“Y, yes?”
The knife I caught by surprise was heavier than I thought.
“Clarisse, now you can just cut the cake. It feels similar to cutting food.”
Brielle even demonstrated by raising her hand and moving it back and forth like a knife.
After nodding her head, Clarisse went to cut the cake as she had just seen.
In fact, she was confident because she was good at handling tableware.
However, she felt awkward handling the large blade, so she hesitated and ended up dropping several of the strawberries to the side.
‘I think it’s hard to cut something as soft as cake.’
As she was thinking that and about to cry, Maximilian soon came up behind Clarisse.
“Let me help you.”
He held the hilt of the knife together with Clarisse and moved the entire knife very skillfully.
The cake was quickly divided into many beautiful pieces.
The Duchess placed a piece of cake on each person’s plate.
The cake wasn’t as pretty as the first one, with a few strawberries falling off and cream all over it.
Still, Clarisse loved the cake in front of her.
“It’s my first time cutting a cake.”
“There will be many opportunities in the future. Don’t forget your sense of the moment, remember it.”
“There will be more chances?”
Does that mean that there will be another day when they get together and eat cake? Today isn’t the last day?
“…Uhm.”
Maximilian responded by placing another strawberry on Clarisse’s plate.
“Something to celebrate always happens.”
“I will really work hard at anything. So that the Duke can congratulate me more often…”
“Yeah, hurry up and eat.”
At his urging, Clarisse finally took a small bite of the cake.
An ecstatic sweetness and softness filled her mouth.
“Ah, it’s so delicious!”
Without stopping, Clarisse immediately shoved another piece of cake into her mouth.
“Eat slowly.”
Despite the Duke’s caution, Clarisse quickly ate the strawberries with a lot of cream this time with her eyes wide open.
She closed her eyes tightly with her hands clasped, as she liked the sourness to spread.
Without knowing that there was cream on her mouth.
“I’m glad it’s delicious.”
Maximilian took out a handkerchief and wiped the child’s mouth.
Even he was surprised by how natural it was for him to do.
“Pft.”
Brielle, who was looking at that scene, let out a small laugh.
For a moment, Clarisse felt strange.
It was always nice for her to be with the Duke and Duchess, but today she felt even happier, more affectionate, and more precious…
‘What do you call these things?’
Noah used to call someone who shares food a “friend.”
‘The Duke, the Duchess, and I… are friends?’
No, it was similar but a little different.
When she was with Noah, she felt like she was sharing in the fun, but when she was with them, she felt even more protected.
‘It is natural for prisoners to be protected by guards, but…’
Clarisse instinctively thought so, but she knew better than anyone else that that wasn’t the right answer.
Then…
Clarisse carefully, really carefully, unfolded a word that vaguely occurred to her in her mind.
‘It’s like… we’re family.’
That’s the ideal family she has always imagined.
Clarisse quickly shook her head.
‘What should I do? Mallang, help me.’
Clarisse spoke carefully to the heavy pebbles in her pocket.
‘I shouldn’t dare have this feeling.’
She thought that way and tried hard to forget it.
“You better eat some more cake.”
“I’ll prepare some more drinks.”
Their kindness brought back the ungrateful thoughts that Clarisse had pressed down on.
‘What should I do? I can’t do it… I shouldn’t…’
The first day of turning ten.
Clarisse was given the gift of great agony.
…Of course, it was definitely not that she just hated the agony.
* * *
After a year has passed.
The three also held a party for the 1st anniversary of ‘The Day Clarisse Climbed the Tree for the First Time’.
On this day as well, Clarisse looked at the Duke’s expression and asked a confirming question, ‘It’s not a birthday party, right?’, and he nodded.
A party was also held on the second anniversary.
From this point on, Noah received an honorable invitation as a new member of the secret party group.
At the 3rd anniversary party, Rosalie was additionally invited, and Quentin, who had been looking forward to being invited, burst into the party on his own.
The 4th anniversary party was held at a villa inside the third wall of the royal capital, Heiden.
