“As expected, stealing is not right.”
Clarisse refused to pick the flowers in the royal greenhouse because she didn’t want to have to worry about her morals, so she went outside first.
Perhaps because she was so nervous hiding under the bushes, she let out a long sigh.
“My clothes are dirty.”
Clarisse brushed off her clothes.
Then Valentine came out a little later than her.
“Why are you leaving so early? Where did you throw away your loyalty?”
He grumbled and complained, but Clarisse only laughed.
The green leaves on top of his head were somehow funny.
“If I look at me sometimes, the Prince looks just like when you were young.”
Clarisse raised her tiptoes and took the green leaves above his head.
“You are talking nonsense. I’m much more handsome than when I was younger.”
When Clarisse frowned openly, he smiled with great satisfaction.
“Yeah, this is it.”
“What do you mean by this is it?”
“Huh? Oh… No. I just mean it’s my pleasure to bother you.”
“….”
That was something she knew well without having to say it again, so Clarisse turned around.
“I want to go back. I’m going to be busy today if I have to find a flower shop and go to the Marchioness Curno’s house.”
“Are you stupid?”
“Such bad words…!”
Clarisse told him not to do it as she turned around, but she stopped for a moment.
Spring was before her.
“….”
Clarisse lowered her eyes and glanced down at what Valentine was holding out.
It was a red rose.
As spring deepens, this fascinating flower dominates the garden with its strong scent.
“…Prince.”
“That’s enough. I refuse to let you get hit by a carriage too. It’s natural to be excited when such a beautiful man gives you flowers…”
“You can’t steal other people’s things.”
Clarisse gave the answer with a snap.
Although he didn’t seem to agree.
“How did I steal this?”
“You come without permission.”
“Then why don’t you go ask my brother if he stole it too? I saw earlier that he were cutting it into very large bundles.”
“Royal men used it to court women.”
“….”
“After listening to the prince a little while ago and thinking about it, it seems that the courting activities of royal men are in some ways a public affair. In that case, I think it would be okay for him to use flowers fairly… Ugh, prince?”
Perhaps because Clarisse’s story was getting longer, he brought the red flower closer to the tip of Clarisse’s nose.
“Then let’s say it’s for courtship, roughly.”
“…Yes?”
Clarisse took a step away from the flower, and he came closer and held out the flower again.
“You said you would take it if it was for courtship?!”
“No…”
She didn’t mean it that way.
She was just trying to explain that the king was not wrong in taking the flower.
“Why? Are you going to take it if I kneel down and give it? Do you want me to recite a poem that features a hairy swimming in an eyeball?”
She can’t believe Valentine is about kneeling, reciting poetry, and giving flowers.
It was clear that if she saw something like that, she would have trouble sleeping for a week.
…Because it’s so funny.
Even now, the picture of him in her imagination was so funny that she was about to burst into laughter.
“Okay, okay.”
Clarisse took the flower he gave her with both hands.
“I’ll take it for now. I really don’t want to see the Prince kneeling.”
“What? Did you say everything?!”
Even though she did as he asked, he somehow started to get angry again.
Now that things were like this, Clarisse decided to say everything.
“I don’t even want to see you reciting poetry. Oh, poetry that is within the scope of the test questions is fine.”
“Wow, how can you not be grateful? What a waste of my courtship!”
“Then shall we do it like this?”
Clarisse tilted her face towards the large flower for a moment.
A smile spread across her face as soon as she got close to the pretty, fragrant flowers.
With that smile still intact, Clarisse looked up at Valentine.
“I’m really happy… that the Prince is courting me.”
She thought this was enough for him.
“Y, you…!”
Apparently not. Valentine seemed very angry and his face turned bright red.
“I will never court you!”
“….?”
“This will be a rose that symbolizes that the friendship between the royal family and the Marchioness Curno has not changed. Do you think I’ll ever court you?”
“Well, you’ll never do that. I know that.”
Clarisse answered as if it were obvious.
“….”
Then Valentine suddenly closed his lips and started glaring at Clarisse.
Somehow… Wasn’t that the answer he wanted?
“…Give it to me right now.”
He snatched the rose from Clarisse’s hand.
“I will give it to her myself.”
He began to move forward at a fast pace.
“Do you want to go with me, Prince?”
“Yeah! That’s right!”
He shouted without even looking back. For some reason, it seemed like his steps were getting faster.
“…Is the Prince very interested in the Curno family?”
Clarisse muttered quietly and followed behind him.
* * *
As the Duke of Sheridan was temporarily absent, Clarisse asked the Duchess’s permission and headed to the Marchioness Curno’s house.
The Marquis of Curno, close to his reputation, owned a fairly large three-story house within the second castle wall.
