Then he started to see his surroundings.
"But who did you come here to see?"
Jeremiah's thoughtless question received an unexpected answer.
"My mother."
"What?"
Jeremiah was surprised. He had never expected to hear the answer from Karina, "Mother's grave." He had certainly checked the list of nobles, and the name of the Marchioness of Milliner. And if she had died, it would have been marked as such. However, he had not seen such a mark...
"What are you talking about? It must be..."
Jeremiah almost asked for a moment if the Marchioness Millainer was still alive.
"..."
He barely managed to cover his mouth with his hand. If he said that he knew about the Marquis of Milliner, it might be revealed that their meeting today was not a coincidence. Then Karina might find him suspicious.
'Did I not see it properly?'
It seems that the problem was that he only looked at the location of the Marquis Milliner's mansion because he was so focused on meeting Karina that he only glanced at the family information.
"Uh... Then... Your Mom isn't here right now?"
Jeremiah hesitated and then asked cautiously.
"No. My stepmother is here. This is the grave of my biological mother who gave birth to me. My mother passed away when I was young."
The sadness that Karina couldn't hide was visible on her face. Jeremiah felt so sorry that he had made Karina recall sad memories.
"Sorry..."
Karina shook her head, saying it was okay, knowing Jeremiah's feelings.
"It's okay. I don't really remember my real mother and my nanny loves me as much as my mother does."
Karina looked better than before, smiling while telling the story of her nanny.
"Ah!"
As if remembering something, Karina went to the tombstone and pulled out a flower branch from the bouquet placed in front of it.
"This flower is lavender. It's my mother's favorite flower. So I really like it too."
Karina gave Jeremiah a flower branch she had picked and asked him to smell it.
"Does it smell good?"
"Yeah. It smells good."
"I'll give it to you."
"Flowers?"
Jeremiah was embarrassed when he first received flowers from his peers.
"But aren't these the flowers you brought for your mother?"
"That's right since I come here often, I can bring it again next time I come. And this is the first time I've come here with anyone other than my family and nanny. I think Mom would like it better if I gave it to you."
An excited Karina grabbed Jeremiah by the sleeve and led him to the shelf in front of the tombstone.
"There's more here. I'll show you other things too."
Karina began taking out the items from the shelf one by one.
"This is the music box my mother liked. When you open the wooden lid, a song comes out..."
Karina explained with great effort as if she was bragging, and Jeremiah listened intently to what Karina had to say. After listening to her for a while, Jeremiah spoke with a look of genuine curiosity.
"What do you like?"
"Yes...?"
"Not what your mother and nanny like. What do you like?"
Karina groaned and groaned, as if
Jeremiah's question was difficult.
"Don't think too hard about it. Like I said earlier, you like lavender, or you like listening to music from a music box together. Simple and trivial things like that are fine."
When Jeremiah gave an example, Karina thought for a moment and then answered.
"I like apple pie. The apple pie my nanny makes is really good."
Karina continued, her eyes sparkling.
"Apple pie is supposed to be eaten after it has cooled, right? That's why you have to wait, but when you smell the freshly baked apple pie coming out of the oven, it's so good that you can't stand it and beg for it every day."
Karina came close to Jeremiah and whispered, cupping both hands around her mouth as if it were a secret.
"Whenever I stand in front of a freshly baked apple pie, my nanny cuts me a slice of warm apple pie and gives me that? That's why I sometimes go out of my way to stand there. Honestly, I like the warm, soft apple pie better."
Jeremiah, who was filled with Karina's appearance while listening to her whispers from close by, naturally raised the corners of his lips and muttered.
"I like it too."
"Huh? You too? Just like me?"
As he said that, Jeremiah couldn't take his eyes off Karina's face, who was smiling brightly. Jeremiah and Karina chatted for a while. Although they were talking about trivial things, Jeremiah really enjoyed talking to Karina. While they were spending a long time alone, they suddenly heard a sound from outside, drawing closer.
"Oh, I think the nanny is coming."
"I see."
In that case, he had to go back now. Jeremiah was very sorry that he had to part ways with Karina like this. The time he spent with Karina was too short.
"Can we meet again next time?"
Jeremiah said with a regretful expression.
"Hmm..."
Karina, who had been thinking, opened her mouth.
"I come here often. I'll probably come tomorrow too. You can see me when you come here."
"Then I'll come tomorrow too! I'll come again, so you have to come this time too?"
Jeremiah urged her several times in an excited voice. Karina also held out her little finger, saying that she would definitely keep her promise this time.
"Our nanny said that we must keep any promise we make with our pinky fingers."
"..."
Jeremiah stared intently at the hand that Karina held out to him. The small hand was cutely extended with only its thumb and little finger extended.
'Karina's hands... are much smaller than mine. They're so cute.'
When Jeremiah showed no response with a blank expression, Karina tilted her head.
"Uh... You don't want to make promises?"
Karina asked in a hesitant voice.
"No way! Not at all!"
At those words, Jeremiah quickly hooked his little finger through hers.
"Promise me! If we can't meet tomorrow, then the day after. If we can't meet the day after that, then the day after that. Until we meet again, you'll keep your promise, right?"
