Prince Kydel spoke stiffly.
“Since you are confused about your identity between Loire and Loba, shouldn’t you use a fixed title? Stop talking nonsense and explain why. I will decide on my actions later.”
When I saw his serious face, fear rose inside me.
The heir to the first lion of the empire and the illegitimate child who insulted the young war hero.
Even if my head was cut off, I had nothing to say.
However, I tried my best to speak calmly.
“Please call me Loire from now on. Don’t touch Loba, who is my bread and butter. Do you feel a little sorry for this illegitimate child?”
He said as if he was dumbfounded.
“Don’t you misunderstand the meaning of ‘pity’?”
“No, I am pitiful. If I don’t show Mom my grown-up side today, I will become even more pitiful, so please step aside. Don’t say anything weird.”
Then he hesitated.
“Is your mother alive?”
“My mother was a herbalist, and when I was ten, she was eaten by the Tunbar Mountains. I’m sure you understand, my lord.”
He had fought in the war at the end of the Tunbar Mountains. He could not have been unaware of the harshness and danger.
“I’m going to my mother’s grave.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not at all. Anyway... thank you for the flowers. I wonder if it’s really my birthday.”
“What are you going to do alone tonight?”
“The servants are all busy with the Academy guests, so I’m going to sneak out of the carriage.”
I realized too late that this was something I shouldn’t say to Prince Kydel and slapped my mouth. He made a face that said he couldn’t possibly listen.
But I didn’t feel bad at all. There was no way he could understand me.
As I headed to the stable with my bag, he grabbed my bag and led the way. It was second to the basket of herbs.
“Follow me.”
I watched his back as he strode away, thinking,
‘This man has a strange habit.’
He quietly entered and exited the Count's stables and prepared a carriage in front of the servant's door.
"Your Excellency, have you been stealing a lot?"
At that moment, Prince Kydel's forehead became tense. He seemed to have taken my words with a bad intention, but I was actually truly impressed by his simple, fast, and quiet movements.
As he was about to get on the coachman's seat, I quickly stopped him.
"What are you doing now?"
"Who is driving the carriage?"
He seemed to think he had to let me ride.
It was really funny.
"Don't ignore the illegitimate child."
I took the reins from him and got into the carriage. Then I set off in style and headed for the villa.
Behind me, his laughter spread through the night air.
I squirmed in the sunlight, but no matter how much I moved, my eyes stung. When I got up in a daze, the curtains were wide open, pouring sunlight onto the bed.
In my first room, the walls and furniture, everything was white and pink.
I belatedly remembered that I had fallen asleep without even thinking about drawing the curtains because I arrived at dawn.
On the small desk by the window was a vase of roses that Prince Kydel had given me.
I didn’t even know he had brought them, but it seemed that the maid Lisa had put them in the vase.
When I looked again, the fresh red petals had spread out beautifully. His voice came to mind.
‘The petals closed because it was night, but they will bloom beautifully tomorrow. That’s what flowers are like.’
I shook my head as if I was shaking off everything that was stuck to me.
Then I neatly combed my disheveled hair, changed my clothes, and went downstairs. There, Moria and Lisa were preparing breakfast.
I ran toward them with my arms outstretched.
“Moria! Lisa! I miss you!”
I buried my face in Moria’s voluptuous chest, and Lisa laughed.
“Did you sleep well, Miss?”
“Yes, yes. I slept well. I slept really well. It’s been a while.”
“I prepared something you like because you said you were coming, but I wonder how it will taste if I heat it up.”
This was the short ribs I tasted when I first came to this villa.
I was already eating a rib before Moria finished speaking. They smiled and sat down in their respective seats.
A little while later, a boy came in and stopped in surprise at the sight of a woman possessed by a demon.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
I was surprised, biting the bone too. It had been a few years since I had come here, and Lisa’s little son had grown into a boy almost as big as me.
“Is this Toma? Are you Toma?”
“He's grown a lot, hasn’t he? Let me say hello.”
“Hello, Miss Loire.”
“My name is Lorisha. You’ve grown a lot?”
“Yes.”
Even my words were short, so I guess he was a man now. It’s the same.
I put the new ribs I was about to tear into Toma’s plate. Toma smiled without saying thank you and took out the meat.
