The Crown Prince's shocked expression was quite something to see. When he stumbled over the bill he had supported wholeheartedly, he instantly became dumbfounded and turned his gaze to Rhodnes. His eyes were asking for help. I followed the Crown Prince's gaze and turned my gaze to Rhodnes. Rhodnes also looked quite flustered. I smiled slightly at Rhodnes. Rhodnes, who had been observing my drooping lips, sighed deeply enough for me to hear and nodded.
“I see, Your Highness.”
It was a word that gave me strength. The Crown Prince put his hand on his head as if he was really embarrassed when even Rhodnes, who was his last hope, took my side. However, he watched Rhodnes’s expression for quite some time, and it seemed that things had become awkward between them since Noevian confessed that the Crown Prince had encouraged my marriage.
'Do you want to hear again that I missed you?'
It took a lot of courage to say that... I wiggled my fingers, wondering whether I should say it again in this situation or not. For some reason, my scalp felt itchy. I suppressed the emotions that were about to well up and covered my mouth with my fan. Because I suddenly felt like laughter was going to escape. If Neil heard that I thought Rhodnes was cute, he would have pretended to vomit, but that’s how it looked to me. It was a face that made me want to run over and hug him tightly and pat his cheek right away.
“No, I think I’m a pretty affectionate friend.”
“...Where are you looking?”
Still can't see my face.
“I used to have a friend who I loved the most in the world.”
At the words, 'my favorite friend in the world,' Rhodnes furrowed her eyebrows and looked at me with a rather rebellious expression.
"Who."
“Almost every day, I wrote letters to my friend as if I was writing a diary. When I was sad, I complained about how sad I was, and when I was happy, I wrote letters bragging about how happy I was.”
“Who is that?”
“It’s embarrassing, but it was the first time in my life that I held hands with that friend. I even kissed him.”
Rhodnes' face hardened terribly. Rhodnes, who had been resting his chin on his arm, crossed his legs tightly as if he had closed the door to his heart. He tried to ignore the trembling chin and slightly lifted his chin as if to tell me to try harder.
“I’m a pretty affectionate friend to this extent. So please don’t misunderstand me as being indifferent.”
“If that’s what friends are, then I have no friends.”
Even though the carriage stopped in front of the Crown Prince's palace, Rhodnes just looked at me with an expression that seemed to be telling me to try harder. I smiled lowly and reached out to him first.
“Who is he? Why aren’t you answering? After meeting His Highness the Crown Prince like this, you won’t be able to hear an answer, right?”
I couldn't hold back any longer as my voice became husky, and the laughter rose to the tip of my throat, so I stretched out my hand further.
“Who is he? No. It’s you.”
"...What?"
I suddenly felt embarrassed and jumped out of the carriage without an escort. With a loud crash, Rhodnes followed me out. I was about to quickly enter the Crown Prince’s palace when he grabbed my arm tightly and turned me around so that I wouldn’t get hurt. Rhodnes’s face looked slightly dazed, but it was still fresh.
“I remember... the hand... when did we... do that?”
“You won’t remember.”
As I spoke again sharply and turned around to leave, Rhodnes's hand tightened.
“That can’t be true.”
“Yes. I did it secretly while Your Highness was asleep and ran away.”
This time, I pushed it away slightly and my arm was free. The red eyes that were swaying wildly were looking at me with a sense of betrayal as if they couldn’t believe it.
“I see, Your Highness.”
It was a word that gave me strength. The Crown Prince put his hand on his head as if he was really embarrassed when even Rhodnes, who was his last hope, took my side. However, he watched Rhodnes’s expression for quite some time, and it seemed that things had become awkward between them since Noevian confessed that the Crown Prince had encouraged my marriage.
The Crown Prince drummed his fingers on the sofa handle for a long time and then opened his mouth after a long time.
“I’ll think about it, Ma’am.”
“...”
Even I thought it was a sudden suggestion. However, since what I said was not wrong, it was natural that the Crown Prince would be deeply troubled. If he were to oppose it because I was a woman, it would be because one of the Crown Prince's most powerful forces, his maternal grandmother, the Marquis of Winston, would be a problem. Of course, I had thought it through before saying it, so I raised my head proudly.
“Even if it were to happen, there wouldn’t be much Madam could do right away. If you don’t want to make a decision about your future based on marriage, then I completely understand...”
“No. I want to serve Your Highness the Crown Prince closely.”
“...”
“I am confident that I will be of great help to Your Highness.”
