When I asked my question, Rosemary blinked rapidly, seemingly caught off guard, and replied, “That face isn’t one you’d easily forget after seeing it once, right?”

That was true.

Without realizing it, I nodded in agreement. Rosemary noticed and gave me a gentle smile. “Oh dear, I’m so weak when it comes to you.”

What was she talking about, claiming to be weak while effortlessly swinging me around when I was completely exhausted?

Rosemary took a sip from her teacup to refresh her throat. Then, as if she had made a significant decision, she said, “And to be honest, I recognized him at a glance. I’ve had interactions with the Esrenche family since I was young.”

So, she had known from the start that the man running the flower shop with me was Yuri Esrenche.

As I stood there with a bewildered expression, Rosemary narrowed her eyes and asked, “Did you really not know?”

“…I thought pink hair was common in the capital.”

Even to my ears, my answer sounded ridiculous.

Instead of laughing out loud at me, the elegant lady, Rosemary, smiled gracefully and teased, “Oh dear, if you ever get caught in a pyramid scheme or something, make sure to consult me.”

“I’m not that gullible, you know?”

“I know. I’m just joking.”

Please refrain from making such unfunny jokes.

Rosemary laughed as if she found it amusing, then spoke in a much calmer tone. “Titi, would you listen to my story this time?”

I had a feeling this was the main point. I listened attentively to her words.

“Since I was young, I’ve had a complex about my name. Quite a few people used to tease me for having the name of a mere flower as the daughter of Duke Morphe.”

I was aware of that. In fact, in a past life, she had even changed her name because of it.

But was Rosemary really just a mere flower?

I countered, “Rosemary is a very useful herb, used for food decoration and even in perfumes. Its flower language means ‘beautiful memories.’ It’s definitely not insignificant.”

“I thought you’d say something like that.”

Rosemary laughed softly again. She leaned her chin on her hand and, with a languid smile, said to me, “Will you marry me?”

“What… what?”

What was she suddenly talking about?

Blinking in surprise, I quickly closed my mouth. Seeing my shock, Rosemary burst into laughter. “Hahaha, I’m just joking. If you freeze up like that, I feel bad.”

Ah, a joke.

“…Rosie, please, don’t joke like that anywhere else.”

I nearly had a heart attack.

I meant it sincerely, but Rosemary clutched her stomach, laughing.

With a pout, I sipped my tea. Only after a long while did Rosemary finally stop laughing and clear her throat. “I know very well that you have a wonderful boyfriend, so there’s no way I’d propose. But thank you for saying nice things about my name. It really makes me happy.”

Her gaze, filled with deep affection, met mine. She opened her handbag and took something out. “Now that I’ve heard about your love life, I should share mine, right?”

What she handed me was a wine-colored envelope that matched her perfectly.

I fiddled with the sealed wax stamp and asked, “What is this?”

“It’s a wedding invitation.”

Her tone was casual, but the content was not.

I couldn’t believe my ears. “A wedding invitation? Rosie’s?”

“Yes.”

If it was Rosemary’s partner, it must be the second-highest person in the country. I clapped my hands with a bright smile. “Congratulations!”

Then I tilted my head in confusion.

But was there a royal wedding at this time? I didn’t think Rosemary and His Highness the Crown Prince had even had their engagement ceremony yet.

In past lives, around this time, I was busy dealing with Robi and my father’s affairs back home.

As I recalled, it did seem early.

‘In this lifetime, had there been any event that would rapidly advance the relationship between Rosie and His Highness the Crown Prince?’

As I pondered, Rosemary gave me a meaningful smile. “You haven’t even opened the invitation yet, but you seem to know who my partner is.”

Her words startled me. I awkwardly smiled and opened the invitation.

“If it’s Rosie’s partner, they must be a good person… huh?”

But the date on the invitation was surprisingly soon. It was set for the next month.

I doubted my eyes and rubbed them with my sleeve. But I had seen correctly. I cautiously asked, “Is it normal to have the wedding right after sending out the invitations like this?”

