Chapter 115

Princess Lucia took on all the tasks that Liliana was supposed to handle for a few days, hoping she could spend leisurely time with her mother.

Despite sending several maids to request her work back, Liliana finally sent a thank-you gift to Princess Lucia, whose intention was unyielding.

No one in the palace interfered with Liliana and Countess Marienne’s time together, not even Helio. He even warned that anyone visiting the Emerald Palace would need his permission for a while.

After those peaceful days, the last day at the Emerald Palace arrived.

The palace bustled with preparations for Liliana’s move to the Aris Palace the next day, leaving the halls strangely empty.

Holding Countess Marienne’s hand, Liliana led her to an unusually decorated window by the corridor. She tenderly traced her fingers along the windowsill and whispered.

“A wonderful spirit stayed here. Though it left my side due to my mistake, we’ll meet again.”

Liliana shared her story about Chuchu, and Marienne comforted her, gently placing an arm around her shoulder.

Liliana left a small letter by the windowsill, letting the spirit know she’d moved to the Aris Palace and was waiting for its return. The childlike, playful map she drew with it made the note appear like a sweet, innocent invitation.

—

Two weeks had passed since she moved to the Aris Palace.

Every day, Liliana stretched her hand out the window. As spring approached and the wind grew warmer, new wind spirits she had never seen would land on her palm.

“Hello. It’s been so long since I’ve seen a wind spirit.”

She greeted the spirit, smiling as she noted its slight resemblance to Chuchu, though it was not the same.

“By any chance, have you seen Chuchu?”

“Chuchu? Who’s that?“

“A wind spirit like you.“

“I don’t know! But would you like to make a contract with me instead?”

Liliana’s brows knit with slight regret at the spirit’s bold offer.

“Sorry, I already have a spirit. I promised my future.“

“Hmph, I don’t want a human who’s already taken.”

The spirit, irritated, stuck out its tongue and zipped away.

Liliana clasped her now-empty hand, resting her chin on the window ledge. While the arrival of spring was pleasant, she was apprehensive about the approaching debutante ball—the most significant event of the year for the royal family.

Every royal event was grand and opulent, but the debutante ball required a touch of fresh elegance.

Moreover, they planned to reveal new information at this year’s ball about a region that would become a key agricultural area.

The Rhenia Trading Company focused its attention on Hesdin, located on the empire’s western edge.

Since this was the first attempt, they invested heavily in spirit stones to rapidly rejuvenate the area, which had recently sprouted early spring blossoms.

They decided to plant corn there first, as it was a resilient crop that could be used as food for both humans and livestock.

For this purpose, they had already hired numerous farmers willing to relocate to the frontier.

Unfortunately, Sever, the empire’s largest granary, belonged to Duke Gabriel’s territory.

However, as Sever was in the east, people in the west had to pay higher prices for grain.

Once Hesdin had fully developed as a granary and offered grain at fair prices, there would be no need to trade with the eastern lands.

Sometimes, a nearby trading partner could be as powerful as a large one far away.

“Corn…”

It must grow well…

“Do you want to eat corn?”

Lost in thought, Liliana jumped and turned around. Helio was leaning against the wide-open door.

“What were you thinking so deeply that you didn’t notice me?“

“Did Your Majesty sneak up quietly?“

“No, you’re the one who was too absorbed in corn thoughts.”

Helio teased her as he approached, making Liliana back away and glance at him with wary eyes.

“Why do you always appear out of nowhere?“

“I like knowing what you do when I’m not around.“

“You get daily reports from Minelli, don’t you?”

“That’s exactly the problem. Hearing about you daily from her makes me want to see it all myself.”

Helio, now more transparent about his feelings, had grown more assertive. Having identified his emotions as affection, he saw no reason to hold back. Liliana turned her head away to hide her flushed cheeks.

“Still, please let me know beforehand. I’d like to… tidy up, maybe…”

“Why should you dress up? I should be the one to do that.”

Helio said it as if it were the most natural thing.

“What do you mean?“

“I’m the one wooing you here. Look at me.”

Liliana involuntarily lifted her head to meet his gaze. The man squeezed himself into the narrow space between the window and her desk, determined to stay close. He looked more endearing than silly, perhaps due to his handsome face, neatly styled hair, and a couple of purposely undone buttons on his shirt.

Helio, leaning against the same wall, wore an expectant expression.

Unable to resist the sight of him, Liliana chuckled quietly. Helio’s face, however, showed disappointment.

“Why am I failing?“

“Failing at what?”

