It was summer. The king was in a foul mood. Even if he denied it, his beautiful face revealed everything. Haipetz, the king’s faithful attendant, wondered whether he should send a servant to Tulip Palace. 

Tulip Palace was the Queen Dowager’s residence where the king’s mother stayed. Of course, the Queen Dowager couldn’t necessarily improve the king’s mood, but…

In any case, the king had been losing his temper frequently these days. The way he tensed his eyes and pulled in his chin reminded Haipetz of when he was a young prince.

There was a time when making such expressions had been his habit. When he started sulking back then, even Queen Ingrid would stamp her feet in frustration, not knowing what to do. The worries of those beneath them were beyond words.

The reason he could transform into the young monarch he was today stemmed from a terrible accident that befell him one winter over ten years ago.

“Um… Ahem, ahem. Your Majesty, Lady Charlotte, your fiancée, is waiting in the Stürophe Garden.”

Haipetz looked to the side. A young attendant who had been serving the king with his hands clasped behind his back reported to the king with a tense expression. 

It was impossible to know what he was thinking. He had said his hometown was in the territory of Marquis Beauve, Lady Charlotte’s family estate, but Haipetz had heard he had no connection to Lady Charlotte herself. 

He’d never even met her face to face. So he wouldn’t be working to strengthen her position through some special arrangement. He was probably just concerned about the woman who had been waiting for her fiancé for half an hour. However, the king…

“I see. I suppose I should get up then.”

A proper baritone rang in his ears. The king, who had been staring only at the documents he needed to approve, rose slowly. Haipetz looked at him, wondering what had gotten into him. But the man’s expression remained unchanged.

Suddenly, memories of his childhood surfaced. He had been the boy with the most lovable face in the royal palace, yet he’d torn through the court with his brow furrowed in chronic irritation. 

And now, he was generous in all matters—except when it involved someone he held dear.

However, Haipetz couldn’t tell if this was a good thing. The person the king held dear was of a status that could never become the king’s consort.

“Uh… Lord Haipetz, over there…”

A young attendant gestured toward the troubled Haipetz. He saw two women walking side by side. Lady Charlotte and Ann Rosenthal. The woman waiting for the king and the woman the king had been waiting for…

It wasn’t an unusual pairing, but it wasn’t exactly a comfortable one either. Haipetz turned to look at the king with tension. He was curious about whom the king would call first.

* * *

It was a warm, sunny afternoon. Though it was summer, Rosbon, the capital of Las Palmada, leaned somewhat to the north, so summers weren’t particularly hot.

Ann stared at the young king closing the distance from afar. 

The king, wearing a light sky-blue vest embroidered with the splendid lilies symbolizing the royal family, a full cravat, and a champagne-colored jacket draped over his broad shoulders, looked exceptionally elegant and disciplined.

“Did I keep you waiting long? Charlotte.”

The king greeted his fiancée. Ann quietly watched Charlotte’s beautiful cheeks flush the color of apples. Her emerald eyes, like captured midsummer greenery, sparkled even more lovingly as they caught the fractured sunlight.

“I didn’t wait long, Your Majesty. Ann and Mr. Botloch, the scribe, kept me company.”

‘Ann’ was one of Ann’s many nicknames, used by Charlotte and some of Queen Dowager Ingrid’s maids.

It was one of the names Queen Dowager Ingrid had affectionately given her in childhood, but Ann didn’t particularly like the name. It was far too refined a name for a mere commoner girl to have.

Charlotte glanced at Ann. Only then did Haipetz realize someone had been accompanying the two women.

The king’s gaze slowly reached him. Seemingly not expecting to have an audience with the king, he hurriedly removed his hat and performed a courtly bow. He was one of the scribes the king had newly appointed a month ago. His name was ‘Frederick Botloch’ or something like that. 

In any case, his surname was indeed Botloch, just like Lady Charlotte had mentioned.

The king responded to the greeting with a light smile and addressed Charlotte.

“So you met in the Stürophe Garden.”

“Yes.”

“My summer garden is beautiful, isn’t it?”

Charlotte nodded at the king’s response. Stürophe Garden, one of the palace gardens located at the very center of the royal palace, was overwhelmingly large and magnificent in scale. 

From the glass greenhouse connected to the zoo to the small theater and quaint farmhouse—the exotic yet traditionally Las Palmadan buildings were also being used effectively as royal villas.

