VDBO 20

Chapter 20

“Ah, then could Your Highness tell the First Prince? You must have been troubled because of me, yet you were very considerate.”

“You don’t have to worry about that either.”

Valerie’s expression gradually darkened.

I kind of understood why he looked that way, but still… isn’t it a bit too obvious?

“Since you say so, then I won’t worry. Above all, I’m most grateful to the Prince. Thanks to him, the scar probably won’t be too bad, and I felt at ease during the treatment. The First Prince would’ve been a bit more difficult, anyway.”

As if by magic, his rigid expression slowly softened and melted away.

“I’ll take you home.”

“Aren’t you busy?”

“This is the most important task for me.”

After a little back-and-forth, he insisted on escorting me home. The carriage, almost destroyed, could have been anywhere—stuck in the middle of the road or already returned home. I could have waited for another carriage, but he was faster than that.

From the carriage to the house, his worry never ended. He wanted to see me safely to my room, fearing the wound might reopen. I had to firmly stop him from doing so.

Back at home, I immediately immersed myself in a tub of cold water that offered no warmth.

The freezing water quickly calmed the storm of emotions that had flared like spikes.

Perhaps because of the water, the red in the bandages I had wrapped began to deepen. My knee, which had just been treated, was bleeding again.

That twisted my mood even further. I stared at my wound for a moment and pressed it lightly. Seeing the blood seep a little more, I finally stood up.

I took a gown from the maid and stepped out, only to find Ian waiting at the door.

“Miss, are you alright?”

Goodness, he asks so quickly.

“If I weren’t…”

Ian lowered his head deeply.

“…I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“Don’t tell Mother I got hurt. Even if you’re stupid, you can do that, right?”

I snapped at him in frustration and returned to my room, sitting down as soon as I closed the door. Hugging my injured knee, the pain I had been able to endure before finally registered.

“This hurts so much.”

Feeling unexpectedly gloomy, I buried my face in my knees.

“Thank you for accepting the invitation.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

The day after yesterday’s accident, I attended Julie del Chatelet’s tea party, bringing along a small gift for her.

Wearing the extravagant dress Blake Ariandel favored and wearing a bright smile, I followed her lead.

Julie took my hand and pulled me along.

“Come on in. I’ve had so many questions since that day. I’ve been waiting just for today.”

Looks like today will mostly be about the Prince again. I had a feeling it might be a bit of a headache.

Aside from the host, Julie del Chatelet, there were two more attendees. Coincidentally, like Julie, both were also eldest daughters of their families.

Mary Delphon, eldest daughter of the Delphon Marquisate supplying weapons to the royal palace, and Elabrich Hemel, eldest daughter of the Hemel Count, whose family owns the vast western plains.

Perhaps it was just my imagination, but the two seemed subtly cautious around me, though since Julie had personally invited me, they held back their words.

It didn’t matter. What I needed was Julie del Chatelet. Everything else was just a distraction.

Still, this should suffice. I had prepared gifts for five people in advance, so if there were more, I would have worried—but three was perfect.

I took out the gifts for them.

“Oh my.”

The first recipient was Julie del Chatelet.

She opened the small box I handed her—a ring-sized box—and a Shioque mermaid pearl shimmered inside.

The young ladies’ eyes widened as they smiled and exchanged pleasantries, finally letting out a gasp.

“I heard it’s almost impossible to get this year. No shop seems to have it.”

Even Julie’s normally composed voice rose in a high-pitched tone of excitement.

Of course. Mr. Schwartz had bought up all the Shioque mermaid pearls available. I smiled softly.

“I told you. It would look perfect as a brooch.”

Though I said that, I had prepared just the pearl so it could be mounted wherever needed.

I did the same for the other two young ladies, handing over boxes with slightly different ribbons. Their eyes widened even more, almost popping out.

They immediately began contemplating how and where they would set them.

“In some countries across the sea, it’s fashionable to link small gems into flower-shaped jewelry. They say they use the Shioque mermaid pearl as a center, like the pistil of a flower.”

“Really? In the capital, we usually use bold and large gems, but that’s also nice, isn’t it?”

Even Elabrich Hemel, who had been the most cautious, spoke in a melodic voice.

“I think so too. They say the Ariandel Marquis went through great trouble to get the Shioque mermaid pearl for his daughter. They say his love for her is unmatched.”

Mary Delphon’s guarded gaze softened, and even the unseen Ariandel Marquis’s favor was earned.

“Rumors are usually exaggerated. Honestly, I was very nervous today. As you know, this is my first experience in the capital, and my father tends to worry a lot.”

“You can learn as you go.”

“Exactly. Everyone has a first time.”

“Oh, can it really be like that?”

Once the walls broke, they crumbled completely, and I could easily engage with them. Discussions flowed about capital trends, current noble interests, and gossip Mr. Schwartz hadn’t shared—countless pieces of information.

Of course, curiosity about the Prince wasn’t missing either. Though I deflected casually, the topic would inevitably surface again.

I responded fully in Blake Ariandel’s character, reacting like a girl who had just discovered a treasure island. Honest with my emotions, blushing easily, and never too prideful to admit ignorance.

Interestingly, they loved the foreign information I shared. I thought it would be useless, but they clearly enjoyed it.

I smiled brightly and rinsed my mouth with the fruit wine before me. My eyes met Julie’s, and she smiled back, as if looking at a cute little sister.

They say she’s kind to the weak and endlessly gentle with her younger siblings—seems that’s true.

After about two hours, we wrapped up the tea party. I lingered a little on purpose. The two young ladies left first, and I was the last to leave.

Julie del Chatelet handed me a long box.

“This is the wine we had earlier.”

“Wow, is this for me?”

“It’s my favorite wine too. Today was truly enjoyable.”

Seems the Shioque mermaid pearl had elevated the quality of her tea party. I thanked her and paused.

“They say the northern continent route will open soon.”

“The northern continent?”

“It’s a route connecting the Gulam region directly to Lawendel. They say it can be traveled in a month.”

“Wow.”

“My father visited there once, and the wine was really terrible… He said the winemaking skills were awful. Only here did his palate feel satisfied. He loves Bluepoise wine.”

Bluepoise is the second-best wine after the Langwego wine the Chatelet family supplies to the royal palace. Julie smiled.

“You have a refined taste.”

Originally, the wealth from the northern continent route wouldn’t go to the Chatelet family; their rivals, the Gerdo family, would get it. Though famous for wine, the Gerdo family always lagged behind Chatelet, never shedding their second-tier label.

Later, the Gerdo family turns to exports via the Lawendel route, becoming wildly successful and surpassing Chatelet within a few years.

In the original story, this takes place two seasons later, but I had no use for the Gerdo family, so I let Chatelet move first.

“Hmm, really…?”

“They say the population there is about the same as here. With just one bottle of Bluepoise, you could make a fortune!”

“Hehe, such a cute imagination. Also intriguing.”

“Right? Especially in Lawendel, people love their meat.”

Unlike her old-fashioned father, Chatelet has ambitions to expand her family’s power.

After a friendly farewell, I got into the carriage.

On the way back, my cheeks were sore from laughing so much.

“Doing this after so long is tiring.”

I pressed my eyes tightly and stared out the window.

“Ugh.”

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain as if my heart were being torn apart. Why this sudden pain in my heart…?

Could it be…