Chapter 7: CH 7

“……”

Esadien sat down again without realizing it.

“Prince!”

Soon after, the door of the parlor opened urgently, and a familiar voice came to be heard. Esadien’s eyebrows, which were still stiff and wrinkled, loosened. It was a change he didn’t even realize himself.

“Young Lady.”

“Prince!”

Unable to wait for the door to open completely, Minuelle pushed herself with a bright smile through the half-open door.

Minuelle was skinnier than she had seen in a few days, enough to be seen by insensitive Esadien.

It was more noticeable because it was not a rich dress with inflated shoulders that she usually wore when she met him, but an indoor outfit.

‘You have to be careful…’

How could you block the assassin with such a body?

Even the appearance of running was so unsettling that Esadien almost stood up from his seat. But just before that, he came to his senses and was able to put his butt back.

So I thought you wouldn’t know, but Minuelle had already slowed down after reading Esadien’s uncomfortable expression.

“……”

“……”

There was an awkward silence.

Even on the day he went to the garden, whenever Minuelle looked into Esadien’s eyes, he was at a loss for what to do.

‘Don’t do that. I am not the kind of person as you are.’

I’d like to appease her like that, but then Minuelle might have a useless hope.

In Esadien’s eyes, who had been hesitating, Minuelle’s hand, who was sitting quietly across from him, came into view.

‘Gloves?’

Gloves are something everyone wears, but it’s a story about going out, and no one even wore them inside the house.

“Well….”

It was not until Minuelle’s careful voice was heard that Esadien came to his senses belatedly.

“Ah.”

Although he was a little thinner, Minuelle’s face was flushed and red.

When I saw something different from my memory, I was relieved and at the same time, thinking about the object next to me. Esadien hurriedly brought the bouquet and box to Minuelle.

“I’m late, but thank you.”

“What?”

Minuelle blinked as if embarrassed.

It’s because the experience of receiving something from a man she likes is unfamiliar, but Esadien feels awkward looking into the flowers as she is far away. Ironically, the more so, the colder his expression became.

In short, they were both lovers.

“That, you saved me was.”

“Ah….”

Then a smile spread across Minuelle’s face again. She hugged the bouquet tightly and buried her face in it.

“Oh, I’m glad the Prince didn’t get hurt…. What all these things?”

“…..”

“Oh, of course it doesn’t mean I’m not happy with the gift! What is this box? Can I open it?”

Esadien nodded quietly.

Even if he didn’t say so, the words “joy” were engraved on the face that inhaled the scent.

“It’s macaron! How pretty…..”

Macaron? There seemed to be sweets in the box that the servant handed over together.

“Shall we have tea together?”

When asked by Minuelle, who had now fully regained her smile, Esadien nodded his head again.

After Minuelle called the servant and ordered this and that, there was a moment of silence, and Esadien finally opened his lips.

“Originally…”

“What?”

“Is your body really that thin?”

I didn’t mean it, but the tone showed dissatisfaction.

Both Esadien and Minuelle, who spoke, flinched their shoulders.

However, for Minuelle, this question was familiar from an early age, so she quickly passed it casually.

“It’s weak for a member of the Karinen family.”

Minuelle, who had been gently stroking the soft petals for a while, smiled as she made straight eye contact with Esadien.

“Thank you for your concern. I never thought you would come.”

At that moment, Esadien’s feelings were simply complex.

Once again, one side of my chest was shaking, and I felt bitter when I remembered that my mother had never said thank you to me.

Finally, I felt a guilty conscience. Because he actually visited at the urging of others.

‘Ugh.’

Esadien’s neck twitched. This whirlwind of emotion was something he hated.

“Young Lady, then I….”

It was when I was about to say that I would go now that I saw she was getting better. Someone knocked on the door of the drawing room.

“Excuse me.”

With a friendly face, not a servant, but a man in a priest’s uniform comes in.

‘No matter how powerful the Grand Duchess is…..’

Even in the Imperial Family, the Priests do not serve tea.

Esadien looked at Minuelle with a puzzled look, but her eyes widened in surprise as well.

“Why are you….? Ah, Prince. This is my childhood friend, the Priest, Ramande Flendena.”

“It is an honor to see the small light of the empire. I’ve heard a lot.”

Ramande, politely bowing her knees to Esadien, placed a glass of water and a medicine bag in front of Minuelle.

“The Duke was worried that you couldn’t take medicine because you ran out and couldn’t take your medicine earlier.”

“No, I can eat it later…. In front of guest, cough.”

A small cough came out of Minuelle’s mouth as she spoke while looking at Esadien’s eyes. There was a difference in degree, but at the same time, the faces of the two men hardened.

“Do you want to see me being cheered up by the Duke? The Princess is also concerned.”

Following Ramande’s words, Esadien also added.

