/
After letting out a heavy sigh, Ferre confessed.
“
I ate
 ree
”
“Hm? I can’t hear you.”
“
Three.”
Ferre raised three fingers, his voice as small as a chick’s.
“Haa. So greedy. I knew you ate three.”
Rosé’s sigh was so loud that Sera and Helios could hear her clearly.
Sera was about to say something, but she quietly smiled instead. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to stay silent for now since RosĂ© already hinted at what she wanted to say.
And he had gotten a very big stomachache today, so she figured that he would stop at just one or two ice cream scoops next time.
Being able to eat breakfast with many people after a long time made her happy. The dishes served to them were so fancy and abundant that you’d think the table’s legs would be bent, but nevertheless, it was a pleasant meal time.
Their pleasant chatter and the silverware’s occasional clattering was like a harmonious rhythm.
* * *
Two days later, the buzz inside the imperial palace still had not lost its momentum, and it was noisy due to the abounding rumors.
Rumors about this and that young lord having a crush on this and that young lady, and rumors about yet again another new scandal at the banquet with Prince Aushuvel as the male lead.
All sorts of rumors rattled the entire imperial palace.
And the tumultuous rumors also included things related to Sera and Helios.
Right now, Sera was trying to pinpoint the source of those rumors.
“So, if Your Highnesses say that, people will misunderstand.”
With the toy clock she gave to the children in one hand, Sera started turning the minute hand of it faster out of frustration. The sound of the winding hand clicked loudly.
“But why will they misunderstand? I’m just telling the truth, Sera!”
“That’s true, but
”
“I just wish that Sera can sleep with Heli every night and eat breakfast with us every day. Why is it a problem if we say that?”
Sera once again swallowed a scandalized gasp. These innocent children didn’t have any idea what exactly their words could insinuate.
Why must you twist the events that happened last Friday night and Saturday morning! And it’s spreading to the handmaids of the Star Palace!
“The way you said it can be misleading, Your Highness.”
Sera patted the children’s heads. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh and a whisper, ‘What should I do with these kids?’
“What kind of misunderstanding?”
“Um
 His Majesty and I aren’t lovers, but people will misunderstand that we are.”
“What are ‘lovers’?”
Ferre intervened.
“Lovers are two people who like each other and are in a relationship.”
“Isn’t that better then? I wish Sera and Heli can use this chance to like each other more! It’s so nice to see Heli Oppa and Sera sleeping together and eating breakfast with us the next day. I hope that can happen a looot more in the future.”
“But His Majesty and I don’t like each other that way. The person His Majesty really likes is his partner at the banquet last time.”
Sera tried to reason with the children—to persuade them somehow.
“I don’t like that redhead Duke. She’s kinda weird. Right, Ferre?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m kinda scared of the Duke’s eyes, Sera.”
“And Sera likes Heli Oppa anyway. Right?”
Rosé looked up at Sera with wide, sparkling eyes.
Sera let out a long, drawn-out sigh. These twins weren’t listening to her today.
Right now, Sera was terrified of how many people would hear this and spread rumors.
The tabloid issue from before had died down quietly already on its own, but if a scandal like this were to come out

Uuugh. It was so terrible that she didn’t want to think about it.
Of course, His Majesty would be understanding if something like that were to happen, but what would Duke Cross—who His Majesty might start dating—think about this?
Tak. Lowering the toy clock, Sera shook her head.
Like an unofficial signal to stop all small talk, Sera handed Ferre and Rosé a problem-solving seatwork regarding time.
“Let’s hush now and focus on solving the problem, both of Your Highnesses. I’ll give you ten minutes. Once the hourglass runs out of sand, I’ll start grading your work, and if you get one wrong answer, you won’t get a sticker.”
“Huuh?”
“You’re so mean, Sera!”
The children started to whine, but Sera’s strictness was as sharp as a blade. She flipped over the hourglass.
As the sand started trickling down to the bottom, the children eventually sighed and focused on their seatwork.
The scritches of their pencils and erasers resounded as they drew hour hands and minute hands on their papers.
Sera watched the children as they concentrated diligently. They had only twelve classes left.
Only twelve last chances to see the twins and—since she was about to start reporting back to him again today—only twelve last days to meet Helios.
After those last few days, everything would return back to how it originally was before.
She wouldn’t be able to see the Twin Highnesses anymore, nor His Majesty Helios.
She would cherish her memories with the children from here onwards. But really, for the rest of the year, her goal was to hide her feelings for Helios and somehow try to move on.
“Time’s up.”
After confirming that the hourglass had no more sand up top, Sera received the children’s sheets and placed them in front of her on the desk.
As she was circling with a red pen, she thought that it would be nice to use this remaining time to foster her love as well.
So that she wouldn’t feel anything after that.
“Your Highnesses both know how to tell the time perfectly!”
“Really?”
“Perfect scores! Both of us!”
Sera smiled and took out her sheet of shiny stickers. Rosé and Ferre pointed their fingers at the biggest and brightest heart-shaped stickers.
Chuckling as she took out one heart each for them, she put the stickers on their foreheads.
Rosé and Ferre smiled satisfactorily. The twins with hearts on their foreheads looked like adorable cupids.