Chapter 1: Various Facets of Growth
“SIS, Prince Charles is here.”
“Okay.”
When Agnes opened the door, her brother Kevin went wide-eyed for a second, then nodded in an approving manner.
“Yep, yep. You’re looking cute again today too. Therese, you’ve done good.”
Thanks to Philip’s constant negging, Agnes used to have a terrible self-esteem problem. But since the broken engagement and meeting Claude, she’d been gradually changing up her style of dress.
Today’s outfit was, in simple terms, a cute little dress with a light blue fabric, white lace, and a yellow bow tied around her waist with a matching choker. Therese, Agnes’s maid, had braided a yellow ribbon through her loosely curled hair. Fluffy and airy, to match her aura.
Before, you wouldn’t have been able to pick Agnes out if she’d been lying in a pile of hay in the fields. So, this was a major difference.
“Recently, Lady Agnes has stopped resisting me so much and is much more open to trying out new colors and different hairstyles.”
Therese looked puffed up with pride. Thinking about how difficult and unrewarding her job of dressing Agnes had been before, it made Agnes feel quite sorry for her.
“Well, please keep it up, even after Sis gets married. If you ease up on her even a little, Agnes will allow herself to slip back into drab-ville,” Kevin quipped.
“You can count on me,” Therese nodded.
“What? I get to bring Therese with me?”
After marriage, Agnes would leave the Lefort household. Therese was Agnes’s maid, but she was employed by Agnes’s father, Count Benoit Lefort. Agnes wasn’t sure if she was allowed to bring her own maid after marrying into the royal family.
“As long as Therese wants to go. It’s already been arranged with Prince Claude through Father. No need to worry,” Kevin said.
“I’ve raised Lady Agnes with great care all these years. I can’t entrust her to anyone else now. All those years as a mental recluse, and now she’s finally blossomed! What kind of maid would I be if I wasn’t enjoying the heck out of this?!” Therese said proudly.
“Exactly right!” Kevin agreed emphatically.
“I mean, I’m not sure I agree with that sentiment, but it will be very reassuring to have Therese with me,” Agnes replied.
Therese had looked after Agnes since before joining the Lefort family. She was like a sister to her—no, almost a mother. Agnes felt happy and grateful to know that Therese cared about her too and wanted to come along with her on her new life. She broke into a small smile of mixed thankfulness and relief.
Then, for some reason, Kevin and Therese let out dual gasps of wonder.
“Whoa. What a knockout. No wonder Prince Claude’s lost his head,” Kevin remarked.
“She’s really come along, hasn’t she?” Therese spoke sentimentally.
“…So, may I ask what you’re doing in here?”
Spotting the beautiful boy standing in the hallway and gazing at her with curiosity, Agnes stood up straight.
The fifth-in-line prince, Charles Visage, Claude’s half-brother, stood there looking somewhat quizzical. Like his older brothers, he had the perfect features of a porcelain doll.
“Prince Charles! I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting!” Agnes said.
“Ah, don’t worry about that.”
“Lady Agnes, don’t forget this.”
Agnes grabbed the basket Therese handed her and quickly trotted over to Charles with Ciel pattering quietly behind.
Today Charles was here to escort Agnes. Keeping him waiting would be out of the question. But for some reason, Charles remained standing there, staring intently at Agnes.
“Is something the matter…?”
“Hmm, this is definitely concerning. I can certainly understand how Claude feels.”
“Prince Charles?” Agnes quavered awkwardly. Had she done something to cause concern? Or was there an issue with the outfit she was wearing today? She looked down at her clothes anxiously, but Charles simply smiled.
“Don’t worry. You look adorable, Lady Agnes. Now, why don’t we head out?”
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AFTER following the still-smiling Charles into the carriage, Agnes felt herself stiffen up as the doors closed, but she soon began to relax.
Since her parents’ tragic death, Agnes had been slightly fearful about horse-drawn carriages, but these days she seemed to have gotten more used to them. All that practice with Claude seemed to be paying off. The fact that she could ride in a carriage with a man like Charles and not worry about mushrooms sprouting was a marked improvement.
“You are truly loved, Lady Agnes,” Charles murmured as he stroked Ciel, sitting beside him.
“I am?”
“I could see it on the faces of your brother and your maid, how much they love you. I heard all about how roughly that rogue Philip treated you. I’m reassured to see that you have such a loving family.”
“That rogue Philip…”
“Hmm? What about him?”
Agnes shook her head quickly, embarrassed at even having spoken Philip’s loathsome name aloud. “Oh, it’s just…you speak of him so casually,” she said.
Charles nodded agreeably. It was written on his face how much he clearly disliked Philip, and that was instantly endearing to Agnes. “I’m younger than him, but I’m still a prince. Philip expected me to defer to him, but I wasn’t so enthused. Anyway, things between us got more and more tense over the years, and now we barely speak.”
“Ah, I can imagine it.”
Philip was still a royal and craved respect, but obviously a prince outranked him. No doubt Philip grew annoyed with what he would have seen as Charles’s disrespect toward him, though it was only socially appropriate. Philip really was a petty-minded little man.
“Well anyway, both Claude and I will see that you’re cherished, Lady Agnes! You can feel free to rely fully upon us both!”
“Oh, thank you, Prince Charles. You are so kind.”
Charles chuckled, and with his cherubic good looks, he resembled something like an angel. This handsome, still-single prince was friendly and kind, so of course he was hugely popular with women.
“You’re the kind one, Lady Agnes. You’ve only just returned from Oreille, and here you are desperate to make a delivery to Uncle Cesar in person.”
Right. The purpose of today’s excursion was to visit Duke Cesar Granier, the king’s younger brother.
Cesar was a Crest Bearer but had no Dragonmate.
People say that Crest Bearers who don’t meet their Dragonmate by the time they reach adulthood will deteriorate in health. Cesar was one of those unfortunate few.
Agnes didn’t know how Cesar was before his health plummeted, but the fact that a man known for his brave deeds was no longer able to attend to his official duties showed her how frightening this condition was.
After accidentally discovering that the spirits could help with vitality recovery, Agnes had been delivering processed medicinal herbs in tablet form to Cesar. But with her kidnapping and everything, she hadn’t been able to make a visit for a while.
“Well, it’s been a long time since my last delivery,” she said. “And speaking of the fact that we haven’t been back long…how is Claude doing today?”
Agnes had sent a message to Claude asking to visit Duke Granier’s residence that day, but Charles was the one who had come to accompany her. Perhaps this meant Claude was too ill to go out.
“He’s all right. He had a few things to take care of today, so I came in his place.”
So, Claude is simply busy? Agnes breathed a sigh of relief. Charles smiled at her.
“You’re bringing homemade snacks again this time too, right?” he asked.
“Oh, I didn’t have much time today, so it was actually my maid who made them.”
“Lefort treats are unusual and delicious. I love them. Actually, that’s kind of why I volunteered to come today.” Charles gave Agnes a playful grin, and she chuckled. In no time at all, they arrived at Duke Granier’s residence.