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Chapter 51
The Straightforward vs. The Misunderstanding
I poked him in the waist. Ezekiel, shrugging his shoulders, spoke with a deliberately light tone.
“You say you genuinely like Betra, but it’s strange that I don’t feel like laughing.”
“Is it pride in the city?”
“That, and…”
“What’s the other reason?”
“If you’re happy here, wouldn’t I feel good too? After all, we’re married.”
Look at that.
Was he trying to say something sweet to someone he was about to part with?
While I let out a soft laugh, he casually moved on, being guided by others to manage the areas the Crown Princess would visit in advance.
Right. We both had work to do now.
After enjoying that brief moment of leisure, I also focused on ensuring the Crown Princess could move around safely from that point onward.
“The sunlight here is warm. Unlike the city, which beats down on you mercilessly.”
“They say Betra’s summers are described romantically in novels because of the gentle weather.”
“It’s a blessing to have weather warm enough to avoid blushing from heat. Perfect for a tea party in the garden.”
“I’ll recommend a tea house for you later.”
There’s nothing like good weather to start a conversation. After half a day together, I realized the Crown Princess was surprisingly curious.
“Over there. What’s that place?”
“That’s called the ‘Bridge of Sorrow.’ In the past, when the lord punished his subjects, prisoners would cross this bridge to a dark prison. They say the prisoners’ expressions grew melancholy, hence the name.”
“You seem to know a lot.”
“Wouldn’t living in such a beautiful city make you want to know more about it?”
“If it were me, I’d first search for the city’s restaurants.”
We both laughed. The Crown Princess appreciated my curiosity.
“If you recommend it, I’d be willing to visit.”
“Thank you for trusting my recommendation.”
“My trust comes from the gift you recommended. Do you remember the two-year-old distant nephew I gifted to the palace recently? The child hasn’t let go of that block toy.”
The merchants’ request to trust their judgment about what children like flashed through my mind. That was the reason they were so confident.
“They said the wood is finely sanded, large, and rounded, so it’s safe even if the child puts it in their mouth. Is that true?”
“It is.”
The Crown Princess conveyed that the child’s parents were extremely satisfied.
“You have a remarkable eye for gifts.”
“I gathered opinions from several merchants before giving it, so the credit belongs to them more than to me.”
“You coordinated the merchants’ opinions yourself? I know Betra’s lively citizens mix nobles and commoners unusually well.”
“Yes, I did.”
“See, you deserve praise too.”
The Crown Princess gradually became more interested in stories about the city and its domain.
“And that place?”
“San Fiore Cathedral. It’s where I married my husband.”
Her eyes became meaningful at the mention of her husband.
“Your husband seems to cherish his wife. I want that kind of sweet life when I marry too.”
She said she had many suitors but none truly captured her heart.
“In the future, I need to find a husband from a ruling family to assist as the state consort. Not very romantic.”
“Even arranged marriages can develop into good relationships. I understand the neighboring kingdom’s royal couple were also initially in an arranged marriage.”
Ezekiel’s face flickered in my mind as I said that. A phantom, not even formed on my retina, stuck somewhere and stirred my heart.
“If you were a man, I’d have made you the Crown Princess’s husband.”
“Eh, eh?”
“Just kidding.”
By now, the Crown Princess was in good spirits enough to share light conversation with me.
After sightseeing, it was time for dinner.
We enjoyed a lavish spread of Betra’s seafood specialties, spending a warm and comfortable evening together.
I appeared at the reception palace’s dinner wearing a tiara. As the daughter of a marquis, I had never worn such jewelry before, so selecting a tiara to suit my taste had taken some effort.
“Toasting!”
You can’t just relax and enjoy a meal. Important conversations often happen at the dinner table.
Throughout the meal, Ezekiel and I exchanged words, shifting the topic toward toys. Gradually, the Crown Princess herself mentioned the Royal Warrant.
“Reginald Company’s toys had sharp points. After a child was seriously injured from sucking on one, the Royal Warrant was eventually revoked.”
“Betra’s merchants are the strictest on the continent, so they catch and correct defects first.”
“The Duchess has grown clever, hasn’t she?”
“……hahaha.”
“Anyway, now that we’ve visited the main areas, tomorrow we must go to the famous shopping arcade.”
This was the opportunity.
“If we go southeast in the arcade, there’s a toy street. Would you like to see it too?”
“I don’t have children, so I’m not particularly interested…”
“Adults still have childlike hearts. Your Highness will surely enjoy it.”
“Well, if you recommend it…”
A positive response. Another hurdle crossed.
That night, after preparing a comfortable resting place for the Crown Princess, we returned to the marquis’s residence, but work remained.
Knock, knock. Alfredo opened the door to the visitor who had slipped in like a stray cat…
“Sorry to call so late, Lady.”
“Important matters—what’s a late-night visit?”
It was Valentina, followed by several representatives of the merchant guild. Alfredo showed them in.
There was a reason for this midnight meeting: to discuss the route for tomorrow’s visit to the toy street.
“If you turn left, the street is filled entirely with children’s toys. To the right, there are items adults would enjoy as well.”
“Viola, you accompany Her Highness through the right side of the street. I’ll go ahead and manage that road.”
“Wouldn’t bubbles create a nice atmosphere? Her Highness likes bubbles, right?”
We had to create a positive impression of the street before bringing up the Royal Warrant—a fierce psychological battle.
“You may not know, but the Crown Princess is one of the only two in the empire who can grant a Royal Warrant on the spot.”
No need to drag it out. With Reginald Company in decline, our goal was to seize the number-one spot in toys.
“Tomorrow, we will absolutely get it.”
The meeting continued with determination until dawn. Running past midnight after a fully packed day made our eyelids heavy.
Valentina and the guild representatives stayed over in the guest room.
“The Princess is on holiday, and I feel like I’m dying.”
Exhausting, but…
“…still, I’m happy and fulfilled.”
Perhaps for the first time, living as the Duchess of this city, I felt the true value of life. I finally experienced what it felt like to accomplish something.
After a satisfying day, I took a bubble bath and fell asleep as if collapsing.
The next day:
“This is the empire’s most famous commercial center?”
The Crown Princess stepped into the wide arcade. Turning down one path brought us to the destination.
“Your Highness, this way. This is the place I want to show you.”
As planned, I guided the Crown Princess to a spectacular location. Valentina and the merchant guild followed behind.
<Toy Street>
With colorful advertisements everywhere, this street had a completely different atmosphere.
“Oh?”
The Crown Princess let out a short exclamation. Being the empire’s top shopping district, the number and size of toys were beyond imagination.
From magical toys to intricately mechanized dolls, the merchants’ delicate craftsmanship made it feel like a dream. Even I, who had seen this place before, was amazed—imagine the Crown Princess seeing it for the first time.
“When I heard my nephew got toys from here, I didn’t realize Betra’s technology was so astonishing!”
“Your Highness, did you have any favorite toys as a child?”
“I…”
The Crown Princess’s gaze settled on a stall. The people there parted like waves in response to Ezekiel’s signal.
