"If you're here, who is guarding the Princess right now?"
Nike, having instantly composed himself, asked Kali.
"I left ten elite guards from the Imperial Palace with her."
"How long do you have to go back?"
"I have been granted a week's leave. I heard His Royal Highness the Prince mentioned a one-week schedule, so I will figure out the truth within that time. Oh... This isn’t it!"
He is answering obediently again!
Kali gritted her teeth and shouted.
"Don't beat around the bush, answer me! Who is the woman in the carriage!"
"..."
Nike nodded in satisfaction for some reason and said.
“Then let’s all move together.”
***
Dump.
Kali knelt at the unbelievable sight unfolding before her eyes.
A bright yellow wave covering an entire mountain, and a flower garden filled with scarlet and yellow hues, overwhelmed the view.
They are marigolds. All of them.
"Wow. Really pretty. Totally insane...?"
Max was impressed.
"It wasn't a bouquet, it was a flower garden."
Max, muttering blankly, grabbed Kqli's arm and helped her stand up, saying.
"Kali, we learned a lesson today. You don't mess with a madman."
“Is this correct?”
She couldn't believe it, even after watching it.
"Clearly, it was originally just a grassy field..."
The Grand Duchy of Zebert was reached after a two-day carriage ride.
Zebert's territory, located exactly in the middle of the two places—the capital and the name in Belzer—was a new home that Vania had carefully chosen, and Kali had also visited it once during a field trip.
Even back then, the hill behind the main building did not look like this at all.
“Hey..."
Just then, a slave with a haggard face staggered over, carrying a box of flower seedlings.
"Are they new workers...?"
Kali recognized the face of the slave, who looked just like a corpse resurrected by necromancy, and gaped in astonishment.
Not a slave!
He is one of the elite knights of the Imperial Palace!
The highly skilled personnel who were said to have left for training with Nike were actually confined here, planting flower seedlings.
"Look! You could just sow the seeds and wait! Why are you doing such an inefficient thing...!"
"If we do that, this picture won't turn out well given the climate in Zebert's territory... I have to show it to you in full bloom when Her Highness arrives..."
Aaaaaaaah!
So, on moving day in Zebert's territory, you did the crazy thing of bringing flowers one by one and transplanting them just to show Vania this scenery?
As Kali was shocked, Nike, wearing work gloves, approached and patted the slave knight on the shoulder to encourage him.
"Thank you for your hard work. Let's hang in there for just three more days."
"No, Your Highness. We are proud as well... It was a volunteer job, after all..."
Since he was not the type to simply exploit the labor of his subordinates for private events, Nike had been personally going back and forth to the site to work alongside them all this time.
It was the reason for staying out.
"Knights, please plant this one in the spot that gets a lot of stars! It's the youngest seedling, so it needs to grow fast!"
Kali weakly turned her head toward the direction from which the clear voice was coming.
Ms. Lena, who runs a flower shop
She, who owned a 10,000-yard flower farm on the outskirts of the capital, was a provider of marigold seedlings.
Not Nike's affair partner.
"Your Highness."
Kali, who had only been able to move her lips in disbelief, bowed towards Nike.
"I apologize for my disrespectful attitude."
"No. It’s possible to misunderstand."
Nike, who had generously accepted the apology, immediately added in a firm voice.
"However, even if I understand, I cannot simply let this slide. I must discipline you for the disrespectful remarks made toward the Royal Family and for your dereliction of duty."
Kali and Max squeezed their eyes shut.
I can roughly imagine what kind of punishment I'll receive...
Eventually, as expected.
Bang!
Nike placed the box of flower seedlings he was holding down in front of them and said.
"I hope you will provide labor."
***
Belzer Castle.
The carriage carrying members of the Belzer family from the capital arrived.
Ryan was out to personally greet his younger siblings.
"Older brother!"
"Oh!"
Ryan patted Richard on the shoulder as he got off first and said.
"You're getting more handsome every day. Did you get a girlfriend in the meantime?"
"Yes?"
Richard, startled for some reason, shook his head vigorously.
"...No?"
"Hehehe."
Ryan giggled like a devil.
“Why do you like it so much?”
"It's a comfort to know I'm not the only one who can't find love! Are the men in my family cursed or something? There's no news from anyone!"
"..."
I am happy. So very happy.
Richard, wanting to protect Ryan's happiness, resolved to keep his secret a secret until Ryan's relationship began.
“Okay, next!”
As he let Richard into the castle, he saw Christa.
"Long time no see!...Ah. I have some news you'll like to hear. I finished the supernatural ability blocker?"
“Wow, really?”
This means that the use of Edgar, the former Duke of Wassenberg and holder of the ability <Neutralization>, who was kept alive for the production of the circuit breaker, has come to an end.
"I'll have to check if it's working properly, but there's no chance Revan failed. Well. Are you ready?"
Christa had been asking to be allowed to let her father go with her own hands for a long time. She said that only then would the knot in her heart be completely released.
However, when the day actually arrived, Christa trembled as if hesitating.
Ryan nodded.
He expected this kind of reaction.
"Don't worry, I can handle it... Hiiik!"
Shocked.
Ryan was terrified.
“What do you mean?”
Because madness was flashing in Christa's eyes as she lifted her head, which she had been bowing.
"I've been waiting for this day."
"Wow, that's really scary. Yes, I get it, so listen..."
The moment Ryan swallowed hard and swung his thumb behind him.
"...P-p-p-Prince?!"
Ryan, shocked to discover Merchen following Christa down, shouted in a whisper.
"Who are you, you bastard! Why are you here! If you turn into a monster, who's going to clean up the mess!"
"Don't worry. I came with Bunny."
“Hmph.”
Vania?
Only then did Ryan spot Vania getting out of the carriage with a sulky expression.
"Wow! Who, who are you?!"
He was speechless with surprise and joy at the same time.
Vania, who had been pouting and looking like she was about to cry as soon as their eyes met, ran over, and Ryan hugged her tightly.
"You little bunny, how did you get here!"
"Why aren't you inviting me?"
Vania, sulking, glared at him.
"Nooo, Your Highness is busy."
"I'm not busy! I was actually so hurt I almost cried."
"Sorry, sorry... Wow... It's good to see you, but is it really okay to come this far so suddenly? Did your husband just obediently let you go?"
"She said she came without saying anything!"
Christa, who was listening, chimed in.
Ryan's eyes widened.
"What? Then you came secretly?"
"It wasn't exactly secret; I just left a note. But there was a reason for that..."
"She said they had a fight!"
Christa butted in again.
Vania, who was being held by Ryan, flinched in surprise.
"What's with the marital quarrel again! Don't overreact!"
"My husband keeps staying out all night!"
"What?"
Ryan, who was listening, muttered with a terrifying expression.
"Staying out all night...?"
***
Marigold.
Happiness that must come.
Vania liked both marigolds and their flower language. Every autumn, she would always visit the hill where marigolds bloomed.
The place where she had memories with her lover before the regression.
Just like the meaning of the marigold, happy days had come, and there was no longer any need to wish for a peaceful future, but Vania liked to reminisce about the hardships of the past.
While visiting Marigold Hill every autumn.
"This place is beautiful, no matter how many times I look at it. I wish I could just pick it up and move it to my front yard."
Vania's wish, once spoken in passing, became Nike's wind in its entirety.
What welcomed Nike, who returned home high with excitement after completing a marigold garden for Vania at their final resting place, where they would be together until death, was...
“Vania...”
It was Vania's empty room.
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