“At charming you.“

‘Well, I’ve already fallen for you.’

Liliana knew the answer but only responded with a smile.

“Most women give a dazed look if I merely glance at them. They murmur about my beauty or even talk of sins worthy of death. But you always seem to think, ‘Oh, he is handsome,‘ and nothing more.“

“Me?”

Liliana couldn’t believe it. She, more than anyone, was captivated by his handsome face.

Seeing her puzzled expression, Helio gave a soft, understanding sigh and nodded.

“I get it now.”

Though his reasoning was wrong initially, Liliana’s curiosity compelled her to ask calmly.

“What is it?“

“Since you’re beautiful, it must mean my handsomeness doesn’t faze you.”

Liliana couldn’t hold back her laughter. She had to cover her face with both hands to avoid showing a silly expression.

She laughed until her shoulders shook, eventually calming herself. Helio smiled warmly, watching her as she let out a quiet cough.

“Lily, let’s go on a picnic.”

“But it’s still cold.“

“It’s spring.”

Well, if it’s between winter and spring, it’s closer to spring. But it was still too early for a picnic.

She was going to tell him that picnics were something you do as soon as possible in April, but Helio looked somewhat expectant, so she couldn’t bring herself to say no. Reluctantly, Liliana nodded.

“Alright, just wait a moment. You’ll catch a cold otherwise.“

“Are you treating me like a kid?”

At his incredulous question, Liliana smiled, her dimples deepening.

“Well, sometimes.”

Liliana put her hands behind her back as she walked, then stopped abruptly and reached up to pat Helio’s head gently.

“Oh, so cute. You really dressed up nicely today.”

She knew precisely what Helio had been hoping to hear.

Still, standing in front of him and calling him handsome or dashing felt embarrassingly awkward. So, this was her way of gathering up her courage.

Helio lowered his head, momentarily dumbfounded, then let out an amused laugh, clearly not offended but rather entertained.

Helio swiftly reached out and pulled Liliana close by her waist. She instinctively placed her hands on his shoulders, where she’d been patting his head.

“I’ve changed my mind. Let’s postpone the picnic.”

His voice, whispering so closely, was incredibly seductive. But Liliana firmly pushed against his shoulders and shook her head.

“No way. We barely have time for the picnic as it is.”

Liliana promptly slipped out of Helio’s embrace and instructed Agrina to prepare for the picnic.

Outwardly, she had flatly refused Helio’s playful suggestion, but her heart raced with a rapid thump.

“No, we have too much work to do… Plus, spending the night with His Majesty is much more exhausting than a picnic.”

Liliana brushed her hand over her chest to calm herself before turning to look at Helio. Surprisingly, he still looked dashing even after being turned down.

To steady her nerves, Liliana spoke in a deliberately nonchalant tone.

“If you’re not coming, I’ll go alone. Or I’ll invite my mother or Her Majesty the Dowager Empress instead.

“Not a chance. I hate the idea of sharing you with the women of the royal family.”

Helio walked over confidently and offered her his arm, leaving no room for debate.

The early spring picnic didn’t last long because it was too chilly to stay outside for long. No matter how much hot tea they had prepared, it cooled down quickly, so there wasn’t much charm.

But she thoroughly enjoyed watching Helio sit on the thin blanket, having taken his shoes off.

Helio picked up a small cookie from the blanket and gave a brief, dry assessment of the picnic.

“Enjoying refreshments outdoors when we have walls and a roof is quite strange.”

It was the sort of blunt remark you’d expect from someone who’d been on the battlefield since he was eleven. Liliana sipped her now-cold tea and found his remark amusing.

Helio draped his coat around Liliana and added a comment.

“The stranger part is, I don’t mind it.”

He smiled playfully like a young boy.

“It’s like that with almost everything I do with you.”

Who could say he didn’t know how to express his emotions? Helio was someone who delighted in being affectionate.

The picnic didn’t last very long, as Helio worried about Liliana’s health. The two promised to go on another picnic when proper spring arrived.

That evening, Liliana found the dining table filled with dishes made entirely from corn. She’d never realized you could make many elegant and varied dishes with corn.

She didn’t tire of the corn dishes thanks to the chef’s impressive skills. Still, a hint of annoyance arose when she thought of the person behind this joke.

“It’s not that I wanted to eat corn!”

The complaint naturally slipped out towards Helio, but as soon as she took a bite, the deliciousness made her anger melt away.

She thought that if corn could be transformed into such delightful dishes, perhaps commoners could enjoy it too. She spent the busy meal jotting down notes as she ate.