Chapter 6

"Look, it's just the perfect season for all the flowers to be in full bloom. Since they are in such fine bloom, don't you think it would be a waste not to see them?"

"…Not really."

Garnet linked her arm with Lazulis to prevent him from running away, and they proceeded through the beautifully maintained garden. The little prince, seemingly displeased at being dragged out, turned his face away with a huff.

— Meals, exercise, sunbathing… and, of course, sufficient sleep.

Garnet had gathered information about Lazulis's lifestyle up until now. The information she had collected was enough to make her hold her head in her hands. Prince Lazulis de Genoa was living an extremely unhealthy life.

First, he hardly ever left the palace. It seemed he never went out for walks, leading a life of seclusion that was surprising in its extent. In the silent and still building, he spent his free time reading books. According to the servants, he often stayed up late because he was so engrossed in his reading.

— They say a good night's sleep helps a child grow, so that's something I need to check. And…

Most importantly, he was a picky eater with a very small appetite. It was so small that the amount he ate for breakfast this morning was less than what a rabbit would eat. No wonder he was smaller than his age suggested.

Sighing secretly at the chaos of her fiancé's life, Garnet thought to herself,

— The biggest problem is that the prince, who is the king's legitimate heir, is left in such a state…

Lazulis was not an illegitimate child who couldn't be shown in public. He was a legitimate prince, born to the previous queen. However, that might be the biggest issue.

The mother of the second prince, Lazulis—Queen Mireille—was originally the daughter of a small viscount's family. The story of how the then-prince, now king, met her by chance during a tour of the region and fell in love with her is well-known. Despite the social gap and opposition from those around them, the king did not yield. With a strong will, he made Mireille his only queen.

However, they did not have children for a long time. As time passed, the pressure from those around them increased, and with Mireille's persuasion, the king took in a daughter from a powerful marquess's family as his second queen. This was the current queen, Queen Eleanne, the mother of Narcissus.

Queen Eleanne gave birth to a child first. A few years later, Queen Mireille also had a child, but she passed away from an epidemic when her son, Lazulis, was still young. After Mireille's death, Queen Eleanne became the queen.

On one side, there was the first prince, the son of the queen with strong backing. On the other side, there was the second prince, born to a low-ranking queen, with no support.

It was clear which side the nobles would choose, more obvious than seeing a fire.

The king, who lost Queen Mireille, mourned and grieved as if the world had ended, and he has yet to recover from the deep despair. Now, he leaves the governance to the queen and his ministers, spending his days immersed in memories of music and opera with Mireille. Even Lazulis, who shares Mireille's blood, did not interest the king.

Meanwhile, Queen Eleanne, now the queen, controls the country like a queen. Originally a candidate for the current king's fiancée, she suffered the humiliation of having the queen's position taken by a viscount's daughter. Lazulis, to her, is a thorn in her side, a source of deep resentment. Of course, there was no touching and loving upbringing as a substitute mother.

Thus, the poor second prince, left alone, lived a lonely life in the dimly lit palace, ignored by everyone.

— But now that I'm his fiancée, I won't let things continue as they have. He must grow into a prince that everyone recognizes.

While admiring the beautiful flowers and talking to Lazulis, Garnet made this resolve.

After walking around the nearby garden, Lazulis sighed, as if relieved that it was finally over.

"Phew, that's enough. I'm going back to my room."

"What will you do in your room?"

"Read."

"Then, let's go to the greenhouse over there. Come on, go get a book."

"What, why!?"

— I have to push, push, and push… Yes, I must correct the prince's chaotic lifestyle while I have this momentum.

The plan has just begun. Garnet has no intention of giving up. Lazulis, realizing that Garnet was not going to back down, reluctantly went to get a book. And so, Garnet led the little prince to the greenhouse for the next phase of her plan.