Chapter 48
Words I Didn’t Understand at All
“Have a pleasant day. I hope you enjoy your time.”
With that, she added a gentle farewell.
“It seems I chose an inconvenient moment. I hope we may meet again on another occasion.”
The stranger spoke while looking not at Daimond, but at me. I noticed her hands tightening around the hat she was holding. She gave an Owen-style greeting and then walked away.
As the ice in my lemon tea melted, the cubes clinked softly against each other in the glass. I opened my mouth to speak.
“May I ask who she was?”
“A connection from the past.”
Daimond answered immediately, brightly. My head tilted slightly.
I knew Daimond had connections from the past. I also knew there were several.
The rumor that the twenty-eight-year-old, unmarried second prince Daimond enjoyed an active romantic life—it was loud enough that even I, who had spent most of my time within the palace, had heard it. Men and women of all ages across the kingdom seemed to know it.
Mother, Father, and Shade didn’t appear worried about the rumors surrounding Daimond. Was it because they trusted him?
Nanesha continued the conversation.
“You don’t remember her name, do you?”
“Nope.”
When Daimond answered with a smile, Nanesha pressed her fingers to her forehead. Muttering to herself, she whispered something like, I don’t even know anymore.
“Daisy, if someone doesn’t remember your name—well, that should never happen, but if it ever does—then you shouldn’t remember that person either.”
“Do you remember all of your past lovers, Brother?”
“Who said I have many past lovers?”
“Everyone does.”
“I’d very much like to know who’s been telling you that.”
I didn’t answer.
Daimond leaned back against the sofa again. He lifted his empty cup—only ice remained—and shook it lightly. The ice chimed before he set the cup down on the table.
“Anyway.”
He twirled a small lock of my braided hair around his finger.
“I need to help you.”
“Okay.”
“I need to understand you.”
“Mm.”
“I need to cherish you. I have to look into your eyes, that’s what that means.”
“Mm.”
“Your nose too?”
“Huh?”
“And your mouth?”
“Haha, Brother!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. When I laughed out loud, Daimond laughed even harder. He straightened up and grabbed my shoulders with both hands.
“If someone does all that, they’ve already fallen for you.”
“At that point, even I’d know.”
Daimond was gripping me quite firmly. I said it hurt and pushed him away with both hands. He retreated easily.
“Why didn’t you act that way toward the lady earlier?”
“Because I wasn’t in a relationship with her?”
“Really?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Daimond frowned exaggeratedly, pulling down his thick eyebrows, then raised both hands beside his ears in protest.
“This is unfair. I’m telling you, I’ve never been in a romantic relationship—not even once—up to this age.”
“Huh?”
The loud rumors flashed through my mind. To be honest, I didn’t know any details—only that Daimond supposedly enjoyed romance, and that it was quite flashy. Daimond slowly lowered his hands and continued.
“She’s someone I helped when she was in trouble. That’s all.”
I realized I must have misunderstood. Even I occasionally received cards or letters from Owen’s nobles.
I hadn’t replied much even back in the Rundra Kingdom, so in Owen I hadn’t carefully reviewed everything addressed to me either.
It was only natural that many cards would arrive for Daimond, who liked going out and was part of the delegation.
“Oh, I see. I’m sorry for misunderstanding, Brother.”
“Good. Trust my words more than rumors, Daisy.”
Daimond smiled sheepishly.
At that, Nanesha muttered again in a low voice—whether to herself or to us, I wasn’t sure—“No conscience at all.”
I widened my eyes and looked at Nanesha, then at Daimond. Daimond raised both hands again and shook his head.
Nanesha let out a deep sigh and finally spoke.
“Prince Daimond has never been in a romantic relationship. A romantic relationship.”
Daimond nodded enthusiastically.
“Ah, so the rumors were wrong?”
“Well, it seems the Second Prince has generously handed all his dignity over to his siblings.”
Daimond popped a piece of ice into his mouth as he replied.
“If Daisy doesn’t know the details, then my dignity is still intact, Nanesha.”
