…Princess, it’s been a long time.”
“It has been a while, Lady Edvard.”
The last time they had seen each other was the day Lumiere had held a small knife to her neck and threatened to die, so nearly two months had passed since their last meeting.
[He wanted to break up with me, but he wouldn’t let me go.]
Clora had been the one who showed her just how futile it had been to struggle for her love at the cost of her own life.
Perhaps because so much time had passed.
Once, Lumiere had been consumed by jealousy and resentment toward her.
But now, she felt absolutely nothing.
“Since you’ve met anyway, why don’t you have a little chat? I’m sure there are plenty of things you’d like to ask Lady Clora.”
Clora nervously grabbed the sleeve of the woman who was speaking sarcastically.
Well, who knew what a madwoman who had once become so obsessed with someone’s lover that she had risked her own life might do?
“I only came here because I had business to take care of. That business is finished, so I’ll be leaving now.”
There was no point in staying any longer when it would only make things uncomfortable for everyone.
She turned to the shop assistant.
“I’ll pay for everything now, so please pack the goods into their crates and load them onto my carriage.”
“Yes, yes, Your Highness.”
She had just finished paying and was about to turn away when—
“Being sold off to the North, yet still personally doing your own shopping. You really are quite thrifty, Princess.”
Why did this woman keep picking a fight with someone who was quietly trying to leave?
Suppressing a sigh at the annoyance, Lumiere asked,
“I don’t know who you are, but judging by how much you’ve been chattering at me, it seems you have something to say. So why don’t you just say it?”
“Ha…!”
The woman let out an incredulous laugh.
Her attitude was far too insolent for someone speaking to a Princess, but Lumiere was so accustomed to such treatment that she was hardly surprised.
“L-Lady Roselin!”
Clora hurriedly grabbed her arm to stop her, but the woman gently shook off her hand.
“I am Roselin of House Veleno. We’ve met several times, yet you don’t remember me. I’m seriously concerned about the state of your health, Your Highness.”
Roselin.
Was she the one who often stuck close to Clora and picked fights with her?
There had been so many people who had treated Lumiere carelessly that she could not be certain.
But judging from how confidently Roselin was provoking her, she was clearly quite accustomed to doing this.
‘It doesn’t matter who she is.’
What mattered was that if Lumiere let this slide, the Imperial social circles would soon be filled with rumors that the Princess had tucked her tail between her legs and run away.
“Very well. Lady Veleno, was it? I’ll give you an opportunity. Stop beating around the bush and tell me whatever it is you want to say.”
“Even if you’re going to leave, shouldn’t you apologize to Lady Edvard first?”
…Apologize?
“I feel sorry that Your Highness was not chosen by the Trobitan Duke, but after tormenting an innocent person so terribly, leaving without even asking for forgiveness—is that really proper?”
Lumiere was speechless for a moment.
The person involved had not even said a word, yet some unrelated Viscount’s daughter was standing before a Princess and lecturing her.
She quietly called out to Clora, who was fidgeting nervously beside her.
“Lady Edvard.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do I need to apologize to you?”
“…No.”
“Then do I need to ask you for forgiveness?”
“No, Your Highness. How could you…”
Clora answered in a trembling voice before lowering her head.
That was precisely how a noble lady was supposed to behave before an Imperial Princess in a society governed by social hierarchy.
Lumiere withdrew her gaze from Clora and turned back to Roselin.
“That is what she says. So how do you intend to resolve this situation?”
“Pardon…?”
“You dared to belittle the authority of a Princess by giving me such an insolent lecture. Shouldn’t you take responsibility for that?”
Before her regression, Lumiere had been someone who had completely broken down after years of abuse and oppression by the Imperial Family.
Even when a mere maid looked down on her, or when she was deliberately displayed as the ‘flower of the wall’ at every party, she could do nothing but tremble.
Even so, she had threatened Clora because she had been desperately terrified of her marriage to the Grand Duke.
…Though she probably could not have done even that if Clora had not seemed like an easy target.
