Chapter 21

Translated by XyeHeart Edited by XyeHeart

Meriel removed the veil that had been covering her face because there were no other customers in the shop.

“Perhaps you’re…Grand Duchess?”

She asked, covering her mouth, and shouted as if she was delighted to see me.

“My name is Meriel Chrysilla, and I am delighted to meet you.” Meriel smiled in response.

She felt a sense of welcome and deep trust the moment she saw her, just as she did with Bran.

Meriel was well aware that she was no ordinary shopkeeper. She felt the same way about her as she did about Bran.

“Klaus…ahmm…what I mean is…I assumed she’d accompany the Grand Duke. Eirin Kensi is my name.”

Meriel rolled her eyes because she had clearly called Klaus’s name before.

“I’m curious, what kind of relationship do you have with the Grand Duke and Bran…can you tell me?” Meriel inquired cheerfully.

Meriel sat in her chair, which was propped up against the bar. The long chairs and sleek tables made her feel as if she were in a bar.

“She’s a childhood friend of ours.”

Instead, Bran shook Eirin’s hand and responded. Eirin’s pretty face smiled softly.

“I was fortunate to have friends such as the Grand Duke and the Knight Commander.”

“Oh, I’m interested in that story.”

Meriel was pleased with how the two of them were gently enveloping the air.

Eirin was a stunning young lady.

Meriel can’t believe she owns a store in such an obscure location. She was dressed like a butler, with her coveted blonde hair tied back in an all-black tie and a flawless bow tie.

“I was born into a family that was staunchly opposed to the Grand Duke.” Eirin said this as she poured water into a teapot to make Meriel a cup of tea.

Bran, the knight commander, was the son of Baron Holio, a Dustin loyalist from generation to generation. Meriel considered Eirin, the store’s owner, who comes from a similar family.

As she drew out the tea leaves, Eirin smiled cheerfully.

“My father’s name is Sebastian, and he is the butler at the Palace of the Grand Duke.”

“Really?”

“Do you think I’m fooling the Grand Duchess with something like this? So, by all means, express yourself.”

Eirin took her opulent teacup from her bag and placed it on the table. She then took out an antique beer bottle and handed it to Bran.

“I’m not allowed to drink because I’m escorting her.”

“Oh.”

It seemed to be a habit for him to come with Klaus. Meriel leaned against the table, her eyes fixed on Bran. Bran flinched in response to the piercing stare.

“Why are you staring at me like that, Your Grace?”

“Can’t you see?”

“What exactly do you mean, Your Grace?”

“Do you mind if I ask you a question, Commander?”

“Yes.”

Meriel inquired after hearing Eirin’s story about what piqued her interest the most.

“How old are you? How can you three be childhood friends?”

As Bran’s face hardened, Eirin, who was pouring tea, burst out laughing.

“Do you mean I appeared too old, Your Grace?”

“In comparison to the Grand Duke and Eirin, no…”

“The Grand Duke is a lot younger than me.”

“So, are you the same age as Eirin?”

“……”

“I beg you, please tell me no.”

When Meriel said with a serious face, Bran shut his mouth.

Meriel bursts into laughter at him as she grabs her belly. Eirin, across from her, wiped away her tears and clapped her hands.

“You just brought up Bran’s complex. That’s fantastic, Grand Duchess.”

“Isn’t that how innocent he is?”

Bran didn’t have a pale complexion. He had a friendly demeanor that contrasted with his bulk. He was only being buried in comparison to Klaus because he looked so good. There was also Eirin’s appearance.

After she burst out laughing, Erin offered her a cup of tea. The sweet-scented tea tasted better than any other tea she’d ever tried.

“I didn’t know what kind of tea you liked, so I chose the most relaxing one.”

“I like to drink anything,” she replied, smiling.

It was the moment Meriel took up the teacup. The store’s door opened, and a familiar man walked in.

“What brings you here?” she asked, surprised.

There were few men in Grant who Meriel would recognize.

Klaus, Bran, and Sebastian were among the few people she knew who knew each other. But the man who looked surprised when he saw her was also someone she recognized. Kiyan was his name, and he had plain brown hair.

“What brings Kiyan here?” she asked again.

He appears to have returned from the inspection. Maybe he came here because he didn’t want to make a scene, but his clothes were filthy.

‘You didn’t even stop by the palace before coming here?’

She was in a strange state of distress.

“What’s the matter with you? I haven’t seen you in quite some time… Are you on your way to exterminate another bug?” Meriel inquired as she pointed out his filthy attire.

Kiyan smiled warmly as he sat down next to Bran.

She was feeling even worse.

Why does he have to sit next to Bran when she has an empty seat next to her?

‘What, you want me to sit next to him?’ she thought to herself gloomily.

Meriel struggled to shake her strange mood and leaned out to see him, who was obscured by Bran.

“Kiyan?”

“That’s correct. I’m on my way to the capital.”

“Oh, all right.”

He still refused to identify himself as Grand Duke. He lied to make excuses. It wasn’t a pleasant thing to hear for Meriel, who was well aware that he was the Grand Duke.

