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n“Done, Lady Monique,” said the maid who helped me take a bath. After thanking her, I headed to his study.

nIn front of the heavy door of his study were standing other knights than the ones who escorted him. When I stepped inside, I saw the young man sitting in a clean, neat manner, as usual, and talking to his aide. As it happened that he was done, the aide stood up, bowing to me slightly.

n“Oh, tell the emperor that I want him to take time out for me before today’s banquet begins.”

n“Yes, Your Majesty.”

nHe was wearing a knight uniform instead of casual clothes because it was a festive period.

n“Are you on duty now?”

n“No. I’m taking a break now. I’m on night shift until today, and I’m off duty tomorrow. ”

n“Got it. You are very busy.”

n“You are an exception, I think. Everyone is busy these days.”

n“Nope, I’m supposed to work seven straight days after the festival days are over.”

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n“Really? Well, I know my father doesn’t give any special treatment without any compelling reason.”

nLooking at me with a sympathetic look, Carsein asked curiously, “But why are you here, not at the banquet hall?”

n“Oh, I felt a little stuffy inside.”

n“Oh, I see, but it’s cold out here. If you keep staying here on the outside, you might catch a cold.”

nHe clicked his tongue a bit, then took off his jacket and put it on me.

nWas it because he had been wearing it until now? I could feel his warmth in the jacket.

nWhile looking at him, who was kind enough to adjust his jacket for me meticulously, I felt sorry after hesitating a bit, saying, “You don’t have to do this…”

n“You know I am much stronger than you, right? If you’re so worried, just walk a little bit and go back, okay?”

n“…Got it. Thanks, Carsein. ”

n“You can leave now. Lady Monique, can you come and sit down here?”

n“Yes, Your Majesty.”

nI carefully walked across the carpet embroidered with the crest of the imperial family and sat face to face with him. Leaning against the chair in a relaxed position, he asked, “Have you warmed yourself?”

n“Yes, Your Majesty. Thanks for your consideration.”

n“Well, I’m not asking you for anything like a price for it, but can I ask you for a cup of tea today, too?”

n“Of course.”

nI nodded in satisfaction. Given that he asked me for tea several times, obviously he seemed to like the tea I brewed.

nI looked at the table full of tea boxes. This time I was thinking about which tea to make. Considering that he was exposed to the cold fall rain, I picked tea leaves that would be good for preventing colds: chamomile, rosehip and lemon balm. I blended the three tea leaves in the proper ratio and brewed it. I handed him a teacup and poured tea into my cup and sipped it.

n‘Um, the quality of tea served at the imperial palace is really good.’

nWhen I looked at him, he seemed satisfied, too.

n“By the way, Your Majesty.”

n“Um.”

n“What are you going to do with the case of Princess Beatrice?”

n“I have thought about it, but I think I have to consult with the emperor first, so I want you to keep it to yourself until tomorrow. ”

n“Yes, of course, Your Majesty. ”

nI was surprised deep down because I expected he would blame me for asking about it or meddling with his job, but he answered readily.

nSomehow, I felt strange. The old him would have rebuked me, saying this was none of my business. Of course, the old him wouldn’t have cared about whether I was soaked to the skin or not.

n“Lady Monique, how about taking a break at home instead of attending the banquet today?”

nWhen I was silently drinking tea in a pensive mood, he spoke to me, looking at me with eyes that looked a little darker than usual.

n“But Your Majesty…”

n“You must have felt very cold in the autumn rain, so don’t overwork yourself.”

n“… ”

n“If you pass out again, I’m afraid your father will be worried sick about you.”

n“… Yes, I’ll do as you wish, Your Majesty. ”

nDid he say that because he was really worried about me? Somehow, I felt weird because he said that, looking out the window. Suddenly, I felt uncomfortable in this awkward atmosphere.

nAfter fidgeting with the teacup, I looked out, too, following his gaze.

nThe world outside the window was turning gray everywhere. I heard the sound of rain dropping, shaking trees, and red and yellow fallen leaves falling in the rain, which I didn’t see at all when I was hurriedly walking back to the palace a little while ago. It was a typical peaceful scene on an autumn day. For a long time, he and I shared silence, relishing in the peace of autumn rain.

nFinally, it was the last day of the banquet.

nI was having a peaceful time with my father after a long time. When I closed my eyes for a moment and enjoyed a cozy mood, the butler came in and put down a letter and a box on the table. I took my head off my father’s shoulder and looked straight at the butler because I was not supposed to be caught being rude even to my father.

n“It is from the Imperial Palace. It was sent by the emperor to Marquis Monique, and the box was sent by the crown prince.”

n“Got it. Thanks.”

nAfter watching my father open the seal of the letter for a moment, I grabbed the box. What is it that he sent me? He didn’t say much about it when I saw him yesterday.

nWhen I opened the lid of the box, there was something meticulously written on a piece of white paper and an envelope on top of it. I saw it before. The gorgeous envelope with gold pearls densely scattered on a blue background had his signature in shiny white ink.

nIt was the second letter he sent to me. When I opened the seal, I saw a few lines in white ink on a colorful letter paper with a golden pearl on a blue background, just like the one I received recently.

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nMaking a dress in three days? I just thought he just said it out of courtesy the other day.

nWhen I removed the white wrapper, I was wowed at the gorgeous dress inside. What he sent me was a cream-colored dress. Pastel-tone pink stones and small diamonds like the necklace and earrings I received from him last time were tightly sewn on a creamy skirt and glistened with a subtle pink color. If the dress he gave to the princess felt like it was designed for a dreamy girl, this one felt like it was designed for a girl full of happiness. It was a really pretty dress in my eyes, even though I didn’t pay much attention to clothes.

n“Did the crown prince send it to you?”

n“Yes.”

nWhen I slowly nodded, he looked at the dress for a long time and said, “Hmm. Anyway, you should say thank him when you see you in the evening. ”

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n“Huh? Are you going to the banquet, too? ”

n“Yes. The emperor sent me a letter asking me to attend today’s banquet. Maybe it was related to the selection of the crown prince’s bride candidate.”

nWhen I saw my father folding the letter nonchalantly, I suddenly recalled Princess Beatrice’s dialogue with her bodyguard. I agonized about it, but decided to shut up because the crown prince asked me to keep it secret until today. If he attended the banquet, he would hear about it anyway.

nLater that afternoon, I showed Lisa the box, telling her I had to change my dress today. Looking inside the box, she was speechless for a while then exclaimed that it was so beautiful. After trying to calm her down, I changed into the new dress and went downstairs, feeling the weight of my silver hair on my shoulders. I let my hair down because she strongly argued that putting it up would make me look girlish.

nWhen I went downstairs, my father, who was already ready and waiting for me, looked at me for a long time.

n“Dad?”

n“… Oh, are you ready now?”

n“Yes, have I kept you waiting for long?”

n“No. By the way…”

n“Pardon?”

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