“Do you have anything to say?” I laughed softly.

“It wasn’t my intention.”

Had I been in the capital when all that chaos erupted, I might have intervened, even if it meant kicking someone in the rear. At the very least, I wouldn’t have stood by and allowed it to make the news.

Rosemary didn’t seem to mind at all that my name was being mentioned more frequently than hers. She was excited, her eyes sparkling with interest.

It was clear now that she hadn’t been waiting to see me, but rather to hear about my love life.

“Titi, are you getting married now? Have you set a date? Did the Grand Mage agree?”

“No, actually, we haven’t discussed it in such detail, but the Tower Master let it slip first…”

“Aha, so it’s just a matter of time.”

Why did she come to that conclusion?

It seemed Rosemary had already decided my wedding was a certainty, as she smiled warmly.

“I’ll speak to Her Majesty the Empress about opening up the ballroom at the palace for the wedding. Just make sure to set a date and let me know.”

I’d like to politely decline.

“It’s troublesome to be in the spotlight any more than this.”

My life goal was simply to become rich by selling tulips and then live quietly. But so much had happened even before I started selling tulips.

Having nothing more to add about my love life, I smoothly interrupted Rosemary and handed over the gift I had prepared.

“This is a wedding gift.”

“Oh my.”

I had made a round wreath. Rosemary took it and turned it around curiously, tilting her head.

“It’s not made of fresh flowers?”

“No.”

“Is this something you’re planning to release after the rainbow roses?”

“Yes, it’s called preserved flowers.”

“The name sounds fancy, but they’re just dried flowers, aren’t they?”

I had anticipated this reaction, so I just smiled silently.

Rosemary’s point was valid. The market still had a poor perception of dried flowers, generally seeing them as ‘flowers that have withered and lost their value.’

“But if you dry them well, they have a unique charm different from fresh flowers. They can be kept unchanged for a long time.”

The wreath I made for Rosemary was very beautiful. It combined hydrangeas, roses, eucalyptus, and globe amaranths, creating a harmony of pink and green leaves.

And rosemary.

“It would have been better with flowers, but it’s not the season for rosemary flowers.”

The name rosemary means ‘dew of the sea.’ The rosemary flower is small and light blue, which is why it got that name.

It was a shame not to include those pretty flowers, but even with just the leaves, it created a cute yet unique atmosphere.

She seemed to recognize the rosemary decorating the wreath, as her eyes softened.

“…But it’s pretty. It will never wilt.”

I thought Rosemary would appreciate this meaning. I smiled broadly and explained how she could use the wreath I made.

“It can be used as a flower crown, and if you hang lace from it, it becomes a romantic dreamcatcher.”

At my very merchant-like explanation, Rosemary burst into a clear laugh. Then, she carefully placed the flower crown on her head and said,

“I don’t know if I like Titi so much that I like everything Titi makes, or if I like what Titi gives me so much that I also like Titi.”

Either way, the fact that she liked me was the same.

And I was genuinely happy to have a friend like Rosemary.

As the gift-giving ended, a maid came in right on time to serve tea and refreshments. Sipping on fragrant black tea, I asked Rosemary about her recent activities.

“How is the wedding preparation going?”

“Am I the one preparing? The staff are doing it. Everyone is enthusiastically helping as if it were their own work, so I’m comfortably focusing on prenatal education.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Hearing about prenatal education, my gaze naturally shifted to her belly. Even though she wore a dress that didn’t cinch her waist, Rosemary was still slim.

“It’s amazing that there’s a baby when your belly hasn’t shown at all.”

“Apparently, the belly starts showing three or four months before the baby is born.”

“I can’t wait to see how beautiful the baby will be.”

“Of course, it will be beautiful, whether it resembles me or His Highness the Crown Prince.”

I chuckled softly at Rosemary’s boastful tone.

Rosemary set her teacup down and adopted a serious expression.

“But what brings you here today? It doesn’t seem like you came just to give me a gift.”

She was perceptive. I shrugged slightly.

Rosemary was right. There was something I needed to ask her.