“Kiyan is also familiar with this location.”

“I have followed the Grand Duke on several occasions.”

“I came here for the first time today,” she said, smiling but her eyes are not.

“……”

“……”

“It’s a place that the Grand Duke likes to visit.” he added awkwardly.

“Yes. He haven’t taken me to a place like this before” she quietly added.

Meriel raised her head, her arms outstretched. She drank tea, which helped her cool down in moderation.

Not only Kiyan, but also Eirin and Bran exchanged glances. Meriel drank tea slowly in front of their eyes.

She could clearly feel hot tea running down her throat.

She made a sound with her teacup and turned to face Kiyan, who was looking at her.

“Aren’t you a little disappointed?”

Kiyan’s mouth opened slightly, a surprised expression on his face.

Eirin couldn’t help but look at Meriel and Kiyan alternately, and Bran, who was caught in the middle of them, swallowed his own saliva.

“He had a childhood friend, but he never introduced me to her.”

“No, it most likely would not have been possible.”

“Yes, he’s always busy.” she agreed quietly.

“I think it must have been an official introduction. Are you aware of how much the Grand Duke adores you?”

Meriel slowly rose from her seat as she noticed Kiyan spitting out his excuses in embarrassment.

She could eat anything, but the tea tasted bitter to her. It was a flavor that reflected her current state.

“I have to go.”

“Princess!”

She waved to Eirin and walked out the door to the store.

They appeared to be discussing the current situation with the three of them, as he didn’t even come up with Bran to follow her. She had the distinct impression that she was the only one who had been left out.

He has been known to them since he was a child.

Meriel didn’t have such friends.

In the first place, she had no one to call her friends.

So far, Meriel’s closest companions have been the flower in the flower garden and the butterfly that flies infrequently.

It appeared that a lovely love story between Eirin and her childhood friend could be written.

‘Was that Kiyan’s way of expressing his pitiful feelings?’

‘I don’t resemble Eirin at all.’

It had to do with the owner’s and butler’s relationship. Despite the difficulty, he did not appear to have a personality that could not achieve what he desired.

Meriel realized it wasn’t Eirin he was achingly longing for.

Even so, something didn’t feel quite right.

Despite knowing she was in the palace, he went to the store where Eirin was instead of the Great Siege.

She wasn’t the first for him.

“Perhaps not!”

She still felt bad. The fact that she wasn’t the first.

“Princess!”

As she walked down the alley from the store, she heard a voice calling her.

She sensed his embarrassment and regret.

Kiyan wrinkled his brow and pursued her.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You appear to be upset.”

“Do you have that feeling?”

“Yes, and I know you’re angry.”

Meriel came to a halt and faced Kiyan. Kiyan, who was chasing her, cringed and came to a halt.

He paused what he was saying and stared at her when he came face to face with her.

Meriel kept feeling bad and upset, and she was at a loss for what to do. These sensations were both familiar and strange at the same time.

“I felt as if I’ve met the Grand Duke’s secret lover.”

“Lover…? Are you talking about Eirin?”

Kiyan’s face was distorted, as if he had overheard something unpleasant.

“It appears that there is a misunderstanding… No, it’s a total misunderstanding.”

“I understand.”

“What?”

“I told you I thought I saw something like that. I know it shouldn’t be, but it is. I’m the only one who doesn’t know what everyone else knows… and I feel frustrated.”

“There will come a time when the Grand Duke will introduce you properly. The princess has no reason to be upset.”

“Perhaps so, but…”

She was aware that she was whining. Despite the fact that she was aware Kiyan was the Grand Duke, she was fighting against herself.

“I just felt sad and upset.”

It was a sincere statement. Meriel turned around and hurried her steps as she said this.

He was no longer following.

A little further away, there have been the Grand Duke’s carriage parked.

Meriel climbed into the waiting carriage, cursing Kiyan, who hadn’t caught or chased her.

She was simply frustrated.

“What the hell am I doing?”

She didn’t know why, but it didn’t make her feel any better. When she returned alone in the rumbling carriage, it didn’t bother him at all.

“I’ve been waiting for you to return from the inspection, but the moment you get back, you go to your childhood friend,” she mumbled sadly.

It was then that she noticed her reflection in the passing window.

“Ah?”

The Grand Duke’s Palace and Grant’s bustling streets were both nearby. The impregnable palace, standing tall, was not far away by carriage. She was preoccupied with something else, so she should have returned by now.

“Where are we going, Sir?”

Meriel asked as she knocks in her driver’s seat. There was no response.

The carriage’s interior was decorated in the same manner as the carriage itself. It was obviously the carriage she was riding in.

“Sir?”

With one more call, the carriage began to move even faster.

It seemed to keep her from jumping off the wagon because she was feeling strange. She wouldn’t be ruined if she jumped, even if she was seriously injured.

‘What is this…? No, don’t tell me…’

Translator’s Note:

I’m tempted to cut this chapter in half. It has over 10,000 characters and is far too long. *sigh

I’d like to express my gratitude to Cynthia for sponsoring this chapter.

Read only at Travis Translations