CH 21

Lafesch, who was walking without looking like a noble lady, thought so and drew a triumphant smile on her face.

“Of course, I’m the center of the world!”

Everything will go well from now on. I feel good, lalala~!

She even hummed the song and shook her shoulders.

“…..”

When he came out, Theodore stood in front of the library, watching Lafesch as he looked away from the strange thing.

***

“Esadien.”

After Lafesch left, I tapped my back with both hands.

“Did you get close to Young Lady Celeste?”

“Are you friends?”

Esadien tilted his head slightly to the side.

“I’ve only seen her twice.”

“You were very close for that.”

“…..”

As soon as she snapped back, Esadien immediately closed his mouth.

What’s with that silence?

Theodore laughed quietly next to him.

“Prince, Lady Minuelle seems to be jealous right now.”

I answered immediately.

“That’s right.”

“Yes, sir.”

Esadien still looked suspicious.

“Jealous?”

He didn’t seem to understand why I felt jealous.

I felt a little sad. It feels like an expression that he won’t feel jealous even in the opposite case.

To shake that feeling, she took his hand off her waist and said, clenching her fist.

“You were alone with another woman, and of course, I’m jealous!”

“Minuelle, didn’t you watch the opera with Theodore?”

“We’re friends!”

“Since when?”

At first glance, Esadien seemed to be jealous and questioned, but his expression was never like that. A plain face that only confirms the facts. 

“…..”

Theodore said on behalf of me, who was exhausted.

“Prince, Lady Minuelle felt sorry for me for being dumped miserably and decided to be friends from today.”

“Got dumped? From Lady Celeste?”

“Yes.”

“You’re a good knight, Theodore.”

“You’re saying the same thing as Lady Minuelle.”

Laughing, Theodore scratched the back of his head with some dubious expression.

“Come to think of it….. It’s not the case that you sent Lady Celeste alone. I’ll be back after seeing her off for a while.”

Theodore left the library saying so.

I think it would be better for the two of us to solve it, but I had already lost my energy.

Instead of saying anything more to Esadien, I turned around and sat on the window seat. Just a few days ago, it was the position I was leaning on Esadien.

Esadien immediately followed me.

“Minuelle.”

“….yes.”

I answered without raising my head so that I wouldn’t see him standing in front of me. It was obvious that seeing his face right in front of his nose would relieve my anger.

“I returned the book.”

No, this prince is really!

The idea of not seeing his face collapsed in seconds. I asked in a ferocious tone when I raised my head because I was speechless.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Now you’re looking at me again.”

As expected, Esadien leaned slowly down, staring straight at me. With his arm on the corner, he said quietly.

“I’m sorry to upset you.”

“……”

It was a serious apology. When I heard it, I felt so childish that I showed my jealousy to Lafesch.

As he bowed his head sullenly, Esadien called me again.

“Look at me, Minuelle.”

Esadien was bending over to my eye level completely. I can’t believe he’s bending over. It was impossible for the Imperial Family.

“What’s wrong with you? Just sit here.”

She hurriedly grabbed Esadien’s arm as she asked, keeping her posture motionless.

“How can I accept your apology?”

“You’re talking like you’re going to do anything.”

“You speak as if you would do anything.”

“As you say.”

I just had to say I accept the apology.

But…

‘You’re going to do anything?’

That’s the most dangerous thing in the world.

And dangerous things are always as sweet. Drunk by the sweetness, I did what I would normally have endured.

She gently wrapped her hands around Esadien’s beautiful face and asked.

“Can I kiss you then?”

I carefully swept Esadien’s thick lips with my thumb.

“Here….”

For a moment, I could feel Esadien’s breathing become disturbed.

Last time, right here, he scornfully refused. But this time.

‘Are you hesitating?’

His trembling eyes moved in bewilderment.

For a moment, Esadien, who closed his eyes tightly and opened his eyes, finally nodded.

“….yes.”

“What?”

As my consent fell, I felt rather strange. I thought I would be very happy, but it wasn’t as I expected.

After thinking for a bit, I quickly figured out why.

I lifted my hand from Esadien’s face with a faintly bitter smile.

“No, cancel it.”

“What?”

Esadien caught the hand that was about to move away. I thought he would be relieved if he didn’t like touching, but he was clearly frowning for some reason.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to do it like a reward. It’s forced…. Eup.”

The soft thing stopped talking in an instant and then fell.

“Uh- just, now.”

What has passed!

Unlike me, who was terribly shaken, Esadien stared at me calmly and lowered his face once again.

