Chapter 7: Zinnia Second Part (7)

“We’ve arrived, my lady.”

“It might take some time, so wait in the lounge.”

I descended from the carriage with the help of a waiting knight. The view was slightly different from usual since I had taken the entrance closest to the palace where Endeavor’s envoy was staying. I glanced at the carriage and followed the maid who had come out to guide me towards Dorothea Palace.

“How long is the walk?”

“It will take about five minutes to reach the palace entrance and about ten minutes to reach Canerva Grey’s room.”

I smiled satisfactorily and began to walk. Concerned about a long walk, I had requested shoes with almost no heels, which turned out to be the right choice. If I had to endure a long walk in a cumbersome dress, the shoes Garnet initially suggested would have been nothing but a weapon to ruin my ankles. Though I had been looking forward to wearing those new shoes, preserving my ankles took precedence.

“…By the way, which palace is that?”

“That is the Sylvanius Palace where the Crown Prince resides.”

Since the only reason I visit the palace each year is the royal ball invitations, I was nearly ignorant of its layout. I paused my steps towards Dorothea Palace and glanced at Sylvanius Palace, which the maid identified as the Crown Prince’s residence. 

The thought of a foreign prince, potentially a future emperor, residing so close to the Crown Prince of Rohan made me sigh, feeling I understood the reason behind it. The maid, noticing my pause and gaze, quietly remained beside me, seemingly observing someone else despite her focus on me. Following her gaze, I saw a group of people approaching us.

“…It’s His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

The maid, quick to interpret my stare, informed me of their identity. They seemed to be heading towards Sylvanius Palace behind me. It was now too late to avoid an encounter without acknowledging them, as our faces were close enough to recognize each other. Hence, like it or not, I had to greet the Crown Prince before continuing to Dorothea Palace.

“Greetings to Your Highness. I am Rose Knight of the House of Knight.”

As they drew near, I bowed to the Crown Prince and his entourage.

“House of Knight… Ah, I see.”

The soft murmuring voice seemed ready to add something but fell silent instead, instructing me to rise. When I looked up, the Crown Prince looked just as he had at the recent ball, his gentle smile aimed at me.

“I did not expect to see you here, Lady Knight.”

Likewise, Your Highness. I swallowed the response rising within me, opting for a vague smile instead. Unlike other ladies well-versed in courtly speech, I had long since distanced myself from such social intricacies. In such cases, I found it best to leave my expression open to interpretation.

“May I ask where you are headed, my lady?”

“…I was on my way to Dorothea Palace.”

The Crown Prince’s expression showed a hint of surprise. It was indeed curious for a marquess’s daughter to visit Dorothea Palace, where the envoy resided. His initial confusion shifted to curiosity, making me sigh inwardly.

“I hope it proves to be a fruitful visit. I shall take my leave, my lady.”

As the Crown Prince passed by with a leisurely smile, I watched his retreating figure for a moment, finally relaxing my tense shoulders. Judging by his expression, it seemed he had roughly figured out why I was approaching the envoys at Dorothea Palace. That was the smile of someone who held information securely in their grasp.

Maybe it was the side effect of waking up so early, but my head already felt a bit strained. I resumed my steps towards Dorothea Palace.

***

“Certainly, using that route would reduce distribution costs.”

“If we establish a foothold in Endeavor, we can quickly operate that route.”

“But there are already many trading companies in Endeavor. Most of them have been granted supply rights by the late Emperor.”

Canerva Grey met my gaze with a cold expression. From the start, he made it clear he didn’t like me, outright rejecting proposals that would clearly benefit them. I wasn’t asking for exclusive rights or a higher price for barley, but my proposals were being flatly refused.

We had been debating for two hours, and I was close to grabbing my neck in frustration. While my concentration wavered, I realized I had sighed over ten times today. The tension from the morning encounter with the Crown Prince was still gnawing at me.

“Alright, let’s leave it at this for now. I’ll come back tomorrow on different terms.”

“No matter what terms you bring, it will be difficult to change my mind. Establishing a trade company in Endeavor is not easy.”

“If it were something I’d give up just because it’s difficult, I would’ve dropped it during the market research stage.”

After instructing a servant to call for a carriage, I was so exhausted that even moving a finger felt burdensome. I sat on a bench in the garden, reviewing the documents I had prepared to persuade Canerva Grey.

I had spent a month gathering data and preparing the most appealing proposals. Although I said I would come back with different terms, I doubted whether I could persuade him if these deals weren’t enough.

“Lady.”

The familiar voice and address lifted my head from the documents on my lap. Startled, I looked around. Harten emerged from behind a well-kept old tree.

“…Ten.”

After confirming there was no one else around, I called his name with relief. Harten formed a semblance of a smile and sat beside me, looking at the documents. I hesitated for a moment before gathering the papers and handing them to him so he could see them better.

“You’re here on trading business.”

With that familiar smile that only moved his mouth and not his eyes, he glanced at me and picked up the envelope next to the documents. His expression seemed to tighten slightly as he organized the papers and handed them back to me.

“I heard you met with Canerva Grey.”

“Yes, I did.”

“…Why him?”

“His family would be the most beneficial to our trade group.”

Harten sighed briefly at my answer, then ran a hand through his hair. The expression he’d been half-heartedly maintaining disappeared, replaced with a somewhat sullen look.

“…More beneficial than me?”

What in the world was he talking about now? I looked up at him with eyes that clearly said I must have misheard, but his gaze was dead serious without a hint of playfulness.

“You’re a prince of Endeavor, not an administrator.”

“…”

The eyes that had been directly meeting mine shifted to the side. He knew he was being unreasonable. After a moment of awkward silence, Harten spoke first.

“When I heard you were coming, I went out to meet you.”

“Oh? Really?”

I hadn’t seen him at all during my escorted walk to Canerva Grey’s room in Dorothea Palace. Was he waiting at another entrance?

“I was planning to greet you at the front of Dorothea Palace…”

Harten turned his head away, so I couldn’t see his expression, but the prickly sensation on the back of my neck suggested it wasn’t a good one. I tapped the back of his clenched hand, his knuckles white.

“Ten.”

“…Yes.”

“You’re a prince of Endeavor, and you came to Rohan as an envoy. You understand that, right?”

“Yes, but…”

“So you remember that I said it wouldn’t be good for us to be seen together, right?”

Harten, who had been answering faithfully until now, fell silent. I waited patiently for his response, my hand continuing to tap a rhythm on the back of his. He eventually caught my hand, but still said nothing. Instead, he knelt on one knee in front of me, looking up at me from where I sat on the bench. Finally, he spoke.

“I can follow any of your words, but…”

“……”

“I can’t follow if it means staying away from you or letting you be in danger.”

“……”

“I don’t want you to hate me, but that’s very difficult.” Harten gave a slightly bitter smile and kissed my left ring finger reverently.