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AFTER that day, Richard started going out more proactively.
He didn’t tell Sara what he was doing, but Daniel did tell her, “It seems His Highness has overcome his reclusive nature for you, Princess Hermine.”
Daniel had slightly warmed up to Sara again since she had her talk with Richard. He apologized for his thorny attitude but doubled down on his insistence that the prince was his number-one priority. Sara approved of his loyalty—she agreed that Daniel should put Richard first.
At any rate…if Richard hadn’t slipped poison into my tea, then there must have been something wrong with the tin of tea leaves…
Which meant someone from Saleilles had tried to assassinate Sara. But she couldn’t see the point in a Saleilles envoy killing his own former princess…
And even if the envoy were executed, the fault would still lie with Saleilles, which would make the entire political marriage scheme be all for nothing. It just didn’t seem like that plan would benefit either kingdom.
There must be more to this than meets the eye…
Unfortunately, Sara wasn’t well versed in conspiracy or strategy, so she couldn’t think of anything, no matter how much she hemmed and hawed over it.
She sighed, walked over to her wardrobe, and took out the corsage she kept there.
Mom…
The glass flower felt slightly chilly cradled in her bare hands.
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TEMPERATURES rose as they moved into the season where long-sleeved dresses would make Sara a little sweaty during the day.
“An…evening party?” Sara asked, repeating what Richard had just told her.
She put a bookmark in the book on abilities she had been reading.
Richard was wearing his mask and sitting on the sofa opposite her. He nodded and handed her the document he had been holding.
“Yes. I’ve always used all sorts of excuses to refuse him before, but Edouard’s begging me to come if at all possible. He seems to think the people of Ferrier want to personally offer me their congratulations for finally settling down. He said we might as well go together as husband and wife.”
“He wants me to come, too…?” Sara asked with slightly furrowed eyebrows.
She was sure her tea had been poisoned by someone who didn’t like her. She didn’t know who did it or what their ultimate goal was, but she wanted to refrain from going out as much as possible.
As if Richard could read her thoughts, his thin lips turned down slightly.
“You don’t want to go, either? Then let’s decline.”
“No, no, no! That’s not even an option, right?!”
If the king himself was begging them to go, they couldn’t just turn him down for their own selfish reasons.
Besides…there will be many watchful eyes in the castle. No one would dare act at a party with so many people…right?
“Let’s go together,” Sara continued. “I also have some uneasiness about attending, but…I’d be thrilled to be introduced to other people as your wife.”
“You’d be thrilled…?”
“Yes. So let’s go.”
“……”
“Your Highness?”
“All right… If you say so.”
Sara got an agreement out of him, even if it was an incredibly reluctant one.
Without a moment’s delay, Daniel, who had been watching from the side of the room, went to fetch Richard a writing tool to get his signature before he could change his mind. Daniel looked happy at this turn of events, as well—perhaps because the master he loved and respected could be shown off to the people of Ferrier.
After signing the document Daniel offered him, Richard heaved a great sigh. It almost seemed like a black fog was starting to surround him.
“Your Highness… You don’t want to go that badly?” Sara asked.
“Of course I don’t want to go,” he replied immediately.
Richard had been a recluse for so long and wasn’t used to high society. Sara was starting to see the point to his hermit lifestyle.
“To make matters worse, you haven’t been well recently. If you go to a chaotic, crowded event like a party, you’ll only get even sicker. Besides, the other nobles will almost certainly watch us with their curious eyes, and I don’t very much like everyone looking at my wife as if she were a piece of art to be admired.”
“……”
“Also, you’re a lovely young woman, so I’m sure people will come up to you with perverse thoughts. And because you’re unusually kind, you’re practically incapable of bluntly rebuffing people who approach you, even if they have ulterior motives, which might make them try to push their luck with you… So let’s just go in, say a few hellos, and then get out of there. I also just hate crowded places… What?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Sara suddenly realized she had been staring unblinkingly at him, almost to the point of rudeness.
“That was just…unexpected.”
“What was?”
“I was so sure the reason you didn’t want to go to the party was just because you hate being around crowds…”
“…Well, yes, that’s a part of it.”
This time Richard looked taken aback, his green eyes blinking rapidly in surprise before looking away.
“But…the biggest reason I didn’t want to go was…because you might be uncomfortable at the party. I’m used to it, so I can power through it. But you weren’t born in Ferrier, so you probably haven’t experienced being stared at by other people.”
Hermine certainly would have received admiring glances from other people in Saleilles, but she had probably never been scrutinized as a curiosity. In a similar way, Sara had lived a quiet life until now, so she had very rarely found herself in front of a large crowd of people.
I see… The prince is worried about me.
“Thank you. I wouldn’t want to cause any problems for you, either, so let’s do as you suggest and come home as soon as our business is done.”
“I—I didn’t think you would cause problems…,” Richard mumbled.
He looked at Sara, his half-lidded eyes overflowing with tenderness. His irises were the same bright green that painted the fields of Ferrier, and Sara felt the tension in her chest relax just by looking at them.
“Anyway, this is also one of our official royal duties, so I suppose we have no choice but to make an appearance. Just don’t leave my side during the party, all right?” Richard added, his voice serious.
Sara giggled and nodded.
“Yes, Your Highness.”