“I hear it’s soon your birthday? I think my lovely younger brother might make a vow of love to you then.”

“…Birthday. I see.”

Hearing those words, I smiled meaningfully.

Completely unaware of my reaction, the Crown Princess excitedly asked Countess Ramot to bring tea and refreshments. Of course, I didn’t touch the tea and refreshments she brought. Afterwards, I exchanged a few more meaningless words with the Crown Princess before returning directly to the mansion.

All the while, unbeknownst to me, the Crown Princess’s spy hidden among her maids was watching my every move.

* * *

A few hours later, in the capital. At the mansion of Duke Haven.

After finishing his training and working in the study, Elliot received a letter from Crown Princess Ella.

Elliot looked at Gwen, who had brought him this letter, and said:

“When did this letter arrive?”

“I brought it to you, my lord, as soon as I received it from the messenger.”

“I see.”

That meant the Crown Princess would arrive at this mansion within 20 minutes at the latest.

Elliot organized the documents he had been looking at and went down to the reception room. Just as he was ordering the butler to prepare tea and unsweetened refreshments, the Crown Princess arrived.

“Elliot!”

The Crown Princess called out to him with a slightly flushed face, panting. Elliot frowned slightly at her appearance.

“It seems you’re about to lose your breath, Your Highness. Did you run here from the palace to my mansion?”

He offered her a glass of cold water, as if telling her to catch her breath. The Crown Princess drank it in one gulp and then took a deep breath to steady her breathing. Then she turned to Elliot and said:

“Before I tell you the real reason I came to see you, there’s something I want to ask you first.”

“What is it?”

“What kind of relationship do you have with Christine Yusten, the Duke’s daughter?”

Elliot answered with a bitter smile, hiding his true feelings:

“There’s nothing particularly special about our relationship.”

“…Is that so?”

“Why do you ask?”

Elliot frowned and asked back, puzzled by Crown Princess Ella’s sudden behavior. The Crown Princess sighed again and then looked at him with a stern face and said:

“A few hours ago, the Crown Princess summoned Lady Yusten to her palace. Do you know what the Crown Princess said?”

“What did she say?”

“She told her to end the engagement and marry Leonard Klein, the Viscount. She said the Viscount would propose on the Lady’s upcoming birthday.”

At those words, Elliot’s expression visibly hardened. Crown Princess Ella stared at Elliot’s blank face, unable to continue speaking, and then continued:

“…I heard that the Lady replied that she was ‘looking forward to it.'”

“…Ha.”

Elliot let out a quiet, hollow laugh.

Various indescribable emotions filled his heart.

At first, he had been wary of her, but as time passed, he was increasingly drawn to her lovely and kind demeanor. By the time he realized it, he had hopelessly fallen for her. He enjoyed making eye contact and talking with her, and was grateful that he had the power to help her. In truth, he wished she would rely on him just a little more. He wanted to watch over her from the closest position possible and protect her.

However, whenever he tried to indirectly convey these feelings, she would become uncomfortable and distance herself from him. Each time, he pretended not to mind, acting as if his words held no special meaning, but inside he felt unbearably frustrated.

Was she still in love with Viscount Leonard Klein after all? Was that why she was ignoring his feelings?

When such thoughts occurred to him, he wanted to immediately go challenge that man to a duel, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, thinking it would make her sad. He couldn’t forgive even himself for making her sad.

‘Do you love him that much? Enough to ignore the feelings of the one who has been by your side all along, watching only you?’

Elliot’s dark eyes grew even deeper with despair. Crown Princess Ella, who had been staring at him intently, said:

“You said there was nothing special about your relationship, but your face looks quite shocked, contrary to those words, Elliot.”

“…Aunt.”

“Tell me honestly. You’re actually in love with the Duke’s daughter, aren’t you?”

He answered in a slightly rough voice, as if choked up:

“Yes, it’s exactly as you say, Your Highness. I love her. I want her. I want to make her mine. To be honest, I feel like going to Leonard Klein right now and threatening him with my sword, telling him to give up because she doesn’t suit someone like him. Are you satisfied now?”

