Armin came to visit the Viscount’s house the very next day. It was obvious he’d rushed over as soon as he heard about my sudden visit to the palace.
“Armin!”
The moment I spotted the elegant horse bearing the duke’s crest galloping from afar, I ran straight toward him.
When I threw myself into his arms, Sasha, standing nearby, clicked his tongue.
“Honestly, a little too affectionate for people who haven’t seen each other for just one day.”
My brother’s distaste wasn’t our concern.
Armin examined my face with concern.
“I heard from my mother. Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine… but…”
My words trailed off.
I couldn’t shake last night’s conversation with Sasha.
Now that I knew Prince Zeta was a good person, the whole situation sat heavily on my heart.
“Vivi, is something bothering you?”
Armin brushed a strand of hair from my face as he asked again.
And so, I decided to be honest with him.
“I only learned about Prince Zeta’s situation yesterday.”
“…Don’t let it get to you. Everyone knows Zeta is His Majesty’s son.”
Armin’s words weren’t a lie—but what Sasha had said about the ongoing rumors and conspiracies surrounding Zeta’s birth was also true.
This world is scientifically behind compared to the South Korea I lived in during my past life.
But for anyone with a basic education there, it’s common knowledge.
Every kid has a moment growing up where they worry,
“My dad’s blood type is A, my mom’s is also A, but I’m type O… was I adopted or something?”
But ever since middle school science class and Mendel’s laws of inheritance, I’d never worried about not matching my parents’ blood types again.
I’m someone with that kind of knowledge.
Knowing that Prince Zeta has spent 20 years suffering in a world where such simple truths aren’t understood…
I couldn’t help but feel deeply sorry for him as a person.
“Vivi, don’t worry about Zeta. The people who talk like that? They’re all the kind who only gossip behind closed doors anyway.”
“Still…it’s really sad.”
“If we’re being technical, maybe I’m the sad one here—my lover’s in my arms, but she’s thinking about another man.”
“…Ha. I’m going to excuse myself. I’ve seen enough gross stuff for one morning.”
Shaking his head, Sasha walked off.
This time last year, he was pestering me to find a man. Now look at him.
I strolled through the garden with Armin.
Back when he first confessed, we used to blush even when our hands brushed.
But now, walking arm in arm felt surprisingly natural.
“Prince Zeta seems like someone you’re pretty close to.”
I told him everything that happened during the palace stroll—how Zeta had promised to explain everything to the Empress so there wouldn’t be any misunderstanding.
Usually, stuff like this causes unnecessary drama between couples, but I didn’t want any of that.
I was determined to avoid every potential flag that could derail this relationship.
“Zeta’s a good man.”
Armin’s answer was simple and clear.
“He’s young, but if he ever ascends to the throne, he’ll make a ruler worthy of respect.”
“But… I’ve never seen him at the Duke’s estate.”
If they were that close, shouldn’t there have been frequent visits?
“When we were little, we were practically like brothers. He used to visit our estate often, and I was in and out of the palace all the time.”
Ah, that explains why Armin remembered the wet nurse’s face.
“But at some point… Zeta must’ve heard the rumors.”
“Rumors?”
“About the color of his hair and eyes.”
“Oh…”
A sigh escaped me, heavy with pity.
Hearing Armin explain how Prince Zeta had gradually become timid due to the cruel rumors surrounding him, and how he had stopped leaving the palace altogether, only deepened my sympathy for the prince.
Fake news—there’s nothing more maddening than that.
I felt genuinely sorry that Zeta, a prince by birth, had never even been able to attend a royal ball. He and Armin weren’t all that different in position, and yet—one had been the center of public attention since birth, while the other feared being seen at all.
“Zeta wasn’t always this polite and reserved when he was younger,” Armin said, his voice dropping as if the thought also weighed on him.
“He used to be more self-centered. But at some point, it became obvious that he was trying not to hurt others’ feelings.”
Having been wounded by the words of people who didn’t even know him, Zeta must’ve learned—at a young age—that making fewer enemies was a form of survival.
I let out a sigh, overcome by pity.
