CH 78

Camilla, who grabbed the hem of her dress and said her greetings, smiled benevolently. She had been silent until now, and her greetings had no flaw. Huh? Why doesn’t he say anything?

As Camilla bowed her head, Elusiana suddenly nudged Aster’s side. Only then did Aster look at Camilla in annoyance.

“Do you have any business?”

“I’d like to apologize to the Grand Duke.”

“Apology? What do you mean?”

“I think Lady Anna made a mistake because she cared so much for me.”

Camilla straightened her posture and glanced at Anna, who turned pale. “I will take care of any unsavory things separately, so please relieve your anger, Your Excellency.”

“You said something funny.”

Aster smiled and twisted the corners of his mouth slightly. “If you kill someone and ask for forgiveness, will that be forgiven? Maybe it’s because I’m narrow-minded, but I can’t do that.”

“… I was short-sighted. If Your Excellency says so, do as you please. Lady Anna indeed insulted Grand Duke Sestein.”

Anna’s face turned even more pale because of Camilla’s answer that followed. She thought Camilla was helping her, but Camilla was pushing her into the tiger’s jaws.

“L-Lady Camilla, h-how…”

Camilla continued, ignoring her call. “But I think it would be good for both of us to end at this point. I don’t want Your Excellency’s noble honor to be damaged over something like this.”

As Camilla bowed her head respectfully, all the eyes of the nobles turned to Elusiana. Although Camilla was speaking to the grand duke, she was actually trying to shift the responsibility for all of this to Elusiana.  An unspoken threat to retaliate later was appropriately covered. In addition, it was also a word she had in mind because Aster was an illegitimate son.

Of course, Aster didn’t care about that. No one knew, and as always, it was enough if he only protected Elusiana.  However, Camilla thought differently. She seemed to want to end it at this point.

Aster, with a low voice, replied reluctantly. “I hope there’s no more noise.”

“I’m deeply grateful for Your Excellency’s generosity.” Camilla lowered her head, lifted up a bit, and smiled.

* * *

Elusiana looked around the splendid mansion once again after leaving Eragost County. It was because Camilla’s words came to her mind before they parted.

“Let’s have a cup of tea next time we meet, Lusi.”

It was a friendly smile that someone might have thought the two were very close. Elusiana was horrified by Camilla’s meticulousness in disguise of that kindness.

It seems like I’ve been in a snake’s den until now. Elusiana shook her shoulders, wiping the goosebumps on her arms.

“Lusi, are you cold?” Aster asked affectionately, taking off his coat and putting it over Elusiana’s shoulder. His silver-tinted blue hair flowed over his slightly tilted face like a weave.

“…Thank you, Your Excellency. And thank you for helping me today. You really helped me a lot?”

“You were surprised, right? It’s your first time in a crowd full of malice.”

“It’s… not my first time.’

Aster, who was scratching his head with embarrassment, stopped walking. “Not your first time?”

“Yes. But why did Your Excellency think this was my first time? Have we ever met before? I was a little surprised that you spoke as if you knew me well.”

“…!”

The eyes of the two, who were naturally exchanging words, met at the same time. The two looked at each other in silence for a while. Aster was bewildered by the facts that were different from what he knew. On the other hand, Elusiana had doubts about the grand duke, who overreacted at her words. Then at some point, the two eyes turned to the opposite from each other.

What is it? Did we ever meet when we were really young?

This is not her first time? When did she avoid my sight and suffer such a thing?

The two thoughts reached a single result when the two people’s heads were complicated by indescribable awkwardness.

If it was before I possessed this body.

If it’s before she met me.

The two heads were equally bent.

“It makes sense.”

“It makes sense.”

Startle. Both of their shoulders flinched at the same time. After another silence, Elusiana couldn’t stand the awkwardness and changed the topic first.

“That, about the magic preservation potion. Your Excellency took care of me on purpose that day, right?”

