IWCVF 04

Chaptar 4

We finished our meal while asking each other questions. After dinner, Raiden escorted me back to my room.

“You didn’t have to come all the way…”

“You are my precious fiancée, after all.”

Raiden said with a smile. The atmosphere was warm and pleasant, yet there was still a lingering tension between us.

We soon arrived in front of my door.

“Thank you.”

“I believe I can help with choosing your personal maid.”

“Raiden?”

“I prepared the list of candidates.”

“Why go that far…?”

“Since Celia is coming, I thought I should at least put in that much effort.”

His eyes looked as if he was expecting praise, so I smiled at him.

I wasn’t sure what he wanted, but for now, praising him seemed right.

With a gentle smile, I leaned in slightly and whispered,

“You did well.”

“Yes, hearing that from you makes it worthwhile.”

What is this… why does he only say such nice things?

And just like that, I ended up choosing a maid together with him.

Inside the room, Raiden and I sat facing each other on the sofa. After a while, the butler, Luten, entered.

“These are the candidates for the maid position.”

I looked at the list. As expected, Elise was on it.

“Elise seemed quite capable…”

At my words, Raiden pointed to the list.

“Elise is skilled enough to occasionally attend to me. When important guests visit, she serves them as well.”

She really was good.

“Actually, I had already planned to assign Elise. That’s why I sent her to assist you beforehand. But I thought you might prefer someone else, so I showed you the list.”

After hearing that, I thought for a moment and pointed at other names.

“What about the others?”

Raiden shook his head.

“They’re not as good as Elise. Honestly, I recommend her.”

So even yesterday, when she briefly assisted me, he had already assigned me the most skilled maid.

“I’ll choose Elise.”

I told the butler without hesitation.

“Then, Lady Celia, I will send Elise to you right away.”

“Please do.”

The butler bowed and left.

I was starting to feel tired.

As I was thinking that, Raiden stood up.

“You must be tired after arriving today. Please rest.”

He’s quick to notice.

“Would you like to have tea together tomorrow?”

But I couldn’t just let him go like that.

“Tea… together?”

His eyes wavered again as he looked at me.

“Yes. I’d like to get to know you better, Raiden.”

In the dream, I had treated him coldly, so even though we were engaged, I never really got to know him.

I needed to change that.

“And I’d like to have chocolate chip cookies too.”

“It sounds like it will be a delightful time. I will make sure to be free tomorrow at noon.”

He said with a softened gaze, clearly pleased by my suggestion.

Raiden bowed and turned to leave, but before closing the door, he glanced back at me with a hint of reluctance.

After he left, I went to bed with Elise’s help.

I think this is going well…

Raiden probably thought my words about getting along were just politeness. Still, he didn’t reject me and listened to me. He seemed more apologetic than I expected… and he liked me.

And the way he speaks as if he’s seen me before… it must just be because of the newspapers.

I let out a small laugh and closed my eyes.

For now, I just needed to make tomorrow’s tea time go well.

Thinking about tomorrow, I drifted off to sleep.

Since this was a place I had seen countless times in my dreams, it felt familiar.

I fell asleep quickly.

Tea time was held in my room.

Before he arrived, I placed fruits Raiden liked and cookies I liked on the table and brewed the tea.

I’m good at brewing tea. Even the Crown Prince acknowledged my skill. So I decided to let Raiden taste tea brewed by me personally.

Hopefully, this could help me get closer to him.

“Elise.”

“Yes, miss.”

“Bring two teacups.”

Elise quickly returned with teacups decorated with adorable cats.

As I admired them, someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

“Celia, it’s me.”

A familiar voice.

Elise opened the door, and Raiden entered.

“Welcome.”

I waved at him. Elise bowed and quietly left the room.

Raiden was dressed neatly, wearing a luxurious white shirt beneath an embroidered outfit.

It was quite formal for a simple tea time.

“Please, sit here.”

As I offered him a seat, he carefully sat down.

“I brewed the tea myself.”

“You did?”

“I wanted this to be a special tea time.”

I poured tea from the elegant teapot.

“This is Mongle tea.”

Mongle tea was commonly enjoyed in spring, even by commoners. He probably didn’t expect a duke’s daughter to drink something like that.

“It’s one of my favorite teas.”

“I like it too. Does that mean we’re alike?”

That wasn’t what I expected him to say.

“I was just joking. Please don’t be so surprised.”

He said, watching my reaction.

Was Raiden always like this?

Then again, in the dream, we weren’t close, so it’s natural I didn’t know this side of him.

He took a sip of tea—and his eyes widened.

Looking between the cup and me, he spoke with admiration.

“It’s sweet.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It has more depth than the tea the maids prepare. The sweetness… it reminds me of your voice, Celia.”

He smiled as he drank.

What does that even mean…?

Still, I took a sip myself.

It really was good.

“I think I brewed it well.”

“I’m good at making tea. Whenever I had tea time with Princess Shiran, I was always in charge of the tea.”

The Roel family was a ducal house. Since childhood, I had often visited the imperial palace, so I knew Princess Shiran and Crown Prince Majin well.

“Even His Highness the Crown Prince likes my tea.”

Raiden drank more—at first savoring it, then almost gulping it down.

“It’s so good I feel like praising it endlessly.”

“Really?”

As expected of my skills.

“But Princess Shiran and Crown Prince Majin… they’re not people I could ever meet.”

Raiden said with a bitter smile.

“That’s not a good thing to say.”

I smiled gently at him.

“I’m engaged to you. If you lower yourself like that, how do you think I feel as your fiancée? You don’t need to put yourself down just because of status.”

He lifted his head, looking at me with a fragile, searching gaze.

I nodded lightly.

He seemed pleased, tapping his teacup before speaking carefully.

“How close are you to the Crown Prince?”

“We’re somewhat acquainted.”

“But people say you might become the Crown Princess…”

“Does that bother you?”

“As your fiancé… I feel quite jealous.”

That caught me off guard.

I laughed softly and shook my head.

“It’s just a rumor. Probably because of the first dance.”

“I’m not interested in becoming Crown Princess. It’s a heavy position.”