Chapter 137

Alex and I sat side-by-side on the sofa, watching Zenia.

Zenia was scurrying about frantically, like a squirrel preparing for winter.

“Hmm, it’s for ten days, so I’ll need to pack at least twenty dresses, right? A bathrobe, and maybe just two pairs of slippers? I’ll take these cosmetics… Oh! I also need to pack the bath bombs and tea leaves our Princess loves.”

Every time Zenia passed through, the pile of luggage in the center of the drawing-room grew steadily higher.

There was so much that I worried if it would all even fit in the storage box.

Alex, who had been staring blankly at the pile, suddenly asked.

“Astell, are you moving out or something?”

“Looks like it.”

“Can you even fit all that?”

“You think? Even if I could, I wouldn’t take it.”

I couldn’t watch any longer and stopped Zenia. If I let her be, she might try to pack up the entire mansion.

“Zenia, it’s only ten days. Why are you packing so much? Get rid of the unnecessary stuff.”

“Oh, come now, Princess. What here is unnecessary? I’ve only packed the essentials.”

“We’ll be wearing uniforms, so one dress is enough. Get rid of the rest. And why did you pack a bathrobe and slippers? They have those in Akron.”

“But it’s better to use things you’re accustomed to.”

“No, it’s not. It’s just extra weight. Put all of this back where it belongs. And the cosmetics…”

“Ah! Those too? Cosmetics are essential for a noble lady!”

“I don’t even know how to put on makeup.”

“Why would you do your own makeup, Princess? Of course they’ll assign a handmaiden to you in Akron.”

“Then they’ll have cosmetics, too.”

“But the quality might be inferior. Your skin is delicate and sensitive, Princess. You must only use the best products.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t get a single pimple even when I’m covered in monster fluids. Take them out. Same for the bath bombs and tea leaves. Take this, this, and all of this out.”

“…Then what are you planning to take?”

“One emergency dress and two sets of underwear.”

“…That’s it?”

“Yep.”

Zenia covered her face with her hands, a look of horror on her face. Alex also grimaced in discomfort.

“Hey, be reasonable. At least pack more underwear. Are you really going to rotate two pairs for ten days?”

“It’s fine. The Duke said he’d give me some disposable cleaning scrolls.”

“What? He didn’t say anything like that to me.”

I shrugged and popped a cookie into my mouth. The buttery cookie melted on my tongue the moment it touched.

Delicious. It really is delicious, but…

“I want to eat the jelly Jean made.”

“Jelly? The one they started selling at the cafe yesterday?”

“Yeah, the one that’s soft on the outside and filled with sweet and sour jam on the inside. My heart aches just thinking I won’t be able to eat it for ten days.”

Today was the day we were leaving for Akron.

The plan was to gather at the mansion first and then head to the meeting spot Miyorne designated, so I hadn’t gone to work.

“Should I have stopped by this morning?”

“Is it that good?”

“Yeah.”

“I really don’t know who you take after to love desserts this much. Mother disliked them, and Father won’t even touch anything sweet…”

“Taste isn’t genetic. It’s like how everyone has different preferences.”

“That’s what makes it weirder. When you were little, you wouldn’t even look at sweets.”

“…”

“And hasn’t your appetite grown a lot? I think you eat almost four times as much as you used to.”

*Flinch.*

The truth was, it wasn’t that Astell disliked desserts; she simply had no interest in any food.

Wouldn’t it be stranger for someone who was barely living day to day with anthropophobia to have an appetite?

“How could I like or dislike desserts when I never even got to try them? If it seemed like I didn’t like them, it was probably because I’d never seen them before.”

“They… didn’t give you dessert?”

“They barely gave me proper meals. Do you think they would have bothered with dessert?”

“…”

“Besides, you only get an appetite when you’re active. Try locking yourself in a room all day and see if you feel like eating anything.”

“…”

Alex’s expression darkened.

It seemed he felt guilty, remembering that while he was eating and living well at the knight academy, I was living like a beggar in the annex.

Seeing him like that, I realized my mistake.

*I shouldn’t have brought up the past… I should have kept my mouth shut.*

I watched Alex cautiously. The somber mood made Zenia fidget nervously as well.

“Well, it’s all in the past, and I’m eating well now, so…”

Just as I tried to gently console him, Alex shot to his feet.

“I’ll be right back.”

“…Where?”

“To the Guardian headquarters.”

“Don’t tell me, to buy jelly?”

“Is there anything else you want besides jelly? Should I get you cookies, cake, things like that?”

“Huh? I mean, that’d be great, but… do you have any points? You used them all yesterday buying that sword from Yulia.”

“Ah… right.”

Alex had been incredibly fond of Yulia’s sword. He’d said its weight, length, and every other element felt like it was made just for him.

The problem was the points.

Even if Alex pooled all his points, it was far from enough to buy the sword from Yulia.

He had come back dragging his feet, muttering that he couldn’t buy it, and was squatting in a corner…

In the end, I had to lend him the points he was short.

He looked so dejected, so pitiful that I couldn’t bear not to lend him the points.

