SINCE that interaction, Luke had been true to his word—he thoroughly expressed his affections for Amelia. Whenever he found even the slightest opening in his schedule, he came to see her. When he couldn’t, she’d receive letters, accompanied by gifts like flowers and meat.
Not only did he shower her with physical presents, but he also showed pure kindness, and he’d kiss her hand whenever he had to part ways with her. Every time, Amelia’s face would turn bright red, earning a soft smile from Luke, as well as a warm grin from Helt, as if he were watching something heartwarming. That had become somewhat of a set pattern recently.
Helt held out a cup of tea to Amelia, who was clutching her head as she sat on the sofa. “You are being very much doted on,” he muttered.
“This won’t do. At this rate, it’s all going to follow the original Luke route.” Amelia frowned.
“You were the one who dug your own grave and lay in it, my princess. There is little you can do about that.”
Only after the fact did Amelia understand that saying she’d step aside if he fell in love with someone else had worked against her favor, but if she didn’t make that statement, she might be doted on before being murdered. She couldn’t figure out for the life of her what the correct choice had been.
“This is bad,” she muttered gloomily. “Real bad. The problem is that it makes me happy, and I’m struggling to find the motivation to stop him.”
Amelia had liked Luke even before their reunion. Of course, she’d be giddy if she could interact with him, especially after he’d been ice cold to her for years—and he had affections for her and treated her kindly to boot.
She couldn’t deny that she had a few qualms about the situation. Maybe he was doing this under the influence of the route. She might be killed if she stopped resisting and accepted his sweet flood of affection. But in the end, whenever she saw Luke smiling at her, all of those thoughts went out the window.
“I can’t let this go on,” Amelia announced, determined. “I’m considering heading out into the city to get a change of pace and to amass escape funds in case the worst happens.”
Helt looked skeptical. “I can’t say that I agree with that plan.”
Not caring for his unfavorable reaction, Amelia wasted no time creating strawberry confections that would serve as her wares. First were strawberry daifuku, which were a staple of her business. Next were the strawberry churros, which received an unexpectedly favorable reception. Finally, she manifested strawberry cookies.
She transferred her sweets into paper bags before packing them all in her bag. Her strawberry eyes glimmering with anticipation, Amelia headed out into town.
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THOUGH it had been a while since her last visit, the shopkeeper was kind, and her strawberry products flew off the shelves.
The phrase “the silver fairy’s confections” reached Amelia’s ears at one point, reminding her about how conspicuous her hair was. She took out a relatively large handkerchief, threw it over her head, and tied the corners beneath her nose. It was the same well-loved traditional Japanese burglar style as last time, but she wasn’t sure how effective it was. That said, it was better than leaving her silver hair out in the open.
“I’ll have this cookie,” a young man said.
“Right away. Thank you for your patronage.” Amelia handed over the last cookie in stock.
The customer gripped Amelia’s hand and didn’t let go. As Amelia wondered why, he smiled broadly at her. “Hey, what’s your name? If it’s okay with you, do you want to enjoy a cup of tea after this?”
Amelia blinked reflexively. Is this what they call “hitting on women in the streets?” she wondered. Though she’d been a half-prisoner for much of her life, she’d still been born and raised as a princess. It was her first time meeting such a blatant playboy.
Huh. So, playboys who pick up girls they find are even willing to talk to women pulling off the traditional burglar style? His untiring spirit of challenge was worthy of admiration.
Amelia felt somewhat moved as she listened to him prattle on. That was when a shadowy silhouette appeared by her side and shook off his hand—it was a familiar, charming nobleman with ashen hair.
Luke curled his lips into a smile. “Could you keep your grubby hands off my fiancée? Thank you.”
The other young man looked startled. Following a displeased click of his tongue, he strutted off.
Luke’s golden orbs were fixed on his retreating figure for a while. But then, they shifted onto Amelia.
“L-Luke,” Amelia stammered.
Why was he here? Before she could even consider that, Luke called out to the shopkeeper and led Amelia away in the blink of an eye. He guided her by the hand until they reached a bench near the fountain. She took a seat, and Luke settled down next to her.
He sent a piercing gaze in her direction. “You don’t need money to buy dresses or envelopes anymore, yes? Why are you here all by yourself?”
Without thinking, Amelia straightened her spine. “I’m not alone. Helt’s tailing me and keeping watch.”
