“Brother Mihail.”

During a brief pause in their conversation about the previous treasure hunt.

Noah spoke in a serious tone.

Mihail’s face matched Noah’s gravity in response.

“What’s wrong? Here, drink this first.”

Mihail offered milk to the troubled-looking Noah.

Noah downed a glass of sweet milk with honey and released a sigh full of mixed emotions.

“Life doesn’t seem to go as planned.”

“I’ve found that to be true in my life too.”

Mihail (age 11) empathized.

“I thought I could play a lot with Grandfather since the Saint gave him vacation, but Grandfather went to a chess meeting with other grandfathers.”

“He left you alone?”

“He tried to take me along but I refused. Grandfather needs time to make friends too.”

“Are you okay?”

“Well……”

Mihail answered somewhat hesitantly.

Even to Mihail, complaining about being left alone for a few hours when he wanted to play all day felt childish.

So he quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, what’s troubling you?”

“I think Lady Calliphe and the Duke’s relationship got worse because of me.”

Noah confessed that he had planned for the three of them to sleep together as his treasure hunt wish.

Though the plan succeeded and he thought their relationship had improved, the next day the two became more awkward than before.

“I haven’t seen them fight. But why did their relationship become strange?”

“Could it be a dispute over property?”

Noah and Mihail pondered seriously.

But since it wasn’t easy to deduce the cause, they discussed solutions instead.

“Anyway, gifts are the best for making up after a fight. How about flowers? They’ll surely be moved!”

“Ask them to give flowers to each other? But… I don’t think they will……”

“Well, you can’t give them yourself.”

“……Why not?”

Noah’s green eyes suddenly sparkled.

“I can give them secretly.”

“Wait, you don’t mean?”

Nod.

Noah smiled with a scheming expression.

“I’ll actually include a letter saying I want to become closer too.”

A well-intentioned lie becomes much easier after the first time.

* * *

After leaving the Great Temple, I headed to the shopping district with Noah.

Lynen said he had other business and moved separately.

‘He said he was going to visit the orphanage?’

Perhaps because he had revealed the story about his missing nephew, he was quite honest about where he was going.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Oh, okay… take care……”

“Please have dinner first if I’m late.”

“Alright. But come back early.”

Recalling the conversation with Lynen made my skin crawl for some reason.

‘What is this? This ticklish and creepy feeling?’

This had never happened before, but suddenly conversations with Lynen felt very awkward.

Whatever. Let’s just focus on what needs to be done.

I came to the gardening shop with Noah.

Only this shop among the capital’s gardening stores sells what I need to meet Marquis Offensa.

“Welcome… oh my.”

The employee recognized me.

These days, people would recognize me while walking around outside.

All because of the blessing ceremony.

‘True to a shop frequented by nobles, they’re quick to recognize me.’

Fortunately, the employee quickly returned to their duties.

“Are you looking for something specific?”

“Fairy mint.”

“Fairy mint? That’s a product we haven’t dealt with for ten years so even our shop……”

“There should be some left. This is the second largest flower shop in the capital. Look for it.”

“What? Ah, yes, yes.”

Though bewildered, the employee headed to the warehouse to avoid offending me.

‘It must be here.’

In <Marino>, fairy mint was a special item that could only be obtained once through normal means.

And this shop was where you could get it.

‘Since there was an event where Noah accidentally discovers it after being unsold and stored away for years.’

I leisurely looked around the shop.

Noah was already whispering something with another employee.

On another side, I could see the shop owner attending to another customer.

‘No wonder the owner didn’t come out right away. It must be because of that customer?’

My prestige these days wasn’t bad. Usually, managers or those in charge would come to greet me immediately. But here an employee came out separately, so I thought the owner wasn’t present, but it seems it was because of another customer.

‘Are they of high status? Or maybe a regular who frequents this place.’

Even though they were covered from head below the hips in a robe, their tall stature and elegant posture stood out.

‘Just standing there exudes nobility. Must have received a quite strict education.’

Just then, the robed man looked at me.

The black eyes under the shaded hood gleamed strangely before narrowing slightly.

‘Did he just smile?’

The man turned his head away again, but his attitude suggested he was conscious of my gaze.

He seemed certain I would keep watching him.

‘How ridiculous. I’m not interested.’

……At that moment, I saw it.

The armful of flowers he had just purchased.

‘Th-that’s fairy mint!’

Given the considerable amount, it must be the last remaining stock.

‘Don’t tell me he’s buying all of it? Really?’

The man unhurriedly held the fairy mint bouquet and left the shop.

I hurriedly followed him.

“Stop right there.”

“Yes, of course.”

He stopped, seemingly having expected this, and half-turned to face me.

Almost caught off guard, I immediately asked aggressively.

“You bought all that just to show off to me, right? No use pretending. Tell me the truth—”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“……”

He placed his hand on his chest and bowed his head slightly.

“Please forgive me. I thought approaching you directly might cause unnecessary fear, so I committed this rudeness.”

…Well, it wouldn’t be pleasant if a robed man approached.

“Then why did you draw me out?”

“I’m a fan.”

Quietly, is he crazy?

Just then, the man stepped forward and strongly grabbed my arm.

As soon as I noticed his hands wrapping around my waist, I immediately slapped his cheek.

Slap!

“How dare you try something so impudent.”

At that moment.

Crash!

A loud sound of something falling and breaking came from behind.

“?!”

Looking up, I saw a cat jumping away startled from a second-floor window.

It seemed the cat was the culprit who dropped the flowerpot from the windowsill.

‘If I had stayed standing there, that pot would have gone smack on my head……”

I slowly turned my head toward the man.

Due to my hard slap, his hood had fallen off revealing his face.

‘Wait, that face!’

“…Ouch.”

Eyebrows slightly furrowed in pain.

The pupils within his deep-set eyes were an endless black that held a mysterious charm.

His gloomy appearance at first glance created a strange allure when combined with his silvery hair that shone like light.

People passing by naturally stopped to stare at the man.

His presence glowed softly like a black pearl, both dark and mysterious.

‘This face is definitely.’

Though not well known to the public, I knew it.

Because I had seen it often in <Marino>.

“…Prince Blaine, Your Highness?”

One of Noah’s four guardians, Prince Blaine tilted his head. His black eyes seemed to flash for a moment.

“You know my face. How?”

“……”

Da, d*mn it.

Both slapping him immediately and revealing I knew him in surprise were mistakes.

‘In this situation!’

“Youuuur Hiiiighness.”

“Hmm?”

“Your faithful fan pays her respects!”

I bowed down deeply.