I spoke too casually. Did he hear it?

I snuck a glance at him, hoping he hadn’t heard.

He was leaning his arm on the balustrade in front of him, still smiling as he gazed out ahead.

“Is it very hard for you?”

….He heard it.

Iris bit her lip and looked at the back of her hand.

What would a young lady have said in this situation?

“….I understand that the progress needs improvement.”

Kevrant smiled.

“You’re not saying it’s not hard.”

Well, that would be a lie.

But I couldn’t openly admit that it was hard either.

To a person who had been on the battlefield for years and had just returned,

I couldn’t have the audacity to whine about how my arm was going to be paralyzed from waving it too much.

Iris hesitated, then answered,

“….Thank you for the outerwear.”

Suddenly, I felt uncomfortable.

Life as a maid in the Duke’s house wasn’t easy, but it was a peaceful life where I didn’t have to worry about starving or getting stabbed in the middle of the night.

I had been able to save up little by little and indulge in the hobby of buying nice things for myself.

Despite the hardship, I could still dream of the seaside someday.

“….”

The peace I had enjoyed until now was probably protected by his risking his life and enduring hardship.

And here we are, discussing whether the uniform was hard or not, having just obtained some clothes.

Iris awkwardly touched the outer garment that he had draped around her.

“….”

“Don’t make a fuss.”

“Prince Kevrant was just momentarily angry.”

“Your role is just to quell the current commotion. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“….”

I know. Perhaps this closeness is only for today.

If I’m not dragged off to the stake for royal insult, this moment will remain as a glorious memory in my life.

The prince of another world, who I could stand close to for a brief moment.

This opportunity to converse with him may never come again.

I might only see him through the news for the rest of my life.

Regretting that I should’ve made some plausible conversation at that time.

….Should I try to strike up a conversation? It’ll be a lifelong memory.

“….”

Iris blinked blankly.

What conversation?

I seem to be out of my mind.

I should just keep quiet and wait for the stake to drift away.

I would like to avoid being a shrimp getting its back broken in a whale fight.

I should hide my presence as much as possible to avoid this moment and find a way to escape when the opportunity arises.

Far away from the whale fight….

“….”

Iris shifted her gaze outside.

People were gathered, looking at them.

Iris, again wearing a smile like a doll, extended her hand from beneath the outerwear that Kevrant had given her and started to wave towards the crowd.

“A drink?”

Surprisingly, he was the one to initiate the conversation again.

Iris looked at the cup he had extended towards her.

“….”

Again, the teasing cheers like earlier could be heard.

At the break of dawn, just before daybreak.

The crowd wasn’t as thick as night, but there were still a considerable number of people around.

They were happily creating an atmosphere of anticipation for Iris to take the cup, cheering and applauding.

“….”

Iris accepted the cup.

Holding the hem of the outer garment at her chest, she extended her other hand.

“….”

She looked at the cup in her hand for a moment.

What he gave was warm wine.

I can’t handle alcohol at all….

But I received a drink from him.

How could I refuse this cup?

It’ll be a lifelong memory….

“….”

Even Miss Marina wouldn’t have refused in such an atmosphere.

After all, she’s good with alcohol….

“Be thoroughly Marina in front of him.”

The autumn dawn was cold.

White steam was rising above the surface of the wine swaying inside the cup.

It looked warm.

“….”

Iris brought the cup to her lips and gulped down the contents.

“Haah….”

The breath filled with the scent of warm wine spread into the morning air.

It’s good.

Sweet and warm.

Again, the crowd cheered.

·

·

·

“For the Emperor.”

As Arthur raised his sword and shouted briefly, the soldiers saluted in response.

“For the Emperor!”

The simple inauguration ceremony was over.

…Miss had come down with a terrible fever. But as you all know, today is the day of an important inauguration ceremony.

The Miss had said she wanted to go out by all means, but her fever was so severe she could not stand properly.

The Duke had judged that he could not expose the gravely ill Miss to the public.

Yet, could we ask Sir Arthur to wait outside the castle for a few days until the Miss recovers?

The generals and soldiers have returned after enduring hardships.

If the Miss can’t come out just because she’s a bit sick.

We might be misunderstood as not welcoming them.

Not only Sir Arthur, but the soldiers who have returned home for the first time in five years are also waiting to return to their families.

So tonight, just for tonight, Marina will stand in place of the Miss at the inauguration ceremony.

So you all should help Marina to make no mistakes.

You must be careful not to attract unnecessary noise on such a good day, even without saying, you would know that, wouldn’t you?

·

·

·

“……”

The two maids who had assisted Marina blinked in confusion.

So, for that reason… the Miss is not in her current state…

“Open it.”

“……”

Could it be, does Sir Arthur not know that?

Why… why is Sir Arthur? Carrying her to the bridal room?

The secondlargest bedroom in this Julius mansion, assigned to Arthur and the Miss.

If there had been a son in this household, that room would have been his.

With the closed door of the bridal room that the maids and the Duchess had been decorating for over a month in front of him.

Whether she collapsed or fell asleep, at the end of the long inauguration ceremony, Marina who suddenly lost consciousness and sagged, was held by Sir Arthur.

“Can’t you hear?”

The maids’ pupils began to shake wildly.

Wait, wait a minute, isn’t this wrong?

Wasn’t Marina just marching in place of the sick Miss?

You’re going to the bedroom together? That’s the bridal room you’re going to use with the Miss, isn’t it?

Should we stop this right now?

Or should we be careful what we say in front of Sir Arthur?

What is it, what is it! What do we do?

Madam? Miss Christina? Mrs. Hurst?

Where is everyone!

Sir Arthur, how far are you going to go!

Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.

The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…

Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.

Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.

The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”

When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…

The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced