Chapter 12
Like Before
It was hard to tell what thoughts were flowing behind Rachel’s laughter. Not because she was hiding anything, but because there was so much emotion in her eyes. The feelings were tangled in such a way that I couldn’t read them one by one.
“Back then, the Dragon’s Tear was nice too. But now that you’ve come to Owen, that’s far better. Of course, I think this is better.”
“Eh?”
Before I knew it, words that weren’t very ladylike escaped my mouth.
“Not the Dragon’s Tear, Daisy. You. What’s the problem with that?”
I blinked and stayed silent, and Rachel added more.
“You’re still lovely, we’ve already built up quite a bond, everything’s good, right? And it’s nice that you’re in the Deyerton residence too, isn’t it?”
Rachel laughed lightly. The princess’s attitude of brushing things off as ‘all good’ was, at least for now, beneficial to the Kingdom of Lundra. From her demeanor alone, it almost seemed as if she was trying to persuade me.
But still… after we had signed an agreement between our countries, could I really just overlook things that turned out differently than expected? I couldn’t help but wonder if Rachel had already finished some other calculation involving me.
“Your Highness, you mentioned repayment.”
“That was the most reasonable method at the time.”
“Do you think my response was appropriate for your calculation?”
I had been unusually direct, caught up in my emotions. Rachel lifted the corners of her mouth. Resting her chin on her hand, she tilted her head twice.
“I almost think it’s good that I didn’t return home.”
“Home?”
Rachel lowered her voice and spoke cryptically. There was a subtle hint of something in her words. When I questioned her, she diverted the topic with a noticeable shift in expression.
“So Daisy, when it’s just the two of us—like before! Can we do that?”
Rachel laughed lightly. Somehow, I felt she would keep pressing until she got her way, so I had no choice but to agree. There was also a small part of me thinking that it was better, at least on the surface, to maintain some closeness with Rachel, even if she had her own calculations regarding me.
“All right. Rachel…?”
“Ha ha ha! What’s that!”
Since I now knew her status as a princess, addressing her formally felt awkward. Rachel laughed again.
“Just call me Sister Rachel, like before! There’s no Nanesha here, so just ‘sister’ is fine.”
“I think I’m more comfortable with the way I used to address you.”
“That works too.”
Rachel answered cheerfully.
Nanesha of the Lintzberg Viscount family was another of Damon’s academy friends. Before Damon graduated, when I met Rachel, Nanesha was often beside her. Rachel was referring to the fact that I had to distinguish between her and Nanesha when calling them.
Rachel seemed unbothered by mentioning her old friends. Her former friends, including Nanesha, probably thought I had simply come to Owen for study. But Damon knew the truth, and Rachel’s other friends were still worried that they couldn’t reach the Viscount Rich family’s Rachel. Yet Rachel didn’t seem uncomfortable with this situation.
I recalled Damon saying that Rachel had been a good friend.
“I like it when you call me Hesandra. Shall we be friends?”
Rachel said gently.
Hesandra was Rachel’s second name. In Owen, people gave themselves a second name in addition to the one their parents gave. They usually only allowed close people to use it. So hearing Rachel’s second name implied a very close bond, which made me a bit uncomfortable.
“I’ll call you Sister Rachel, like before.”
“Yes, like before.”
Rachel smiled brightly again as she met my eyes. I shifted the conversation to something more ordinary.
“Why did you come to the duke’s residence today?”
“Well, to see a familiar face.”
Rachel took a sip of the tea in front of her. After setting the cup back on the table, her brown eyes drifted toward the window. She smiled to herself quietly.
A familiar face. Even if Rachel’s friendly behavior was genuine, I couldn’t think that she meant she missed just any friend’s little sister she occasionally saw.
And there was someone close to Rachel at the residence. Naturally, I thought of the owner, Cedric. Cedric and Rachel must have had a relationship from the beginning without concealing their statuses. They weren’t just a friend’s younger sibling and an older friend—they really were friends.
During our time in Owen, Rachel had often cheerfully spoken with Cedric, and they seemed to share many old stories. Their interactions appeared natural. My thoughts spiraled, connecting the day Cedric commented that Lundra’s food felt familiar with his remark about how some things can be understood without effort.
I began to suspect that today’s visit might have been a reason for Rachel to see Cedric. Could there be something between Cedric and Rachel?
I nodded slightly. Rachel laughed loudly.
“You’re nodding because you know what I mean, right, Daisy?”
“Well… I’m not sure yet, but I think I’ve got a clue.”
“Ha ha ha, a clue!”
Rachel looked genuinely delighted. She seemed to think I couldn’t read the mood between her and Cedric. She probably assumed I was thinking about something entirely different. I didn’t feel the need to explain. Instead, I continued speaking.
“Was there something you wanted to do with that familiar face?”
“Something I wanted to do… hmm, I’ve never really thought about it. I just wanted to see a familiar face, that’s all.”
That alone seemed enough for her. Could it really be fine to simply see the face of someone you like and leave? I tilted my head in thought.
Even though they had known each other for a long time, Cedric and Rachel didn’t seem to have become lovers. Perhaps Rachel was awkward in such matters. Or, since a relationship is built together, Cedric could be awkward too.
The maids of the Lundra royal palace liked romance novels. Occasionally, when I was alone in my room without maids—like when they were changing curtains—they would tell me stories from romance novels.
One thing I learned from them was that if the protagonists were clumsy in love, they often caused unintended trouble. Even if they liked someone, they might not express it, or not know how to act specially toward the one they liked.
I pictured Cedric’s stoic face and Rachel’s innocent one at the same time. Hmm. It seemed a fact to me that they were both clumsy at romance.
I’d thought this before: Cedric’s red eyes and Rachel’s red hair suited each other well. The princess and the duke of that country—their social standing fit too. Their overall vibe matched.
Rachel asking for compensation from our kingdom could be seen as doing it for her country, and Cedric seemed like a diligent subject. By every measure, they were a perfect pair.
I thought I could help bring Owen’s two young people together. Rachel, who invited me to Owen, and Cedric, the owner of the house where I stayed—it seemed perfectly natural for me to go out with them. If I could create moments where they were together, perhaps Cedric and Rachel could develop beyond friendship.
Also, I could use the opportunity to observe Rachel more closely. In fact, that was my primary calculation.
While I arranged opportunities for Cedric and Rachel, I would also get more chances to converse with Rachel. In the meantime, I might even catch glimpses of Rachel’s true feelings toward the royal family.
Rachel patiently waited while I was lost in my thoughts. Realizing I had been absorbed in my own musings, I quickly spoke to her.
“Sister Rachel, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”
“Funny, I was thinking about something too! Want to guess what?”
“Could you tell me what you were thinking?”
“Let’s go out together, Daisy!”
Among all my thoughts, Rachel’s unexpected suggestion was actually a pleasant one. When I agreed, her face brightened even more.
“Daisy, is there anywhere in Owen you’d like to visit?”
“I don’t know much about Owen, so I’d like your help.”
“Then I’ll think of some places you should see. I’ll look them up and write to you!”
After that, Rachel chatted in a friendly way, stayed for dinner, and said goodbye, promising to see me again.
That night, as I tried to sleep after Rachel left, I reflected on her words ‘like before’. Like before, Rachel was lively and approached me closely, like old times.
There were questions I wanted to ask her:
Why did she calculate Damon’s life’s value? Was it only about that method? What did she intend for our kingdom? Was it a threat?
I, too, had feelings and memories—like the warmth of her hands.
In the end, I asked nothing. I buried those thoughts in my heart and tried to sleep.
