Chapter 25
The Market
Hiiiiiing—
A stray cat passed by, and Renard’s black steed let out a whinny.
“Whoa, whoa.”
Renard pulled the reins to calm the horse.
In the process, our bodies didn’t touch, but I found myself subconsciously glancing at him.
‘Is he upset with me…?’
The memory of his eyes flickering as he looked at me last night came to mind.
Last night, I had drawn a rather sharp line with Renard.
It wasn’t something I could help.
They say birds hear what you say by day, and mice hear what you say by night—but just the idea that Renard might be making such assumptions felt threatening to me.
Moreover, nowhere in the original story was there any mention that Elrose Cowell was a witch.
So there was nothing I needed to admit to Renard from the start.
That didn’t mean I wasn’t sorry.
I had never even attempted to question whether I might be a witch, so it must have been obvious to him that I didn’t trust him.
Fortunately, Renard didn’t make a big deal out of my attitude.
He seemed completely unfazed.
It was only after he apologized that I realized he hadn’t actually ignored it.
“About last night… I apologize. It was wrong of me to pressure Your Highness. You are not a witch, after all.”
Renard had apologized after we arrived near the estate, once I had dismounted the black horse.
Surprisingly, he had clearly held onto last night’s incident.
With an apologetic expression, he continued.
“Being a magician, I suppose I wanted Your Highness to be a witch. But now that I know you aren’t, please forget about last night. It was entirely my mistake.”
Yet that apologetic look somehow seemed like an act.
I had a feeling Renard was conceding to me.
Not because he believed I wasn’t a witch, but simply because he was considering my feelings.
Only because I had denied it.
I didn’t know how to take it, when suddenly,
“When will you be returning today?”
Renard asked, seemingly changing the subject.
“I’m not sure. As usual… I was planning to return around sunset.”
“Would it be bad if you came back sooner?”
“Sooner?”
“…No, never mind.”
Renard gave an awkward, small smile.
Then, in a suddenly higher-pitched voice, he said,
“I prefer that Your Highness returns home. You seem… brighter after coming home, and I like seeing that. That’s enough for me.”
It sounded almost like he was saying it to himself.
Watching Renard’s back as he left, I couldn’t help but feel it lingered in my eyes.
The clear morning sunlight mingled with the sharp scent of dried paper, drifting through the Cowell estate’s library.
I couldn’t concentrate on the book I was reading.
‘Did he really like it that much that I came home…?’
The image of Renard, as if trying to convince himself, kept replaying in my mind.
Just then,
“Rose, what are you thinking about all day?”
Gelion, clearly unable to pretend any longer, looked up from his book and asked me.
Apparently, even here, my thoughts were written all over my face.
I hadn’t realized it.
I was more transparent than I had thought.
“Gelion, have you ever conceded to someone in your life?”
I asked, curious about his opinion.
Gelion gave me a look as if to say, “Why are you asking that?”
“Of course. I always let you win.”
“To me?”
“Yes, to you. Even when you lied about wanting to visit the prince’s estate, I let you.”
Gelion said something entirely unexpected.
A lie?
Hadn’t I deceived everyone back then?
“That was a lie? I went to the prince’s estate because I actually wanted to.”
“Really? But now that you have the chance to come home, you come every day?”
“….”
Thinking back, it was true.
I thought I had been thorough with my lies, but apparently, I lacked the talent to maintain that thoroughness.
“If you’re thinking of lying again, don’t even try. It’s clear you like this house more than the prince’s estate.”
I see.
It was that obvious.
“So… could it make him feel hurt? That I like coming home this much…?”
“Hurt? Who…? The prince?!”
Gelion’s expression twisted strangely.
He seemed displeased that I asked such a question.
“Yes.”
“I don’t want to answer.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not going to answer. I suddenly don’t feel like it.”
“W-why not…?”
I stared at Gelion intently, and he avoided my gaze.
But perhaps troubled by snapping at his younger sister, Gelion sighed deeply and continued.
“Of course he’d feel hurt, if he liked you.”
Liked me?
‘Then… Renard wouldn’t feel hurt, would he…?’
“He’d feel hurt.”
“…?”
“If it’s you, he couldn’t help but like you.”
It was a ridiculous explanation.
I blushed.
Even though he was my older brother, this kind of affection made me embarrassed.
Though Gelion spoke in a neutral tone, as if stating the obvious, he continued.
“As long as you don’t like him much. Even if you don’t fully care for the prince, I’ll try to understand.”
…What was he saying?
Gelion’s gaze at me seemed meaningful.
“Just take it as roughly explained. You’re too dull to your own feelings, so I don’t think there’s anything I need to worry about right now.”
