Chapter 10

The maid Yuria and the steward Mord are quietly on edge.

Stop it! After all, the person you're dealing with is royalty...

Is it the cold? The prince is slightly trembling and rubbing his arm.

Look! The killing intent! It’s getting through, you know!?

"I'm sorry for suddenly dropping in."

The prince gently peeks over.

I’m sure it’s related to time travel, so I had the tea set prepared on the terrace facing the garden. I asked Yuria and Mord to stay a little away, so they shouldn’t be able to hear the conversation.

"Well, I do think you should have thought about it a bit more."

Father is at work today, and Mother is out, so only Marcus and I are at home. To prevent Marcus from accidentally showing disrespect, I didn’t tell him about the prince’s visit. I hope he doesn’t find out until the prince leaves!

Still, in a way, it might be good timing since I can’t let anyone else hear this.

Still.

"Ms. Mira, are you okay after yesterday...?"

Ms. Mira looks somewhat dissatisfied. She seemed so happy when I saw her off yesterday?

"Look, Mira. Thanks to Lucy’s help, you successfully became one of my fiancé candidates. You should say thank you too."

Fiancé candidate? So it’s not a formal engagement yet?

I see, that’s why she’s a bit sulking?

"...Thank you, Lady Lucy."

Ms. Mira still looks a bit dissatisfied, but she looks up at me with teary eyes.

Oh! What is that? It’s kind of cute! She’s grateful to me, but can’t help feeling dissatisfied? Like an unhappy kitten! Ms. Mira, you look just like Mimir when she’s in a bad mood!

—Oops, I shouldn’t.

I shouldn’t get carried away during a serious conversation.

I think to myself and gently turn my eyes away from this cute girl, letting my gaze wander.

Then, my gaze happens to meet Mimir’s, who is peeking from the corner of a room inside the mansion.

Mimir!? You’re looking at me!

Wow... You look really unhappy!

Mimir is staring at me with her big eyes narrowed to half their usual size, radiating an aura of “This is not fun” very strongly.

What should I do if I find an even cuter creature when I look away...?

I realize I’m having a trip from reality.

Mimir... Could it be that you noticed I was comparing Ms. Mira to you and was swooning over her cuteness...? You noticed and... are jealous...?

Oh, I might have a heart attack. It’s about to happen.

"Um, Lady Lucy. Here, this is..."

I’m suddenly brought back to reality by her words. My heart was in danger just now.

Fortunately, my state didn’t go unnoticed, and Mira timidly offered a wrapped box.

"Huh? This is...?"

"At our house, my father runs a business, and this is a sample of a new type of tea made from rare tea leaves. It has a wonderful aroma, but the ingredients are expensive, and we haven’t been able to produce enough for distribution yet. We’re only giving it to special customers, but as a thank you..."

"Oh! Really? Thank you so much. I’m very happy!"

I remember hearing that Baron Bloomis has connections with other countries and does a wide range of business. He is a very wealthy baron.

The prince gently places his hand on Mira’s arm, as if prompting her.

"Um... Also. I said those things in front of everyone without considering your position... I’m sorry."

"I also apologize. In the end, it resulted in tarnishing your reputation."

Now, now, prince, it’s not something a royal should easily apologize for.

I smile ambiguously in response.

From what I understand, Mira was also feeling anxious. She knows the prince cares for her enough to travel back in time, but he returned at a point when I and the prince had been engaged for a few years. If things continue this way, the prince might end up marrying me again. But for her, as a baron’s daughter, it’s difficult to take my place. So, she thought, if she declared her love in front of everyone, the queen couldn’t ignore it, and it would make it difficult for the prince and me to continue our engagement. Since she’s not yet an adult, her disrespect might be overlooked. This might be her last chance! That’s how she thought.

Hmm, while her methods are not commendable, she did have her reasons. In a way, she’s quite cunning...!

But I hope she won’t involve me in such desperate tactics again...!

From now on, she will apparently receive princess education as a fiancé candidate. Given the circumstances, it’s difficult to make her a formal fiancé immediately. That makes sense. If this went smoothly, other noble families would surely complain.

"Ah!? Hey, sister, why didn’t you call me!?"

As I see off the prince and Mira, Marcus finally comes out of the room and rushes over. Oh, dangerous! You almost ran into them!

"Because, Marcus, you would have fought with the prince. I can’t have you charged with disrespect. I really don’t care, you know?"

"Even so..."

While listening to Marcus’s complaints, I notice Mimir fiercely warning the departing carriage at the front door.

Stop it, Mimir! You’re too cute, my heart can’t take it...!!

＊＊＊＊＊＊

When Father and Mother return home, I tell them about the prince and Mira’s visit. As expected, they are as upset as Marcus was. Well, that’s to be expected.

However, when I open the tea Mira gave me as a thank you, Father’s eyes light up.

"I also received this from a colleague! He was very grateful for helping him avoid a major disaster at work. I tried it at the office, and it was really good!"

It seems he really likes it. The tea I received and the one Father received have slightly different flavors, and he was very excited about bringing his to compare tomorrow. Where did Father’s anger go...?

However, a problem arises. The next day, when Father tried to compare the tea he received from his colleague with the one I received, Mimir went berserk again.

What! Could it be because it’s from Mira? Even the tea is not allowed!?

It seems Mimir associated the tea with Mira. Father, who had been drinking the tea during the day, still had the scent, and Mimir was completely ignoring him and angry. Father was clinging to Mimir, looking very sad.

It’s clear that Mimir has recognized Mira as a rival.

I’m sorry... It’s my fault... I’m so guilty.

In the end, after the four of us had one cup each, the tea was stored away in the back of the cupboard.

Hmm, it was really a very good and fragrant tea, so it’s a bit disappointing...

Still, no one objected to sealing the tea.

Because Mimir’s affection can’t be replaced...!

Thank you for always reading. If you like, I would be very happy to receive evaluation points, bookmarks, and comments...!