Chapter 45

"Whaa..."

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Tiara Rose’s consciousness gradually awoke from her drowsiness. It must be morning, but her tired body wouldn’t move as she wished. Just as she thought that, she realized she couldn’t move because of the firmly wrapped arms around her, and she smiled wryly.

The one snoring soundly behind her, hugging her, was Aquasteed.

--He usually wakes up before me, how unusual.

She turned her body around in the bed to face Aquasteed. His eyes, which usually looked at Tiara Rose, were now tightly closed.

--He has such long eyelashes.

Seeing his well-defined face still made her heart race. She loved him so much. She whispered it in her heart and moved closer to Aquasteed, trying to go back to sleep—until Keith’s voice startled her awake.

"Here are the flowers."

"K-K-Kieth!! Why are you in the bedroom—kyah!"

"..."

Just as Tiara Rose was about to ask in a panic, she was pulled back into the bed by the now-awake Aquasteed. Then, she was covered with the sheets, making it impossible to see anything.

She tried to wriggle out, but Aquasteed held her down, preventing her from moving.

Without hiding his displeasure, Aquasteed glared at Keith.

"Is it that the prince of this country isn’t an absolute ruler?"

"I won’t back down when it comes to Tiara."

"Hmph. That’s true."

Chuckling, Keith threw a bag to Aquasteed. In it was the sugar he had diligently collected from Tiara Rose’s flowers. The smooth sugar was undoubtedly of the highest quality in the country—no, in the world.

"Can you wait in the other room until she’s done changing? Only I am allowed to see Tiara."

"Damn, what a selfish prince. Fine, I’ll have some tea and wait."

--What, the conversation is already moving forward on its own!

Hearing only the voices from under the sheets, Tiara Rose sighed in relief that nothing had happened, but her face grew hot at Aquasteed’s possessiveness.

"Tiara, your face is red."

"It’s because of you, Aquasteed..."

When Aquasteed removed the sheets from Tiara Rose’s head, a cute, blushing face was revealed. He chuckled and gently kissed her, saying good morning.

◇ ◇ ◇

"So, the person you like is Tiara’s maid?"

"Please, no more, Your Highness Keith..."

When Tiara Rose and Aquasteed finished getting ready and went to Keith, they found him talking to an excellent aide. He must have been caught by Keith, but he was being teased to the point of tears.

Sitting on the sofa and drinking tea, Tiara Rose was more interested in the conversation.

"Did Elliot like Filene?"

"......I will remain silent."

"Um... I’m sorry."

Hearing Elliot’s gloomy answer, Tiara Rose realized she had been rejected.

--Come to think of it, I’ve never asked Filene who she likes...

Elliot was very capable and had a good face. While his commoner status was a concern, Tiara Rose personally thought that a future where the two could be together was not impossible.

If one only cared about his commoner status, it was possible for him to earn a title as Aquasteed’s right-hand man. However, Filene wouldn’t reject someone just based on their status. She could have consulted Tiara, so Tiara thought she must have been rejected for other reasons.

"I don’t need to apologize... Ah, the flowers you brought, Your Highness Keith, are planted in a dedicated garden. There are guards, so no one can intrude."

"That’s more than necessary... But thank you."

Tiara Rose thanked Elliot and sat down on the sofa with Aquasteed. Soon, Filene brought a simple breakfast, but there was nothing unusual about her.

Ignoring all of this, Keith began to explain about the flowers.

"The sugar from Tiara’s flowers, as I gave you earlier. Also, a very small amount of honey can be collected from the flowers."

"I see."

"And the petals can be eaten. They are slightly sweet."

--Amazing, maybe we can make new sweets.

Hearing Keith’s words, Tiara Rose felt excited. Her eyes sparkled, and she was completely focused on the flowers Keith had brought.

Gently taking the flower, Aquasteed placed it in Tiara Rose’s hair. The large flower was perfect as an accessory.

"Of course, it’s Tiara’s flower. It’s just like her, sweet in every way."

"! No one calls me sweet except for you, Aquasteed..."

Touching the flower he had placed, Tiara Rose’s cheeks turned a light pink.

From Keith’s perspective, watching from the sofa, he wanted to say, "Do that somewhere else!" But he couldn’t help it because he also liked watching Tiara Rose.

Reluctantly, he cut the conversation short and changed the topic to the beach.

"Anyway, I’ve brought all the trees from the beach. All that’s left is to clean up the damaged beach."

"Thanks, Keith."

"I appreciate it. We’ll mobilize our people to clean up the beach."

"Alright, I’ll leave it to you."

The beach, used to stop the tsunami, was now full of holes and large rocks and coral from the ocean floor.

Fortunately, there was no trash, so it shouldn’t take too long to clean up.

"I’ll go, and Tiara will wait at the castle."

"Huh?"

