TPSR 06

Chapter 06

It had already been a week since I entered the Grand Duke’s residence.

And now, unable to withstand Mia’s persistent urging, I had come out for an afternoon walk.

Apparently, if I stayed cooped up in my room all day, I would only grow weaker or something like that.

Even the nurse who had raised me for thirteen years hadn’t been this meddlesome.

In many ways, she was a very strange woman.

“Your Highness is much smaller than others your age. Moderate exercise is good for your health.”

“I can take care of my own health.”

“Of course, of course.”

There she went again.

Whenever I spoke coldly or even showed the slightest irritation, Mia would brush it off with that gentle tone. And for some reason, whenever I saw her respond like that, the fighting spirit that had been bubbling up inside me would strangely deflate.

I’m sure she acts the same way toward Carlos.

It didn’t seem like a misconception that Mia was, in some subtle way, the true power within the ducal residence.

“This garden over here is quite lovely, don’t you think? A walk really is the best way to refresh one’s mood.”

I was too tired to grumble anymore and merely nodded half-heartedly.

The weather is annoyingly nice.

I realized belatedly that the ducal estate was not shrouded in dark clouds all year round. Seen in proper daylight, the mansion—though old—looked surprisingly intact.

If turning such a splendid and beautiful estate into something that felt like a haunted house was a talent, then it was certainly an impressive one.

“…What is this flower bed?”

As I trudged along, I suddenly stopped at the sight that came into view and asked.

Unlike the other gardens, this bed was filled entirely with white roses in full bloom. A faint shimmer of light lingered around them, and thousands of blossoms overflowed with unusual vitality.

At a glance, one might mistake it for a field of fresh white snow rather than flowers.

Mia, who had been hurrying along a step behind me, smiled proudly.

“It seems Your Highness likes this flower bed as well?”

“As far as I know, it isn’t the season for roses.”

“You have a keen eye. That’s right—this place is sustained by the master’s magic.”

“The Grand Duke’s magic?”

Even standing still cost him life force, didn’t it? And yet he was wasting his magic on something like this flower bed?

That cold-blooded man?

Unable to hide my curiosity, I turned to her. Mia gave a faintly bitter smile.

“They’re all for our young lady.”

…Young lady?

Surely she meant the Grand Duke’s daughter?

Catching my expression, Mia continued cautiously.

“When the young lady was still in her mother’s womb, the mistress had a dream. She said she saw a field covered in pure white roses.”

Mia slowly swept her gaze over the flower bed with a nostalgic look.

“She said that in Verba—her hometown—there’s a saying that if you place a white rose in a child’s hand, the child will grow up happy.”

“……”

“After hearing that, the master brought back cartloads of roses. He refused to leave it to the servants and insisted on planting them himself, one by one. It caused quite a stir, I can tell you….”

Mia smiled softly, then quickly pressed her lips together when our eyes met.

“Oh dear, I’ve talked too much. We rarely have guests, so my tongue ran away with me.”

And I found myself unable to say anything at all.

That Grand Duke had loaded a carriage full of roses for the sake of his daughter?

I couldn’t imagine it at all.

“…Although he stopped caring for the rest of the estate after the mistress passed, he still tends to this garden often. The young master visits frequently as well.”

For some reason, Mia’s gentle voice made something tighten faintly beneath my ribs.

I reached out and brushed the edge of a nearby petal.

It felt fresh with moisture.

For some reason, my throat felt damp as well.

He can barely take care of his own body, and yet this flower bed—what is it to him?

I swallowed and deliberately spoke in a firm tone.

“…I heard the Grand Duke’s daughter died long ago.”

It had been an accident that shook the capital.

The carriage carrying the Grand Duchess toward her hometown plunged off a cliff and shattered. The Grand Duchess died on the spot in a horrific state, and her only daughter disappeared. The Grand Duke mobilized his entire force and searched for months, but never found the child.

Realistically, it made no sense that a two-year-old infant could survive such a crash alone and vanish without a trace—unless she had been devoured by wild beasts and even her body could not be found.

Yes, that had to be it.

And yet, the idea that the Grand Duke’s daughter had survived all this time and returned here on her own two feet was absurd.

Wearing the shell of a half-blooded princess, no less.

If not for the emperor, I never would have had such a chance.

The thick scent of flowers rushed in.

I felt suffocated.

I abruptly turned my head and quickened my steps.

“…Enough. It’s not a story I’m particularly curious about.”

How long had I been crossing the garden like that?

Suddenly, my path was blocked and a shadow fell over me.

“It seems you’re staying quite comfortably.”

Carlos, dressed in a poet shirt, looked down at me, his hair unkempt.

“…Grand Duke?”

“Is it so surprising to run into me in my own house?”

For people living under the same roof, Carlos rarely showed his face.

More precisely, it was obvious he found me irritating.

As though, if not for the purified stones, he would have liked nothing more than to cut off my head and hang it up.

It’s impressive enough that he’s holding back.

Perhaps because of the roses I had just seen, my stomach churned as I faced him.

I looked up at him quietly and replied,

“Thanks to you.”

“At least one of us is at ease, then.”

We stood facing each other in silent confrontation for a moment.

Then Carlos turned his body and said,

“Follow me. I have something to give you.”

“Take it.”

In the second-floor study, Carlos held out a small box containing a necklace.

A thin platinum chain held a pendant no larger than a pinky fingernail.

“What is this?”

“An artifact. It can temporarily change your eye and hair color.”

He spoke flatly.

“Until our sponsorship is officially established, there’s no need to let the outside world know that the princess is staying in the ducal territory. It would be troublesome for both of us.”

As he said this, Carlos rubbed his temple tiredly.

I picked up the necklace from the desk, somewhat dazed.

Even after taking so many purified stones, he still looks exhausted….

When he should be focused on restoring his body with the stones he’d secured, he was wasting magic on something like this.

“…Thank you.”

The moment I put on the necklace, my eyes and hair instantly changed to an ordinary brown.

After examining me, Carlos said,

“It would be best if you wear it inside the estate as well. Your original appearance is quite irritating.”

The hand fiddling with the pendant stilled.

…Irritating.

I understood exactly what he meant.

A princess with the same eyes and hair as his missing daughter.

Come to think of it, even before my regression, he had found it uncomfortable to look at my face.

There was no way it was pleasant for him to encounter me within these walls.

Only after a long moment did I tuck the necklace inside my collar and reply calmly,

“Understood. I’ll keep it on. It’s not difficult. As an uninvited guest, I should at least have that much consideration.”

Only then did Carlos’s expression soften slightly.

“The paperwork will be completed within this week. Once we send the guardianship documents to the temple, even the imperial family won’t be able to interfere. Until then, don’t do anything foolish and keep your head down.”

Whether it was a warning or advice, I repeated his words silently.

“In that case, I have a favor to ask.”