Lyudmila, who had a shocked face, came to her senses with a start. The first thought was that it was fortunate that she did not change her clothes as the princess said, and the second thought was, ‘It’s clear that the princess is really tormenting me.’
She came here to meet Karnov Neustadter, who was difficult to see, but she did not intend to see Karnov with a sweaty and red face after suffering from hard work in the morning.
Besides, there were only two people in this greenhouse, and if someone didn’t listen to Anastasia’s orders, wouldn’t that be her! But before Lyudmila could say anything, Asha also gave Karnov a basket of roses.
“No, no way! You must have heard it wrong. But since you’re here, please hold this.”
“Hmm. What do you plan to do with this?”
“I arranged to make rose jam together because Lyudmila came to play. Right, Lyudmila? Ah! You two have to greet each other first.”
Asha looked back at Lyudmila with a big smile. Then she pulled Lyudmila’s sleeve and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Lyudmila was startled but couldn’t push the hand away and just stood there, awkwardly straightening her clothes and greeting him.
“It’s nice to meet you, Lord Karnov. It’s a surprise to see you here.”
Karnov also nodded in response. Asha whispered to Karnov while Lyudmila wasn’t looking.
“Do you want to make rose jam together, Karnov? You have time, don’t you?”
Karnov looked around the rose greenhouse, which was divided in half, with flowers blooming vividly on one side and all cut off on the other.
“Hmm. I should join in making jam, at least to express my gratitude to Lady Lyudmila who worked hard on my behalf.”
“Yes?”
Lyudmila raised her head at the sudden talk, but Karnov, as he said it, was smiling, looking down at Asha, not Lyudmila. Asha pushed Karnov’s arm with a sulky expression.
“I wasn’t planning on making you do all the flower picking.”
“Yes, yes. Your kindness fills this greenhouse.”
“You don’t think I can’t do anything because there’s a visitor, do you?”
Asha said so, and pulled the hem of Lyudmila, who was standing behind her.
“Is it hot in the greenhouse? Let’s hurry to my kitchen, Lady Lyudmila.”
Asha smiled innocently.
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The princess’s kitchen, which was made by the emperor himself, was beyond imagination. Looking back at the cutely decorated space that felt like a luxury salon in a way, Lyudmila bit her lips to wake up, but when she saw Karnov standing alongside Asha in front of her, she lost her sense of reality again.
Maybe he stopped by the palace to prepare for the upcoming Empire’s Protection Day event, Karnov was in a nice uniform, with a basket full of roses in both hands…
If the basket was like a nice flower basket, she wouldn’t have felt this ridiculous. However, the roses in the basket looked like harvested agricultural products themselves.
“Well, let’s start by washing the flowers.”
Princess Anastasia put on her apron after saying so. Lyudmila, who had been going round and round with thoughts like, ‘It’s clear the princess is torturing me, why are there so many roses, isn’t Karnov Neustadter coming today,’ since morning, suddenly opened her eyes.
The fabric of the apron the princess was wearing was clearly made of a special flax harvested by her family. Just like the clothes she was wearing now. Even though it was just an apron, and even though the ribbon at the back had yet to be tied, it harmonized elegantly with the clothes Asha was wearing.
‘You made it with our own fabric!’
Even while devoted to improving linen woven from flax to make it luxurious, Lyudmila harbored a sense of doubt.
Even if it could create a soft and voluminous silhouette, it was unlikely that linen could beat damask or silk to be used in making dresses, she thought. But in this way, even if not in dresses, it could be used elsewhere…
Princess Anastasia smiled at her as if she had noticed Lyudmila’s gaze.
In the meantime, Karnov, like a child who can’t let a toy go, turned half-way to take Anastasia’s eyes off Lyudmila, bent down and tied her apron ribbon.
“It’s worth it to give you a gift. The apron looks good on you.”
His words were to Asha, but for some reason his gaze was on Lyudmila. It was a straight yet cold gaze.
‘Ah.’
The flax cloth produced by her family was sent to the palace and a few high-ranking nobles. Karnov must have received some as well. And now, he’s saying that he used all the fabric he got to make the princess’s apron.
His eyes, like a cold amethyst, clearly expressed the intention of his deliberate provocation. He wanted nothing to do with what had transpired between their parents, and he had no intention of doing anything with her.
In his clear, icy gaze, there was no room for anything ugly or crude, so it wasn’t an insult, but a recommendation that ‘there is no need to start anything between you and me.’
Lyudmila clenched her fist. She noticed what Karnov wanted to say, but she couldn’t accept it immediately. They haven’t really spoken a word! She couldn’t end it like this.
‘Just one word, and…!’
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“Lord Karnov, you may not have heard, but…”
“I heard what our parents said, but I have no intention of following it.”
“Ah, no. Just a moment, please.”
