"You knew that too?"
I asked, blinking in surprise.
Raphael also knew that Sophia and the Second Prince were bound by a contract.
"Anyway, I'm on the side that supports him."
"But just because we're part of the Second Prince faction doesn't mean we know all the secrets."
"That's true, though."
After thinking it over carefully, I soon came to a welcome conclusion.
"Raphael, you have a friend!"
"Yes?"
Sophia also confided her great secret only to me, her friend.
And Raphael is also one of the few people who knows the Second Prince's secret.
Doesn't that mean that the Second Prince and Raphael are also on a similarly close level?
There was a time when I secretly worried about his seemingly narrow interpersonal relationships.
I've never really seen Raphael meet anyone else besides his deputy.m, Bacchus, or his aide, Melua.
"Wow, I'm so glad."
"...Is that so?"
As I was reading Sophia's letter again with a happy feeling, I found a sentence that I had missed reading earlier because I was too flustered.
"Oh, right. Sophia said that the four of us should meet up when we go up to the capital. It's good that Raphael is also acquainted with His Highness."
"Well, if you like it..."
At that time, Raphael was deeply troubled by whether he should tell the truth or not because he did not want to disappoint me.
I was sitting on Raphael's lap, so his expression was invisible to me.
At first, I was surprised because I heard the news so suddenly.
As my mind gradually calmed down, I became very curious about what had happened to Sophia in the meantime.
I was a little envious of the surprisingly fast pace at which their relationship was progressing.
'Some people misunderstand each other for months and then finally get along after going around and around.'
Aren't there still a lot of things that need to be resolved?
'I should have asked her for relationship advice from the beginning.'
With such a fiery personality, Sophia could have made us honest and connected in a week.
It was a strange imagination, but at the same time, it felt realistic. The more it was like that, the more curious I became and the more I looked forward to meeting her.
Fortunately, Raphael's health improved markedly, and the next day we boarded the carriage back to the capital.
***
Maybe it was at the expense of my physical strength that Raphael's complexion improved.
I was glad that his condition was improving, but at the same time, I hated that neat face.
How can this be? The face of a man who was sullen the day before yesterday is now glowing.
You look so happy, I guess that has a positive effect on your health.
"What's wrong, Enri?"
"It's nothing."
I stared at him intently, guessed something in my head, and then looked away, pretending not to know.
I couldn't sleep even in bed, so I had to get on the carriage to sleep.
As I was leaning against the window and trying to close my eyes, Raphael, who was sitting across from me, moved over to me.
And he moved my head slightly so that I rested it on his broad shoulder.
A faint smile spread across his lips. When we came to the North, it was unimaginable that something like this could happen naturally.
I have a new appreciation for the things that have happened so far.
"I don't know about you, but I was happy while I was here, Raphael."
It was a sincere remark, but it was also something I said deliberately, recalling his difficult past.
I hope that the memories of the North, which were full of wounds will be healed even a little.
I'll make more memories in the future so he won't even think about it.
"Me too, Enri."
I looked up and saw Raphael's smiling face. Seeing him looking happy made me feel at ease.
I fell into a deep sleep.
***
When I came, the journey back to the capital took several days. But far from feeling tiring, those times were enjoyable.
So I returned to the capital and met Sophia less than three days later.
Just as I was having a headache because the work of digging into the Duke's family was going nowhere, an invitation came from the palace.
Sophia wanted to invite me to the Baron's house, but she said she couldn't help it because the Second Prince was also attending.
Since I was on my way to meet a friend, I was more excited than nervous.
"Thank you for coming with me, Raphael. You're meeting a friend, too."
"I came to see you."
"Hehe, just kidding. Anyway, the palace where the Second Prince lives is quiet and nice."
There were no trees around the palace of the first prince that I had seen briefly the other day. The place where nature was damaged and decorated by human hands was splendid, but it had an artificial feel to it.
