Chapter 8

Thank you for the bookmark!

—Why did it come to this?

For the past while, I have been ruminating on this question every five minutes.

The beautiful garden is adorned with pastel-colored flowers of spring. The table is set with tea and afternoon treats, and across from me sits Arthur.

—Why did it come to this?

"You should eat without hesitation. You must have been hungry after the long meeting, right?"

It seems he had caught me secretly eating candy.

It's too late to try to cover it up now. Besides, it would be rude to refuse something so thoughtfully prepared.

Lily decided to take the easier option, which was to eat without hesitation.

"Yes, thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

Though not perfect, the manners drilled into her by her mother, Emma, came in handy. After taking a sip of tea, she took a bite of the sandwich in front of her.

"It's delicious."

Normally, she would never use such a phrase, but it was part of the noble etiquette her mother, a countess, had taught her.

At the time, she found it troublesome and listened reluctantly, but now she is only grateful.

"By the way, you dropped this earlier."

Arthur picked up the candy and examined it curiously.

"Oh, it's a blessing candy... sir."

"Blessing... candy?"

The unusual name piqued Arthur's interest. He pulled the wrapper with both hands, revealing a shiny golden sphere inside.

"They call it that at the Western Fort. I make it myself using herbs and seasonal fruits."

"Hmm, it seems good for you."

Arthur then put the candy in his mouth, causing a small scream to escape Lily's lips. She was sure that food for the royal family needed to be checked for poison beforehand.

"Ah, well, it has a slight bitterness from the herbs, so it's not as tasty as regular candy. Please don't worry and spit it out if you don't like it."

"It tastes sweet."

"I tried to make it meet the minimum requirements of being candy, but I guess it doesn't suit your taste."

She made it to provide a quick sugar boost for her tired brain and to satisfy her hunger. Moreover, since she was the only one who ate it, she used new herbs for the trial batch, which made the bitterness a bit stronger.

To think that the Crown Prince would put something she made on a whim into his mouth.

The realization made Lily's body temperature drop.

To her surprise, after finishing the candy, Arthur said something unexpected.

"Can I have a few more?"

He seemed to like it.

When Lily reluctantly laid out the candies she had on hand, Arthur started to gather them from the edge of the table.

"Let me know when you make more."

"Yes, I'll let you know when I have more."

She agreed on the spot, but decided to consult Noah later to decline.

In the meantime, to fill the time until Noah returned, Lily kept talking about safe and inoffensive topics.

Since she had never left the Western Fort, she started with the most interesting events from there.

"Hmm, I didn't know the Western Fort had so many interesting stories, even though the reports I received were usually simple."

"Yes, everyone is skilled, but there are many interesting people, so a lot of incidents happen. It's always lively."

The soldiers at the Western Fort were all good-natured uncles. They were mischievous and funny.

For example, when they were selecting and cooking edible mushrooms, some would secretly steal and eat the inedible ones, causing them to foam at the mouth and collapse. Or they would mistake a raccoon for a dog and take care of it, insisting it was a dog even when pointed out otherwise, and they would take turns walking it every day. There were countless such silly stories, so she never ran out of topics.

She was worried if such trivial stories were appropriate, but Arthur occasionally suppressed a smile, so it seemed he was enjoying them.

(Thanks, everyone, for being so clumsy!)

Lily was grateful to her comrades. She had never been so grateful to them before.

Just as she was passing the time, Noah finally came to pick her up.

"Lily, why are you enjoying tea with His Highness? Arthur, on the way here, the Chancellor scolded me for refusing an audience on the pretext of a tea party."

He heard something he couldn't ignore. This Crown Prince had abandoned his duties for a tea party. It was surprising.

"It wasn't part of the original plan. Besides, I couldn't leave Noah's cousin alone. I have no reason to be scolded."

"～～. Thank you for keeping Lily company. I have already heard the Chancellor's concerns on your behalf, so I will relay them later."

"Understood. Well, let's conclude the tea party. Thank you for the pleasant conversation, Lily."

