“It seems like Sir Emmett likes roses, too.”

Julia forced a smile and spoke to Emmett, who was silently gazing at the rose garden.

He had been showing her only his profile for the past 15 minutes.

“Not particularly,” he replied briefly, like an old-fashioned knight from a hundred years ago. Then he turned his head back to the rose garden.

Julia sighed silently and took a sip of her tea. Not particularly? Where was the lie?

She thought that the reason he followed the emperor’s request for him to have tea time with his fiancé without saying anything was because he also had feelings.

It would have been understandable if he were a coward trembling in front of the imperial family or a foolish man who stammered in front of women. But the Emmett Bovir in front of her was no different from those nobles.

The man who had risen from the ranks of a commoner to become the head of the Blue Knights was an arrogant man who stood tall in front of the emperor.

She had never heard any rumors about him concerning women, but she had also never heard that he refused to meet them. So he wasn’t a foolish man who hadn’t experienced much of the world, either.

Then why did he accept the teatime invitation and act so stiffly. Suppressing the urge to sigh, Julia spoke to him again.

“Emmett, you awakened your abilities at the age of 15, right? I heard that your Hex Flexibility was high like Raiden’s and that your discovery was delayed.”

Julia continued speaking, recalling the ⟨45 Truths About Emmett Bovir⟩ that she had obtained by teaching a knight who had once joined the Blue Knights.

Perhaps her efforts finally caught his attention. Emmett’s ears twitched slightly. Excited that she finally got a response, Julia added more to her words.

“I heard that you treated your comrades’ cursed wounds personally? And not only that, you infused your hex into your sword…”

“What are you trying to say?”

Emmett finally turned to look at her. Even though she had caught his attention, his gaze was filled with suspicion.

Julia smiled innocently, trying to lighten the mood.

“I was just wondering about your powers. After all, it’s not something that was really known to people until the monsters appeared.”

“The reason it wasn’t known before was because of the witch trials.”

“Right, the witch trials! Thankfully, Grandfather closed down those evil temples! It’s the only flaw left in the empire, for the gods’ sake.”

Julia’s voice brightened as she touched on a familiar topic. But Emmett’s expression remained dark.

He murmured softly as he looked around the rose garden. ‘The only’ flaw…

“If you’re curious about the garden, would you like to take a walk together? There’s a famous rose that has turned into a stone. I want to show you everything, but that is something special that I only want to show you, Sir Emmett.”

Julia leaned closer, extending her chest towards the table, subtly trying to capture Emmett’s attention. She was confident that this time she would be able to win his favor.

The stone rose. It was the only trace left by the monster that appeared at the First Princess’s birthday party, a relic of history that everyone was curious about.

But Emmett only showed his weariness openly.

“It’s alright. It’s time for me to return…”

Just as Emmett was about to stand up, voices suddenly echoed through the First Princess’ Palace, which is across the rose garden.

Reflexively, Emmett placed his hand on his sword. Julia smiled and spoke.

“It must be the new attendant assigned to take care of my sister. I heard she’s from Bistiman, I think?”

Emmett’s lips twitched for a moment. Looking at that strange reaction, Julia had to reconsider the ⟨45 Truths About Emmett Bovir⟩ once again.

Come to think of it, he recently disobeyed His Majesty’s orders and personally went to the boundary. The name of that boundary was…

“The Kunalgi Boundary! By the way, didn’t you recently visit Bistiman, Emmett?”

Emmett’s ears twitched. Even with his slight reaction, Julia pretended to be serious, raising her chin as if she wanted to continue the conversation.

“The person in the black cloak took away all of Sir Emmett’s credit. It’s like sprinkling sugar on a fully baked bread. I was so angry.”

Julia pouted as if she were truly angry. This attempt was to test his feelings, but unfortunately, Emmett only looked towards the First Princess’ Palace with a vacant gaze.

Disappointed, Julia reached out her hand, trying to at least hold his hand. But at that moment, Emmett stood up from his seat.

“Sir Emmett, are you leaving?”

“I shall take my leave.”

Emmett turned away nonchalantly after giving the bare minimum of courtesy. Julia followed his departing figure with blank eyes.

The untouched teacup and the uneaten biscuit were now all that Julia could see. She weakly mumbled in front of him.

“What should I do? He’s so handsome…”

If the First Princess of Monchen was considered the most beautiful, then Emmett Bovir was undoubtedly the most handsome man in Monchen.

Julia picked up a strand of his silver hair that had fallen onto the tea table and brought it to her nose. Perhaps it was because their tea time took place under a shade in the rose garden.

The intense fragrance of roses lingered in the trace he left behind.

* * *

That night, at the First Princess’ Palace.

Rosé was assigned a temporary residence and was busy organizing her belongings in the maid’s room.

But a sudden knock came from her bag as she was about to take out her pajamas.

“The princess is looking for you. Please bring a pillow and a nightgown.”

No way.

—Let’s spend the night together in my bedroom.

Was it sincere? Rosé hastily took out a pillow and slippers from her bag and opened the door.

Unfortunately, the sugar cookies she brought from the competition room to secretly eat at night would have to be eaten later.

They looked quite delicious and were generously sprinkled with hard-to-find coarse sugar…

“Well then, let’s go.”