Bardenaldo's eyes flashed with interest for a moment, then faded. He seemed to realize that this was not the place to show interest.
“I’m sure there are things you need my help with.”
At those words of strong conviction, straight into his eyes, the Crown Prince's eyes sparkled once again. Exactly one week later, the 9th Prince, Ephero, who had been studying abroad in Elacon, returned to Ronta without any prior notice.
“I’ll think about it, Ma’am.”
“...”
Even I thought it was a sudden suggestion. However, since what I said was not wrong, it was natural that the Crown Prince would be deeply troubled. If he were to oppose it because I was a woman, it would be because one of the Crown Prince's most powerful forces, his maternal grandmother, the Marquis of Winston, would be a problem. Of course, I had thought it through before saying it, so I raised my head proudly.
“Even if it were to happen, there wouldn’t be much Madam could do right away. If you don’t want to make a decision about your future based on marriage, then I completely understand...”
“No. I want to serve Your Highness the Crown Prince closely.”
“...”
“I am confident that I will be of great help to Your Highness.”
Bardenaldo's eyes flashed with interest for a moment, then faded. He seemed to realize that this was not the place to show interest.
“I’m sure there are things you need my help with.”
At those words of strong conviction, straight into his eyes, the Crown Prince's eyes sparkled once again. Exactly one week later, the 9th Prince, Ephero, who had been studying abroad in Elacon, returned to Ronta without any prior notice.
***
Gaspard ran into the dining room as soon as he received the newspaper. Blie was sitting there, eating like the owner of the house.
“Madam! Look!”
The news of the return of the 9th Prince Ephero was on the front page of the newspaper. Blie finished her meal without much reaction and rinsed her mouth.
“Madam! Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“What should I say?”
“I will do what you command...”
"Butler."
At the hasty words that began, Blie's expression hardened and she glared at him. Gaspard shut his mouth as he watched Blie's displeased gaze shoot out at him with one eyebrow raised.
“What did I tell you to do that makes you make such a fuss?”
Ah. This vixen woman is trying to pretend not to know.
“Madam! Look!”
The news of the return of the 9th Prince Ephero was on the front page of the newspaper. Blie finished her meal without much reaction and rinsed her mouth.
“Madam! Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“What should I say?”
“I will do what you command...”
"Butler."
At the hasty words that began, Blie's expression hardened and she glared at him. Gaspard shut his mouth as he watched Blie's displeased gaze shoot out at him with one eyebrow raised.
“What did I tell you to do that makes you make such a fuss?”
Ah. This vixen woman is trying to pretend not to know.
Gaspard had been overjoyed when Blie said she would take him to the palace exactly a week ago. It was a helping hand that had come when he had been sullen about not being able to contact the Crown Prince. However, Blie’s help was not purely out of kindness.
'Write a letter to Prince Ephero.'
'Yes?'
'In the handwriting of Noevian Trovica. The Emperor's birthday is just around the corner, so how can you, as his son, not have contacted him at all? I heard that His Majesty misses him very much.'
'Ma'am!'
'You have already been abandoned by His Highness the Crown Prince. If he had thought of you, how long has it been since the Grand Duke became like that, and you have not heard from him yet? Even if he does, at best you will be sent to an unknown corner of the North with His Highness the Grand Duke. According to the rules, shouldn't you go and escort His Highness the Grand Duke?'
He went to the palace with Blie and asked the servant in charge of the Crown Prince's letters. The servant, who had filtered out countless letters he had sent, widened his eyes as soon as he saw him and was quick to make excuses. He said that since the Grand Duke's fall from power, letters had been pouring in like a flood, and most of the personal letters had been filtered out.
'Write a letter to Prince Ephero.'
'Yes?'
'In the handwriting of Noevian Trovica. The Emperor's birthday is just around the corner, so how can you, as his son, not have contacted him at all? I heard that His Majesty misses him very much.'
'Ma'am!'
'You have already been abandoned by His Highness the Crown Prince. If he had thought of you, how long has it been since the Grand Duke became like that, and you have not heard from him yet? Even if he does, at best you will be sent to an unknown corner of the North with His Highness the Grand Duke. According to the rules, shouldn't you go and escort His Highness the Grand Duke?'
He went to the palace with Blie and asked the servant in charge of the Crown Prince's letters. The servant, who had filtered out countless letters he had sent, widened his eyes as soon as he saw him and was quick to make excuses. He said that since the Grand Duke's fall from power, letters had been pouring in like a flood, and most of the personal letters had been filtered out.