In the center of the house, a statue of a goddess stretched out her hands toward the sky, and vine decorations covered the building on either side.
If it were summer, the building surrounded by green leaves would look quite refreshing, but is it because it is winter now?
The limp brown vines felt like the hands of a monster.
She was automatically reminded of the title ‘Unlucky Curno’ that Valentine once spoke of.
Just then the carriage stopped.
As Clarisse pushed open the door, a gloved hand suddenly reached out from beyond the carriage.
‘You surprised me.’
She looked up in surprise and saw Noah standing in front of her.
She knew well that he was planning to come to the royal capital today, but she never thought he would come all the way here.
“Noah, what happened?”
Even though she was glad to see him and asked, he just held out his hand again.
Clarisse grabbed his hand and got off the carriage.
“How did you get in here?”
“In front of the second wall, I met Sir Sinclair by chance.”
Quentin Sinclair had already been active as an aide to the Duke for several years, and was a person capable of guaranteeing someone’s credibility.
“I see. When I see Uncle Quentin later, I will thank him for helping Noah. However…”
Clarisse glanced down at the heavy luggage bag that Noah had put down beside him.
“What did you buy so much?”
“A herbal medicine.”
“Herb…? Are you sick?”
“It’s not that I’m sick, it’s that I’ve recently felt something near my heart…Hmm, you don’t have to worry. And the reason I came here is to give this to the girl.”
He held out a bouquet of beautifully mixed blue and white flowers.
“Girl can give this to the Lady.”
“…Noah.”
The bouquet even had a pretty ribbon decoration. Noah probably chose it with great care.
Just as Clarisse was about to receive the bouquet.
“Oh.”
Before she knew it, Valentine got off the carriage and snatched it away.
“Isn’t this too lovely to be said to have been chosen by this guy? The image… hmm, that doesn’t fit at all.”
He placed the flower under Clarisse’s face and looked it up and down alternately before shaking his head.
“Put it down!”
Clarisse snatched the flower from his hand. She didn’t forget to slap the back of his obnoxious hand.
“Ugh!”
Clarisse turned towards Noah, leaving him whimpering about dying.
“But how did you know? I was thinking about flowers to give to the Lady.”
“How can I not know? Girl was reading the ‘Visiting Etiquette’ section next to me several times.”
That’s right, but she didn’t expect him to go out of his way to bring her flowers.
“Thank you so much. Even so, I couldn’t find any place selling flowers on the way, so I was worried that I might have to go empty-handed.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“Oh, this was expensive, right? How much was it?”
“They weren’t that expensive, and I wouldn’t charge Girl for flowers. I just did what I wanted because I wanted to help.”
“Still, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to think about it that way. Isn’t it okay if Girl helps me later?”
Apparently, Noah was uncomfortable with money being exchanged between friends, so Clarisse decided to stop asking about the amount.
“Instead, I will do whatever Noah wants later. If you need my help, just tell me, okay?”
“…Anything?”
“Yes, whatever Noah wants!”
At Clarisse’s brave words, he fiddled with his mask and took a step aside.
“…I’ll have to chew the herbs right away.”
“Huh?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
When Noah suddenly took out some dried herbs from his luggage and started chewing them and swallowing them, the Marchioness Curno, who noticed the commotion in front of the entrance, opened the door and welcomed them.
Even with their sudden visit, she didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable.
“You really came, Clarisse.”
“Yes, I want to meet Madam quickly.”
“I also secretly waited for Miss Clarisse to visit.”
Clarisse gave her the flowers Noah had prepared as she came down the stairs to the front door.
“My friend prepared it for me because I wanted to give it to Madam. All I do is hand it over like this. Thank you for the invitation.”
“Ah…”
She must have been a little surprised. Instead of accepting the flowers right away, she just stared down at them for a moment.
Clarisse was worried that she might have made a huge mistake.
If she thinks about it, would it be okay to give flowers to a woman who is grieving the loss of her daughter?
“…I’m sorry, I was a little surprised and looked at you for a long time. You prepared it for me?”
“Ah, yes.”
While she hesitated, not knowing what to say, the woman held her bouquet and tilted her face between the rich petals.
“It’s been a long time since I received flowers as a gift.”
The woman was really happy as she smiled, enjoying its scent.
“Thank you, I’m very happy. This scent… I missed it.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“A long time ago, Cecilia used to give me flowers from the garden. Of course, it looked wilted because she had torn the petals and held them tight, but I loved the gift very much.”
She fell in love with the scent of the flowers again.
“It’s like that time has come back…Oh my.”
The Madam, who had been enjoying the flowers for a while, was suddenly startled and smiled a little embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, I was so happy…You’ve come with a lot of handsome gentlemen. Are you both courting Miss Clarice?”
