"Is it true that Ray, that child, likes the Estarotte Lady?"
"Yes. Every time His Highness goes out to see the Lady, he takes great care with his attire."
Considering he would ponder his clothes from the day before, it was irrefutable evidence. If it were a casual relationship, he wouldn't have cared what he wore.
Knowing that this precious person was also in Ray's heart, the woman grew anxious. If a treasure is just left out, everyone will recognize its value and steal it.
'...Currently, there are the ability user.'
Including the Imperial family, there had been a total of 10 ability user person, but due to family extinction, they were reduced to 7.
The three families that disappeared didn't perish due to rebellion or anything; they simply failed to have descendants, and their bloodlines naturally died out.
Among the remaining seven, excluding Aries who is female, the other six are all male. Four of them are older than Raymund.
There was only one male ability user around Raymund's age.
'That child... although he stayed with his family, not wanting to leave home...'
That child was the most dangerous. It wasn't that other ability user were safe.
The ability user' yearning for normalcy was so strong that it might make even older ones forget their dignity.
The treasure must be claimed first. It must be secured before someone else covets it.
"Why did that child not tell me?"
If he liked her, if he hadn't hidden it from her, he would have sent a marriage proposal to the Estarotte Count family by now.
An engagement wasn't even necessary. He wasn't of marriageable age yet, but there was a clause in the law allowing early marriage for royalty in emergencies.
What could be more important than the appearance of a perfect match for Raymund, an ability user? They could simply have him marry her right away and make her the Imperial Prince's consort.
'Indeed... it's right for me to step in.'
The woman thought for a moment and then made up her mind. Whether it was what Raymund wanted or not, as a mother, she couldn't just stand by and watch.
She would somehow make Seiana stay by her son's side. The woman's eyes shone with determination.
***
To Seiana.
I've gotten permission for the trip.
I'm available anytime, so I think we can make the plan according to your schedule.
Let's meet next time and talk in detail about where we'll visit.
Oh, and what do you think of your nickname, Seiana? Do you like it?
I like my nickname, but I don't know how others feel about it.
Some people dislike nicknames because they feel like they create distinctions between people, but anyway, I'm not like that.
I'm just asking because I'm curious, so you don't have to answer if it's burdensome.
If you don't feel uncomfortable using nicknames, I'm also curious about when would be a good time to use a nickname.
I guess it would require knowing someone for a long time, right? A very long time.
I don't think you'd allow someone you've known for less than a month to use your nickname.
You might give the wrong impression to someone if you allow that. Got it?
Well then, see you as planned this Wednesday.
Raymund.
Hmm... The trip details were short, and Ray's letter went on for several lines just about nicknames, making me scratch my head.
'Since I'm already using Ray's nickname... does he mean he wants to use my nickname?'
He tried to beat around the bush, but his desire was so obvious that it was impossible not to notice.
The part about only allowing it for someone you've known for a long time probably meant 'don't allow Ari'...
The funny thing was that even Ray, the one who said 'known for a long time', had actually known me for less than half a year.
I didn't know what his standard for 'very long' was, but his attitude of not realizing that he himself didn't meet that standard was just funny. It was endearing.
'A nickname, huh...'
I didn't particularly object to someone calling me by my nickname. I wasn't someone who thought, 'Only truly close people should call me by my nickname!'
Right now, only my family calls me by my nickname, but...
'...That's because I don't have any close friends.'
In my previous life, Pedro also used my nickname. Of course, that guy usually maintained a distance, calling me Seiana, and only called me Lovely when he needed something from me.
So, it wouldn't really matter if I allowed Ray to use it...
"Ugh..."
Just imagining Ray smiling sweetly and calling me “Lovey” twisted my whole body. Not in a bad way—it was just so ticklish and embarrassing that I couldn’t control myself.
My cheeks felt like they were burning up, so I grabbed them with my palms as if to hide them. My hands quickly grew hot to the touch.
‘If it were someone else...’
I didn’t feel embarrassed. In Ari’s case, she’d probably chatter away like a little lark calling out to me... but it only seemed cute; I didn’t feel anything else.
Only Ray made me feel that way.
‘...Is it because he’s my first boyfriend?’
