Whitney’s face turned red. She hastily stepped back from the too-close distance.

“Did you come out for a walk?”

“I hadn’t planned to, but I saw someone familiar.”

“I had to come because His Highness Karl invited me. My elder sister came too to prevent any possible rumors, so you don’t need to worry……”

“That there won’t be any?”

Cheston narrowed the distance once more and whispered softly. Whitney nodded, then raised her head to stare at Cheston.

“Were you watching me by any chance?”

He didn’t answer. He just met her gaze with a smile on his lips. Whitney was the first to turn away.

‘Is he used to staring at people?’

Whitney gave an awkward smile at his seemingly nonchalant appearance. He still didn’t take his eyes off her.

“You don’t seem to like the greenhouse much.”

“……Yes, it’s not a place with good memories for me.”

Cheston listened quietly to her words, then held out his hand. Whitney stared blankly at the hand extended to her.

“This place will become a good memory.”

Would it really? Could memories already deeply etched in her brain be changed?

She hesitated. Cheston’s voice was sweet, and this place wasn’t bad for her. However, the nauseating memories that came to mind every time she saw a greenhouse wouldn’t be easily shaken off.

The last place she saw before dying. Though different from the greenhouse in the duke’s residence, the atmosphere it exuded was similar.

“I’m sorry. Next time……”

“If you keep putting it off, you’ll only get used to avoiding it.”

A large hand covered hers. Then the hand that gently gripped hers led her. Whitney’s surprised eyes darted back and forth.

“Your, Your Highness!”

“Shh. If you raise your voice like that, Karl might hear and come after us?”

Whitney hurriedly closed her mouth and watched Cheston’s back as he led her into the greenhouse, holding her hand. How many times was this now that she was staring at his back?

Though she greatly didn’t want to go, she couldn’t shake off Cheston’s hand.

Soon after entering the greenhouse, Whitney’s heart began to race faster. As the large dome’s entrance opened, Whitney tightly closed her eyes.

At that moment, she felt a warm sensation on her eyes. A firm chest touched her back. Startled, she hunched her body, but feeling the foreign sensation on her back even more, she quickly straightened up.

“I’m covering you, so open your eyes comfortably.”

Whitney’s heart trembled finely at his voice from behind. The sound of exhaled breath brushed past her ears, which had become more sensitive from not being able to see.

It’s distracting.

Whitney focused all her attention on Cheston standing behind her. Even though she was just parting her lips to speak slowly, her voice became small.

“……Isn’t this defeating the purpose of coming in?”

“No. There’s a difference between not even stepping foot in and at least setting foot inside.”

“……Ah.”

Whitney slowly opened her eyes. Darkness spread out, so pitch-black that nothing could be seen.

“Take a deep breath slowly.”

Once again, her body tensed at the low voice brushing her ear.

Whitney took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled. Her rapidly beating heart slowed bit by bit, and various flower scents seeped into her nostrils. Perhaps because various scents were mixed, her head felt dizzy. The rich fragrance, almost to the point of causing nausea, made it seem like a flower garden was spread out even with her eyes closed.

The scent filling her lungs was enough to create the illusion of standing in the middle of flowers.

“To your left are tulips, and beyond them, wisteria vines have climbed over the bench and are in full bloom. It’s beautiful, as if purple lights are illuminated by the sunlight above the greenhouse. Soon it will be summer, so this sight will be hard to see.”

Whitney imagined in her mind the wisteria flowers climbing up the stems, blooming and filling the bench.

“I rather dislike wisteria. Quite a bit.”

“……Is there a reason?”

“When planted next to a tree trunk, the vines twist and tangle as they climb up like that, blooming flowers at the top and drooping down messily. It’s no different from me and that tree trunk, setting up a competition and drawing out my brother’s potential, ultimately reigning over me from above.”

She couldn’t say it wasn’t so. The moment she said why not the opposite, it would be considered harboring treason, so she couldn’t refute.

‘His Highness Cheston is fully qualified to succeed the king……’

If Karl became king, this country would be ruined. Due to him and the queen behind him, it would eventually face destruction.

“Let’s stop this uninteresting talk here. In front of you is a flower that resembles you.”

“……Me?”

“But you won’t be able to see it, so let’s save that for next time.”

Whitney’s body was turned around by his hand. As the hand covering her eyes disappeared, the garden came into view. Then Cheston passed by her side and said,

“I’m thinking of continuing the walk, would you like to join me?”

