Chapter 35
“…….”
“Mother and I both have our own paths to follow. She has her talents, and I need to start preparing to take over the household. There’s a lot of education required to inherit the duchy.”
Nick scratched his head and let out a light laugh.
“……Your paintings, Mother, I’m only saying this now, but they’re truly beautiful. I hope you don’t let that talent go to waste.”
“That’s too kind of you. Thank you, Nick.”
I remembered the last suggestion Adolf had made to me—about coming to the capital to learn painting.
“Oh, right. Nick, I have something for you too.”
Smiling, I recalled something and said it to Nick. He tilted his head, curious. I took a small pouch I had prepared in advance from my pocket and handed it to him.
“This is a token of appreciation for your hard work. Thank you for helping me all this time.”
“Eh, ah, no…! I was just staying at your mother’s place, so it wasn’t much of a help…”
“Still, I felt uneasy letting you go without giving something. It’s not a lot, but I hope it helps on your way back. You deserve to be rewarded for your efforts too.”
Nick waved his hands in embarrassment, but when I held it out, he looked at the pouch for a moment. Then, softly saying, “Thank you,” he accepted it. I watched him with a satisfied smile.
“Well, I’ll be going now… Ah, but—”
Nick paused a few steps after turning to leave and looked back at me.
“If you’re going to be staying here, I can come visit sometimes, right?”
“Ah.”
“You know, I really liked it here. I can see why people come to Lorencia for a break—it’s such a comfortable place.”
“I also sometimes want to taste the desserts Mother used to make.”
Nick asked timidly, rolling his eyes. I smiled warmly.
“Of course, Nick.”
“…….”
“Come by anytime. I’ll always be ready to welcome you.”
I felt I could finally mean it sincerely. Only now, after seven years. I watched Nick leave, a pleased expression on my face lingering for some time.
After seeing Nick off, I went to the gallery alone for the first time in a while. Walking along the road with views of the countryside felt leisurely. For some reason, I was in such a good mood that a smile remained on my face all the way to work.
Although I felt a slight emptiness after Nick left, it wasn’t a sense of loss. From our last conversation, I realized that the resentment lingering between us had begun to melt. During the time Nick spent at the gallery, I had been making up for not looking after him as I should have, and he had been making up for not treating me as a mother. We had filled the void we had felt toward each other over the years.
Now that Nick had gone, I even felt a sense of relief. Seeing his face was no longer uncomfortable. Next time I meet him, I thought, we could both smile at each other genuinely, and it lightened my heart.
“……I wonder how Ken is doing.”
Ken suddenly came to mind. After reconciling with Nick, it was natural for Ken to appear in my thoughts. Is he doing well? He must be at the royal palace, right?
…If only I could reconcile with him too. If possible, I’d like to talk to Ken even a little. But that’s unlikely. He’s probably closed his heart already. Still, if I ever meet him again, I want to talk about the past. And I want to tell him he’s been a truly lovable child.
Just a thought. But since it was a bit late to think like that, I let it go.
In any case, it had been a truly pleasant day. The divorce papers were settled, and my relationship with Nick was well resolved. Feeling relieved, I arrived at the gallery and smiled again at some delightful news: Adolf’s news was on the front page of the morning paper that was always placed outside the building.
[The Return of the Third Prince]
I picked up the newspaper and quickly read through it. It said Adolf had arrived at the royal palace and that the emperor was very pleased with his return.
He arrived safely. I still vividly remembered the last image of him as he left, looking back at me. Imagining him at the palace brought a warm smile to my face.
“This is the place where the Third Prince stayed, right?”
“……!”
Startled by the voice, I turned around. A woman stood there, looking around curiously and smiling at me.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Hannah Cooper, a journalist working in the capital.”
I wasn’t sure what this was about, but a guest was still a guest, so I let her into the shop. Since it was before opening, the place was a bit chaotic, but I quickly prepared a table and served her coffee.
She looked around the gallery curiously and then widened her eyes at the coffee I served.
“Oh, is this the coffee that the Third Prince came here every day to drink?”
“…You could say that.”
“I’ve been coming here for several nights and was exhausted, so thank you.”
She smiled and drank the coffee. Watching her, I said,
“Sorry, but I don’t have much time because I need to prepare for opening. I hope you can keep it brief.”
“Ah, of course.”
Hannah had a bright, cheerful face that left an impression. As she placed her coffee down, she spoke:
“I heard you hid the Third Prince here for quite some time.”
“It wasn’t hiding, really. He was just a regular visitor to the gallery.”
“Then you know his every move more clearly than anyone else?”
“…What exactly do you want?”
She continued with a cheerful smile.
“I just want a short interview with you about the Third Prince. I’m preparing a feature article on him and this place.”
“….”
“Of course, we’ll pay you, and it’ll be good publicity too. A secluded countryside gallery where the prince spends time—romantic, isn’t it? It wouldn’t be a bad choice.”
Her confident demeanor made it clear she expected this interview to happen. I sighed softly and gave a small smile.
“Sorry, but I don’t think that’s possible.”
“Huh?”
She tilted her head, looking confused. I continued:
“I don’t need payment or publicity. There are already plenty of visitors. Word has spread everywhere that the Third Prince came here.”
“…Ah.”
“I don’t want to make things more troublesome. I’m sorry, but I must refuse the interview. I need to focus on opening, so please understand.”
Hannah looked surprised. I bowed slightly and turned toward the back of the gallery, but she grabbed my arm.
“Wait a moment!”
“….”
“Tell me what you want! I’ll do my best to meet it.”
Her hand on my arm, she spoke urgently:
“Everyone in the empire is curious about the Third Prince’s past. But even after returning, he hasn’t said a word. Your interview would answer so many questions.”
Her constant bright smile had a charm that didn’t feel irritating. Perhaps that’s why I found myself looking at her warmly.
“You can just say as much as you want. I won’t force you—please help me, just this once.”
But I couldn’t do the interview. Not only were the conditions she proposed unappealing, but… I was Adolf’s friend. He wouldn’t want such an article, and I knew that very well. Slowly, I removed her hand from my arm.
“…I’m sorry, Hannah.”
I smiled faintly and turned around, leaving her gaze lingering in disappointment behind me.
Hannah left, giving me a note with the address of her accommodation.
“I’ll be staying here for a few days to track the Third Prince’s past actions. If you change your mind, please contact me here anytime.”
After she left, I looked at the paper for a moment and then placed it in a corner of the counter. I wouldn’t be contacting her—I had no intention of betraying my friendship with Adolf. Even a simple interview would have felt like a betrayal. I couldn’t talk about him carelessly based on only a few observations. Besides, he had always kept his identity and private life secret.
As I prepared for opening and started the day, customers gradually began to arrive. Some who had read the newspaper asked about the Third Prince, whether he had arrived safely at the palace. I answered appropriately and kept myself busy. During that time, my encounter with Hannah completely faded into memory.
Before I knew it, the day was coming to an end.
