Chapter 29
29. I Won’t Make You Feel Neglected2021.12.09.
“…….”
The Crown Prince let out a deep sigh, hands thrust into his pockets. The next moment, still seated, he kicked back with his foot to tilt the chair backward as he turned his head toward the fountain.
“Rembrandt!”
He shouted to call them over. From across the way, Rembrandt and Arthur’s wife turned to look at him. The Crown Prince yelled.
“Cut it out and come here! If you don’t want to be misunderstood as harboring feelings for Arthur’s lady.”
“My apologies, Sir Arthur.”
Rembrandt, escorting Reina to Arthur, bowed politely.
“No, not at all.”
Arthur extended his arm to Reina, who had been under his escort.
“…….”
Reina gave Rembrandt a brief nod of thanks before moving to Arthur’s side.
“…….”
“…….”
This is maddening. The Crown Prince quietly furrowed his brow at the awkward atmosphere. He already owed Arthur so much. Whatever the circumstances, if summoning Rembrandt here without permission was his mistake, he had to take responsibility. Just as the Crown Prince opened his mouth to smooth things over, Reina turned her head to look up at Arthur and said softly.
“……Arthur. Let’s talk for a moment.”
She pointed toward the fountain where she had been speaking with Rembrandt moments earlier.
“Over there.”
In that instant, the Crown Prince and Rembrandt both looked at Reina simultaneously.
“…….”
Arthur, too, gazed at her with a slightly surprised, stiffened expression. Reina placed her hand on Arthur’s arm and asked the Crown Prince.
“……Your Highness. I know it’s improper, but may we step away for a moment?”
The Crown Prince blinked in surprise at the unexpected turn and stared at Reina. She hesitated slightly before adding with an apologetic air.
“I regret not being able to properly entertain you as a member of the household after you’ve graced our humble home.”
“……No need for such words.”
Once the Crown Prince replied, Reina offered a faint smile in return and tugged at Arthur’s arm.
“Arthur.”
“…….”
Reina gazed at him with clear eyes.
“…….”
After a moment’s hesitation, Arthur gave the Crown Prince a brief bow before escorting Reina toward the fountain where she had conversed with Rembrandt—the very same path she had taken earlier under Rembrandt’s arm.
“…….”
The Crown Prince glanced sidelong at Rembrandt. He looked somewhat taken aback as well. It didn’t seem like Rembrandt had put her up to it.
“……Did Sir Arthur take much offense?”
Rembrandt asked.
“……Honestly, a little at first. But I think it’ll be all right.”
The Crown Prince replied, watching Arthur and Reina’s retreating figures. * * * Now alone with Arthur, Reina looked up at him right away and spoke.
“The truth is…… I’d actually met Lord Rembrandt once before.”
“…….”
Reina cut straight to the chase.
“But up until now, I had no idea I’d ever met Lord Rembrandt. That time we crossed paths…… I mistook him for his attendant. But back then, I…….”
Reina paused briefly before continuing.
“I was a bit rude without realizing it was Lord Rembrandt.”
Reina pressed her nape with her hand and lowered her head.
“I…… let a bit of my unadorned self…… show.”
As her hand rose, the sleeve of her dress parted slightly, revealing the lace handkerchief tied clumsily inside.
“…….”
She then lowered her hand and clasped it with the other. The lace handkerchief vanished back into her sleeve.
“So when I learned just now that he was Lord Rembrandt…… I was a little surprised.”
“…….”
Reina lifted her gaze to meet Arthur’s once more.
“…….”
Arthur watched her in silence.
“…….”
Speaking so frankly to him about herself, bypassing ‘Christina’ entirely…… It felt reckless, but Reina pressed on.
“……I was in quite a ridiculous state at the time. Lord Rembrandt found it amusing and thought it could just be a light, enjoyable anecdote…….”
Reina then pressed her nape again, looking sheepish.
“But I got so flustered that he apologized, saying he hadn’t expected me to be so startled and embarrassed……. He promised to keep seeing my…… unadorned self a secret.”
“…….”
Reina lowered her anxiously fidgeting hands and interlaced her fingers in front of her skirt, palms up. She looked up at Arthur with honest eyes.
“……That’s everything.”
“…….”
……Did he get it? That she’d been shocked because she’d encountered Lord Rembrandt as a maid…… not a lady. Reina held his gaze steadily.
“……I’m sorry for going off to talk with someone else right in front of you, my lord. Did it tarnish your honor?”
Reina peered up at him cautiously.
“……It must not have felt…… good, right?”
“…….”
Arthur didn’t flash his usual bright smile. He simply watched her for a moment before lowering his inscrutable gaze.
“…….”
A beat later, Arthur ran his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh.
“……Sorry for gripping your arm so tightly earlier.”
He met her eyes as he spoke.
“Did it hurt?”
“It’s fine.”
Reina replied promptly—perhaps a touch too eagerly. Arthur finally gave a soft chuckle, lowered the hand from his hair, rubbed his eyes and forehead, and muttered.
“……I’m more jealous than I realized.”
Reina froze, doubting her own ears. Arthur soon faced her with a refreshed expression.
“I was rude to Lord Rembrandt as well. I’m a petty man, but only when it comes to my wife.”
“…….”
For some reason, Reina felt a hollow embarrassment mingled with giddy elation. It was far too overwhelming to chalk up to mere understanding or a successful explanation.
“…….”