It must have been unusual for me to eat this much meat in the morning.
After finishing my meal, I washed my hands and went under the oak tree.
As I stared at the tree, I could see ants crawling in a line on the bark more and more clearly. I felt awkward for no reason and sat down with my back against the tree.
“How have you been, Mom?”
The sound of the leaves swaying in the wind could be heard as if they were rustling and pouring down. I was afraid that I might hear the ants’ marching footsteps and chatter.
However, no matter how awkward it was, I wanted to muster up the courage today and talk to Mom.
“Mom, I’m an adult now. I had my coming-of-age ceremony. I received flowers from a man, and that’s why.”
My heart ached for a moment, wondering if I had lied to Mom.
But I shook my head.
Ceremonies are what you think.
Even though I had recited the general’s speech that saved the empire from a crisis to Misha, it was a party of her classmates.
Prince Kydel had only acted according to the social customs that were ingrained in him last night, but when I received the rose he gave me, I felt like something had been completed.
As long as that feeling wasn’t a lie, I didn’t have to say that my words were a lie.
I sighed comfortably and looked up at the oak leaves.
“I work at a herbal medicine shop these days, and the owner likes me. Someday, I’ll eat at the Tolman herbal medicine shop, Mom.”
Instead of answering, Mom sent a breeze.
“...I did well, right? Did I become a good adult?”
I felt my cheeks getting wet. I quickly wiped them away, but it was no use.
I buried my face in my knees to continue the story, shedding only a few tears, but a heavy arm wrapped around my shoulder. I could tell it was the Count without having to raise my head.
I felt like I had fallen asleep after crying in the Count’s arms. When I woke up, I was on the living room sofa, covered with a thin lace blanket that Moria had knitted herself.
“Are you awake? ...Like that.”
The Count, who seemed to have returned from tending the garden, looked at my face and made an embarrassed expression.
I could only see half of the Count because my eyes were swollen.
Moria clicked her tongue at me, brought a cold wet towel, and covered my face with it. When my vision became blocked, I folded the towel in half and covered my eyes.
“Count, when did you come?”
“Before sunrise.”
“Ah... The party went well?”
“That depends on your perspective.”
The Count’s answer was calm, but I immediately lowered my eyes. I was sure that he knew about my prank.
“Perspective... right?”
“If it were me, I would have chosen the 9th Emperor’s “Towards the Sea.”
As expected.
I answered quietly as if I was communicating with garden ants.
“Ah... That’s right, I also liked the forward-looking spirit of conquering Smileran across the sea... but I’m a little scared of provoking His Majesty the Emperor.”
The Count tried to keep his laughter in check, his breathing shaking, but he tried to give me a stern expression.
“Prince Kgdel had a hard time.”
I remembered him laughing and shaking his shoulders in the dark garden.
“...”
“You greedy Young master.”
That bastard had even charmed the Count.
Well, at this point, even I could not deny his human charm.
He knew that I had insulted him in the letter, but he still picked roses for me and gave me a carriage... And at the same time, he was unlucky.
In short, his personality was inconsistent. Now that I think about it, that was a shortcoming. I was relieved to have found his shortcomings.
“Misha is satisfied with the party. Then I shouldn’t be sad either.”
The Count looked sad as he spoke. I felt like a bitch in an instant.
“I’m sorry, Count... I was in a twisted state back then...”
“Don’t leave the house at night. Even if you had left with me at dawn, we would have arrived at about the same time.”
“Yes...”
I answered as I crawled inside and lowered the towel to cover my face. The towel was already lukewarm, but it was fortunate that I had something to hide my expression.
Inside, I was laughing a little. Like a crazy woman.
I quietly got up and went up to my room. When I came back to my room, I thought that my mother had also met the Count for the first time in a long time and had a conversation.
Not bad for my first day as an adult.
Whined's procedure backfired. Second Prince Grayon said that he felt much more relaxed and recovered after the procedure, but he started to feel violently nauseous that night. It was a symptom he had never had before.
Whined said that he would stop the procedure and find another way, but Grayon wanted to do it again, saying that he had definitely recovered when he received the procedure.
Since the nausea could have been a manifestation reaction, Whined decided to do it one more time. However, the result was worse.
Grayon couldn't eat all day because he felt like his stomach was turning after vomiting.
