“Once you get used to it, let’s go to the market together. I have a favorite restaurant. Of course, the cook at the duke’s residence is also great, but there must be days when we visit a restaurant.”

Edwin’s voice conveyed an excited feeling. Olivia smiled softly and recalled what Edwin described.

The painted wooden door, the rough table with checkered tablecloth, the cheerful boss taking orders, and the peppery smell of soup served in pretty dishes.

I hadn’t even arrived yet, but my mind was filled with images of Edwin and me going to the market.

Just like last time, we’ll visit the jeweler, give each other gifts, and then when the time comes, we’ll both go to the mine that I’ve plausibly developed.

Oops. Olivia thought of the mine documents deep in my luggage and became anxious. I wanted to develop it quickly and show it to Edwin.

“Will it be busy when we go to Duke Vicander?”

“I guess the first time will be busy? You have to check all the servants and inspect the domain.”

Scaring Olivia with the warning that there would be quite a bit to learn, she smiled softly.

Everything Edwin was telling her was familiar to Olivia.

“Is there anything else?”

The little face nodding confidently was so pretty that Edwin paused before speaking.

“……And we need to prepare for the wedding.”

“Wedding preparation. We must do it perfectly.”

Olivia nodded seriously. As I promised to prepare for the wedding during a year of grace, I had to prepare a grand wedding responsibly.

Everything else had been done similarly before, but wedding preparation was a first.

What’s the most important thing? Just when Olivia was about to get lost in thought and inadvertently ask Edwin,

“……Why, do you look at me like that?”

Olivia spoke, hiding her bewilderment. Edwin’s body, looking at me silently with a beautiful face like an angel, slowly tilted towards me.

A mischievous smile soon crept over his red lips.

“So, did you look up the meaning of the palm kiss?”

In an instant, Olivia’s cheeks turned red as if they were filled with red flower water. Olivia quickly pulled her body back and said.

“Why would I look that up?”

“Why are you so embarrassed? If you looked it up, you wouldn’t be this embarrassed, would you?”

Edwin spoke naturally, annoyingly. But at the same time, curiosity surged.

It wouldn’t be embarrassing if she looked it up? Was it by any chance bearing some devout meaning?

Olivia’s head, with her mouth pursed, was spinning fast.

But there was no one to ask.
Hana was busy crying at my departure, and Sobel would have just smiled at me with her unique emotionless face, as if she knew me well.

“……What is it?”

When Olivia spoke as if creeping in, Edwin shrugged his shoulders cheekily.

“What do you think it is?”

“Is it really like this?”

Olivia looked at Edwin bitterly. Edwin’s laughter deepened with a faint resentment in her green eyes.

“To help you. Shall we try again?”

His soft voice seemed somehow subdued. Like a small animal’s instinct, Olivia looked out the window, pretending not to know.

Edwin looked at Olivia generously with his eyes darkened. He did not make the foolish mistake of missing her pale, flushed neck, small, round earlobes, and white neck through her hair.

Feeling his gaze, Olivia, who was looking outside, prattled on.

“It’s a relief to go with a familiar face, too. Lord Interfield, and Lord Kalter…….”

Olivia, who inadvertently mentioned Winster’s name, looked out the window once again with a soft murmur of “Huh?”

Unlike Howard, who was closest, Winster was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was somewhere else, but Olivia looked closely, but there was only so much she could see beyond the small window.

“Are you looking for Winster? With me right in front of you?”

At the absurd voice, Olivia smiled awkwardly. Edwin, who had been leisurely looking at Olivia just a moment ago, turned his back on her again with a distorted face.

Olivia made an excuse without knowing.

“That is, I was always by Edwin’s side, but I couldn’t see him.”

“He went to work.”

“What work?”

“Is that important now?”

Olivia blinked her large eyes as if to say, what’s important then? Edwin let out a sigh at her innocent face.

It seemed to be a long way off.

The way to Duke Vicander’s territory.

(This is a time separator.)

At the same time, in the Emperor’s reception room.

The Princess’s hand, holding a teacup, trembled ever so slightly. The Princess looked at the Emperor, struggling to hide an expression of disbelief.

“……Your Majesty. Are you saying to investigate that abandoned mine again?”

“Yes. Investigate it thoroughly again and report.”

The Emperor put down the report in front of the Princess with a headache. At a glance, that carefully written report was by Olivia Madeleine, the halfprincess.

“They certainly said there was nothing unusual when they went to investigate last time.”

“Yes, yes. So, Your Majesty.”

“Didn’t the wizards say anything about the twinkling phenomenon in shaft number 7?”