“Your Highness, how about we take a walk outside for a change?” Jeanette asked cheerfully. It was another day, and for once she was wearing a dress as opposed to the karate outfit.
But in contrast to Jeanette’s grin, Meltia grimaced in dismay.
“I hate being outside. The sunlight might burn my skin!”
“It won’t if you use a sun parasol! If you’re worried, you can use my ultra-protective blackout parasol!” Jeanette said, swiftly presenting the princess with said item.
Meltia’s expression only soured further.
“But what if my feet hurt? I’m not used to being outside for long.”
“You don’t need to worry about that either, Your Highness! You’ve built up your stamina by now, and if you’re still unsure, you can use these deluxe boots from Matheson!” With another quick movement, Jeanette produced a pair of long boots to show the other girl.
The princess frowned so deeply that her eyes were almost shut.
“I see you’re well prepared.”
“Thank you! I’ve actually been beavering away to develop these new products just in anticipation of today!” Jeanette explained, her cheeks flushing a little. “If you don’t want to carry a parasol, I can offer you a hat with a sunblock function built in! I also have knee supporters, and if you’re concerned about bugs in the garden, I have an insect repellent, though it does have a bit of a noticeable scent! And taking your physical condition into account, I’ve prepared honey lemon drops! You can pop one in your mouth while you walk and—”
“Oh, all right, already!” Meltia interrupted, finally admitting defeat. “You’re persistent and well prepared to a fault! But fine—I can take a walk. It’s no big deal!”
Yay! My enthusiasm got through to her! Jeanette thought with a happy grin, not at all put off by Meltia’s dudgeon.
“Anyway, should I wear these?” Meltia asked while pointing to the long boots.
“Yes! These are Matheson Trading’s newest product. They’re marketed as riding boots, but in reality, they’re much more than that. Please try them on!”
At Jeanette’s urging, Meltia reluctantly put the boots on. She then took a step, and her shapely eyebrows furrowed.
“What on earth? They’re so easy to walk in!” she exclaimed, gazing at her own legs in confusion. “You said they’re riding boots, but they’re not heavy at all. I tried wearing riding boots once in the past, and I remember being annoyed about how tiresome they were to walk in.”
“That’s because the leather of these boots has been altered to make it as light as possible!”
“And I feel like there’s something soft under my feet, which also helps with walking. Almost like...like...”
“Like you’re walking on clouds?” Jeanette supplemented.
“Yes! That’s the perfect way to describe it. How is that possible?” the princess asked, genuinely astonished.
Jeanette smiled as she began explaining.
“They’re actually made with special soles designed for shock absorption. The material is a secret, but you can feel the difference when you walk in them for yourself!”
“I do feel like I could walk anywhere in these boots...”
“That’s great! I was going to propose walking from one end of the palace to the other today, you see!”
Meltia looked startled.
“H-Hold on! How am I supposed to go that far on my first walk?! Do you even know how large the palace is?!”
“It’s...” Jeanette murmured. How much of a distance is there from one end of the palace to the other, again?
While Jeanette did her utmost to recall the information, Meltia glared at her with discontent.
“Either way, I refuse! I don’t care how good these boots are, I don’t want to walk that much! The thought alone is terrifying!”
“But...!” Jeanette remonstrated.
Right then, someone chuckled nearby. Jeanette turned around and her face brightened.
“Oh, Lord Clau—”
Yet before she could finish, Meltia cried out even more loudly.
“Lord Claus!” The princess practically leaped in his direction. She was on the verge of hugging Claus, who stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders.
“I see you’re doing well, Lady Tia.” Claus spoke with a smile, but didn’t relax his grip on her.
Meltia struggled for a brief moment, still attempting to embrace him, but finally gave up.
“You’re so stingy, Lord Claus! Can’t I give you a little hug? Just as a greeting!”
The man simply continued to smile while remaining silent. His eyes weren’t smiling at all, however. Numerous women must’ve said the same thing to him in the past. Jeanette shuddered to think how those events could’ve played out.
“Anyway,” Claus said, changing the topic, “Jeanette, it looks like Lady Tia doesn’t want to walk with you. So how about we take a walk instead, just you and me?” he asked with a grin, presenting his arm to Jeanette.
