“Yes, as you please.”

At Ryan’s words, Elaina nodded as if to say that was fine, and Ryan brought a chair and sat down next to her.

Then, with an unreadable expression, he grinned and stared intently at Elaina.

“Do you have something to say to me? Come to think of it, you kept trying to talk to me earlier too.”

“My curiosity is nothing special. I just wanted to know if the rumors going around were true.”

What rumors?

That the Crown Princess is a half-witted cripple?

Elaina faced Ryan without saying anything.

“If you’re really that brave.”

“……”

“If it’s true that you brought a sword to attack even when a mad lion charged at you.”

……Ah.

Elaina hesitated slightly.

“If your temperament is as gentle as the spring sunshine like the rumors say. If you use honorifics even with those beneath you, and treat them as equals. If you don’t lose your confidence despite going through so much. Things like that.”

“It seems you had quite a lot you wanted to confirm about me. So how do you find it? Your impressions after seeing for yourself.”

“It all seems to be true.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“If it wasn’t, Lady Anelli wouldn’t have allowed Your Highness to participate in this gathering.”

Ryan replied with a grin.

Knowing that fact, why do you keep approaching me?

Unless he’s crazy, Ryan, the eldest son of the renowned Henard family, wouldn’t be flirting with me. Especially when Elaina’s husband is Sinclair Butler.

Or is there some scheme that I haven’t thought of? But there’s nothing he could gain from me.

……As if sensing Elaina’s thoughts, Ryan slowly moved his lips.

“I saw you a few times. Before you became the Crown Princess.”

“Me?”

“Yes. At an old bookstore in the capital.”

“……”

“Every time I saw you, you were always sitting quietly by the window reading a book, so I couldn’t help but notice. Then one day, curious about what book you were reading, I secretly asked the bookstore owner, and even stood in the same spot to read it. Wondering how interesting it must be for you to read for so long.”

Of course, it was interesting, but to be precise, it was because I didn’t have money to buy the books.

The bookstore owner, knowing Elaina’s circumstances, particularly turned a blind eye to it.

After her leg was damaged, there was no one anywhere who could chase away a young child who came limping every day to read books with a badly bruised face.

The child became a lady, but the bookstore owner’s special treatment continued endlessly.

But I really didn’t know. That someone was quietly watching me like that.

“Of course, Your Highness may find it gloomy, but back then, that was my small pleasure.”

Ryan said with a gentle smile.

“After finishing my studies abroad and returning to Edenbell, it was a time when I was endlessly wandering. Wondering what I could possibly do.”

Perhaps Ryan, unlike his father or ancestors, wanted to use what he had seen and learned as a foundation to contribute to the imperial palace, not just teach it. Thinking about it that way, it wasn’t incomprehensible.

“The story about wanting to confirm if the rumors going around were true was a lie. Actually, I wanted to thank you.”

“……Me?”

“Yes. Because it was Your Highness who became the only joy for me as I lived each day without any pleasure.”

“……”

“I exhausted myself trying to read the books you read. If anything, I gained more knowledge from reading those books than from studying abroad.”

It’s fortunate if those difficult times were at least a joy to someone. Ryan seemed worried about appearing gloomy, but Elaina didn’t particularly think so.

Perhaps because she had never been thanked by anyone before, Ryan’s words sounded even more pleasant.

But Elaina was well aware that getting caught up in unnecessary rumors was directly linked to Sinclair’s reputation. It was a problem precisely because she knew it too well.

So instead of answering, Elaina smiled faintly as Ryan had done.

Then she slowly rose from her seat.

“Thank you for your kind words, even if it was brief, Young Master Ryan. I truly don’t know how to conduct myself when you treat me so preciously.”

“……Your Highness?”

“As a member of the imperial family, I deeply regret in many ways that someone like you, Young Master Ryan, is not in public office in Edenbell. It would have been of great help.”

Noticing that Elaina was clearly drawing a line, a bitter smile spread across Ryan’s face.

Completely different from the gentle smile he had earlier.

“But His Highness Prince Sinclair always longs for talented individuals with both ability and skill like you, so I hope our paths will cross in the future. Of course, I plan to attend the next gathering too, so we’ll see each other then.”

