“Healer, are you truly not involved in any sort of relationship with our prince?”

I tilted my head, puzzled by the intent behind the question. The maid who had been blocking Lily continued speaking.

“It’s just that the prince would mention the healer at every opportunity. He even earnestly requested us to take excellent care of you, ensuring you experienced no discomfort whatsoever…”

Only after hearing this additional explanation did I realize they were suspecting Raphael and me of being romantically involved. I immediately clarified the situation.

“That’s likely just out of gratitude towards me for helping him regain his memories. We’re not in any relationship, so please don’t misunderstand.”

Although I spoke firmly, the intrigued look on their faces didn’t easily fade. It was awkward, but I knew this issue would resolve itself with time.

In fact, Raphael wasn’t the first person to behave this way. Ever since I had started properly caring for patients, there had always been those who mistook their gratitude for romantic interest. Fortunately, such false emotions usually cooled down quickly, so I hadn’t faced much trouble.

This time shouldn’t be much different, but I thought it might be better to disappear from sight as soon as possible before things potentially escalated. This wasn’t my original destination anyway.

Seeing my serious expression, the maids exchanged silent glances before calmly composing themselves. They still didn’t seem to believe me, but what could they do if the person in question denied it?

“Healer, we’re all done. Shall we go now?”

The maid who had been fixing my hair said, inserting a final small flower-shaped ornament. However, I couldn’t stand up. The dress they had put on me looked as if it were half-finished – my shoulders were completely exposed, and the chiffon fabric connecting my arms and chest looked like it might slip off at any moment.

“Um, isn’t there anything else to wear over this? This seems… like it might fall off.”

“Don’t worry. The fabric on the arms is just for decoration, and the entire upper body is firmly secured, so there’s absolutely no chance of it slipping off,” Lily said with a smile, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet.

The dress didn’t flare out widely at the hem but fell straight down, revealing my figure. Multiple layers of flowing chiffon fabric fluttered around my ankles, tickling my skin.

Even though it was the fashion of another country, I wondered if people really wore such dresses to parties. Was I being too conservative?

“It feels a bit different from the dresses in the Empire, doesn’t it? Well, the South is hotter after all. But it suits you so well,” one maid commented.

“The head maid is right!” another chimed in.

“You look so alluring and overflowing with charm, be confident!” a third added.

The maids poured out compliments one after another, seemingly having sensed my thoughts.

I, who had been frozen in place, quickly raised both hands to stop them as they were about to start clapping. As I awkwardly smiled, a servant’s voice was heard from outside.

“His Highness Prince Raphael Rumatera has arrived.”

As soon as Raphael’s name was heard, Lily started fussing again.

“Oh my, I wonder if the prince has come to escort you himself!”

Despite my earlier explanation that we were nothing more than acquaintances, watching them exchange glances with each other made it seem like I was only fueling their misunderstanding.

“Well, Raphael is the only one here who can be my partner,” I said, though it somehow felt like I was making excuses, so I closed my mouth. One of the maids scurried over to help open the door.

Raphael didn’t look much different from how he had appeared this morning, but his aura seemed even more dignified. Somehow, I felt proud, as if I had raised a younger brother well, and called his name with an appreciative expression.

“Raphael!”

However, he just stared at me with wide eyes without saying much. Was the dress too much after all? Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I lowered my gaze and lifted the hem of the dress to look at it.

“It’s a bit awkward, isn’t it? The dresses in the principality are quite light, probably because it’s hot here. Maybe I should wear something over it—”

“No, Hazel,” Raphael, who had been quiet, interrupted me. Then, after taking a light breath, he slowly opened his mouth.

“…You’re beautiful. Truly.”

With a face beaming as brightly as his hair color.

***

Leopold wandered near the border day and night, unaware of the passing time. He couldn’t even think of catching a moment’s sleep or taking a rest. In a situation where he couldn’t even guess what Hazel might be going through, any action other than searching felt like a sin. A terrible anger rose within him for having lost her again.

In the past, I had rarely received such gentlemanly treatment from Leopold—except for our wedding. Because of that, I never even had the chance to contemplate it.

My escorts were usually the knights of House Lawrence, who took turns. Leopold always arrived at parties later than I did, using work as an excuse.

‘Leopold, you’re here now? You look very tired. Was work busy?’

‘Mind your own business.’

Even when I greeted him warmly, the repetitive nature of the situation always clawed at my heart. Embarrassment gradually transformed into misery, and that misery forced me to confront the harsh reality. Eventually, I came to the realization that he was deliberately behaving this way because he didn’t want to accompany me.

Even after arriving at parties, he consistently engaged in lengthy conversations with other nobles, rendering the word ‘couple’ meaningless. If I hadn’t had kind friends or nobles interested in my abilities, all those parties would have been nothing short of hell.

“Hazel, we’re here.”

Raphael stopped walking and whispered, leaning slightly toward me.

“You need a handkerchief, right?”

“Ah, well…”

“I thought you were tough, but you’re nervous too, aren’t you?”

This time, he asked in a playful tone.

“Just give me the handkerchief.”

Feeling embarrassed, I quickly let go of his hand and turned my face away. After all that pretending to be mature, what was I doing? I grumbled to myself while waiting for Raphael to hand me the handkerchief.

“Here you go.”

But the sensation that touched my hand was more than just fabric. I turned my head back toward Raphael in confusion. He had placed my hand on top of his palm, which held the handkerchief, and was gently patting the back of my hand.

“I didn’t want to let go.”

For a moment, I was speechless, simply staring at Raphael. The seriousness in his eyes, devoid of playfulness, felt strangely familiar. It was as if it perfectly mirrored my past. However, I had no intention of taking him seriously.

“…Don’t joke too much.”

When I responded dryly, stripping my voice of emotion, he replied with a hint of disappointment.

“I’m not joking. But if it makes you uncomfortable, Hazel.”

Like an obedient, well-behaved puppy, Raphael immediately let go of my hand and handed me the navy blue handkerchief. There was a slight awkwardness in the air, but I pretended not to notice and began wiping my hands when someone spoke from behind.