“Oh, what an honor to meet such distinguished guests here.”

We turned around simultaneously. Marquis Aaron approached with a woman who appeared to be his wife.

“Why aren’t you inside? What interesting conversation are you having out here?”

“Marquis Aaron.”

Raphael, seeming to recognize him, respectfully bowed in greeting. Aaron let out a light laugh, clearly pleased.

“No need to be so formal, Raphael. Aren’t you my nephew? You can call me uncle. And… healer.”

I also bowed politely in response to his courteous greeting.

“I thought you were beautiful when we first met, but today you look especially stunning. This is my wife, Daisy. Please, exchange greetings.”

“It’s a great honor to meet the esteemed healer of the empire. And it’s good to see you too, Raphael.”

The marquis’s wife, who had been covering her mouth with a fan, revealed her face and smiled languidly. Unlike the marquis, she had a gentle appearance.

Her skin was so pale it was almost ghostly, and she was so thin that one might wonder if she ate at all. As a healer, I worried unnecessarily but quickly accepted her greeting.

“The pleasure is all mine. It’s so nice to meet someone from my homeland in this unfamiliar place. I’m Hazel.”

“Oh my, has he already told you that much?”

“Yes, thanks to him, I was able to accept the invitation—”

“Invitation? What invitation?”

Raphael, who had been quietly listening, interrupted with a slight frown. I sighed at his lack of basic etiquette—not to interrupt a conversation—but I couldn’t entirely blame him.

“The marquis and his wife kindly invited me to a meal.”

“You see, my wife often misses her homeland. The healer must find this foreign land unfamiliar too. Wouldn’t there be a lot to talk about among people from the same hometown? Ah, we’ll arrange a dinner with you later, of course.”

“…I understand.”

Marquis Aaron patiently explained the situation to his nephew. However, Raphael responded reluctantly, still frowning for some reason. The marquis didn’t seem to mind his nephew’s reaction much.

“Well, let’s head inside. Farewell for now.”

At last, the doors opened. Inside, only the waltz played by the musicians flowed quietly, with no other commotion. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for the return of the missing prince.

Surprisingly, Raphael walked confidently to the center of the banquet hall without showing any nervousness. There was even a slight smile on his lips, prompting me to whisper to him teasingly.

“I was ready to wake you up if you fainted, but you’re not even shaking?”

“I know, right? I actually feel quite comfortable. Maybe because this is really my home.”

He responded to my joke with ease and then stopped walking. Despite the crowded ballroom, the throne remained empty. It seemed we were the last to enter before the king himself.

“Have you seen your mother?”

“Yes, briefly. She cried so much that I couldn’t stay long. She would burst into tears every time I spoke.”

Raphael smiled awkwardly. Understandably, it must be overwhelming for a child presumed dead to suddenly reappear as a grown adult.

“Oh dear. I’ll prepare some sedatives for you to take. I made them myself, and they’re quite effective.”

“Thank you. I didn’t know healers made their own medicine.”

“Usually, we don’t. There are different types of healers.”

In addition to healers like me who directly treat patients, the Academy also trains healers who specialize in compounding medicines.

I had started making medicines in earnest purely because of Leopold. Honestly, it was such an ‘unnecessary’ thing that I didn’t have to do.

“So, Hazel, you’re not the usual kind of healer?”

“I suppose you could say that…”

It seemed he had asked the question to tease me, but I didn’t feel like playing along. Fortunately, Raphael naturally continued the conversation.

“You always manage to impress people. Or maybe I just have an eye for it?”

Above his smiling eyes, his cool green gaze appeared almost like a mirage.

‘You always manage to impress people. Spending time on such unnecessary tasks.’

The glass bottles were filled with my concern for my husband, who overworked himself daily. Despite his harsh words, they had been promptly removed from his study.

After this happened several times, I finally admitted it was pointless. Yet, I continued to make medicine solely for the sake of my own fragile spirit.

“Hazel?”

“Oh… I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

“It’s okay. Look over there.”

Following his hand, I noticed the silhouettes of two people. Soon, a servant announced loudly,

“His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen of Rumatera are arriving!”

