“How about we go to the main palace for our meal?”

Ryan suggested to Rachel as they walked down the laboratory corridor.

“That sounds fine.”

When Rachel didn’t refuse, he wore a satisfied smile.

After leaving the Rose Palace, the two began walking toward the main palace at a leisurely pace, enjoying what felt like a casual stroll.

“Good day, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

Just then, a group of knights walking from the opposite direction greeted Ryan. Rachel, who had been looking at a flower bed, shifted her gaze to the knights and saw Tervan standing among them.

“Yes.”

After Ryan acknowledged their greeting, the knights raised their heads which they had lowered in respect.

The same was true for Tervan.

He looked at Ryan briefly before turning his gaze to Rachel. Then he stared at Rachel’s hand resting on Ryan’s arm.

Ryan, noticing that Tervan’s gaze focused on Rachel’s hand on his arm, deliberately placed his own hand on top of Rachel’s.

This made even Rachel turn to look at Ryan, but Ryan pretended nothing had happened.

A strange silence settled between them.

Even the other knights, who knew nothing of the circumstances, couldn’t speak up as the atmosphere had grown peculiar.

“Ryan, let’s go.”

It was Rachel who broke the strange silence.

At Rachel’s suggestion, Ryan hesitated momentarily before nodding.

And he began to take steps again after having stopped.

Eventually, the two passed by Tervan and started heading toward the main palace.

Tervan remained standing in that spot for a long time after they had passed him, seemingly frozen in place.

Ryan escorted her into the main palace and led her directly to the dining hall, where he personally pulled out a chair for her. As Rachel settled into her seat, Ryan took his place across the table. Shortly after, servers began bringing out dishes one by one, arranging them carefully before the pair. Throughout this elegant procession of food, they sat in complete silence, neither breaking the quiet that hung between them.

While Rachel typically wasn’t very talkative anyway, so nothing seemed particularly different, Ryan appeared stiff because of the situation they had just experienced.

Ryan felt confused, unable to get the scene between Rachel and Tervan out of his mind.

Despite clearly being told they were friends, the subtle undercurrent between Rachel and Tervan seemed difficult to categorize as a typical friendship.

But he couldn’t bring himself to ask Rachel about it.

Even if they weren’t just friends, Rachel sitting before him claimed they were.

So he wanted to believe Rachel’s words as they were.

“Are you alright, Rachel?”

Instead, Ryan carefully asked Rachel.

“Pardon?”

Rachel, not understanding the intent behind Ryan’s question, asked back.

“May I ask why you’re asking that?”

When Rachel directly asked for the reason, Ryan laughed awkwardly.

“I just felt like I should ask. We just ran into Lord Sanchez.”

“If that’s what you’re referring to, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”

When Rachel answered with apparent indifference, Ryan felt considerably relieved.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Yes. Were you concerned about it?”

“Well, a little?”

Rachel let out a small laugh at Ryan’s answer.

“I seem to have made you unnecessarily concerned. It really doesn’t bother me at all. So you don’t need to worry about it.”

Rachel truly appeared unbothered.

Only then did Ryan recall that Rachel hadn’t shown much reaction when they met Tervan in front of the training grounds earlier.

Realizing that his concern about Tervan was unfounded, Ryan smiled with relief.

Rachel also responded to his smile with one of her own.

“By the way, Duke Bermund’s movements have stopped.”

Ryan spoke as they continued their meal.

Rachel paused briefly when the familiar name was mentioned.

“It seems he’s detected my movements. I think we need to be more cautious for now.”

“Then apart from Duke Bermund halting his movements, has there been any other reaction from his side?”

Rachel looked up at Ryan and asked.

“So far, he hasn’t shown any particular movements.”

“I see.”

“Given that there’s been no particular reaction from their side yet, it seems they’ll be lying low for a while.”

Rachel nodded at Ryan’s words.

[Should I not mention that you met with Duke Bermund last time?]

‘Why would I mention that? Ryan doesn’t even know that I’ve made a contract with you. And if I’m going to get that memoir, I need to contact Duke Bermund, so wouldn’t it be more troublesome if I mentioned my previous meeting with the Duke?’

[That’s true, but you don’t want Duke Bermund to succeed in his treason, right? That’s what I thought. I thought you’d at least give this Crown Prince some hint.]

