ITMFYWCLBU 12

The one Alexis apprehended was one of Joanne’s ladies-in-waiting.

The maid was dragged before Gracian by Alexis, and naturally, the matter was also reported to Félicité. As a result, Clarisse and the other attendants received a mild scolding from the queen.

“You mustn’t do anything dangerous anymore, all right?”

Félicité seemed to have sensed that the attendants were up to something. Rather than angry, she looked more exasperated than anything else.

However, though they had caught Joanne’s maid, the woman insisted that “I came to check on the greenhouse because I heard a noise”. Joanne herself claimed that, with the Flower-viewing gathering approaching, she had ordered her attendants to make rounds to ensure nothing happened to the flowers.

In the end, since no one had actually witnessed her damaging the flowers, she could not be charged with any crime.

The greenhouse had been dark, and it seemed she hadn’t seen what Clarisse and Alexis were about to do at the time—which, at least, was a small mercy. Still, it was infuriating that after finally catching someone, they couldn’t hold her accountable for anything.

That said, the king appeared to have taken something from the incident to heart. He issued orders for the greenhouse area to be guarded until the Flower-viewing gathering, so it was unlikely that Félicité’s flowers would be harmed again.

Today, with the gathering set for tomorrow, Clarisse and the other attendants were working together to transport the flowers to the front courtyard, which would serve as the venue.

In addition to the seven pots—led by the rainbow rose—that had been sheltered in Félicité’s chambers, they carefully selected ten more pots from the flowers that had survived in the greenhouse. Seventeen pots in total were carried out.

The rainbow rose was placed in the most eye-catching position, and the others were arranged around it, shifted little by little until the overall balance looked most beautiful.

“Shall we swap the lily on the right with the rose-lily diagonally to the left?”

Félicité gave instructions while surveying the whole arrangement. After moving the pots several times, she nodded in satisfaction.

“That will do. Now, let’s decorate.”

Since the display platforms could be freely adorned, Clarisse and the others decorated them with ribbons and ornaments they had brought.

As they worked amid cheerful chatter, Wiejeny arrived at the opposite stand, accompanied by her attendants. Joanne disliked coming face-to-face with Félicité, so she would likely arrive only after Félicité had left. Her daughter, however, paid no mind to such things and carried herself boldly.

“Good day, Your Majesty.”

Despite being only sixteen, Wiejeny greeted them with a poised, mature smile.

“Good day, Princess Wiejeny. Oh my—your flowers are quite rare.”

Wiejeny enjoyed collecting unusual flowers from foreign lands. The ones being carried in now were indeed seldom seen in Robelius.

“Yes, I adore rare flowers. I’m not skilled at cultivating new varieties like Your Majesty, so whenever I find something I like, I have it brought in.”

After the exchange of greetings, Wiejeny began directing her attendants as they arranged her flowers.

Clarisse glanced at Wiejeny’s back and quietly pressed a hand to her chest.

…She truly is beautiful.

Pink-beige hair, large brown eyes. Unlike Clarisse, who was slightly shorter than the average woman, Wiejeny was tall and slender, her figure perfectly balanced.

At sixteen, she was already this striking. At eighteen—two years from now—Wiejeny had been truly breathtaking.

No wonder Alexis fell for her…

In addition to her beauty, Wiejeny was intelligent. Rumor had it that she actively involved herself in matters of governance.

Since Gracian was the crown prince, it was unlikely she would ever become queen—but as a member of the royal family meant to lead the nation, her pride and sense of responsibility were exceptional.

And unlike the gentle Prince Gracian, she has a fierce temperament.

Just as she had mercilessly killed Clarisse in the future to claim Alexis, she showed no leniency toward the weak.

Clarisse knew that, at present, there was no connection at all between Wiejeny and Alexis—but merely seeing her face made her heart ache.

She caught herself thinking pointless thoughts: that if Wiejeny had never existed, she might have lived happily married to Alexis in the future.

I plan to break up with him anyway… so why can’t I stop thinking about Alexis?

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop.

Ever since the incident in the greenhouse, things between Clarisse and Alexis had felt strained.

Whether Alexis regretted having been forceful or not, whenever he saw Clarisse, he looked at her with troubled eyes, his brows drawn in apology.

Clarisse, too, found herself afraid of him since then, unable to look him properly in the face.

Even during the morning and evening carriage rides, awkward silence often filled the space. Alexis no longer tried to close the distance so insistently.

If small cracks continued to form between them, perhaps even Alexis—who insisted he would never break up—might eventually give in.

That should have been a relief for Clarisse.

And yet… somehow, she felt she wouldn’t be happy even then.

How do you make yourself hate someone you love…?

Even with memories of being betrayed and hurt in the future, why couldn’t she truly hate him?

“Clarisse, could you fetch the cream-colored ribbon?”

When Bruette spoke, Clarisse leaned over the basket of ribbons—and froze.

Gracian was walking toward them from the direction of the castle.

“Oh, how splendid this looks.”

He approached with a cheerful smile, and beside him was Alexis.

Alexis noticed Clarisse and narrowed his blue eyes gently, though with a hint of unease.

As Gracian began chatting with Félicité, Alexis slowly walked over to Clarisse.

“Need any help?”

“…No. We’re just finishing the decorations.”

Unable to meet his gaze, Clarisse answered while looking down.

“I see,” Alexis murmured regretfully—

—and then a voice called out from behind him.

“Oh? In that case, could you help me? These pots are quite heavy.”

It was Wiejeny.

Alexis turned at the sound of her voice.

Clarisse instinctively looked up—just in time to see Alexis smiling gently at Wiejeny.

Her heart clenched painfully.

It felt as though it were grinding like an old hinge that hadn’t been oiled in years—an unfamiliar, aching discomfort.

Her chest felt tight. Grabbing a cream-colored ribbon from the basket, Clarisse turned on her heel as if fleeing.

“Bruette, is this the one?”

Behind her, she could hear Alexis responding to Wiejeny’s request for help.

If she didn’t force her attention away, she felt she might burst into tears at any moment. Desperately, Clarisse tried to push the presence of Alexis and Wiejeny out of her mind.

“Yes, that’s it. Hold the end for me—…wait, what’s wrong? You look awful.”

Lowering her voice, Bruette studied Clarisse’s face.

Clarisse managed a stiff smile and slowly shook her head.

“It’s nothing. I think I just got some dust in my eye.”

“…Are you sure?”

Bruette glanced behind Clarisse and frowned slightly.

“Clarisse, if you’re worried about His Highness and the princess, I could speak to Her Majesty—”

“It’s fine.”

Behind her, Wiejeny and Alexis might have been getting along well enough to make Bruette frown. Clarisse didn’t want to look—couldn’t—so she shook her head again.

“But the princess is being rather forward. Ordering Alexis around right in front of you… and they’re awfully close. Alexis looks troubled. You should help him.”

“It’s really fine.”

What would it accomplish, anyway?

Even if she separated them now, in the end—two years from now—they would still become lovers.

And Clarisse had already decided to break up with Alexis.

It’s pointless…

If they were destined to be together someday, interfering now would change nothing.

And besides, if she planned to leave him, it didn’t matter who her fiancé was close to.

It doesn’t matter… so there’s no reason to be sad, Clarisse.

No matter how much she told herself that, emotions were never so easily controlled.

Someone… please tell me how to hate a person.

If she couldn’t do that, then she wished her heart would simply freeze solid.