“As expected, stealing is not right.”
Clarisse refused to pick the flowers in the royal greenhouse because she didn’t want to have to worry about her morals, so she went outside first.
Perhaps because she was so nervous hiding under the bushes, she let out a long sigh.
“My clothes are dirty.”
Clarisse brushed off her clothes.
Then Valentine came out a little later than her.
“Why are you leaving so early? Where did you throw away your loyalty?”
He grumbled and complained, but Clarisse only laughed.
The green leaves on top of his head were somehow funny.
“If I look at me sometimes, the Prince looks just like when you were young.”
Clarisse raised her tiptoes and took the green leaves above his head.
“You are talking nonsense. I’m much more handsome than when I was younger.”
When Clarisse frowned openly, he smiled with great satisfaction.
“Yeah, this is it.”
“What do you mean by this is it?”
“Huh? Oh… No. I just mean it’s my pleasure to bother you.”
“….”
That was something she knew well without having to say it again, so Clarisse turned around.
“I want to go back. I’m going to be busy today if I have to find a flower shop and go to the Marchioness Curno’s house.”
“Are you stupid?”
“Such bad words…!”
Clarisse told him not to do it as she turned around, but she stopped for a moment.
Spring was before her.
“….”
Clarisse lowered her eyes and glanced down at what Valentine was holding out.
It was a red rose.
As spring deepens, this fascinating flower dominates the garden with its strong scent.
“…Prince.”
“That’s enough. I refuse to let you get hit by a carriage too. It’s natural to be excited when such a beautiful man gives you flowers…”
“You can’t steal other people’s things.”
Clarisse gave the answer with a snap.
Although he didn’t seem to agree.
“How did I steal this?”
“You come without permission.”
“Then why don’t you go ask my brother if he stole it too? I saw earlier that he were cutting it into very large bundles.”
“Royal men used it to court women.”
“….”
“After listening to the prince a little while ago and thinking about it, it seems that the courting activities of royal men are in some ways a public affair. In that case, I think it would be okay for him to use flowers fairly… Ugh, prince?”
Perhaps because Clarisse’s story was getting longer, he brought the red flower closer to the tip of Clarisse’s nose.
“Then let’s say it’s for courtship, roughly.”
“…Yes?”
Clarisse took a step away from the flower, and he came closer and held out the flower again.
“You said you would take it if it was for courtship?!”
“No…”
She didn’t mean it that way.
She was just trying to explain that the king was not wrong in taking the flower.
“Why? Are you going to take it if I kneel down and give it? Do you want me to recite a poem that features a hairy swimming in an eyeball?”
She can’t believe Valentine is about kneeling, reciting poetry, and giving flowers.
It was clear that if she saw something like that, she would have trouble sleeping for a week.
…Because it’s so funny.
Even now, the picture of him in her imagination was so funny that she was about to burst into laughter.
“Okay, okay.”
Clarisse took the flower he gave her with both hands.
“I’ll take it for now. I really don’t want to see the Prince kneeling.”
“What? Did you say everything?!”
Even though she did as he asked, he somehow started to get angry again.
Now that things were like this, Clarisse decided to say everything.
“I don’t even want to see you reciting poetry. Oh, poetry that is within the scope of the test questions is fine.”
“Wow, how can you not be grateful? What a waste of my courtship!”
“Then shall we do it like this?”
Clarisse tilted her face towards the large flower for a moment.
A smile spread across her face as soon as she got close to the pretty, fragrant flowers.
With that smile still intact, Clarisse looked up at Valentine.
“I’m really happy… that the Prince is courting me.”
She thought this was enough for him.
“Y, you…!”
Apparently not. Valentine seemed very angry and his face turned bright red.
“I will never court you!”
“….?”
“This will be a rose that symbolizes that the friendship between the royal family and the Marchioness Curno has not changed. Do you think I’ll ever court you?”
“Well, you’ll never do that. I know that.”
Clarisse answered as if it were obvious.
“….”
Then Valentine suddenly closed his lips and started glaring at Clarisse.
Somehow… Wasn’t that the answer he wanted?
“…Give it to me right now.”
He snatched the rose from Clarisse’s hand.
“I will give it to her myself.”
He began to move forward at a fast pace.
“Do you want to go with me, Prince?”
“Yeah! That’s right!”
He shouted without even looking back. For some reason, it seemed like his steps were getting faster.
“…Is the Prince very interested in the Curno family?”
Clarisse muttered quietly and followed behind him.
* * *
As the Duke of Sheridan was temporarily absent, Clarisse asked the Duchess’s permission and headed to the Marchioness Curno’s house.
The Marquis of Curno, close to his reputation, owned a fairly large three-story house within the second castle wall.
