# 36
---
I was momentarily startled by the polite kindness of a man I had first met, but I soon regained my senses.
"… Yes."
“Your Highness?”
“Let's go up.”
I answered as indifferently as I could and climbed into the carriage as if to escape.
Meanwhile, Duke Roger did not forget to help me by holding my hand when I entered the carriage.
He looked at me and asked me.
“So, will you return to the Grand Duke’s residence now?”
His friendly eyes crept up into a smile, and if I had a little vanity, I would have thought he was flirting with me.
Honestly, when I looked at someone like him, I couldn't understand why Ian was the one who monopolized the attention of all the noble ladies in the capital.
“I wish we could talk more, but time doesn't seem to permit it. It's a shame, but I have to let you go now.”
Duke Roger said softly, smiling merrily at the sunset.
“Until we meet again, Your Highness.”
“I hope you have peaceful days until then.”
“…Yes. If the opportunity arises, we will meet again, Duke Roger.”
With my words, the door closed, and the carriage began to move slowly.
After Duke Roger had completely disappeared from sight, I leaned back in my seat and covered my mouth.
“...what was that?”
Do men from this region usually flirt with anyone they meet like this?
Or was it because I only dealt with Ian?
I had to spend a lot of time calming my troubled heart.
“Even a minor character who appears for only a few lines in the original work can flirt in such a way, and yet the male hero….”
I clenched my fists and watched the sun set behind the carriage window.
“…I have to start training when I get back.”
The male hero, who couldn't even be compared to a supporting character, was waiting for me in the duchy.
❖ ❖ ❖
It was already evening, and the sun had quite set, when I returned to the residence of the Grand Duke.
When I entered the main lobby, I ran into Ian, who was coming out of the dining hall.
He nodded slightly in my direction.
“You're later than I expected.”
“Well, it just happened that way. It looks like you're on your way to dinner, Your Highness.”
“You see.”
Silence again.
I mean, if someone asks a question, isn't it common courtesy to respond to the same question?
You don't know the phrase, "I'm fine, thank you. And you?"
Maybe it was because I had just returned from seeing Duke Roger, but Ian, who was staring at me expressionlessly, looked more like a tin robot than ever today.
In the end, I spoke first.
“Aren’t you going to ask me if I had dinner?”
"Yes."
"Did you eat dinner?"
At least listen carefully this time.
“No, but I had a big dessert with the princess earlier, so I thought I'd have some soup later.”
"Understood."
When I saw that he seemed indifferent whether I was eating soup or rice, I stared at him and spoke seriously.
“Your Highness.”
"Yes."
“I was thinking.”
“What now?”
“I still think humble and nice guys are the best.”
"Yes…?"
Naturally, his reaction was like, “What the hell are you talking about?”
I shook my head quietly.
What might he know?
With a complicated feeling, she looked him up and down and sighed.
“I wish I had at least put in some effort... Am I asking too much?”
“Okay, then, I'll leave.”
What a fate.
I left Ian standing there in amazement and walked up the stairs to the second floor.
When I entered the bedroom, Vivi, who had been waiting, rushed towards me.
"Ma'am! I'm back. Did you have a good time?"
“…Fun time?”
When I asked her softly, Vivi closed her mouth. It was as if she had forgotten for a moment that the other party was the princess. I stared at the tense Vivi, relaxed my expression, and let out a small laugh.
“Just kidding. I had a good time. Although it was a bit stressful for me...”
“Phew, that's convenient. I thought I misspoke again.”
As Vivi subtly looked after me as I was led inside, her face was full of anticipation.
“How was the Imperial Palace? This was the first time you were invited there in person, wasn’t it?”
“Well, what's so special about him?”
I shrugged as I took off my outer clothing.
Although the princess's dressing room was impressive enough to make one's head spin.
Since I was not inclined to make a fuss, I answered vaguely and then crossed the room, collapsing on the bed.
Even though I didn't do much, I felt exhausted, and thought about not going out for a while.
As expected, staying confined at home and relaxing worked fine for me.
'Okay, but the meeting with Duke Roger wasn't so bad, I guess.'
Guys like him were the best.
“Vivi, prepare the bath water.”
“Yes! Ah, right.”
In response to my words, Vivi clapped her hands together as if she had just remembered something.
“Ma’am, I have subscribed to Arya’s newsletter as you requested! The butler also managed to get one for us today.”
“Oh, really?”
I slowly lifted my body from where I was lying on the bed.
“Can you give it to me now?”
"naturally!"
Vivi immediately brought over a silver tray that had been set aside in the room.
On the tray was a thick paper envelope, a small rolled-up sheet of paper no larger than half the size of a palm, and a disposable fountain pen.
Vivi handed me the envelope first.
“I've been told that...this is the main newsletter.”
Then she picked up the rolled up paper and pen.
“This is the paper on which subscribers write their opinions. Its use is simple: if you open the desired page and write on this paper, the writing will appear directly in the newsletter!”
“Hoho, is this true?”
I accepted the paper and pen, my eyes sparkling, and examined them curiously.
“It looks normal from the outside.”
So there is magic like that.
“Oh, but...”
Vivi, who was speaking animatedly, suddenly cleared her throat and pointed towards the envelope.
“I didn’t mean to look intentionally, but as soon as I checked the newsletter, I saw that the news about Your Majesty was on the front page...”
“Hmm?”
She blinked, taking the newsletter out of the envelope.
Once I confirmed its contents, I understood why this expression appeared on Vivi's face.
On the front page of today's edition, there was a big headline about me and the Grand Duke.
The ghost of the Grand Duke rebelled!
Oh my God, this is an emotive title.
'Whether in that world or in this world, the technique of attracting attention with a headline is the same.'
Honestly, compared to the entertainment articles I've seen before, this title was almost bland.
I quickly read the title and read the content below.
As expected, the headline detailed how I had walked into Mrs. Brillose's monsoon party yesterday with Ian, how Ian had kissed the back of my hand, and how we both looked very emotional.
In addition, he briefly mentioned Fistani and the incident with Isabella's group.
I couldn't help but feel internally amazed.
'How was it so detailed?'
It clearly sounded like someone was watching from the front row, just like I heard.
'Were they really there, right next to me?'
While I was skeptically skimming the newsletter, the last part caught my attention.
Many distinguished members of society, including this writer, are looking forward to celebrating the princess's birthday two months from now. So, we can't help but wonder! Will the ghost of the Grand Duke's family surprise us again? Or will this ghost rebellion end in one chapter? The titles associated with the Grand Duke and Duchess may certainly change depending on their next moves!
“How cruel they are...”
So this was just a warm-up, and they'll be watching to see what happens next.
After reading the closing line, “Then this writer set out to perform some summoning of ghosts!”
I finally noticed the opinions section of the newsletter.