“Haha, welcome. Berry, Dia.”
When I raised my head, I saw Dantellion smiling brightly.
He still had a handsome face. Seeing his golden hair, sparkling like the sun, I couldn’t help but feel happy. I smiled and looked up at Dantellion.
“Your Highness.”
“……”
However, a cold voice came from the side. I flinched and turned my head.
Veronica was looking at Dantellion with a cold expression. I swallowed nervously and glanced between the two.
“Berry.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Berry, calm down.”
“Even if someone dies in the duel, no one will be held accountable. Do you know that?”
Veronica asked, her voice filled with anger. She was furious that Dantellion had, without permission, challenged Cedric to a duel.
It wasn’t because she was worried about Cedric, but because she was so concerned about Dantellion. That’s why she was so upset.
“……Berry, Dia is watching.”
“……”
“We can talk about this later.”
Dantellion said, and Veronica managed to suppress her emotions. When she made eye contact with me, she gave me an awkward smile.
“Dia, Mommy is sorry.”
“Hmm, it’s okay.”
I wasn’t troubled because I understood why Veronica was angry. But children should be frightened in situations like this, so even though I said it was fine, I still hesitated slightly.
Then, Veronica reached out and embraced me, patting my back gently as if to comfort me.
“Shall we eat something delicious, Dia, with Mommy and His Highness?”
“Yay, I like that!”
“Wow, there are so many strawberry desserts you like, Dia?”
“I love strawberries!”
Veronica, holding me, walked toward a prepared table.
This place was different from the Crown Prince’s palace parlor. Special guests were greeted closer to the bedrooms, and the terrace there had a particularly beautiful view.
So, the table was placed on the terrace, which connected to the outside. A warm breeze brushed my cheek.
‘It feels warm, like spring.’
I had heard that the imperial palace was under a magical barrier that kept the atmosphere constant, so even though winter hadn’t completely passed, the Crown Prince’s palace felt like spring.
“Dia, here.”
“Ahhh.”
I shivered slightly as I ate the strawberry sorbet that Veronica fed me.
The food in the palace was so delicious. The sorbet, with its pure strawberry flavor, melted in my mouth.
“Is it tasty?”
“Yes!”
I nodded vigorously at Veronica’s question. Dantellion watched us with a pleased expression.
After tasting at least one bite of each dessert the palace had prepared, I let out a satisfied sigh. Ah, I could really take a nap right now.
As soon as I thought that, my little body began to doze off.
“Oh my, hehe.”
“You must be sleepy after eating.”
“Dia, didn’t you have something to give to His Highness?”
“Hmm……”
Right, I had planned to give Dantellion a brooch.
I suddenly became alert and raised my head, gazing at Dantellion with intense eyes.
“Your Highness!”
“Hmm?”
“I have a gift for you!”
“A gift?”
Dantellion’s eyes widened in surprise.
I chuckled and took a small box from my arms, then handed the carefully wrapped box to Dantellion.
“This is……”
“This will protect you, Your Highness!”
“……?”
Dantellion, holding the brooch, didn’t ask me but instead looked at Veronica.
Seeing Dantellion in confusion, Veronica replied calmly.
“It’s the brooch that Lord Gideon gave to Dia.”
“Gideon, you say……”
“Yes, it’s the jewel that contains a demon.”
“Ah.”
It seemed that Dantellion was familiar with the demon-imbued jewel, as he nodded in understanding.
Dantellion chuckled as he looked down at the dark jewel.
“So, this demon is supposed to protect me, huh?”
“Yup! Exactly!”
“I see. Thank you.”
Fortunately, Dantellion accepted the brooch without refusing or doubting it.
It seemed that he was moved by the child’s concern for him as he prepared for his duel with Cedric.
“The demon will protect you, Your Highness!”
“Right, I’m looking forward to it.”
Dantellion replied with a smile.
Although he knew about the demon, he probably didn’t believe that he would actually encounter one.