At this time, Noah couldn’t attend, and instead, Valentine, whose eyes were tired from studying, came to the party angrily.
Although he said, ‘It is truly humiliating to be invited to a party where I don’t know the basics of this,’ he gave me a gift and happily ate half of the cake. With the excuse that he was always hungry because he was growing up.
And before she knew it, five years had passed since she first climbed the tree.
So, it meant that Clarisse Lennon Grezekaia had turned fifteen.
* * *
The royal capital, Heiden.
The beautiful city, the heart of Saphers, was in full swing with festivals to welcome fall, the season of harvest.
In particular, this year, to celebrate the good harvest, the second and third walls, which are normally insurmountable, were temporarily opened.
No one would want to miss the opportunity to take a good look at the royal palace, where only the roof is always visible.
Thus, Heiden was crowded with travelers from far away, and the carriage procession continued endlessly.
At this time, when everyone was immersed in the fever of the festival, there was someone inside the third wall of the royal capital, Heiden, who was spending time completely unrelated to the festival.
Clarisse, with her pink hair tied up so as not to interfere with her studies, sat faithfully at her desk even on a day like this.
She was already fifteen years old.
There is only one year left until the age at which one can take the civil service examination, which she had set as her goal to become a ‘good 18-year-old.’
Now was the time to really organize what she had learned so far and take the time to learn it thoroughly.
…It’s definitely time for that.
“Hey, are you losing sleep over your skills?”
Clarisse narrowed her eyes at the sarcastic voice.
Her vision was blurry, probably because she slept with her eyelids buried in her arms.
“Wow, your face just got twice as big.”
The sunlight was so strong that she couldn’t even see the other person’s silhouette.
“Prince Valentine.”
Of course, that didn’t mean Clarisse had a problem identifying the other person.
This was a villa inside the third wall.
This is the place where she stays every time she comes to the capital with the Duke.
No matter how much the wall dividing social status was opened, the number of people who could enter and exit the royal residence was extremely limited.
Besides,
“Why do you always say mean things every time we meet?”
Valentine was the only one who spoke to Clarisse so uneducatedly.
Sapher’s nobles were elegant people, and even if they disapproved of Clarisse, the royal princess of the ruined country, they didn’t bother to reveal their thoughts.
That was the power of the pendant that still hung around her neck.
It meant that the highest man in this kingdom was taking care of her himself.
When the great king has mercy on poor prisoners, how can his servants stand up and ignore Clarisse?
Thanks to this, Clarisse has received support that is not much different from that of the children of the aristocratic family.
She could learn anything.
Considering her position as a prisoner of war, horseback riding and swordsmanship were restricted, but since those were not subjects of the civil service examination anyway, she didn’t pay much attention to them.
Anyway, Valentine’s harsh words and actions continued.
“I just tell the truth. It’s funny that your skills make you fall asleep, and your face…”
He, who was standing by the window, strode forward and leaned deeply across his desk.
Clearly he was about to make another sarcastic remark, so Clarisse glared at him with her amber eyes wide open.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because from now on, the prince will criticize my face!”
“I didn’t mean to criticize. I was planning to raise a general theory that anyone with a swollen face can become ugly.”
From the time he was young until today, he has always been a naughty prince.
Still, when he was young, he had an appearance that sparkled like sunlight, so his pitch-black personality was somewhat neutralized.
However, he also grew up to be fifteen together with Clarisse, and began to emit a strangely black aura.
It was probably because his eyes were becoming sharper.
Moreover, the provocative look in his eyes as if he wanted to fight right away also played a role.
‘If I look closely, he looks like a knight, not a prince.’
That thought occurred to Clarisse for a moment, but she quickly shook her head.
A knight to a precious prince.
“What brings you here?”
Clarisse asked with a slightly sullen expression. Then he grinned and lightly pinched one of Clarisse’s cheeks.
“Are you sulking?”
“Yes, I sulked. So, I hope you will just tell me your business and then go back.”
“You, do you have money?”
