On my second birthday, when I was 24 months old, I received a relic as a congratulatory gift from Abelard. I had picked up a stone from the bed without knowing its significance, and that stone was the very relic sent from Abelard.
'Because of that damned stone, my latent divine power was forcibly awakened.'
And now, the object the mole had placed in front of me looked exactly like the relic.
Due to the memories, I didn't pick up the stone carelessly but examined it closely. It looked exactly like the stone from back then. But a relic is a relic for a reason. It must have some incredible power, right? I didn't think such a powerful object would be found so easily in a gold mine. While I was carefully examining the stone, Lisandro, who had been watching me from a distance, seemed to sense something suspicious and slowly approached.
"Your Majesty, you shouldn't eat dirt."
I quickly gestured for the mole to go away. I then pushed the stone into the hole the mole had dug and firmly covered it with my palms.
"Little Your Majesty, what are you doing?"
Seeing Lisandro looking at me playfully as usual, I somehow felt annoyed.
'Lisandro startled me when he suddenly came over.'
I extended the clump of dirt I had made as if in revenge and offered it to Lisandro.
"Here, I made this for you, Lisandro!"
"Wow!! Are you giving this to me?"
Lisandro took the clump of dirt with a bright smile, seemingly pleased.
'What a considerate young man.'
After a few more drinks, the glass was empty, and Casey stood up with a polite smile.
"My glass is empty, so I'll take my leave now."
"No, already? I'll buy another round, so stay and chat, Ace."
"Thank you, but I must decline, Your Grace. My family is waiting, so I can't delay any longer."
He was such a likable young man that I wanted to keep him around. He had a good sense of humor and was knowledgeable in many areas.
'But I can't make such an important proposal on our first meeting.'
Just as I was about to let my disappointment sink in, Casey turned around and asked.
"Your Grace, it's a shame to part like this. Can we meet again soon?"
Surprised by Casey's unexpected suggestion, I nodded happily.
"Of course. Let's meet at this time next week!"
"It would be an honor, Your Grace."
Casey smiled at my pleased expression and followed suit.
γ *** A few days later, I was choosing what to wear for my meeting with Duke Donovan.
"This dress is too flashy."
I was being dressed and undressed by the maids. At first, I enjoyed trying on cute dresses, but after the tenth one, I was exhausted.
"Maybe the yellow dress is nice..."
"Oh, Your Majesty. Then let's just try this one, okay?"
I used my secret weapon, whining, but the maids didn't budge. Only after I put on a pure white dress did they finally seem satisfied.
As they were fussing over my attire, there was a knock on the door.
The door opened, and Aiden, whom I hadn't seen in a while, stepped in.
I ran up to Aiden, happy to see him. We had been exchanging notes through a messenger, but it had been days since we last saw each other.
Before I could ask how he was, the maids rushed over and lifted the hem of my dress.
"Your Majesty, be careful. What if you trip and fall?"
I heard a snicker. Looking up, I saw Aiden covering his mouth.
"Did you just laugh at me?"
"Did you laugh? Everyone did!"
I glared at the maids, who were trying to hide their laughter behind their hands.
Of course, I used to fall once a day, but lately, I hadn't fallen at all. Clenching my fists, I glared at them, and they quickly changed the subject.
"Sir, how does our Your Majesty look? Isn't she adorable?"
Aiden's expression stiffened slightly at their sudden question. His seemingly angry face was actually one of embarrassment, and the maids giggled mischievously.
'Well, this dress is pretty.'
After a moment of silence, Aiden finally spoke.
The maids grumbled, clearly unsatisfied with his response.
"Is that all you have to say?"
I tilted my head in confusion.
I didn't understand what kind of reaction they were hoping for. And there was a more important issue.
Food is always the most important thing! Besides, Aiden often skipped meals, so I had to remind him.
I sighed, shaking my head. Look, look. You didn't eat again.
Actually, I hadn't eaten either. One of the maids, overhearing our conversation, suggested,
"Why don't we pack a picnic and go to the garden?"
I agreed readily. Eating outside in the fresh air would be even more delicious! *** The picnic preparations were quickly finished. Aiden and I sat facing each other on a large blanket. Aiden handed me a sandwich and quietly said,
"Casey successfully made contact with Duke Xavier."
I passed him a cup of milk and replied,
"Try to gain more trust. Take it slow."
I took a big bite of the egg sandwich. The flavors were perfectly balanced and delicious.
"Here, have more. The Calman Trading Company will be releasing nutmeg in the market tomorrow."
"Exactly what the messenger said! Oh, this is good."
We enjoyed our picnic lunch while discussing our plans.
γ Watching us from a distance, some people smiled contentedly.
"By the way, there's something I need to discuss."
"The mole found a stone in the gold mine, and it looks exactly like a relic."
I had mentioned the relic-related incident to Aiden before, so he already knew about it. After a moment of silence, Aiden spoke.
"Now that you mention it, something does feel off."
"Duke Xavier's acquisition of the mine seemed like he was... searching for something."
"He seemed to be looking for something."
Holding a strawberry sandwich, I froze in shock.
"Could it be... he's looking for that stone...?"
"I'll look into it. Where did you put the stone?"
"Um, I'll show you, Aiden..."
While we were sharing fruit and discussing our next plan, someone's presence drew near. Looking up, I sawβ
"...Mabel, how could you?"
My father stood there, looking shocked.
Taken aback, I asked, and my father gritted his teeth before shouting,
"Isn't it obvious that the first picnic should be with your father!"