“Wow. What is this place?”

The guard standing by the door opened it when he saw Diego. Siara’s eyes lit up at the sight of the spacious, luxurious bed. Attracted by the thick blanket with gold embroidery, she scurried over and jumped onto the bed.

“What is this! It’s super soft! I want to sleep here!”

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Diego, but his expression seemed somewhat strange. Diego appeared slightly flustered, then smiled sweetly.

“Then let’s sleep together.”

“…Huh?”

There was a loud clearing of his throat, and Peter stepped forward.

“Lady Annie, this is His Highness the Crown Prince’s room…”

Siara jumped up from the bed in surprise. She awkwardly came out, scratching her face in embarrassment.

“No wonder it felt so nice.”

The pleasant scent that emanated from Diego had permeated the room. It was a calming smell.

‘I should ask him later what fragrance he uses.’

Now that she looked carefully, the wardrobe and sofa were extremely luxurious. This was fitting for a Crown Prince.

“So which room will I use?”

Siara looked at Peter. He bowed his head slightly and led the way.

“This way, please.”

“…She could stay in the same room.”

Diego muttered, but no one responded.

* * *

Siara was given the best guest room next to Diego’s. Though smaller in area, it was still excellent.

Peter told her to pull the bell rope if she needed anything, then closed the door and left. However, Diego himself didn’t leave her room and was lying on the sofa reading a book.

“…Excuse me, I’d like to shower.”

“What about dinner? Aren’t you hungry? We haven’t had dinner yet.”

“Oh, right. Let’s eat first.”

Just then, the door opened and Peter entered.

“Dinner is prepared.”

“Bring it in.”

Maids brought in numerous trays and filled the table in Siara’s room with food. It was too much for just two people.

Siara sat at the table and scooped up some soup with her spoon.

“Oh, this is delicious!”

Even though it looked like ordinary soup, the aroma and taste were different.

As she eagerly shoveled food into her mouth, Diego watched her with curious eyes.

“Hmm?”

Peter, who was standing by to serve them, had the same expression.

Siara shrugged with her spoon in hand.

“What? Never seen someone eat before?”

“…No. You just seem to be enjoying it so much.”

“That’s because it’s really delicious.”

As she continued eating noisily, Diego very solemnly scooped up his soup and ate quietly. Seeing him eat that way dampened her appetite.

Siara grabbed a piece of bread and held it right in front of Diego’s mouth.

“Here, say ‘ah.'”

“…Why this?”

“Delicious food should be eaten with gusto. Nibbling isn’t the way to go, right?”

“…Nibbling?”

“Yeah.”

Diego looked at the bread, then opened his mouth slightly. Siara stuffed the bread into his mouth, and Peter, watching this, was at a loss for words at such rude behavior.

“L-Lady Annie!”

“Chew it big. That’s how it tastes better.”

Siara’s eyes sparkled as she watched Diego chew largely.

“How is it? Delicious, right? That’s how you grow quickly!”

This wasn’t something Siara should say, being smaller in height and build than Diego.

“…It is delicious.”

Peter had much to say but held his tongue. If someone ate like that at a dinner with His Majesty the Emperor, it would be grounds for execution at minimum.

‘Perhaps some instruction on dining etiquette would be…’

If Duke Light never dined with his illegitimate daughter, perhaps she never learned proper etiquette. Peter resolved to teach her properly before she committed more faux pas.

Just then, the Empress appeared with an elderly lady-in-waiting. The woman with flowing blonde hair looked very young.

“Your Majesty the Empress, what brings you here…!”

As Peter stepped forward nervously, the woman struck his cheek with her fan.

“Ugh…!”

His cheek was scratched and bleeding from the fan. Peter covered his cheek with his hand and bowed to her. The woman hit Peter’s head several times with her fan.

“What brings me here? Do you truly not know why I’ve come?”

“…”

As she was about to hit Peter again, Siara grabbed the Empress’s wrist.

“Such insolence…!”

The elderly lady-in-waiting attending the Empress tried to strike Siara, but Diego sprayed a fireball at the lady. She scrambled to avoid the fireball and couldn’t hit Siara.

The Empress lowered her thick eyelashes as she looked at Siara.

“Who are you? Who do you think you are to stop me?”

Siara let go, suddenly realizing her mistake. She remembered that Peter had addressed this woman as “Your Majesty the Empress.”

Looking at Diego with an awkward expression, she saw him smiling nonchalantly.

“…I’m Diego’s friend. Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty.”

