Part 2 Chapter 110
“If you’re here, then who’s guarding the Crown Princess right now?”
Nike quickly regained his calm and asked Carly.
“I left ten elite royal guards at the palace.”
“When do you have to go back?”
“I was given a week off. You said you’d be gone for a week, so I thought I’d finish investigating within that time—oh, wait!”
She stopped mid-sentence, realizing she was answering too honestly.
“Stop changing the subject! Who’s the woman inside that carriage?!”
“….”
Nike nodded with satisfaction.
“Then let’s all go see together.”
***
Carly dropped to her knees in shock.
Before her eyes was an unbelievable sight—
an entire mountain covered in golden flowers.
Brilliant yellow and orange waves stretched as far as she could see.
Marigolds.
Everywhere.
“Wow… this is insane,” Max muttered.
“It’s not just a bouquet—it’s an ocean of flowers.”
He helped Carly stand and whispered,
“Lesson of the day: never mess with a crazy person.”
“…You think this makes sense?”
Carly still couldn’t believe it.
“This place used to be just grass…”
They had traveled for two days by carriage to reach the Duchy of Jebert—
exactly halfway between the capital and Belzer.
Bania had chosen it as her and Nike’s new home, and Carly had visited once before during the inspection.
Back then, there was nothing but a simple hill behind the manor.
“Hey there…”
A pale, exhausted man appeared, carrying a box of flower seedlings.
“Are they… new workers?”
Carly froze when she recognized the man’s face.
Not a slave—
a royal knight!
One of the elite guards who had supposedly gone on a “training trip” with Nike was actually here, forced to plant flowers!
“Why are you doing this by hand? You could just scatter seeds and wait!”
“If we do that, it won’t bloom like this in Jebert’s climate… It has to be fully bloomed when Her Highness arrives…”
Carly screamed internally.
So… Nike had made all his knights secretly plant marigolds one by one
just so Bania could see this view on moving day?!
Nike, wearing gardening gloves, patted the knight’s shoulder kindly.
“You’re doing great. Thank you. Just three more days.”
“No problem, Your Highness. We’re honored… we volunteered, after all.”
Nike couldn’t bring himself to just order them around for personal reasons,
so he had been working with them the whole time—
the real reason for his mysterious absences.
“Over here! Plant this one where there’s lots of sun—it’s still a baby seedling!”
Carly turned weakly toward the cheerful voice—
it was Lady Lena, the flower shop owner.
She ran a 10,000-pyeong flower farm outside the capital.
She wasn’t a secret lover—she was the supplier of the marigolds.
Carly bowed deeply.
“Your Highness… I sincerely apologize for my rude behavior.”
“It’s fine. Anyone could misunderstand.”
Nike accepted her apology kindly—but then added firmly,
“However, I can’t just overlook it.
You disrespected a royal and abandoned your post. That deserves punishment.”
Carly and Max winced.
They could already guess what kind of “punishment” was coming.
Sure enough—
Thud!
Nike dropped a box of flower seedlings in front of them.
“Your punishment is to help us plant.”
***
At Belzer Castle,
the Belzer family carriages from the capital arrived.
Ryan came out to greet them.
“Brother!”
“Oh!”
He clapped Richard on the shoulder.
“You’re getting more handsome. Got a girlfriend yet?”
“Huh?”
Richard flinched. “N-No?”
Ryan burst out laughing.
“Good! Makes me feel better knowing I’m not the only one single! What’s wrong with the men in this family—none of us dating!”
Richard stayed quiet, smiling awkwardly.
He decided he’d keep his secret relationship hidden until Ryan found love first.
“Next!”
Then came Krista.
“Hey! Oh, you’ll like this—Rivan finished the power suppressor!”
“What?! Really?”
That meant the device was ready—and the person they’d kept alive to make it possible,
the former Duke of Bassenberg, Edgar, was no longer needed.
Ryan asked, “You ready for this?”
Krista had once said she wanted to be the one to end her father’s life herself—
to finally let go of her pain.
But now that the day had come, she trembled.
Ryan nodded. He’d expected that.
“It’s fine. I’ll do it for yo—AH!”
He jumped in fright.
Krista’s eyes gleamed with madness.
“I’ve been waiting for this day.”
“…Okay then. You go ahead,” Ryan gulped, pointing behind her.
“…Wait—Prince Marchen?!”
Ryan froze as he saw the prince step out of the carriage.
“What are you doing here?! What if you lose control again?!”
“Don’t worry,” Marchen said calmly. “Bania came with me.”
“Bania?”
Ryan turned—and saw her getting out of the carriage, pouting.
“Wha—Bania! You came?!”
He was shocked, then overjoyed.
Bania ran up and Ryan hugged her tightly.
“My little rabbit! How did you even get here?!”
“You didn’t invite me!” she complained.
“Well, I figured you’d be too busy—”
“I wasn’t! I was this close to crying, you know!”
“Sorry, sorry. I’m glad you’re here. But wait—did your husband just let you go like that?”
“I didn’t tell him!”
Krista added cheerfully,
“She ran away after a fight!”
Ryan blinked. “A fight?”
Bania stammered, “It wasn’t like that—don’t exaggerate!”
“Her husband kept staying out overnight!” Krista added again.
Ryan’s expression darkened.
“…He what?”
“Why marigolds, anyway?” someone once asked.
Marigolds meant ‘inevitable happiness’.
Bania loved both the flower and its meaning.
Every fall, she’d visit a hill covered in marigolds—
the place of her happiest memories before time turned back.
Even now, when peace had finally come,
she still liked remembering the days when she longed for it.
She once said, half-jokingly,
“This place is so beautiful. I wish I could move this whole hill right into my front yard.”
Nike remembered that—and made it come true.
He had filled their new home with marigolds just for her.
But when he returned home, excited to show her—
“Bania…”
Her room was empty.
