Chapter 65

The Crown Prince’s Fiancée – Chapter 65

Seeing Arti’s reaction, Adrian realized how unguarded he had been and cleared his throat.

“Oh, right. You don’t need to worry about the false rumors Gabriel spread. They’re being returned to her in full.”

It was the “a tooth for a tooth, a false rumor for a false rumor” strategy Terni had mentioned earlier.

Arti had heard the talk circulating in the palace as well.

“I heard about it too. She’s apparently caught up in gossip about the time she dumped tea on a maid in front of Adrian.”

“Yes. Several maids from the Nevel household have come forward as witnesses, so it will be hard to quash.”

Even so, neither of them doubted that the rumor would disappear before long.

After all, the Chancellor and the Nevel family would step in.

“Anyway, with Essen around, your personal safety should be fine. He may look the way he does, but he’s quite formidable.”

“I’ve heard from Sir Diano. He said Essen is an exceptionally skilled knight.”

“You heard that from Diano?”

Adrian found the source of her information suspicious. When had the two of them gotten so close?

He knew they got along by talking about Diano’s youngest sibling, Acacia. But he hadn’t known they discussed things like this as well.

“Sir Diano keeps saying he’s determined to spar with him.”

“Ah… That’s just how that guy is.”

Arti knew Diano loved sparring, but she couldn’t understand why Adrian looked pained at the mention of it.

“Anyway, you’ll have a guardian knight from now on. Is that all right?”

“Pardon? Oh, it would have been awkward with anyone else, but with Essen, it’s fine.”

“Is that so?”

Adrian was bothered by how naturally Arti accepted this, but he said nothing more.

And so came the first day of work.

Essen reported to Lily Palace in a formal knight’s uniform. Looking at the familiar palace grounds as if seeing them anew, he walked down the well-known path.

‘Only a few weeks ago I was locked up here, so it feels strange to be back like this.’

The knight’s uniform, which he was wearing for the first time in a while, was a nuisance to put on. How many layers did it take?

Still, it wasn’t a dress, which would have been an even greater nuisance, so Essen was reasonably content.

The first person to greet Essen was Madam Lucy.

“Oho ho ho, welcome, Sir Essen.”

“It’s been a while.”

“It’s been a long time since I last saw you here.”

When Madam Lucy’s eyes gleamed, Essen smiled awkwardly.

“Heh heh. There’s no need to worry. What happened that day will remain a secret between the two of us.”

“It’s a secret among five, I suppose.”

“Oh my. But I’m the only one who has seen the true you, Essen, aren’t I?”

“…”

Essen’s face went pale.

“Please… keep it a secret forever.”

“Oho ho ho, of course!”

At the sound of Madam Lucy’s laughter, Essen was already exhausted.

Come to think of it, he had never once beaten Madam Lucy, not since his days as Arti.

Back then he had simply assumed it was because Adrian stood behind Madam Lucy, but now he could see that wasn’t the only reason.

“Miss Arti is changing her clothes right now. It’s a process you know very well, Essen.”

“I don’t know anything about it.”

“Oh, really?”

When Madam Lucy’s eyes gleamed, Essen looked away.

For some reason Madam Lucy found this amusing and laughed aloud. A sudden weariness came over him, and Essen sighed.

“Essen!”

Arti appeared with a delighted look. The moment Essen saw her face, his mood improved considerably.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes. It’s been a while.”

She had seen Essen in a knight’s uniform before, but seeing it again, he looked truly dashing. With a radiant smile, Arti said,

“Wow, you’re handsome!”

She even clapped her hands in delight, and Essen’s expression stiffened.

Arti was the first person to look at him and say “handsome” rather than “pretty.”

“Uh… Thanks.”

Since Essen had always been so snappish with her, he stumbled over how to respond to such a gentle, kind smile.

“It’s so reassuring that you’ll be protecting me from now on.”

“Well… I’ll do my best.”

“I heard you’re incredibly strong, Essen. Adrian told me.”

“Adrian?”

When Essen’s expression suddenly froze and he asked back, Arti nodded, slightly flustered.

