“I also thought saying I’d annihilate the family was excessive.”

Jade thought of Marquis Liberi, who’d backed down obediently. Even now, it was absurd. What confidence made him shout like that?

“Didn’t I tell you to stop with the half-hearted consideration?”

“…You’re right. I should have followed Jade’s words.”

Though Veronica had caused controversy, there was no real damage, so she’d hidden the full story as much as possible. If news spread that she’d stolen accessories from the jewelry box and framed someone, it would be on everyone’s lips.

“I couldn’t stay cold-hearted to the end.”

Seeing Rosana’s dejected appearance, Jade quickly dismissed it, saying it wasn’t her fault—the person who repaid kindness with malice was bad.

“It’s not my place to nitpick about your decisions.”

Jade changed the subject. It had been a while since he’d seen her. He’d planned to visit after the meeting ended anyway. Seeing Rosana who’d come on her own, Jade smiled brightly like someone who’d received a gift.

“So, what brings you here? It’s your first time, isn’t it?”

“W-was it?”

Rosana awkwardly scratched her cheek. Come to think of it, this really was her first time entering the interior. Rosana had visited Jade’s palace only once—when he waited for her and she responded to his answer.

Even then, they’d conversed in the garden without entering the interior. Jade frequented Rosana’s palace until his feet sweated, but she didn’t do the same. More precisely, she’d been reluctant.

“I heard there was a meeting, so I came to familiarize myself. If they’re nobles attending the central council, they’re people I can’t ignore either. Though I didn’t expect to cause trouble right after arriving.”

“…”

“Jade?”

“You were pushed aside by those guys.”

Jade grumbled at her tone suggesting she’d come incidentally.

“Are you curious about the nobles’ reactions?”

Rosana nodded. However, Jade leaned back deeply into the sofa, seemingly sulking, and just sipped his tea. His behavior of drinking tea without saying anything seemed strange, so she asked.

“Was there nothing worth mentioning?”

“Rosana, I definitely asked you for help, but take care of yourself while doing it. I can suppress the nobles’ resistance, so just do what you can. People need rest.”

“I’m getting enough…”

“Erase the dark circles under your eyes before you say that.”

Jade pointed precisely at Rosana’s eye area. Rosana mumbled:

“I haven’t been overdoing it that much…”

“That’s just your opinion. Aren’t people around you trying to stop you?”

Actually, Celine and Yuna had brought refreshments and books while recommending rest. However, since she’d lived leisurely before, she needed to work harder now.

This time, Rosana avoided Jade’s gaze and slurped her tea. Jade’s eyes curved gently, finding her appearance cute. Noticing his gaze, Rosana found it even harder to look at him.

“I’ll do things moderately…”

Rosana bowed her head deeply. Then she asked about something else she wanted to know.

“Now that the meeting ended well, do you have more free time?”

Jade’s eyes sparkled then. A strange expectation lingered at the end of Rosana’s calm voice. Jade said playfully:

“So you were lonely because I was busy too. We haven’t met at all lately. Is this the first time since we went out? You must have been lonely alone all this time.”

“N-no.”

“What do you mean no?”

“You send me letters regularly, Jade. I didn’t even feel lonely.”

“Then I’m the only one who felt lonely.”

At Jade’s seemingly sulky tone, Rosana’s mouth opened and closed. Jade’s eyes curved smoothly.

The reason Rosana hadn’t visited Jade’s palace was simply that she didn’t want to impose. However, when Jade saw her, he greeted her with a bright smile.  

His voice carried noticeable shifts in pitch, like someone who was slightly excited. It was clear he was genuinely happy to see her. Yet, the words he spoke afterward subtly revealed his loneliness.

Rosana chuckled and said warmly:

“Yes. I was lonely. From now on, I’ll visit often in place of busy Jade. Please don’t refuse.”

“I have no reason to refuse.”

Jade shrugged.

* * *

Rosana was busy checking the hall’s condition. Since it was quite far from her palace, she traveled by carriage.

After arriving, Rosana descended from the carriage holding Baron’s hand and looked up at the building’s exterior. Perhaps because it hadn’t been maintained, vines covered the walls.

“…”

No one said anything. When she’d asked Jane about the hall’s existence, she’d answered yes immediately, but her expression hadn’t been bright.

“So this was the reason… But the building itself has an antique charm.”

The hall was round with a terrace. Antique patterns that must have been quite beautiful in their heyday existed on the walls. However, there were many areas needing attention. Covered in dust and surrounded by vines, it was no different from an abandoned building.

Fortunately, the walls themselves weren’t cracked, so with some work, it seemed capable of fulfilling the hall’s role.

“…Come to think of it, no banquets have been held at the imperial palace for a long time.”

After a long silence, Celine spoke.

This meant the hall was essentially abandoned. With no one using it, maintenance had naturally been neglected. 

Moreover, the kingdom’s financial situation had been dire. A nation that had struggled to provide food for its people wouldn’t have prioritized maintaining a hall over ensuring the welfare of its citizens. 

On top of that, there had been a war. Given these circumstances, the hall’s condition was only to be expected.

Still, perhaps because of the bleak state of the surroundings, everyone felt compelled to offer Rosana excuses that weren’t quite excuses.

“We have a culture of holding hunting competitions more often than banquets. The situation hasn’t been good, so there were many shortcomings in maintenance.”

Thinking about it that way, Rosana thought anew that they’d paid attention to the palace given to her.

“Lady Rosana, what should we do? It’ll take a lot of time and budget to fix. If word gets out that we spent extravagantly again…”

“Could it be worse than before? It’s just adding one more verse.”

