“Alright, Princess. Let’s stay and make sure Oatmeal gets eliminated.”

“Yes!”

Riela answered cheerfully. After responding, she pulled the blanket that had slipped down to her waist back up to her neck. She wriggled around to find a comfortable position, then soon closed her eyes.

Talking so much in her tired state must have brought on sleep quickly. Before long, Riela was breathing softly and steadily.

Mail looked down at the sleeping Riela for a moment, then quietly got up. It was almost time for lunch, but with Riela sleeping soundly, eating in the room seemed awkward.

Though a bit of clattering wouldn’t wake her, it was better not to disturb her sleep. Besides, Mail felt a bit guilty for lying earlier, and that made her want to treat Riela more kindly.

After leaving the room, Mail walked for a bit before a lightbulb went off above her head.

‘Yes, I should have lunch in the garden!’

Perfect. She clapped her hands at her brilliant idea. One big worry had just been resolved, so who better to share the joy with than the garden? With this in mind, Mail quickly hurried along.

She stopped by the dining room to order a packed lunch, then headed straight to the garden. By now, she could probably find her spot with her eyes closed.

As soon as she entered the garden, Mail hurried to her usual spot and spread out a mat. As she had thought earlier, there was no place better than this.

“Hello, Vilet!”

“Your twin leaves are so pretty today.” Mail smiled warmly as she greeted the new sprout. Her special spot was under the largest tree in the garden.

The shade from the tree was cool, and the sprouts growing near the trunk were simply delightful to look at. To her, this spot was the perfect location. Of course, anywhere in the garden was lovely, but this was by far the best.

“Now then…”

‘Shall I unpack my lunch in the land of happiness?’ Just as Mail was about to cheerfully open the basket and take out her food, her hand froze.

“Huh? Why does the tree’s shade seem longer on one side…?”

“What are you doing?”

“Ahhh!”

It wasn’t the tree’s shade. It was the shadow of a person. Startled by the sudden voice, Mail shrieked in surprise.

Embarrassed by her own scream, she covered her mouth with both hands and turned to look. When she did, a familiar silhouette came into view.

“You’re that startled? That’s a little awkward.”

“Oh! master!”

Even though he was backlit, the short distance made it easy to recognize him. She’d seen him enough times that the plain, featureless mask was now oddly familiar.

The one who had suddenly appeared without warning was none other than her master, who specialized in stealth techniques. Mail looked up at him for a moment, then made a serious suggestion.

“Would you like to wear a bell around your neck?”

“What?”

“You scared me! Unless you’re planning to pick up the heart I dropped, I think it’s time you stop using stealth.”

“This time, I think I made my presence known.”

Rohayden shrugged his shoulders, protesting that he hadn’t meant to sneak up.

“I even made sure to walk loudly. This feels unfair,” he added. Mail, who didn’t fully trust him, wavered before eventually giving in. Maybe he had? Now that she thought about it, she had been so focused on the picnic that she hadn’t noticed much else.

“You seem to get distracted whenever you enter the garden. Next time, I’ll try stomping my feet as I come in. Anyway, are you here for a picnic?”

Rohayden’s gaze shifted between the basket and the mat. Following his gaze, Mail tapped the spot next to her.

“Since you’re here, have a seat. This is the best spot.”

“I’ve never seen anyone eat here before.”

“The scenery makes the food taste better, you know.”

With a casual reply, Mail began taking food out of the basket one by one. Rohayden, having taken a seat as she suggested, watched as she continued to unpack dish after dish. Soon, he was startled.

The sheer number of dishes seemed excessive, as though they were endless. Only after several more plates had appeared did the basket finally seem empty.

A look of confusion crossed Rohayden’s face. She didn’t seem to be expecting anyone else.

“What is all this?”

“What do you mean? It’s food.”

“No, I mean, isn’t this a bit much?”

“Really?”

Seeing his puzzled expression, Mail glanced down at the dishes. Now that he mentioned it, maybe it was a lot. But she often ate like this, so it didn’t seem unusual to her. Just as she was about to take out the utensils wrapped in a napkin, she suddenly stopped. Oh, right!

