Arthur showed his even teeth in a smile toward Reina.

“I told you I’d throw you to the demons if you touch my things one more time.”

At Arthur’s words, Reina snorted with her arms crossed.

“Duke Cervantes, stop saying strange things and give back what you stole.”

“Were you going to write this to Celiya?”

“What does that have to do with you, Duke? It’s none of your business who I write to or what I write.”

“…Ileon has raised his younger sister very poorly.”

Arthur swiftly plunged the needle in his hand into Reina’s neck.

Reina’s eyelids slowly closed.

“Today, there’s somewhere I want to go with you for a bit.”

This was what Dietrich said to Celiya after they finished lunch together.

Celiya nodded as if to say she understood.

“We’ll be going outside the palace. Change into the most comfortable clothes you can.”

Though Dietrich didn’t bring in maids or servants to the mansion, he took great care to ensure Celiya wasn’t uncomfortable.

The closet was filled with dozens of dresses.

Celiya particularly liked the comfortable dresses she could change into by herself without a maid’s help.

Among them, her favorite was the white satin dress Dietrich had given her as his first gift.

Celiya changed into the pure white satin dress and left the room.

Dietrich, who had been waiting for Celiya while leaning slightly against the wall, was wearing a black uniform.

The neckline extending above the collar and the black uniform that fit perfectly to his solid body suited Dietrich very well.

The wind that entered through the open window brushed Dietrich’s smooth cheek.

Admiring Dietrich’s face, Celiya belatedly noticed that he was holding a pure white bonnet in his hand.

Dietrich approached Celiya and personally placed the white bonnet on her head. After delicately tying the ribbon on the bonnet, Dietrich extended one hand to Celiya.

“Shall we go?”

Celiya took Dietrich’s outstretched hand.

Though she was curious about their destination, Celiya didn’t ask about it, knowing that wherever they went, Dietrich would protect her and not harm her.

As they left the mansion, the refreshing summer air gently enveloped Celiya.

The reason she wasn’t worried even though Ileon had discovered her origins was because Dietrich was by her side.

Celiya left the vast imperial palace holding Dietrich’s hand.

Throughout their passage through the palace, the gazes of palace maids, knights, and officials all fell upon Celiya and Dietrich, but as if they didn’t care about others’ stares, the two focused only on each other.

As they left the imperial palace, a street filled with endless people appeared.

The street was lined with all kinds of shops.

From boutiques to salons, shops selling various desserts, stores dealing in fresh vegetables and fruits, and so on.

Merchants selling freshly caught fish and people trying to haggle even a little to lower the price.

As Celiya and Dietrich entered the street filled with a jumble of noisy sounds, people’s voices stopped as if a curtain had been lifted.

The appearance of Dietrich, with his night-black hair neatly styled and wearing a black uniform, and Celiya, wearing a white satin dress and white bonnet, was truly shocking to everyone present.

It was as if everything on the street was in black and white, with only the two of them having color added.

“Wow…”

An exclamation from a merchant broke the silence.

Dietrich walked side by side with Celiya, matching his pace while holding her hand.

The people in the capital streets outside the imperial palace knew the rumors about Dietrich well.

Countless women had courted Dietrich over the years, but he had never allowed anyone to be by his side.

He was said to have a cleanliness obsession and disliked even being touched by others, yet here was Dietrich walking with a woman, matching his pace, and holding her hand.

People knew well the woman walking hand-in-hand with Dietrich.

There was only one woman in Abelon beautiful enough to seemingly suck out a person’s soul.

The vivid features set within the white bonnet.

Dazzling silver hair gently fluttered in the breeze beneath the bonnet.

“The angel of Brillion.”

A beautiful woman who could only be seen by giving up one’s fortune.

As befitting the rumors of being everyone’s first love, Celiya was terribly beautiful, but some people viewed her unfavorably.

Both the Emperor and Crown Prince who desired Celiya met miserable deaths despite being royalty.

She was like a poisonous flower.

Desired by all, but causing death to those who desired her.

“…Witch.”

Someone muttered quietly.

Dietrich’s gaze fell precisely on the noblewoman who had uttered those words.

Though it was just a gaze, the noblewoman felt as if sharp blades were cutting into her.

The noblewoman hastily lowered her eyes at the ominous killing intent emanating from Dietrich.

The place Dietrich entered with Celiya was a small shop without a sign, located at the end of the street.

An old woman in the shop greeted the customers with a welcoming face.

“Welcome…”

Though small in size, the shop contained many curious items.

Celiya’s gaze swept over the delicately decorated pottery, sword hilt ornaments, and rainbow-colored necklaces placed on white rugs.

‘Is this an antique shop?’

While Celiya was looking around the shop, Dietrich spoke to the old woman.

“The thing I asked for before.”

“Ah, I did bring it in, but it was quite troublesome to find. The original owner was so reluctant to sell that the price is a bit…”

Before the old woman could finish speaking, Dietrich handed over a pouch filled with gold coins from his chest.

The old woman’s mouth stretched to her ears at the heavy sound of gold coins.

“Just a moment. I’ll bring it right away.”

The old woman who disappeared through the inner door of the shop soon returned holding something covered with a thin cloth.

When the cloth was removed, an iron birdcage was revealed.

Inside the cage was a red parrot viciously pulling at its own feathers with its beak.

“No matter how much it was taught to speak, it only kept repeating ‘Princess’ which it hadn’t been taught. I believe the previous owner was the fourth owner.”

At the old woman’s words, Celiya, who had been looking around the shop, stopped moving.

Celiya looked at the parrot trapped in the cage.

The parrot was frantically plucking its red feathers, perhaps due to stress.

Ten years ago, on the day the kingdom burned, Celiya had released Popo, who was in a cage, into the sky.

At that time, she had vaguely thought it had died.

Though ten years had passed, Celiya could recognize the parrot before her eyes.

The red parrot her father had given her as a birthday gift had a yellow spot on its chest.

Just like the parrot now before her eyes.

“…Popo.”

At Celiya’s words, the parrot stopped plucking its feathers and quietly looked up at Celiya.

Its black pupils carefully observed Celiya, then the parrot flapped its wings vigorously and cried out.

“Princess! It’s the Princess!”

Celiya hugged the cage containing Popo.

“Princess! Princess!”

“…I missed you.”

“I missed you! I missed you!”

Seeing the parrot repeat Celiya’s words exactly, the old woman looked surprised.

‘They said it only said “Princess” no matter how much others tried to teach it to speak.’

However, trust is vital to maintaining a long-running shop.

Knowing that pretending not to know or hear anything helps increase profits, the old woman knowingly left the two alone.

“If you need anything, please knock on the door. This old one is feeling quite unwell and will lie down for a bit.”

Click.

As the side door closed, Celiya took her eyes off Popo and looked at Dietrich.

“Dietrich, how did you know I had raised a parrot?”

“…I know everything about you.”

Dietrich added in a gentle voice.

“I am your fiancé, after all.”

Celiya realized that she still didn’t know Dietrich’s real name.

While Dietrich knew so much about her, she didn’t even know he was her fiancé, nor had she done anything for him.

Celiya felt troubled by this.

Dietrich looked down at Celiya with a worried expression as her face suddenly darkened.

“Are you alright?”

“It’s not that, I just feel like I haven’t done anything for you…”

“No. Just having you by my side is enough.”

“Enough!”

Popo repeated Dietrich’s words.

Celiya couldn’t help but laugh.