“……”

“The gathering seems to be wrapping up now, so I’ll take my leave first. As you know, the Prince is still bedridden.”

It wasn’t a lie made up just to avoid the situation. Up front, Anelli was talking about the next gathering schedule, and Lady Regis was going around greeting people.

“Yes, I too had a truly enjoyable time today, Your Highness.”

Ryan quickly erased his bitter smile and looked at Elaina with his characteristic smiling face as he moved his lips.

“I’ll see you again next time. I hope you return to the palace without incident.”

“Yes, you too, Young Master.”

That was the last conversation with Ryan. Elaina exchanged greetings with the rest of the people and slowly began to leave the hall.

Thinking that although she hadn’t yet done anything that would definitely help Sinclair, it was the first day anyway, so gradually building trust with people would be most important.

It was late evening when Elaina arrived at the Crown Prince’s palace.

Is he still sleeping? It’s later than I expected, I hope he hasn’t missed a meal.

Elaina opened the bedroom door with a worried expression, and at the same time discovered Sinclair sitting on the bed with his arms crossed, deep in thought about something.

“……Sinclair?”

When Elaina called his name, Sinclair slowly turned his head. Then he frowned slightly.

“When did you wake up? How are you feeling? Did you take your medicine?”

When did I wake up?

A few hours ago.

So shortly after Elaina left a kind note, Sinclair woke up.

My body?

Of course it hadn’t gotten worse, but it wasn’t noticeably better either.

Medicine?

I didn’t take it.

Like a young child throwing a tantrum.

However, Sinclair too could not easily understand himself acting so childishly.

But when he opened his eyes, he thought she would be there like yesterday. He thought she would change his bandages and watch him take his medicine.

Despite insisting that he didn’t need her help and could do these things on his own.

“Why aren’t you answering? Sinclair.”

Elaina had no way of knowing Sinclair’s feelings. She asked with a very puzzled expression, and when there was still no response, she approached Sinclair with a serious look.

“Are you in pain?”

“……”

“Should I call for the physician? Actually, on my way back I received something I asked Judith and Anna for. An ointment that minimizes scarring as much as possible.”

“……Why?”

Sinclair finally moved his dry lips to ask, and Elaina answered as if questioning why he would ask such an obvious thing.

“Because I hope scars won’t remain on your body……”

“……”

“And also, because I want you to get better quickly……”

Sinclair’s subtly stiffened face relaxed slightly. He hesitated for a moment, then asked Elaina with his usual expressionless face.

“……Did the gathering go well?”

That damned gathering.

He was already uneasy after suffering such a terrible incident. He wanted to go after Elaina right away, but as if Schuler had told him in advance, the one who greeted him as soon as he opened his eyes was none other than Glen.

Glen desperately tried to stop Sinclair, while Judith and Anna trembled outside the door, discussing among themselves how to make Elaina return even a little earlier.

If Elaina hadn’t gone with Schuler, Sinclair would certainly have barged into that mansion even if it meant pinning Glen to the wall.

But he couldn’t keep telling Elaina to do useless things. Since the conversation had already ended yesterday, he couldn’t nag about the same thing anymore.

“There were fewer people than I expected. Lady Regis said it was a gathering that wasn’t easy to join, and that seemed to be true.”

“It would be. Anelli doesn’t usually keep many people around her.”

Sinclair slowly continued.

“She doesn’t easily trust anyone. Because she grew up in an environment where she couldn’t. Just like me.”

Sinclair would certainly know that Anelli was the one hosting that gathering.

Also, why she had become that kind of personality…….

“Are you acquainted with Ryan Henard? Schuler said he pretended to be close from before entering the hall.”

That’s why he was even more displeased. How dare he, of all people, flirt with the Crown Princess? It was absurd.

“I didn’t know, but it seems he knew about me.”

……But Elaina’s reaction was even more absurd.

“I heard he’s one of the most famous figures in high society, and now I understand why.”

“……What?”

“He has all the qualities that women would like. Kind, gentle. But not crossing the line.”

“……”

“Lady Anelli also seemed to like him very much.”

……While he noticed Anelli’s attitude, Sinclair’s face subtly stiffened again at Elaina’s innocent words, failing to notice her husband’s mood.

Even more severely than before.