The Prince Is Dead, So Let’s Start Over Everything Again! - Chapter 2.2

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Lord Peter arrived at the lake garden long after the 3rd Prince’s attendant had left.

He made an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse, saying he was late because he got lost in the maze garden, sweating profusely.

Feeling sorry, I handed him the handkerchief I was holding.

It was the very same handkerchief that had been rejected by the 3rd Prince just moments ago.

Unlike the 3rd Prince, Lord Peter accepted the handkerchief with a touched expression, handling it carefully as if it were a sacred object.

“This handkerchief, I’ll definitely keep it as an heirloom…!”

“Don’t think about keeping it, just wipe your sweat.”

He was clutching the handkerchief I gave him to wipe his sweat and spouting nonsense until he finally got scolded by me.

I returned to the guest room in the palace, escorted by Lord Peter, who now looked much neater after wiping off his sweat.

As soon as Lord Peter opened the door to my room, Anna rushed to the doorway.

“Ah, hello, Miss Anna!”

“Hello, Lord Peter.”

“Oh, you’re beautiful today as well…”

“You must have had a hard time, right? You should go back and rest now. Goodbye then!”

Lord Peter seemed to want to say something to Anna, but Anna sent him away as if chasing him out.

She slammed the door shut, even locking the bolt, and then immediately clung to me.

Anna had a look in her eyes as if she was dying to know how my first meeting with the 3rd Prince went.

“How was it?”

“How was what?”

“Oh, don’t pretend you don’t know!”

The same smile I had seen in the morning was spread across her face.

A smile as if she was looking at a little kid who had just started their first love.

“Well, nothing much… But he was cute, I guess.”

“He was cute?”

“Yeah. He was like a newly hatched chick?”

Although I felt a bit uneasy, I thought it might seem strange if I held back too much, so I answered with a mix of honesty.

At that, a strange sound that could have been either an exclamation of joy or a sigh of disappointment burst from between Anna’s lips.

“My goodness… Seeing you say such things makes me feel somewhat strange, Miss.”

“Don’t tell me you’re treating me like a child now?”

“Oh, of course not.”

While chattering non-stop, Anna professionally carried out her duties.

After combing my hair and thoroughly washing my face, Anna finally changed my clothes.

“Now, raise your arms.”

I obediently lowered my head and closed my eyes as Anna instructed, but when it was time to stretch out my arms, I remembered the contract in the dress pocket.

“Oh no!”

“Huh? What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

“No, it’s nothing. There was just a leaf stuck to me.”

I quickly slipped my hand into the pocket, crumpled the contract, and casually tossed it under the bed as if it were an insignificant object.

Fortunately, Anna didn’t seem to notice anything unusual. She continued her work without saying anything.

“But where exactly did you go and what were you doing?”

“Hm? I went to the banquet, of course.”

“No, not that. I’m asking because you came back with your skirt all covered in dirt and your hair completely disheveled.”

“Ah, that’s…”

I couldn’t tell her the truth that ‘I was discussing the engagement with the 3rd Prince in the lake garden.’

I rolled my eyes around trying to find something else to say, and then clapped my hands as something came to mind.

“That’s right! Anna!”

“Yes?”

“Do you know about the young duke something Cal?”

“Young duke something Cal…?”

“Was it something Carre?”

“Something Carre…?”

I thought it was a similar name, but Anna seemed strangely unable to understand.

I rummaged through my mind for a moment to find the young duke’s name.

But no matter how hard I tried, that difficult name wouldn’t come to mind.

Strange. I’m sure I heard it… Did I not pay enough attention?

Giving up on recalling his name, I came up with another solution.

“I can’t remember the name well, but they said he was the son of the Northern Duke. The young duke of the North! Do you know him?”

“The young duke of the North… Oh my! You couldn’t possibly mean the young Duke of Caledonia, could you?”

Riiip.

A sound like a soccer ball being torn came from somewhere.

Looking down, I saw that Anna had torn my dress precisely in two.

“Anna…”

“Oh my!”

“Did you eat something good while I was gone…?”

You seem so full of energy. It’s nice to see.

I muttered in astonishment.

Anna was startled and didn’t know what to do.

“Ca, Ca, Cale, no, wh, wh, why are you as, as, asking about such an im, im, improper name…”

“Anna, I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

Anna also seemed unsure of what she was saying herself.

Anna’s eyes were wandering here and there, lost.

Her hands were also trembling like aspen leaves, unable to stay still.

I calmly poured water from the kettle on the table and handed it to Anna.

Only after drinking three cups of water in succession did Anna barely regain her senses.

“I’m, I’m sorry, Miss. I was just so surprised…”

“It’s okay. More importantly, I’m cold.”

“Huh? Oh no! Your nightgown!”

Anna was so shocked that she seemed to have already forgotten that she had just split my nightgown in half.

What secret could be hidden between Hariella and the young Duke Cal-something?

At this point, it was even becoming intriguing.

I pressed Anna for an explanation, feeling as if I were listening to someone else’s story.

In fact, it was half someone else’s business anyway.

“I, I don’t know!”

“You’re lying.”

“I, I can’t tell even if a knife is held to my throat!”

“Really? But you said you’d give your life for me. Was that all a lie?”

“Th-that’s not it, but… Oh my, why are you asking about the young Duke of Caledonia again? You’ve been quiet about it for a while!”

Anna whined like a child with a half-crying face. However, even while doing so, her hands diligently took out a new nightgown and dressed me in it.

“Don’t tell me, don’t tell me you didn’t like His Highness the 3rd Prince?”

“Huh?”

“But that absolutely won’t do! If you send another marriage proposal to Caledonia on your own again, His Grace will be furious!”