“I thought you’d be getting carried away, forgetting your place when you attended the Spring Ball, but it seems you’re aware that you shouldn’t accept a proposal.”

“Yes…”

“However, daring to reject the Divine Dragon’s request on the spot, that’s presumptuous behavior.”

“…?”

Saying she shouldn’t accept a proposal, but then saying she shouldn’t reject the request – what is this all about?

Litania looked up at Crown Prince Ferus in disbelief, but quickly lowered her gaze when she saw his unpleasant expression.

‘For now, just agree to everything. This too shall pass if I endure it.’

Though she didn’t understand what was happening, Litania decided to just nod along without arguing for now.

She was already stressed about the Orbis situation, so she didn’t want to add any more troublesome matters here.

“Don’t think you have some special privileges just because the Divine Dragon is the Imperial Guardian Dragon.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“It’s merely a momentary amusement, so don’t expect or misunderstand anything.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t think these jewels he gave you are really yours.”

“Yes…”

“They don’t suit you anyway, so don’t get excited.”

“…”

Litania rolled her eyes slightly to check Ferus’s expression. He was glaring at the pink diamond on the table.

‘Snow said a pink diamond of that size is almost a miracle.’

Is that why he’s coveting it? Because his lowborn half-sister received such a gift from the Divine Dragon?

Litania picked up the pink diamond from the side table and held it out to Ferus.

“Then Your Highness can have it.”

“What?”

“If you’re dissatisfied that it doesn’t suit me, you can take it for yourself.”

She offered it with the intention of “If you’re so jealous, just take it since I’m uncomfortable receiving it and can’t return it anyway.”

…But Ferus’s face, which had been serious all along, gradually turned red.

“Are you mocking me now?”

He deliberately sought out a half-sister he never interacted with, kept glaring at the gift from Orbis, so she thought he wanted it and offered it, but why was he getting angry? Litania couldn’t understand.

“You insolent thing, I was worried about you but you don’t know your place!”

Ferus’s lips trembled with rage, then he turned and stormed out of the room.

What part of her actions just now warranted such anger?

Bewildered, Litania asked Snow:

“I was trying to hand it over since he said I shouldn’t get excited over gifts that don’t suit my status, but I don’t understand why he reacted like that.”

“Well, diamonds are usually given as gifts for proposals or wedding anniversaries.”

“Ah… right.”

Handing over Orbis’s gift to the Crown Prince would make things strange.

Had she just tried to change this novel’s genre to BL?

‘Then I can understand why the Crown Prince was flustered.’

Litania nodded.

“Lady Litania, what should we do with these jewels?”

“Hmm…”

They couldn’t be returned, couldn’t be thrown away, and given the Crown Prince’s reaction, it would be awkward to give them to someone else.

“Keep them stored safely.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Snow seemed delighted that the annex’s finances had finally become abundant, organizing the gifts with a very happy face.

‘Well, at least you’re happy…’

Litania sighed, pressing her throbbing forehead with her palm. Beyond Snow’s busily moving back, she saw a neatly folded red cloak.

‘Ah, right. I received a cloak from Bain.’

Bain, Princess Herna’s guard knight. That day, he had taken off his cloak for Litania who was covered in muddy water.

After that, she had been so preoccupied with meeting Orbis, dancing with him, and receiving a proposal that she had forgotten about it, but it seemed Snow had even washed and neatly folded the cloak she had unconsciously brought back.

‘I should go return it.’

It was concerning that to meet him, Herna’s guard, she would have to go to the Rose Maze where Herna was staying…

‘The palace is so big, surely I won’t run into Herna.’

She could just go quickly, hand over the cloak, and come back.

Litania asked Snow to take care of the rest, and headed to the Rose Maze with the red cloak in her arms.

* * *

The sky was clear. A spring breeze blew, spreading the fragrant scent of roses everywhere. It was a pleasant spring day. However, the atmosphere in the Rose Maze was terrifyingly chilly.

It was because the mood of Princess Herna, the mistress of the Rose Maze, was very bad.

Bain sternly rebuked the knights who were grumbling after being punished for no reason.

“Don’t dare harbor disloyal thoughts towards our lord.”

“But it’s unfair…”

“The fault lies in not reading our lord’s mood. Don’t feel wronged.”

“But Captain, you work the hardest, yet the Princess doesn’t appreciate your efforts either.”

“Acting in expectation of reward is not true loyalty.”

