Chapter 79
*Why Are There Flowers Blooming There?*
I jumped up from the carriage seat, hit my head on the ceiling, and sat back down, rose petals raining down on me. The young master sighed and brushed them off.
“I’m an idiot. I’m such an idiot.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Young Master! The seduction was so blatant that we just didn’t realize it. I’ll protect you from the Crown Prince’s clutches! You have to marry me!”
I quickly added the disclaimer,
“Well, if no other suitable Countess candidates appear.”
“Estella. Please, just stop thinking.”
“Are you saying that because you’re going to accept the Crown Prince’s advances? Is that why you’re saying that? Were you two… something… without me knowing…?”
“That’s exactly the kind of thinking I’m talking about. Please, just stop thinking and sit still. Just act like a doll.”
“But I want to become human! I clearly stated my intentions. I want to become human and have a more special relationship with you! Are you perhaps…”
“Just… just… I’ll shut up. I’m an idiot for expecting you to understand these things.”
He leaned against the carriage window, his back to me. As the carriage jolted, more roses fell on him.
Just then, my bag started vibrating. Thump, thump, thump! He glanced at it, then turned to me slowly.
“…”
I avoided his gaze. He continued to stare at me.
“Estella.”
“Ah, the roses are pretty…”
“Stop changing the subject and explain why your bag is shaking to a different rhythm than the carriage.”
“Well…”
Should I try lying, even though it was obvious? He might let it go.
“Are you sure you’re seeing things? Look, my bag is…”
Before I could finish, the bag fell to the floor with a loud thud. The impact ripped it open, and its contents spilled out. And then, the thing I wanted to hide most was revealed.
“Squeak!”
Zomrat, looking annoyed, lifted his head and gnashed his teeth. The young master’s brow twitched.
“W-well, you see! I thought Zomrat, who has an uncanny ability to sniff out the elixir, might be helpful!”
Zomrat scratched himself with his hind leg, then started eating the scattered rose petals.
“N-no, Zomrat! Don’t eat that…”
Just as I stood up to pick him up,
“Chirp!”
Sparrow, whom I had hidden in my skirt, rolled out and landed among the petals. Zomrat glanced at Sparrow, then continued munching on the roses.
“…”
The young master didn’t ask, but I felt guilty, so I explained,
“I brought him because he’s cute.”
Sparrow, oblivious, waddled over to the young master and started pecking at his shoes.
“H-hey, Sparrow, no…”
When Sparrow’s rounded beak, surprised by the hardness of the shoe, left a scratch, the young master finally snapped.
“Estella!”
Crown Prince Umbram, dressed in flowing, ethereal clothes like a mythical fairy, was lying on the lawn in the garden. His anxious subordinates surrounded him. He had such a strange personality.
He tilted his head away from the sunlight and greeted us languidly.
“It’s been a while, Lupin. Hello, Estella. The weather is so lovely, I thought I’d invite you over. Did you like the flower carriage?”
“It was excessive.”
The young master scoffed. The Crown Prince, without smiling, swung his legs back and forth, his thin clothes shifting to reveal his long, slender legs. His subordinates nervously glanced at us.
Wow, his legs were so smooth and well-defined! As expected of my love rival.
Was he trying to seduce our young master by showing off his legs?
I would observe him closely.
Although my main objective was to assess my rival…
Honestly, how often did I get to admire a man’s legs? I had to take advantage of this opportunity! Wow! I might even get to see his thighs!
Just as I was staring intently, the young master pushed my head down.
“Don’t even think about looking up.”
I could barely glimpse the Crown Prince before being forced to lower my head. The Crown Prince then abruptly stood up. His subordinates fussed around him, and when I finally looked up, he was wearing a light coat and shoes. His subordinates looked much more relaxed.
He approached us, tilting his head quizzically.
“Why is Estella wearing a mask?”
That’s right. The young master had pulled a mask out of my bag and put it on me. If I couldn’t stop thinking, I should at least keep my mouth shut. That’s why I hadn’t been able to say anything.
“There were… circumstances.”
