Chapter 26
Interrupting the princess, the Crown Prince spoke while still fondling a warm teacup.
“I don’t believe in love at first sight. Maybe because I’ve never experienced it, I don’t quite understand it.”
“Y-Yes?”
Dorothy visibly flustered and stammered. But the Crown Prince continued, paying no attention to her reaction.
“Love at first sight is a kind of… well.”
His words were utterly rude.
“I think it’s closer to lust.”
“…Pardon?”
“Oh, of course, I don’t mean *you*. That’s just how I see it.”
“….”
“I don’t know what kind of person you think the Empire’s Crown Prince is, but I’m not as good a person as you might think.”
“B-But…”
“But?”
Dorothy, her eyes brimming with tears, struggled to speak.
“That day, Your Highness was so dazzling to me.”
“Thank you. But I can’t give you more than that.”
He spoke as if looking at something utterly uninteresting.
“That’s all you know about me.”
Dorothy’s lips trembled before she closed them and lowered her head deeply. One, then two teardrops fell onto her pale yellow dress, soaking into the fabric, but the Crown Prince felt no emotion.
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
With those final words, the Crown Prince left. But Dorothy remained seated, unable to move for a long while afterward.
* * *
Iris woke up late and stretched. She had been awake for a while but lingered on the soft bed, and before she knew it, it was already lunchtime.
“Ughhh…”
Perhaps because she had lain down for too long, her stiff body ached as she made her way to the living room, only to find it empty.
Come to think of it, she vaguely recalled hearing the Crown Prince leave earlier.
Being a Crown Prince, he must have plenty of places to be called to.
Without much thought, Iris summoned a maid to change her clothes and asked one of the Crown Prince’s aides to find Aster.
“My lady! You called for me?”
Aster, looking remarkably polished as if she’d been pampered by the other maids, entered with a bright smile.
Her radiant appearance suggested she had been eating well and resting properly.
“How’s life as a maid?”
Iris sat her down beside the living room sofa and asked, and Aster’s eyes sparkled as she replied.
“I get regular meals, and everyone around is so kind! Oh, and they gave me pocket money too!”
“Pocket money? Who?”
“I don’t know. They just said someone higher up told me to buy something tasty.”
Iris briefly glanced to the side.
‘Looks like His Highness the Crown Prince took care of it.’
She had called Aster to give her some extra pay today, but since she’d already received it, that was a relief.
‘Then I’ll just take care of it next time.’
Rising from her seat, Iris said,
“Let’s go out together today. Since you’ll be working by my side from now on, it’s about time you started tagging along with me.”
“Yes, that sounds great!”
Aster beamed with sparkling eyes. Iris couldn’t help but smile again at her expression.
Perhaps because she grew up on the streets without much, Aster’s satisfaction with even a slightly better environment was both endearing and a little heartbreaking.
“Aster, people grow as big as their ambitions.”
As Iris patted Aster’s head and spoke, Aster tilted her head curiously.
“Ambitions?”
“Yes. Excessive greed can destroy you, but the right amount of ambition will help you grow.”
“Um, that’s a bit complicated.”
“I’m not saying you have to understand it right away. Shall we go for a walk?”
“Oh, yes! I was actually hoping to take a look around.”
“It’s quite different from the Empire, isn’t it?”
“I don’t even know what the Empire’s palace looks like.”
“Aha.”
Iris and Aster stepped out of the room side by side. Though she didn’t know where the Crown Prince had gone, she figured he’d show up when the time came. As they strolled through the garden, she noticed a roof in the distance.
‘What’s that place?’
Crunch, crunch.
Stepping on the garden’s grass and approaching, it looked like a small tea room. Glancing over, she spotted a familiar blonde figure from behind.
‘Princess Dorothy?’
She was about to pass by when something about the atmosphere felt off. The maids around seemed restless, as if trying to console Princess Dorothy. Her slender shoulders trembled, as if she were crying.
“Haa…”
Iris rubbed the bridge of her nose for a moment. Just ignore it. Ignore it and move on. That’s what she told herself, but Aster, standing beside her, whispered.
“She seems upset. It looks like she’s crying.”
Damn it.
Iris sighed, glanced at the trembling shoulders of the princess, and started walking.
The sunlight was pleasant, and the breeze was fresh. Yet, the mood was so gloomy, out of place with the weather.
‘I can guess who’s to blame…’
Iris climbed the steps to the tea room and sat across from Dorothy without permission.
At the sound of the chair scraping, Princess Dorothy, who had been crying with her head lowered, startled and looked up.
“Is something wrong?”
Iris crossed her legs and looked down at the cold teacup. It clearly indicated a guest had been here, but now only the princess remained.
“N-No, it’s nothing…”
“Bottling it up will make you sick.”
Saying so, Iris casually picked up the cold tea the Crown Prince had likely left behind and took a sip.
“Sh-Shall I warm it for you?”
“It’s fine.”
When a flustered maid asked, Iris politely declined and looked back at Princess Dorothy. Dorothy, still unable to hide her tears, gazed at Iris before finally speaking.
“…I met His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I see.”
“I didn’t mean to seduce him. I just… I just wanted to express my feelings.”
“But you were rejected? Quite harshly, it seems.”
“….”
Dorothy mouthed “Yes,” but her emotions overwhelmed her, and no sound came out.
Iris let out a sigh.
“The heart is a tricky thing. It doesn’t move as you want, and keeping it buried feels overwhelming.”
Iris gazed into the distance at the garden. Her red eyes clouded over, as if recalling some moment from the past.
“What did His Highness the Crown Prince say?”
“He said he doesn’t believe in love at first sight.”
“That’s not all he said, is it?”
“And he asked what I even know about him…”
“He’s not wrong.”
At that, Dorothy began to sob again, and the maids comforted her, not forgetting to subtly glare at Iris.
“His Highness the Crown Prince said, *sniff*, that love at first sight is like lust… But I swear, I never harbored such impure thoughts about him.”
Goodness, what things to say to a young girl.
Iris drained the cold tea and deliberately set the cup down with a *clink*.
“His Highness was rude.”
“B-But I was the one who…”
“Forced your feelings on him, is that it?”
“Y-Yes…”
“Princess, what I meant was that confessing feelings someone doesn’t want can cause a bit of discomfort.”
Dorothy wiped her tears and looked at Iris.
“An unwanted confession can be uncomfortable, yes. But that’s all it is. It’s not a bad thing. Anyone can express their feelings.”
“I-Is that so?”
“I told you. The heart doesn’t follow your will. It’s overwhelming to keep inside.”
Iris quietly looked down at the empty teacup.
“The heart can overflow at any moment. Even if you don’t say it out loud, it shows in your gaze, in your smile—everything.”
She recalled her past self and gave a self-deprecating smile.
“Even if it’s an unwanted feeling, even if it’s a bit clumsy or hasty, the recipient should respond with courtesy. That’s respect for each other.”
‘Ha, am I in any position to say this?’
Iris mocked herself a little.
Iris, who had been deceived once and trampled on three people’s hearts.
Your silver tongue works smoothly even in moments like this, doesn’t it?
If her secret were ever exposed, she might be branded a villainess, but for now, that was a secret between her and Jack.
She smiled softly and whispered,
“This time, His Highness the Crown Prince was in the wrong. I’ll have to give him a stern talking-to.”
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By Anna 💓