“Y, yes?”
The knife I caught by surprise was heavier than I thought.
“Clarisse, now you can just cut the cake. It feels similar to cutting food.”
Brielle even demonstrated by raising her hand and moving it back and forth like a knife.
After nodding her head, Clarisse went to cut the cake as she had just seen.
In fact, she was confident because she was good at handling tableware.
However, she felt awkward handling the large blade, so she hesitated and ended up dropping several of the strawberries to the side.
‘I think it’s hard to cut something as soft as cake.’
As she was thinking that and about to cry, Maximilian soon came up behind Clarisse.
“Let me help you.”
He held the hilt of the knife together with Clarisse and moved the entire knife very skillfully.
The cake was quickly divided into many beautiful pieces.
The Duchess placed a piece of cake on each person’s plate.
The cake wasn’t as pretty as the first one, with a few strawberries falling off and cream all over it.
Still, Clarisse loved the cake in front of her.
“It’s my first time cutting a cake.”
“There will be many opportunities in the future. Don’t forget your sense of the moment, remember it.”
“There will be more chances?”
Does that mean that there will be another day when they get together and eat cake? Today isn’t the last day?
“…Uhm.”
Maximilian responded by placing another strawberry on Clarisse’s plate.
“Something to celebrate always happens.”
“I will really work hard at anything. So that the Duke can congratulate me more often…”
“Yeah, hurry up and eat.”
At his urging, Clarisse finally took a small bite of the cake.
An ecstatic sweetness and softness filled her mouth.
“Ah, it’s so delicious!”
Without stopping, Clarisse immediately shoved another piece of cake into her mouth.
“Eat slowly.”
Despite the Duke’s caution, Clarisse quickly ate the strawberries with a lot of cream this time with her eyes wide open.
She closed her eyes tightly with her hands clasped, as she liked the sourness to spread.
Without knowing that there was cream on her mouth.
“I’m glad it’s delicious.”
Maximilian took out a handkerchief and wiped the child’s mouth.
Even he was surprised by how natural it was for him to do.
“Pft.”
Brielle, who was looking at that scene, let out a small laugh.
For a moment, Clarisse felt strange.
It was always nice for her to be with the Duke and Duchess, but today she felt even happier, more affectionate, and more precious…
‘What do you call these things?’
Noah used to call someone who shares food a “friend.”
‘The Duke, the Duchess, and I… are friends?’
No, it was similar but a little different.
When she was with Noah, she felt like she was sharing in the fun, but when she was with them, she felt even more protected.
‘It is natural for prisoners to be protected by guards, but…’
Clarisse instinctively thought so, but she knew better than anyone else that that wasn’t the right answer.
Then…
Clarisse carefully, really carefully, unfolded a word that vaguely occurred to her in her mind.
‘It’s like… we’re family.’
That’s the ideal family she has always imagined.
Clarisse quickly shook her head.
‘What should I do? Mallang, help me.’
Clarisse spoke carefully to the heavy pebbles in her pocket.
‘I shouldn’t dare have this feeling.’
She thought that way and tried hard to forget it.
“You better eat some more cake.”
“I’ll prepare some more drinks.”
Their kindness brought back the ungrateful thoughts that Clarisse had pressed down on.
‘What should I do? I can’t do it… I shouldn’t…’
The first day of turning ten.
Clarisse was given the gift of great agony.
…Of course, it was definitely not that she just hated the agony.
* * *
After a year has passed.
The three also held a party for the 1st anniversary of ‘The Day Clarisse Climbed the Tree for the First Time’.
On this day as well, Clarisse looked at the Duke’s expression and asked a confirming question, ‘It’s not a birthday party, right?’, and he nodded.
A party was also held on the second anniversary.
From this point on, Noah received an honorable invitation as a new member of the secret party group.
At the 3rd anniversary party, Rosalie was additionally invited, and Quentin, who had been looking forward to being invited, burst into the party on his own.
The 4th anniversary party was held at a villa inside the third wall of the royal capital, Heiden.