“Yes, it’s true that the wedding is happening quite suddenly. The reason is…”

Rosemary replied with a wink.

“Because the child arrived first.”

“What?”

She’s pregnant?

I instinctively looked at Rosemary’s stomach. She was still slim and beautiful, showing no signs of pregnancy.

Rosemary glanced at me, amused by my bewilderment.

“This is partly Titiana’s responsibility.”

“Me?”

“You were the first to sell me a blue rose. That’s why His Highness the Crown Prince came to visit the salon.”

Rosemary twirled her hair around her finger as she spoke.

“After that, we naturally started meeting more often, and eventually…”

“How is that my responsibility? It sounds like you just had a whirlwind romance.”

When I responded with a skeptical expression, Rosemary emphasized her words.

“No, it’s entirely Titiana’s responsibility. I can’t recount every conversation I had with His Highness, but it’s truly, truly because of you.”

“Did you bond over gossiping about me?”

“It wasn’t gossip or jokes. We did talk, though.”

What on earth did they talk about?

As I narrowed my eyes, Rosemary patted my shoulder with a smile.

“Well, it’s not a bad thing. It’s actually a wonderful event, isn’t it?”

As Rosemary said, the arrival of a royal heir was indeed something the entire country would celebrate.

Realizing I had contributed to this joyous occasion, I straightened my back and shrugged my shoulders proudly.

“Alright. So, instead of blaming me, say it was thanks to me.”

Rosemary burst into loud laughter once again.

After carefully putting away the invitation, Rosemary earnestly requested, “So, make sure to come with your boyfriend and catch the bouquet, okay?”

So, this is how Yuri was confirmed as my boyfriend.

Rosemary left after sharing a whirlwind of stories with me.

When I finally managed to return to the shop, I shoved my luggage into a corner and headed for the bathroom.

‘Ah, I’m so sleepy.’

I wanted to collapse onto the bed immediately, but thinking of meeting Yuri the next morning, I decided to wash up. Living together, I should at least care about that.

After a quick bath, I lay down under the covers, feeling as if someone was pulling me from behind.

Just before I drifted off to sleep, something nagged at my mind.

‘Wait a minute. I feel like I’m forgetting something.’

Something had been bothering me since I saw the invitation.

I opened my eyes wide.

‘Tulip Bubble! I forgot about the Tulip Bubble.’

In a past life, the Crown Prince’s wedding had taken place as a double celebration after the invincible fleet had secured the southern region.

Which meant…

‘This time, the wedding is earlier, so the fleet will return after the ceremony!’

And right after that, the price of tulips, symbolizing the invincible fleet, would skyrocket to unimaginable heights.

‘This is exactly the situation I’ve been aiming for!’

Remembering this, I suddenly felt a surge of energy throughout my body.

***

Autumn Handridge was the second son of a poor baronial family.

As the young master of a baron’s household, he lived under the pressure of wealthy commoners and high-ranking nobles. Somehow, he discovered his potential as a mage, but unfortunately, his abilities were not remarkable.

As a result, he reached the age of fifty without establishing a family. Having focused solely on himself as a mage, he had no friends outside the mage tower.

‘This country needs to treat mages better.’

The title of mage was the only thing preserving his self-esteem, so he had earnestly advocated for the social status and rights of mages.

His greatest frustration was that most high-ranking mages ignored such claims.

‘But the current head of the mage tower is old and uninterested in improving the status of mages, and the next head…’

The person Autumn disliked the most in the world was Yuri Esrenche, the great mage tipped to be the next head of the Magic Tower at a young age.

‘He always looks like that, as if he’s flaunting his youth and beauty, looking at others with that smug expression.’

As Autumn frowned at the vision of Yuri floating before his eyes, surprisingly, the vision spoke to him.

“Hey.”

“…?”

“Hey, can’t you hear me?”

“Gasp.”

Only then did Autumn realize it wasn’t an illusion but Yuri himself. His absence had been so long.

Autumn hurriedly bowed his head.