“You’re not an easy person to deal with, princess.”

“……”

What royal in the world would think of farming in someone else’s garden? This wasn’t an easy thought to have even from the position of a war prisoner receiving VIP treatment. Mel thought she would have nothing to say even if Genoa doubted her identity.

“Why on earth would you farm, I mean why……”

Genoa, about to ask Mel for a reason, put his hand to his forehead as his voice struggled to come out. If the nobles of the Raon Empire saw this sight now, it wouldn’t be long before the social gazettes would cover such an article.

‘duke Ivanstein’s Smooth Tongue Has Finally Stiffened,’ they might say.

“Well, you see……”

Mel looked at the empty space where Lin had disappeared with a troubled face.

It was all Lin who had told her about the vegetable patch, and that there was suitable land. But when faced with Duke Ivanstein, Lin had run away leaving Mel alone, which annoyed her. Mel finally sighed and said as if making an excuse.

“Lin said her family makes a small vegetable patch like this in front of their house to grow vegetables to eat. I wanted to try it too……”

When she heard from Lin about the small vegetable patch their family had made, Mel naturally thought of her mother. Her mother’s peaceful face sorting soil and sprinkling water in front of the vegetable patch. And she imagined herself handing seeds to her mother beside her. Just that was enough to make her heart swell, and Mel couldn’t stay still.

When she found a spot in a corner of the south garden as she had imagined in her head, sorted the soil, and planted the seeds Lin handed her, Mel felt like she would cry and had to strain her eyes each time to hold back. It felt like the only moment Mel could exist as herself, not as a princess, in the Ivanstein ducal residence.

That is, until Genoa caught her like this today.

“Were you not satisfied with the ingredients at the Ivanstein ducal residence? If there was anything lacking……”

“No! That’s not it!”

Mel hurriedly shook her head at Genoa’s words. It was because she realized, unintentionally, that in noble speech, it could be interpreted as insulting the Ivanstein ducal family. Caught off guard by being discovered tending a vegetable patch in the garden, Mel failed to maintain the perfect princess demeanor. Mel hurriedly began to explain further so that Genoa wouldn’t misunderstand.

“I thought about what I would do after gaining freedom, and it seemed that if I could tend a vegetable patch like this, it wouldn’t be difficult to make a living……”

Freedom.

It was an extremely unfamiliar life for Mel, who had lived as a slave her entire life. She was used to honing her survival skills as a slave, but there were times when she felt at a loss about what kind of life she should live if she really became free. That would probably be the same for the real princess who had lived in the royal palace all her life.

Mel thought this answer would be sufficient explanation for Genoa. Not knowing that those words could lead to another misunderstanding.

“Princess.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t tell me you think I’m going to throw you out empty-handed?”

At Genoa’s words, Mel opened her eyes wide for a moment, then blinked slowly and answered.

“All you promised me was freedom, Duke.”

Hearing Mel’s answer, Genoa could understand where her unimaginable behavior stemmed from. She really believed that the moment things were settled well and she gained the promised freedom, she would leave the ducal residence penniless.

Genoa was well aware that he had driven the princess to make a harsh choice, pushing her to the edge of a cliff. And he couldn’t deny that he had subtly enjoyed it. But in terms of causing the princess to have such an unreasonable misunderstanding, a faint sense of guilt washed over him.

“Then what do you think the money the Ivanstein ducal residence has been providing to the princess is for?”

“Expenses for preparing for social circles.”

At Mel’s answer, Genoa felt again what it was like to have his tongue stiffen as he continued speaking.

“I’ve seen the princess’s expenditure records. You haven’t even used half of what was given. So what do you plan to do with all that remaining money?”

“I should return it.”

If the princess had a source of funds other than the Ivanstein ducal family, Genoa would have believed those words. But as far as he knew, the princess had been thoroughly abandoned by the royal family, so without the Ivanstein ducal family, she would have difficulty even procuring a single outfit.

A normal royal would have tried to fill their vague anxiety by somehow using the remaining money to collect jewels. Or they would have sought Genoa’s cooperation as the Duke of Ivanstein to aim for restoration.

However, looking at what the princess was doing now, she seemed like a child who didn’t know how to properly use money. To Genoa, who had only dealt with people who clamored that what they were given wasn’t enough, the princess came across as quite refreshing.

‘Although the King of Reibritton was said to be a cold-hearted father, he wouldn’t have been stingy with the princess.’

According to the report investigating the Princess of Reibritton by the Ivanstein ducal family’s informant, the princess quite enjoyed luxury. It was said that in the royal palace, it was natural for the princess to see and choose precious things before they were shown to the king and crown prince.

But looking at the princess in front of him, who couldn’t even think to brush off the soil on her face, the word luxury didn’t come to mind at all.

Moreover, with the money for maintaining dignity, she had barely bought jewels and without even entrusting them for crafting, she had only ordered a few accessories to be made by a servant with good handiwork. Wasn’t it normal to gather all available expensive and trendy jewels, entrust them to a famous craftsman for processing, and have them made by a highly-priced artisan?

Genoa said, exhaling softly.

“You don’t have to return it. Keep it.”

“Oh my, thank you.”

Unaware of Ivanstein’s complex inner thoughts, Mel decided to accept without hesitation. While it was mere pocket change for him as the Duke of Ivanstein, it was a large sum for Mel. If she could only gain freedom, if she could only meet her mother again, it would guarantee a peaceful life.

“Then I’ll have to tend this vegetable patch as a hobby.”

“You mean you intend to continue this.”

“Ah, of course, only if Duke Ivanstein allows it. It would be a shame, the sprouts have come up so cutely.”

“Cutely, huh. That’s quite a fresh expression.”

Genoa finally turned his back without adding anything more to the princess. Noticing that this was a silent permission, Mel followed quickly behind him and said.

“By the way, what brings you to the mansion?”

“Are you asking while knowing whose property this mansion is?”

At Genoa’s incredulous question, Mel’s face slightly reddened with embarrassment. She had inadvertently acted like the owner in front of the actual owner of the mansion.

“I’m asking because you haven’t come for several days and now you’re here!”

A voice unable to hide her indignation. At that voice where her inner thoughts were transparently visible, Genoa couldn’t hide the small laugh that escaped between his lips without him realizing. Upon realizing this, Genoa’s footsteps, as he walked ahead, gradually slowed.

Unaware of this, the princess continued to chatter beside him, but Genoa couldn’t hear it.

“……”

Who else had there been that made him show such a peaceful smile? He felt an uncharacteristic sense of bewilderment. Since when had he started showing such a careless appearance in front of the princess? Genoa carefully observed the chattering princess.

Mel’s youthful appearance overlapped with the princess’s face. The unexpected actions that bewildered Genoa, the chattering voice that couldn’t hide her inner thoughts. Even drawing out a comfortable smile without realizing it herself. All of these were things he had seen in Mel. Genoa found it rather unpleasant.

“……Why are you looking at me like that?”

Perhaps sensing Genoa’s gaze, the princess blinked and asked. Looking at such a princess, Genoa spoke in a low, subdued voice.

“I see someone I shouldn’t see…”

Genoa’s long fingers gently caressed the tip of the princess’s chin, then lifted her face up. In his view, he could see the princess’s slightly trembling eyes. Bright, shining green eyes. The same color as Mel’s eyes when they sparkled in the light.

Seeing the princess’s reddened cheeks and trembling lips, Genoa said.

“In the princess.”

Genoa’s purple eyes deepened for a moment. The tip of his fingers brushed past the princess’s jawline and lightly touched her hair.

“I wonder why.”