“If you do that, the nobles with loose tongues will spread embarrassing rumors that you stole the Viscount’s fiancée, you know? Are you alright with your reputation being ruined?”

“If she chooses me, I’m not afraid of any criticism.”

“What about the Lady’s reputation? The nobles might point fingers at her, wondering how carelessly a lady with a fiancé must have behaved for you to act like this?”

“Let them try. Anyone who wants to insult her like that should be prepared to make enemies of me and the entire White Lion Order.”

Elliot’s eyes were cold as he answered. Crown Princess Ella looked at him with a serious gaze and said:

“Then why don’t you just take her?”

“…Pardon?”

“Like your father, who volunteered to go into danger to win the hand of the Crown Princess he loved, and your mother, who gave up her right to the throne and the chance to become Empress of the neighboring empire without hesitation to achieve that love. As the son of those two, you should fight for that love with your own strength. Instead of waiting for the Duke’s daughter to come to you.”

“…I want to do that too. But if she doesn’t love me, I can’t force my feelings on her just because I love her. That would hurt her. Just because I love her doesn’t give me the right to hurt her, does it?”

Elliot smiled bitterly, as if troubled. At that moment, the Crown Princess, who had been looking at him with a strange gaze, suddenly burst out laughing. Elliot frowned in displeasure and said:

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you’re so foolish and stupid? They say even rational people become fools when they fall in love, and it’s amusing to see that you’re no different?”

“Aunt!”

“Why do you think the Duke’s daughter doesn’t love you?”

Elliot’s sharp eyes widened in surprise at the Crown Princess’s sudden question.

“To my eyes, it’s clearly evident that she likes you very much. Didn’t you notice?”

“That’s… If that were true, why would she say she’s looking forward to the Viscount preparing to propose? I understand you want to comfort me, Aunt, but isn’t that a bit of a stretch?”

“So you’re going to just stand by and watch the Viscount propose to the Duke’s daughter?”

Elliot bit his lower lip hard at the Crown Princess’s words that hit the mark. The Crown Princess smiled as if to say “see?” and said:

“Confess. Courageously tell her your feelings first, and then worry about any problems that arise afterwards.”

“…Is it alright for me to do that?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? Has the Duke’s daughter married? Or have you married? Is it a crime for an unmarried man like you to confess his feelings to an unmarried woman of suitable status? And do you think the Duke’s daughter would criticize you for confessing?”

“…”

“So don’t hesitate and honestly convey your feelings as they are. Before the Duke’s daughter changes her mind and accepts the Viscount’s proposal while you’re unable to muster up the courage.”

Elliot was greatly shaken by the Crown Princess’s final words. He soon nodded with a determined expression, as if he had made up his mind. The Crown Princess was right.

If he loved her and wanted her to be his, he needed to honestly confess these feelings. Having decided this, he felt truly foolish for not being able to do anything out of fear that she would reject him or that his confession would put her in an awkward position. It’s not as if he could easily forget these feelings even if she rejected him.

Now that he could no longer return to his past self who didn’t know her, who didn’t love her.

‘If I can neither forget nor give up on her, then I’ll honestly convey these feelings.’

Meanwhile, Crown Princess Ella bit the inside of her cheek hard as she watched him. If she didn’t, she felt like she might burst out laughing uncontrollably.

In truth, she had done well not to mention that the Duke’s daughter had expressed displeasure and refused the Crown Princess’s suggestion, and that she only changed her attitude and said she was “looking forward to it” after hearing that the Viscount had sent a letter to the notorious usurers’ guild to prepare a ring.

If she had, Elliot would have immediately realized, like herself, that the Duke’s daughter had “some plan” upon hearing that story, and Elliot might not have had the courage to confess his feelings.

‘Both Elliot and the Duke’s daughter are so cautious and overly considerate of each other that they won’t honestly convey their feelings. It’s so frustrating to watch.’

So as a third party, shouldn’t she give them a push?

Well, to be honest, it wasn’t just because it was frustrating to watch them. Even if Elliot hadn’t revealed his true feelings in the end, she had planned to somehow interfere with this engagement anyway.