Chapter 48
The golden carriage pushed through the massive crowd and began making its way back toward the Imperial Palace.
Riena rubbed her pale cheeks with both hands and let out a sigh.
"I thought my face was going to cramp."
"If you're tired, why don't you close your eyes for a while?"
"I'm not tired."
If anything, she felt as though all her exhaustion had disappeared.
Her cheeks still twitched from smiling so much, but her heart felt warm.
"Your Highness."
Riena had been looking out the carriage window, wrapped in that warm feeling.
At Ruth's voice, she turned toward him.
"Once again... I can't express how honored I am to serve Your Highness."
His voice trembled toward the end from the emotion rising inside him.
"I only did what I was supposed to do. I don't understand why all of you get so moved by everything I do that you even cry."
Ruth's clearly defined brows twitched.
He looked at Riena as though he couldn't believe what he'd heard.
He had heard many stories about Riena from Marchioness Sertua.
But even he hadn't realized she was this thoughtful and kind.
No matter that she was the Crown Princess, she was still only seven years old.
When he compared himself to her, embarrassment heated his face.
"Ruth, thank you. Thanks to you, we delivered the posters properly."
"No. All I did was remain beside Your Highness."
"That's the most important part. Besides, with the son of Marquis Sertua personally guarding me, most nobles wouldn't even dare try anything."
And no matter how clever her enemies were, how could they have known about an inspection schedule decided on so suddenly?
It was a schedule only Riena herself had known about.
While Riena continued turning the matter over in her mind, Ruth suddenly stood and dropped to one knee on the carriage floor.
Right.
He hadn't done that much lately.
Riena had gotten used to it by now, so she simply looked at him in silence.
"Use me however Your Highness wishes. I will become a stepping stone on your path to glory!"
First it was hands and feet.
Then eyes and ears.
Now a stepping stone.
Riena patted his broad, solid shoulder and swallowed the lecture rising in her throat.
"And... thank you. For caring about my mother... truly...."
His shoulders trembled faintly.
With the carriage wheels rattling beneath them, Ruth raised his head.
There was a faint sheen of moisture in his blue eyes as he looked at Riena with painful sincerity.
"It was a private matter, so I couldn't even properly thank you.... I haven't been able to settle my heart this whole time...."
"You can say things like that comfortably. Just speak freely. We'll be seeing each other for the rest of our lives."
"!"
Ruth froze and stared at her.
For the rest of their lives.
His chest tightened and his heart leapt wildly.
It was a simple, almost obvious phrase.
But hearing it directly from Riena made it feel completely different.
"When will our Young Lord finally come back~?"
Esslin sang the words as he organized the desk.
Sorting thick books and thin documents into neat stacks and wiping away dust had become his recent routine.
With Melance absent, aside from helping with the Imperial Library, Esslin's days had become remarkably peaceful.
Thud.
"E-eek!"
"Don't make a scene."
Melance calmly dusted off the shoulders of his neatly dressed suit and looked around the room.
He mercilessly pulled the edge of his coat free from Kanter's tightly clenched hand, then looked at Esslin.
"Her Highness."
"H-Her Highness the Crown Princess...?"
Esslin twitched his brows with a confused expression.
Melance let out a short, frustrated sigh and immediately headed toward the Crown Princess's room.
His steps were more urgent than usual.
"Wait for me, Young Lord Melance!"
Kanter, who had been squeezing his eyes shut, hurried after him.
Melance's long legs strode effortlessly through the palace corridors.
Meanwhile, Kanter's tiny legs had to move without pause just to keep up.
Like the feet of a duck paddling underwater.
"You're distracting. Follow from farther away."
Kanter didn't even answer the firm order.
Walking was already exhausting enough.
There was no point wasting energy responding to ridiculous commands too.
Soon, a large golden door appeared in the distance.
And beside it stood a familiar face.
"I greet Young Lord Melance. I heard you were unwell. Are you feeling better?"
"Where is Her Highness the Crown Princess?"
"Ah, well...."
While Romi hesitated, Kanter finally arrived from behind, panting hard.
"I greet you, Young Lord Kanter. You came together!"
"Where is Her Highness?"
Romi looked between the two boys and desperately suppressed the smile tugging at her lips.
"She's on her way back to the palace, so there's no need to worry."
"On her way back? Don't tell me she went on an inspection."
"Yes. As you know, it was work that couldn't be delayed even a single day...."
Melance clenched his teeth and forced down his anger at himself.
"You truly don't need to worry. Young Lord Ruth went with her!"
"......"
Damn it.
That was a problem in itself.
Of course, returning safely from the inspection mattered most.
But why did it have to be Ruth accompanying her instead of Sir Antonio?
"I see...."
The news wasn't welcome to Kanter either.
He let out a deep sigh.
His expression practically said that if he'd known this would happen, he should have listened to Melance and returned to the palace first.
"When Her Highness returns, send someone to tell me."
"Yes!"
"S-send someone to me too... please!"
"Of course~"
Who knew holding back laughter could be this painful?
How can they both be so adorable? Hehehe.
Romi maintained a perfectly polite smile until the end, desperately suppressing her laughter.
Completely unaware, the two boys turned away as soon as they had given her their messages.
Their disappointed footsteps echoed weakly through the corridor.
Neither said a word.
Even Kanter, who normally chirped like a baby bird, had gone silent and puffed out his cheeks.
