“So you’re saying you fell in love with Lady Lilien Mifidian at first sight?”

“That’s right. At first sight……”

So he had fallen in love. The crown prince covered his mouth and blushed.

Ha, a chuckle escaped through my teeth.

So according to Jake, when Lilien rushed out of the banquet hall looking for me, she collided hard with Jake in the hallway. As he was about to reach out his hand to the fallen Lilien, he felt an indescribable thrill when she looked up at him with a flushed face.

Just recalling that memory makes his pulse quicken and his stomach flutter, he says.

I raised an eyebrow and made a skeptical expression.

Jake, whose eyes met mine, awkwardly smiled as he fiddled with his bangs that hung down like curtains. Like a boy inexperienced in love.

“How about it, is it not possible? I don’t usually ask favors of anyone. But I thought it might be less burdensome to request a meeting through you, who are acquainted with Lady Lilien-.”

It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it. Putting the future emperor in my debt would make my future path easier. However.

“I apologize, but I must decline.”

“What-”

“I said I decline.”

I answered sharply before the surprised Jake could ask again.

His eyes clouded with bewilderment.

“She could become the crown princess. Then for you, as her friend-”

“I’m not bound by connections.”

And Lilien’s wishes are most important to me.

If I arranged it, Lilien would follow along without being in love, hiding her discomfort and forcing a smile.

I disliked that. I can’t make our cute Maltese with round brown eyes and moonlight-like silver hair do something she dislikes.

‘If Lilien had feelings for Jake, it would be a different story.’

Emerging from my thoughts, I faced Jake with a firm smile. Seeing that not even a needle could penetrate my dense and solid intention, Jake buried his face in his hands with an indescribably devastated expression.

Using his power, he could proceed with a political marriage. But I doubted whether Lilien would like such an artificial meeting.

“Then what should I do?”

Jake’s voice became dejected, his arrogant air gone, as if he disliked that idea too.

I stared blankly at Jake, who had fallen into deep despair, before opening my mouth. The emperor’s worried muttering about his son, which I had overheard, invaded my mind.

“Your Highness, is there anything you’ve achieved through lifelong effort?”

“What?”

Jake raised his face as if to say what nonsense I was spouting.

It must have been painful to accept reality when he realized he had no magic or strength, despite being called a genius.

Because a crown prince should be marvelous and excellent. That’s why in history, they say things like a meteor fell from the sky in ancient times to make the imperial family seem mysterious, don’t they?

So while I don’t misunderstand that burden, Jake hid without even trying. And this time too, he’s trying to win Lilien too easily.

“I know Your Highness is outstanding, but you can’t live your whole life only doing things you’re good at. You can’t hide forever either. Who’s good at riding a horse from the start? You grow by failing and gaining experience.”

“I was good at riding from the start though.”

……Of course you were. Jake turned his head, seeming embarrassed after reading my rotten expression.

“What I mean is, don’t wait with your mouth open under a persimmon tree for a ripe one to fall.”

“But for that, I……”

Jake looked himself up and down and rubbed his chin as if finding it difficult to speak. The buttons on both sides of his shirt were struggling against his protruding tadpole-like belly.

I shrugged indifferently.

“You’ll have to come out inevitably. And exercise for your health too.”

Jake sighed deeply and said I was saying the same thing as his aide.

I brushed my fallen hair behind my ear and smiled faintly.

‘I can’t hand over our Lilien to just anyone.’

For a moment, I felt like I’d become a wicked mother-in-law.

Antra organically came to mind, and not wanting to resemble her at all, I quickly became serious.

Whew.

Lilien sighed worriedly as she whisked the meringue in a stainless steel bowl. Mary, who was assisting beside her, approached while wiping her wet hands on her apron.

“Young lady, why are you sighing so?”

Lilien spoke while hunching her shoulders and moving her hand listlessly.

“Why isn’t there any progress……”

“Progress?”

“I mean Etricia and Edmond. Even after going on vacation, they don’t seem to have gotten any closer.”

Mary rolled her eyes and noticed flour on Lilien’s cheek. She wiped Lilien’s cheek with a handkerchief as she spoke.

“From what I see, they seem to have gotten much closer?”

Lilien narrowed her eyes and glared at Mary. Then she vented her anger by vigorously wielding the whisk with her forearm muscles taut.

