The princess didn’t need to know about her feelings. It was unnecessary and burdensome to express them.

As Milla pressed her lips together in a straight line, seemingly lost in thought, Stella smiled and crouched down in front of the fully grown spinach.

The more she observed, the more she realized that Stella’s personality was completely opposite to Rudina’s; yet, strangely, she found herself drawn to her. Suddenly, she wondered what might happen if the two of them met.

The more Stella thought about Rudina, the more she felt a desperate urge to save money.

Milla followed Stella’s actions with wide eyes, seemingly captivated by something.

At some point, she felt that this version of Princess Stella, who was touching the soil and smiling like a child in front of the plants, shone much brighter than when she wore glamorous dresses and sparkling jewels. This was likely an unnecessary emotion as well.

Milla grew anxious, her thoughts stretching in all directions without control.

She shouldn’t allow her heart to be swayed by someone she needed to constantly observe and scrutinize for suspicious behavior.

Instead, she should maintain a distance, assessing the situation as objectively and coldly as possible to prepare a detailed report.

Steeling herself, Milla took a slow breath and stepped back from Stella. Even if it seemed like a meaningless action, she felt she had no choice.

It was a lesson she had heard from Anne, the Chamberlain, so often that it had become ingrained in her mind. No one understood that rule better than Milla.

However, lately, she found herself tearing up reports more frequently. Unintentionally, she began writing justifications for Princess Stella’s actions in her reports, only to delete them and remove them from the documents.

This was especially true when it came to Stella selling crops at the market.

Milla still hadn’t decided how far to report on that matter. Tomorrow was the day for her report, and she felt particularly anxious.

Knock!

Stella plucked a spinach leaf that was still rooted in the ground and popped it into her mouth. Milla was startled to see her eat the leaf raw, unwashed and uncooked, but by then, Stella had already begun chewing and swallowed it.

“Princess!”

Honestly, there wasn’t a day that went by without being surprised when she was with Princess Stella. Today was just a bit earlier than usual.

Worrying that eating raw spinach might cause any issues, Milla carefully observed Stella’s complexion.

Though she felt she was being overly cautious, she reminded herself that the princess’s health was also her responsibility, suppressing her wavering heart.

But Stella, acting as if she had just tasted something delicious, excitedly offered Milla a spinach leaf as well.

While she could perhaps manage to cope with eating it raw, being told to eat it without washing it was another matter. Milla hesitated for a moment but eventually accepted it from Stella’s hand. She couldn’t refuse something the princess had eaten.

Even as she put it in her mouth, the slight furrow in her brow relaxed more and more as she chewed. Before long, she found herself looking at it with wide eyes, chewing faster in surprise.

Goodness!

The more she chewed, the richer the unique nuttiness of the spinach became, complemented by a subtle sweetness that danced on her tongue. If it tasted this good raw, she couldn’t even imagine how delicious it would be once properly cooked.

“Isn’t it delicious?”

Stella asked with a voice full of certainty. Milla could only nod like a fool. Before her family fell into decline, she had tasted many exquisite foods.

And after coming to the royal palace as a hostage, she had tried many rare dishes she had never tasted before while serving the princess.

But the simple, primitive food that Princess Stella offered her was more delicious than anything she had ever eaten, leaving a lasting impression.

It wasn’t just tasty; it lingered in her thoughts, making her miss it before long.

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

As Milla replied, she felt an urge to cry for some reason.

* * *

After finishing his morning training, Kai entered his office and, as a habit, opened the drawer. This habit had formed when he placed the mining transaction document, marked with small footprints like a stamp, into the drawer.

The number of items in the drawer, which had previously contained only one document, had steadily increased.

A document, a silver coin, and an ugly handkerchief.

Kai stared at the drawer, as if it contained something he shouldn’t touch, and when he heard a noise, he quickly closed it.

However, even after closing it tightly, he felt strangely as if the handkerchief, the document, and even a single coin were peeking out and watching him.

Thinking he hadn’t closed it properly, he looked down, but the drawer was indeed shut tight.

‘I need to find out about the coin, right? And I also need to repay her for the handkerchief.’

Stella had given him many small gifts over time. Although they were nothing more than dirt-covered carrots, pies, and a poorly embroidered handkerchief, he still needed to discover where Stella had gotten the silver coins.

Throughout the morning, while handling numerous tasks, Kai couldn’t shake the thought of what would be a natural way to repay her.

It was as if the items in the closed drawer were constantly nagging at him, bothering him all day long. It felt uncomfortable, as if he hadn’t completed an assignment. She was truly a bothersome woman.

“Your Majesty, do you have any concerns?”