“Master.”

“…Why that look on your face?”

Mail narrowed her eyes. As she stared at him, Rohayden flinched slightly under her gaze.

He wasn’t sure what that look was supposed to mean, but he knew it wasn’t good. After having successfully unnerved him, Mail spoke.

“How did it feel to stab your junior in the back?”

“What are you talking about?”

“His Majesty knows our princess’s secret. And in detail, too. How could he have found out? No matter how I think about it, you’re the only one who could’ve told him. Isn’t it common for close friends to share their worries? But then you immediately go and stab your friend in the back?”

Mail glared at him, clearly upset. Rohayden, knowing he was guilty, awkwardly cleared his throat and shifted his gaze. It had been fun teasing her, but the aftermath was rough.

“…The food will get cold. Shouldn’t we start eating?”

Rohayden tried to change the subject.

“It’ll still taste good cold. More importantly, tell me what it was like to betray your junior.”

It didn’t work.

“You’re more persistent than I thought.”

“You’re one to talk, considering you made me do a forward roll.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll explain. It was actually to train you.”

“Train me?”

“Yes. In the future, if you’re ever blindsided by someone without any prior experience, it’ll be hard to recover, won’t it? I was helping you get stronger by preparing you in advance. It was a warmhearted act of concern for your future.”

“…”

Mail couldn’t help but think her master had a talent for spouting nonsense with a straight face. What on earth is he saying? She clenched her fist.

“Is that so? Then I’ll return the favor by training you for a future rebellion.”

“How about a taste of my cute little fist?” Mail raised her fist as she spoke, and at that moment, Rohayden burst out laughing, falling backward. Mail stared at him, fist still raised, in disbelief. There go his lungs again.

“Maybe you should just get rid of those broken lungs.”

“No, it’s just—Lady Mail, hah, you’re too funny.”

“All I did was raise my fist.”

“Exactly, that’s it.”

“You think my fist is funny? This is a fist of fury, you know.”

“Are you mocking the legendary invincible duke’s daughter’s stone fist?” She added with a frown. Of course, no one had ever called her that, and her fists weren’t stone. She was just bluffing. Rohayden, who had calmed down a bit, burst into laughter again.

“I see now. You’re trying to kill me by making me laugh.”

“What are you saying?”

Mail’s irritated response sounded rebellious. Rohayden chuckled again, but eventually raised his hands in surrender. His stomach hurt too much to continue.

“I surrender.”

“But I haven’t even punched you yet.”

“Wait, were you really going to hit me?”

“Well, no, but.”

“By the way, your tone’s gotten a bit short, hasn’t it?”

“Must be your imagination.”

Rohayden was somewhere between someone she could match wits with and someone she had to speak respectfully to. Mail decided to play it safe, staying cheeky but careful.

“Anyway, since I’ve surrendered, I’ll offer compensation for backstabbing you… Hmm, is there anything you want?”

“One punch.”

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t hit me?”

“I was joking. Let’s see… what do I need…?”

Mail paused for a moment, considering what she could get from him.

‘Violet seeds?’ No, she had no confidence in growing them. ‘Maybe the garden itself?’ No, that wouldn’t work either. Even if he did give it to her, she’d have to leave for her homeland eventually, so it would be useless. ‘Money?’ She already had plenty of that at home.

“Master.”

“Made your choice?”

“Can I change my earlier joke into a real request? One punch.”

“I’d suggest you pick something else.”

“Like what?”

“How about this: I’ll tell you one more thing about the emperor. How does that sound?”

Rohayden raised two fingers, implying that he would extend her previous one-question reward to two questions. Mail crossed her arms, looking at him thoughtfully.

“Isn’t this what they call, ‘The answer’s already set, you just have to agree?'”

“Not exactly. If you want something else, I can change it. Of course, no punches.”

“Well… I suppose I don’t have anything specific in mind. You really have a talent for selling the emperor’s secrets, don’t you?”