I greeted Suran.

“Louelle, it’s good to see you.”

Suran now called my name affectionately. I smiled brightly and looked at Fazel.

“Fazel, you didn’t forget anything?”

Fazel nodded like it was obvious.

“I checked more than three times.”

“Then we’re good.”

Fazel didn’t usually lose things. He was the type to make a list and pack meticulously.

I didn’t need to do that since Marlene packed everything for me.

“Louelle, you look pretty today too.”

I gave a cheerful smile.

“Thank you.”

“Your curled hair is pretty.”

Fazel gave a rare compliment.

I’d asked him to act convincingly as my fiancé, and this must be how he planned to do it.

He also seemed awkward, his face slightly flushed.

“Thank you.”

I happily moved to his side.

“Link arms.”

“Got it.”

Fazel understood my words perfectly. Fazel and I walked along with linked arms. The servants gathered our belongings, and Suran and Father came out behind us, whispering to each other.

The morning sun was rising.

We’d been preparing since dawn, but we were finally departing in the morning.

“I think it’ll be uncomfortable if His Majesty the Emperor tests us too obviously. It’s unsettling if we fail the test.”

Fazel confided his worries to me.

“That’s true.”

I agreed with that.

“But we just need to act like we normally do.”

“Right?”

“Of course.”

After comforting his anxiety, I climbed into the carriage with him. Fazel, Father, and I were supposed to ride in the same carriage.

After Fazel and I boarded the carriage, Father got in belatedly.

“You’re late.”

Father looked at Fazel with pleased eyes.

What did Suran and Father talk about to make him look like that?

“Did something happen?”

Father put his index finger to his lips.

“It’s a secret.”

What on earth is so secret!

I cried out silently inside. But I gave up since Father definitely didn’t seem like he’d tell me.

* * *

Esran glanced at Fazel. The boy who never put down his book beside him looked the same as usual.

‘Do you know what Fazel did first thing when he woke up? He packed delicious tea and cookies to give Louelle. He bought them with his saved-up allowance.’

Recalling what Suran had said, he smiled gently.

Apparently Fazel planned to take them out during the trip.

Of course, knowing Fazel’s personality, he wouldn’t mention that he’d saved up his allowance to buy them.

Noon was approaching. Since warping and traveling to the next village would take some time, they decided to rest here.

The horses needed rest too, or there would be problems with the next leg of the journey.

“Stop the carriage.”

Esran spoke into the amplifier. Then all the carriages stopped at once.

“Finally, time to rest.”

Louelle stretched and interlaced her fingers, looking bored. Then she naturally looked at Fazel.

“Fazel, want to have some tea?”

Louelle enjoyed drinking tea with Fazel. Then Fazel spoke up like he’d been waiting.

“I bought some tea, want to try it?”

“You did?”

“Yeah.”

Then Louelle looked at him with curious eyes.

“You don’t usually buy things.”

“But I got my allowance this time and bought it.”

As Esran had guessed, he left out the part about saving up.

“What kind?”

Louelle asked curiously. Then Fazel took out a container of dried tea leaves from his personal items bag.

“It’s Rusharen tea.”

Of course, Louelle recognized the tea Fazel bought immediately. It was also her favorite tea.

“You bought this.”

“Is there a problem?”

“No. I was just thinking about the price.”

But even though Fazel tried to hide it, Louelle knew.

“You saved up your allowance to buy this, didn’t you?”

At Louelle’s words, Fazel’s face heated up.

“I wanted to drink it.”

Fazel also took out cookies.

“This is also something I like.”

“I like it too.”

Louelle’s eyes sparkled.

“I see.”

Louelle let it go. But she couldn’t hide the smile that appeared on her lips.

“Oh, really.”

Fazel’s face eventually turned bright red. He’d tried to give the gift while acting nonchalant, but Louelle had already seen through everything.

“You saved my life, so this is repayment. It’s nothing special, but I hope you’ll accept it.”

Fazel barely managed to say one sentence with difficulty. Louelle used her head naturally, but Fazel didn’t. Since he was still young, when he did such things, his awkwardness showed.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Louelle looked at the cookies and tea and smiled brightly. At her smile, Fazel stared blankly before quickly shaking his head.

‘Mm.’

Esran’s eyes sparkled as he watched the scene.

‘Oh ho.’

It seemed there had been a change in Fazel’s feelings!

For now, it seemed he should keep watching.

* * *

I felt so good.

Fazel, who gave me a gift with his saved-up allowance because I’d saved his life, looked so precious.

I’d planned to give to him until he opened his heart. And when he completely opened his heart to me, I planned to hope for his affection.

But even though we were in a formal engagement, he was starting to care for me.

“I wonder what it tastes like.”

I drank the tea brewed from the tea leaves Fazel gave me. Father and I exclaimed in admiration.

“It’s really delicious.”

“I asked for the good stuff.”

Fazel said with a blush still on his face, like this topic still embarrassed him.

“It’s really delicious.”

I’d drunk countless teas. But what Fazel bought was truly high-quality tea.

I couldn’t imagine how many months of his allowance went into it.

Plus, the cookies were sweet too.

The cookies and tea paired really well together.

