I quickly swallowed the cake I was savoring on the tip of my tongue and began soothing Rex.
“Rex, why are you crying?”
“Sister…”
“How come you’re crying?”
I quickly rolled my head, wondering if I’d made a mistake with Rex, but I’m just guilty of getting a cake from him and devouring it. Was it because I was so preoccupied with the cake that I failed to properly thank him for bringing it to me? He might have been disappointed for that reason.
Rex continued to cry quietly. I can’t bear to see him like that. I have no idea how to calm him down. I’m looking at Rex with a tearful expression, but what came out of his mouth was so absurd.
“I can’t believe my sister is engaged…… You’re still young!”
“Hey, Rex, I’m older than you.”
People might mistake him for my brother. I told him to stop crying because no real brother would do that just because their sister was getting engaged.
I stroked Rex’s soft hair. Its softness matched that of the cake I had just finished, which had a cloud-like texture. Rex gradually stopped crying and calmed down, much like a peaceful puppy.
So I once more picked up the cake that was lying next to me. As I took another bite, my mouth was filled with delight. Princess Lausanne was extremely proud of the amazing culinary skills possessed by the royal court chefs. Of course, the Grand Duchy was unrivaled, but its people disliked sweets and weren’t known for their expertise in desserts.
That explains why I love dessert so much. I was happily eating the cake when Rex started crying once more.
“How could you be engaged when you seem so content with just one cake?”
“Rex, what’s the connection?”
“If they give you cake, you’ll follow anyone!”
“I won’t!”
I temporarily felt enraged by Rex’s words and put down the cake I was eating.
Wow, I’m the kind of person who shudders at the mention of kidnapping. Does he really believe I would follow someone if they offered me something tasty? How does he feel about me? Well, I’ve already proven to him numerous times that I’m willing to exchange my soul for something delightful.
I would happily go and hug Lucas if he gave me a cake. I stayed up all night memorizing magic spells after learning that they would give me one cookie for each one. The spells I had memorized were, of course, so volatile that they did not stick in my memory for very long.
Rex snickered as he spoke, appearing surprised by my outburst.
“I’m afraid you’re going to be kidnapped today as well.”
“Oh, no. Nothing like that will happen.”
The incident where I was taken away on my birthday and confronted the god of the underworld had left the Grand Duchy traumatized. As a result, I never hosted events—not even on my birthday—and only trusted vassals were permitted entry. Aside from the small Lausanne salons, I was unable to attend gatherings of large numbers of people.
It was actually a very uncomfortable situation for me, but I was powerless to change it.
It had been so long since I had been to a party like this, even though it wasn’t held at the Grand Duke’s residence. So Rex appeared nervous on a day when a large crowd had gathered, just in case there was another kidnapping.
“How could that occur at the palace?”
“Did you anticipate it would occur at the Grand Duchy?”
“No, Rex. Be calm. I’ve got a protective spell on me, and I’m wearing the bracelet you gave me.”
Since that day, I’ve never removed the bracelet Rex gave me. I constantly carried it with me as a talisman. In the end, they were able to locate me and rush to me thanks to this bracelet. Because of the warding spell Grand Duke Estin cast on me, I can’t even escape from him.
It’s like a child wearing a lost prevention necklace. Wearing this bracelet every day made me feel at ease, and it seemed to put everyone else at ease too.
Rex appeared to relax a bit when I extended the bracelet. He started dabbing his eyes with his wrist and wiping his tears away with his sleeves. It was clear that he had been crying as his delicate eyes turned red. It’s a big problem because if my brothers see us, they’ll think I made Rex cry and criticize me. Even if I told them I didn’t, they wouldn’t believe me. I have nothing to say, but it’s true that I caused him to cry.
“Sister…”
“Yes?”
Rex’s voice grew incredibly shaky. He appeared to be trying to tell me a secret as he put his right hand in his mouth. I mimicked his movements and tilted my ear in his direction because he was so adorable and looked like a rabbit.
“Will he be able to keep you safe?”
Rex was most likely referring to Demimore, with whom I was supposed to get engaged today. Despite the fact that he was the second prince, something about him seemed off.
Nevertheless, Rex, who opened his red eyes wide and whispered, seemed like a cute rabbit, so I did not bother to mention it and instead simply smiled.
I don’t know why Rex has such a low opinion of Demimore, but I believe he has far more potential than most people do. A child who can develop the necessary strength, yes. Only I am aware of this fact, which I am unable to share with others.
Demimore, on the other hand, has no reason to protect me simply because he is strong. I’ll safeguard myself. I’ll continue taking Hestia’s classes for archery and self-defense.
But I understood that in order to reassure Rex, I had to dispel his mistrust of Demimore.
“You know, Rex.”
“Yes…”
“That friend is much stronger than Rex thought.”
“Who are you referring to?”
“What?”
I felt someone approaching me as I was about to tell Rex about Demimore’s strength. I heard a familiar voice and looked up to see Demimore’s angular jawline. How did he know I was talking about him? Since I was in the midst of praising Demimore, I felt embarrassed and didn’t continue talking.
Rex didn’t seem as happy as I did because he hadn’t anticipated Demimore joining our conversation. Rex, who already had a lot of reservations, was particularly uneasy around Demimore. I can only assume that it has to do with the fact that he holds the title of prince, but that’s just a guess.
“Rex and Mary are always together in the Grand Duchy, and even here, only the two of them are talking.”
“Oh… I’m just worried about her.”
“Oh, what kind of worry?”
“I guess… Because she has a history…. I’m afraid she’ll suddenly disappear…….”
Rex worked his way through the sentence. Rex, a shy person, declined admission to the academy and only participated in Logan’s classes. I guess that was enough for me to stop trying to convince him.
However, being timid was just a pretext. Of course, it had something to do with his decision not to enroll in the academy, but Rex’s biggest pet peeve was hearing other people talking about his ability. Although I think Rex’s ability is fantastic, I am also aware that it might cause some people to feel uneasy.
Rex didn’t appear to want to attend the academy for that reason. Because cursed magic is disliked there. With that in mind, I felt particularly bad for Rex.
He should be able to act a little more freely without worrying about what other people think. To say, “You only have to be good at the Grand Duchy,” as Logan would, is cheeky, but.
“Did Rex always speak in this manner?”
Suddenly, Demimore brought up a subject that confused me. Rex’s body then became noticeably stiff.
I felt a little insulted by the sudden argument. Are you attempting to make a point about Rex’s poor speech, or what? I spoke vehemently to Demimore as I pondered what kind of attitude this was to a youngster who was already discouraged. It’s still in a small voice because there are other people present.
“He doesn’t normally speak like this.”
“Sister…”
“Yes, I believe so as well.”
“What?”
“I believe he speaks much more clearly than that, but… What’s happening right now? What’s going on with Rex?”
“What do you mean?”
Demimore seems to have had a separate conversation with Rex based on what he is saying.
Rex doesn’t attend the academy, so there must have been no significant contact between the two; however, I don’t believe I’ve seen them talking separately.
Demimore, however, didn’t respond to my questions; instead, he simply shrugged.