In the center of the house, a statue of a goddess stretched out her hands toward the sky, and vine decorations covered the building on either side.
If it were summer, the building surrounded by green leaves would look quite refreshing, but is it because it is winter now?
The limp brown vines felt like the hands of a monster.
She was automatically reminded of the title ‘Unlucky Curno’ that Valentine once spoke of.
Just then the carriage stopped.
As Clarisse pushed open the door, a gloved hand suddenly reached out from beyond the carriage.
‘You surprised me.’
She looked up in surprise and saw Noah standing in front of her.
She knew well that he was planning to come to the royal capital today, but she never thought he would come all the way here.
“Noah, what happened?”
Even though she was glad to see him and asked, he just held out his hand again.
Clarisse grabbed his hand and got off the carriage.
“How did you get in here?”
“In front of the second wall, I met Sir Sinclair by chance.”
Quentin Sinclair had already been active as an aide to the Duke for several years, and was a person capable of guaranteeing someone’s credibility.
“I see. When I see Uncle Quentin later, I will thank him for helping Noah. However…”
Clarisse glanced down at the heavy luggage bag that Noah had put down beside him.
“What did you buy so much?”
“A herbal medicine.”
“Herb…? Are you sick?”
“It’s not that I’m sick, it’s that I’ve recently felt something near my heart…Hmm, you don’t have to worry. And the reason I came here is to give this to the girl.”
He held out a bouquet of beautifully mixed blue and white flowers.
“Girl can give this to the Lady.”
“…Noah.”
The bouquet even had a pretty ribbon decoration. Noah probably chose it with great care.
Just as Clarisse was about to receive the bouquet.
“Oh.”
Before she knew it, Valentine got off the carriage and snatched it away.
“Isn’t this too lovely to be said to have been chosen by this guy? The image… hmm, that doesn’t fit at all.”
He placed the flower under Clarisse’s face and looked it up and down alternately before shaking his head.
“Put it down!”
Clarisse snatched the flower from his hand. She didn’t forget to slap the back of his obnoxious hand.
“Ugh!”
Clarisse turned towards Noah, leaving him whimpering about dying.
“But how did you know? I was thinking about flowers to give to the Lady.”
“How can I not know? Girl was reading the ‘Visiting Etiquette’ section next to me several times.”
That’s right, but she didn’t expect him to go out of his way to bring her flowers.
“Thank you so much. Even so, I couldn’t find any place selling flowers on the way, so I was worried that I might have to go empty-handed.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“Oh, this was expensive, right? How much was it?”
“They weren’t that expensive, and I wouldn’t charge Girl for flowers. I just did what I wanted because I wanted to help.”
“Still, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to think about it that way. Isn’t it okay if Girl helps me later?”
Apparently, Noah was uncomfortable with money being exchanged between friends, so Clarisse decided to stop asking about the amount.
“Instead, I will do whatever Noah wants later. If you need my help, just tell me, okay?”
“…Anything?”
“Yes, whatever Noah wants!”
At Clarisse’s brave words, he fiddled with his mask and took a step aside.
“…I’ll have to chew the herbs right away.”
“Huh?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
When Noah suddenly took out some dried herbs from his luggage and started chewing them and swallowing them, the Marchioness Curno, who noticed the commotion in front of the entrance, opened the door and welcomed them.
Even with their sudden visit, she didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable.
“You really came, Clarisse.”
“Yes, I want to meet Madam quickly.”
“I also secretly waited for Miss Clarisse to visit.”
Clarisse gave her the flowers Noah had prepared as she came down the stairs to the front door.
“My friend prepared it for me because I wanted to give it to Madam. All I do is hand it over like this. Thank you for the invitation.”
“Ah…”
She must have been a little surprised. Instead of accepting the flowers right away, she just stared down at them for a moment.
Clarisse was worried that she might have made a huge mistake.
If she thinks about it, would it be okay to give flowers to a woman who is grieving the loss of her daughter?
“…I’m sorry, I was a little surprised and looked at you for a long time. You prepared it for me?”
“Ah, yes.”
While she hesitated, not knowing what to say, the woman held her bouquet and tilted her face between the rich petals.
“It’s been a long time since I received flowers as a gift.”
The woman was really happy as she smiled, enjoying its scent.
“Thank you, I’m very happy. This scent… I missed it.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“A long time ago, Cecilia used to give me flowers from the garden. Of course, it looked wilted because she had torn the petals and held them tight, but I loved the gift very much.”
She fell in love with the scent of the flowers again.
“It’s like that time has come back…Oh my.”
The Madam, who had been enjoying the flowers for a while, was suddenly startled and smiled a little embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, I was so happy…You’ve come with a lot of handsome gentlemen. Are you both courting Miss Clarice?”
