Chapter 10

On a peaceful afternoon,

I was engaged in a staring contest in a secluded corner of the castle's courtyard.

My opponent was Baron Hans, who ran a large farm, and his companions, the craftsmen. At first, we were discussing the possibility of commercializing the fruits grown on his farm as a specialty product of the Bartelink territory... or so it was supposed to be.

However, our differences in direction and opinions led to a direct confrontation.

“Princess Justine. I’ve been looking for you. There you are.”

While we were locked in a staring contest, a voice suddenly called out, and I turned around.

There stood a tall figure with ice-blue eyes that felt cold to the touch.

It was Lord Bartelink, the Margrave of the territory, and now my official fiancé, Rieu.

“Oh, Rieu! You came just in time. Listen to this, it’s terrible!”

Seizing the opportunity, I ran to him, and Hans flinched.

“That’s not fair! To get the lord on your side...”

He mumbled something from behind, but I didn’t care.

I’m the kind of woman who doesn’t hesitate to use any means to win.

“I want to create something new to enrich the territory. But Hans keeps opposing and hindering me. Isn’t that terrible?”

“Ugh... That... That’s...!”

Rieu listened to my complaint and raised an eyebrow slightly before looking at me and Hans. Then he looked at the scattered bottles around the courtyard and folded his arms.

“She says this, but what do you think?”

“W-well... It’s not entirely wrong...”

The timid man seemed to be intimidated by Rieu’s gaze and lowered his voice.

As the fourth princess of the royal family, and recently engaged to Rieu, who was rumored to be on good terms with me, he probably thought the Margrave would take his fiancée’s side and punish them.

Under normal circumstances, that might have been the case, but...

“By the way, what happened to these glass shards? It looks like a bottle or something broke...”

I was taken aback.

“Yes, that’s right. When we tried the experiment as the princess suggested, it exploded.”

Hans began to explain, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“Exploded...?”

“Yes, you see, the product the princess came up with was quite revolutionary... perhaps too revolutionary. The idea was to add a step to the fruit juice and turn it into a ‘carbonated drink.’”

Indeed, in this world, there is groundwater that contains ‘bubbly water.’ I’ve tasted it before, and it has a completely different and very delicious flavor compared to regular drinks.

Recalling what an alchemist friend had explained, “It’s natural gas from the ground dissolved in water,” I thought that if we could artificially add gas, we could create the dream carbonated juice.

“The idea is brilliant, but using magic to add gas is very difficult to control. Despite this, the princess insisted that the amount we proposed was not enough and forcibly added more gas... The bottle couldn’t handle it and exploded. That’s why I stopped her for her own safety!”

As he spoke, he seemed to be encouraged by his own words and Rieu’s silent nod, and his voice grew stronger.

“So you stopped her, did you?”

Hans nodded vigorously in response to Rieu’s question.

“Yes! It’s unacceptable to put anyone, especially the princess, at risk. So, despite the boldness, I tried to persuade her to reconsider...!”

The craftsmen around Hans also nodded deeply.

“Too reckless” and “Without experience, it’s impossible to succeed just by feeling”...

Even my lady-in-waiting, Ann, who usually accompanies me, had tried to stop me, saying it was bound to fail and was too dangerous, which is why I had chosen to conduct the experiment today during my day off.

（Oh no, the situation is turning against me!）

As I took a step back, feeling the disapproving eyes of those around me...

“Princess Justine, the other party’s argument is correct. At least until the safety is guaranteed, this matter is on hold.”

“Oh no! Really?!”

I was taken aback, having expected Rieu to unconditionally support me.

...No, let’s be honest.

I didn’t really expect much from the start.

Lord Bartelink, who is always fair and impartial, treats everyone equally, regardless of whether they are close or not. ...Hmph!

As soon as Rieu spoke, Hans and the craftsmen quickly packed up their experimental equipment and left before I could start throwing a tantrum.

“Ugh, Rieu isn’t on my side...”

“Of course, I am on your side. That’s why I’m trying to make sure you don’t go down a dangerous path.”

Even when I glared at him resentfully, he remained cool and collected.

He could be a bit more indulgent!

“Still, why did you participate in the experiment? Wouldn’t correspondence have been enough?”

“Because I wanted to see the results directly and give my opinion on the spot.”

“...And you were too close to the baron. If someone saw you here, it could lead to misunderstandings.”

Huh? Isn’t that a bit of a nitpick?

Sure, Hans is still single and probably in his late twenties, but we weren’t having a private meeting, and no one would suspect anything between us.

As I raised my head to retort, I noticed that Rieu, who usually doesn’t show much emotion, seemed to be in a bad mood.

（...Did I overstep a bit?）

Even though I am a princess, this is his territory and his castle.

He might not have been happy that I started experiments and product development without permission. I decided to change the atmosphere.

“Oh, what’s this? Are you jealous?”

I teased him lightly.

I expected him to give me his usual exasperated look and end the conversation, but...

“Maybe I am?”

（...What?!）

Did I hear that right?

But, it might be better not to delve too deeply into this topic...

“Anyway, you were looking for me, right? Is there something you need?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve managed to secure a special seat for the play you’ve been wanting to see. Would you like to go?”

My eyes lit up.

“Really? You said it was in a distant city and I couldn’t go, but now it’s possible?”

“No, I have business and can’t go. But you should enjoy it.”

So, Rieu isn’t going with me.

I really wanted to see the play, but for some reason, it suddenly seemed less appealing.

As I was about to say, “Then I don’t want to go,” he added more.

“It’s not a day trip, so why don’t you stay there for a few days, or even a week, and relax?”

There was nothing unusual about his additional words.

But something felt off.

Even if it was a special seat for a play I wanted to see, would a busy lord go out of his way to find and tell me?

“...Do you want me to be gone?”

“Of course not. That’s not true.”

He said this while avoiding my gaze.

It was a subtle gesture that someone unfamiliar with him might not notice, but I am not unfamiliar with him.

“Rieu?”

“...It’s not a big deal, but...”

Rieu reluctantly spoke.

“Just a moment ago, I received word that my maternal aunt, Countess Drika Klaaf, is coming here.”