“Yes, understood…”

As Rosé raised her head, following the voice, she realized.

Ricky Fowler (A-Tier)

Characteristics: A member of the Imperial White Knights. Currently serving as the bodyguard of the First Princess.

Appearance: Black hair and blue eyes. A muscular physique that contrasts with his face.

g*nitalia: Right-side leaning. Very light brown. Slightly thick veins. Average t*sticles. Very strong output. er*ect at a right angle. Average rigidity.

Average Monthly ej*culation Frequency: 18 times.

Pubic hair: Slightly low density. Slightly short. Black. Slightly thin. Slightly soft.

Rewards: Sociability 6, Etiquette 5.

Hidden f*tish: Breastfeeding.

Oh my goodness. The dessert here is even more delicious than the crispy and moist pure white sugar cookies.

The man in a white military uniform was remarkably handsome. Although she had seen knights at the palace gates, she had never seen such an attractive man.

‘It looks delicious…’

The corners of Rosé’s mouth curled into a smile, and she followed him at a brisk pace.

The princess’s bedroom was just a few steps away from the main entrance.

“Your Highness, I have brought your attendant.”

Thump, the door opened. Rosé couldn’t take her eyes off the man’s face, but her gaze naturally shifted to the bedroom.

‘Wow, this is incredible…’

The room, with six chandeliers that one could only see in the main hall, was not only spacious enough to do somersaults but also adorned with golden decorations that emitted a scent of gold with every breath.

This was the bedroom of the First Princess. While Rosé was captivated by the room, the princess, who had been lying on the bed, pulled back the velvet canopy.

Finally, Rosé closed her mouth and bowed her head to him.

[Rosé, I told you to stay in my bedroom. Tonight, you have to sleep here.]

Rosé looked towards the corner of the room directed by the princess. The place that was originally Toto the cat’s sleeping spot has now been appointed as Rosé’s bed.

There was no extravagant canopy, but there was a spacious bed and a bedside table with storage drawers.

Moreover, the mattress was filled with new feathers and cotton, making it much softer than Rosé’s original bed.

[Put on your nightgown.]

Nightgown? But… Rosé hesitated, clutching her chemise in her hand. It was then that the White Knight stood in a rigid posture.

[Are you embarrassed, by any chance?]

The princess chuckled and wrote down the words.

[Sorry, but from today onwards, Ricky will be guarding my bedroom. So whether you like it or not, you have to show yourself to him in your nightgown.]

“Oh, um… okay.”

Unable to resist the princess’s firm gaze, Rosé nodded weakly.

Swoosh. As the hem of her dress fell below her ankles, Ariel stared at the small of her back with insistent eyes.

“I… I’ve changed, Your Highness.”

When Rosé turned around, Ricky, who had unknowingly been watching her, quickly looked up at the ceiling.

Noticing his suspicious behavior, Ariel smirked and moved her pencil.

[Now, give me the medicine, Rosé.]

Finally, she was given her first task as an attendant. Rosé approached the medicine cabinet with a tense expression. And she recalled the instructions given by the maids.

After breakfast and before bedtime, the princess would take the medicine prescribed by the doctor twice a day. And the nurse’s duty was to taste the prescribed medicine first. Because of the possibility of poison.

“Excuse me for a moment, Your Highness.”

Rosé placed the medicine and glass on the bedside table. Then she poured water and medicine into the crystal glass and stirred it vigorously.

“I’ll taste it first, Your Highness.”

With that, Rosé drank the completed medicine in one gulp. Ugh… it was more bitter than she had expected, and her brow wrinkled.

“It’s quite bitter. Are you alright?”

〈 SYSTEM 〉 Ability values fluctuate due to job activity.

Stamina -5.

Charisma -5.

Intelligence -5.

Rosé, who glanced at the system window, forced a gentle smile at Ariel.

I can’t believe I’m getting a stat drop for this. It’s frustrating.

Ariel hesitated for a moment and handed over her notebook.

[I can’t eat what I wrote. I just won’t eat it.]

‘He’s not a child, but still…’

Although that thought came to mind, Rosé responded kindly, keeping in mind that she was dealing with a noble lady.

“If I bring cookies, would you eat them? I have sugar cookies in my room…”

[Not today, Rosé. I’m sorry.]

From the hastily scrawled handwriting, Rosé could sense Ariel’s urgency. She seemed to dislike the taste of bitterness, no matter what. She couldn’t force her.

Helplessly, Rosé placed only a new glass on the side table and stepped back.

“Tomorrow, I’ll ask the palace for a different medicine.”

[Thank you, Rosé.]

“Well then, have a good dream, Your Highness. If you have any pain, please call for me anytime.”

[Yeah, Rosé, have a good dream too.]

Rosé confirmed that Ariel had closed her eyes and went around the room to extinguish the oil lamps.

The spacious bedroom gradually succumbed to darkness, like the belly of a whale.

Rosé returned the remaining medicine to the medicine cabinet and found her own bed, relying only on a single candle.

Sigh… as she extinguished the last ember, the vast bedroom was nothing but a black dot.

For a moment, she saw the face of the man in a white uniform like a lingering trace of light, but Rosé forced herself to lie down.

A strange knight and an unfamiliar cross-dressing man. And the attendant, Rosé. The sleepless night grew deeper.

* * *