TESWKM 12

“Haha… I’m really not talented at embroidery.”

I chuckled awkwardly and muttered under my breath. Hearing that, Pere unni fell silent for a moment, thinking about something. Then, as if a good idea had suddenly come to her, her ruby-red eyes sparkled.

“Then how about just giving him a sketch instead? The Archduke’s son would probably be touched.”

“……”

“Or maybe he’d think you’re making fun of him if he received that.”

There was laughter mixed in Pere unni’s voice, so I deliberately shot her a sideways glare.

“Please stop. I’m already wounded enough.”

I puffed out my lips and made a sulky face on purpose, which made Pere unni chuckle softly as if she found it amusing.

“Well, he’ll probably take your effort into account.”

“What if he refuses to take it and runs away?”

“The Archduke’s son isn’t that narrow-minded.”

“His Highness is broad-minded?”

For some reason it sounded like Pere unni was praising Theor, and I suddenly wanted to raise his standing a little for the sake of giving her more options.

So I asked her with sparkling, curious eyes. But instead of answering, she asked if I wanted to meet him.

No. That’s not what I meant, unni.

Theor is one of your options.

If you keep trying to pair him with me, that’ll be a problem.

“Shall we meet together?”

“Why? Are you shy?”

“I told you, I don’t have feelings for the Archduke’s son.”

“I can go with you. But meeting with just the three of us would look a bit strange, so it would be better if we met with His Highness too—the four of us together.”

It seemed Pere unni was planning to use this chance to invite Lloyd, who was close to Theor, so the four of us could meet.

But would Lloyd really come?

I didn’t want to waste my precious wish ticket just to arrange a meeting for four people. Still, seeing how much Pere unni was looking forward to it, I figured that if necessary I might have to use the ticket to make Lloyd come.

“His Highness will definitely come if the Archduke’s son asks, so I’ll leave the task of bringing Prince Lloyd to you.”

Wait—what?

So in the end she’s telling me to ask Theor to invite Lloyd?

I was planning to use my wish ticket anyway, but seeing her push everything onto me like this… she really is a villainess.

Well, somehow that cat-like selfishness of hers—thinking only about herself—was kind of cute too.

“Do you have his contact?”

“No. I’m not close to the Archduke’s son at all.”

“I’m not close to him either. But I do have his contact.”

Pere unni told me to use her communication orb to contact Theor and set a date.

Since both Theor and Lloyd would probably receive tons of handkerchiefs on the day of the hunting festival, we should give ours on a separate day.

I nodded and took the orb she handed me.

Then I pressed the shortcut number she had told me and stared intently into the sphere.

A moment later—

Click.

The screen lit up, and Theor’s face filled the entire orb.

“[Lady Elinea?]”

The moment he saw me, he looked surprised and called me by my name instead of my family name.

“Hello, Archduke’s son.”

“[Oh… I see. You’re using the Princess’s communication orb.]”

“Yes. I contacted you because I have something important to say.”

“[Something important?]”

“Um… sorry, but do you perhaps have time tomorrow?”

“[Time?]”

“Yes. If you’re free, I was wondering if you and Prince Lloyd might meet with me and the Princess…”

“[What is the purpose of this meeting?]”

Theor seemed to misunderstand the idea of the four of us meeting and assumed there was some hidden intention behind it.

“The purpose? It’s just friendship. Friendship.”

I replied with an incredulous expression.

Theor nodded and said he had plenty of time.

“Then… will Prince Lloyd also have time?”

I asked with a sweet smile.

Only then did Theor go, “Ah.”

It seemed he had finally grasped what he thought was my intention in contacting him.

Of course, he had simply switched the protagonist’s position with his own.

I had called Theor purely because of Pere unni, but he seemed to think I was interested in him.

Well, whatever.

The important thing was that Theor would bring Lloyd for Pere unni’s sake. So I confirmed once more.

“Let’s meet together with Prince Lloyd. I have something to say, and something to give you.”

At those words, Theor didn’t hesitate for even a moment.