“It’s okay, so don’t worry about me and listen. Priest, will you give Young Lady divine power?

“Come on, the Prince says that, too.”

Once again, as an adult, Ramande gave Esadien a light glance.

“Really…”

Minuelle looked displeased for a moment, but took the medicine obediently and accepted Ramande’s divine power.

Certainly, Minuelle’s cheeks were rosy, turning rosier than before.

As soon as Esadien’s mouth was softening a little, Ramande asked lightly as if he were passing by.

“But why did he bring something like macarons? You don’t even touch sweets.”

‘Was that why you said it was pretty, not delicious?’

Come to think of it, Minuelle was going in and out of the Imperial Palace and learning about Esadien, but he didn’t know anything about her taste.

‘I… made a mistake.’

“Ah, what are you talking about? No, Prince. Never mind.”

To be honest, Minuelle had no talent for lying.

Next to her red face, the priest’s purple eyes of Ramande rolled and met Esadien’s gaze. There was obviously a subtle glow in the eyes.

As Esadien was about to raise his eyebrows, Ramande rose up again, overwriting his “priestly” smile.

“Then, have a good time.”

***

I gritted my teeth inwardly as I watched the parlor door shut quietly.

‘Ramande’s coming here for nothing and talking nonsense!’

I can’t live.

My older sisters are the same. It’s not that I drank poison right away, and it’s not like anything special happens if I take the medicine a little later.

Sending Ramande here was like expressing indirectly that she doesn’t like Esadien.

‘Especially sister Juella!’

I’m upset. I’m upset that I ran to Esadien without looking back.

“I’m sorry. Because I do not know your preferences.”

Somehow, Esadien’s voice seemed to have gotten lower. I hurriedly waved my hand.

“Oh, no! Ramande is wrong. Besides, with the skill of the imperial patissier, so it can’t be bad.”

She then swallowed the macaron right away to prove it. Even though only one or half were cut, the sweetness occupied the mouth instantly.

‘Ugh.’

Even an Imperial Patissier would have no knack for making sweets less sweet. If it’s not sweet in the first place, it’s not macaron. It’s made of sugar, egg white, almond powder, jam, and ganache.

Keeping her face smiling as much as possible, Esadien sighed as he offered her tea.

“You don’t have to force yourself to eat.”

“Uh, it’s not unreasonable.”

“…..”

The blue eyes that stared silently were fierce.

“It’s not like that…..”

“Lady Karinen, I think there should be trust between us, even if we can’t expect love.”

“…..”

This time she kept her mouth shut.

Since last time, Esadien has been clearly showing her reluctance to love.

‘I mean, this kind of person feels love for the heroine.’

The tip of my tongue became bitter at the reflective thought.

It was not rinsed with tea, so I tried to put the macaron back in my mouth, but a big hand took the plate away.

“So I want you to tell me honestly about you.”

“Young Lady, the Prince is very bad at expressing himself. He’s a warm-hearted person.”

Theodore’s words suddenly came to mind.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Anything?”

Esadien nodded silently. It was a confident attitude.

If that’s the case.

“It’s been a few months and I’m still so, so, so sad that you haven’t called me by my first name.”

“That’s….”

“From the first time we met, I told you to call me Minuelle.”

“…..”

Esadien’s face, which usually doesn’t show his emotions, clearly revealed his thoughts ‘I told you to tell me about yourself. Why did you ask me about that?’, was clearly expressed.

But now he must be feeling grateful and sorry at the same time that he owes me his life. So I gave it a big shot against it.

“Esadien.”

His broad shoulders stiffened. Looking into the wide-opened blue eyes, I begged once again.

“Come on.”

“That…..”

Although Esadien was hesitant, he was not getting angry because I said the name of the Royal Family with my mouth.

So I could watch his mouth open and close again and again with some joy.

And finally.

“….Minuelle.”

My name from his mouth rang sweeter than macarons, but it was a taste of happiness. Before I knew it, the bitter taste disappeared in my mouth without a trace.

‘Now, shall we double it?’

I took another step, smiling like a bouquet he gave me.

“Esadien, shall we go on a date?”

“Date, cough. Date?”

“Yes, I want to go on a date.”

As if he was quite embarrassed, Esadien coughed because the tea got stuck in his throat.

But my will was not broken.

‘Just the two of us! Cozy! Boating!’

“There is a lake that is good for boating in just a couple of hours. I’m going to change clothes, okay?”

‘This time! Forearms!’

Rather than being discouraged, Esadien looked uncomfortable when he saw my burning eyes.

“Well, when your condition is stable, we can talk again…..”

“That’s too much. I don’t want to hear that from someone I like.”

“Oh, I was sorry earlier. But do you really want to ride a boat?”

Of course! Of course!

But instead of shouting like that, I lowered my eyes.