Aster cleared his throat and answered while covering his mouth with one hand. “It’s a prototype. I asked you to check the result. Didn’t you buy a lot of flowers just in time?”

Elusiana nodded at Aster’s words, which seemed so natural. But soon, she thought something was wrong. “If it’s a prototype, isn’t it a family secret?”

The tips of Aster’s ears turned slightly red as he gazed at Elusiana. “…You’re also a member of our family.”

“Ah.”

Elusiana was speechless at Aster’s unexpected answer. To think that he treated her so preciously when she was merely a maid.

The butler’s words on her first day at work came to her mind.

“We’re a family.”

Perhaps this person didn’t consider the Sestein’s family members to be his family.

“Looking at the flowers decorated in Louver Hall, there seemed to be no problem with its result. I don’t think there is any need to check further.”

“Ah, haha. That’s a relief.”

“It has been very helpful. But why are you laughing?”

“I know, right? Why am I laughing?”

“…?”

“Haha. It just makes me laugh. Hahaha.” Elusiana fanned her flushed cheeks with her hand, hurriedly removing the heat from her face.

She was a woman who understood the grand duke’s heart a little because she also longed and treated her family preciously. She thought this person must have been very lonely too. She didn’t even know that her excuse made her heart beat even more.  

Aster stared at me with a keen gaze, then made a faint smile resembling me. “Are you going to the store now?”

There were two large baskets beside my legs. They were baskets with leftover props and extra flowers.

“Yes. I have something to organize, and I must keep this safe.” Elusiana jingled her red pouch and smiled with a satisfied face.

“Um, then, shall we walk there together?”

It was true that the distance to the store wasn’t far. However, even when she reached this point, she was a little worried about the grand duke’s stamina, who seemed to have walked a long way.

“It’s a commoner’s area. Would that be all right?”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a light walk.”

As Aster boasted, Elusiana couldn’t help it either. She said with an awkward smile, “Then, if you’re having a hard time, tell me right away.”

“Alright.”

Elusiana held up the basket at her feet. Aster naturally picked up the remaining basket.

“This way, Your Excellency.”

Elusiana took the lead and pointed to one side. It was just then.

“Lusi!”

She didn’t know where Noel appeared from, but he was running towards her with his gorgeous blond hair soaking wet.

Wait, where has he been until now?

* * *

It wasn’t long after Elusiana and Aster left the banquet hall. Camilla, who found it difficult to continue the banquet any longer, canceled the banquet, promising the following.

“I would like to sincerely apologize to all of you who already came to attend. So, I would like to gift you all the flowers decorated here.”

“Oh my!”

“This precious thing?”

Normally, the lifespan of preserved flowers was limited to three months at the longest. The preservation magic potion that was currently on the market, produced by Grand Duke Sestein, had a maximum of a six-month lifespan. However, these flowers here, as Grand Duke Sestein assured, could maintain their vivid form for at least a year. Besides, all the flowers decorated here were out of season. So how valuable are these?

It was only at that moment that the atmosphere had subsided like a dark swamp that was reversed.

“Tell the maid how many flowers you want. I’ll wrap it for you.”

“Oh my, thank you for the Lady’s careful consideration.”

“Please invite me to the next banquet too.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

The young ladies gathered in groups of three and four and began to look for the most beautiful flowers and flowers that suited their taste.

Just as attention was diverted to new things one by one, the door to the banquet hall suddenly opened with a bang as if it were about to break. The man, who seemed to have come running very urgently, began to scan the banquet hall with heavy breathing.

“Wait, isn’t that Lord Klaus?”

“Oh my god. I thought he wasn’t coming today.”

“But what to do? The banquet is already over.”

“I think he’s looking for someone. Ah. Could it be that he has come to see Lady Camilla?”

“As expected, the rumor that the relationship between the two has become estranged must be a lie.”

The ladies, who were choosing flowers, looked at him at once. But Noel was busy looking for someone. At that time, Noel’s gaze caught Camilla just exiting the banquet hall. He ran there without thinking further.