As I traversed the empty hallway and approached the dining area,
a shadowy figure emerged from the dimly lit surroundings.
Gasp.
I swallowed my breath, standing frozen on the spot. A myriad of thoughts raced through my mind in an instant.
Could it be... a thief?
No. That seems unlikely.
After all, there couldn't possibly be a brazen enough thief to dare rob the House of Lichter.
Then again, surely not an assassin, could it be?
Ironically, despite sounding more plausible than a burglar, the idea of an assassin seemed even less likely—especially with royalty present at the manor.
While my imagination ran wild alone, the shadowy figure turned towards me.
"...Huh?"
The owner of the shadow was an unexpected sight.
"Madam Lichter?"
"Your Highness?"
What was the prince doing here? It was strange. I had heard he had gone to bed early. He was dressed in a way similar to me, with an outer garment over his nightclothes. It seemed like he either woke up and came out or got out of bed before trying to sleep.
Was he thirsty but the water jar empty? No, that couldn't be it. I had checked the guest room several times, even if nothing else. Baekhan also said he would take care of things carefully. That meant......
Could it be he was trying to find something out? Was there some secret or weakness of the Lichter family he wanted to bring back? Didn't such cases often happen in movies, dramas, books, or comics? Someone pretending to be a guest while subtly trying to uncover secrets...
"I'm sorry if I startled you. I just couldn't sleep and thought I'd take a walk."
Sensing my gaze narrowing, the prince hastily added:
He couldn't sleep and wanted to take a walk?
It was a quite plausible reason. More convincing than the idea of the prince searching through the Duke's residence at least.
I relaxed my suspicions and cocked my head curiously.
"Was your bed uncomfortable perhaps?"
I wondered if he might have been cold.
Despite the summer weather still lingering in some places, the northern region had already transitioned into early autumn. Even I sometimes felt a chill when lying down to sleep now.
"No, not at all," the prince replied swiftly. "The room you prepared for me was excellent, and the bedding very comfortable. It's just that I've always struggled with insomnia; please don't worry about it."
"Oh dear."
"Well. I've grown accustomed to it now," the prince said with a light chuckle.
However, his smile, forced upon a face pale from lack of sleep, felt bitter to me.
...He's quite pitiful.
For him to have become accustomed to this, he must have suffered from insomnia for quite some time.
It reminded me of Dante from long ago—the days when he couldn't get proper rest due to my presence and constantly wandered around looking drowsy.
Even the original Dante likely grew used to such sleeplessness over time.
Hmm.
Now that I saw a similarity between them, I couldn't help but feel restless myself.
I excused myself briefly, asking for a moment's patience as I stepped out into the garden.
The night air was cool, signaling the approach of dawn. Ugh. It would be truly freezing once winter arrived.
Absentmindedly wiping at imaginary tears, I plucked flower petals from their blooms and tucked them into my skirt pocket.
Camomile and lavender.
Ah. This is why I always feel like I'm being watched.
But long ago, I already received permission: Write whenever you wish.
As I crouched down, harvesting flowers with practiced ease, I felt eyes on me.
The prince had followed me out without my noticing, now peering at me with wide-eyed curiosity.
"You didn't need to come."
"I was curious. What are you doing right now?"
"I'm gathering herbs that help with sleep—camomile and lavender."
"Aren't those flowers?"
One thing he knows, two things he doesn't.
"Flowers can also be used as medicinal herbs depending on their purpose."
He nodded with admiration in his gaze. His sparkling eyes reminded me of a child watching his mother cook.
Why do I find myself reaching out into thin air, wanting to join in as I watch him knead the pale flour......
"Would you like to give it a try?"
"May I?" The prince responded to my tentative offer.
"If you wish."
"Then I'd like to have a go." I nodded and scooted over slightly to make room.
The prince sat down beside me, glancing at what I was doing before mimicking my actions. He followed along fairly well despite being quite clumsy; perhaps it wasn't that difficult after all.
Ah, this reminded me of Dante. When he first started helping with chores, he would peek at me just like this. Now he can handle farm work independently with great skill.
I'm so proud of him, I could burst.
By the way, I wonder if they're all sleeping soundly again now.
