Genoa suddenly became curious about where Mel’s pure trust came from.

“Why do you trust me, Mel?”

“Because you helped me.”

“Just for that?”

“How can you say ‘just that’? I, a slave, even dared to put my feet on a noble’s body.”

Every night, when Mel secretly met and talked with Genoa before returning, he willingly offered his body. So that Mel could return to the hut. Mel was experiencing putting her feet on a noble’s body every night. However, despite Genoa’s words that it would become familiar after doing it repeatedly, Mel didn’t seem to get used to it at all.

Genoa mischievously asked Mel,

“Haven’t you thought that I might have some ulterior motive for being so nice to you?”

At his question, Mel opened her eyes wide. Then, with a face that showed complete incomprehension, she asked back,

“Is that bad?”

“What?”

Genoa blinked slowly at Mel’s unexpected question. Seeing this, Mel burst into clear laughter and said,

“That’s why I like you, young master.”

“……”

Genoa was momentarily speechless at Mel’s unexpected answer. This bewildering feeling was very unfamiliar to him. Perhaps noticing that he was a bit confused by this unfamiliar sensation, Mel opened her mouth with the same smiling face.

“You know, I simply prefer people who try to use me for some purpose over those who purely hate and despise me.”

“……Why?”

“Because as long as I’m useful, they won’t treat me badly.”

Genoa’s mind became momentarily complicated at her words. Whether she knew this or not, Mel continued speaking.

“To me, a kind person is someone who doesn’t beat me or starve me right away. Regardless of their true intentions.”

Mel looked at him like he was that person. Genoa realized that he could easily gain Mel’s favor with just such trivial things. And also that no one had gained Mel’s favor like that until now.

“……I see.”

From this brief conversation, Genoa could roughly grasp the life Mel had lived.

Conversations with Mel were always pleasant, but the faint unpleasantness he felt now was probably not directed at Mel. It was because he realized for the first time that a slave could easily lose their life with just a slight malice.

“Yes, so you can use me as much as you want, young master!”

At Mel’s words, which made it unclear whether she was being pure or cunning, Genoa asked back with a laugh that sounded like air escaping between his lips.

“Can you take responsibility for those words?”

“Responsibility? How do I take that?”

When Mel asked with wide eyes, Genoa pressed his hand to his forehead as though he had a headache.

“I’ll have to teach you that first.”

At that, Mel’s face turned bright red, and she protested as if wronged.

“If you tell me what responsibility is, I can take it well! I’m stronger than you think.”

“Ahahahaha!”

Whether she was smart or stupid, Genoa couldn’t tell. Because of the young slave’s unpredictable mind, Genoa bent over laughing loudly.

Regardless of that commotion, Mel’s mother, who had been trying to sleep in the hut, eventually discovered their secret meeting.

* * *

Mel couldn’t even guess what memory Genoa was recalling.

“……”

So Mel couldn’t say anything to Genoa’s question. She knew who he was referring to, but the princess shouldn’t know, so Mel held her breath, trying not to let Genoa notice that she was shaken.

Since the person Genoa was talking about was Mel herself, she knew it would naturally come to mind when he saw her face. But she couldn’t keep being anxious like this forever. Mel decided to confront it head-on.

“I accidentally overheard Lord Bane say something before.”

Genoa blinked as he watched Mel speak without avoiding his gaze. Knowing that it meant for her to continue speaking, Mel went on.

“That a slave who escaped from the Ivanstein mansion resembled me.”

“……!”

“I thought only Lord Bane thought that way and let it go. But seeing the Duke’s reaction, it seems that child quite resembled me.”

Genoa’s hand dropped down. Mel tried not to pay attention to that and continued speaking.

“I didn’t think the Duke of Ivanstein had such a kind heart. It seems you were particularly fond of that slave.”

At Mel’s words, the front of Genoa’s eyebrows slightly narrowed, creating a line on his fine brow. The focus of his gaze, which had been looking at someone else beyond her face, was returning to Mel. Mel squinted her eyes following Genoa, then smiled again. And she spoke, trying to make her voice as soft as possible.

“Could it be that you see that slave in me?”

A faint unpleasantness shows through even when he’s trying hard to hide it. Although she was dressed casually and with a disheveled appearance, at this moment, Mel became the perfect Reibritton princess. She could imitate the expressions, voice, and speech that Amelia Reibritton often used even with her eyes closed.

