“Episode 7”
“Thank you for saying so; it feels rewarding since I’ve prepared in many ways,” Prince Joshua smoothly led me towards the entrance of the botanical garden. He looked very joyful and relaxed.
“Prepared a lot?”
Despite my head becoming extremely complicated.
“Alicia Blante, you really sneaked into a trap!”
“It’s okay, as long as I keep my wits about me…!” I armed myself firmly with the mindset of participating in a highly sought-after concert ticketing event.
In the late afternoon, perhaps because of its location quite far from the capital, or for some other reason, the botanical garden, beautifully shaped like a crystal dome, wasn’t immensely vast but was truly beautiful. To the extent of agreeing with what Prince Joshua said yesterday, “…I like it.” Regardless of his intentions, the fact that I enjoyed such places was true. I preferred places with the scent of fresh grass and quietness over crowded and overly extravagant places. Even in the Marquessate, I didn’t particularly enjoy going out to the marketplace. I preferred the forest paths scattered throughout the mansion and the Marquessate. Lucas, who always urged me to go to the marketplace. “Alicia, are you going to spend time this boringly? What’s the use of staring at lakes and ponds? You should broaden your horizons.” He always insisted, especially when rumors circulated about new products arriving in the capital. Reluctantly, I would close the book I was reading or give up neatly cutting pieces of paper and accompany him to the marketplace. “…It wasn’t so bad being with Lucas.” Lost in memories, Joshua lightly touched my fingertips with a faint smile. “Wasn’t it a bit daunting to come to the botanical garden?” Because of that kid! I admitted to forgetting completely that Prince Joshua was there by my side. Realizing my rudeness, I quickly nodded in apology, and instead of reproaching me, he gently guided me along the smoothly paved path with a warm smile. “I hoped Miss Blante would also find this place comfortable. Here.” “Here?” He quietly nodded his head. Only then did I notice the scenery inside the botanical garden more closely. It was filled with all kinds of colorful flowers. Some were familiar from the Marquessate, but others were completely new to me, even throughout my previous life. Given my natural inclination to enjoy time staring at nature, I quickly became immersed in the scenery of the botanical garden. Rather than leading the conversation with various stories, Prince Joshua allowed me to enjoy the atmosphere in silence. The silence didn’t feel awkward or forced, and I found it strange that the most surprising moment was in front of a pine tree. The tree bore red and tantalizing fruits amidst its green leaves. The sunlight filtering through the crystal dome gently caressed the pine fruit, sparkling, and Joshua’s eyes beside me were also gentle. When I raised my head, lost in the scenery of the botanical garden, our eyes met. Instead of avoiding my gaze, he met it as if it were natural and calmly opened his mouth. “I feel calm when I come here.” “Really?” “Don’t you have days when everyday life feels suffocating and your body feels endlessly heavy?” I responded with a wry smile to his words. Somehow, I felt that this was enough for Joshua. “On days like that, I come here. Flowers and trees don’t talk to me or tell me to do anything, after all.” Unintentionally, laughter burst out of me. Rather than mocking him, it felt similar to the thoughts I had when I was young. “It feels like I’ve said this to someone before.” He breathed a short sigh as if relieved by my smile. His relief was very ironic to me. “No one has ever said such words to me.” My head suddenly became tangled as if a thread had been tangled, then in an instant, it all cleared away. My mind was quite intense.
The knights were fine, but Lucas’s aides and inexperienced servants sometimes voiced complaints and even argued. In those moments, I always had to intervene. I was the one with the highest external status among the group, and above all… “Lucas is not very good at handling these things.” It was a personality trait. Besides, I had to protect him. If by chance he said something to me like he did to others, it would be a disaster for his reputation as “Lucas Delric.” I had to put a lot of effort into safely escorting him into the capital. “Those bothersome things, it wouldn’t matter if we just let them go. I don’t like that you’re concerned about those things, Alicia.” Even Lucas would sometimes throw tantrums like a jealous child whose attention had been stolen from him. Despite everything, I fulfilled my duties excellently. Running here and there. After waiting for all their emotions to calm down, I also made sure not to forget to let Lucas comfort them outwardly. “Oh, Sir Lucas. We were so selfish.” “That’s right. Sir Lucas has been silently watching over us.” My role was to make him shine brighter than anyone else. But still, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being slowly worn down. I was human too. “I don’t understand. Why this?” When no matter how much I explained, Lucas couldn’t understand, it was even worse. When our engagement with the Emperor was at stake, even I felt tense, my body not even feeling like mine. What if he acted recklessly and ruined everything! Even though I carefully chose my words and presented them, he would still impatiently reveal his eagerness. While trusting me, he seemed afraid that this trust might lead him astray this time. “But, well, there’s nothing I can do. I chose Alicia. I chose you, didn’t I?” Even when I felt exhausted and my heart felt dried up, a single word from Lucas would make me think it wasn’t time to give up yet. So now, I… “It feels oddly peaceful without him.” I wasn’t a tired mother exhausted from childcare. Laughter bubbled out of me like a breath. I decided to admit it honestly and comfortably. “Yes, I feel comfortable and good right now. I can forget about his nagging for a while.” Despite liking Lucas so much and being a geek obsessed with my favorite, I was still human. “…It’s strange that it’s the time spent with Prince Joshua, who is so quiet, that feels so good.” After admitting it, I wanted to express pure gratitude to him instead of scolding him. It was foolish to accept everything and exhaust myself. “Am I disturbing His Highness’s precious rest?” There was no one else in the botanical garden except us. I even thought that perhaps Joshua had borrowed the whole place just to prevent anyone from overhearing. But for now… “I want to let go of the calculations.” It’s impolite to these beautiful flowers and trees. “Then I apologize for interrupting Your Highness’s precious relaxation.” Prince Joshua escorted me to another plant with impeccable manners. “Thank you, as Your Highness said.” I smiled lightly as I looked at him. “It’s truly a wonderful place for me.” In response to my answer, he showed a very gentle expression. Unlike Lucas, whose mouth would curl up when he was in a good mood, Joshua’s lips only formed a slight curve with grace. Despite not being a blatant expression, I could clearly feel that he was in a good mood. Therefore, my heart tightened once again. “Truly a perfect prince.” That was Prince Joshua’s nickname. A person made up only of perfect things, without any disruptions in work or any way of showing intense emotions. So I had to be cautious of him, who resembled the soft and warm atmosphere inside the botanical garden. With no bad rumors, isn’t that even more suspicious?
