“A witness?"
Odelia took a picture of the Marquis's aide and her servant, who had been following her around on her last date with him. They had been following her around all day, observing her date. Odelia nodded.
"...All right."
Then Judith smiled brightly. Her face was so pure that Odelia smiled back.
And the next day.
From early in the morning, Judith returned to Odelia's mansion. Her pale face was bright with anticipation and a smile.
"I want to go out with you!"
So the two of them started preparing together.
As Odelia was changing into the clothes brought by her servants, there was a loud knock on the door. "Come in," she said, and the door swung open, and Judith quietly stuck her head in.
“Lady Judith?”
"Oh! She's still changing into your dress!"
Then Judith's eyes flashed for a moment.
"Did Lady Odelia choose that dress?"
When Judith gestured to the blue-tinged turquoise dress held in the maid's hand, Odelia responded lightly.
“Yes, that's right.”
On the one hand, she was worried. Odelia had a reputation for having a poor eye for dresses. For important events like debutantes and banquets, the Grand Duchess or Calix would choose the dresses for her, but this time, it wasn't the case.
For a date like this, she thought it would be okay to just wear a dress that was similar in color to her outfit so that it wouldn't stand out, so she just set the standard as 'the dress that would be the least noticeable.'
"If it's not too much trouble, would it be okay if I picked out the dress?"
As Odelia nodded without much concern, Judith looked at Odelia's dress with a very pleasant face.
“This is it!”
Was it my imagination...? Looking at the clothes Judith had pointed to, Odelia felt a strange sense of unease. The design was similar to the dress Judith had been wearing.
As Odelia's reply was delayed because she was wondering whether she could wear something similar to Judith's, Judith added.
"Well, it would be great if we looked like sisters!"
Only then did Odelia nod as if she understood.
"Oh, I see."
Of course, no one would mistake Odelia for Lady Judith just because they wear similar clothes. The height difference alone is enough. Still, the date was the center of attention, so Odelia took out a shawl and placed it on her shoulder, thinking she should be careful.
The two people who finished preparing soon got on the horse.
The carriage headed straight to the date spot, the imperial palace, and specifically Calix's villa.
When she thinks of the imperial palace, she naturally assumes it will have vaulted ceilings decorated with gold, luxurious murals, and shining chandeliers, but the scenery of the villa she arrived at was completely different.
A simple and restrained structure with hardly any decorative elements to be found.
The wide corridor stretched on endlessly, yet it was so quiet that only Odelia's footsteps echoed. Even the wind seemed impervious to the high, majestic ceiling and gleaming white pillars, and a suffocating silence settled over this vast space.
Not a single picture frame hung on the walls. Instead, furniture made of solid stone and wood that seemed to have endured the passage of time sat quietly in place.
Oh, what a beautiful place, Odelia thought to herself.
As soon as they arrived at the designated location, the first thing that caught their eye was Cedric. Odelia looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Huh? Why are you here?"
Cedric shrugged.
"I was asked to come on a date."
The nuance was subtle. Odelia asked again.
"Ah, His Highness, would you ask such a request?"
Then Cedric tilted his head.
"....? No?"
Then whose? Obelia was puzzled.
It was the moment when Cedric winked at Judith next to Odelia and was about to open his mouth.
“Aaaah!”
Judith suddenly grabbed her stomach, bent over, and began to stagger.
"Lady Judith! Cedric, bring someone!"
When a startled Odelia quickly supported her and shouted at Cedric, Cedric quickly left to call the palace servant.
After a while, Judith, who had been groaning with her eyes closed, slowly opened one eye and whispered to Odelia.
"I don't think it will work, Lady Odelia..."
"Lady Judith, where does it hurt?"
When Odelia asked urgently, she narrowed her eyes and rubbed her stomach.
"I think I ate too many cookies this morning. My stomach hurts."
“Yes?”
Judith, her face now flushed, as if about to burst out in a whisper to Odelia, whose eyes were wide open.
"My, my stomach is a little uncomfortable, Lady Odelia. Some very personal business has come up!"
Only then did Odelia grasp the situation, fidgeting and trailing off.
"I'm sorry. I made you say it directly. Oh, let's go back quickly!"
Judith waved her hand in confusion at Odelia, who was about to lift Judith up without even supporting her.
"Don't worry! It's okay!"
Then she pointed to Cedric, who was returning with his servant in the distance.
"Just ask Sir Cedric to help me up!"
Cedric, who had been grabbed halfway by the collar as soon as he arrived out of nowhere, looked back and forth between Odelia and Judith with a bewildered expression.
Judith cried out to Otelia with a very urgent and desperate look on her face.
"Lady Odelia, I don't want to be embarrassed by having my date with His Highness the Crown Prince ruined because of me. So, Lady Odelia...!"
As she continued speaking, she quickly removed the shawl Odelia was wearing and placed the hat she was wearing on Odelia's head.
"Please be my substitute."
After saying that, Judith grabbed her stomach again and moaned, "Ah, ah, ah..."
With a very vulnerable expression, Judith turned her gaze to Cedric.
"Sir Cedric, I'm really sorry, but could you help me to the carriage?"
Then, as she leaned forward and started to walk, Cedric, with a surprised look on his face, supported her absentmindedly.
Odelia, too, was looking puzzled as she adjusted the hat Judith had given her and stared blankly at the two people walking away. As she leaned on Cedric's arm and walked away, Judith turned around slightly and gave Odelia a thumbs-up.
It was with a bright smile, as if wishing good luck.
Only after they had disappeared into the distance did the imperial attendant who had been standing nearby cautiously approach.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting in the garden. Would you like to go?"
Odelia nodded with a bewildered expression, as if the whole situation still didn't feel real.
Odelia, following the imperial attendant, soon arrived in front of the greenhouse of Calix's villa. The moment she opened the door and stepped inside, the sight before her eyes left her breathless, "Wow..."
The interior of the greenhouse resembled a quiet dawn.
Soft sunlight streamed calmly through the transparent skylight, and white roses bathed in sunlight were blooming brightly along the edge of the greenhouse.
The leaves swayed gently in the breeze between the rose bushes, whispering as they rustled, and the floor was covered with neatly arranged marble tiles, free of a single speck of dirt.
The leaves between the rose bushes swayed gently in the breeze, whispering, and the floor was covered with marble tiles, neatly and cleanly laid out.
There was a small area of grass on the ground, and peonies, lavender, and rosemary were quietly breathing in between.
And someone was sitting on an elegant iron chair in front of a huge white rose mouth that seemed to pour down like a waterfall, with his eyes wide open over the table, waiting for someone.
It was Calix.
Dressed in a plain black uniform, his hair was neatly combed back.
From his fingertips, which absentmindedly tapped the table with his head slightly tilted, an inexplicable sense of calm and pressure was felt simultaneously.
Odelia suddenly sat there, writing, and stared blankly at the scenery.
"Beautiful..."
The moment when she didn't even realize that her feet had slipped out unconsciously.
Odelia was startled by the low, muffled voice that pierced her ear and raised her head.
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