"Yes! Yes, I understand."
Karina nodded with a firm expression, shaking her intertwined fingers up and down. The two of them intertwined their fingers and promised to meet again.
"Your Highness?"
Stephen called Jeremiah, who was staring blankly at his right palm without saying a word. Jeremiah, who suddenly woke up from his recollection of the butler's call, raised his head. Jeremiah blinked quickly a few times and asked.
"How did you do with her escort?"
"Don't worry. She has brought along six elite knights as you said."
"Well done."
He was relieved to hear that the elite knights had gone out with Karina as her escort. But Stephen's words did not end there.
"Oh, and while Your Highness was at the palace, His Highness the Crown Prince came to visit."
"The Crown Prince?"
Jeremiah's eyebrows rose diagonally.
"What brings him to the Grand Duke's house all of a sudden?"
"There was no separate word. The Grand Duchess took care of entertaining the guests, and His Highness the Crown Prince waited for His Highness the Grand Duke in the reception room for a while before drinking a cup of tea and leaving."
"Karina welcomed the Crown Prince? So, they were alone in the reception room?"
Jeremiah immediately showed a look of displeasure. He didn't like the fact that the Crown Prince had come while he was away for a moment and that Karina had greeted the Crown Prince.
"No. There were two escorts brought by His Highness the Crown Prince."
Even with the answer of no, Jeremiah's expression did not lighten. If they were the guards who followed the Crown Prince, they would be like the Crown Prince's right-hand men, so it was the same as Karina meeting the Crown Prince alone. He felt even worse when he remembered the Crown Prince talking to Karina alone at the palace banquet hall and even asking her for the first dance. Jeremiah's expression became even more fierce.
"Do you know what they were talking about inside?"
"No. I didn't hear what they were talking about inside."
"I see. Yes, I understand. Let's go."
Jeremiah swallowed a sigh and motioned for Stephen to go away.
"For a moment."
Jeremiah called Stephen back as he bowed his head politely and turned around.
"Where is the nearest flower shop around here?"
"Huh? Why are you suddenly looking for a flower shop...?"
Stephen looked puzzled at Jeremiah's behavior of looking for a flower shop he had never visited before.
"There is a flower I want to buy."
"Flowers?"
Stephen was a little surprised but quickly regained his composure.
"If you tell me what it is, I will tell you to get it ready."
"Purple Lavender. Bring me some lavender flowers in full bloom."
Jeremiah did not let the memory he had just recalled slip away.
'Karina likes lavender flowers the best.'
He had something to tell Karina later on regarding the Emperor's order, and he could clearly see that she would not like it. So he hoped that seeing her favorite flower would make her feel a little less upset. However, Stephen had no idea what Jeremiah was thinking.
"Is this because you are decorating the master bedroom?"
Stephen seemed to have misunderstood something and made an odd noise.
"That may be a bit time-consuming, but I will take special care to make sure I am fully prepared."
Jeremiah, hearing that, asked back.
"Are you decorating the master bedroom with flowers?"
"I plan to do that."
"..."
Jeremiah, who had been thinking about something for a moment, gave instructions.
"Then I'd like you to bring some lavender flowers into the bedroom. If possible, put them in a place where they can be seen."
Jeremiah planned to have a serious conversation with Karina alone in the couple's bedroom. He thought it would be a good idea to bring the lavender flowers to the bedroom for that occasion. He hoped that the lavender flowers would help him have a smooth conversation with Karina.
"Yes. Then I'll order the servant to do it right now...'
Before Stephen could finish speaking, Jeremiah changed his words.
"No. I will go there myself."
"Yes? Your Highness himself?"
Finally, Stephen's eyes widened in surprise. Jeremiah took a step forward without hesitation, even though he was standing in front of Stephen. Stephen said in a bewildered voice that he understood and quickly followed Jeremiah.
***
Time had passed quickly. The light streaming in from the window passed through the marble of the tomb and reached Karina's feet.
"I didn't intend to stay this long."
Karina got up from her seat and smoothed out her wrinkled skirt.
"I'll come again next time."
Karina slowly turned around. After leaving the charnel house, Karina did not return to the mansion right away but went to the inn where Selena was.
"Welcome, Your Highness."
Selena greeted Karina.
"I heard what happened at the banquet hall. You said you wanted to divorce His Highness the Grand Duke."
There was a strange bitterness on Selena's face as she spoke, but Karina didn't notice.
"Right. Are you ready for what I said before?"
What Karina had asked Selena to prepare was a certificate of infertility. Although the divorce plan she had made had changed a little, there was no need to give up the biggest and most certain reason for divorce that she had prepared.
'Even if the Emperor doesn't permit it, I just have to create a reason why he has no choice but to permit it'
A strange light lingered in Karina's eyes.
"Here. I have prepared a notarized document for you."
Karina looked over the documents Selena handed her and was impressed by her skills.
"Perfect."
In contrast to Karina, who looked satisfied, Selena's expression was subdued.
"So you were planning and preparing for a divorce from the time you first came to the capital?"
"That's right."
Karina confirmed that statement and opened her mouth to ask Selena for more work.
"Selena. Get me some fertility pills."
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