“Where did you get these cookies?”

Even the people at the castle don’t make them this well?

“A friend who lives in the capital—his family runs a bakery.”

“Ah.”

“That place is famous, so I ordered from them.”

So that’s why the taste was exceptional. I’d already tried all the cookies sold in our territory. They could never produce this taste.

“Wow, I want to go there.”

When it comes to cookies, I can’t be left out.

Fazel shrugged once.

“Let’s go together. My friend is really curious about who my fiancée is.”

“Really?”

“We can go look at the cookies and stuff.”

I shook my head.

“Just look? No way! We have to bring cookies back!”

At my firm words, Fazel’s eyes widened, then he finally smiled sweetly.

“That’s so like you, Louelle.”

We’ve gotten this close.

I felt pleased and happy.

I carefully put the tea Fazel gave me in my bag and ate the cookies deliciously. Then I spent time talking with him and reading books.

We were about to enter the warp zone to the capital when an incident occurred where a suddenly rushing carriage collided with us. The carriage the servants were riding in was hit, so Father and I rushed over. Fazel followed me too.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry! I was rushing because I thought you’d go straight through the warp, but you stopped in front, so I tried to stop urgently. But the horses suddenly got startled and reared up, causing this.”

The coachman bowed his head apologetically. I looked at the carriage’s crest and my eyes widened.

‘That’s the Marquis Eutrien family.’

The door opened and a man came out, tapping his trembling legs before standing up and walking toward Father.

“I received a shock inside, so my body hasn’t calmed down yet—that’s why I’m late getting out.”

“So you’re Marquis Eutrien.”

Father recognized him immediately. His thick black hair and red eyes symbolized the Eutrien family.

“It was Count Asnel. I’m truly sorry. The horses haven’t properly calmed down. I had wild horses tamed to increase speed. I didn’t know this would happen.”

How could you use wild horses as carriage horses! I screamed silently.

Since carriages required good control of the horses, using trained horses was common sense. And the idea that wild horses were faster was just a myth.

I was dumbfounded but didn’t show it.

“But who’s the young lady in the back?”

“She’s my daughter.”

Given my mother’s background, I didn’t go outside the territory. Even when I met people, I only chose to meet those who wouldn’t look at me with curious eyes.

Marquis Eutrien was seeing me for the first time.

“She really resembles Her Highness the Princess.”

I always heard I resembled my mother. He quickly bowed his head to me. Though Father’s status was lower than his, my status was higher than his.

“I apologize for causing trouble to royalty.”

“It’s fine.”

Seeing Marquis Eutrien’s body trembling, it didn’t seem intentional.

Actually, I was used to carriage incidents. It was a tactic people often used to meet and talk with me, so I wasn’t particularly surprised.

But those cases were to gain benefits through me, and in the Marquis’s case, talking to me wouldn’t gain him anything, so that was probably overthinking it.

I thought that and was about to just greet him and go inside. But then, a boy slightly taller than Fazel got out of the carriage.

The boy also seemed unsettled from inside the carriage, moving his still-trembling body with difficulty even after coming out. Then he walked toward us.

“Hello.”

He greeted us politely.

“I’m Jinmen, heir to the Marquis Eutrien family.”

I saw the black hair and vivid red eyes that symbolized the Eutrien family. He, with his neatly tied hair, examined me carefully with eyes more beautiful than jewels.

“So you’re Lady Louelle Asnel of the royal family.”

Since the title referring to me was ambiguous, everyone called me this.

“I’m Louelle Asnel. This is my fiancé, Fazel Asnel.”

“So this is your fiancé.”

Jinmen looked at Fazel with admiration.

“He’s really handsome.”

Jinmen was handsome too, but Fazel had bolder, more beautiful features. Plus, my preference was for Fazel.

I nodded and linked arms with Fazel.

“Because he’s my fiancé.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course he’s a good fiancé.”

I smiled brightly, and after receiving his greeting with Fazel, we returned to the carriage. Father seemed to have more to discuss with Marquis Eutrien and didn’t return to his seat right away.

Meanwhile, Esran continued talking with Marquis Eutrien Latelas.

“I have a villa near the warp, so I’d like to invite you there.”

Esran thought for a moment.

Of course, he could refuse this request. Because the Asnel family also had a villa near the warp. If they wanted to go, they could go there.

He looked at Jinmen. He was a very polite and courteous-looking boy. But the way he looked at Louelle was unusual.

Louelle might not have noticed because she was absorbed in Fazel, but Esran caught that subtle look.

“I’d be grateful for the invitation.”

Louelle Asnel.

Being both royalty and a daughter who would become a Count, her popularity was inevitable.

And refusing Marquis Eutrien’s request would be a shame for them too. The injured servants were the ones in charge of cooking.

Esran thought the injured people should rest, so he decided to go to the Marquis’s villa for now.

Returning to the carriage where Louelle and Fazel were, Esran looked at the two. Seeing them sitting close together like good friends inside the carriage, he smiled cheerfully.

“We’ve decided to go to the Eutrien family’s villa.”

Then Louelle rolled her eyes around.

“The cooking servants are injured, so that works out well.”