Chapter 42
"Who would be foolish enough to travel that distance by carriage?"
Melance's voice kept echoing in Ruth's head.
The more he replayed it, the more embarrassed he became.
Eventually, he shut his eyes tightly.
Well, was there anyone in the Empire who didn't know that the Grand Duke's heir was one of the greatest magical talents of his generation?
Riena, who had been quietly watching him, carefully spoke.
"...Young Lord, do you want a chocolate nutritional drink...? I'll cancel the four-day ban."
The four-day nutritional drink ban was lifted after only thirty minutes.
But Ruth's hollow eyes still wandered through empty space.
"R-Romi? Two chocolate nutritional drinks. No, three."
"Yes~"
Silence fell again.
Riena awkwardly fiddled with the poster and glanced sideways at Ruth.
"Um... well. Melance just talks like that sometimes. He embarrasses people without even trying."
"...I'm fine."
Fine?
He looked half-dead.
"...Want to go for a short walk? My schedule is pretty light today, and the weather's nice."
"...Thank you for considering me."
"We'll be seeing each other every day, so I should stay on your good side."
"That's absurd, Your Highness...!"
"Good. That's more like you. I don't like seeing you all gloomy."
Riena hurriedly cleared the desk, then hopped down from her chair.
Seeing the tiny shoes of the supposedly dignified Crown Princess, Ruth couldn't help but chuckle.
People called the Imperial Palace garden a salon for angels.
Apparently, that wasn't much of an exaggeration.
Even at first glance, it was a splendid and beautiful place.
But once they properly entered the walking path, it felt as though they had stepped inside an old masterpiece.
The finest part of all was the fountain engraved with the Imperial crest.
The four-tiered fountain constantly sprayed thick and thin streams of water, giving it a majestic appearance.
"It's a magnificent fountain."
"Is it?"
Ruth stopped walking and stared at it.
"You can wait there."
At Riena's order, the servants who had been following at a distance stopped.
"Want to come with me?"
Her voice tickled Ruth's ear with an oddly secretive tone.
Riena turned and hopped onto a bench hidden from the servants' view.
As Ruth watched her little legs swing back and forth through the air, a laugh slipped from between his lips.
But only for a moment.
He immediately erased the smile and hurriedly checked Riena's expression.
"Sit here."
"No, I'm fine."
"Young Lord, you're great in every other way, but you always make me repeat myself twice."
It wasn't his intention.
But sitting on the same bench as the Crown Princess simply didn't seem appropriate.
"If you've decided to follow me, then my words should come before etiquette. If you can't do that...."
Her golden eyes shone faintly under the sunlight.
"Don't stay by my side."
"!"
"I'm not threatening you."
It probably didn't sound believable, but Riena truly hadn't said it as a threat.
If they didn't suit each other, then sending Ruth back to where he belonged now might be better for House Sertua too.
His face went pale.
He stammered, not knowing what to do.
"I'm sorry. I'm simply... lacking. I won't make the same mistake again."
In the end, Ruth carefully sat at the very edge of the bench.
So far at the edge that it looked as though a single tap would knock him off.
"Haa... do all you young lords have some kind of secret club?"
"What sort of club do you mean...?"
"A stubbornness club! A club for not listening to me!"
"Th-that can't be true!"
"Then what is this?!"
He was practically sitting on an invisible chair in midair.
Riena openly pointed at the ridiculous way he was sitting.
"You look like you'd fall right off if someone poked you!"
"I won't fall off that easily! I'm fine!"
"Why do Melance, Kanter, and you all smile while refusing to listen to me?"
Riena shook her head and sighed shortly.
Ruth watched her quietly, his lips parting before closing again.
"What? Were you going to make an excuse?"
Riena shot him a sideways glare.
Ruth shook his head.
"No."
"What is it? Say it."
"It's really noth...."
His mouth snapped shut when his eyes met Riena's fierce stare.
Ah.
She'd told him not to make her ask twice.
He looked at Riena, who was still staring at him, then turned his head as though making up his mind.
"I'd like... for Your Highness to speak comfortably with me too."
"I'm already speaking casually to you."
"...Me too."
The soft breeze tickled Ruth's silver hair and long eyelashes.
He gently closed one eye and opened it again before continuing.
"I think... I'd like you to call me by my name."
His voice faded toward the end.
Both of his cheeks turned pink.
Apparently noticing the blush himself, Ruth quickly turned away and bit down on his full lower lip.
His embarrassed expression looked almost painfully earnest.
Riena pretended not to notice and shifted her gaze toward the fountain.