“I apologize, Princess.”

As words of apology flowed from Genoa’s mouth, Mel secretly swallowed a sigh. However, still not letting her guard down, she said,

“I understand completely. Even I would never forget if I tasted such a bitter betrayal.”

Mel hoped that Genoa would recall the runaway maid he had asked her to find. If he remembered that the princess also had a maid who was a runaway slave, he might be able to generously overlook the current unpleasantness she was showing.

And as she expected, Genoa had a face as if he had erased old memories. The corners of his mouth slightly twisting upwards proved just that.

“The princess must also have an unforgettable betrayal.”

“Thanks to that, I’m now face to face with the Duke of Ivanstein.”

This time, Mel took the first step. Watching her back as she walked ahead, Genoa followed with leisurely steps, feeling his mind clearing. Sensing his presence, Mel bit her lip hard before opening her mouth again.

“So when will you answer my question?”

“Ah, could you please ask again?”

“I asked if the memorial service was wrapping up.”

“Ah.”

Genoa, who had caught up to Mel’s side, answered as they walked side by side.

“Now, daily meetings will continue regarding the succession to the imperial throne. The princes must prove that they are qualified to become the monarch.”

Since the Emperor died without having the chance to announce his successor, the throne couldn’t be inherited through legitimate procedures. However, if one of them hastily ascended to the throne, the one who couldn’t accept it might harbor ill intentions.

What the two princes and the nobles of the Raon Empire wanted regarding the imperial throne was the same. A prince with ability and qualifications that no one could deny ascending to the throne.

“……”

Mel quietly looked at Genoa, who had a cool expression. What kind of picture was he drawing regarding the imperial throne? With a face that seemed uninterested in both power and honor, he stood alone at the center of the deepest whirlpool of imperial succession.

But Genoa probably wouldn’t allow her to speculate that far. So Mel had to do the job he had entrusted to her.

“Then I should prepare candles.”

“Candles?”

Genoa threw a puzzled look at the sudden word. Mel looked at Genoa, smiled slightly, and then said,

“His Highness the First Prince gave me a flower basket as a gift.”

“I heard about that. He sent a get-well card along with it.”

“Yes, he’s such a kind person.”

“To become Emperor, such benevolence is necessary.”

Mel and Genoa exchanged indecipherable glances. Even without words passing between them, there was a feeling that their thoughts about the First Prince somewhat aligned.

There was no sincerity or intention visible in the First Prince’s flower basket. Despite knowing that the princess’s existence would be an important card in the imperial succession, the only reason that could be found in the flower basket was that he didn’t feel the need to put in more effort since she was ultimately a prisoner from a defeated country.

However, breathing life into such a soulless gift from the First Prince was exactly what Mel had to do as the princess of Reibritton.

“In Reibritton’s social circles, when ladies receive flowers, they dry them completely and put them in wax to make candles.”

“Hmm.”

Genoa reacted, showing interest to Mel’s words. Mel also continued speaking in a feigned excited voice, as if she was singing about excitement.

“There’s a popular saying in Reibritton that if you burn that candle in your room, the two people will be tied by fate.”

Mel smiled brightly while squinting her eyes.

“It’s quite a romantic superstition, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

“Perhaps what the frozen Raon Empire needs most is this kind of romance.”

Genoa drew a smile on his lips as though he had noticed Mel’s intention.

“The image of burning a candle every night thinking of the First Prince whom you haven’t even met seems quite pitiful. What do you think?”

“I’m curious about how that candle would smell like.”

As the two were talking while walking, they had already arrived at the carriage Genoa had gotten off. Genoa whispered some order to the approaching knight. The knight bowed his head and then quickly rode towards the mansion on horseback.

Watching this, Mel guessed that she would be burning candles starting tonight. And also that the next day, all sorts of rumors and speculations in social circles would keep her ears busy.

“Shall we return to the mansion together then?”

The man who would push her into the abyss of dishonor and scandal held out his hand to Mel.

“……Gladly.”

Mel took the hand of such a man and boarded the carriage.

* * *

After returning to her room, Mel washed up and changed her clothes. Only after returning to the mansion and looking in the mirror did Mel belatedly realize what state she had been in front of Genoa, and she took out all this embarrassment on Lin.

“How could you leave me there and run away alone, Lin?”

“I’m sorry, I said…”