Of course! I mean a male friend. I’m definitely not some pervert thinking impure thoughts about a kid! I’m not that kind of shameless person.
At the same time, a part of me reminded myself that we’re the same age.
“...I don’t know.”
Maybe when I’m older, but feeling that way about Ray right now seems too strange. It feels like being a criminal.
‘And besides, I don’t even know if he sees me that way.’
I didn't know if Ray saw me as a potential romantic partner or just a best friend candidate. It was clear he liked me... but when it came to 'love,' I was unsure.
I had lived a long time, but I didn't understand love very well. I was sure I loved Pedro in my previous life, but...
'Thinking about it now, I don't know if that was love or just stubbornness.'
There was no fluttering between us. I always felt indebted to that guy and was preoccupied with the thought of having to repay him. So I desperately tried to be good to him.
They said it was natural to want to give anything to someone you love... Based on that shallow quote I read in a book, I firmly believed that was love.
But with Ray...
‘I don’t feel like giving him anything.’
Actually, Ray is wealthier than I am. So whenever I think about giving him a gift, my first thought is whether he even needs it.
‘All I’ve ever given him is an old, cherished stuffed toy...’
It wasn’t expensive, nor was it custom-made—just a mass-produced item. And in return, what I received was an unreasonably costly gift...
I fiddled with the pearl pin tucked in my ear. Pearls aren’t carved from stone; their high price comes from the rarity of finding them inside clams.
The perfectly round ones are the most precious and expensive, but these oddly flat, misshapen ones are rare too.
Though I hadn’t checked the exact price, I could easily guess it was expensive, since they were made from hard-to-find pearls.
‘I want to return the favor, but I can’t think of anything suitable.’
Maybe because he lives so comfortably, Ray has no particular likes or dislikes when it comes to things.
When I subtly asked him, like he once did to me, he just said anything was fine, making it hard to figure out his true preferences.
'...Since he wants to use a nickname, should I just let him do that?'
However, that was something I could allow without any exchange, which bothered my conscience.
Since I wasn't a naive child who didn't know anything, I couldn't help but calculate when thinking about things.
It felt a little uncomfortable to receive something precious and then just act oblivious about it.
Hmm. What should I do? While I was agonizing, I heard a voice.
"Lady."
Ena called me from outside the room. When I told her to come in, Ena entered with a stiff face.
Her face was so serious that I wondered if something had happened, but she handed me a letter.
"...A letter arrived."
No, why is she acting so serious just handing me a letter? I took it, thinking it was nothing much. After all, a letter from Ray had arrived, so I naturally assumed this one would be from Ari.
'She said she would send me a letter too.'
However, the moment I checked the sender's signature on the envelope, just to be sure, my face stiffened.
"...Huh?"
Is this real? Startled, I looked at Ena, who looked back at me with a worried expression.
"It's an invitation. Someone is waiting downstairs."
"What...?"
What is this supposed to mean? Is it an invitation for the same day? Flustered, I tore open the letter and found it was an invitation to have lunch together today.
What kind of situation is this? It was 10:20 AM, so lunch was soon; it was tight. If another noble had sent such a rude invitation, I would have been displeased and refused, but the sender was not someone I could displease.
"Her Majesty the Empress..."
The mother of the Empire, and my friend's mother. Not someone I could complain about.
Feeling dizzy, I closed my eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them and asked Ena.
"What time did she say I should come by?"
"The person waiting downstairs just said to prepare as quickly as possible..."
It seemed they were willing to be flexible with the time due to the hasty invitation. As soon as I heard that, I got up without delay.
"Ena! Prepare quickly!"
"Yes!"
Ena quickly headed to the dressing room to get out dresses and accessories.
'At least that's fortunate. Because I'm a child.'
If I were a little older, applying makeup and styling my hair would take a lot of time, but thankfully, as a child, those could be skipped.
Among the dresses Ena suggested, I chose one with an ample cut that had a deep blue tint. For shoes, I chose light yellow flats.
'I don't know what kind of setting it will be, so let's go in attire that follows etiquette but is as comfortable as possible.'
In my mind, I was repeating the imagination of Her Majesty the Empress pouring water on me about thirty times, asking if someone like me thought I was suitable for her son.
I felt like I was going to get indigestion already, even before sitting at the table.
Comments Box