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chapter 19
Celestine stared blankly at Asha, stunned by a story she hadn’t expected at all.
What on earth did I just hear?
And what was that look just now?
“Well, anyway, life in the royal palace always requires the utmost caution,” Asha said with a small smile, as if to imply, When did I ever say that? When did I ever make that expression?
Did I mishear…?
But there was no way she had.
“I was so worried, but now that you say nothing happened, I finally feel at ease. I’m truly relieved,” Celestine said.
“Ah, yes… that’s right,” she replied with an awkward smile.
“Please have some tea, Celestine. Though of course, the tea leaves I use… are far from the quality used in the Count’s household…”
Snapped back to reality by Asha’s words, Celestine finally looked down at the teacup.
Right. I’ve read about this in novels too. Everything used in Asha’s castle is lower quality than even what a wealthy commoner would have, let alone a noble household.
…Why do I feel a chill from a girl like this? It must just be my imagination. Besides, I already know everything about this world.
And in this story, the villain was Hela. Asha was just a pitiable, gentle heroine.
With that thought, Celestine cautiously took a sip of tea.
“This is very delicious,” she said.
“Really?”
“Yes! Of all the tea I’ve ever had in my life, this is the best.”
No matter what kind of tea was served, she wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference from the Count’s household anyway. Celestine had always been someone with little discernment in taste.
“Perhaps it’s because I’m drinking it with the princess. The pastries are quite excellent too.”
“……”
“Your Highness, you should eat too! Otherwise, I’ll end up devouring everything myself.”
Asha’s cheeks colored slightly, whether in gratitude for Celestine’s reaction or because she found it amusing.
“You really are a kind person, Celestine,” Asha murmured, holding her teacup and looking away slightly.
“At first, I thought you disliked me… but now, being friends with you feels like a dream.”
“……”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m being overly sentimental again…”
“Life in the palace can be hard, but just endure a little longer,” Celestine interrupted gently.
“I promise you. Someday, a good day will surely come.”
Of course, it would be a rough journey for Asha until that “good day,” but the fact that the ending was a happy one didn’t change.
Celestine wanted to let Asha know this, to encourage her, while she was still feeling down.
“You will be loved and respected by everyone and live happily, Your Highness.”
Indeed, once she became Empress, Asha received both love and respect from all of Yeshua’s citizens, praised as a motherly, kind, and wise Empress.
“And the people you love will always stay by your side, so moments of loneliness or fear will never return.”
“Then, Celestine…?”
“Yes?”
“Will you stay by my side too? When that day comes?”
Celestine paused at Asha’s unexpected question.
…I had never considered the situation after the novel ended.
Well… once that damned warning disappears and the story concludes properly, I suppose there’s no reason I couldn’t. I don’t plan to leave Yeshua anyway.
So she smiled brightly and answered,
“Of course.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We’re friends now. Unless you tell me to leave, I’ll always stay by your side.”
“I would never say that to you,” Asha said firmly.
Celestine didn’t find Asha’s seriousness strange at all. She had just thought of her as indecisive, but apparently, she had this side too.
“Oh my, then we can be together forever,” Celestine said.
Asha didn’t reply, only blushing shyly as she smiled.
The first tea time with Asha ended even better than expected.
Celestine shared many stories while drinking tea together. Of course, since Asha was naturally shy, more than eighty percent of the conversation was Celestine speaking alone.
But fortunately, Asha’s reactions were positive. She seemed to find everything Celestine said both interesting and amazing.
It’s because she’s been confined to the palace all this time.
Stepping outside the princess’s palace, Celestine limped along, thinking to herself. She wanted to show Asha the outside world, but it was still too soon to ask. Besides, there were developments related to Asha being lonely inside the palace that she needed to wait for.
By the way, I should’ve asked about Devaltin a bit.
In the past few days, she had been too busy to think, but now that she reflected, a few things still bothered her.
“Though she said she was tired and didn’t attend the debutante ball, she seemed happy when she returned to her palace.”
In the original story, Asha’s debutante ball was very important.
In short, it was the event where Devaltin and Asha, who had been living as siblings cherishing each other, began to feel romantic emotions toward one another.
Afterward, Asha would console Devaltin, who had returned after killing George.
“Why did she try to help me?”
This time, she ended up in that role herself.
Maybe they met after I returned.
Even thinking that, Celestine still felt uneasy. But it wasn’t the right time to ask Asha directly. Especially with Yeriel dead, what could she even ask?
“Ugh… this is so complicated…”
Celestine muttered shortly.
“But the warning didn’t pop up again… right. I’ll think positively. No matter how frustrated I am, it won’t change anything.”
Since it was the early part of the novel, there were still countless ways Devaltin and Asha could come together. The order might change slightly, but as long as it ended happily, Celestine could live her life too.
While she was murmuring this to herself like a hypnosis,
“Wait… ah!”
Celestine spotted something at her feet and let out a short scream, stumbling embarrassingly to the ground.
“Ugh…”
As she struggled to get up, her first instinct wasn’t embarrassment or rubbing her aching ankle, but to check the small kitten staring at her feet.
“Hey, why did you suddenly jump out in front of me?”
Meow.
The white kitten gave a tiny mew, as if asking, Was that my fault?
“You’re fine… well, though thanks to you, my ankle isn’t so fine anymore.”
Celestine reached out, petting the kitten with a sigh of relief.
…No one saw me fall like an idiot, right?
Coming to the palace to meet the princess, caught in the dungeon on the first day, falling and injuring myself on the second… anyone who saw this would think I’m completely foolish.
Even for Celestine, being treated like this was a bit much.
Good… as long as no one saw…
Just as she was about to stand, a dark shadow fell across her face.
As expected, her bad premonition wasn’t wrong.
Celestine lifted her head slowly, twitching her lips.
“…Huh?”
Seeing the person standing in front of her, she couldn’t help but blurt out stupidly,
“Why are you here…?”