As Bain consoled them in a slightly softer voice, the young knights’ protruding lips receded a little.

They still didn’t seem fully convinced, but it was odd for the lower knights to voice grievances when Bain himself, the person concerned, said it was fine.

‘Reward, huh.’

Bain recalled a woman who had said something truly peculiar to him a few days ago.

I’ll say you did it because kindness eventually returns as kindness.

The circulation of kindness – he had never thought of such a thing. Especially because he knew it was impossible in the Imperial Palace.

‘Only an innocent princess ignorant of the ways of the world could say such a thing.’

Bain was a little concerned about that somewhat foolish princess.

From what he heard, something seemed to have happened with the Divine Dragon at the ball that day, but Princess Herna had issued a gag order regarding the events of that day.

Prying into it by breaking the gag order would go against his chivalry, so he decided to dispel the curiosity that had briefly stirred in his heart.

“Hello, Sir Cherisfield.”

“…Princess Litania?”

Until the person in question appeared before his eyes, he had certainly thought so.

“I came to return the cloak you lent me before.”

“…”

“I washed it clean. It’s well-dried and doesn’t smell.”

Kindness is rewarded. Goodness circulates.

As if to show that his actions had not been meaningless, she appeared again.

“What’s wrong? Did you get in a lot of trouble for returning without your cloak that day?”

“Not at all.”

Bain quickly shook his head and bowed politely. Then he draped the red cloak he received over his shoulder.

Though it was certainly the cloak he always wore, it had a strangely warm scent.

“I’m sorry to have troubled you over such a trivial matter.”

“As you said, it’s just a ‘trivial matter.’ There’s no need to be so apologetic.”

“…Please call me by my name, Your Highness.”

“Hm? Ah. Sir Bain?”

“You don’t need to use honorifics. I’m not of a status to be respected by Your Highness.”

“Come on, how can I do that when you’re not even my knight?”

Not even my knight.

Hearing those words, Bain felt a strange pang in his heart.

“It’s still spring but the weather’s getting a bit hot. Is it because it hasn’t rained since that day? Don’t suffer in the blazing sun, go in the shade and drink some water.”

“I’m grateful for your concern. Please don’t worry about me.”

“Right. You’re not the one I should be worrying about.”

A sharp voice cut in.

Bain’s body flinched, then he quickly straightened his posture and turned around to bow. The face of the woman who had been hidden behind his large frame was revealed.

The mistress of the Rose Maze, Princess Herna.

‘Of all places to run into her.’

Shouldn’t it be natural not to run into someone in such a large palace unless you deliberately seek them out? Litania inwardly cursed the plausibility as she lightly bowed her head.

“Princess Herna.”

“I heard the Divine Dragon Orbis sent you gifts?”

“…”

It hadn’t even been a few hours since the gifts arrived, but somehow it had already reached Herna’s ears. Did the gatekeeper go around advertising it?

As Litania remained silent, Herna poured out criticism in a sharp, pointed voice.

“It seems you’re trying hard to catch his eye, but it would be better if you didn’t get close to him.”

Yes, of course. I know that very well. I really don’t want to get close to him.

…Litania answered in her heart.

“Someone like you can’t possibly aspire to him, so don’t presume too much.”

“…”

“Even if he’s the Imperial Guardian Dragon, that doesn’t apply to a fake like you.”

“…”

“I mean, know your place.”

She couldn’t understand why Herna was acting like this towards her when it was Orbis who had suddenly approached and proposed.

‘Could this be… jealousy? Is Herna interested in Orbis?’

If so, that would be a good thing. Litania earnestly hoped that Herna would win Orbis’s attention and prevent the calamity from coming her way.

“Yes, I rejected the proposal, so I won’t be involved with him anymore. I hope you do well instead, Princess Herna.”

“What? Proposal?”

Herna’s face, which had been pouring out words to Litania in a sharp attitude all this time, was filled with shock.

“He, he proposed to you? That’s a lie!”

“Believe it’s a lie if you want. It’s in the past anyway.”

“Do you think someone like you could marry him?”

“Of course I can’t, right? I already refused.”

She must not.

It’s this side that would be in trouble if they got close.

Perhaps Litania’s desperate efforts sounded like sarcasm, as Herna bared her teeth viciously and raised her hand.

“Are you mocking me now?”

“Princess Herna!”

It was when Bain, who had been watching anxiously from behind all this time, raised his voice for the first time.

“The Divine Dragon Orbis is here!”