“Miss, you’re unusually leisurely lying down today.”

“Sometimes it’s necessary.”

Lying on the sofa, I blankly stared at the ceiling bathed in pouring sunlight. As I reached out my arm towards the sunlight that had entered the room, a warm sensation flowed through my fingertips.

Was yesterday just a brief anomaly? Now, I can move as I will, so everything should be fine, right?

“Soon, the Prince’s Selection Ball will take place. Rose, I hope you will be my partner.”

Vincent had said this to me when he left the mansion first, and only Ian and I were left. At that time, I readily agreed, but…

Being chosen as a partner at the Prince’s Selection Ball means that everyone will know I’m Ian’s lover, right?

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

Although Ian rarely revealed himself at social gatherings until now, if he ascends to the position of the prince, he won’t be able to avoid appearing officially.

In the original work, Ian always kept the seat next to him empty, and despite erecting a barrier against the young ladies, including Daisy, who approached him, there were many young ladies who admired Ian.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to firmly establish a presence in front of everyone now.

“Miss, you’re not talking to me, are you?”

“Yeah. Just talking to myself.”

Ann seemed to have expected that as she continued wiping the table with a dry cloth.

“And… it might be a good idea to try the method Vincent suggested later.”

He mentioned intimate contact.

I carefully recalled what Vincent had said. When I accepted the aura by embracing him instead of just touching palms, the stabilization speed of the aura was faster, and the effect was better.

So, if transmitting the aura while kissing is effective, the next step would be more intimate contact than a kiss…

“Miss, you seem a bit flushed. Are you not feeling well anywhere?”

My train of thought abruptly stopped at the sudden voice.

“Flushed? No, that can’t be.”

Am I going crazy? What am I thinking right now?

Desperately raising my upper body, I wiped my face like washing, and when I finally calmed my breathing and lowered my hand, Ann, who was scrutinizing me with narrowed eyes, appeared.

“Are you groping for words strangely, Miss? Shall I bring a hand mirror?”

“No, there’s no need for that. I’m not in pain, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Okay, then. You always seemed busy, but today you really look like you’re resting comfortably.”

“Really?”

“The weather is chilly, so I’ll bring you some warm tea.”

“Thank you, Ann.”

Ann left the room with light steps. Stretching while fully rising, I looked around the room. My eyes were drawn to a small box placed on the upper part of the bookshelf.

“It has a lock.”
When Rosebelia was young, was it the box she received as a gift when she first went to the square with Liliana?

“Rosebelia, keep the things you want to cherish in this box. Later, this box will become a box of your memories.”

As Liliana had urged, Rosebelia diligently collected various things in that box for a while. A wreath they made together, a note with the names of Herman, Liliana, and herself, when she first learned to write, and more.

After Liliana died, the box hadn’t been opened again even once.

Although I roughly knew what was inside the box, curiosity arose. No, it was more like a strong impulse.

“Where did Rosebelia keep the key?”

While groping through memories, I rummaged through the bottom compartment of the desk. Discovering a small silver key, I took the box out of the bookshelf.

With a satisfying click, the lock opened. As I cautiously opened the box, there was what seemed like an envelope placed at the front.

“What’s this?”

I didn’t have a memory of Rosebelia putting something like this in it…

In the moment of trying to open the envelope, I heard footsteps. If it was the sound of one person’s footsteps, I wouldn’t have minded, but this was at least two people’s footsteps.

Other than Ann, who else is coming?

Hastily, I crumpled the envelope into my pocket and pushed the box back into the bookshelf. The door opened right after.

“Sister!”

It was Ann and, accompanying her, Vivian.

“It’s Vivian. Come on in.”

“On the way, I met Miss Vivian…”

An awkward smile or a slightly grimacing expression—Ann, who seemed to be trying to ask if something had happened on the way, looked at me with an ambiguous expression.

I was about to ask if something happened on the way, but Vivian, with an innocent smile, pointed to the still-open door.

“Dad came with me!”

Huh? Who came?

“Your Highness, it’s about the task you assigned to me yesterday. I instructed the informants to gather information about that man.”

“Make sure no one finds out.”

“I have conveyed that message.”

“Oh, and one more thing.”

Ian, who had put down the documents he was reading, finally looked up at Nathan in front of him.

“Speak.”

“I want to give Rose the finest dress as a gift. Of course, all the jewelry and accessories she wears that day should also be top-notch.”