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chapter 20
Lloyd was a Crown Prince who kept his promises.
He was sure to become a wise and just ruler when he grew up. Not because he was the male lead in the original story, but because his fundamental nature was upright and honest.
He had granted my first wish exactly as promised, which meant that Pere-ssi would be making matching hunting outfits with him.
Pere-ssi had first called me to the duke’s residence to coordinate matching dresses for our next tea party. Excited, she told me how Lloyd had contacted her first and invited her to attend the hunting festival with him, while we chose a red floral accent for our dresses.
Seeing her happy face lifted my own spirits, and I couldn’t help but grin along with her.
“You’ll get a message from the Grand Duke soon, Elinea. Just wait,” Pere-ssi said unexpectedly, making my eyes widen.
“Since I’m wearing a custom hunting outfit with His Highness, my dearest friend—you—will be wearing a matching outfit with the Grand Duke,” she added.
Pere-ssi explained that because Lloyd and Théor were best friends, it made perfect sense for me to partner with Théor. I didn’t understand why everyone was so intent on pairing me with Lloyd, but if Pere-ssi had decided, I decided to go along with it.
During the hunting festival, it was natural for close friends to move together, and the camaraderie among the men leading the hunt was important. No one in the empire would dare loiter next to a Crown Prince without that bond.
I didn’t have anyone else in mind as a partner, so I was secretly grateful for Pere-ssi’s decision to pair me with Théor. Whether Théor would accept so easily was uncertain, but for this hunting festival, I had to partner with him no matter what.
“This will suit both of us best,” Pere-ssi said, lifting several floral accents toward me to see which looked best.
The flowers were deep red, resembling peonies—neither too flashy nor too plain, striking the perfect balance.
“Your taste is amazing, Pere-ssi. Even to Endiveon, this flower is the one that suits both of you best,” said Endiveon, the duke’s personal designer, smiling at her.
Endiveon’s praise was just enough to flatter Pere-ssi without seeming over-the-top, and I admired that subtlety. Maybe I should learn from that too.
“Then we’ll prepare dresses in red with these floral accents. Pere-ssi’s dress will be elegant as always, and Elinea’s dress will be lively and cute, matching her image,” Endiveon added.
“Make it beautiful,” Pere-ssi said.
“Of course, every dress bearing the Endiveon name will be made with utmost care to ensure it’s stunning,” Endiveon replied.
As soon as Endiveon left with the flowers, the servants brought tea and desserts—iced lattes and salt bread from Pere-ssi’s favorite café, plus a chocolate cake I hadn’t tried before.
“I prepared this because you like the coffee and cake,” she said. Of course, it was actually for her, but I pretended to like it as well—and indeed, the taste was unrivaled by any other café.
Then, I sensed a presence in the hallway.
I instinctively turned my head and saw, through the slightly open door, two people in white from the Crown Secretariat whispering at the far end of the corridor.
Why would someone from the Secretariat be at the duke’s residence…?
One of them glanced toward me. I quickly looked away.
‘What is going on…?’
My heart started racing. The same ominous feeling I’d had from the crows earlier, the stare in the carriage, and now these suspicious Secretariat members.
‘Something’s happening.’
“Eli?” Pere-ssi called, and I forced a calm expression as I looked back at her.
“Oh, I thought I saw someone in the hallway.”
“Probably just the servants,” she said, sipping her iced latte as if nothing had happened.
“I like this coffee, so I drink it often now. It’s really nice.”
I smiled brightly and replied, “Right?”
But in my mind, the scene I’d just seen kept replaying. Even as I chatted with Pere-ssi about the hunting festival and dresses, a sense of unease weighed on my heart.
In the original story, Pere-ssi couldn’t even enjoy a coffee freely due to her image. I hoped that by ensuring she could fully enjoy her favorites—even if just under my pretense—it would lift her spirits.
Caroline had forced Pere-ssi into a situation where she appeared unable to enjoy her beloved iced latte. Looking back, it seemed almost deliberate.
Pere-ssi may have disliked Caroline for openly bothering her, but in reality, Caroline was subtly, cleverly pushing her limits. In the original story, Pere-ssi’s character was overly kind and passive, but now I could see a natural tension beneath that kindness.
For instance, like seeing Caroline at the duke’s residence, crying quietly yet with a hint of frustration. Most wouldn’t notice it, which naturally made people see her as the sweet, gentle Caroline.
Caroline gave me a soft smile.
“I was upset and came to talk to you, but you weren’t at the duke’s residence. So I waited.”
I didn’t understand why she waited instead of just going home.
“Is the tea warm enough, Becky?” I asked.
“I’ll prepare it, milady,” Becky replied quickly and stepped out to get the tea.
Caroline sat naturally on the sofa across from me, as if it were her own home. I removed my gloves, and she asked,
“What did you go to the duke’s residence for?”
I hesitated briefly, thinking maybe I didn’t need to report everything, but then remembered that before I possessed this body, Elinea would report every detail to Caroline, who had saved her from the nobles. So I decided to answer.
“The designer made dresses for us,” I explained.
“Ah, the matching tea party dresses you said you’d wear tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
“Making them in a single day? That’s impressive.”
“Well… technically, it’ll only take a few hours. We’ve already chosen the decorations and measurements, so tomorrow they’ll be finished in no time.”
Caroline’s expression stiffened slightly, but I ignored it.
“But red? Aren’t you pushing a color that suits you too much?” she asked.
“Hmm?”
“You have black hair and eyes. A contrasting color like white or gold would suit you better than red.”
Her words made my face stiffen automatically.
‘This must have been a scene in the original story where Pere-ssi tried to trick a commoner like me.’
In the original story, white and gold were generally reserved for royalty or significant ceremonies. For regular tea parties, only royals, dukes, or princesses would wear them. My previous body had been ignorant of this, which had led me into Pere-ssi’s trick before.
Now, Caroline recommending white and gold felt unsettling. She clearly wanted me to respond and possibly interfere with my relationship with Pere-ssi.
I finally asked her directly,
“Those colors aren’t for anything but weddings, right? Are you seriously telling me to wear something even a marquis’ daughter couldn’t wear?”
Her face stiffened.
‘How stupid does she think I am?’
She was shocked that I knew something not obvious at all.
