“What are you doing?”
“It is a display of affection.”
In that instant, Estevan’s ears turned red.
“I am really tired. Please escort me quickly.”
When Liliana grabbed his arm and shook it, he had no choice but to start walking.
“Let’s go.”
Liliana walked side by side with Estevan, her face bright with happiness.
As they headed toward the detached Palace, Liliana chattered.
“Your Highness, I did well today, right?”
“Exposing the corruption was very well done.”
She stopped walking and looked at him.
“That is all?”
“What more do you want?”
Liliana held out her hand.
“Please give me a reward.”
“What?”
“A reward. When someone does something well, you give them a reward.”
“You are not a child…”
“Alright, then let us do something mature.”
Estevan looked at her with an expression asking what that meant.
“Let us go on a date.”
“A date?”
“Do you know we have never gone on a date even though we are engaged?”
“…”
When she stared at him, he stepped closer.
“I see. We have never gone on a date. You must have felt disappointed.”
Wrapping the tip of Liliana’s luscious red hair around his fingers, Estevan pressed a kiss to it.
“Let us go on a date.”
Liliana stared blankly at his action.
“Where did you learn something like that?”
“Learn?”
“You kissed my hair.”
Since she asked so directly, he couldn’t answer.
“Anyway, you said we would go on a date. No taking it back.”
“I won’t take it back.”
“Good.”
Estevan looked at Liliana’s clear smile and showed a pleased expression.
She was a strange woman, but he didn’t dislike her.
No, rather, should he say he was becoming interested? It wasn’t a bad feeling.
Even her chattering voice no longer bothered him.
***
Returning to the Ruby Palace, Consort Isabella exploded with the anger she had been suppressing.
“How foolish! Do you know how much effort I put in, and they ruined everything?!”
Head maid Emma tried to calm Consort Isabella.
“Please calm down, Your Highness.”
“Do I look like I’m in any state to calm down? You saw it too, didn’t you? That face of Consort Diena mocking me!”
“Your Highness…”
“I’m also disappointed in the Princess Consort. If something like that happened, shouldn’t she have come to me first and told me? Instead, she ran straight to His Majesty the Emperor and tattled… Thanks to that, I was made into a laughingstock.”
At that moment, the door opened and Mikael entered.
“Mother, what is all this?”
The room was a mess with the things Consort Isabella had thrown.
“Why did you come?”
“I came because I was worried.”
Consort Isabella stroked Mikael’s cheek.
“You are the only one who worries about me, Mikael.”
“Have you calmed down now?”
She took a deep breath.
“This is why I told you Count Valentier was not someone trustworthy.”
“Yes, I should have listened to you. I was foolish.”
“Do not blame yourself too much. But will you abandon Count Valentier and his daughter?”
“I suppose I must. I cannot incur His Majesty’s wrath as well.”
The Emperor wanted the May Fairy of this Founding Festival to be selected fairly without corruption. That was why he had put Liliana in charge of it.
But now corruption had been discovered again, so his anger would be tremendous.
Three years ago as well, not long after the May Fairy was chosen, corruption was discovered.
Since reopening a competition that had already ended would have been unreasonable, the Emperor covered up the matter.
But this time as well, corruption was discovered. The difference from then was that thanks to Liliana’s quick thinking, the contest was conducted fairly.
“Mother, I think it would be best to lie low for a while. We must at least avoid His Majesty’s wrath, shouldn’t we?”
“Yes, we should.”
“We must have no connection with Count Valentier and his daughter.”
“Do not worry. I will handle this matter myself.”
Consort Isabella’s eyes flashed sharply.
***
The Garnet Palace.
Consort Diena wore a pleasant smile the entire time.
“Isn’t it truly refreshing?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“To shatter Consort Isabella’s expression, not bad.”
She recalled the sight of Consort Isabella leaving the Diamond Hall, unable to contain her anger.
Her face turning red and blue was quite a spectacle.
The sight of Count Valentier and his daughter, who had been acting so arrogantly, being dragged out was indescribably satisfying.
“Peggy, we should send a gift to the Princess Consort.”
“What shall we prepare?”
“Silk would be nice.”
After a while, the maids brought silk made from fabric used in the Eastern Kingdom.