This time, the tip of my nose slowly brushed, and my lips overlapped. My eyes closed gently. Other things felt clear because of the darkened view.

Things like the scent of Esadien, his lips shaking a little, and my heart beating loudly as if it was going to burst my eardrums.

Every time the soft lips touched, a small flame seemed to burst in front of me.

But the moment of joy passed short. After biting my lower lip gently with his lips, Esadien stepped back.

“…..”

“…..”

There was an awkward but warm silence.

Esadien stretched out his body and coughed, and I buried my flushed face in my palm.

I! With Esadien!

‘Dream? Is this a dream?’

I peeped at Esadien with a gap between my fingers. Seeing that his ears were red, it was certainly not a dream.

Oh my God, I! With Esadien!

‘We really kissed!’

If this was on the bed, I would have hit the pillow and made a fuss.

All I could do now was hold my fist in my mouth and hold my breath.

“Minuelle.”

Hmmm, Esadien, who coughed again, called me.

Instead of not being able to hit the pillow, I jumped up like a pressed spring and hugged Esadien. He hugged me as if he had expected it.

“I’m sorry to upset you.”

Esadien apologized once again. Having already been relieved of jealousy, I murmured with my face buried in his arms.

“I forgive you.”

“Thank you.”

Despite that answer, Esadien said he was grateful for the sincere forgiveness. So I leaned back a little and looked straight into his eyes.

It seems I haven’t been able to say this often these days.

“I like you.”

“……”

Esadien gave no answer. However, after spending a lot of time with Esadien, I found out that his reaction had changed a lot from the beginning.

Unlike the first time when he was clearly opposed, Esadien’s eyes now had a faint sadness.

So I said it again with my heart. In the hope that one day we can get rid of that sadness.

“I really, really like Esadien a lot.”

“Yes…..”

Only then did Esadien reply in a low voice, but it was not the feeling he sent me, it was just acceptance.

‘But it’s okay.’

Knowing that Esadien was changing, I could have waited better.

“Why didn’t your face come to my mind?”

Esadien muttered inaudibly as he rested his chin on my head as if trying to avoid my eyes.

“Yes?”

“No, nothing.”

Esadien, slowly sweeping down my back, was like a child trying to check something out in anxiety.

But I didn’t notice it at the time.

***

The next day. When Lafesch entered the office, she looked surprised at me, looking happy.

‘It must feel good.’

I grinned from an angle where Lafesch was not visible.

Now that I have become a friend of Theodore, I will not be involved in a marriage with him. Most of all, I filled up my affection while I was with Esadien yesterday.

“Are you too excited in front of the person whose heart is broken today?”

Theodore grumbled, but Esadien and I knew it was a joke.

“Lady Minuelle, all the replies to the invitations have arrived.”

“Yes. Was there anyone who was absent?”

“No… Oh, the Strauss family said they couldn’t attend because of the overlapping schedule with the Lord’s funeral.”

“I see.”

“Here, table layout.”

Lafesch handed over the layout before I asked for it.

But I was glad she did a pretty good job. If it wasn’t even for that, I wouldn’t have been able to stay with Lafesch.

“Thank you.”

Come to think of it, Lafesch didn’t tell me useless stories today.

“But, lady.”

“What?”

“Ah….”

I almost asked Lafesch if something was wrong. I shook my head in a hurry. It’s good to get rid of the hassle, well.

“No, I just need to take one table out.”

The Strauss family’s case was solved by widening the gap between the other tables instead of removing one table.

I did not forget to inform the butler about the condolences.

“There’s only one thing left.”

The Emperor did not attend the noble’s wedding, but he had to be the first to receive the invitation and the last to receive the invitation.

In particular, the second time the invitation was sent, the married couple had to visit together and make a direct offering to the Emperor. In addition to the parents of both families, it was like getting permission from the emperor to marry.

‘I don’t know if I should interfere with the marriage.’

It is also true that a noble marriage is a union between families.

It is now just accepted as one of the procedures, but it seems that the former Emperors actively exercised their veto power to prevent the creation of forces that could challenge the Imperial power.

When I delivered the schedule to older sister Juella, she stopped writing something busily and looked at us and said.

“His Majesty? It’s already been that way.”

Now the wedding is really getting closer.

The prospective brother-in-law had already moved his luggage to the grand duke’s residence, and the banquet hall was only waiting for flowers to arrive the day before the wedding, and the dress was almost finished.

“Thank you for your hard work, Lady Celeste. You, too, Minuelle.”

“No, it’s not over until it’s over.”

It’s over when the last guest goes back and finishes. This was a responsibility as a person who prepared a banquet.