Chapter 64

In a small town, a carriage adorned with the royal emblem, which one might see only once in a lifetime, was a familiar sight. However, when it stopped in front of his shop, the shopkeeper was taken aback. Stumbling, he hurried out to the front of the store, gasping for breath as he stared in disbelief at the ornate carriage door slowly opening.

Then, the person who stepped out—the figure of the Crown Princess—made the shopkeeper kneel and bow his head in a hurry.

He knew the Crown Princess was staying in this town, but she was, after all, a figure far above the clouds. When the Crown Prince arrived in town, the shopkeeper had joined the welcoming crowd and managed to catch a glimpse of her from a distance, but he never imagined she would come so close, let alone to his own shop. To be honest, he couldn't even recognize her face from that distance. However, the woman who stepped out of the carriage was undeniably charming and exuded the grace of a Crown Princess.

"I'm sorry to intrude so suddenly. I see I've surprised you, but could you please stand up? I want to do some shopping here and would like to hear about your items. Is that all right?"

"O-of course, y-yes, s-sir!"

The shopkeeper, intimidated by the dignified demeanor of the Crown Princess, who was different from the usual Lilith, could only stammer. Lilith smiled to calm him down. Her friendly smile usually captivated most people.

"I heard that one of our people bought some postcards here. They said the variety was excellent and that the other souvenirs were also lovely. Indeed, everything here is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Y-yes! Thank you very much!"

As the Crown Princess looked around the store and spoke cheerfully, the shopkeeper bent so low that his head almost touched his knees. Indeed, a few knights had visited the shop before the Crown Prince and his party left for Bummini, and even then, he had been nervous. Now, he was even more so. However, unlike the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess seemed approachable. The shopkeeper, standing a bit away from her, observed her as she happily picked up and examined the items.

Could this really be the "Red Reaper's" consort? He had heard that she had fallen ill after offending the Crown Prince in Bummini and had returned to this town to recuperate. However, the sight of her chatting amiably with a young attendant while holding the items didn't match the rumors. The expressions of the guard knights watching over them were also gentle.

"Who painted these postcards?"

"Huh? ...Ah, y-yes! These paintings are by my—my brother!"

"Really? They are all so beautiful! I can't decide which one to choose... The mountain range of the Hottar Mountains is lovely, and this Usuyuki flower is also hard to pass up... Reese, look! This goat painting reminds me of Freud's stubborn goat, doesn't it?"

"True! But, to send it to the Crown Prince, that goat painting might be..."

"On the contrary, I think it's funny. I'm sure the Crown Prince will laugh."

"Really!? You're sending it to the Crown Prince!? The postcard!?"

The shopkeeper knew it was impolite to speak out, but he couldn't help it. The Crown Princess didn't get angry at his loud exclamation but smiled and nodded.

"Yes. My health has improved a lot, and I want to let the Crown Prince know. I insisted on being brought here, but I caused trouble by falling ill. I'm sure he's worried about me. But I thought it would be fun to send him a postcard from this town every day until we return to the palace, to let him know how I'm doing. I'm sure he'll enjoy this idea. He has a good sense of humor."

The shopkeeper and the guard knights were surprised by the Crown Princess's words. Moreover, the voice of the Crown Princess, who was standing near the entrance, was unexpectedly loud. It seemed to have been heard by the people gathered outside the shop, causing a murmur.

Thus, the commotion over the Crown Princess spread to the delivery office and quickly throughout the town of Toisen. It became clear that the Crown Prince had not treated the Crown Princess coldly. On the contrary, he seemed to be quite concerned and caring.

The next day, a young attendant of the Crown Princess, accompanied by a guard knight, appeared at the delivery office. The surprised staff received a postcard from the Crown Princess to the Crown Prince, similar to the one from the previous day. The content, which they couldn't help but read, was about a trivial daily matter—how delicious the dinner at the inn the previous night had been.

"Most likely, we will come again tomorrow. The Crown Princess wants to tell the Crown Prince about her daily activities... Thank you very much."

"Y-yes..."

Leaving the stunned staff, the young attendant, Reese, headed to a craft store. The handkerchief for embroidery, which Lilith had bought the previous day, saying, "I'll give it to the Crown Prince as a gift," was still fresh in her mind. Reese suppressed a smile and then asked the female shopkeeper.

"Do you have silk embroidery threads in masculine colors like blue or green?"

"Masculine, you say?"

"Yes, that's right. The Crown Princess wants to do some embroidery while she's here and would like to give something to the Crown Prince."

"To the Crown Prince?"

"Of course. They are still newlyweds, and being apart is making the Crown Princess very lonely. The Crown Prince is also very worried about her, as she is not in the best of health. They are a wonderful couple... I'm sorry, I've talked too much."

"N-no! Not at all!"

"Is that so? Then, about the embroidery threads..."

"Ah, yes! They are right here!"

Thus, Reese's somewhat exaggerated words quickly spread throughout the town of Toisen. Of course, this new rumor didn't stay in Toisen but spread like the wind throughout the empire.