Any whispers that had been circulating ceased, and the room fell silent in an instant.

The king and queen descended the staircase slowly, surveying the audience before locking eyes with Raphael. Then, they smiled broadly, as if their smiles could stretch no further.

The queen, who had reportedly been crying the entire time, still had red eyes, and as soon as she saw Raphael, her tears began to well up again. The king gently patted his wife and slowly began to speak.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know, I once had a son long ago. However, due to an unexpected accident, I lost him. We searched everywhere but couldn’t find him. During that time, many claimed to be my son. Yet, none had the heir’s token. Eventually, Camilla and I decided to bury him in our hearts and move on.”

The king paused to catch his breath, his voice trembling as he continued.

“But then a miracle happened. The child from my memories returned to me as an adult. And he grew up so splendidly…”

As he choked up and paused, the sound of sniffles could be heard from various noblewomen, clearly moved by the historic reunion of parent and child.

“The heir’s token has been verified here in the presence of the noble representative Philip, the mage Alendia, and the Archbishop.”

A woman in a brown robe, an elderly man in a white uniform embroidered with gold thread, and a middle-aged man in a neat navy suit stood at the king’s feet, nodding slightly.

The king descended completely and approached Raphael and me. I discreetly stepped back.

“Raphael Rumatera, my son.”

As if on cue, cheers and applause erupted. The queen, who followed the king, embraced her son tightly and openly wept, while Raphael, unsure of what to do, awkwardly smiled and diligently wiped his mother’s tears.

The king watched the scene silently before raising his hand to quiet the crowd. He spoke again.

“There is one more person I would like to thank. Healer, could you please come forward?”

Surprised to be called upon, I looked at the king with a bewildered expression, and he gestured for me to step forward. I had no choice but to move. While I was accustomed to being in the spotlight, receiving looks of goodwill, caution, and curiosity all at once in a place where no one knew me was a different experience.

“This is the great healer from the Denhaph Empire. She helped recover my son’s memories and accompanied him here. You should treat her as you would treat me.”

Startled by what seemed like an excessive request, I looked at the king with wide eyes. He raised his eyebrows playfully, as if it were only natural. Suddenly, it felt only right that he was Raphael’s father, and I couldn’t help but laugh to myself.

“Now, let’s begin the banquet. Enjoy yourselves.”

With that, people swarmed around me.

***

I had escaped to the garden under the pretense of needing to cool off, but unfortunately, the southern night air was still warm. The only consolation was the lack of humidity. Still, it was more comfortable to be away from the air filled with the mingled breaths of people. I began to stroll leisurely along the winding garden path.

Unlike the neatly arranged royal gardens, the principality’s garden was charming and reminiscent of a forest, especially with its dense trees. It seemed as if the tall trees flanking the path, behind knee-high rose bushes, were meant for secret meetings. I even wondered if there might be a couple beyond the bushes engaged in a romantic tryst. Chuckling at the thought, I turned my head.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, Raphael.”

He had approached silently and craned his neck to see where I was looking.

“Hmm, it’s dark, and I don’t see anything particularly amusing.”

“That’s right. I was just indulging in some silly imaginings.”

Raphael tilted his head curiously.

“Hazel, imagining things like that? I never would have guessed, since you’re always so serious. But why are you out here alone?”

“I just needed some fresh air. It’s hot, and… well, the people…”

I trailed off, searching for words that wouldn’t sound too rude. Of course, I overlooked the fact that Raphael wouldn’t mind at all.

“They’re quite bothersome, aren’t they? It seemed like they were more interested in you than in me, and I’m supposed to be the star of the party.”

His slightly pouty demeanor made me laugh.

“Oh? Am I amusing you now?”

Raphael gave me a sidelong glance. I barely managed to suppress my laughter.

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s probably because healers are rare. This happens to me often.”

“Sigh. I wonder why I was so excited about becoming a prince.”

He joked tirelessly. Being among strangers must have been more nerve-wracking and uncomfortable for him than for me. I pondered where his kindness came from, and once again, my heart wavered.