Chapter 90

The next morning, Lilith was awakened by a very gentle voice.

When she opened her heavy eyelids, she saw a pair of red eyes shining with joy.

Jesalde kissed Lilith’s surprised forehead and got up, looking apologetic.

"Good morning, Lilith. I wish I could let you sleep more, but we have to continue our journey today. You should get up and prepare soon."

"…Good morning. Jed, um… thank you."

"No… yeah. See you later."

"Y-Yes…"

Jesalde smiled at Lilith, who could barely manage to speak, and then, somewhat embarrassed, got out of bed and left the bedroom. Before disappearing behind the door, he smiled at Lilith again.

Lilith watched Jesalde leave with a dazed mind. As her head gradually cleared, she pulled the blanket over her head and curled up, moaning.

"Is this a dream? Is it real? Jed… Jed likes me! No way! No, it's true!"

Fortunately, her voice was muffled by the bedding, so no one heard it.

Just then, a slow knock sounded, as if someone had sensed that Lilith was awake.

In response to Lilith’s permission, Tena entered with toiletries and immediately frowned.

"Oh, Lady Lilith… Did something happen last night…?"

"No! It's amazing! Because, because, the prince… the prince… I won’t tell you!"

"…That’s a shame. Well, let’s get you ready."

Tena placed the toiletries on the side table, sighing in exasperation at Lilith’s giddy state.

Lilith got out of bed, washed her face with the water in the basin, and took a towel from Tena. She casually glanced at the mirror hanging on the bedroom wall.

And then—

"Aaaaaah!"

Lilith’s scream echoed throughout the inn.

It was so loud that Jesalde, who was in the next room, drew his sword, and the guards entered the room without permission.

Jesalde quickly scanned the room and was puzzled to find no one else but Lilith, who was crouching, and Tena, who was standing nearby.

"What happened!?"

"I’m sorry, Your Highness. Actually—"

Before Tena could finish her explanation, a guard’s voice was heard from the door leading to the living room, asking for permission to enter.

Jesalde opened the door slightly and assured them that the princess was safe, and the guards left, relieved.

Then, he glanced at Lilith, who was still crouching, and turned to Tena for an explanation.

"Well, I’m very sorry for the disturbance, but actually, a bug that Lady Lilith is afraid of appeared…"

"A bug?"

"Yes. Of course, it’s already taken care of, so there’s no need to worry. Please, Your Highness, get ready."

"…Lilith, are you really okay?"

Jesalde, seemingly unconvinced by Tena’s explanation, asked, and Lilith, still pressing the towel to her face, nodded vigorously.

"Then, I’ll leave Lilith in your care."

"Understood."

The time it took for Jesalde to rush to Lilith’s side was terrifyingly fast, and it was impossible for a mere maid to deal with a bug in such a short time after that scream.

Jesalde must have sensed that there was some other reason and backed off.

Tena bowed deeply, apologizing for lying, especially to the innkeeper, who had been saddled with the dishonorable lie about the bug.

After a deep sigh, Tena approached Lilith and gently touched her shoulder.

"Lady Lilith, you won’t get better by staying like this. You need to take care of it properly."

"I… I know…"

As Lilith answered, burying her face in the towel, Rese knocked and peeked into the bedroom, looking worried.

Tena smiled and gave her instructions.

"Rese, can you prepare the usual?"

"Ah… Yes, I understand…"

Rese immediately understood what was needed but frowned at the reason.

However, when Tena gave her a thumbs-up, Rese’s face lit up, and she hurried to the waiting room to prepare.

Finally, Lilith slowly got up, and Tena encouraged her.

"Lady Lilith, the prince was very worried about you earlier. So, if you don’t take care of your face—your swollen eyes—quickly, you’ll make him even more worried."

"Okay… But I can’t believe I showed such a face to Jed—Your Highness. It’s so embarrassing…"

"Well, you always want to look your best for the person you love. But, men who love a woman will find her beautiful and cute no matter what she looks like. From the way the prince looked at you earlier, I could only sense his love for you."

"R-Really?"

"Yes."

Tena answered more firmly than ever.

Indeed, when the prince saw Lilith earlier, his red eyes were filled with worry, and once he confirmed her safety, they overflowed with kindness.

When the prince and Lilith first met, Tena found him as unsettling as the rumors suggested, but now she sees him as Lilith described.

Tena had always felt that Lilith not only had strange dreams but also the ability to see through the essence of things.

Perhaps that was why God had given Lilith the power of dreams.

With this in mind, Tena used the special herbal solution and herbal patch prepared by Rese to treat Lilith’s swollen eyes.

By the time they left the inn, Lilith had completely regained her cute appearance.

It was not uncommon for Lilith to wake up crying, so treating her swollen eyes was a routine task for Tena and the others.

Lilith checked her face in the mirror again, smiled, and thanked them.

"Thank you, Tena, Rese. I’m back to my usual self. No, maybe even better! Maybe it’s true that love makes you beautiful?"

"…Yes, that’s true."

"Then, I want to fall in love too!"

Unlike her dejected state the day before, today Lilith was annoyingly—no, surprisingly bright. Tena answered coldly, and Rese tried to ease the sudden change in atmosphere.

Suddenly, Lilith’s face lit up even more.

"Then, what about Hans?"

"Out of the question."

"Immediate answer? I think he’s pretty good… Sure, he can be a bit too light, but he was resourceful and reliable in this situation…"

"Regarding that, I am very grateful, but that’s a different matter."

"Is that so… Then, what about Dennis?"

"I’m sorry, but he’s not my type."

"Oh…"

Lilith sighed in disappointment at Rese’s firm answer.

Tena sighed, watching their interaction.

Why do people, when their own love life is going well, try to push others into relationships? It’s incredibly annoying, but this time, Rese had said something careless, so there was no way to cover it up.

Even after getting into the carriage, Lilith continued to act love-struck, much to Tena and Rese’s exasperation.

Jesalde didn’t show it in his demeanor, but the knights and Dennis, who had been serving him closely, could sense the change.

Therefore, those who had accompanied the prince to the city of Tuisen were in high spirits.

This was because they had all bet on the "rose."

Incidentally, Tena and Rese apparently asked Frederick to join them in the carriage from the next day onward.

Moreover, they both refrained from sweets and only drank plain tea during breaks.

Thus, the royal couple, with a somewhat giddy atmosphere, received even greater welcomes in the towns and villages they visited on their return journey to the capital.