Now, if I were to say, "Actually, it was all a lie, and I don't want to be friends anymore," what would be the difference from a duchess challenging the prince to a duel?
Moreover, well.
I’m someone who is going to leave anyway.
I have no intention of returning to being Count after the divorce.
Of course, they wouldn’t accept me back either.
In the end, I will have to live as an ordinary citizen.
A citizen with a royal friend...
It seemed like the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks.
After opening a café, wouldn’t it be good publicity to put up a sign saying, "A restaurant recognized by the prince"?
With that thought in mind, I nodded my head willingly.
"Alright. Let's truly be friends. I look forward to it, friend."
At my response, the prince's expression brightened significantly.
"Then. I look forward to it, friend."
"Are we dropping the formalities too?"
Surprised by the sudden casualness, I asked, and he tilted his head in response.
"Of course. We’re real friends now. Though, we should be careful in public."
Is this really okay?
Is it permissible to speak informally with a prince?
But, he seemed so sincere.
Well, since the prince is the one suggesting it, how could I refuse?
Isn’t this, in a way, a royal decree?
"…Alright then. But no changing your mind later. No purging me for disrespecting royalty just because you’re in a bad mood. That’s off-limits."
"Of course. I promise."
Thus, I unexpectedly gained a royal friend.
It was hard to describe it as a harvest, but it was certainly an unexpected gain.
* * *
"Thanks to you two, I’m leaving well."
The princess and the prince left two days later in the morning.
"I’m truly glad to hear you’ve been comfortable."
I responded warmly to the princess's greeting as she closed her eyes.
The princess's smile deepened.
"If you tell the emperor that you two are getting along so well, he will be very pleased. He’s been looking forward to seeing you both live happily together more than anyone else."
Oh. There’s no greater honor for the family.
Anyone would think the emperor is a relative elder.
However, instead of grumbling, I placed my hand on my heart and pretended to be touched.
The princess's smile grew even deeper.
"Well then, I’ll take my leave now. See you next time, Duke. And, madam. We’re friends now, after all."
"Of course. I’ll be looking forward to it."
It was a farewell that could easily be mistaken for best friends.
"Travel safely."
Dante, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke as the princess was about to get into the carriage.
I guess it’s just my feelings that make it sound like he’s telling them to hurry up and leave.
The princess scanned us with a sly smile before getting into the carriage.
"Let’s go, Joshua."
At the princess's call, Joshua paused while getting into the carriage and turned back.
"I also look forward to seeing you again."
"Yes. Take care."
In response to my answer, the prince left a bright smile as he got into the carriage.
The carriage carrying the two of them slowly moved away.
Phew. They’re finally leaving.
Watching the uncomfortable guests depart felt refreshing.
I must have been in a constant state of tension, pretending otherwise.
Just as I was thinking about heading home, the carriage window opened, and a large hand came out, waving vigorously.
Then, it seemed to be pulled back inside as if caught by something.
It looked like the prince was waving but got stopped by the princess...
Mom. It seems that the new friend I made is indeed a bit strange.
But what can I do? The water has already been spilled. I can only promise myself to choose my friends wisely from now on.
I clicked my tongue and linked my arm with Dante's.
"Let’s head inside too."
For two days, we had pretended to be a couple with great chemistry in front of the guests, so this action came out unconsciously.
"It’s finally a bit quiet now. I think I’m not cut out for hosting guests."
"You’ve worked hard, madam."
"Hard? Dante worked harder."
Seeing him with a stiff face for three days straight, it seemed he found it quite uncomfortable to be around royalty.
By the second day, he really hit his limit, as his face was pale and drawn from the morning.
I was so upset seeing our male lead looking rough.
"How about we have a completely northern-style dinner tonight?"
"Sounds good."
"Great! I’ll have Ena prepare a feast."
Humming a tune, I pulled Dante's arm.
He came along without resistance, matching my pace.
Returning home together after sending off the guests felt incredibly peaceful.
