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NIGHT had fallen.
Sara and Richard had read the congratulatory letters from the king and queen mother and looked over their wedding gifts together before dinner, but Sara had not seen him since then. She had tried probing Daniel for information, but he had replied, “His Highness will be reading over work documents tonight, so you should just get some rest.”
I guess that makes sense… Even if it’s our wedding night, making love is pointless in a relationship like ours.
In both Saleilles and Ferrier, it was customary for a bride to don a beautiful nightdress on her wedding night, wait for her husband to visit her room, and go to bed with him. But there was no need for Sara to do that.
But even so…
“I was wondering…if I could wish him good night, at least?” Sara asked Daniel nervously.
Daniel’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and then he broke into a smile.
“I think that would be all right! Besides…”
“Y-Yes?”
“It has been nearly fifteen years that His Highness has been living here alone at the villa, and there hasn’t ever been anyone to wish him good night until now,” Daniel explained with a gentle expression. “So I’m sure he would be delighted if you went to wish him a good night, Princess Hermine!”
Without fully understanding why, Sara felt a painful sinking sensation in her chest.
Fifteen years ago, Richard wouldn’t even have been ten years old. That was almost certainly around the time his biological mother had died, and Richard had lived here in the villa all by himself… Daniel and the others had probably wished him good night, but that was simply a servant hoping their master would sleep well.
He hadn’t shared a genuine “good night” with another person (“Sleep tight, okay?” “You, too. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”) in nearly ten years. In fact, Richard might never have exchanged a proper “good night” with anyone in his entire life.
Sara smiled faintly, and Daniel returned it.
“He’s still in his study,” he said.
So they both went out to the entrance and Sara knocked on the door to Richard’s study.
“…Daniel?” he asked.
“No, it’s Hermine.”
“……”
He’s not saying anything!
Sara looked back at Daniel, wondering if she should continue. He nodded, so she let out a huff of air through her nose and turned back to the door.
“Um, I’m going to go to bed now, so…if it’s all right with you, I wanted to wish you good night.”
For a few agonizing heartbeats, there was only silence.
Then Sara heard heavy footsteps. The study door cracked open, revealing Richard’s white mask and his suspicious eyes underneath.
Unlike Sara, who wore a dressing gown over her nightdress, Richard was still in his day clothes. He was probably going to be up late doing paperwork, just as Daniel had indicated.
Richard said nothing and stared at Sara in silence, but his demeanor seemed to insinuate, “If you have something to say, hurry up and say it.” She looked up at him, fidgeting with the material of her dressing gown.
“Well… I’m heading to bed. Please look after yourself and get some rest, too.”
“…Okay.”
“……”
“……”
“G-Good n-night!”
She might have mustered up too much courage to say those words—her voice squeaked midway through.
Sara sensed that Richard’s eyes were narrowing with even more suspicion under his mask. Her gaze fell to the floor. But before long, she heard a quiet “…Good night” and the sound of the door closing in front of her.
Her head snapped up, but all she saw was a shut door. No further sounds came from the other side, so Richard must have returned to his desk and gone back to checking his documents.
He didn’t seem as pleased as Daniel had said he would be, and his reply had probably been a begrudging one, but at least they had been able to reciprocate wishes of good sleep. As far as exchanges with a prince who generally detested people went, that was probably the best she could have hoped for.
I hope that, with this, I can learn more about the prince, little by little…
Sara was sure that the real face hidden behind the mask was more than just one belonging to a grouchy recluse.