“By any chance, is Princess Sabina playing a significant role in the preparations for Rosie’s wedding?”

“Princess Sabina?”

Rosemary’s eyes widened. I clenched my slightly trembling hands.

The reason I had come to see Rosemary was because of something Yuri had told me just yesterday.

[Sabina possesses a very dangerous potion. It’s a powerful magical drug that could harm even a mage like me.]

Given the variety of misdeeds she had committed, I wasn’t surprised to hear she had such a potion.

However, an unsettling thought suddenly crossed my mind.

‘Who would Princess Sabina most want to harm right now? Could it be Rosie?

If Princess Sabina used that potion to harm Rosemary, I must stop that at all costs.’

Knowing how much harm Princess Sabina had already caused in my life, I couldn’t let her torment those around me any longer.

Rosemary had been at odds with Princess Sabina even before her marriage, and their relationship had soured rapidly as she grew closer to me. Moreover, the entire country’s attention was now focused on Rosemary due to the royal wedding.

Knowing Princess Sabina, I was sure she envied her.

‘There’s a strong possibility she might target Rosie.’

Even Grand Mage Yuri couldn’t counteract the potion. I clenched my hands tightly.

‘I hope she’s not in charge of the celebratory drinks.’

If the potion were mixed with something like champagne, no one would realize until it was too late.

Rosemary noticed my anxiety and looked at me with curiosity.

“I’m not sure why you’re bringing up Princess Sabina all of a sudden… but she’s in charge of my bouquet.”

“The bouquet?”

“Yes.”

I paused, surprised by the mention of the bouquet.

Could the potion be mixed with the bouquet?

‘It could.’

Just like creating blue roses, if the flowers for the bouquet were soaked in the potion, they could absorb it.

‘But wouldn’t the flowers wilt quickly if she did that? Would Princess Sabina really use such an obvious method?’

It seemed too obvious, but it wasn’t entirely impossible. Even a slight possibility needed to be checked.

I asked Rosemary again.

“Is there any way to see the bouquet in advance? At least to know what flowers are being used?”

Rosemary’s eyes sharpened at my question.

“There must be a reason you’re asking so insistently. Can’t you tell me in advance?”

“Actually…”

I hesitated before answering. I recalled what Yuri had said when he informed me about the potion.

[I hope we can use this to set a trap. It could be a chance to corner Sabina completely.]

It was risky, but if used well, it could be an opportunity to ensure Princess Sabina’s downfall.

***

Finally, the day of Rosemary’s wedding arrived.

There was no specific dress code for the royal wedding. However, since I had to catch the bouquet, I needed to tie a wide jade ribbon around my dress’s waist. This was because the flower girls’ dresses at the wedding were white with jade ribbons.

White goes best with jade, but since I wasn’t the bride, I couldn’t wear white. So I chose a pale sky-blue dress, similar to Yuri’s eyes.

The dress featured an asymmetrical hemline, covering my knees in the front but extending to my ankles at the back.

After tying the ribbon around my dress and checking my reflection in the mirror, I frowned.

“Isn’t the ribbon too big? It looks like a peacock’s tail. Should I wrap it around my waist one more time?”

Yuri, who had been observing the overall design from a step away, approached and kissed my forehead.

“It’s cute. Like a butterfly.”

“You’re good with words.”

A butterfly, really.

Matching the waist ribbon, I tied ribbons of the same color around my neck and hair instead of wearing a necklace. But it seemed to clash with my hair color and stand out too much.

As I continued to fuss with the ribbons in the mirror, Yuri retied the loosened hair ribbon and said,

“It suits you well. Don’t you trust my judgment?”

“Well…”

You always say I’m pretty, even when I just wake up.

I almost replied but felt too shy and kept my mouth shut. Yuri met my eyes.

“Why are you trailing off? Don’t you trust me?”

Facing eyes the same color as my dress, my face flushed.

‘Ugh, I didn’t think much of it when I chose it, but now that I’m wearing it, it looks like I picked it to match Yuri and show off.’

To make matters worse, Yuri was wearing a pink handkerchief, which only reinforced that impression.