“His Highness ordered me to address him that way.”

“Oh.”

It felt unfamiliar to hear Arti, who had always been so formal, speak so casually of Adrian, and he had asked for no good reason, so it seemed a pointless remark.

“Ah. Sorry.”

“It’s all right. I’m still not used to it either, so it feels strange to me too.”

“So that’s how it was. Adrian did well. Since I always called him by his name.”

“Ah, so that must be why.”

Arti completely erased the thought that had crossed her mind, briefly, that Adrian had been making unreasonable demands because he wanted to hear her say his name.

“As expected of you, Essen, you help even in small things like this. Thank you.”

“No, there’s nothing to thank me for.”

Essen, awkward and unsure what to say at a moment like this, fell silent.

Arti clenched both fists and exclaimed energetically,

“I’m counting on you for the next three years!”

“Three years? Ah.”

She seemed to have believed Terni when he’d told her to just hold out for three years.

‘In three years, will Arti stop being Arti?’

Judging by Adrian’s attitude, he couldn’t be sure, but Essen vaguely hoped that such a day would come.

He didn’t know why.

* * *

With Essen’s arrival, many things in my daily life changed.

The first was that I went out for walks alone less often, so there were fewer days when I could go see Michael. The second was that having him always at my side was reassuring.

I glanced at Essen standing beside me. The way he leaned against a pillar of the gazebo looked wonderfully elegant.

“…?”

When our eyes met, Essen tilted his head.

I answered with a smile, but Essen cleared his throat with a slight blush, as if he had something to say.

The sunlight was so nice that I had brought a book out to the rear garden, and Essen, who had naturally come along, just kept standing there, which bothered me.

“Essen.”

“Hm?”

“Aren’t your legs tired?”

“I’m fine.”

Essen shook his head. It was a relief that he was fine, but I couldn’t stop worrying all the same.

“Would you like to sit over there?”

“No, I’m fine.”

I pointed to another bench nearby, but Essen refused flatly.

“Then please sit beside me.”

When I made room for him on the large bench I had been deliberately occupying all by myself, Essen hesitated.

“Then… I won’t refuse.”

Essen sat down beside me. What a relief. When I smiled in satisfaction, Essen gave a sheepish smile.

I had thought he was stunningly beautiful the first time I saw him, but seeing him this close, I could only marvel.

How could a person look like that?

“What? Is there something on my face?”

Essen asked, touching his face.

Realizing that my sidelong glances had been caught, I flushed bright red and shook my head.

“No. You’re just so handsome that I couldn’t help it…”

“Oh.”

Essen opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word, then raised a hand to cover his mouth and turned his head away.

I could see his ears had turned red, and I felt sorry, wondering whether he was that angry.

“I’m sorry.”

“N-no. Ahem, I’m fine.”

Essen shook his head.

How kind he was! For a moment I thought of Adrian, and it moved me.

‘The Crown Prince would definitely have snapped at me.’

Something like, “What are you looking at…?”

Past memories flashed quickly through my mind.

“Essen. I’m sorry. I was staring too much, wasn’t I?”

“Hm? No. It’s fine.”

Essen shook his head. When I smiled, Essen sheepishly smiled back.

How could he look so wonderful even when smiling? He was truly the kind of person Crown Prince Adrian would like. That must be why the Crown Prince fell for him.

‘Is it really all right for me to stay like this?’

Setting aside how fond I was of Essen, sometimes my heart was just too unsettled. To the two of them, I would be an obstacle.

I couldn’t fully hide my heavy heart when,

“Kyaaaah!”

“Did you see? Did you see? Essen smiled!”

“I saw it too! How can he be so handsome?!”

At the noisy voices, our gazes turned that way.

Three palace maids, who had followed us goodness knows when, were chattering away in the bushes.

They might have thought they were being quiet, but by my standards they were a nuisance, so I decided I ought to warn them.

Just as I got to my feet, Essen, who had risen before me and stepped out of the gazebo, scowled at the three maids hiding in the bushes.

“What are you looking at? Get lost.”