“Just you and me?” Jeanette echoed.
“I’ll go!” Meltia interjected, nimbly wrapping her arms around Claus’s like a snake.
Claus’s expression hardened.
“Lady Tia, I was offering my arm to Jeanette, not you.”
“Humph! What does it matter? First come, first served!”
“Lady Tia...” Claus’s eyes narrowed sharply. Seeing this, Jeanette hurriedly spoke up.
“H-How about we all walk together?!” she suggested.
Usually, Claus was a gentleman, but on occasion he could be unforgiving. Jeanette recalled how ruthlessly he’d confronted her ex-stepmother and Ariel. The memory made her heart pound. Then again, Her Highness might not mind him acting like that. Still... Jeanette stole a glance at Meltia, who rejected her proposal without a care in the world.
“I want to take a walk with Lord Claus and nobody else!”
“I’m not going anywhere without Jeanette,” Claus replied firmly.
“Oh, fine... Let’s all go together then.”
I knew it... I feel like Her Highness is used to Lord Claus treating her coldly!
After all, Meltia was keeping Claus under house arrest in the palace against his will. He might treat her a bit coolly here and there, but she didn’t mind at all.
Regardless, the bizarre trio of Jeanette, Claus, and Meltia all departed on a walk together.
“Lady Meltia... I’m having a hard time walking and we’re drawing attention, so would you please let go of my arm? I’m sure it must be hard for you to keep up with my pace too,” Claus said.
They weren’t walking at the usual, elegant pace of nobles. This was supposed to be reinforcement training for Meltia’s stamina, so they were practically jogging. Even so, Meltia clung frantically to Claus’s arm, making for quite a strange sight and catching the eye of everyone they passed by.
Yet in spite of his words, she refused to let up.
“No!” she insisted irritably.
Claus sighed.
“Sorry, Jeanette,” he said. “I wanted to help, but instead I made a spectacle of myself. You shouldn’t be seeing me like this...”
“It’s okay, Lord Claus!” Jeanette assured him. “If anything, your presence has motivated Her Highness, so I’m grateful!”
If Claus hadn’t shown up, Meltia would probably still be throwing a tantrum about the walk. The fact that she had her arms entangled with Claus’s was no big deal. Or at least...it shouldn’t have been. But the sight of the princess clinging so closely to Claus that her chest pressed against him caused Jeanette to feel a stab of pain. She tilted her head in wonderment.
Huh? Maybe I’m in poorer shape than I thought. Are my muscles aching?
“But...don’t you think...that I got a bit better...thanks to all the...exercise?!” Meltia asked in between desperate gasps for air. Claus cast her a pitying look.
“Don’t push yourself too much, Lady Tia. It’d be troublesome if you collapsed here.”
“What?! Troublesome?! I’m doing my best here just for you!” Meltia shrieked.
“I don’t remember asking you to do that.”
“Y-You’re so mean!” the princess screeched.
Claus looked at her with exasperation, yet Jeanette noticed something else. Lord Claus says harsh things to Her Highness, but I think he’s actually enjoying himself a bit... Despite his exasperation, he wasn’t looking at Meltia with the same genuine disdain he’d held toward Leila and Ariel. He often praises Her Highness in his letters, and he even calls her ‘Lady Tia’... Jeanette had heard him use that affectionate nickname ever since the piano incident, and he seemed completely used to saying it.
As Jeanette pondered, Claus suddenly looked her way.
“Are you all right, Jeanette? You’ve been quiet for a while. Did you get tired?” he asked, using his free arm to hug Jeanette tightly.
“N-No!”
“Hey! Stop showing off when I’m right here!” Meltia demanded.
Claus laughed.
“I’m only getting started, you know?” he responded, placing a quick kiss on Jeanette’s forehead.
Naturally, this infuriated the princess. Her reaction amused Claus, who laughed once more. Jeanette blushed and shyly pressed her hand to where Claus had kissed her.
What am I even worrying about? Lord Claus is prioritizing me just as he always has! But even so, she couldn’t forget how happy Claus had looked while gazing at Meltia moments ago. That image stayed lodged in Jeanette’s mind for a long time, like a fish bone stuck in the back of one’s throat.