Ah, right. As Prince Norton mentioned, whenever I trained in the water and came out, I was always completely soaked.
So, as soon as I came out of the water, I immediately changed into dry clothes…

Huh! No way, did he see all that?!

Without realizing it, I rolled my eyes and looked at him.

“No.”

Prince Norton spoke decisively, as if he knew exactly what I was worrying about.

Still looking intently at me, he added abruptly.

“Really. At that time, I had my own concerns, so there was no reason for me to watch you changing clothes.”

Although Prince Norton spoke with a slight smile, it seemed to be a somewhat melancholic smile.

“A concern? Oh, do you have a lover?”

Or perhaps, was there someone you liked in the royal family?

Only then did I relax my gaze.

Prince Norton’s face, shrouded in some kind of secrecy, sparked a strange curiosity.

“Not at the moment.”

Did they break up?

“Anyway, you don’t need to worry about scenes like that concerning Her Majesty the Queen; I’ve never witnessed them.”
“S-So, Your Highness, do you know that I am the Empress…?”

“The news of you becoming Empress, I found out not too long ago from a new friend from the Shatonia Kingdom.”

Prince Norton paused for a moment and answered seriously.

“From Shatonia? Is he a noble? Considering that I, as the Empress, came to the Raphion Empire.”

“Yes, he’s quite a distinguished noble.”

He nodded casually.

“Then why did you pretend not to know in the audience hall?”

“Marshal Macron seems to be unaware of Her Majesty the Empress’s existence. It seemed to me that Her Majesty attending the audience hall is also a secret to her. That’s why.”

“Thank… you.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m familiar with hiding one’s identity, so I understand it well.”

Prince Norton smiled gently and resumed walking.

There is a greater secret than that, hidden within me…

I looked down at the ground and smiled faintly for a moment.
When I got closer to the Empress’s residence, this time I stopped walking.

“Your Highness, I have a favor to ask.”

“Alright. I’ll do it for you.”

“…Yes? How do you agree without even knowing what the favor is?”

“Please don’t pretend to know in front of Her Majesty. Isn’t that the favor?”

“Right…”

It seemed that Prince Norton was adept at cunning tactics.

“Alright. Let’s go inside. I think someone has been waiting at the back door since earlier, as if they were a royal servant.”

As Prince Norton spoke, Sharon’s face was poking out from behind the laundry room’s back door.

“Thank you for today. Well then, see you tomorrow… Oops!”

I was sincerely expressing my gratitude to him when Prince Norton suddenly covered my mouth with his hand and pushed me against the wall at the corner of the Empress’s residence building.

Then, he put his index finger on his lips and looked at me.

!

As I nodded, he turned away from me as if trying to hide me.
Before me, I could see Prince Norton’s broad back and thick blonde hair. A few seconds later, I heard the voices of guards from somewhere. When the danger seemed to have passed, Prince Norton turned his body back towards me and whispered, “It was dangerous.” “Y-yes…” “My promise to keep the entrance to the Imperial Court secret almost flew away just now.” “Thank you so much. Well then, see you tomorrow, Your Highness.” I awkwardly greeted him again with a surprised expression. “Yes. When we meet again tomorrow, greet me as warmly as if it were our first meeting.” Prince Norton kissed the back of my hand and smoothly disappeared. Having safely ascended to the bedroom through the stairs connected to the laundry room with Sharon, I lay down on the bed after finishing my bath. “No matter how much I think about it, it feels like there’s a purpose for being here…” I muttered while thinking of Prince Norton.
“No matter how much I think about it, it feels like there’s a purpose for being here…” I muttered, thinking of Prince Norton. Anyway, since I decided to keep my entrance to the training ground a secret from Rinel, I felt relieved for now. Perhaps due to the recent lack of sleep at night, my eyes closed involuntarily. How long did I sleep? What time is it now? It seemed to be still early dawn with the darkness thickly lingering. In the midst of dozing off, I felt a refreshing sensation and opened my eyes. Wondering if the terrace door was open, I slightly raised my upper body and turned my head towards the terrace. “Oh, surprise…!” Next to me, Rinel was lying down. He was curled up towards me, peacefully asleep.
“When did this man come and sleep so peacefully like this? Him, quietly sleeping without waking me up, looked insanely adorable. Somehow, compared to Rinel, I seemed to be a person lacking consideration. Unconsciously, I began to wake him up. ‘Rinel, wake up, won’t you…?’ I whispered softly, but deliberately shook his shoulders vigorously. He blinked and struggled to open his eyes. Meanwhile, I moved up onto his thigh. ‘Zelda, what are you doing right now…?’ His less-awake blue eyes looked at me in surprise.”