Chapter – 16
“Please don’t tease me, Young Lord….”
Even so, there was a note of sincere resignation in my voice as I answered.
At this rate, it felt like the day I’d become infamous as the clumsiest person in the imperial palace wasn’t far off.
But regardless of which number ball mine had been, Samuel replied with an expression of complete satisfaction.
“Not knowing how to play outdoor games is hardly a flaw, Your Highness. Besides, your health hasn’t been good for a long time.”
“But the Crown Prince, who was said to be just as sick as I was, could do anything.”
When I seized the chance to bring up Calysion, Samuel burst out laughing.
“Well, that’s true. He beat me after holding a cricket racket for only six months. I was terribly frustrated, you know.”
“That’s… strangely comforting.”
I laughed along with him, then carefully brought up another topic.
“The day we played dominoes together. His Highness took me there and said you were one of his few friends.”
“Did he? Then it seems my long-standing loyalty to His Highness has finally borne fruit. To be honest, I never realized it myself.”
He kept smiling, but his gaze grew noticeably more serious.
“I heard His Highness spent a long time confined indoors. Did you often meet him during that period as well?”
“As for me…”
Samuel hesitated for a moment, then spoke again.
“Yes. Although you may not have known, Princess, I was His Highness’s playmate. Even when he was bedridden, I came to the palace at least once a month to talk with him.”
How could I not know? Of course I did.
“Ah… He must rely on you a great deal.”
“Well, one thing is certain.”
Samuel spoke after a brief pause.
“Even while battling illness, His Highness’s heart was firm and unwavering. He is someone Your Highness can rely on without reservation.”
Now that I thought about it, the aftermath of Calysion and I dancing twice in a row the day before seemed more significant than I’d realized.
Samuel’s manner was more formal than when we first met, and the more he spoke about Calysion, the clearer their relationship became before my eyes.
They were not friends.
They were unmistakably sovereign and vassal.
“That’s reassuring. But… ah, no, it’s nothing.”
I deliberately cut myself off mid-sentence. Samuel smiled faintly.
“You may speak freely. I belong to His Highness, and if His Highness concerns himself with his relationship with you, then so do I.”
Despite the vague smile, his tone was unmistakably firm.
Pretending to feel reassured, I finally said what I’d been holding back.
“I heard something a little strange. About the atmosphere among the nobles in the capital…”
For a split second, a sharp glint flashed in Samuel’s eyes.
“To dare convey such irreverent words to Your Highness. I knew Lady Green was young and immature, but I didn’t think she was so crude.”
Startled by how quickly he named Nina—and by his extreme reaction—I hurriedly waved my hands.
“N-no, please don’t say that. Lady Green has become my friend. She was simply worried about me, just as you worry about His Highness. She had no ill intentions whatsoever—”
As my flustered explanation grew longer, Samuel let out a low sigh.
“I know. I was overly sensitive. My apologies.”
Only then did he continue with the explanation I had been waiting for.
“I know which rumors you mean. They claim that there are reactionary elements within the system who are irreverent and disloyal. But staining a star does not dim its light.”
Meeting my gaze squarely, Samuel added,
“He is the one and only star of Yustini. You need not worry so much, Your Highness.”
After our rather long conversation, I came away with two clear conclusions.
First, the rumors Nina spoke of were true.
The Crown Prince and the Grand Duke of Artsen were clearly at odds. Which meant that Jwibangul had deliberately withheld information from me.
Given the circumstances, it was possible that the Grand Duke of Artsen was my true client.
Second, although I didn’t know how many nobles stood on the Grand Duke’s side, the House of Hübner was firmly on Calysion’s.
That meant the young lord before me could become an obstacle to completing my commission.
Only then did I fully realize that all his efforts to win my favor with those beautiful red eyes had been solely for Calysion’s sake.
I spoke to Samuel again, newly tense.
“It’s a relief that you’re by His Highness’s side. Thank you for being honest with me.”
“I’m glad I was of help.”
Only after hearing my words did Samuel return to his usual self, smiling warmly once more.
And then, inevitably, he added a mischievous remark.
“If we’re already sharing secrets, perhaps next time we should talk about romance.”
Feigning embarrassment, I fled and picked up a bowling ball instead.
The Next Day
I visited Princess Alexandra’s residence again with Nina, retrieved the coin purse embroidered with her name, and spent most of the afternoon with her.
It took far longer than expected because Nina was still in a state of complete excitement over the fact that I’d danced with the Crown Prince twice the day before.
Honestly. This is why lifelong singles are hopeless.
But the moment I opened the door after a long, exhausting day, Jwibangul grabbed my wrist with a pale face.
“What did you do with the leather pouch?”
I’d thought it was lucky she hadn’t noticed the day before—but maybe two days was pushing it.
The truth was, I had taken the leather pouch with me two days earlier and handed it to Jane.
“Find me another one exactly like this. By the day after tomorrow.”
And now, two days later, a black leather pouch had thankfully returned to my possession.
I calmly slipped my hand into my clothes and took it out.
“It’s right here. Why?”
“Hey!”
Jwibangul shouted and snatched the pouch from my hand.
She angrily shoved it back into the drawer.
“What were you thinking, carrying this around? What if you’d lost it?”
I replied, dumbfounded,
“Well, the Crown Prince is going to invite me soon, so I figured I should be ready to go to the Crown Prince’s Palace with the pouch at any time. Honestly, you go berserk every time you see that thing. Why? Did you smear honey on it or something?”
Apparently hit right on the mark, Jwibangul suddenly grew quiet and muttered,
“H-honey? No… It’s just… just in case it gets lost.”
As expected, she was good-natured by nature.
In fact, during the three-day preparation period before we came to the imperial palace, Raphael had inspected the pouch and discovered traces that it had once held poison.
Thankfully, the toxicity had remained only on the inside, but I’d felt uneasy and avoided touching it with my bare hands.
Although I’d brought the pouch to the palace to carry out the commission, hiding something like that in the bedroom of a Crown Prince who was said to be physically weak felt far too unsettling.
In short, the pouch I carried today was a fake that merely looked similar.
At a glance, there was little difference, but placed side by side, the color would be noticeably off.
The real pouch was with Raphael, who was making a perfect replica.
Honestly, I’d expected the flawless copy—and the original—to be back in my hands by now, but according to Raphael…
More time is needed. Two more days, for now.
It was an enormous relief that Jwibangul, in her agitation, hadn’t inspected the pouch closely.
If it didn’t look exactly the same, the commission would be considered incomplete.
I’d thought Raphael could quickly make a similar-colored pouch, even if he had to dye it.
But after two whole days, he still hadn’t managed to make a single pouch?
In any case, to divert Jwibangul’s attention, I asked,
“No invitation from the Crown Prince’s Palace yet?”
Jwibangul nodded.
“Yeah, not yet.”
Was it just my imagination, or did her face show a strange hint of relief as she said that?
Suddenly, I had the feeling that she wanted to complete this commission just as little as I did.
If our master knew, the fairy who would even pretend to die at a single word from him would be in serious trouble.
The Following Night
That night, Raphael went to see Jane and spread out a fistful of leather scraps on the table.
“I bought these for a ridiculous price. What do you think?”
