“You’re probably the only one treated like a fool in this royal palace. Sione.” After Balthar finished his report and left, I started writing a letter to Cain with Sione. After writing that I wanted to visit the mansion using the excuse of Cain’s engagement, which would appear ordinary to others, I wrote down the actual purpose with Sione’s magical ink. The content of the ink, which could only be confirmed by Cain’s magic, was [Please arrange a meeting with the Viscount].
“How about visiting the Fernan Mansion using Cain Youngsik as an excuse? He has already visited the Rose Palace once, and nominally, he is engaged to me, so it won’t look suspicious.”

“That’s a good idea, right? In the eyes of others, you two will appear to be casually interacting, so there won’t be any strange rumors. Balthar, you seem to have a decent brain too.”

“You’re probably the only one treated like a fool in this royal palace. Sione.”

After Balthar finished his report and left, I started writing a letter to Cain with Sione. After writing that I wanted to visit the mansion using the excuse of Cain’s engagement, which would appear ordinary to others, I wrote down the actual purpose with Sione’s magical ink.

“The magical ink I developed when I was young has a very unique effect. After the person with the specified magical power reads the content, the letters disappear. It’s perfect for conveying confidential information.”

“Hehe, interesting. Why did you create something like this?”

“You’re probably around Lady Bella’s age now. There was a time when Balthar and I exchanged letters secretly, but Balthar, being from a noble family, didn’t pass my letters to him. It seemed like the contents were being thoroughly inspected.”

“That’s a bit too much. What’s wrong with exchanging friendly letters between kids?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Afterwards, Sione poured out countless old episodes from the time she spent with Balthar, excluding the time in the Rose Palace. It seemed like, apart from the time spent in the Rose Palace, she stuck with Balthar quite closely.

While Balthar, who was undoubtedly infatuated with her, was one thing, it seemed that Sione didn’t entirely dislike him either.

It was uncertain when the complicated relationship between the two, filled with misunderstandings, would progress.

“Oh, by the way, when visiting the Fernan Mansion, Raven will accompany you. I should prepare a few good clothes for him. Since such situations may occur frequently in the future.”

I nodded in agreement with the good idea. However, on the other hand, I felt a sense of unease.

From what I had observed so far, the relationship between Cain and Raven didn’t seem pleasant, and there was no sign of improvement.

“Leaving Raven in the royal palace and going might be a bit risky, right? I feel a bit sorry to bring him every time.”

“The Fernan Mansion is quite far from the royal palace. Although Lady Bella’s magical power has been increasing lately, it’s not good to be too far away. Raven might suddenly feel painful, considering his condition.”

Although the dependency spell cast by Dad was still effective, Raven hadn’t experienced any seizures yet, probably due to the infrequent outings I had.
Sometimes, I’ve had the thought of testing the exact safe distance between Raven and me, but due to my curiosity, it was not my intention to make him suffer physical pain.

“I wonder what Raven is doing these days… Come to think of it, we haven’t run into each other recently.”

Since he expressed his desire to become my bodyguard,

I haven’t seen Raven’s face for quite a while. According to the maids, he seems to be devoted to training and studying, refraining from eating and drinking.

“It would be good if he took a little break.”

It’s a bit disappointing that we don’t meet often, but it can’t be helped. Just as I strive every day for my goal, I could feel that Raven was also putting effort into his own growth.

Again, as time passed, on the third day since sending a letter to Cain, a letter written in Cain’s own hand arrived in front of me. It came with the bouquet of flowers that I liked the most among the ones he gave as a gift.

[Princess, I have received the letter you sent. Your handwriting has improved a lot. It’s truly delightful to see you grow day by day. I am thankful for the opportunity to accommodate you in our family mansion. I look forward to the day when you visit.

P.S.: Currently, all members of our family are living in the Fernan Mansion, including our parents. We will make sure to prepare a good place for you, even if it’s for the Princess.]

Cain’s mention of a ‘good place’ undoubtedly referred to arranging a meeting with the marquis. The fact that he added a postscript separately was undoubtedly keeping my secret message in mind.

As the date for visiting the Fernan Mansion approached, I prepared to depart with Rosa and Raven instead of Sione. It was an unofficial schedule, but the main reason was that it would be too conspicuous if Sione joined.