“I don’t believe you anymore, Mary. You made me relay that message about hearing moans last time, causing trouble for Lady Etricia. Do you know I was also dragged away by Edmond and scolded terribly for that?”

Mary scratched her head with an awkward smile. She had thought something might be up since the Duke’s expression had been strange ever since the Madam fell ill. Mary added with an embarrassed laugh.

“Then how about holding a small party among ourselves after the Madam’s trial ends and she receives her inheritance? Just a simple dinner, since having the mansion too noisy would be burdensome.”

Mary finished speaking just as the meringue that had started to form peaks was completely done. Lilien’s eyes flew open.

“Th-That’s good?”

“Right? These days the Duke is often away from the mansion, busy with domain work. We can call it a surprise and ask the Duke to keep the Countess occupied until the preparations are done! That way we create time for them to be alone together.”

“Mary, you’re smart!”

Oh come on, young lady. You just realized that now? Mary rubbed her nose with a pleased smile. Actually, Mary’s earlier comment about them getting much closer wasn’t just empty words.

As a result of being away for vacation, Edmond returned home late for the past few days due to accumulated work. He had ordered the servants not to come out to greet him when he returned home.

While that reduced one task for the servants, Mary continued to greet him along with Rail. And she found out.

That her master’s first question upon returning home, which used to be “How is my sister?”, had changed to “How are they?”.

And recently he started asking separately, “How is Countess Vuel?”.

The other day, perhaps tired from just returning from vacation, he covered the Countess Vuel, who had fallen asleep face down on the sofa, with a blanket. And he even slightly shook his head at Mary, who had frozen in surprise, as if to say not to wake her.

To Mary, it was like watching fresh green sprouts begin to bud and bloom.

The butler, Mr. Rail, seemed not to notice because he was too close to the situation. The head maid told her not to talk nonsense. But Mary was certain.

Oh right. Speaking of the head maid, Mary remembered. She took out the letter she had received from the head maid on her way.

“Lord Montre has sent a letter.”

“To me, not Edmond? Read it to me.”

“You want me to read it?”

“It’s fine, Lord Montre always sends important communications only through Edmond.”

Lilien said as she turned the stainless steel bowl with the finished meringue upside down over her head.

Mary nodded and unfolded the letter. She soon turned to Lilien with round eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s asking if you have any thoughts of marriage?”

Splat-. The meringue fell onto Lilien’s head. It soon flowed down her nose bridge to her mouth.

“Ugh.”

“Young lady!”

The startled Mary ran to Lilien and dusted off her head with a handkerchief.

“You made a mistake you don’t usually make. Didn’t you check?”

“Yeah, I was thinking about the surprise dinner.”

“Come to think of it, do you have any thoughts of marriage, young lady Lilien?”

“Hmm, not particularly?”

“Then what’s your ideal type?”

Mary asked while gently patting between the strands of hair with the handkerchief. Lilien rolled her eyes pensively as she quietly received the attention. Ideal type? An ideal type.

She hadn’t particularly thought about it. If she had to say…

Lilien recalled the man she had bumped into at the imperial palace banquet.

As she raised her head after falling like a sheet of paper, there was a burly man like a bear, with a smaller build than her younger brother. The man’s downcast eyes were shining so brightly that the palace hallway, where the banquet lights had blurred, seemed to brighten.

At that time, I really thought a light had been turned on. My heart dropped with surprise.

“What did you say, young lady?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Lilien shook her head vigorously, only to be scolded by Mary for making it difficult to wipe her head.

Perfect freedom! I was about to spread my arms wide like a Hollywood star to express my sense of liberation as I left the city hall after filing for divorce, but stopped myself, thinking of propriety.

Ahem, I briefly coughed out my joy, and descended the white steps of the building towards the carriage.

The place I arrived at was Rain Burton’s office.

Today was the day of Devon’s trial verdict, as well as the day to wrap up all legal matters.

The office door was slightly open. Knock knock, I made a dull knocking sound and entered to see the cluttered office scene with all sorts of documents.

“Ugh!”

Rain Burton, who had been dozing on the sofa with a groan, suddenly opened her eyes. Her gaze fixed on me standing in front of the sofa.

“Co-Countess Vuel……”

Rain Burton, whom I faced, looked gaunt.