Episode 28
“Lady Christina, that attitude is rude.”
Tielle, who was sitting to the left of the princess, pointed out.
The princess on my side wrapped her arms around Tielle’s shoulder and nodded her head.
“That’s right! It’s rude!”
“But… Your Highness, this invitation is supposed to be sent to the Countess, isn’t it? From my perspective, this part seems like it needs ironing or something.”
Tielle, who had been admiring the princess’s work, said in a calm tone, as if to soothe.
“How could you even suggest that!”
The princess opened her mouth as if betrayed by someone she trusted.
Liliana, who was looking at the princess, burst into laughter.
Under the sunshine, the garden was filled with the sound of conversations and laughter.
I also weakly smiled and drank tea together.
“Young Lady, are you okay?”
Stella, who was sitting next to me, lowered her head and asked.
As I blinked my eyes and turned to her, Stella pointed at the ribbon I had been tying with my finger.
Ah.
I chuckled as I looked at the princess’s ribbon, but now, seeing the one I had made while half asleep, it didn’t seem much different.
Do I have to do it again?
“Are you tired because of the change in sleeping arrangements?”
“A bit.”
I nodded with a smile.
“I should take a short walk and come back.”
“Shall I come with you?”
“Next time. I’ll be back soon.”
I gestured to the princess and quietly rose from my seat.
I walked through the peaceful corridor of the palace, illuminated by sunlight.
Despite the relatively high temperature of the season, the stone-built corridors of the palace were cool.
Gradually, I felt my mind clear in that coolness.
As I walked, I stopped upon seeing a familiar face approaching from the opposite direction.
Hair neatly arranged unlike yesterday, dressed smartly in a suit.
After confirming even his shamelessly handsome face, my brow furrowed.
The man walking with a group of men was the crown prince.
He raised his eyebrows slightly in acknowledgment.
I inwardly sighed and nodded in greeting.
“Lady Rodore.”
“I greet the little sun of the Empire.”
“She’s a close friend of the princess.”
He seemed to introduce me to the men behind him.
As I regretted why I had taken this route, the crown prince stooped to pick something up.
“Did the Lady make this?”
In a world like this,
Unfortunate things didn’t come without such unfortunate events.
I didn’t expect to find a ribbon I had started making, or rather, had started to make but ended up ruining, hanging from the hem of the dress.
“Out of courtesy, let me take it.”
He put the ribbon in his pocket.
I looked at him, raising an eyebrow, with the question, ‘What courtesy?’
The shameless crown prince smiled brightly.
“Sure.”
I gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment, but stared at his back until it became a dot.
Anyway, sleep was out of the question.
* * *
I struggled and struggled to respond to the mockery and finally managed to make my share of ribbons.
It was something I didn’t have to do to such an extent, but I worked as if on fire, as if doing some labor.
Instead of heading to my room designated by the princess, I looked around the garden.
Then, I turned my steps towards the tree where I had seen the crown prince yesterday.
As I turned around the tree, I saw the shameless man leaning against the trunk.
“Is Your Highness following me? Is it a coincidence that I happen to be where Your Highness is?”
I asked him, sharing courage and audacity that I had built up from tormenting people every time.
It was quite comfortable since there were no people around.
“Kenneth.”
“Yes?”
“Wasn’t it decided not to call me that since yesterday?”
What’s that?
Is he playing games with me?
“Last night, we agreed to abbreviate titles outside the palace. I don’t think we’re on a first-name basis.”
It was a polite refusal.
But the crown prince was strange.
As he bent down, his face suddenly came close.
I stepped back.
“What…”
“Lady.”
I stared at him with a sharp focus in my eyes in response to his call.
“After saving you once, lending you a book, and even going for a night walk together…”
A night walk together?
Does he really think of me as his lover?
I had expected his interest to have some rational aspect mixed in, but did he really think we could become lovers?
I was terribly confused.
“At least from that point on, even if you have no conscience, we are friends.”
Friends?
It was a completely unexpected word.
It was both astonishing and astonishingly strange that the crown prince and I could be intertwined in such a way.
“I and Your Highness…”
“Are friends.”
Could it be that he truly considers me a friend?
Such a strange person.
A truly incomprehensible and strange person.
I don’t know how to define him.