“Since you are confused about your identity between Loire and Loba, shouldn’t you use a fixed title? Stop talking nonsense and explain why. I will decide on my actions later.”
When I saw his serious face, fear rose inside me.
The heir to the first lion of the empire and the illegitimate child who insulted the young war hero.
Even if my head was cut off, I had nothing to say.
However, I tried my best to speak calmly.
“Please call me Loire from now on. Don’t touch Loba, who is my bread and butter. Do you feel a little sorry for this illegitimate child?”
He said as if he was dumbfounded.
“Don’t you misunderstand the meaning of ‘pity’?”
“No, I am pitiful. If I don’t show Mom my grown-up side today, I will become even more pitiful, so please step aside. Don’t say anything weird.”
Then he hesitated.
“Is your mother alive?”
“My mother was a herbalist, and when I was ten, she was eaten by the Tunbar Mountains. I’m sure you understand, my lord.”
He had fought in the war at the end of the Tunbar Mountains. He could not have been unaware of the harshness and danger.
“I’m going to my mother’s grave.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not at all. Anyway... thank you for the flowers. I wonder if it’s really my birthday.”
“What are you going to do alone tonight?”
“The servants are all busy with the Academy guests, so I’m going to sneak out of the carriage.”
I realized too late that this was something I shouldn’t say to Prince Kydel and slapped my mouth. He made a face that said he couldn’t possibly listen.
But I didn’t feel bad at all. There was no way he could understand me.
As I headed to the stable with my bag, he grabbed my bag and led the way. It was second to the basket of herbs.
“Follow me.”
I watched his back as he strode away, thinking,
‘This man has a strange habit.’
He quietly entered and exited the Count's stables and prepared a carriage in front of the servant's door.
"Your Excellency, have you been stealing a lot?"
At that moment, Prince Kydel's forehead became tense. He seemed to have taken my words with a bad intention, but I was actually truly impressed by his simple, fast, and quiet movements.
As he was about to get on the coachman's seat, I quickly stopped him.
"What are you doing now?"
"Who is driving the carriage?"
He seemed to think he had to let me ride.
It was really funny.
"Don't ignore the illegitimate child."
I took the reins from him and got into the carriage. Then I set off in style and headed for the villa.
Behind me, his laughter spread through the night air.
***
I squirmed in the sunlight, but no matter how much I moved, my eyes stung. When I got up in a daze, the curtains were wide open, pouring sunlight onto the bed.
In my first room, the walls and furniture, everything was white and pink.
I belatedly remembered that I had fallen asleep without even thinking about drawing the curtains because I arrived at dawn.
On the small desk by the window was a vase of roses that Prince Kydel had given me.
I didn’t even know he had brought them, but it seemed that the maid Lisa had put them in the vase.
When I looked again, the fresh red petals had spread out beautifully. His voice came to mind.
‘The petals closed because it was night, but they will bloom beautifully tomorrow. That’s what flowers are like.’
I shook my head as if I was shaking off everything that was stuck to me.
Then I neatly combed my disheveled hair, changed my clothes, and went downstairs. There, Moria and Lisa were preparing breakfast.
I ran toward them with my arms outstretched.
“Moria! Lisa! I miss you!”
I buried my face in Moria’s voluptuous chest, and Lisa laughed.
“Did you sleep well, Miss?”
“Yes, yes. I slept well. I slept really well. It’s been a while.”
“I prepared something you like because you said you were coming, but I wonder how it will taste if I heat it up.”
This was the short ribs I tasted when I first came to this villa.
I was already eating a rib before Moria finished speaking. They smiled and sat down in their respective seats.
A little while later, a boy came in and stopped in surprise at the sight of a woman possessed by a demon.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
I was surprised, biting the bone too. It had been a few years since I had come here, and Lisa’s little son had grown into a boy almost as big as me.
“Is this Toma? Are you Toma?”
“He's grown a lot, hasn’t he? Let me say hello.”
“Hello, Miss Loire.”
“My name is Lorisha. You’ve grown a lot?”
“Yes.”
Even my words were short, so I guess he was a man now. It’s the same.
I put the new ribs I was about to tear into Toma’s plate. Toma smiled without saying thank you and took out the meat.
It must have been unusual for me to eat this much meat in the morning.
