Chapter 31
Fortunately, the maid who listened to me well was the first to inform Velia of my arrival.
Even though I came secretly, since this was the family’s exclusive salon, there were many people from the Doltan dukedom at the salon.
“What could be so interesting about that young lady?”
I recalled her sparkling eyes from the banquet at age sixteen and the tea party, unlike mine.
“We have arrived!”
The purple eyes that had briefly shown curiosity quickly turned indifferent again.
Inside the greenhouse, except for the sound of water from the indoor fountain and clinking dishes, it was quiet.
When I caught Alendo’s eyes, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Eat.”
Understanding his lip movement, Velia glanced at the young lady quietly sitting beside her.
The Doltan princess was cutting her steak with a doll-like face, saying not a word.
Unlike me, who came simply dressed just to hear news about Carlton, she was dressed lavishly.
The pale lavender dress and violet-shaped hair ornament suited the princess perfectly.
Judging from how much effort was put into this meal — even from her attire — it seemed the princess wasn’t interested in Alendo.
It had been more than ten minutes since the meal started, yet not a word was spoken.
Even the attendants had lost interest, and with all three sealing their lips, it felt like someone might choke.
“Why don’t you eat?”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
Velia hurriedly picked up her utensils after seeing her steak untouched, unlike Alendo and the princess’s plates.
As Velia raised her knife to cut the steak, she suddenly lifted her head at a gaze from beside her.
The purple eyes sent a mysterious look toward me.
“Ah, um. Enjoy your meal.”
Velia gave an awkward smile, and the princess turned her head.
Since entering the greenhouse, this was the first time the princess had spoken after greeting us.
“Your Highness, may I spend the walking time after the meal with Lady Velia?”
At this unexpected request, Velia froze.
“Me?”
“Indeed.”
Both question and answer came simultaneously.
When Velia blinked, Alendo shrugged again, giving a look that meant to take this chance to get closer.
The princess, who made a surprisingly bold request, resumed eating as if nothing had happened.
Leaving a flustered Velia behind, Alendo also continued his meal.
“What will you talk about during the walk?”
Alendo shrugged.
“We’ve never talked before.”
Thanks to the princess briefly leaving the greenhouse, it was just the two of us.
Seizing the moment, Velia asked Alendo many questions.
“Why would the princess want to walk with me?”
“I don’t know. Go ask her yourself. I’ve left people in the garden, and knights are posted there, but they’re all my people. No one will know you two walked together.”
“I’m nervous.”
Thinking she would just drink water today, Velia reached for cold water.
Alendo looked surprised at her.
“You seem more nervous than when you’re with the Crown Prince.”
“Yeah. Why do you think she asked me to walk with her?”
“I don’t know. Hurry up. You came since morning and disturbed me, so I have work to finish.”
“You’re coming too…?”
As the greenhouse door opened, Velia fell silent.
“Uh, let’s go.”
“Oh, yes!”
At Canaria’s words, Velia stood up abruptly and followed her.
“Oh, thank you for the meal.”
Canaria, who was about to leave, suddenly turned with a smile and politely greeted Alendo.
“You’re welcome. Take care.”
Her brief, no-nonsense farewell was short.
Watching the two young ladies head toward the garden, Alendo scratched his chin thoughtfully.
Even if it was a meal with no real communication, they had dined together hundreds of times over several years.
So Alendo was good at noticing changes in the princess’s expression or behavior.
“Is she a bit excited?”
The Doltan princess walking toward the garden path with Velia looked different from usual.
Unlike when she was with me, her step seemed lighter, which made Alendo scratch his head.
While walking in the garden, Velia kept glancing at the Doltan princess beside her.
“Are you curious why I asked you to walk together?”
“Ah, yes!”
Like being caught spying, Velia nodded quickly, startled.
“I asked because I walk a lot with the Crown Prince, so I thought it would be good to walk with someone else too.”
“Oh, but that’s not a path…”
Canaria stepped off the walkway.
“It’s okay here. I’ve been here before.”
As the princess stepped onto the grass without hesitation, Velia followed.
Following Canaria, they entered a small path through the bushes.
“Have you been here?”
“No!”
“It seems His Highness hasn’t brought you here. There’s a bench if you go this way. Whenever I come to the palace, I think this is the most interesting place.”
“This place?”
Velia, who had thought it was just trees and nothing special, stopped at the sight of a bench.
Sunlight was shining down around the bench under a large tree.
Though only a few steps away, it was so quiet and peaceful that it hardly felt like the royal palace.
“This is where His Highness used to come often when he was young. Now that he’s older, he doesn’t come here anymore, so he told me to come freely when I want to rest.”
“Oh, do you come here often?”
“As you saw earlier, we don’t talk much with His Highness. Walking together is mandatory, so I spend time here often, and he usually works on documents in the garden.”
“Really?”
Velia was surprised to learn that their walks were often separate.
“Well, it’s not surprising. After all, it’s a relationship of obligation.”
Canaria turned and looked at Velia.
“Hmm, why…?”
Caught by Canaria’s persistent gaze, Velia scratched her cheek.
“What do you think of me?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, your impression of me.”
“Um…”
Velia was caught off guard by the sudden question.
“Well…”
“You came to our family’s exclusive salon recently, right?”
“What?!”
Velia’s exclamation scared a bird that was resting in the bushes nearby.
Canaria smiled faintly, interpreting Velia’s surprise as a ‘yes.’
“There are many from our family at the salon. Even if you secretly came dressed in a robe that day, there are maids who can recognize the faces of noble young ladies.”
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
“Did you see?”
“Huh?”
“Me and my mother.”
Canaria looked at Velia, brushing her cheek.
The silence was too long to deny seeing it.
“I’m sorry.”
Velia closed her eyes tightly.
“What did you think?”
“Huh?”
Surprised by the unexpected question, Velia opened her eyes again.
“As the only young lady of the noble Doltan dukedom, who is spoken of as the future Crown Princess, how did I look to you?”
It was clear she wasn’t scolding for spying, nor sarcastic.
Her enigmatic eyes and calm tone were as if asking about someone else.
Velia chose her words carefully.
“Um…”
Honestly, she looked pitiful.
That was my honest impression.
I had thought she lived a glamorous life, but it seemed she actually lived a doll-like life with no freedom, which didn’t look good.
Velia looked at Canaria.
Her face waiting calmly for an answer.
“Honestly?”
“Yes.”
Velia, seeing no expectation for fake consolation, spoke honestly.
“She looked a bit miserable.”
“In what way?”
“Well, um… being in that situation itself was pitiful, but more so how calmly and resignedly she accepted it.”
Velia pouted.
The bitter feeling wasn’t only because the princess was pitiful.
Since seeing her at the salon that day, Velia’s attention had lingered on the princess’s rumors because it reminded her of her past self before returning.
Resignation is running away.
Because you can’t solve the situation, you adapt and suppress your feelings.
Having called herself fake many times, Velia had found herself resigning when facing situations like that, so she understood well.
Nothing improves by resignation.
“You seem very different from before.”
“Huh?”
Canaria looked at Velia while brushing a tree.
“Well, maybe I didn’t know before, but since then I’ve felt that you’ve changed a lot.”
Canaria recalled her faint memories of Velia.
When she saw her at the past banquet, she wasn’t particularly noticeable.
She just seemed quiet and shy, not someone who left a strong impression.
But recently, Lady Velia’s curiosity kept growing.
Her unreserved attitude in front of the Crown Prince and her honest answers to Canaria’s questions pleased her.
“What made you change like this?”
Canaria’s eyes looked somehow sad.