She hoped the Empress might be lenient since she was her son’s friend. Of course, the Empress had probably come because she disapproved of the illegitimate daughter of a ducal family.

“Mother, since you’ve made the difficult journey here, why don’t you join us for dinner before you leave?”

Diego signaled to the attendant, and Peter hurriedly set a place.

The Empress was seated at the head of the table, Diego right beside her, and Siara at a distance.

Having lived alone in the Magic Tower, Siara had a weak sense of hierarchy.

And since most of her relatives were royalty, they didn’t mind her casual treatment. Having entered the Magic Tower at a young age and frequently dining alone, she never learned table manners. When her knife scraped against the plate several times, the Empress gave her a pointed look.

“Who eats so noisily?”

“I do, Mother.”

Diego scraped his plate and ate loudly, pretending it was him.

“Crown Prince. Is that how I taught you?”

“No. But eating this way is much more delicious, Mother.”

“…”

The Empress had a headache thinking about the importance of good company. An illegitimate daughter of a ducal family. To think that the first friend he brought home was like this. She might have understood if the girl were at least pretty, but her son’s eyes must surely be on the soles of his feet.

“You there.”

The Empress pointed at Siara with her fan. Siara stiffly raised her head.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Introduce yourself.”

Though she surely already knew, she asked for an introduction. Siara found it annoying but understood her intention.

“…I am Annie Light, the first daughter of Duke Light’s family.”

“Hmm, I was under the impression that the first daughter’s name is Sophie.”

“Sophie is the second daughter, and I am the first.”

The Empress folded her fan and nodded.

“Ah, now I remember. Yes, I heard there was an illegitimate child. I heard her mother was quite lowborn.”

Siara didn’t respond, but Diego spoke up in protest.

“She’s not that lowborn, Mother.”

“What? A commoner maid is lowborn. Who else would be lowborn?”

“Most people in the Stana Empire are commoners. If you disparage them as lowborn, no one will follow the royal family.”

“…Hmm.”

The Empress pressed her lips together. However, she glared at Siara with sharp eyes. Siara pretended not to notice and concentrated on her meal.

‘What’s going on? This dinner feels like… a fight between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, with Diego taking the daughter-in-law’s side like a husband?’

Siara looked at Diego. He smiled brightly at her, but the Empress’s expression seemed angry, making the situation more uncomfortable.

The Empress folded her fan and tapped it on the table.

“Crown Prince, it seems we should hasten your engagement.”

“…I’m only 17. It’s too early.”

“Not marriage, engagement!”

“I haven’t even graduated from school yet, Mother.”

“…Marquis Marcel’s daughter seemed promising.”

Siara looked at the Empress. Marquis Marcel Hart was the man who had been her fiancé. She didn’t know he had a daughter.

‘Well, he took many young second wives, so he probably has many children.’

One of Diego’s eyebrows rose.

“She’s in her mid-twenties, isn’t she?”

“She can still bear children at that age.”

“I don’t like someone so much older.”

At those words, Siara’s heart stung for no reason.

Diego grumbled.

“I told you that anyone even a year older than me seems like a middle-aged woman!”

Psh. Diego had stabbed several arrows into Siara’s heart.

Siara stared blankly at the two of them like a wounded soldier. Diego glanced at Siara and pounded the table with his fist.

“How many times do I have to say I prefer someone my own age?”

“Fine, fine. I’ll look for someone your age. But absolutely no illegitimate children, understood?”

Though the Empress openly cautioned him, Siara’s soul had already departed.

‘Even a year older seems like a middle-aged woman… This is why people should date when they’re young. Back then, I was only focused on research as the country ordered, never dating or marrying… And now I’m even called a middle-aged woman…’

Siara felt deeply wronged. But the food was delicious, so she continued eating heartily.

Watching Siara eat so voraciously, the Empress clicked her tongue.

“Tsk tsk. What kind of family raised this child…!”

However, since Diego was also eating voraciously beside her, the Empress’s words went unheeded.

When a maid poured milk, Siara gulped it down.

‘If only they would leave so I could rest.’

Why did they all have to crowd into her room? Before the Empress arrived, this place had been comfortable to rest in. But the Empress ate very slowly and showed no sign of leaving. Finally, the frustrated Siara stood up first.

“Thank you for the meal!”

But her head spun, and Siara was about to collapse to the floor. Diego quickly supported her.

“…Are you okay?”

“Oh, yes. Suddenly… I feel tired.”

The accumulated fatigue from traveling was evident.

“Rest a bit on my bed.”

“Mmm.”

Siara eventually fell asleep in Diego’s arms.