“More than that… Mr. Botloch seemed to have asked Ann on a date. Isn’t that right, Ann?”

Charlotte, who had been blushing at her fiancé’s greeting, gazed at Ann with somewhat thorny eyes and murmured. At the word ‘date,’ the king looked at her.

Ann, who had been staring blankly at them, licked her dry lips and nodded. There was no need to deny it.

“Mr. Botloch asked if I’d like to stroll through the garden together.”

“I see.”

The king replied. Charlotte, who had emphasized the word ‘date,’ linked arms with him and whispered, ‘They make such a good couple.’ 

Her tone was cheerful, but the king showed no particular reaction. The four of them strolled through the garden side by side before entering the tea garden.

“It’s teatime anyway—how about both of you join us?”

The king suggested cheerfully. Botloch looked at Ann. His face showed clear bewilderment. He wanted to refuse outright, but since the one making the suggestion was the king, his mouth seemed unable to open.

Ann felt a bit sorry for him. Both she and Botloch were far too humble to attend a teatime shared by the king and a marquis’s daughter. Ann looked at the king.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, Mr. Botloch has to meet with the Chief Scribe along with the other new scribes to have last week’s records reviewed by this evening.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’m a new scribe appointed last month, so I still have much to learn from the Chief Scribe and my seniors.”

Botloch, who had been frozen and creaking throughout the garden stroll, finally opened his mouth to explain his situation. 

While he didn’t actually have to have his records reviewed immediately, he wanted to reduce the time spent with the king by any means necessary. In truth, he wanted to turn around and run away right then, but since he didn’t have two lives, he couldn’t do that.

“And such a person talks about dating…”

An unexpectedly sharp reaction rang in his ears. 

Botloch swallowed hard and slowly raised his head. The king, who had irritably removed his jacket and handed it to an attendant, sat down in a splendid chair made of rosewood and looked at him.

“Someone who has so much to learn has time to fool around with a palace maid? And Ann is my maid, no less?”

“Your Majesty.”

Charlotte calmed him, thinking his words were too harsh. But the king seemed to have no intention of softening his mood. 

Botloch, pale and looking like he might die, stammered. Ann, who had been staring at the king, opened her mouth, thinking she needed to get Botloch away from him first.

“Your Majesty, I understand your anger. But since things have turned out this way, I’d like to stroll through the rest of the garden with Mr. Botloch before parting ways—would that be all right?”

“Ann.”

He called his maid again. His cold, metallic baritone carried a warning tone. A fierce light ignited in his menacing violet eyes, threatening to swallow and devour her.

“…What exactly did you hear? Didn’t Botloch say he was appointed last month and is busy studying? Yet you want to stroll with him? Do you want to date him that badly?”

“That’s not it…”

“Sit.”

The king gestured to the seat in front of him. Ann could see Charlotte’s expression harden. Ann clenched her neatly folded hands.

Haipetz walked over to Botloch, who was watching the king nervously, and said he would escort him out. Ann watched the man hurry away with Haipetz, then looked at the king and Charlotte.

The king kept his persistent gaze on her until she sat in front of him. She couldn’t bring herself to say she would return to Tulip Palace, the Queen Dowager’s residence. 

The king was someone who didn’t understand refusal. His birth status made it so, and his temperament was such.

He was especially persistent with Ann. He always held onto her and wouldn’t let go until his demands were met. Whatever those demands might be…

Each step toward the tea table felt heavy, like lead weights were attached. The king’s young attendant politely pulled out a chair for her, just like he had done for Charlotte. Ann sat in front of him and folded her hands neatly. Only then did the king smile broadly.

* * *

The king conversed easily with Charlotte. Since they saw each other once a week and frequently exchanged letters asking after each other, they didn’t have much to talk about, but the two devoted their energy and sincerity to filling the brief meeting time.

They would probably look exactly like this once married. It wasn’t difficult to see the not-so-distant future in the present pair.

She remembered the late king and Queen Dowager Ingrid in their youth. The royal couple hadn’t shared a blazing love, but they had deep trust in each other. 

Ann sat between them, quietly sipping her tea and watching the man and woman who would soon be husband and wife.

The king smiled frequently at his fiancée. Charlotte also sparkled with shy smiles toward the king who would soon be her husband.F