Hearing Aquasteed’s words, Tiara Rose, who had intended to go with them, shook her head. She had been involved from the beginning and couldn’t just leave the final cleanup to others.

"No way. Tiara will use the flowers to make sweets and wait."

"But... I want to be the first to taste them. If they’re ready, you can bring them to the beach."

--Mmm. A new creation can’t be made so easily.

Aquasteed didn’t want to take Tiara Rose, who was tired, on a physically demanding task like beach cleanup. Of course, her fatigue was a significant reason.

--But, I can tell he’s worried about me.

Moreover, she realized that she would be a burden if she went. She concluded that it was better to wait and decided to make delicious sweets to deliver when the work was done.

◇ ◇ ◇

When Aquasteed gathered the knights and set out, Tiara Rose was in her private kitchen, pondering what kind of sweets to make.

The materials to use were the sugar, honey, and petals collected from Tiara’s flowers. Of course, other existing ingredients could be used as well.

To taste, Tiara Rose put a petal in her mouth.

Immediately, a sweet and gentle flavor spread throughout her mouth. Although it wasn’t intensely sweet, she thought the gentle flavor would be good for long-term consumption.

"What about candy?"

If so, it could be enjoyed in the mouth while doing something else.

Tiara Rose put the sugar collected from the flowers into a small pot. She added water and put it on the fire, but then she remembered the blessing of the sea she had received.

This is the power of the sea, i.e., water. She might imagine seawater, but it was possible to create ordinary water as well.

Placing both hands on the pot, Tiara Rose searched for the magic within herself and cast a water spell.

"Water that matches the finest sugar, here..."

In response to Tiara Rose’s voice, water overflowed and mixed with the sugar in the pot.

"I did it, it worked!"

Since she rarely used magic, she was purely excited and danced around. No one was watching, so there was no problem. She reassured herself and slowly stirred the mixture over the fire. As she gradually added honey, it began to sparkle. It felt like she was making magical sweets, Tiara Rose thought.

When it turned a beautiful golden color, she placed the candy on the petals, wrapped them, and cooled them to complete the process.

"Yes. It’s simple, but I think it turned out well."

Just as Tiara Rose nodded in satisfaction, Filene appeared to check on her. She smiled and looked at the completed rock candy.

"But, it’s a bit of a waste to eat. It’s beautifully made, Lady Tiara Rose."

"Thank you, Filene. I think everyone is at the beach, so let’s deliver them."

"Ah. Waiting for Prince Aquasteed to return here—Lady Tiara Rose wouldn’t do that, would she?"

Filene smiled wryly and arranged the carriage.

They immediately set off for the beach, but the conversation on the way was, of course, about Elliot.

"I think Elliot is a good person, but..."

"Well, that’s true, but..."

While nodding in response to Tiara Rose’s question, Filene smiled in a troubled way.

"He’s too good for me. Besides, I’ve received a marriage proposal from my father."

"Is that so..."

--She doesn’t dislike Elliot.

However, if she had received a marriage proposal from her parents, it would be difficult for her to reciprocate Elliot’s feelings, Tiara Rose thought.

Filene’s family was a baron’s family. While she served as Tiara Rose’s maid, she had the option to marry and become a happy bride. Some even returned to service after their marriage life settled.

A heavy silence filled the carriage, and when they realized it, they had already arrived at the beach in Aisira’s mansion.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Aquasteed!"

"Tiara! I didn’t expect you to come so soon."

Smiling wryly, Aquasteed, who was giving instructions to the knights, warmly welcomed Tiara Rose. Next to him, Clayre was absentmindedly watching the beach being cleaned up. She wasn’t in her usual female disguise, but the air around her made it clear she was the Fairy King Clayre.

"Clayre."

"Even with all the rocks, this place is beautiful, Tiara Rose."

"...Yes. This is Pearl’s sea, so it can’t be dirty."

Clayre smiled at Tiara Rose’s immediate agreement. She was confident that this child wouldn’t misuse Pearl’s blessing. Nodding, Clayre was about to ask if the sweets were ready when—

A strange phenomenon occurred in the sea.

A beam of light shot up from the deep sea like a fountain.

The knights working stopped and were captivated by the fantastical sight. Only Clayre understood what was happening.

"Could it be...?"

Clayre’s eyes widened as she watched the overflowing light.

It turned into a spray and rained down on the beach, gently enveloping everything.

"Clayre, what is this...?"

In response to Aquasteed’s question, Clayre quietly shook her head. In a small voice, she said, "Stupid," but Tiara Rose clearly heard it.

The sparkling light cleaned the beach. The sand, mixed with pebbles, turned back to a pristine white, and the large rocks returned to the sea. The coral that had been washed ashore transformed into an object, creating a new and fitting landscape on land.

"The beach is regenerating... Clayre, is this from Pearl...?"

"Yes, this is Pearl’s power."

"Didn’t the Sea Fairy King use up all her magic to bless us?"