Lyudmila raised her hand in bewilderment. Princess Anastasia’s suggestion to make rose jam was sincere, and making jam for the first time was very difficult.
With hundreds of roses, washing each one and separating all the petals was no easy task. The scent of roses filled the air.
The wilted portions of the petals were cut away, collected, and boiled in water until they became transparent, then white sugar and lemon juice was added.
Karnov squeezed the lemon juice himself. It was hard for Lyudmila to believe that Karnov was skilled at squeezing several lemons at once, but soon she concluded that he was clearly good at everything. How else could he, a high nobleman, squeeze lemon juice so well?
A strong and fragrant rose scent rose from the transparent pink water boiled with roses. Standing in front of the boiling pot, the hot steam filled with the scent of roses brushed past her cheeks.
Everything was confusing. It felt like her head was spinning. What was she doing here, right now? Why was Karnov stirring the pot, like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and what is Princess Anastasia, who is prepping the glass jars next to him, and this, now, the jam…
Having reached the end of jam-making, it was now that Anastasia suggested they take a break until the jam and biscuits were ready.
Lyudmila, having finally regained her senses, thought this was the moment. Now! But it was scary to start a conversation while sitting at the tea table…
“I understand what you’re saying, Lord Karnov. I know it’s baffling since the topic came up suddenly. But I think it’s not a bad thing for you either.”
“Whether this is good or bad, I have no thoughts on it.”
Karnov, it seemed, wasn’t being stubborn – he genuinely didn’t care. Lyudmila became a bit desperate.
“I know it’s embarrassing to talk about this, since the one gaining more benefits ends up bringing it up, but my family also suggested this out of goodwill.”
Lyudmila tried to endure her face burning with embarrassment even as she spoke. It was very difficult. She just prayed that Karnov would think that the heat of the jam had not yet gone away.
“I would like to express my respect for the decision to take a step forward rather than screw it all up.”
Karnov said calmly. It was certainly meaningful that the Marquis of Oleg chose the Neustadter family on the other side of the house, instead of marrying another noble in a position of confrontation with the imperial family.
“But others will think you abandoned loyalty to chase power.”
“Even… if they do, it’s fine. Because the Duke of Sedvoyer has helped me recover my health, that’s why I can look into the future. He introduced good doctors to me. This gratitude…”
Lyudmila, about to say something, swallowed her saliva. Karnov, who had a sour look on his face that he would not accept anything so far, suddenly looked straight at her.
“You’re saying you recovered your health thanks to a doctor introduced by my family?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. Thanks to… is there anywhere I could help? Should I introduce you to my doctor? Oh, of course, you probably already know.”
“…No. The princess always catches a cold every year, and I overreacted because I’m always concerned about her. I’ll ask my parents directly about the doctors.”
Upon reaching this point, Lyudmila felt at a loss. Karnov gave no attention or room for the engagement. Even though he might not like it, she thought that he wouldn’t decisively cut it off, and that just talking well would do the trick…
“I… I understand that you’re not interested in the engagement. But the duke and duchess had high hopes that it would be good if you and I were engaged. You must not have seen their expressions…”
The expressions of the Duke and Duchess were very similar to her own parents. The look in their eyes, full of small hopes and desperate desires, seemed to suggest that it would be really good if the two of them worked out…
Whenever Lyudmila saw such expressions on her parents’ faces, she never wanted to disappoint them. She didn’t bring up this subject to threaten him. She thought Karnov would feel the same. But she was wrong. Karnov looked at her with a firm gaze.
“Lady Lyudmila, I do not live to please my parents.”
“…!”
It felt like her head was ringing suddenly. Her face turned red. She felt an unprovoked shame and anger, but she couldn’t explain it, and it seemed like a big wall had been built between him and her. Or an impassable river.
“Were you having an interesting conversation?”
At that time, Princess Anastasia appeared with a tray on which a teapot and freshly baked scones were placed. Frustrated, Lyudmila quickly came to her senses and hastily looked for a maid to take the tray, but Karnov was far quicker.
“Your Highness, if you trip while carrying this, His Majesty may close the kitchen.”
Karnov gently grabbed the tray with one hand and placed it on the table, and with the other, pulled out the chair so that Princess Anastasia could sit.
At that moment Lyudmila almost mistook someone else for the one standing there. How could the callous face with a cool shadow looking at her change so much?
It seemed no more amazing than when the snow cloud disappeared in a blink of an eye, the sun came out, the snow melted, and buds sprouted on a snow-covered hill.
“I won’t trip.”
Anastasia said with a smile. Dressed in comfortable linen pants that could easily pick roses, and even if there was a stain left on the apron draped over it, as if splashed making rose jam, Princess Anastasia seemed to shine like the protagonist of some stage.
انني احب كارنوف كثيرا ، انه شخص لطيف جدا مع الذي يحبه ❤❤