“……I think I should return soon, could I ask you to guide me back?”

“Of course, if my fiancée requests it.”

Cheston extended his arm to Whitney. She carefully took his arm lightly. The two turned back the way they came.

The queen’s lips trembled finely. She had brought the duke’s daughter to the garden to show the king, as Karl had invited her, but witnessed an unexpected combination.

“Who is that child?”

As the king asked the attendant, the queen hastily intercepted the answer.

“……It’s a child you needn’t worry about.”

“That doesn’t seem right for a child who didn’t spare praise for me.”

“Your memory is quite good for this. It’s the duke’s daughter from the House of Orlean.”

“It seems that child is the one people have been interested in lately.”

The queen forcibly raised the corners of her mouth. Her hand gripping the fan turned white. The king’s eyes were fixed intently on Cheston and Whitney.

‘Could it be that child?’

The king saw Cheston’s comfortable smile for the first time. And suddenly, he recalled the woman Cheston had mentioned he would marry. He had been curious about who would risk their life, but to think it was the Orlean duke’s daughter.

‘If a duke’s daughter under the guardianship of the Rubeness family becomes engaged to Cheston, the queen’s face will be worth seeing.’

Only then did he understand why Cheston had assured him he would be satisfied. The king hid his expression and frowned with a dissatisfied look.

“I was going to match him with the princess of Petontra, but a duke’s daughter? It’s not bad, but it feels lacking.”

“……You mean the princess of Petontra?”

The queen’s eyebrows twitched. Her suddenly stiffened expression looked even chilling.

“Since fiancées keep getting threatened, wouldn’t it be better to find one from another country? It would be harder to touch her recklessly.”

“Oh my, Your Majesty. Do you think such things wouldn’t happen in another country? The second prince is a threat to the first prince, so it’s unavoidable. It’s natural for everyone to think unfavorably of it. If someone hadn’t created complicated matters, it wouldn’t have happened……”

The queen glanced at the king with a sneer. However, he spoke with an unconcerned expression.

“If pride had been maintained, things wouldn’t have become so complicated.”

“It was a deal between countries. Wasn’t the country’s benefit more important than personal emotions?”

“I didn’t know the queen was interested in the princess of Petontra.”

“Isn’t it natural since Karl’s fiancée hasn’t been decided either? If it had been decided earlier, this mother wouldn’t be stomping her feet like this.”

This time, the king snorted and said,

“You must know that a match hasn’t been made because no child has appeared that meets the queen’s eye. I wonder if there will even be a child you approve of. You like the duke’s daughter, don’t you?”

“The princess of Petontra would be suitable for Karl.”

The queen smiled and immediately answered the king’s words. She had no intention of making Whitney Orlean Karl’s queen.

“If the queen wishes, I’ll consider it.”

“……Really?”

The queen’s eyes narrowed as the king, who she thought would insist on the engagement with Cheston to the end, took a step back.

“I too don’t want Karl and Cheston to be in a competitive relationship. Don’t worry, I know that matching the princess of Petontra with Karl, who has a higher succession rank, is a way to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.”

“Karl would be delighted to hear this.”

The king, without erasing his smile, took in the sight of Cheston and Whitney once more. With this, the queen would not pay attention to whatever meetings Cheston and Whitney have.

“I’d like to go to the Tulip Palace after a long time. Do you have any other schedules?”

“……Even if I do, I’d gladly postpone them to go with you.”

Tulip Palace was the name of the queen’s palace. She rejoiced, not even thinking about why the king was coming to her palace. She might be able to find evidence about Libenia that others couldn’t find even if she sent them.

Since there was no place the king couldn’t go, he intended to search thoroughly even in the deepest places. It was also the first request Cheston had made to him, but there must have been limits to what he could find out. So, he thought it would be more accurate for himself, who could see everything inside, to confirm whether Libenia existed.

As a father, he wanted to do at least that much.

“I heard the queen’s garden is so beautiful. I’d like to go to a place where no one else but me can go, not the places others have seen.”

“How could there be anything impossible? It’s Your Majesty the King’s request. I’ll instruct to guide you to a place where we won’t be disturbed.”

The queen linked her arm with the king’s, looking somewhat excited. Seeing the queen’s face blushing like a young girl after a long time, the king wore a sad expression. He wondered if perhaps, as the queen said, everyone had become unhappy because of him.