Aquasteed was puzzled by Clayre’s confirmation. He hadn’t thought that a Pearl who had used up her magic could do such a thing.

But Pearl had used her power.

‘This is a parting gift from me.’

"——!"

Pearl’s voice echoed in the confused ears of Tiara Rose and the others. Tiara Rose tried to ask a question, but there was no response from Pearl. As she became anxious, Clayre spoke with a sad expression.

"Pearl used the last bit of magic she had. Honestly, I don’t know who to blame."

"Clayre, that—"

"No, Aquasteed. I won’t let you say anything more."

The last bit of magic Pearl had.

It was the driving force needed to maintain consciousness for the next hundred years while her magic recovered. Without this magic, she couldn’t maintain consciousness.

Pearl used her last strength to bless the sea and used up her magic.

Thus, she fell into a deep sleep. Clayre, as the Fairy King, instantly understood this. And Aquasteed, calculating Clayre’s reaction and the magic, came to the same conclusion.

"Lady Tiara, what exactly—?"

"Tiara Rose, you don’t need to know this."

"! I’m sorry, Lady Clayre..."

When she asked what had happened to Pearl, Clayre stopped her. Aquasteed quickly came to her aid and gently stroked Tiara Rose’s head. Like Clayre, Aquasteed decided that Tiara Rose didn’t need to know. The kind-hearted Tiara Rose would surely be deeply hurt and saddened if she knew about Pearl.

After looking at the sea sadly, Clayre turned to Tiara Rose.

"I’m sorry for being cold. Can I have the sweets made from Tiara’s flowers?"

"No, Lady Clayre. I made rock candy."

When she took it out of the package, both Aquasteed and Clayre said it was beautiful.

"Then, I’ll take one."

"Yes. It’s delicious—huh?"

Plink.

Clayre dropped the rock candy she had taken into the sea.

"I thought it might reach Pearl this way."

--Will my candy reach Lady Pearl?

Knowing that she wasn’t necessarily liked, she tilted her head in doubt. But if it reached Pearl in the sea palace—Tiara Rose thought it would be a wonderful thing.

The rock candy fell into the sea and dissolved, mixing with the sea’s color. The sea, sparkling with a golden hue, reflected the sky.

--It’s like there’s a sky in the sea.

Tiara Rose and the others watched the sea in silence, praying for a blessed future.

◇ ◇ ◇

When the beach cleanup was finished and they returned to the castle—Elliot bowed to Filene.

"I’ll make her happy. Please, give me a little more time!"

"Wh-What...!"

The declaration of love he had once rejected was now made in front of their masters. Filene’s face turned red instantly, and she shook her head, wondering what he was saying.

"I have to follow the marriage proposal my father arranged..."

"I understand that. But, I really want to be with Filene... I’ll definitely achieve something, so please wait for me. I like the hardworking Filene."

"......"

--Wow, such a passionate declaration of love.

As a non-participant, Tiara Rose watched the scene with a pounding heart. But—she was covered by Aquasteed.

"Ah!"

"Peeking any further is not allowed. We shouldn’t get involved, so let’s go back to the room."

"Okay, I understand."

"Ah, Lady Tiara Rose! I’ll go with you—"

"Filene, you can do it!"

Filene, reaching out for help to her mistress, collapsed on the spot after hearing Tiara Rose’s encouragement. Whether these two would become lovers or not—was still a story for the future.

"Lady Aquasteed"

"Yes?"

In the corridor on the way back to their room, Tiara Rose tightly held Aquasteed’s hand. The feeling of her hand, which she squeezed, was so pleasant that Aquasteed felt an urge to hug her right away. But he knew he would be scolded if he did it in the corridor.

"I love you, I really love you... I love you."

"!"

"...Thank you for choosing me. I’m happy to be with you, Aquasteed."

Blushing and smiling, Tiara Rose expressed her feelings to Aquasteed. Usually, it was Aquasteed who said cute things like "You’re cute," "I like you," and "I love you" much more often. So, she decided to be more proactive in expressing her feelings.

--So that I can feel absolutely sure. I want to tell Aquasteed from my side.

She strongly wanted to be confident enough to smile even if Aquasteed were to drink a love potion in the future.

"Oh, you’re so cute. I love you too."

"Ah, we’re in the corridor... mm..."

In front of such a cute Tiara Rose, Aquasteed couldn’t stop himself. He hugged her tightly and kissed her without asking for permission. When he gently pecked her, a sweet breath escaped from Tiara Rose’s mouth.

"Hmm, it’s embarrassing..."

"It’s because you were so cute. Come on, let’s go to the room quickly."

"Kyaa!"

Aquasteed picked up Tiara Rose and walked down the corridor at twice the usual speed. The maids and knights they passed by watched them with smiles, as if it was a common sight.

Thus, the villainous lady spent a time filled with nothing but happiness.

I managed to finish just