“That’s a terrible standard, Daimond. Princess Daisy is the very last, the absolute last, person in the kingdom to hear such things.”
Daimond only laughed and didn’t respond.
“Princess, still—Prince Daimond isn’t wrong.”
“Hmm, you mean that he hasn’t dated anyone until he turned twenty-eight?”
“That too, but—”
Nanesha smiled.
“What he said about you needing to meet someone who truly cherishes you.”
“Ah.”
Nanesha took a sip of her tea, glanced once at Yuri—who now looked as if his eyes were completely closed—and continued.
“You should meet someone kind. Someone considerate. Someone whose priority is you.”
“Yes!”
“And most importantly, someone who desires you.”
“Desires… me?”
That phrasing was different enough that I asked again.
“Of course. You’re kind, considerate, and always think of others first. The kind of person Daimond described—that person is probably you yourself. So the one you meet should have a bit more desire than you do.”
I tried to take in her words—whether they were praise or advice, I couldn’t tell.
Few people offered advice to a princess. I didn’t often ask for it either. So when someone did give advice, it was something I felt should be treated as precious.
“Judging by those crazy eyes, there was more than enough desire.”
Yuri, who hadn’t said a word until now, tossed the comment out casually, as if throwing a card.
The rough wording startled me. Without thinking, I placed a hand over my chest.
Nanesha smacked Yuri’s arm. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, yet somehow it still made a sharp smack.
“Don’t say things like that in front of the Princess.”
“If it’s not you, Nanesha, then everyone’s the same to me.”
“And don’t say blasphemous things now that you’re a subject of the kingdom. Princess, Yuri wasn’t talking about you.”
“He wasn’t talking about Daisy.”
Nanesha and Daimond said the same thing at once.
“I knew it the moment I saw those eyes. Even making eyes like that in front of me—he’s insane. He was like that from the start. I told you, didn’t I?”
Daimond began badmouthing someone. Harsh words slipped out. And yet, he added quietly that it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Was that really not gossip?
Yuri, who had been sprawled out, sat up.
“Just thinking about it is funny.”
“We should’ve watched Yuri torment him longer.”
Yuri and Daimond continued the exchange. Nanesha pressed her fingers to her forehead—for the second time.
That day, too, was one where I didn’t understand a single word they were saying.
* * *
Mia sent me a letter written in extremely polite language. She said she wanted to discuss something and hoped to make an appointment.
She wrote that she would come to the ducal residence at a time convenient for me. I suggested instead that we meet at Shop Mémétir, since I planned to stop by a dessert shop afterward.
When I entered Shop Mémétir at the appointed time, Mia was already standing on the first floor. As always, she wore an apron, its pockets stuffed full of papers.
“Princess, thank you for coming.”
The place Mia guided me to wasn’t the fourth floor, but the first—her workshop, hidden behind a curtain.
One wall was covered with corkboard, with Mia’s sketches pinned up in no particular order. A desk was positioned so the wall was fully visible. The desk itself wasn’t tidy either.
Grid-lined paper, measuring tapes, scraps of fabric, booklets.
Mia led me to a red sofa in the center of the room.
She turned to prepare her own drink and asked what kind of tea I liked. When I said I liked anything sweet, she brought me chamomile tea with honey, along with a small plate of cookies.
Mia moved busily, holding a teaspoon in her mouth.
She rummaged through her desk, then placed several sheets of paper on the coffee table in front of me. It seemed she wanted me to look at them, but not wanting to disturb their order, I lifted only the top two sheets slightly.
They were a front-view illustration of a building and architectural plans.
“Princess, I’m planning to open a new clothing shop.”
Mia said this as she sat down on the sofa.
“I thought about what you mentioned last time—how browsing finished clothing can be an enjoyable experience. I thought it was a wonderful idea.”
She tapped the building blueprint lightly with her finger and continued.
“So I designed a ready-made clothing shop, where garments are prepared in advance and sold. I haven’t decided on the name yet.”
“A ready-made clothing shop?”