For a while, only the sound of rushing water and wind flowed between them.
What if Her Highness is offended? Why did I say something so unnecessary...!
Ruth regretted it enough to want to smack his own troublesome mouth.
But at the same time, it was something he truly wanted.
So part of him felt strangely relieved.
After gathering his courage, he slowly turned toward Riena.
"!"
Their eyes met at the perfect moment.
"Sure. It's not like that's difficult."
Riena tossed the answer out in an indifferent tone, then looked back toward the fountain.
Even if she sounded casual, Ruth had gotten the answer he wanted.
His lips stretched into a broad smile.
"Thank you!"
There was a quiet warmth in his smile that made even those looking at him feel at ease.
The pale blue eyes beneath his long eyelashes were like treasures hidden in the deep sea, constantly drawing the eye.
His elegant nose and broad smile only made that gentle expression shine more brightly.
Melance was a black cat.
Kanter was a white cat.
And Ruth....
A handsome giant dog?
Riena let out a small amused laugh.
Fluffy white fur.
Huge paw pads like a bear's.
And ears that perked up every time she spoke to him!
"Now that I look at you, you kind of resemble a Samoyed."
"!?"
Ruth froze.
A Samoyed was a dog that lived in the cold northern regions.
Which meant....
Was she saying he looked like a dog?
He had no idea what expression to make.
Was this a joke meant to bring them closer?
Or was it simply praise?
No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed difficult to take as a compliment.
Then it had to be a joke.
Ruth straightened as though making up his mind and spoke clearly and carefully.
"Your Highness the Crown Princess resembles a northern snow hare!"
"...A northern snow hare?"
Riena was slightly taken aback.
But she didn't want him to feel embarrassed, so she quickly smoothed her expression.
However....
Her eyes met those of a woman approaching from a distance.
Riena couldn't even make a sound.
The woman had frozen in shock, looking as though she'd stopped breathing.
Riena wanted to make some excuse on Ruth's behalf, but....
"A northern snow hare with soft, fluffy white fur!"
Ruth, completely unaware, smiled brightly and even added an explanation.
Marchioness Sertua immediately bowed to Riena, perhaps to stop her son's mouth before he could say anything worse.
"I greet Your Highness the Crown Princess."
Her calm, clear voice drifted gently through the air.
Ruth spun around as though he'd been burned.
No matter how promising a talent of the Empire Ruth was, before Marchioness Sertua he was still only her son.
And a kind son with absolutely no sense of danger.
The moment Ruth saw the displeased look on his mother's face, his already stiff body went rigid.
M-Mother...?
His brave blue eyes disappeared instantly.
He nervously wet his dry lips while staring at Marchioness Sertua.
He looked fully deserving of a sharp smack on the back.
Fortunately, thanks to Riena, he escaped it for now.
For now.
Just before Marchioness Sertua could start scolding him, Riena threw herself into her arms and buried her face against her.
The sudden movement made the woman's hands tremble.
She carefully stroked Riena's back.
If she followed her heart, she would have stroked that soft hair and hugged the child tightly.
But Riena was the Crown Princess now.
"Are you feeling all right...? You have no idea how worried I've been."
Riena lifted her chin and examined the Marchioness's face with anxious golden eyes.
"Of course. I've gotten much better thanks to Your Highness worrying about me. I'm only sorry that I caused you concern...."
Riena silently played with Marchioness Sertua's hand.
At first, she had pulled her close mainly to keep Ruth from getting scolded.
But once she saw the sickly woman's face up close, her eyes began to sting.
Her dry, thin hands and pale complexion were painful just to look at.
"...Don't be sick. Okay?"
"I'm really much better. That's why I was able to come see Your Highness like this."
If Riena were truly seven years old, she might have believed that lie.
But beneath the woman's bright smile, shadows still lingered under her deep-set eyes.
There was even dried blood at the corner of her mouth.
This was not the complexion of someone who had recovered.
Ruth, who had silently watched the two of them, extended one arm toward the Crown Princess's Palace.
"The wind is cold. Let's go inside."
Riena pushed down her sadness and immediately led the way.
Marchioness Sertua slowed her steps by about two paces.
Then she stared directly at Ruth's face.
"Let's."
A chill ran down Ruth's spine.
It had only lasted for a moment.
But Marchioness Sertua's brow had definitely twitched.
Ruth bit his lower lip, rolled his eyes nervously, then gave his mother an awkward smile.
But Marchioness Sertua was not the sort of woman who would let him escape with a smile that flimsy.