Perhaps because everyone was so accustomed to seeing Lumiere unable to say a word in her own defense and simply endure whatever was done to her—
After hesitating briefly, Roselin soon regained her arrogant attitude.
“Take responsibility? Everyone knows that the person who did something wrong should apologize.”
Well, Lumiere had never once received an apology from anyone until now.
She let out a disbelieving little laugh, and Roselin continued.
“And yet you threaten me simply for speaking the truth. I’m deeply worried about the future of the Grand Duchy that will have you as its Grand Duchess.”
“The future of the Grand Duchy…”
How dare she speak of the future of the Grand Duchy in front of her?
There was no reason to listen any further.
“I suppose I’ll have to teach you some manners.”
Before she could finish speaking, Lumiere swung her hand sharply.
Smack!
A crisp sound rang through the boutique as Roselin’s face snapped to the side.
“D-Did you just hit me…?”
Roselin asked in shock, clutching her cheek.
Lumiere stared at her impassively.
“Yes. Are you finally coming to your senses?”
“H-How dare you…!”
“How dare I?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…!”
Had Roselin secretly considered Lumiere beneath her because she was a Princess who had been treated so poorly in the Imperial Palace?
“You clearly need a harsher lesson.”
She had lived this long only to hear someone dare say how dare you to her.
Lumiere struck her cheek again.
Smack!
“Your Highness!”
Roselin’s eyes narrowed sharply with indignation as she held her cheek after being struck once more.
Even after being slapped repeatedly, she was not intimidated.
Instead, she glared insolently at Lumiere.
“Let’s see how long you can keep looking at me like that.”
Lumiere swung her hand with even greater force than before.
Smack! Smack!
Every time Roselin’s head was knocked to the side, she stubbornly turned back to face Lumiere and glared at her.
As though challenging her in a battle of wills.
Lumiere was determined to break that insolent attitude.
Just as she raised her stinging palm and brought it down sharply—
“P-Princess!”
Clora threw her arms around Roselin and stepped between them.
“…What do you think you’re doing?”
Lumiere stopped her hand in midair and narrowed her eyes.
How dare she interfere while an Imperial Princess was personally punishing someone?
It was not something a woman who had lowered herself before Lumiere only moments ago should be doing.
“Y-Your Highness. I’m sure Lady Roselin has realized her mistake as well. So please, I beg you, forgive her now…”
She should be on her knees begging, yet she was telling Lumiere to forgive Roselin?
“Move.”
“Your Highness…”
“This is not something you should interfere with. So move aside.”
“But…”
“Can you not hear me?”
Clora was still hesitating uncertainly when—
“What on earth are you doing?”
A man who had suddenly appeared grabbed Lumiere firmly by the wrist.
“Trobitan Duke…?”
“Surely you’re not threatening my fiancée?”
‘Why is the Duke here…?’
Lumiere’s purple eyes trembled slightly.
Logan’s face was twisted with anger, as though he were furious to the very tips of his hair.
She stared blankly at him before suddenly remembering that Clora was here.
The day after Lumiere had been driven away to the North—
These two had spent a pleasant time together here.
A hollow laugh escaped her lips.
She suddenly realized once again just how foolish and pathetic she had been in her previous life.
You foolish Lumiere…
All this man had ever given you was cheap pity.
Why had you clung to him so desperately?
An inexplicable emptiness surged over her like a rising tide, and her voice emerged quietly.
“…Duke, let go of my hand. Now.”
“Didn’t I ask you whether you threatened my fiancée?”
“And didn’t I tell you to let go of my hand? Now.”
She glared coldly at him and twisted her wrist.
Logan tightened his grip even more and spoke through gritted teeth.
“Didn’t I clearly tell you to behave yourself back then? And yet, how could you still—!”
As a sharp, squeezing pain shot through her wrist, Lumiere let out a small groan and frowned.
“Take your hand off her.”
A large, dark figure like a shadow seized Logan’s wrist with all his strength.