Alex, who had frozen for a moment as if in shock, sat back down on the sofa.

Seeing his slumped shoulders and hunched back, I felt a pang in my gut.

“I can just buy it with my own points. Don’t worry about it.”

“You don’t have any either. You lent them all to me.”

“…”

<Remaining Points: 100>

The points that had been so plentiful just a couple of days ago had vanished without a trace, leaving a measly 100.

I stared at my point balance for a long moment before putting another cookie in my mouth.

“I’ll just eat the cookies.”

“Sorry…”

“It’s okay. These are delicious too.”

Alex and I consoled each other, two beggars in all but name.

In the meantime, Zenia had packed everything into a single traveling bag and brought it over.

“Phew… Princess, will this do? This is the absolute minimum; I can’t take anything else out.”

“Yes, it’s perfect.”

I put the bag into my storage box and glanced out the window.

Johan was riding toward the main castle on a white horse.

“Oh? Johan’s here. Alex, let’s go down.”

Alex and I went downstairs.

As we stepped out the front door, Johan, who had just arrived, was dismounting his white horse.

Seeing him neatly dressed in his uniform made me feel quite proud.

“Johan, you’re early.”

“I hurried a little. I’ve never been outside the capital before, so I’m a bit nervous.”

That must be why his cheeks were flushed red like a child on a picnic.

*Cute.*

“Do you have any luggage for the carriage?”

“I put it in my storage box.”

“Then would you like to get in the carriage? It’s almost time, so Kaiel should be here soon.”

Sure enough, Kaiel arrived right on time, without a second’s delay.

“Kaiel… aren’t you hot?”

He was wrapped from head to toe in a pitch-black robe. Just looking at him made me feel suffocated.

“I have cast a temperature-regulating spell.”

I don’t know why he’s so obsessed with that robe. Is it some kind of cool factor that mages just can’t give up?

“Ah, if you say so… You don’t have any luggage, right? Please get in the carriage.”

I scratched my cheek, then my eyes widened.

Because Dante was sauntering over as if on a casual stroll.

“Darling, why are you out here? It’s hot.”

“…What are you doing here?”

“What, were you planning to go have fun without me?”

“It was supposed to be a secret. Where did you hear about it…?”

“I asked, and they told me. Was it a secret?”

“Who did you ask?”

“The information desk. The woman with orange hair.”

…Yulia, you little.

*Yesterday, she suddenly came to me and said she supported Dante, that Johan was a bit weak, and now this…*

She must have told him on purpose, worried something might happen if I went with just Johan.

“We’re not going for fun. It’s an important business visit.”

“Uh-huh, work.”

“Can the Crown Prince just leave the palace like this? What will you do if His Majesty finds out?”

“He probably wouldn’t even notice if I disappeared.”

I’ve thought this many times, but this man has an exceptional talent for leaving people speechless.

If I left him here, he’d be all alone in that spacious bedroom.

Just as my resolve was weakening, he abruptly held something out.

“Here.”

“…It’s a rose.”

“There were a bunch blooming in front of the mansion.”

“…Thank you.”

I felt strange. I had no memory of ever receiving flowers, yet I felt a sense of déjà vu.

As I hesitated for a moment, Dante quickly hopped into the carriage. I glared at the carriage before letting out a sigh.

*Fine. What’s one more.*

If a gate were to open, it would be better to have as much strength as possible.

Once we had finished our preparations, Duke Ruthius approached, leaning on his cane.

“Are your preparations complete?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Father, make sure you eat your meals regularly even while we’re gone. And cut back on the coffee. They say too much is bad for you. Oh, and don’t forget to eat blueberries and walnuts. Your leg hurts, so don’t overdo it with the walks. If a gate opens, you have to stay in the mansion until the Guardians arrive.”

Unlike my short reply, Alex’s nagging went on and on.

Even Duke Ruthius, who was no stranger to nagging himself, seemed to be growing tired of it.

“That’s enough. Anyone would think you were leaving for good.”

“I was just worried… I’m sorry.”

Duke Ruthius patted the embarrassed Alex on the shoulder.

It was a seemingly perfunctory gesture, yet Alex beamed as if it were the greatest thing in the world.

“This is the first time you two will be away from home for so long.”

“What’s wrong? Are you going to miss us? It’s only for ten days.”

“Yes. I will.”

“…”

*I was only teasing…*

Faced with Duke Ruthius’s sincerity, I couldn’t respond.

He gently brushed the shoulder of my still figure. A warmth spread from his rough touch, seeping into my shoulder.

I lowered my head. I thought I finally understood why Alex had smiled.

“Have a safe trip.”

Duke Ruthius released his hand and took a step back.

“Yes, Father.”

Alex got into the carriage first.

As I was about to follow, I glanced back.

Duke Ruthius was standing in the same spot, watching me.

“W-well… we’ll be… back.”

“Alright.”

I quickly climbed into the carriage. Dante, who was watching me intently, lightly touched my ear.

“Darling, did you get too much sun? Your ears are red.”

“…Be quiet.”

I knocked firmly on the carriage wall.