strange that Eva is hanging out with another lady.”
Although it was true that Dietrich found Evangeline cute.
Aside from that, Dietrich was looking at her sister from an objective perspective.
Evangeline was basically a sensitive person, so she found it a bit difficult to get along with others.
She said that in order to correct her angular personality, she needed to get along with many people and become more rounded, but the problem was her origins.
There was no one who could say her bitter words to the only noble daughter of Duke Claudius.
So recently, a rumor was spreading in social circles that Princess Claudius was arrogant.
“Who the world is that Lady?”
“She is the Lady of Viscount Annecy. Her name is Larit Annecy.”
“Lady Annecy huh. You are truly amazing.”
I can’t believe I could make my prickly little sister laugh like that.
‘Larit Annecy’
Dietrich thought over the name a couple of times.
It was a rare pleasant feeling.
***
The time when the sun is setting.
The Princess and I were saying goodbye at the entrance to the townhouse.
“It’s late, would you like to have dinner? My brother also came home early.”
The Princess suggested so with a regretful expression,
“It’s okay, I’m already thankful for those words.”
I quickly shook my head, gathering the roses I was holding in my arms.
It is already a burden for the Princess, and to have dinner with Duke Claudius was even more burdensome.
I’m sure he’ll act grandiose……
“Thank you so much for these roses too. I will treasure it.”
I quickly said thank you to the Princess, who seemed a little relieved.
This is a new fact I learned today. The Princess’s hobbies were flower arrangement and gardening.
“Ah, that’s why the roses bloomed so beautifully.”
I said that without thinking,
“Do you like this rose? If that’s the case, I’ll take care of some for you on the way back.”
And so, I was given a beautiful rose of the highest quality, enjoyed only by a few nobles and members of the royal family……
“By the way, Lady Annecy.”
Meanwhile, the Princess, who was looking me up and down with a sullen gaze, suddenly said something out of the blue.
“If things continue like this, you’re a temporary friend, so you’re not accepted.”
Dalkag: SFX for the carriage door opening.
Hello dear readers, how are you all? This is a bonus chapter as a thank you for waiting for me to update, hope you all enjoy it cause he is finally here!!
Also, do you guys prefer Master or Patriarch? In the raw, the author used patriarch. If you want me to use the same as the raws, please let me know by pinging me in our discord server’s novel discussion channel and tell me your thoughts here ^o^
I hope you all have an amazing day/night.
I’m good, hope you’re doing well!! Thank you for the chapters <3
That’s amazing to hear, and tysm for reading^^
Thanks for the update! Can’t wait for them to become even closer! I think Master sounds a bit more natural! But I’m fine with whatever you choose to use!
Tysm for reading^^ I thought so too! Ty for the feedback, I appreciate it a lot~
Hmm, he is the Duke thus he is the Patriarch of the Duchy….however…when the servants of the manor address him then it could be either ‘Duke’ or ‘Master’. So both work depending on who is speaking to him.
Thank you for the translations. (Sorry, but I don’t do Discord, just don’t want you to think I’m ignoring you)
Ty for your feedback^^ It’s alright haha no worries and tysm for reading^^
Thank you for your work!! Eva really is a cute grumpy cat!!
I’m really invested~ I think Master is better than Patriarch in this case
I tend to forget to comment… but I really am loving this storyline and can see it is going in a good direction. Thank you for picking this gem up and translating it for us.
I feel like Duke is too outsider feeling. And patriarch is too…. Ugh. Why not My Lord? That’s the usual choice. Also, I love this, the girls are so cute!
Lovin this, thank you for the translations. Wanted to ask do you have a update schedule I would like to know when the next chapter will come out ?