There was no need for the princess to know about Mila’s feelings. It was unnecessary and troublesome to talk about it.

As Mila closed her lips as if reflecting, Stella smiled and sat down in front of the fully grown spinach.

The more Stella thought about Rudina, the more she felt oddly drawn to her, even though their personalities were completely opposite. She wondered what would happen when the two met.

The thought of wanting to gather money quickly crossed her mind as she remembered Rudina.

Mila, like someone enchanted, kept absentmindedly following Stella’s actions with her eyes.

At some point, Stella, who felt much more radiant touching the soil and smiling like a child in front of plants than when she wore glamorous dresses and sparkling jewels, seemed much brighter. This, too, was an unnecessary emotion.

Mila became anxious because of the constantly growing thoughts that led her astray.

She shouldn’t give her heart to the subject she needed to observe constantly and find suspicious points. She should stay as objective and calm as possible, understanding the other party and writing a detailed report.

Having gathered herself, Mila took a step back from Stella after slowly taking a breath. Even if it was a meaningless action, there was no choice.

It was a saying that hit her ears like a scolding from Lady Anne, and Mila was one of those who followed that rule well.
However, these days, I’ve been tearing up many reports. I unknowingly started writing excuses for Princess Stella’s actions in the reports, and there have been many instances of deleting and omitting information from the reports.

Especially when Stella sells crops in the market.

Mila still hasn’t decided how much of that incident she should report. Tomorrow is the day she has to report, and her heart was unusually tight.

Thud!

Stella picked a spinach leaf, still with its roots, and put it in her mouth. Mila was surprised to see her eat the leaf raw without washing or cooking it, but she had already chewed and swallowed it like a rice cake.

“Princess!”

Honestly, there hasn’t been a day without being surprised when with Princess Stella. Today was just a bit earlier.

Mila anxiously observed Stella’s complexion, worrying that eating spinach raw might cause some trouble.

She felt she was worrying too much, but considering the princess’s health was also her responsibility as a governess, she suppressed her wavering heart.

However, Stella, as if she had eaten a delicious meal, chatted happily and even handed Mila a spinach leaf.

Overcoming the hurdle of eating raw spinach was one thing, but to eat it unwashed was another. Mila hesitated for a moment but eventually accepted what Stella offered. She couldn’t refuse to eat something the princess had eaten, no matter how dirty it might be.
Until it entered her mouth, the fine wrinkles on Stella’s forehead, which had been slightly furrowed, gradually smoothed out as she chewed. Suddenly, her gaze, questioning, “What is this?” intensified as the chewing speed increased.

Oh my goodness!

The more she chewed, the richer the distinctive flavor of spinach became, and it even had a slightly tangy sweetness that touched the tip of her tongue. If it tasted this good without any cooking, Mila couldn’t imagine how much more delicious it would be when transformed into a proper dish.

“Isn’t it delicious?”

Stella asked with a confident tone. Mila could only nod her head like a fool. Before her family fell, she had tasted many exquisite foods.

And since entering the imperial palace and working as Princess Stella’s maid, she had tried many rare dishes she had never tasted before.

However, the primitive and simple foods Stella gave were more delicious than any food she had ever eaten, and the lingering taste was profound.

It wasn’t just a simple “delicious.” It was a taste that continued to come to mind, becoming a poignant longing not long after eating.

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

As Mila answered, she felt a strange urge to cry.

After finishing the dawn training and entering the office, Kai habitually opened the drawer. It was a habit that had developed since the day he put the mining trade documents, marked with small footprints like a stamp, into the drawer.

The contents of the drawer, which had initially held only one document, continued to increase for some reason.
Documents, a silver coin, and an ugly handkerchief.

Kai opened the drawer, staring at it as if observing something he shouldn’t touch, but when he heard a sound, he closed the drawer. However, strangely, even though he closed the drawer to hide them, the handkerchief, documents, and even a coin seemed to sneakily pop out and stare at him.

Thinking he might not have closed it completely, he looked down, but the drawer was well shut.

‘I should learn about the coin, and I need to repay for the handkerchief.’