After finishing my meal, I washed my hands and went under the oak tree.
As I stared at the tree, I could see ants crawling in a line on the bark more and more clearly. I felt awkward for no reason and sat down with my back against the tree.
“How have you been, Mom?”
The sound of the leaves swaying in the wind could be heard as if they were rustling and pouring down. I was afraid that I might hear the ants’ marching footsteps and chatter.
However, no matter how awkward it was, I wanted to muster up the courage today and talk to Mom.
“Mom, I’m an adult now. I had my coming-of-age ceremony. I received flowers from a man, and that’s why.”
My heart ached for a moment, wondering if I had lied to Mom.
But I shook my head.
Ceremonies are what you think.
Even though I had recited the general’s speech that saved the empire from a crisis to Misha, it was a party of her classmates.
Prince Kydel had only acted according to the social customs that were ingrained in him last night, but when I received the rose he gave me, I felt like something had been completed.
As long as that feeling wasn’t a lie, I didn’t have to say that my words were a lie.
I sighed comfortably and looked up at the oak leaves.
“I work at a herbal medicine shop these days, and the owner likes me. Someday, I’ll eat at the Tolman herbal medicine shop, Mom.”
Instead of answering, Mom sent a breeze.
“...I did well, right? Did I become a good adult?”
I felt my cheeks getting wet. I quickly wiped them away, but it was no use.
I buried my face in my knees to continue the story, shedding only a few tears, but a heavy arm wrapped around my shoulder. I could tell it was the Count without having to raise my head.
I felt like I had fallen asleep after crying in the Count’s arms. When I woke up, I was on the living room sofa, covered with a thin lace blanket that Moria had knitted herself.
“Are you awake? ...Like that.”
The Count, who seemed to have returned from tending the garden, looked at my face and made an embarrassed expression.
I could only see half of the Count because my eyes were swollen.
Moria clicked her tongue at me, brought a cold wet towel, and covered my face with it. When my vision became blocked, I folded the towel in half and covered my eyes.
“Count, when did you come?”
“Before sunrise.”
“Ah... The party went well?”
“That depends on your perspective.”
The Count’s answer was calm, but I immediately lowered my eyes. I was sure that he knew about my prank.
“Perspective... right?”
“If it were me, I would have chosen the 9th Emperor’s “Towards the Sea.”
As expected.
I answered quietly as if I was communicating with garden ants.
“Ah... That’s right, I also liked the forward-looking spirit of conquering Smileran across the sea... but I’m a little scared of provoking His Majesty the Emperor.”
The Count tried to keep his laughter in check, his breathing shaking, but he tried to give me a stern expression.
“Prince Kgdel had a hard time.”
I remembered him laughing and shaking his shoulders in the dark garden.
“...”
“You greedy Young master.”
That bastard had even charmed the Count.
Well, at this point, even I could not deny his human charm.
He knew that I had insulted him in the letter, but he still picked roses for me and gave me a carriage... And at the same time, he was unlucky.
In short, his personality was inconsistent. Now that I think about it, that was a shortcoming. I was relieved to have found his shortcomings.
“Misha is satisfied with the party. Then I shouldn’t be sad either.”
The Count looked sad as he spoke. I felt like a bitch in an instant.
“I’m sorry, Count... I was in a twisted state back then...”
“Don’t leave the house at night. Even if you had left with me at dawn, we would have arrived at about the same time.”
“Yes...”
I answered as I crawled inside and lowered the towel to cover my face. The towel was already lukewarm, but it was fortunate that I had something to hide my expression.
Inside, I was laughing a little. Like a crazy woman.
I quietly got up and went up to my room. When I came back to my room, I thought that my mother had also met the Count for the first time in a long time and had a conversation.
Not bad for my first day as an adult.
***
Whined's procedure backfired. Second Prince Grayon said that he felt much more relaxed and recovered after the procedure, but he started to feel violently nauseous that night. It was a symptom he had never had before.
Whined said that he would stop the procedure and find another way, but Grayon wanted to do it again, saying that he had definitely recovered when he received the procedure.
Since the nausea could have been a manifestation reaction, Whined decided to do it one more time. However, the result was worse.
Grayon couldn't eat all day because he felt like his stomach was turning after vomiting.
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