Consort Diena carefully selected the silk.
“This one will do.”
She chose two. One was patterned with a red phoenix, and the other was black silk with a small floral pattern.
“Deliver them well.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Consort Diena hummed as she headed toward where her pet parrot was.
Today was a very enjoyable day.
She intended to enjoy this happiness together with the birds.
***
Liliana was looking over the remaining schedule in the office inside the detached Palace.
Knock knock.
At that moment, her head maid, Anna, knocked and entered.
“Your Highness, Consort Diena has sent a gift.”
“A gift?”
What Anna brought was silk.
“They say it is silk, a high-quality fabric used only in the Eastern Kingdom.”
Seeing the silk, Liliana thought it was beautiful.
“I should tell her thank you.”
The silk sent by the Consort was difficult to obtain.
Seeing that she had sent something so precious, it seemed today’s events had pleased her greatly.
Today’s incident must have been quite an entertaining spectacle for Consort Diena.
While she was admiring the silk for a while, Claire came to visit.
The moment she saw Liliana, she bowed.
“Thank you for exposing the corruption, Your Highness.”
“It was only natural. Please stand, my Lady.”
When Claire straightened from her bow, Liliana took her hand and headed toward the drawing room.
“Let us have some tea.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Liliana enjoyed refreshments together with Claire.
“How does it feel to become the May Fairy?”
“It still does not feel real. But I am very happy.”
Liliana took a sip of tea and asked,
“My Lady, have you decided on your sponsor?”
“Yes, I have decided.”
“I see.”
“Are you not going to ask who it is?”
“We will find out who it is soon anyway. So you do not need to tell me if you do not want to.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.”
After that, Liliana continued chatting about various things with Claire.
“I did not know Your Highness was this knowledgeable. There really are not many people who know Dubois’s books.”
“I like books just as much as you do, my Lady. Would you come visit sometimes and keep me company?”
Claire answered as if pleased.
“If Your Highness is alright with it…”
“Of course I am.”
Claire smiled shyly.
“Oh my, it is already this late.”
They had been chatting together and didn’t even notice the time passing.
Claire, who looked out the window, also looked surprised.
“Ah, it is already time…”
“You should hurry and go.”
“Yes, then. I will see Your Highness again another time.”
“Alright.”
Liliana escorted Claire to the main gate of the detached Palace.
“She seems like a good person.”
When Anna came closer and said that while looking at Claire, Liliana agreed.
“She is a good person.”
“By the way, what will happen to Count Valentier and his daughter?”
“Well, won’t they receive a punishment befitting their crime?”
“People like that deserve punishment. How could they play such tricks with food? Bad people.”
Anna fumed, saying they would receive divine punishment.
“You really…”
To get even angrier because they tampered with food, it seemed she really liked food.
***
Count Valentier and his daughter were locked in an underground prison.
“Father, what are we going to do?”
“What else? We have to get out of here somehow.”
“Is there a way?”
When Cecil grabbed Count Valentier’s arm and asked, he shook her off and snapped.
“This is all your fault. If you had handled things properly, you wouldn’t have lost the position of May Fairy!”
“I did not know things would turn out like this either. Who would have expected the assistant chef to betray us?”
Cecil gritted her teeth as if the mere thought angered her.
“When I get out of here, I won’t let that man off.”
At that moment, the guard pushed food through the prison door.
“Meal.”
Count Valentier hurriedly grabbed him.
“Hey, guard. Did you deliver a message to Consort Isabella?”
The guard frowned deeply.
“Her Highness says she does not know you.”
“What?”
The guard repeated clearly.
“She. said. she. does. not. know. you. Is that enough?”
“Th-That can’t be. Her Highness would never abandon me so easily!”
The guard covered his ears and shouted.
“Ah, you are so loud. My ears are going to burst.”
“Deliver the message again.”
The guard looked at Count Valentier with a dumbfounded expression.
“Do your job properly for the money you took!”
“Damn it, you gave me just one gold coin and you are acting like it’s a big deal. Here, take it back!”
The guard threw the gold coin at Count Valentier and disappeared.
After a moment, someone else appeared in his place. It was Emma, the head maid of the Ruby Palace.