He glared at me. I gave him a reassuring smile, which he ignored. He turned his head away and walked off with the Crown Prince.
I followed them, chuckling to myself. He thought he could silence me by covering my mouth? He was mistaken.
“Squeak!”
“Chirp!”
Just as he had brought me along, I had brought my own companions!
If the Crown Prince tried anything, we would be ready. While Zomrat and Sparrow created a distraction, I would subdue the Crown Prince and carry the young master away!
That was my emergency plan.
Zomrat had climbed up my clothes and was now lying on my chest. Sparrow’s claws were clinging to my shoulder blade. I had been subtly shifting my body to hide them from the young master.
My efforts seemed to be working, as he hadn’t noticed. My secret agents would only be deployed in emergencies.
“Squeak!”
“There! Something is moving inside her clothes!”
One of the Crown Prince’s subordinates, startled by Zomrat’s movement, looked at me suspiciously. I lowered my mask slightly and said smoothly,
“The only thing moving inside my clothes is my burning passion for the young master!”
“I think I heard a rat.”
“That’s the sound of my joints creaking!”
“…?”
Anyway, my secret agents would only be deployed in emergencies.
“Chirp, chirp, screech!”
“Wait! There’s another sound! That…”
This time, I didn’t answer. I just ran towards the young master.
It seemed like my secret agents needed more training.
The young master and the Crown Prince sat facing each other across an ornate tea table. The Crown Prince had a strange, sleepy air about him. Was this another seduction tactic?!
I observed him closely. He smiled faintly, and the young master, who had been sitting on a chair, nudged me with his finger.
“Go wait over there.”
“Masters aren’t supposed to poke their maids in the ribs.”
“It’s the other way around. I said go. And why did you take off your mask? You’re not listening to me.”
“You should have brought wax if you wanted me to be quiet.”
“Do you want me to make you regret saying that?”
“You won’t be able to kiss me if you seal my mouth.”
He blushed and fell silent. I had won.
“I can kiss you more passionately if I become human.”
I was about to tease him further when the Crown Prince cleared his throat, interrupting our moment. How dare he disturb our quality time. He was such a nuisance.
“Lupin, Estella. It seems you’ve been causing trouble without my permission.”
“…”
I wanted to retort, but I obediently looked at the young master, who quickly shook his head, telling me to be quiet. I stepped back.
“Not only did you destroy the cemetery in Raguel City, but you also contacted a witch without my permission and went to Dragon’s Waist, right into the middle of a war.”
“Thanks to you appointing me as a zombie investigator.”
“I told you to investigate zombies, not leave my jurisdiction.”
“You never specified the jurisdiction.”
The young master argued back. Was this okay? I glanced at the Crown Prince, who didn’t seem particularly offended.
However…
“Lupin, you seem to be deliberately provoking me these days. I tolerated it when we were younger, but we’re not children anymore. We have responsibilities.”
“It seems you didn’t summon us today for a report on the zombies.”
The young master said sharply. The Crown Prince chuckled softly and traced his finger around the rim of his empty teacup. As if on cue, the maids brought in a teapot.
Hmm, was it my time to shine?
Just as I was about to reach for the bag I had hidden under my skirt, the Crown Prince looked at me.
“How was the carriage?”
The carriage? Was he talking about the carriage we had taken today? He was asking me this time, not the young master. I decided to be honest.
“It was terrible.”
The young master choked.
“Oh dear, Young Master! It was because of all the rose petals flying around in the carriage. Whoever decorated the carriage with roses has no sense. Your throat must be scratchy, I’ll bring you some tea.”
I reached for the bag hidden under my skirt. Zomrat took advantage of the moment and escaped.
No!
Did anyone see? Zomrat scurried away, disappearing into the bushes. He seemed to be embarking on a secret mission without my permission.
Sparrow also tried to follow him, so I quickly took out the tea set from my bag instead of putting him back inside.
“Estella, you…”
As I stood up with the teacups, the young master covered his face with his hand and sighed.
“Are you impressed by my preparedness?”
“If you can call it that.”