I felt bad for waking him up earlier, worried he might not have gotten a good night's sleep. As these thoughts crossed my mind, we finished harvesting the flowers.
We carried our bounty back to the dining room.
Our goal was to brew some tea.
Ideally, the flowers should be dried properly before use, but time was of the essence here.
Despite being hastily prepared, the fragrance was quite pleasant.
"Thanks to my new friend, I'm having a truly delightful experience," the prince remarked as he suggested sharing this moment together. We sat side by side in the dining room, sipping on the infusion.
"Oh... cough... excuse me." My initial plan had been to drink quickly and retire for the night, but the word "friend" caught my attention.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten about us becoming friends?"
"Come on. No way."
I'd forgotten.
Completely forgotten. I had answered him absentmindedly even during the day, so it was no surprise that I had utterly lost track of our conversation.
"She's my friend," I repeated awkwardly. "Wow. This is just too exciting."
Joshua chuckled at my clumsy enthusiasm.
"Honestly, it does sound absurd. The relationship between the Lichter family and the imperial household isn't exactly a happy one."
"......"
This guy was more straightforward than I thought. I never expected the prince himself to openly discuss such tensions with me. Feeling unable to affirm his words outright, I simply remained silent in response.
The prince glanced at me briefly before shrugging lightly and taking another sip from his cup.
"But I truly want to be friends with the Duchess."
"Why specifically with you?"
"You're the person I've been dreaming of."
"Huh?"
Was he saying that his future aspiration was me? Suddenly, I felt like a bewildered celebrity.
"A strong and wonderful person."
Me? When had I ever shown any strength or wonder? The urge to ask this question weighed heavily on my mind, but I forced myself to hold back. Although I didn't understand what he was talking about, I figured there must be some meaning behind it.
However, the prince's words only became more puzzling as he continued.
"To tell you the truth, when I saw you at the wedding, I secretly thought we were quite similar. I felt a sense of kinship with you."
"How so?"
"Well..."
What was this nonsense? Despite myself, an incredulous expression must have crossed my face. I tried to compose myself belatedly, but it seemed too late. His barely suppressed smile suggested he'd already noticed.
...Mom. I think this guy's personality is a bit off.
But strangely, I couldn't dislike him. Just as he said we were similar, I too felt like I saw a reflection of my past self in the prince.
"There's a saying that friends resemble each other, you know. If I become your friend, wouldn't I also become strong?"
"...I doubt it."
Whoops, that was a slip.
He kept talking about being friends with me, so I started treating him like a real friend.
"No, what I mean is, when it comes to changing people, their own determination matters more than their friends..."
The more I tried to explain, the worse it became. I decided to just close my eyes tightly and shut my mouth.
Soon, I heard soft laughter beside me. When I peeked open one eye, the prince was nodding with a smile on his face.
"You're right. One's own mindset is more important than friends."
"Of course. I also think friends are very important."
"There's no need to sympathize with me just because of that."
"No, my sympathy comes from the heart."
The prince let out another small chuckle.
If one were watching him now, they might think he was drinking alcohol instead of tea.
"Then, will you truly become my friend?"
By this point, I could sense how obsessed he was with having a friend.
...What should I do? Do I not have any friends?
Ah. I don't have any friends either.
I was about to feel sorry for him but ended up feeling worse about myself instead.
No, no. Still, I have my husband and Baekhan, Sienna, Mari, Marco, Eina......
Mm.
It was strange. Why did it taste more bitter with each thought? Honestly, I wondered if having a friend wouldn't be so bad. After all, there wasn't anyone in my life whom I could call a 'friend'. So why not make one?
However, I couldn't answer sincerely because of Dante. The royal family was nothing but an enemy to the Lichter clan. If I became friends with a prince, wouldn't that be considered betrayal?
Moreover, I was married.
Could men and women truly be just friends? The blood of Confucianism from my previous life boiled within me at this question.
To be honest, since I'd spent most of this life confined away, I didn't fully grasp the sentiments of this world. Perhaps here everyone simply ignored such matters and lived coolly without concern?
Suddenly, amidst these worries, everything felt absurdly funny.