Messages exchanged within the imperial palace were strictly controlled by appointed officials.
As I was obliged to associate Ginevra Gulbru and the Marchioness Ambrose as quickly as possible, my preparations for departure were completed in an instant.
The speed was so fast that I felt as if I was in a dream that I had stayed in the Imperial Palace at all.
The morning after my meeting with the Crown Prince, before the sun rose, I had already sat in the carriage, unable to suppress my sleepiness, and let out a yawn.
Oh...I'm so sleepy.
Having suffered from lack of sleep due to worrying about how to win the favor of the notorious Mrs. Golbrow, I leaned back on the comfortable seat of the carriage and closed my eyes.
"princess."
If the Grand Duke had not called me in such a serious tone, I would have fallen asleep immediately.
Shaking off the drowsiness, she stared at the Grand Duke in amazement.
"…Yes?"
In his hand was a piece of paper that looked like a letter.
“You said you met the Crown Prince yesterday, right?”
"Yes, this is correct."
“Did you correctly reject his offer to stay at the Imperial Palace?”
“Yes...”
Only yesterday, after I ran into that madman in the park, I hurried to meet the Grand Duke and explained everything to him.
I thought everything was settled after that, so why bring up the topic again now?
I was worried that something had gone wrong, so I quickly asked:
"Why, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
The Grand Duke remained silent for a long moment before answering in a puzzled tone.
“This is not the case at all. The Crown Prince sent a message this morning, but its content is… strange.”
“What did he say...?”
The Grand Duke tilted his head slightly, as if he didn't really understand.
“He asked me how long had I become a cruel usurer.”
“A, cruel lender?”
At that moment, yesterday's events replayed in my mind.
“What does he mean by being indebted to Grand Duke Blair? He does not undertake financial transactions lightly.”
“Ah, well… I happen to be relying on the Grand Duchy of Blair to provide all my meals and lodging.”
Although it all started with me being a prisoner...
Since the Crown Prince had no way of knowing the truth, I kept a straight face and continued my blatant lie.
“I was grateful and offered to pay for my accommodation and living expenses, so His Highness gave me a contract.”
"a contract?"
“Yes. It basically stipulated that the costs of my stay in the Grand Duchy of Blair would be calculated and billed accordingly.”
While I was at it, I took care to emphasize that until my debt was paid in full, I would not be able to leave the Grand Duchy even by one step.
At that time, I thought that the Crown Prince had given up, because his eyes gradually lost their sparkle the more I spoke.
But now…
“Did he really go and tell him I was being blackmailed?!”
He even went to the trouble of writing an official letter on this subject?
Thinking back, I remember some unsettling moments.
...Actually, more than a little.
In the middle of my speech, I probably got a little emotional and lashed out at my overpayment for accommodation and meals, saying it was practically a scam.
But that was my desperate attempt to avoid being recruited as one of the Crown Prince’s “talents.”
As I was justifying my actions, I looked at the Grand Duke again, to find his eyes filled with doubt.
"princess."
"Yes?"
The way my voice trembled pathetically only encouraged him to press harder.
“Looks like there's something else you need to say.”
“Well, this... um...”
I rolled my eyes hard, then finally relented and made a lame excuse.
“He is the Crown Prince, after all. I needed a good excuse to flatly reject his offer.”
If I had simply rejected his kindness, he would have felt insulted and, given his unpredictable nature, would have made another unpleasant offer.
So I emphasized that what I did was the best possible decision, given the circumstances.
"Show."
The Grand Duke, who had been listening silently, nodded.
Did you...did you succeed in convincing him?
She looked at him with optimism and a bright smile.
“So you decided to portray me as a cruel usurer who drains people’s money.”
But his quiet muttering made me freeze in place.
“Draw you?”
...Well, honestly, I drew it that way.
But I couldn't admit it now, even if my life depended on it.
And that tone in which he spoke… it was clear that he held a grudge!
“I was simply playing the role of the ‘social outcast’ as His Highness described it.”
True, this all started because he set the tone wrong from the beginning!
In an obvious attempt to shift the blame onto others, I did my best to feign indifference and turn my face away.
“Forget it.”
“Huh?”
After a short pause, his voice became noticeably calmer.
The unexpected reaction made me turn towards him – to meet his emerald eyes, which had now turned into a slight smile.
The Grand Duke said in a clear and deliberate tone:
"If that's what it took for you to leave safely, then that's enough. I didn't want to lose you senselessly."
“Oh…”
Wait, what?
As I took in his words, my expression became more puzzled.
This seems like…
Something a guy would say when he likes a girl?
Haha, impossible.
There was absolutely no way that the Grand Duke, who was so cold and aloof, would say something like that to me.
He must have meant that he didn't want to lose the accommodation fee that I legally owed him.
This man...despite his elegant appearance, he knows how to exploit people and get money from them.
I dismissed my baseless intuition as an illusion, and nodded.
“Haha, yes! I will be careful to avoid such problems in the future!”
“That's it?”
“Huh?”
Was I supposed to say something else?
After a moment's thought, I added hesitantly:
“I will not let anything leak out. I will stay close to the Grand Duchy.”
Ultimately, I needed to pay off my debts properly.
Perhaps the Grand Duke was impressed by my diligence as a debtor, and his views deepened.
"good."
After he was satisfied with my answer, he nodded.
But then—
“…”
Poke.
Poke, poke.
Why, why is he still staring at me?
His piercing gaze almost penetrated my skin, making me do my best to ignore it.
“I… I really want to meet Ms. Gulbru soon...”
If I didn't, I would feel like I would burn under that look.
* * *
A towering tower that seemed to pierce the sky.
Arched windows are carved into the exterior walls, allowing for an open and airy outlook.
After passing through a maze-like garden, you arrived at a palace that looked like a fairytale palace.
“This is my first time actually coming here.”
Since I only communicated through letters, I never expected to see this place in person.
The famous Golbru Palace...!
Calling it a “palace” was an understatement – it was every bit as opulent as the Clytani Imperial Palace.
How luxurious was the place? Even the servants' clothes exuded wealth.
“Are you Miss April Salt?”
"Oh, yes. I'm here to see Mrs. Gulbru."
Given the Gulbru family's insular nature, one could not simply request a meeting and expect to be received. That's why I had no choice but to visit under the name “April Salt.”
...Well, it's not that I've ever been recognized as a princess before. At that time, I was only recognized as an administrative officer.
I followed a maid wearing a light, loose dress, and walked forward with somewhat unsteady steps. Before I knew it, we had arrived in front of a huge door carved with intricate geometric patterns.
“Madam, your guest has arrived.”
At the maid's announcement, I suddenly found myself recalling my long and troubled memories of Ginevra Gulbru.
Now, after countless written correspondence and a deep understanding of each other's personalities, our relationship has finally blossomed into a friendship – but at that time, dealing with her extremely difficult temperament was a real torture.
“Come in.”
The huge door opened smoothly and without a sound.
As expected, the sight of the lavishly decorated room inside completely stole my attention, causing me to notice Ginevra Gulbru a little late as she approached me.
“…Miss Salt.”
Dark skin, jet black hair.
Sharp, piercing eyes that exude confidence. As the light poured in behind her, she seemed to be surrounded by a divine aura.
“Oh.”
But more than her striking presence, something else caught my attention—
What are you doing there?
Behind her, there was a huge bookcase that filled an entire wall of the room.
Filled from end to end... with picture books.