* * *
That day, after eating a lot of northern traditional dishes, I spent the whole day lounging around.
As the tension in my body eased, sleep kept pouring over me.
The next day, I woke up past noon.
"Oh my gosh. How many hours did I sleep?"
"You must have been very tired."
Maria nicely wrapped up my late sleep.
"Well, it does feel like I’ve crossed a big mountain."
"You really worked hard, my lady. You’ve been so busy preparing and everything."
"That’s right. I was tired."
I pouted without holding back.
It was true that I had really put in a lot of effort.
"Honestly, I don’t understand why you had to stay for two nights and three days."
"Right? There’s a world of difference between hosting a meal and having someone stay over."
"Maybe it’s because they’re royalty and lack awareness?"
"…Oh."
The unfiltered royal disrespect almost made my eyes pop out.
That’s right. It makes sense. Given the poor relationship between Richter and the royal family, those who had worked in Richter would also view the royal family negatively.
I suddenly felt the need to keep my friendship with the prince a secret.
If it got out, I’d probably be treated like a traitor.
Feeling guilty, I averted my gaze and stood up.
"Where are you going?"
"To the fields."
"Huh? Aren’t you going to rest a bit more?"
"Yeah. I have some urgent work to do."
After quickly having a meal and changing into comfortable clothes, I headed straight to the fields.
It was true that I had urgent work to do.
Ah. This outfit is definitely the most comfortable. I finally felt like I was wearing clothes that fit me.
The dress I hastily bought from the tailor was shoved into the far corner of the wardrobe as soon as the guests left.
As I organized the clothes, Maria murmured with a bittersweet smile.
〈…Should I just order more autumn and winter clothes that you can wear comfortably?〉
〈Should I? I really like being comfortable.〉
〈Yes. That’s the way to go. If it’s not comfortable, it’ll end up in the corner again...〉
Poor thing.
I felt a pang of sympathy remembering how excited she was, thinking I was starting to enjoy dressing up.
But what can I do?
Comfortable clothes are the best.
With a basket tucked under my arm, I arrived at the front of the fields. Today’s destination wasn’t my field, but Dante’s flower garden.
The flowers were blooming beautifully, swaying gently in the wind.
I squatted in front of Dante’s flower garden, humming a tune.
It’s so pretty today too.
I really did well to plant the ones that are strong against the cold.
Admiring my choice, I busily moved my hands to harvest the flowers.
People passing by greeted me.
"Oh. My lady. Are you returning right away? Hehe. You truly shine the brightest here!"
Marquess, who was holding garden shears, and,
"Can I take some lavender? I want to use it in today’s cooking."
Ena, who came to ask for lavender.
"Is there anything I can help with today? Oh! I’ve filled the watering can with water!"
Siena, bouncing around like a puppy in the snow.
It was a bit chaotic, but not bad.
Yeah. This is peace.
I stopped when my basket was half full.
On one side was lavender.
On the other side was chamomile.
Looking at the neatly piled flowers, a satisfied smile crept onto my face.
Now, what’s left to do...
* * *
"Since this afternoon, my lady has been out in the fields. I wonder what she’s up to?"
"Well, it seems she’s harvesting flowers."
Dante, who had been answering Barhan’s question calmly, suddenly paused.
Uh-oh, I think I’ve been caught.
Sure enough, Barhan was watching me with a pleased smile.
"I knew it. You were watching from the window."
It turned out I had been caught staring at Serafina instead of doing my work.
But it couldn’t be helped.
Whenever she was in sight, my attention naturally gravitated towards her.
Especially since the room with the bedroom and the office faced the garden, Serafina’s field was easily visible.
I could see Serafina squatting in her field, diligently doing something.
As I stared at her absentmindedly, I lost track of time.
"Since you don’t seem to be working anyway, wouldn’t it have been better to just go out and spend time together?"
"…."
"Your Grace?"
"Stop talking nonsense and help with the work. There are a lot of documents that need to be processed."
It was clear to anyone that I was awkwardly changing the subject.