“It’s meaningless if he’s at a distance. Look at what happened earlier—he wasn’t able to prevent that man from touching you.”
“I requested him to do that. And hey, that person was just a customer, nothing more.”
No words from that boy would make any ripples in her heart, so there was nothing Luke had to be concerned about. Amelia was about to voice those thoughts, but she was interrupted by Luke’s sigh.
“Amelia,” he began, “you don’t understand the extent of your cuteness. You don’t have the necessary sense of danger to protect yourself.” Sighing again, he rose to his feet and tugged Amelia’s hand as he walked. “I’ll escort you to the royal court. Follow me to my carriage, okay?”
“Huh? But Helt’s still…”
“I’ll send someone to give him the news, so don’t worry.”
Amelia surrendered in the face of Luke’s attitude that didn’t take “no” for an answer and climbed into the carriage. Then she finally noticed a problem.
“Um, Luke. Sorry, but you have to let me down after all.”
“Why’s that?” Luke frowned slightly.
“Entering the Fifth Palace from the front entrance isn’t the best idea. It’d be bothersome if the fourth consort finds out.”
The gatekeepers would open the gates whenever Luke visited, but they remained firmly shut at all other times, just like before. If she returned from the official entrance, they’d likely ask her how she’d gotten out. That was why she wanted Luke to let her down from the carriage before she snuck back.
Luke narrowed his eyes. “I see… In other words, the fourth consort is still imprisoning you.”
“Weeell… I can’t say that for sure because I’ve never tried leaving from the entrance before, but…probably?”
“Assuming that’s true, going there now would help us confirm the situation. We should stick to our original plan.” Luke nodded. “You can just give them the story that I brought you out to visit my place.”
His usual wording was mild, but now, even his tone took on a slightly chilly note. Amelia had the feeling that he’d been in a somewhat stormy mood since earlier.
“Luke, have this.” She held out a strawberry in her palm to Luke, who sat across from her. Confused, Luke looked back and forth between the strawberry and Amelia. “You’re angry, aren’t you? Sorry. Though they aren’t much, the only things I can offer as an apology are my strawberries.” She stared at him nervously.
Luke’s head jerked forward, and he hung his head. “That’s not how I want you to take this. I’m angry but not angry. How do I put this…?” He sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to give you a fright, Amelia.” Picking up the strawberry with his fingers, he plopped it into his mouth without hesitation. “It’s nice and sweet.”
His bright smile relieved Amelia, and a smile of her own tugged at her lips.
Still smiling, Luke moved until he sat next to Amelia. “I was worried that you might get into danger in the city, and I was sad that you didn’t tell me first, you see. That, and I didn’t like the idea of other men touching you, Amelia.”
He tenderly stroked her head. The next thing she knew, he untied the handkerchief’s knot under her nose. “You have enchanting hair of silver and jewel-like eyes of strawberry. You can’t find such an adorable lady in all the world, even if you tried. It’s dangerous if you don’t have a little self-awareness.”
As he spoke, his hand continued to slowly stroke her head. Faced with his smile and tenderness, Amelia’s cheeks heated up in an instant. “Th-That’s not true. You’re more charming than I am.”
“Hearing that makes my day.”
His golden eyes were soft with delight—there was no other way to describe him other than a dazzlingly enthralling young man. Coupled with his overflowing fondness, he was so incredibly handsome that she had trouble keeping her gaze on him.
“But,” he said, “it’s also a fact that you’re pretty, Amelia. If you want to head into the city, call me over first. All right?”
She was happy that he called her pretty and didn’t exactly want to worry Luke. It appeared he didn’t plan to stop her from venturing into the city, so he wasn’t going to obstruct her from procuring escape funds in preparation for the worst-case scenario. Considering that, heading outside with Luke would only benefit her in every way possible.
Amelia nodded. “Okay, I will. But…” She hesitated. “No one would believe me if I said I went to House Klein in this getup, so please let me down this time.” She was always clad in a dress that was the definition of plain and dreary. No matter how you looked at her, she didn’t seem like a young noblewoman from some noble household, much less a princess.
“You have a point there. Since we’re here already, I suppose we can make a detour to my place.”
“Uh, why?”
Amelia somehow had the feeling that at times, they weren’t on the same wavelength. Seeing the quizzical tilt of her head, Luke softened his golden eyes just a tad.
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