The only thing certain was that he was not just a friend, but an opponent who would be a headache if turned against, and that when I was with him, sometimes I forgot the death I had never forgotten before.
Under the long twilight leaning towards the bright sunlight.
Beneath the large branches and stems.
As if a scene from some comic I had seen in a past life, I became friends with the crown prince.
Yes, shamelessly blatant friendship.
There was no other way to explain our strange bond than that.
* * *
After the princess’s party ended, I returned to the ducal residence.
For a while, I felt drained and didn’t go out of my room.
The Count, who was temporarily in charge, also didn’t extend social invitations for a while.
The temporary office used by the Count and the one used by the Igon were different, so I sometimes went to the princess’s office.
Now, I pushed the bookshelves familiarly.
“Show yourself.”
Some days, even when I asked to see it, it didn’t appear, and other days, it appeared when I just passed by without asking.
It was arbitrary.
The atmosphere of the room resembled its owner.
Today…
I saw the door of the room.
I grabbed the doorknob and entered.
Lying on the bed, I thought of the Igon.
What could he be doing?
I closed my eyes.
I didn’t even know how it might feel.
Maybe thoughts might arise if you stay cooped up here all day.
With that thought, I closed my eyes.
* * *
I stayed out of sight for a while and then attended the princess’s gathering again.
As always, the people there were admirable not only mentally but also physically.
As usual, I listened to others’ stories while sipping tea.
The Margo twins were also presented with flowers and tea made from dried flowers
I lowered the teacup, tilted my head, and asked for their response.
“Yes?”
“Did you receive the flowers we sent?”
Ah, right.
Since I made an excuse of being sick and couldn’t attend the reading club, everyone sent me letters and gifts in concern.
I received flowers, candles, tea, and novels to soothe my boredom.
While I had some experience with social activities and exchanging gifts, the gifts I received this time were a bit different.
I also received flowers and tea made from those flowers from Margot.
“Yes, thank you. Did you also send the tea made from the flowers you sent? It tasted good.”
“I thought of the tea. I’m glad you liked it.”
I expressed my thanks to Isabelle in the same way.
“How was the tea I sent? I heard it was effective for colds, as it’s imported from an Eastern country.”
While discussing the gifts with the twins, Andrea interjected.
Andrea’s tea seemed to be made from mugwort, ginger, cinnamon, and so on.
It was an uncommon combination here.
If I had drunk it without knowing anything, I might have been surprised by its unique scent, but fortunately, I relied on memories from my past life.
“It helped. Thank you.”
It wasn’t just a polite remark; the tea Andrea sent had an effect.
I had a slight headache in the morning, but after boiling and drinking the tea, the pain disappeared by the afternoon.
Since it worked, I shared some with the Count.
He seemed surprised but conveyed his thanks for the drink.
Andrea was delighted to hear about it.
“I’m glad it helped. I also tried the tea, but perhaps because of its scent, our head maid thought I was just boiling any herbs I could find in the fields. What does she take me for…”
“If you recall the past deeds of Young Lady, it wouldn’t be an unfounded suspicion.”
Christina quietly retorted Andrea’s words.
“Oh, what does that mean, Lady Riesling?”
Startled by the sudden attack, Andrea called Christina.
“You should know.”
Their second round began.
I quietly left before they could properly confront each other and sat elsewhere.
Choosing a seat to avoid trouble wasn’t so great.
Camilla, who was the most awkward person at the gathering, was sitting next to Eunice.
Both of them were looking at me with sparkling eyes.
“What were you talking about? You seemed to be enjoying yourselves.”
“We were expressing our gratitude for the gifts we received. By the way, I received a nice book and flowers from Young Lady as well, but I forgot to thank her separately.”
“Was it enjoyable?”
Camilla asked, her large pupils shining brightly.
“Yes.”
“That’s good.”
Her smile, with the corners of her mouth turned up, was very charming.
Camilla was called the rose of the social circle, and her nickname was well understood with such a wonderful smile.
As we talked back and forth, the side of my face felt warm.
Eunice seemed to be looking at me.
I turned my head and thanked her as well.
“And… thank you to Lady, too. The scented candle helped me fall asleep deeply.”
“I’m glad it helped.”
Her casual smile was beautiful.
At the same time, my excitement faded slowly.