On the other hand, the Second Prince's palace was so close to nature that the sound of the lake and the chirping of birds could be clearly heard.
It occurred to me that the location and decoration of each palace resembled their owner.
As soon as I went inside and looked around, Sophia came running to me.
"Enrica!"
She welcomed us more warmly than anyone else as if repaying my kindness.
"Sophia, how have you been? I haven't slept a wink since I received your letter."
Sophia laughed at the joke and led us into the palace.
"The weather in the capital has become a little chilly. Let's go in for now."
***
The two men shook hands as Enrica and Sophia greeted each other warmly...
Then the Second Prince suddenly leaned in deeply. He lowered his voice and spoke secretly into RaphaeI's ear.
"Sophia likes you. She thinks you're my only friend."
The content was so trivial that it felt insignificant compared to the heavy atmosphere.
Raphael hesitated and then answered.
"My wife is the same."
A glance passed between them. It was a look of pity for each other, without any thought for their own situation.
"Then can I ask you a favor?"
Anyway, when the Second Prince spoke as if he was relieved, Raphael nodded.
Soon the two men smiled at each other for the first time and raised their voices.
"Haha, yeah. Is the weather nice up north?"
"Why, is the weather in the north so nice... haha... Yes. I had a good time."
Sophia and Enrica's expressions brightened at the sight of the awkward scene.
"It's so nice to see you two getting along so well. Actually, I thought His Highness the Prince didn't have any friends because of his personality, so this is fortunate."
"Me too, Sophia!"
Only after hearing the roar of laughter did the Second Prince and Raphael feel relieved.
Perhaps this was the last lie Raphael would show Enrica. So Raphael vowed.
***
"So, what happened?"
Since our visit was timed for dinner, we were taken straight to the restaurant...
When I asked Sophia about her love life in a hurry before the food even arrived, she readily opened her mouth.
"I already told you that my eyes changed after receiving Enrica's letter. After that, I was frustrated with His Highness beating around the bush."
"Huh, so that's it?"
"I told him that if that was the case, he should have confessed. When I said that, His Highness's face turned red and he asked if that was okay."
Why on earth did the black magic try to change Sophia's cool personality into that shape and instill it in me?
While listening to the story, I unconsciously raised my head. Raphael was looking at the second prince. whose ears were red as if he was embarrassed.
'You have a pitiful expression...?'
Surely, no matter what, he's a Prince, so no way happen. Besides, Raphael's actions in deceiving me were no less than that.
At that moment, Raphael turned his head towards me as if he felt my gaze and smiled.
'Well, that can't be true.'
Feeling relieved by his calm appearance, I turned my gaze back to Sophia.
"Our original goal was to show that His Highness was in love with a young lady from a lowly Baron family.. thereby lowering the First Prince's guard a little."
For some reason, Sophia reiterated what was already known.
"No matter how much His Highness and my heart have changed, the fact that I am the daughter of a humble family still remains."
"...Sophia."
How dare you say such a thing in front of the two Princes.
I looked at the Second Prince's face in confusion. His face looked calm as if they had already discussed it beforehand.
"So even more so..."
Before Sophia could finish speaking, the Second Prince suddenly knocked twice on the table as if signaling to someone.
The man standing at the door of the restaurant moved with nimble movements.
'I didn't even know it was there because there was no sound.'
The man double-checked security by making sure the restaurant's windows were properly closed, drawing the curtains, and then going out into the hallway to check for eavesdroppers.
Only after the Second Prince nodded did Sophia continue speaking.
"It further increases the need to eliminate another successor. The fact that His Highness the Second Prince's fiancée is from a humble family cannot even be a reason to oppose his ascension to the throne."
The conversation was going in an unexpected direction.
Sophia's eyes were brighter than ever, and her expression was filled with confidence. Soon a clear voice rang out.
"I heard you knew about the auction, Enrica. Join our hands."
It was the moment when suspicion about the Prince turned into certainty.
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