He said he was available even tonight.

When I looked at Pere unni, she gave a small nod.

“Alright then. Where shall we meet?”

Late evening.

The place we gathered was a café Pere unni liked.

Pere unni and I brought along the embroidered handkerchiefs we had worked on all day to greet Theor and Lloyd.

Since all three of them publicly acted like they didn’t like sweets, I forcefully took charge of ordering for Pere unni’s sake.

I passionately praised the combination of iced latte and salt bread and told Lloyd and Theor they had to try it.

“So? It’s really good, right?”

I asked Lloyd after he took a sip of the iced latte.

He nodded once.

“It’s quite good.”

I glanced at Pere unni with sparkling eyes.

The corner of her lips had lifted ever so slightly.

Oh—she likes it. She really likes it.

It seemed she was very pleased that Lloyd liked the iced latte she loved.

Seeing her happy made me happy too, and I grinned to myself.

But then—

Clink.

Theor set his latte cup down a little too loudly.

I glanced at him.

He was staring at me with one eyebrow slightly raised, looking dissatisfied about something.

“Archduke’s son, how is it?”

He seemed displeased, so I asked.

He answered immediately.

“It’s good.”

For some reason his expression softened instantly, which confused me for a moment—but that wasn’t the important part.

“The reason we invited His Highness the Crown Prince and the Archduke’s son today is…”

I trailed off and glanced at Pere unni.

She immediately held out the embroidered handkerchief she had made for Lloyd.

Lloyd’s eyes widened slightly.

“You’ll probably receive many useless things on the day of the hunting festival, so I’m giving this to you in advance.”

I flinched slightly at Pere unni calling the handkerchiefs that noble ladies carefully made “useless things.”

But Lloyd, who had known her since childhood, seemed already used to her sharp way of speaking.

He accepted the handkerchief and smiled in satisfaction.

“You embroidered better than last year.”

“That’s because Elli drew the sketch this year.”

“Lady Brencia did?”

When Lloyd looked at me, I waved both hands frantically.

“I only roughly sketched the Sun Bird and Wind Bird. Pere unni did all the embroidery.”

“I thought so. The Princess has always embroidered better than any other lady.”

Surprisingly, Lloyd praised Pere unni and slipped the handkerchief into his pocket, saying he’d keep this year’s one safely as well.

He then started chatting with Pere unni, saying he hadn’t expected her to give one this year.

Not wanting to interrupt their pleasant conversation, I quietly sipped my latte.

Then—

My eyes met Theor’s, who was sitting across from me.

This man…

Does he have a problem with me?

He kept twitching his handsome eyebrows and looked at me with an oddly dissatisfied expression.

But the annoying thing was that he looked so cool doing it that my heart started beating faster.

Instead of avoiding his gaze, I stared right back at him.

“Lady…”

At that moment, Theor spoke.

“To whom do you intend to give your handkerchief?”

“Elli, haven’t you given it yet?”

Before Theor even finished speaking, Pere unni—who had been chatting pleasantly with Lloyd—turned to ask me.

Only then did I remember the handkerchief meant for Theor.

“Oh!”

I quickly opened my handbag and took it out.

I held it out toward Theor—

Then hesitated and pulled my hand back.

The hand Theor had been reaching toward me stopped midair.

“Um… just in case, I should say this beforehand.”

“……”

“Actually… well…”

Just as I was hesitating—

“If you’re worried I might misunderstand the meaning of the handkerchief, don’t worry. I won’t misunderstand. I don’t think that a lady would fall for someone she has only met twice—”

Huh?

Who likes who?

What on earth is this man talking about?!

“That’s not the misunderstanding I meant.”

I shook my head firmly and spoke seriously.

“Just remember one thing.”

Theor’s eyes widened slightly.

“This is definitely meant to be Your Grace’s black panther.”

I spoke with a serious expression.

“Really. Truly. It’s a black panther.”

Then I handed him the handkerchief I had embroidered.

On it—

was an embroidery that looked like nothing more than a clump of black threads