At Creon’s words, Rachel stared at Ryan for a moment.

Ryan, who knew nothing, was suggesting that they needed to keep a closer eye on Duke Bermund’s side.

‘You’re right about that. Anyway, I think it’s better for someone like Ryan to lead the empire, even if he’s a bit naive, rather than someone with dark intentions like Duke Bermund. But that and this are different matters.’

[Is that so?]

‘Yes. Above all, I haven’t rejected Duke Bermund’s proposal yet. So it’s better to leave some room. And even if that weren’t the case, I’ve done enough.’

[That’s true.]

Creon quickly agreed. Rachel nodded slightly, just enough not to be noticeable, and then resumed moving her hand that had stopped.

“And this time, seeing Duke Bermund’s side react, I became certain. That Duke Bermund’s side has disloyal thoughts. And I’m grateful to Rachel for informing me of this.”

“It’s nothing. I just did what I had to do.”

“Rachel, you’re always so modest.”

Ryan let out a small exclamation. Rachel gave him a look.

“You think I’m modest?”

“Yes. If I were in your position, I would have demanded a reward. But you simply informed me without asking for anything.”

“Well, it wasn’t even certain information. I only suggested you be careful based on my speculation about what Duke Bermund was looking for.”

“And the evidence is weighing toward that being the truth, isn’t it?”

“I just did what any imperial citizen should do, so there’s nothing special about it.”

As Rachel shrugged her shoulders, Ryan looked defeated before breaking into a small laugh.

When he couldn’t easily stop laughing, Rachel blinked.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I just found it amusing because it’s such a typical response from you. I don’t mean to make fun of you, so please don’t misunderstand.”

Rachel flinched at Ryan’s mention of a “typical response from Rachel.”

It was something she never expected to hear after her regression.

Everyone else had only found her changed self awkward.

But thinking about it, Ryan had to be different from them. That was because Ryan knew nothing about Rachel’s past self.

“…I didn’t misunderstand.”

Rachel answered after a slight delay.

“That’s a relief.”

Ryan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly after stopping his laughter.

Then he smiled brightly at Rachel.

Rachel followed Ryan with a brief smile and then resumed her meal.

“Oh, Rachel.”

“Yes?”

Just then, Ryan suddenly called out to Rachel. As Rachel looked up, Ryan awkwardly avoided her gaze and struggled to speak.

“If it’s alright with you, may I visit your laboratory from time to time, even without specific business?”

Ryan asked Rachel in the most careful tone possible.

“Well, we’re friends, aren’t we? As friends, we can meet for tea, have conversations… Isn’t that possible?”

Then, before Rachel could answer, he laid out excuses.

He had tried to speak naturally in his own way, but it wasn’t as natural as he had thought.

After biting his lower lip firmly for a moment, Ryan hesitated before speaking with his head bowed.

“Rachel, you may not know, but since I’ve been in the position of Crown Prince from a young age, I haven’t had the opportunity to make friends. As you know, I’ve never attended the academy.”

Though he felt his face getting hot, Ryan didn’t stop speaking.

“But now, Rachel has become my friend, hasn’t she? That’s why I asked if it would be alright. If you don’t like it, please feel free to refuse, and I hope you won’t feel burdened.”

Ryan’s words ended.

He couldn’t bring himself to look up, thinking Rachel might view him as pathetic.

‘I should have kept my mouth shut.’

Belated regret washed over him, but it was already too late.

Rachel took in the sight of Ryan, who couldn’t bring himself to look up.

It was a fresh shock to Rachel, who had consistently regarded Ryan as just another person.

Thinking about it, she realized that what was ordinary for others was quite unfamiliar to Ryan.

Simple things like meeting for tea and having conversations.

Rachel knew that he didn’t see her merely as a friend, but she felt sincerity in his words about wanting to do such everyday things.

“I’m fine with it.”

“Pardon?”

When Rachel gave her permission, Ryan raised his head in disbelief.

“What did you just…”

“I’m saying you can visit whenever it’s convenient for you.”

“…”

Ryan wore a blank expression for a moment when Rachel explained again. Then, belatedly, he smiled.

“Thank you for allowing it, Rachel.”

“You’re welcome.”