Rosana spoke lightly as a joke, but others were serious. She shrugged, telling them not to worry. Time wasn’t abundant, but there’d be no problem. They’d just overhaul it. Ultimately, the hall would regain its splendid appearance.

“If we hold an inadequate banquet, my reputation will suffer. I’ll just do my best. Besides, the Ales Kingdom is a kingdom defeated by Diovaha, so there’s no need to be cautious. They’re the ones who said they’d visit first.”

“That’s correct.”

“What’s the budget?”

“His Majesty’s order is to use as much as you need.”

“No problem then.”

Rosana stood before the door. Baron quickly opened it for her. The door that hadn’t been opened in a long time opened with an unpleasant creaking sound. Inside was full of dust, and dust particles floating in the air glimmered faintly in the sunlight.

Rosana coughed while blowing away the dust. As expected, the interior was an abandoned hall. 

Curtains completely faded and worn. Several chandeliers had fallen to the floor in miserable states, their joints rusted. It would be terrible if one fell while someone passed by.

Unable to enter inside, Rosana moved a few steps sideways and surveyed the whole area.

“We need to have people clean everything out.”

“I’ll bring servants.”

“Yes. Before that, remove all the chandeliers first since it could be dangerous. They look like they could fall just from the shock of people moving around. There are many places to fix, so it’d be good to call merchants. It’ll be better to have them see directly and give estimates.”

“Understood.”

Celine bowed respectfully. Having finished her business, Rosana returned to the carriage. Though somewhat surprised by the interior condition, what she needed to do hadn’t changed.

In the past, she’d have had an obsession about spending budget, but now it was different. Greeting the envoy in shabby condition would be more disrespectful.

Rosana leaned against the carriage backrest while looking out the window. She leisurely watched the scenery swiftly passing outside the window and felt the gentle breeze. Then Yuna, sitting across from her, spoke.

“Lady Rosana, won’t you visit His Majesty before leaving?”

“Jade?”

“Yes! You said he told you to visit often. Since you’re nearby, how about visiting? His Majesty would be happy too!”

“…Certainly.”

His smiling face when she’d visited was vivid. When Rosana slightly raised the corners of her mouth and smiled, Yuna asked carefully:

“Lady Rosana, please speak honestly. What do you think of His Majesty?”

“…Hmm?”

She heard Celine’s small sigh from the side.

“I saw everything!”

Yuna’s eyes, sparkling brightly, stared at Rosana, though she didn’t specify what she’d seen.

“Lady Rosana’s reddened face! You blush every time His Majesty shows consideration.”

“Why does a red face matter?”

“…Pardon?”

“There are many reasons for faces to redden. Embarrassment, shyness, shame, fluster.”

Rosana looked at Yuna, who kept going on about reddened faces, like she was looking at a strange person. Yuna, who’d been listening silently, stared blankly with a shocked expression before shaking her head to regain her senses.

To anyone watching them, they were a perfect couple—no, lovers—who just hadn’t married yet.

However, Rosana always maintained a certain line. That frustrated Yuna. 

When she, who’d always avoided meeting Jade saying it would be a bother, went to find him herself, Yuna had been certain there was a change of heart.

“Um… Lady Rosana. Why do you think your face turns red when you’re with His Majesty?”

At the carefully asked question, Rosana fell into thought. Her face often reddened when with him. That was because she was often flustered by his actions.

Yuna pleaded for her to speak her true feelings. At the fervent gaze, Rosana hesitated. ‘Why is she like this…’

“Because I’m flustered…?”

Then white smoke puffed from Yuna’s head, seemingly deflated. Soon she tried to stand up from her seat indignantly.

“That’s not it…!”

“Yuna, be quiet.”

“But! Aren’t you frustrated too, Celine? His Majesty is… Lady Rosana…”

Yuna glanced at Rosana and trembled, unable to finish her words. Then she whispered quietly. 

She spoke quietly enough for only Celine to hear, but due to the close distance, Rosana heard too.

“Looking at Lady Rosana’s reactions, she definitely likes His Majesty! But she sits there with an expression saying she doesn’t know.”

“That’s not for us to judge.”

“But…!”

“If Lady Rosana hasn’t realized it, the other party needs to work harder. The one who becomes aware is always the one who burns with anxiety. It’s not for us to comment on.”

“Everyone… what are you talking about?”

Rosana, who couldn’t understand the content Celine and Yuna were exchanging, tilted her head. It seemed like they had something they wanted to convey, but she couldn’t grasp it.

‘Between me and Jade?’

Unlike Yuna, who’d spoken quietly enough not to be heard by Rosana, Celine spoke calmly to Rosana, seemingly wanting her to hear.

“Lady Rosana is fine as you are.”

“…?”

Baron, who was escorting the carriage on horseback from the side, smiled awkwardly at the women’s chatter leaking through the window.

The strange conversation in the carriage concluded upon arriving at the emperor’s palace.

‘So what was the conclusion?’ 

Rosana tilted her head. She’d been told by Yuna to listen more to her heart’s voice, and by Celine that she was already sufficient. Along with words that whether going slowly or quickly, the result would be the same.

“You should have just said to visit often from the start. You came to see me today, right?”

Rosana looked at Jade, who welcomed her brightly. Malek followed behind hurriedly, seemingly having abandoned his work to rush over. In Malek’s arms was a bundle of unfinished documents. Rosana stared intently at his welcoming appearance.

At that gaze, Jade expressed puzzlement.

“Rosana?”

‘Because Yuna said unnecessary things.’

Her heart felt unsettled. How did she think of him? 

He was someone who saw through her true self, someone who changed her, someone who cared for her.

Even without Yuna saying it, she’d vaguely noticed. She’d just ignored the suspicions quietly blooming because she disliked the confusion.