Before I could ask him to clarify, Gelion got up and left the library.
He stayed longer than usual beside me.
It felt strange.
Even afterward, Renard continued to linger in my thoughts.
Feeling guilty toward him seemed to weigh on me.
So today, I decided to move out a little earlier.
As I planned to leave the Cowell estate at noon, Evan ran up, alarmed.
“Where are you going, Rose! The sun’s still high in the sky…!”
“Sorry, Evan. I need to go somewhere before returning home, so I’m leaving early today.”
“Where?! I’m coming too!”
“That’s not possible.”
My conversation with Evan seemed suspicious, and Miryet approached.
“Rose, you’re acting strange. Is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
Nothing really was.
I was just worried about Renard.
“There should be days like this. The prince kindly sends me home every day. Don’t I owe him a little courtesy sometimes?”
I reassured Miryet and Evan, then left the Cowell estate with the black horse Renard had left for me.
Before returning to the prince’s estate, I planned to stop by the market.
The market was bustling at midday.
The sun-baked brick buildings and old wooden stalls echoed with the merchants’ loud voices.
“Fresh vegetables just in today, my lady!”
“My lady, this hat would look wonderful on you! Why don’t you try it on?”
Merchants called out to me in succession.
But I wasn’t spending time looking at stalls.
I had a clear reason for coming here today.
“I’m looking for a man’s handkerchief. Do you have a good one?”
I went into a back alley shop with higher-end goods and asked the owner.
The owner glanced at me and led me to the best-displayed section of the store.
Even with my robe covering my face, my noble bearing was apparently somewhat obvious.
I had deliberately come to the market instead of the usual aristocratic shopping street to avoid rumors that the prince’s fiancée was wandering outside.
‘Well… they can tell I’m a noble, but they won’t know I’m the Grand Princess Elcowell.’
I decided not to mind the owner’s attitude too much.
“This comes from the famed Cuway Empire. It arrived just yesterday.”
The owner handed me a handkerchief of navy silk embroidered with silver thread.
Seeing it, I remembered Renard in his navy uniform on the first day I arrived at the prince’s estate.
‘Navy uniform embroidered with silver thread.’
It had looked very good on him, so I thought this handkerchief would suit him as well.
“I’ll take this one.”
“Excellent choice! I’ll wrap it for you immediately.”
The owner skillfully wrapped the handkerchief.
Perhaps as a courtesy, he sprayed some perfume on it before placing it in the box.
“Is this a gift for a lover?”
Was that why he sprayed perfume?
“No, not a lover…”
“Not a lover? Then… someone you like?”
Someone I like?
Renard?
“Oh my, I talked too much.”
Seeing my expressionless face, the owner wisely closed his mouth.
“Thank you, my lady! Have a nice day!”
Still, the owner seemed simple-minded.
After I quietly paid the slightly higher price, he seemed very pleased.
My feelings were a bit complicated as I untied the black horse outside the shop.
“Someone you like?”
The question the shop owner had asked me resurfaced.
I worried that giving a gift might lead Renard to misunderstand.
That I liked him.
Yet, I still wanted to give him the handkerchief.
Even if it caused misunderstanding, I wanted to see him use it.
‘I hope this makes Renard feel even a little better…’
Then, a sharp female voice shattered the peaceful market alley.
“Baron!! How could you do this to me!! You lied to me, didn’t you!!!!”
Hiiiiiing—
The startled black horse struggled, and I had to work hard to calm it.
I turned toward the source of the voice and saw a woman shouting angrily.
In front of her stood a man with his back to me.
He had light pink hair.
“No, Emery, that’s not—”
“You said you were leaving because someone else had captured your heart! You said you came here to see that person! But look at you, Baron! You’re alone here!!!!”
It was a typical lover’s quarrel.
The man probably wanted to break up with her but couldn’t, so he lied that someone else had taken his heart.
The woman, feeling cheated, was furious, her large eyes filled with tears.
It was somewhat pitiful, but it wasn’t my concern.
To go past them and exit the alley, I had no choice but to pull the black horse quietly, pressing my hat deeper.
Then, just as I safely passed them,
“Oh! I’ve been looking for you!”
Stagger—
I realized the man had grabbed me, and by the time I noticed, I was half in his arms.
I tried to push him away.
But when I saw his face, I was too shocked to move.
‘The face I saw on the cover…’
Pale pink hair like cherry blossoms.
Light sky-blue eyes, like the Ternut Emperor.
Slightly upturned eyes.
A catlike expression.
“Oh… Olendo…”
My real fiancé, the male protagonist of this novel.