With a gentle smile, Lily returned a full smile. She was finally free, and her face shone even brighter.

"Thank you for the pleasant time."

Noah was taken aback by the scene. The Crown Prince was smiling.

Not just Arthur, but nobles in general did not show their emotions easily. The Alm family was especially known for never smiling.

If he rubbed his eyes, Arthur would be back to his usual expressionless self.

(Must have been a mistake. Yeah, that's it.)

Even Noah, who had served for a long time, had never seen it. He didn't pursue it further and bowed.

"Then, I will take my leave. May the Holy Alm Kingdom be blessed."

Noah finished his greeting and led Lily away from the scene.

□□□

In the following days, Lily enjoyed sightseeing in the capital with her parents.

The bustling streets of the capital were special, and Lily, holding her parents' hands, ate local specialties and bought new clothes to wear when she went to the castle.

She also nagged for new pots and mortars for boiling herbs, which she usually would be denied but today got without hesitation.

Feeling emboldened, Lily visited a store that dealt with herbs. Each store had a wide variety of herbs, from familiar to rare, but for those imported from the Eastern Kingdom, every store had a sign that read "Out of stock. No estimated arrival date."

The rift with the Eastern Kingdom was gradually showing visible effects.

Lily sighed lightly and, regaining her composure, nagged Emma for the herbs she wanted.

On the day she was to depart for the Eastern Fort, she went to the main gate of the capital to say goodbye, where she met some of the soldiers from the Western Fort.

The comrades she hadn't seen in days introduced their families to her.

"Angel of healing from the Western Fort! We can live without injuries or illness thanks to Lily and Emma!"

"Indeed, my son has been well taken care of."

"My husband has been a bother."

Introduced grandly and thanked extravagantly, Lily blushed and felt embarrassed.

Unable to speak properly, she could only say, "Not at all," and Emma helped continue the conversation.

Regaining her composure, Lily spoke freely to her comrades heading to the Eastern Fort and made a promise with them.

"Stay healthy. Don't overwork yourself. Stay alive until I come. It's a promise."

They smiled awkwardly and said things like, "Don't worry," and "I understand," and it was very sad to say goodbye.

By the time she said goodbye to Adam and Emma, Lily's eyes were filled with thick tears that spilled with each blink.

"Behave yourself in the capital. Don't come to the Eastern Fort."

Lily did not nod to Adam's instructions. She had decided to go no matter what.

"Lily, follow your father's instructions. It's a promise to your mother."

Emma tried to persuade Lily by holding her hand, but Lily pulled it away and turned it behind her back.

Seeing this, Adam scratched his head, knowing what his daughter was thinking.

When he met Emma's gaze, she shook her head, indicating there was nothing they could do.

"I'll make sure everyone returns to the capital alive before Lily comes to the Eastern Fort. You can wait for us, right?"

In other words, if they were late, Lily could go to the Eastern Fort. This allowed him to nod reluctantly.

"...Alright. If we're late, I'll come to get you."

Hearing this, Adam gave up trying to persuade Lily. If she was going to come anyway, he told her firmly.

"Don't act rashly. When you come, be fully prepared and come as a capable force. Of course, follow the proper procedures. Understand?"

"Yes."

Adam, exasperated by his stubborn daughter's finally giving an answer, hugged her small body.

If they lingered too long, the sadness would only increase. Lily knew this but still clung to Adam's clothes, sobbing.

She really wanted to go with them. She didn't want to be left behind. Her heart was screaming, "Don't leave me behind," but she suppressed it with all her might. She hit and beat her heart, suppressing it and covering it up. If she didn't, she would break down and beg.

(It's okay. I'll definitely go to the Eastern Fort—just a short goodbye, I have to endure it.)

She tried to calm her heart and forced a smile.

After hugging Emma and somehow saying goodbye, she waved goodbye to the departing wagons until they were out of sight.

"Shall we go back?"

She tried to smile at Noah, who spoke to her, but tears continued to flow uncontrollably from her eyes.