Arthur smiled faintly and extended his hand once more to escort her. Words failing her, Reina stared at him before clasping his offered hand firmly. The lace handkerchief tucked in her sleeve brushed his arm. With a faint smile, Reina glanced down at the ground and murmured softly.
“Let’s stay here a while……. Longer than I spent with Lord Rembrandt before heading back.”
Arthur let out a quiet laugh. He said nothing, but showed no sign of objection.
“Wait just a moment.”
He readjusted his hold on her hand, then slipped his fingers deeper into her sleeve. He untied the lace handkerchief from her wrist and retied it neatly. An inexplicable shyness washed over Reina; she looked at Arthur and smiled shyly downward in silent thanks.
“Do you know the lady?”
The Crown Prince asked Rembrandt. He interlaced his fingers atop his knee, looking awkward, and replied.
“No. Well…… If you must put a name to it, it’s a one-sided acquaintance on my part. We crossed paths once, but the lady didn’t realize who I was. She seemed startled when I introduced myself as Rembrandt. I don’t want to fluster her, so please don’t pry further. I swear on my honor—nothing untoward happened.”
The Crown Prince gave a short laugh.
“Right. Don’t do anything to invite misunderstandings. A man like Arthur could lose it.”
Rembrandt laughed as though it were preposterous.
“Come now. I’m not so bold as to fantasize about a romance with a war hero’s lady.”
As he spoke, Rembrandt gazed at their distant figures.
“…….”
Just before rejoining Arthur, Reina—face flushed, head bowed—spoke softly.
「My lord……. Thank you for your consideration. But the truth is, I’m not good at lying.」
Pressing her nape, she murmured so faintly it was barely audible.
「……Any lie I tell would show right through anyway.」
「So…… I’ll just be honest.」
「I can’t say I’m not a lady…… but……」
“…….”
「……Could you keep just one thing secret?」
“…….”
「That the thing you sold me was the imperial gazette……」
Why try to hide that? What was so bad about buying the imperial gazette…… It wasn’t even noteworthy news.
“…….”
But it was the lady’s secret, so he had no right to speak of it. Rembrandt awkwardly scratched the back of his head and watched Reina standing with Arthur, a strange feeling stirring within him. * * *
“I’ve been rude in so many ways today. I’ll take my leave. It was a pleasure making your acquaintance, Lady. Ah, and belated congratulations on the marriage.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Uncertain what might come next, Reina nonetheless believed she had to end this moment on a good note; she smiled and curtsied. On second thought, things might just blow over uneventfully. They probably wouldn’t cross paths again once he left? The Crown Prince to the Imperial Palace, Lady Christina to Julius Territory. If kind Lord Rembrandt kept her secret. A perfect happy ending. Reina smiled.
“Safe travels. It was an honor to meet the Empire’s light.”
The Crown Prince smiled back at Reina’s smiling send-off, seeming reluctant to part.
“We’ll see each other again at the debutante after the triumphal procession, won’t we?”
A crack formed in Reina’s smiling facade.
“……Pardon?”
The Crown Prince smiled as he spoke.
“When you’re in the capital, get in touch. I’ll invite you two separately.”
Arthur asked.
“……The debutante?”
“Ah, you haven’t heard yet?”
Looking at Reina, the Crown Prince continued.
“There will be a debutante. You didn’t have one, did you, Lady?”
What was this? The Crown Prince went on.
“When you were seventeen, social gatherings were banned due to the war—so all the ladies who should have debuted at seventeen or eighteen are now twenty-two or twenty-three. And every young lady in the five years below that couldn’t debut either.”
Reina stared blankly as the Crown Prince continued smoothly.
“So this spring, every lady from seventeen to twenty-three who missed out will finally debut. It’ll be the grandest debutante in history.”
Then the Crown Prince winked at her with a cheeky grin……
“At that time, you’ll undisputedly be the queen.”
Debutante participants were originally girls aged seventeen to eighteen. But five years had passed under the ban on social gatherings and noble marriages. Thus, every highborn noble lady aged seventeen to twenty-three, whose debuts had been postponed, was required to participate in the debutante—to pay respects to the Emperor and Empress at the Imperial Palace. Twenty-two-year-old Christina qualified.
“B-but I’m already married……. Can I even participate in a debutante?!”
Screaming inwardly, Reina stammered the question. The Crown Prince beamed radiantly.
“Haha. Even ladies who’ve already debuted can receive a special audience invitation after marriage to reintroduce themselves before His Majesty and Her Majesty as ‘the wife of so-and-so’—that’s the custom. In your case, Lady, there’s the debut as ‘Lady of Marquis Julius,’ plus your qualification to greet them as ‘Arthur’s wife,’ so two invitations will be issued.”
Reina forgot to breathe. Arthur tilted his head.
“Won’t the first one be skipped?”
The Crown Prince toyed with his chin.
“You think? But a debutante comes only once in a lifetime—what good is it if you miss out like the other ladies?”
“!”
The Crown Prince flashed a brilliant smile at Reina.
“I won’t make you feel neglected. If no separate invitation arrives, I’ll go sort it out myself.”
No, please don’t! Reina’s face drained of color. The Crown Prince shrugged with supreme confidence.
“But they won’t overlook it even without me saying a word, you know? You’re the wife of His Majesty’s son, my brother, and the star of the triumphal procession, ‘Arthur.’ With the entire Empire aware that you married at seventeen without debuting due to the war, do you think they’d skip it just because you’re already wed?”
