ITMFYWCLBU 6

“Oh my. Did you have a fight with Alexis?”

The next morning.

After arriving at the castle with Alexis—who had come to pick her up just as he’d declared—Clarisse took the opportunity, while Félicité had a moment to spare, to express her wish to continue serving as a lady-in-waiting. Félicité tilted her head, looking slightly puzzled.

“That would certainly help me, but… did you talk it over properly with Alexis? These things really should be discussed with your fiancé, you know.”

Félicité’s reasoning was perfectly sound—but if she discussed it with him, he would surely object.

When Clarisse faltered, Félicité spoke with the gentle expression of someone soothing a troubled girl.

“Before marriage, couples do tend to quarrel over the smallest things. But I believe it’s by overcoming each of those little trials that their bond grows stronger.”

“Perhaps… but…”

Seeing Clarisse’s downcast face, Félicité let out a small laugh.

“Don’t look so weighed down. If you wish to continue, I’d be delighted. For you to say such a thing without consulting Alexis first, there must be some reason. For now, I’ll simply keep in mind that you might not resign in six months. That said, if you decide after all to leave as planned, that’s perfectly fine too—so don’t rush yourself. Take your time to find your answer.”

“Yes…”

“And if you’re troubled, you can always come to me. …Now then, perhaps as a change of pace—could you go water the flowers in the greenhouse?”

“Certainly.”

Pressing the matter further would get her nowhere. Since Félicité hadn’t refused outright, that was good enough for now. She could think through how to persuade her later.

If only there were even a single bad rumor about Alexis I could use as a reason…

Unfortunately, there wasn’t one to be found.

Clarisse returned briefly to the attendants’ room, put on an apron so pollen wouldn’t stain her dress, and headed for the greenhouse.

The greenhouses were scattered throughout the vast gardens. They were remnants from a time when there had been many consorts, and with so few now, several went unused. Some were repurposed by gardeners for raising seedlings or sheltering cold-sensitive plants during winter.

The greenhouse Félicité used lay to the east of the castle’s rear garden.

Passed down through generations of queens, it was the largest of them all.

Joanne complained that this put her at a disadvantage and claimed two greenhouses on the western side—but now that Princess Wiejeny had joined her, giving her an advantage in sheer numbers, she said nothing. When it suited her, she kept quiet.

She believes that if Félicité hadn’t existed, she would have been chosen as queen—that’s why she’s such a nuisance.

Openly criticizing a consort was forbidden, but among Félicité’s attendants—and even among the maids and court ladies—many were troubled by Joanne’s conduct.

Joanne hailed from a marquess’s family, befitting a second consort. In truth, she had been adopted into that house from a distant count’s line so she could be married to the king. At the time, the only woman of suitable age from a ducal family was Félicité—had she not existed, the choice would have fallen to someone of marquess rank or below. Perhaps because of that, Joanne was convinced she would have been queen if not for Félicité.

That didn’t necessarily mean a second consort possessed the qualities of a queen—but in a reign with no other consorts, it was perhaps inevitable that Joanne would misunderstand her standing.

Lady Félicité was educated from childhood to become queen. Frankly, they’re on entirely different levels.

This, too, went unspoken—but many servants of the castle thought the same.

Clarisse believed that the reason Joanne had never been given education equivalent to a queen’s was the king’s way of signaling that, even if something happened to Félicité, Joanne would never be elevated. Joanne, however, had convinced herself it was all Félicité’s scheme. Truly exhausting.

In Clarisse’s memories, Joanne would once again lose to Félicité at this year’s flower-viewing gathering and loudly claim that Félicité’s victories were the result of manipulation. That would spark trouble, as a faction within high society aligned with the second consort seized the opportunity to stir things up.

…That’s right. I’d completely forgotten about that bothersome incident.

Thanks to the social season winding down with the arrival of spring, the uproar would eventually subside—but Joanne’s family and relatives would accuse Félicité of using underhanded tactics, claiming she was unfit to be queen. The accusations would even spill over to Gracian himself—people whispered that if Félicité was deceitful, could the son she bore truly be fit to serve as crown prince?

Fortunately, both Félicité and Gracian enjoyed immense public support and trust, so the damage was minimal.

Ugh… remembering this is unpleasant. Since I’ve returned to two years ago, I’ll have to hear those awful rumors again…

She prepared the water outside and entered the greenhouse.

Early spring mornings and evenings were still chilly, so boilers kept the interior warm. The air was humid and comforting.

Inside Félicité’s greenhouse grew over a dozen varieties of roses, along with many other flowers. While Joanne favored importing rare plants, Félicité loved crossbreeding, and besides roses, many unique flowers that existed nowhere else flourished here.

The hydrangeas are blooming beautifully too.

Clusters of hydrangeas formed round, colorful blossoms like little spheres. There were also several kinds of lilies and orchids—and even cacti among the rarities. Since frequent watering would kill certain cacti and orchids, Clarisse carefully watered only the other plants.

The flowers were managed so they would bloom in time for the flower-viewing gathering, making this the greenhouse’s most splendid season.

The rainbow rose that Félicité had cultivated over many years was sure to captivate everyone.

I remember Princess Wiejeny had prepared an incredibly fragrant rare flower—but it couldn’t compete with the rainbow rose.

Like her mother, Wiejeny was a collector of rare plants. Where she sourced them from was a mystery, but she grew even more unusual specimens than Joanne.

Picturing Wiejeny’s brilliant face, Clarisse gently pressed a hand to her chest.

Despite being only sixteen, Wiejeny had a mature beauty. At the flower-viewing gathering, she would appear in lavish, dazzling attire and draw every eye.

Could it be that the flower-viewing gathering was what sparked Alexis’s interest in Princess Wiejeny…?

The Wiejeny of Clarisse’s memories had been just that radiant.

I’m looking forward to the gathering—but I can’t enjoy it with a completely light heart…

With memories of the future, she knew what lay ahead—and because of that, she couldn’t fully enjoy the present or the days to come. She didn’t wish away those memories, since they were her means of avoiding death—but even so, Clarisse felt a quiet, lingering melancholy.