Chapter 9

I was actually bad with directions. It is a serious problem, where I cannot recognized when the street signs in the neighborhood change.

Emma stopped explaining to me a couple of times. Then I had Rina bring me some paper and drew a map on it.

“Thank you, Emma.”

Emma said in a worried tone as she smiled and spoke to me: “Your Highness, you’re going with Rina.”

“That’s right, Your Grace. I’m very good with directions!”

„Rina.“

Irene, who was watching, cautioned when Rina shouted sadly.

Laughing for a moment, I shook my head: “I’m going with Lord Bolton.”

“What?”

“What?”

Emma paused, and Rina and Irene screamed: “Lord Bolton? You mean the Free Knight?”

“Yes.”

There was a moment of silence. As I looked back wondering, the three looked even more worried.

“He, rude!”

“Rina.”

Rina murmured silently and sighed.

I found the sight funny, so I looked around and opened my mouth: “It’s okay. I asked him to come with me because I liked it. So it will be a good time.”

I knew Eugene’s personality was best at being free-spirited and worst at being rude. I like him. Compared to the Crown Prince, any personality had the effect of looking good in comparison.

“There’s no need to worry of getting lost with this map.”

“Your Highness…”

I was a little hurt by Emma’s very suspicious look. You don’t trust me, do you?

“And there’s no way that Lord Bolton is bad with directions.”

Emma was relieved hearing that instantly.

Rina couldn’t speak and tried to lower the corners of her mouth. Irene sighed.

After a light meal, I heard Rina’s nagging that the chef was worried that the amount I eat had decreased too much these days and finished the preparations to go out.

“Well, I’ll be back!”

The place Emma told me was a place not visited by many people.  Still, it is an open space, with small wild flowers and beautiful trees.

……. was what she said.

“That’s what she says.”

When I showed Eugene the map and told him about the place, he looked at the map and me in silence. “This map, too. So, the maid of honor painted it…”

“Yes. It’s easy to read, right?”

He replied to me with a strange face: “Yes, but… May I ask why you wanted to come here with me?”

He sounded somewhat embarrassed and wary. I smirked at the strange tone of his voice.

“It’s as I said before.”

“I don’t want to you to beat around the bush by saying ’because I like you‘”, he said. „Tell me the real reason.”

“That’s the real reason though…” When I spoke with a sincer heart, he stared at me with a speechless look.

“Don’t think too hard about it. I really don’t want anything from you. It’s not like the feelings between a man and a woman.”

“There’s no such thing in the world, Your Highness.”

You’re talking so comfortably.

I knew you had this personality, but it was more fun when I experienced it myself. You look like a sulky cat.

“It’s here”, said I, trying not to get caught that I was having fun with him.

“Sigh…”

He sighed deeply, and then politely led me with a natural gesture that seemed to be ingrained.

Started.

The sun at noon, which was burning earlier, was quite weak now. Even though one could view the beautiful things around here clearly, the light, which isn’t too intense, disturbed my vision.

I followed Eugene and looked at every corner of the palace for the first time.

The fantasy world was the same: The grass, the trees and the flowers. Each of the has its own softness and strength.

I was stepping forward.

“We’re almost there.”

Before I knew it, I realized something and stopped one step later. When I turned my head in the direction where I heard the sound, eyes were looking straight at me without wavering and I didn’t know since when they started looking at me.

“Like a wolf.”

“What?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

For a moment, he seemed like a wolf with noble silver fur, so I spoke out my thoughts suddenly without meaning to.

As expected, you look alike.

He shook his head and smiled. His gaze, somewhat intense, somewhat wary, lingered around my mouth for a moment.

That would be amazing. I understand, I understand!

“Wow. Emma recommended a really nice place.”

You understand me with a broad heart.

“It’s more cozy than I imagined. Don’t you think so as well?”

“It’s cozy… You’re right.”

I smiled and I continued to talk when he answeres reluctantly: „It’s an open place, but it feels so cozy! It’s quiet fascinating. It’s like a treasure island!”

“A treasure Island?”

“A remote island hidden away. But once you look inside it’s full of treasures. Isn’t it just like that?”

Emma recommended a place where the branches of the trees were tangled with a strangely cozy feeling.

Obviously, the trees are not dense and open, but it was cozy.

I let go of his hand and sat cautiously on the fluffy grass. And I gestured to Eugene, who was just looking this way.

“Come and sit down.”

“Really, what are you trying to do?”

“What?”

He was a muttering sound to himself , but I could hear it all because there was not much space between us.

When I asked as if I hadn’t heard anything, he said nothing with a complex face.

It wasn’t long before he approached and reached out to me. I was staring blankly and he looked at me with a strange gaze again.

“Stand up for a moment. If you just sit on it like this you’ll get dirty.”

“But I’ve already sat down though?”

“You’ll be fine if you dust it off right away, Your Highness.”

It sounded like he was saying, “Keep your dignity as a royal”.

I held his hand in an exaggerated graceful gesture, holding back my laughter.

At once, he grabbed me lightly and pulled a handkerchief out of his arms. He opened it skillfully and laied it down  where I just sat. Then he spoke in a very soulless tone to me, who was watching with surprised eyes: “Please sit down.”

“…… .”

As I alternated my gaze between the handkerchief and him, I was astonished, covering my open mouth.

Was it like this? Is that why you got that cheesy Casanova name stuck to you? Because you’re so charming?

“Oh, my God.”

“What’s wrong?”

“But now you’re back to acting cold again, ha…”

“……excuse me?”

While he was looking suspicious of what he heard, I laughed and said: “I love Lord Bolton, too.”

Then I sat carefully on his handkerchief while saying to the staring man: „It’s really impressive. I feel like a lady.”

“You are already a lady.”

If it weren’t for the sarcastic comments, it would have been perfect.

I spoke while smirking slightly at him  who became a little more comfortable with m: “I’m just a little surprised at the impressive treatment. Don’t be sarcastic.”

“Impressive treatment“, muttered he in a subtle tone.

“So now that you’ve been treated like that, coul I get an answer to my questions.”

“Let’s sit down and talk. Do you want my handkerchief as well?”

At the moment he turned his head away. And unlike before, he coughed in vain with a smile on his face.

“Well, I don’t need a handkerchief. Because I’m not a lady.”

In time, he sat down gracefully next to me and answered with a bit of alertness.

I smiled and looked at him, and when I got comfortable, I told him: “Actually, I sent a lot of people out of the palace this time.”

It was a light explanation for my random behavior.

In fact, a few days ago, I heard Emma took special measures against those who said too much about me, the princess.

Of course I was willing to accept when she asked me for permission.

“Did you?”

“Yes, everyone said they wanted to go out, so I told them to go.”

Actually, I didn’t care whether they left or not.

“Ah.”

It was a sour response, but I didn’t miss the feeble interest in his silver-gray eyes.

“Then if I say that i’d like to leave, will you let me go as well?”

“Of course.”

I am not going to restrict your freedom. He wiggled gracefully one eyebrow at my answer.

He looked very surprised.

“Well, do you mean you brought me here to tell me that?”

I said with a big smile: „Yes!“

“But I would be very sad.”

There was a moment of silence.

Eugene blinked slowly and asked, subtly raising the corners of his mouth: “Because you like me?”

“That’s right.”

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“I don’t like you though, Your Highness.”

It was like a question-and-answer conversation of small children, but it certainly seemed to stimulate his interest.

I replied to his teasing comment: “I know.”

It might be a small one, but he had a smile on his lips.

“Nevertheless, I still like you, Sir Bolton.”