Well, that’s what most people would think. It’s natural.
‘Please take care of it, Dolrens.’
[Trust me, Master.]
I secretly spoke with Dolrens. Tonight, he was planning to assist Dantellion with the proxy contract without revealing my identity.
He was so confident, I thought it would be fine to trust him. I then approached Dantellion and pinned the brooch to his chest.
“You look great, Your Highness!”
“Thank you, Dia.”
“Yup!”
Dantellion reached out and patted my head. I looked up at him and called out.
“Make sure you win!”
“……”
“……”
The atmosphere grew cold again. Veronica’s face had completely wiped out all expression.
I knew she was upset with Dantellion for deciding to duel Cedric on his own, but I didn’t expect her to show her displeasure so openly. It seemed like it wasn’t just simple worry. I alternated my gaze between the two silent figures.
“Wow, the flowers are pretty.”
Unable to stand the atmosphere, I tried to divert my attention elsewhere.
If I disappeared, maybe they would talk more openly, so I decided it would be best to leave for a while.
Thinking that, I asked Veronica.
“Mom, I want to see the flowers.”
“But, you can’t go alone……”
“I’ll go with the knights!”
“Hmm……”
There were Raven and other knights who had followed me from the mansion.
Seeing them, Veronica nodded in relief.
“Don’t go too far.”
“Okay!”
I nodded energetically and left the terrace. The garden of the Crown Prince’s palace was right next to the terrace.
I wondered if something was happening inside the palace.
But since Raven and the other knights were with me, and I had my contracted demons, there was no problem.
[Ugh, I hate flowers.]
‘Why?’
[The smell is strange.]
‘Hmm.’
Desmond and Vivi also disliked flowers.
Strange smell? Normally, flowers should have a pleasant fragrance, right? Maybe it was just that demons had odd preferences.
I continued walking, only half paying attention to the flowers ahead. After passing the garden, I reached a building-like structure.
“You can’t go this way.”
“Huh?”
One of the knights Dantellion had assigned to me spoke cautiously.
It seemed like I was going further away from the palace.
Although the palaces were quite far from each other, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
I nodded at the knight’s words and turned my body.
“That’s unusual, a child here.”
“……!”
A voice, like a soft breeze, reached my ear. I turned my head to look in the direction of the voice.
“Oh, it’s Lionel’s child.”
“……”
“Are you here to see the Crown Prince?”
It was the Empress, Gabriella. I looked up at her with a nervous expression.
“Your, Your Majesty, the Empress?”
“Oh my.”
I had often followed Veronica’s lead when she was around, but without her here, I nervously tried to greet her. The Empress chuckled as though finding it cute.
At the victory banquet, I had been so close to Veronica, and only brushed past the Empress.
‘She doesn’t look over 40.’
The Empress still had skin that gleamed like she was in her 20s. Even though I had heard she didn’t age because of divine power, I couldn’t help but admire her youthful and beautiful appearance. She almost looked like Veronica’s older sister.
“It seems you haven’t lost your way.”
The Empress scanned the knights surrounding me and continued.
“Are you heading back to the Crown Prince? I was on my way to see him too, so I’ll walk with you.”
“Yes.”
I answered quietly, watching her. The Empress smiled at me, finding my nervousness cute. The maids around her did the same.
However……
‘Why does her gaze feel so cold?’
Despite her gentle, smiling face, I could clearly tell that her eyes weren’t smiling. In fact, her eyes were colder than when I first saw Duke Winston.
[That woman is strange, Master!]
‘What?’
At that moment, Desmond shouted in disgust. I was startled by his words.
‘What’s strange about her?’
[There’s a smell!]
‘What kind of smell?’
A smell? Could he be referring to the flower scent from earlier?
Desmond then shocked me with his next words.
[It’s the scent of kin!]
‘……What?’
I turned to look back at the Empress, who was smiling kindly.