“Vivi?”
“Yes?”
“I was thinking… what if we made our relationship public at this year’s royal ball?”
“Wait—what?”
Armin’s strange violet eyes looked directly into mine. Whenever he looked at me like that, I felt ticklish all over.
“I want us to announce it officially before we’re even engaged.”
“Engaged…?”
Suddenly, I remembered what Prince Zeta had said—that word: fiancée.
Armin took my hand and pressed a light kiss to the back of it as he smiled.
“Royalty tends to be greedy. Even if Zeta isn’t that kind of person, the idea of uncertainty makes people uneasy.”
The tingling sensation from where he kissed my hand traveled up my arm.
It tickled enough to make the corners of my lips twitch without my permission.
“You’re not against it, are you?”
“Of course not!”
Ah—I’d meant to play coy at least once, but the answer shot out before I could stop it.
Armin seemed satisfied with my honest reply and smiled languidly, eyes gently crinkling.
Honestly, my lover is terrible for my heart.
Just one smile from him and I could feel my heart pounding wildly.
I never imagined we’d become like this, back when I first met Armin…
Just as that thought passed through my mind, an idea struck like lightning—the royal ball!
“Armin!”
“Hmm?”
“Prince Zeta didn’t attend last year’s royal ball, right?”
“You’re bringing up Zeta again?”
His expression was one of mild annoyance, but he still nodded.
“Yeah. There was too much gossip, so he avoided social events until he came of age.”
“Then since he’s come of age this year, he’ll attend the royal ball, right?”
“Probably. I heard Her Majesty is planning to hold an especially grand one this year just for that reason.”
“That’s perfect. Really perfect. I have something I need to do—will you help me?”
“What kind of help do you need?”
Armin looked at me, completely puzzled.
I grinned with confidence.
“Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“To the farm!”
“…The farm?”
Laughing in disbelief, Armin let me drag him along as I flashed a triumphant smile.
* * *
“So, what you’re saying is…”
The farmer trailed off, looking at me like he couldn’t quite believe what he’d just heard.
“You want us to plant peas in the cleared field?”
“Yep! Not just any peas—green peas, specifically.”
“Ah, right. Green peas. Those small, round, green things?”
He looked back and forth between me and the peas like he didn’t want to go through with this.
“I’m sorry, my lady. I just… don’t quite understand…”
“That’s alright. Ask me anything.”
“Is there a particular reason we have to plant round peas?”
He mumbled under his breath, Aren’t all beans just beans anyway…? I nodded firmly in response.
“Yes. They must be round. That’s important.”
“Haa… hmm, alright. If that’s what you say, we’ll follow orders…”
“You’ll need to grow them well. A lot of green peas are going to be needed for the royal ball.”
“You mean the royal ball is going to require… a lot of green peas?”
The farmer repeated my words blankly, like his brain was still catching up. I figured he just needed time to process.
Beside him, sacks of green peas were piled high like small mountains.
I didn’t scold the farmer. I simply waited a moment. After a deep sigh, he finally nodded.
“Well, we’re tenant farmers. If you promise to buy all the produce, we’ve got no reason to object.”
“You can rest easy.”
I thumped my chest confidently.
“The peas harvested from this field will all be purchased under the Viscount’s name, every last one. But you must plant only the round peas. Understood?”
“Understood. What should we do with the shriveled or misshapen ones…?”
“You can dispose of them however you like.”
At that, color returned to the farmer’s face. Even green peas were valuable income to him, and as long as he wasn’t losing money, he had no complaints.
As I repeatedly emphasized the importance of planting only round peas, Armin stood beside me looking more and more puzzled.
On the way back from our discussion with the farmer, I asked him,
“You’re wondering why I’m doing all this, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
His simple reply came from a face so handsome it should be considered a public health hazard.
I wanted to explain it clearly, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the words to make Armin truly understand.
“If we only plant round peas, then the peas that grow will all be round, right?”
“Obviously.”
Again, the reply was matter-of-fact. I stifled a laugh.
Even the most handsome person in the world doesn’t realize the importance of such an obvious truth.
