She’d be lying if she said that her past four years and all the time loops hadn’t been excruciating. But her affections had been mutual, and Luke had cared so much about her that he’d never forgotten her. That alone was enough to make her the happiest woman in the world.
Under the guidance of Luke’s hand, Amelia entered the party venue. Almost immediately, numerous gazes converged on her. It was to be expected—she was a princess who hadn’t shown up in public for four years.
Other than her, only Prisca and the fourth consort were attending from the royal family. One noble after another greeted Amelia, and she’d even been invited to dance. Luke had declined in her stead every time, which she was eternally grateful for.
After the first wave of people was more or less gone, Amelia sighed. Luke sported a wry smile at her reaction. Compared to him, who was likely accustomed to such occasions as the young Lord Klein, she sorely lacked experience. Perhaps she couldn’t be blamed because she’d pretty much been in confinement, but she still felt a tad remorseful.
“Sorry, Luke,” she apologized. “You’ve been looking after me this whole time.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for—I’m the one who wants to stay by your side. More importantly, do you know how to dance?”
“Probably…?”
Not a moment after she responded, he tugged on her hand, and in the blink of an eye, they began dancing together at the heart of the hall. Their hands were joined, and he placed his free hand around her waist. Honestly, the dance itself was the last thing on her mind, but her body somehow managed to move on its own. She earnestly wanted to thank the female attendants and Helt, who’d continued her education as a princess even while she was imprisoned.
She was wearing an enchanting dress. She was dancing with Luke. She’d even received a marriage proposal from the man she loved. It was as if the past four years had been a fever dream.
When the party was over, Luke escorted Amelia, who felt flighty, to the Fifth Palace. He clasped her hand and smiled tenderly at her. “I’ll be honest. I want to carry you away with me instead of saying goodbye here, but that won’t do.” He paused. “Tell me if anything happens. This time, I’ll protect you without fail.”
“O-Okay.” Amelia nodded awkwardly.
His smile widened. Pressing his lips against the back of her hand, Luke then made his way back.
Amelia practiced this greeting with Helt, but she couldn’t fight the redness in her cheeks.
Helt, who’d come to welcome her home, curled his lips with joy. “I am very happy for you, my princess.”
She pressed on her flushed cheeks and nodded. “Yeah…”
It’s really as if I’m dreaming, she thought.
Abruptly, she heard a commotion at the gates. She traded glances with Helt, wondering what had happened.
During her confusion, a gown of deep crimson and gold embroidery glided up to her—it was Prisca. Her expression was the picture of gloom, which didn’t match her lovely dress. With three lady attendants trailing behind her, she stood before Amelia, placed a hand on her hip, and puffed out her chest.
“What kind of underhanded tricks did you use, you sly fox?!”
Following those aggressive words was a raised palm that swung in Amelia’s direction. Amelia evaded on reflex.
Prisca’s expression morphed from shock to fury. She attempted to smack Amelia several times, but Amelia didn’t owe it to the other princess to receive these blows on her face, so she flung Prisca’s hand away each time.
Unlike Prisca, who’d led a life as a princess through and through, Amelia even tended to fields, meaning that the difference between their stamina was apparent. Prisca quickly exhausted herself. Her breathing grew erratic, and her shoulders heaved with exertion.
Catching her breath, Prisca looked down and muttered, “Well, it doesn’t matter. The villainess of Luke’s route will be abandoned after she’s doted on for a while. I suppose you could say it’s all according to the plot.”
“What?” Amelia’s heart skipped a beat.
Prisca raised her face. She directed a smile brimming with confidence at Amelia before placing a hand on her hip and puffing out her chest once again. “In any case, I’m the one who is worthy of Lord Luke, not you!”
“H-Hold on a minute!” Amelia called out, wanting to confirm the meaning of the words that she had to get to the bottom of. Alas, Prisca turned on her heel to leave without sparing Amelia a glance.
If I miss this chance, I won’t ever get to ask her again. Amelia chewed on her bottom lip. Her mind went into a frenzy, trying to figure out a way to detain the other girl. That was when a red, glossy fruit floated to the surface of her thoughts. Right! I can do anything if I have strawberries!
She reached out her hand. Her silver strands fluttered in the air with her movement. Simultaneously, a great amount of strawberry jam manifested near Prisca and her attendants’ feet.
“Huh?! Eeeep?!” The group’s shrieks echoed in the night, and a second later, they tripped all at once before landing on their hands on the ground.
They struggled and writhed to somehow climb onto their feet, but it appeared that the jam tenaciously clung to their hands and shoes. They could only flail about on the ground. Amelia observed that the jam, which had responded to her wish of detaining Prisca, had rather high viscosity.
She vaguely recalled a similar glue device in Japan used to capture a certain lustrous black insect, which had been considered the epitome of negative charisma in any household. Ah, no, this isn’t the time to leisurely watch Prisca stuck in the strawberry jam version of a bait station, she reminded herself.
Skirting around the jam, Amelia rushed up to Prisca’s side. “Prisca, what did you mean earlier?”
“What in the world is this?! It’s all sticky!” Prisca yelled hysterically. She and her attendants were fully focused on the strawberry jam—Amelia was the least of their worries.
Amelia had to attract their attention somehow. Thinking that, she manifested a small strawberry and stuffed it into Prisca’s mouth.
“Wh-What are you—?!”
“It should be sweet and tasty,” Amelia said. “So come on, tell me more about what you just said in exchange for this offering!”
Amelia didn’t know whether the strawberry had moved Prisca with its delectable taste, but the other princess hurriedly chewed on the fruit. After swallowing it, she tossed her hair and glared at Amelia.
“Don’t make fun of me!” Prisca spat angrily as she finally escaped from the strawberry jam. “Someone like you is fated to die at Lord Luke’s hands in the end. It’s a miserable ending, and that’s exactly what you deserve!”
Leaving behind those words, she marched off furiously with her attendants, whose clothes were dyed red with jam.
Helt stepped forward. “Are you all right, my princess?”
“Yep. She didn’t manage to slap me, and I haven’t gotten any jam on my clothes either.”