Chapter 32

Just three more days until the release of the fourth volume of the manga adaptation! Please look forward to it (*- -)(*_ _) *bows*

Alvis and Erina arrived at a church not far from the cemetery, accompanied by Tsery. This was the place Alvis had wanted to visit. He hadn’t expected to meet an old acquaintance of Erina’s here.

The one who welcomed them was an elderly man in priest's robes.

"Tsery? And... is that you, Lord Alvis?!"

"It's been a long time, Father Mars."

"...You've grown so much. You look completely different from back then. How have you been?"

"Yes."

Alvis shook the hand offered by Father Mars. It had been years since they last met. This church was one of the places Alvis used to visit when he sneaked out of the mansion as a child.

"Lord Alvis, this is—"

"Yes, the person I wanted you to meet. I didn’t expect that Erina’s acquaintance would be a sister here."

"I see, so the young lady Tsery used to serve was you, Lady Erina."

"Yes, my name is Erina."

After exchanging greetings, Alvis and Erina were led to a parlor in the back of the church. The church wasn’t very large. Only Tsery and Father Mars lived and worked here. Other sisters occasionally visited, but it was usually just the two of them.

"Still, it’s been so long."

"Tsery, I never thought I’d see you again... I was really surprised."

"Hehe, it’s strange to hear you speak to me like this, Lady Erina."

"That’s... well..."

Erina’s cheeks turned red with embarrassment. According to Sara, Tsery had left the mansion when Erina was still a child, a time when she was still immature and lacked proper manners. Perhaps that’s why Tsery found Erina’s current refined appearance so refreshing.

"You’ve really grown. I’m very happy."

"It’s thanks to Tsery. After you left, I thought a lot about what it means to be a noble and a member of a ducal family. I realized that people praised me because I was the duchess’s daughter. The only one who scolded me for being just Erina was you."

Alvis understood Erina’s words. As the legitimate daughter and a potential royal bride for the Lithaard ducal family, Erina had been in a privileged position from the start. Yet, she hadn’t been influenced by the previous marquis’s ideas. Her noble sensibilities were shaped by having a proper person by her side when she was young. Of course, the influence of her brother Riat and her older brother Riew might have played a role. Still, the words of others can leave a lasting impression, as they did for Alvis.

"That’s not true. I just couldn’t keep quiet about things that bothered me. And I made sure not to get caught by your mother. I was quite cunning."

"That’s true. But now I understand that it was inevitable. If my mother had found out back then, it might have been worse."

"Is it different now?"

"Yes, my mother now truly cares about me. She even apologized for the engagement cancellation."

"Your mother... I find that hard to believe."

"Tsery..."

Father Mars and Alvis exchanged smiles as they watched the two women chat. Father Mars spoke to Alvis in a low voice, leaning in close.

"Tsery said that noble life wasn’t for her and requested to leave the Lithaard ducal family."

"Is that so?"

"After leaving the Lithaard ducal family, she didn’t return home and wandered around the capital, looking for jobs. She eventually came here through an introduction. It was around the time you started attending the academy, I believe."

Alvis had left for the capital, so he never met Tsery again. She had been working at this church ever since.

"News of your time at the capital’s academy reached here, and Tsery was quite upset when she heard about it."

"...So, my reputation had spread even here."

"Of course, as the younger brother of His Majesty and with many heirs to the throne, the Lithaard ducal family held a unique position. No one imagined that you would become the crown prince, bypassing the two of them."

No one had imagined it, and Alvis certainly hadn’t dreamed of it. It took him more than half a year to truly accept everything, even as the main party involved.

"Tsery didn’t know about you either and had a lot to say."

"I wasn’t very active in society, so it’s understandable. Even after becoming the crown prince, I received many invitations, but—"

Honestly, he didn’t have the time. He prioritized learning his duties as the crown prince over pleasing the nobles. He spent more time with Erina than with them. While he received various comments from the queens and those around him, if Erina hadn’t taken action, Alvis might not have changed.

"We’ve heard that the relationship between the crown prince and princess is now good. Tsery was very happy to hear that. I think she’s pleased with this visit."

"Yes, I believe this meeting will be good for Erina as well."

Meeting a person of rumor just a day after hearing about her was unexpected. But perhaps this was just how things were meant to be.

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