Gaspard realized with a keen sense that he had been abandoned. So, as Blie told him, he put the letter he had written to the 9th Prince Ephero in an envelope at the Crown Prince's palace while the servant was away for a moment, stamped a wax seal on it, and left it among the letters he was planning to send on a carrier pigeon. Now, the result was in his hands!
Gaspard still couldn't sleep when he thought about that day. He felt wrong when he thought back to the time when he had been worried about being caught. However, Blie stood up and rang the bell regardless. The maids who quickly brought overcoats moved briskly.
“I will be entering the palace today, so please take good care of the mansion, butler.”
“Madam, don’t just pretend you don’t know...”
Gaspard came a little closer, wanting to be recognized for his achievements. That was when.
“Madam! His Highness the Second Prince has arrived.”
Neil's booming voice entered the dining room. A startled Blie smiled at Gaspard, her eyes sparkling.
“...That’s right. I will tell His Highness the Second Prince about your achievements....”
“Take care on your way.”
Gaspard automatically held his breath as soon as he heard that the second Prince had arrived. He was reluctant to stand out, or for Blie to talk about himself to the Prince.
“I will be entering the palace today, so please take good care of the mansion, butler.”
“Madam, don’t just pretend you don’t know...”
Gaspard came a little closer, wanting to be recognized for his achievements. That was when.
“Madam! His Highness the Second Prince has arrived.”
Neil's booming voice entered the dining room. A startled Blie smiled at Gaspard, her eyes sparkling.
“...That’s right. I will tell His Highness the Second Prince about your achievements....”
“Take care on your way.”
Gaspard automatically held his breath as soon as he heard that the second Prince had arrived. He was reluctant to stand out, or for Blie to talk about himself to the Prince.
***
As soon as I left the sticky Gaspard behind and went outside, Rhodnes was standing there. Rhodnes, covered in black fur, looked like a huge and beautiful black panther.
“Thank you for coming, Your Highness.”
I thanked him immediately without saying how I came. Neil must have shared my schedule with him. Without saying a word, Rhodnes stood there staring at me as if waiting for me to say more. As I kept my mouth shut with a refreshing expression, his handsome eyebrows gradually narrowed.
“Is it over?”
“...Are you angry at me for something?”
“Not at all.”
No. After staring at me for a while without saying anything, Rhodnes opened the carriage door with a slightly angry step and held out his hand to me. While riding the carriage to the palace, Rhodnes stared at my mouth. I couldn't stand it anymore and shouted softly.
“Why on earth are you doing this? If you have any complaints, please speak up!”
“No complaints.”
I opened my eyes half-heartedly, with a face of utter disbelief.
“...I haven’t seen you in a few days. I wanted to see you. Is that okay?”
I was speechless, and as soon as he finished speaking, I turned my head and stared at Rhodnes, who was looking out the window. Rhodnes, who was resting his arms on the small carriage table and looking out the window as if he was indifferent, looked calm at first glance, but his red eyes, shining occasionally as the sunlight passed by, were swaying with complex emotions. These past few days, I have been staying in the Grand Duke’s residence to collect my thoughts and have not contacted anyone.
“...Are you usually that indifferent to your friends?”
Still looking out the window, he blurted out nonchalantly.
“Am I indifferent?”
“No matter how long I waited, there wasn’t a single letter.”
I didn't want to show my frustration, but the indifferent face that wanted me to know his heart caught my eye and stabbed me in the eye.
'Cute.'
...Oh no. Am I crazy?
“Thank you for coming, Your Highness.”
I thanked him immediately without saying how I came. Neil must have shared my schedule with him. Without saying a word, Rhodnes stood there staring at me as if waiting for me to say more. As I kept my mouth shut with a refreshing expression, his handsome eyebrows gradually narrowed.
“Is it over?”
“...Are you angry at me for something?”
“Not at all.”
No. After staring at me for a while without saying anything, Rhodnes opened the carriage door with a slightly angry step and held out his hand to me. While riding the carriage to the palace, Rhodnes stared at my mouth. I couldn't stand it anymore and shouted softly.
“Why on earth are you doing this? If you have any complaints, please speak up!”
“No complaints.”
I opened my eyes half-heartedly, with a face of utter disbelief.
“...I haven’t seen you in a few days. I wanted to see you. Is that okay?”
