Naturally, the tea ceremony was over quickly. We were going to have a long and complicated dinner after the performance anyway. The emperor said to rest comfortably and left with Elijah.
Ingrit led me away as if she had been waiting. I wanted to say a few words to Cain, but I couldn’t be picky because I was being dragged away by a princess who made me wonder what she was being fed, as she was stronger than I thought.
The place we arrived at was the reception room. Everywhere was fluttering with pink and lace, because someone was not a typical princess. It was colorful and pretty, but not entirely my cup of tea.
“What kind of person is Sir Evan?”
Ingrit hung her thin fingers on the handle of the glass teacup. In it, a flower with an intricate blend of blue and green was richly floating above the tea.
The tea she brought was made with an expensive flower called Terra, and it was bitter enough to make me frown. Normally, sugar and fruit juice were mixed, the hardened candy was put inside one’s mouth, and the tea would be drunk little by little, so it was usually served at tea parties that lasted for a while.
“B-brother?”
Almost letting out an ‘oppa’ out of habit, I hesitated for a moment and then used a polite expression.
“Yes. I want to hear how he is from a family member. I may become his future spouse, so I need to do proper research, right?”
She frowned cutely. Evan and Ingrit get to know each other step by step and end up feeling true love, leading to their marriage. They were the most peaceful and loving couple in this world.
The characters, even the protagonist, Mikael, had dark thoughts, but Ingrit and Evan weren’t like that.
So, it was a lot of fun to write their supplementary story. I rolled the candy, sweet like their narrative, in my mouth, and organized the answers into one.
“He’s nice.”
“… What? Is that all?”
Ingrit blinked, confused.
“Honestly, isn’t that the most important thing?”
“Hm, why?”
“Both of you, you have it all. Wealth, honor, and appearance. There’s nothing missing. Only one condition remains to be met. Character.”
“Certainly. Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
She nodded.
“He’s a good person. Enough to be trusted with the Princess’ future.
The moment I gave a soft smile, the princess’ eyes suddenly grew wide.
“Celina!”
“Yes?”
“You’re so beautiful! I was startled.”
Ingrit got up from her seat with a rattle, grabbed my cheeks, and held my face close to hers. I could see in detail the very faintly scattered freckles on her raised nose.
“Please, always smile sincerely like that!”
“Ah, yes. I’ll do that.”
I replied dumbfounded.
“Did something good happen? Now that I think of it, you look a little different today.”
Ingrit smiled brightly as she widened the distance between us.
“No. Not necessarily… Can I ask you how I usually look?”
I asked cautiously.
“You just feel alive today. Although you are extremely beautiful, you always looked exhausted.”
“I see.”
“Ah! Is it perhaps because Mikael is here? I heard that you two have had a special relationship for a long time.”
“Yes. That seems to be the case.”
What special relationship. It would be difficult if this conversation went on for long, so I was roughly evasive.
“As expected! The Archmage must be very pleased. He’s the one who cares the most about your well-being.”
Ingrit clapped her hands.
[Please tell her, ‘He’s someone who hardly expresses his feelings’.]
The chat window that had been quiet for a while appeared.
“But he’s someone who hardly expresses his feelings.”
“He’s certainly not a warm person, even to me. But there’s no one in this country who doesn’t know about the Archmage’s love for his daughter.”
[Please change the topic. Ask her about the place she wanted to go to earlier.]
“By the way, Ingrit. Didn’t you say we had to go somewhere?”
“Ah, I must be out of my mind. What time is it?”
She checked the time with the maid who was standing nearby. It was the one who handed me the handkerchief when I coughed earlier.
“We can leave in about an hour.”
“Yes. I understand.”
I put another piece of candy in my mouth.
***
“Ah, you’re going too fast!”
And an hour later, I was crossing the corridor of the outer palace where the opera was to be held at high speed, with Ingrit holding me by the hand. There were all kinds of flowers in the palace.
There must be a wizard who resided here, received precious treatment, and managed everything, including the imperial garden. The wizards were the subject of special care because there were not many of them.
Being a wizard didn’t mean that they were all on Elijah’s side, and not all of them could handle nature as freely as Elijah and Mikael.
Those two— no. The three of them, along with one more person Mikael would meet later if the flow worked well, were extremely rare.
