Chapter 68

A nobleman’s engagement ceremony had gifts given in return. Even commoners and wealthy people gave gifts in return, so it was the same in the imperial family as well.

Paul, like any other nobleman, frowned upon receiving a gift in return. They were part of the marriage, so it was right not to accept a return gift, but it wasn’t because of that.

The fact that he had received the same thing as other nobles seemed to make him angry.

“Young lord.”

One of the servants approached and held out a box to Louis. It was a cookie box again. Louis was upset but did not express displeasure because this was a royal servant. He just told them to tell them that he would receive it well.

“What’s that?”

Matthias came up to Louis, who received the box separately as if he thought it was suspicious. Before Louis could answer, Matthias looked through the box and laughed at Louis.

“I’m afraid someone is a bastard, are you going to take this?”

“Then why don’t you say no to him!”

Paul frowned as Louis’ tearful voice rose. Paul was afraid that Matthias and Louis would fight, so he divided them into two carriages.

“Matthias, we’re still in the palace. Try to be moderate.”

“What’s inside?”

Matthias knew that Rowena thought Louis was more special than the other brothers. So he wondered if she disguised them as cookie boxes and gave them other special gifts.

Matthias approached and opened the box lid before Louis could even keep it. Inside were neatly packed animal-shaped cookies decorated with jam. It was a molded cookie.

“That girl still thinks you’re a baby!”

“Matthias!”

Paul was unusually angry. This was because Matthias referred to Rowena as the girl in the palace. There were no other nobles around, but it was difficult to be sure whether someone would have heard it or not.

“I would have told you to watch what you say! Today is a good day! Don’t make me angry anymore!”

Paul, who came closer, grabbed Matthias by the shoulder and dragged him away. He looked more like an underaged child than an adult, but Matthias could not resist Paul’s hand.

Theo dusted the lid Matthias had thrown away and held it out to Louis. The cookies were piled up with clean paper, and only the lid of the box fell outward, so it was clean.

“Never mind. Matthias does that all the time.”

“…”

Louis snatched the lid, closed the box, and strode away. Theo looked at Louis calmly and then slowly moved on.

Rowena looked happy. Contrary to his concerns, the crown prince seemed kind to Rowena. But he didn’t know for how long that would last.

It’ll be a relief if it goes well.

* * *

The return journey was rather long. The higher the aristocracy, the closer the mansion was to the royal family. It could be said that the Adelia Estate was somewhat close to the Wenson Estate, but it took time to get there.

Damn it.

Louis, who was sitting in a wobbly carriage with the cookie box in his arms, became depressed.

Theo had been at work the night before, and he was so tired that he was already asleep. Louis sighed and opened the lid of the cookie box.

The animal-shaped cookies were made by Rowena when he was young.

When Louis was depressed, when she heard his father scold him loudly, she made each one of them into molds and made them with care.

Louis put cookies in his mouth one by one, recalling how he felt then. He couldn’t eat properly because he was nervous during the engagement.

“What?”

There was a small envelope at the bottom of the box. Louis hurriedly looked at Theo and took out the envelope. His heart beat fast.

When he opened the envelope, he found a letter in it.

To Louis.

I don’t know if you’ve thought about my offer. It’s not an easy decision to make, so I understand that you’re worried. But I don’t want you to doubt your worth.

I’ll call you to the palace later, so I hope you think about it before you decide.

There was not a line about living in the palace that Rowena suggested. Perhaps she was worried that the letter would fall into Paul’s or Matthias’ hands.

He thought he had made up his mind but Louis’s heart was strangely fluttering.

Louis looked at Theo, who was still asleep and put the letter back in the envelope. Then he carefully hid it in his clothes pocket and reached for the cookies in the box.

The cookies that crumbled in his mouth were still sweet and crisp.

It had the same taste as the ones in his memory.

* * *

Another engagement party was five days later. The day was a formal introduction of Rowena to various nobles. It was said that there would be a banquet after the engagement ceremony, but it was a banquet that neither the crown prince nor Rowena attended.

“Then why not the day after the engagement…”

Rowena asked cautiously as she left the emperor’s palace and returned to the crown prince’s palace. As soon as Cecil got out of the emperor’s place and entered the hallway, he held Rowena.

The weight of the dress, plus her weight, was quite heavy. Cecil insisted she was not at all heavy.