I was speechless, and as soon as he finished speaking, I turned my head and stared at Rhodnes, who was looking out the window. Rhodnes, who was resting his arms on the small carriage table and looking out the window as if he was indifferent, looked calm at first glance, but his red eyes, shining occasionally as the sunlight passed by, were swaying with complex emotions. These past few days, I have been staying in the Grand Duke’s residence to collect my thoughts and have not contacted anyone.
“...Are you usually that indifferent to your friends?”
Still looking out the window, he blurted out nonchalantly.
“Am I indifferent?”
“No matter how long I waited, there wasn’t a single letter.”
I didn't want to show my frustration, but the indifferent face that wanted me to know his heart caught my eye and stabbed me in the eye.
'Cute.'
...Oh no. Am I crazy?
He’s several times my size. He has sharp eyes, chiseled features, and a man who frowns and swears at his adjutant at every opportunity. I can’t help but find it unbearably cute when he asks me if I’m being indifferent.
'Do you want to hear again that I missed you?'
It took a lot of courage to say that... I wiggled my fingers, wondering whether I should say it again in this situation or not. For some reason, my scalp felt itchy. I suppressed the emotions that were about to well up and covered my mouth with my fan. Because I suddenly felt like laughter was going to escape. If Neil heard that I thought Rhodnes was cute, he would have pretended to vomit, but that’s how it looked to me. It was a face that made me want to run over and hug him tightly and pat his cheek right away.
I finished controlling my expression, put down my fan, and made an excuse in a cool manner.
“No, I think I’m a pretty affectionate friend.”
“...Where are you looking?”
Still can't see my face.
“I used to have a friend who I loved the most in the world.”
At the words, 'my favorite friend in the world,' Rhodnes furrowed her eyebrows and looked at me with a rather rebellious expression.
"Who."
“Almost every day, I wrote letters to my friend as if I was writing a diary. When I was sad, I complained about how sad I was, and when I was happy, I wrote letters bragging about how happy I was.”
“Who is that?”
“It’s embarrassing, but it was the first time in my life that I held hands with that friend. I even kissed him.”
Rhodnes' face hardened terribly. Rhodnes, who had been resting his chin on his arm, crossed his legs tightly as if he had closed the door to his heart. He tried to ignore the trembling chin and slightly lifted his chin as if to tell me to try harder.
“I’m a pretty affectionate friend to this extent. So please don’t misunderstand me as being indifferent.”
“If that’s what friends are, then I have no friends.”
Even though the carriage stopped in front of the Crown Prince's palace, Rhodnes just looked at me with an expression that seemed to be telling me to try harder. I smiled lowly and reached out to him first.
“Who is he? Why aren’t you answering? After meeting His Highness the Crown Prince like this, you won’t be able to hear an answer, right?”
I couldn't hold back any longer as my voice became husky, and the laughter rose to the tip of my throat, so I stretched out my hand further.
“Who is he? No. It’s you.”
"...What?"
I suddenly felt embarrassed and jumped out of the carriage without an escort. With a loud crash, Rhodnes followed me out. I was about to quickly enter the Crown Prince’s palace when he grabbed my arm tightly and turned me around so that I wouldn’t get hurt. Rhodnes’s face looked slightly dazed, but it was still fresh.
“I remember... the hand... when did we... do that?”
“You won’t remember.”
As I spoke again sharply and turned around to leave, Rhodnes's hand tightened.
“That can’t be true.”
“Yes. I did it secretly while Your Highness was asleep and ran away.”
This time, I pushed it away slightly and my arm was free. The red eyes that were swaying wildly were looking at me with a sense of betrayal as if they couldn’t believe it.
***
After standing there blankly for a while, Rhodnes followed me closely. When we arrived, the door to the audience room was already wide open. I, who had been looking straight ahead with a flushed face, was startled when I saw the faces of the people inside the audience room.
“Are you here, Ma’am?”
Next to the Crown Prince with a face that seemed to have been sucked in, there were people he had never seen before. One of them was immediately recognizable.
“Are you here, Ma’am?”
Next to the Crown Prince with a face that seemed to have been sucked in, there were people he had never seen before. One of them was immediately recognizable.
The 9th Prince, Ephero. The young man, who resembled the red hair and blue eyes of the Crown Prince Bardenaldo, was clearly from the royal family of Ronta. The only differences were his fiercely raised eyes and messy hair, unlike the gentle impression of the Crown Prince. He had accessories dangling from all over his body, to the point where he could not be considered a royal.
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