At this time, Noah couldn’t attend, and instead, Valentine, whose eyes were tired from studying, came to the party angrily.
Although he said, ‘It is truly humiliating to be invited to a party where I don’t know the basics of this,’ he gave me a gift and happily ate half of the cake. With the excuse that he was always hungry because he was growing up.
And before she knew it, five years had passed since she first climbed the tree.
So, it meant that Clarisse Lennon Grezekaia had turned fifteen.
* * *
The royal capital, Heiden.
The beautiful city, the heart of Saphers, was in full swing with festivals to welcome fall, the season of harvest.
In particular, this year, to celebrate the good harvest, the second and third walls, which are normally insurmountable, were temporarily opened.
No one would want to miss the opportunity to take a good look at the royal palace, where only the roof is always visible.
Thus, Heiden was crowded with travelers from far away, and the carriage procession continued endlessly.
At this time, when everyone was immersed in the fever of the festival, there was someone inside the third wall of the royal capital, Heiden, who was spending time completely unrelated to the festival.
Clarisse, with her pink hair tied up so as not to interfere with her studies, sat faithfully at her desk even on a day like this.
She was already fifteen years old.
There is only one year left until the age at which one can take the civil service examination, which she had set as her goal to become a ‘good 18-year-old.’
Now was the time to really organize what she had learned so far and take the time to learn it thoroughly.
…It’s definitely time for that.
“Hey, are you losing sleep over your skills?”
Clarisse narrowed her eyes at the sarcastic voice.
Her vision was blurry, probably because she slept with her eyelids buried in her arms.
“Wow, your face just got twice as big.”
The sunlight was so strong that she couldn’t even see the other person’s silhouette.
“Prince Valentine.”
Of course, that didn’t mean Clarisse had a problem identifying the other person.
This was a villa inside the third wall.
This is the place where she stays every time she comes to the capital with the Duke.
No matter how much the wall dividing social status was opened, the number of people who could enter and exit the royal residence was extremely limited.
Besides,
“Why do you always say mean things every time we meet?”
Valentine was the only one who spoke to Clarisse so uneducatedly.
Sapher’s nobles were elegant people, and even if they disapproved of Clarisse, the royal princess of the ruined country, they didn’t bother to reveal their thoughts.
That was the power of the pendant that still hung around her neck.
It meant that the highest man in this kingdom was taking care of her himself.
When the great king has mercy on poor prisoners, how can his servants stand up and ignore Clarisse?
Thanks to this, Clarisse has received support that is not much different from that of the children of the aristocratic family.
She could learn anything.
Considering her position as a prisoner of war, horseback riding and swordsmanship were restricted, but since those were not subjects of the civil service examination anyway, she didn’t pay much attention to them.
Anyway, Valentine’s harsh words and actions continued.
“I just tell the truth. It’s funny that your skills make you fall asleep, and your face…”
He, who was standing by the window, strode forward and leaned deeply across his desk.
Clearly he was about to make another sarcastic remark, so Clarisse glared at him with her amber eyes wide open.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because from now on, the prince will criticize my face!”
“I didn’t mean to criticize. I was planning to raise a general theory that anyone with a swollen face can become ugly.”
From the time he was young until today, he has always been a naughty prince.
Still, when he was young, he had an appearance that sparkled like sunlight, so his pitch-black personality was somewhat neutralized.
However, he also grew up to be fifteen together with Clarisse, and began to emit a strangely black aura.
It was probably because his eyes were becoming sharper.
Moreover, the provocative look in his eyes as if he wanted to fight right away also played a role.
‘If I look closely, he looks like a knight, not a prince.’
That thought occurred to Clarisse for a moment, but she quickly shook her head.
A knight to a precious prince.
“What brings you here?”
Clarisse asked with a slightly sullen expression. Then he grinned and lightly pinched one of Clarisse’s cheeks.
“Are you sulking?”
“Yes, I sulked. So, I hope you will just tell me your business and then go back.”
“You, do you have money?”
