Chapter 92

Aquasteed, who ascended from crown prince to king, changed the location of his office to a larger space. The number of bookshelves for storing documents increased, and more people came and went due to work-related matters.

Still, the interior maintained a calm atmosphere, similar to before, so he was able to get used to it quickly.

The tall windows and Aquasteed’s desk placed in front of them. The leather chair was pitch black and looked comfortable to sit in.

There was also a table and sofa for discussions. However, today, Tiara Rose, who sat there, had a serious look on her face.

“...?”

Aquasteed and Elliot, who were working, exchanged glances and tilted their heads in confusion.

Since the usually energetic Tiara Rose was deep in thought, it was understandable that they suspected she was up to no good.

“What’s the matter, Tiara? If there’s something, I’d like to hear about it.”

“Aquasama... It seems Filene isn’t feeling well.”

“Filene? That is indeed worrying.”

Aquasteed stood up from his seat and went to the sofa where Tiara Rose was sitting, taking a seat next to her.

Seeing this, Tiara Rose leaned against Aquasteed’s shoulder, sighing softly and saying, “I’m worried.”

“Ah, by the way... Elliot, have you heard anything from Filene?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Clapping her hands, Tiara Rose turned her gaze to Elliot.

With his gentle eyes and soft, orange-brown hair, Elliot was calm and composed, but he was also an excellent aide to Aquasteed.

Since he was a colleague of Filene, Tiara Rose thought he might have heard something from her.

Elliot pondered with a “Hmm,” but after a moment, he shook his head, indicating he had no leads.

“I think she’s been her usual self...”

“That’s the thing... Filene tends to try to solve things on her own, so I’m worried.”

“Indeed, she is very reliable.”

It seemed that he hadn’t noticed anything unusual or received any consultations.

Tiara Rose felt disappointed at the lack of clues, but considering Filene’s personality, it was understandable.

Perhaps it was because they had known each other for a long time that she had noticed Filene’s recent behavior.

—She seems a bit absent-minded lately.

Usually energetic, Filene seemed to be talking less recently.

However, it was unlikely that Filene would openly share her troubles.

“I’ll go check on her!”

“Should I come with you?”

“No, Aquasama, please continue your work. I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Alright.”

As Tiara Rose stood up, Aquasteed called out to her in concern, but she declined.

Indeed, it wouldn’t be appropriate for a man to intrude on a woman’s private conversation, and Aquasteed quickly understood.

He simply said, “Be careful,” and sent Tiara Rose off.

* * *

Tiara Rose walked down the clean, well-maintained corridor with a serious expression.

—Should I just ask Filene, “What’s wrong?”

First, she decided to check on Filene, who was likely taking a break in the lounge.

So, Tiara Rose made her way to the lounge where the maids could relax. She gently opened the door a few centimeters and peeked inside.

Fortunately, no one else was there except for Tiara Rose.

At the back of the lounge, by the window, Filene was looking at something.

—There she is!

Tiara Rose squinted to see what Filene was looking at. It seemed to be a letter.

Her expression was melancholic, and it was likely that the letter was the cause of her recent troubles.

However, it wouldn’t be right to read the letter without permission, and it would be inappropriate to peek.

—Should I call out to her?

But what if it was a problem she didn’t want to talk about?

As Tiara Rose hesitated, Filene suddenly met her gaze.

“...!”

They both exclaimed in surprise.

Well, there was no point in hiding now. Tiara Rose opened the door and walked into the lounge, taking a seat opposite Filene.

Filene looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Tiara Rose-sama? If you needed me, I would have come to you...”

“It’s fine.”

Seeing her apologetic look, Tiara Rose smiled wryly, thinking how serious she was.

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to... but I’ve noticed that Filene hasn’t been herself lately.”

“—!”

At Tiara Rose’s words, Filene’s shoulders twitched. She must have felt guilty for worrying her master.

Lowering her eyebrows, Filene nodded as if resigning herself to the situation.

“You can’t hide anything from Tiara Rose-sama.”

“Filene...”

With that, Filene handed the letter she was holding to Tiara Rose.

Interpreting this as permission to read, Tiara Rose scanned the contents. It was a letter from Filene’s family, and the content made her frown.

“It says here that her parents are asking her to get engaged...”

Filene chuckled, saying, “I’m of a certain age, after all.”

As she had mentioned, the letter was about marriage.

Filene was already 21, an age when she could have been married long ago. Since she rarely talked about romantic matters, Tiara Rose hadn’t expected her to be troubled by marriage.

—But, thinking about it, it makes sense.

If Filene hadn’t come to Marinfrost with Tiara Rose, she would have been married by now.

Still, Filene’s troubled expression was concerning.

“You don’t seem very enthusiastic... Who is it?”

“...Tiara Rose-sama might know, but it’s Lucas Dantston.”

“I remember... He was Filene’s childhood friend, right?”

“Yes.”

Upon hearing this, the person Filene was being pressured to marry was her childhood friend.

Tiara Rose also knew Lucas Dantston, a nobleman.

Lucas Dantston.

The eldest son of the Dantston Earl’s family, 22 years old.

He belonged to a wealthy noble family.

Tiara Rose had spoken to him a few times at social gatherings.

Recalling his personality, she remembered that Lucas often looked at Filene.

—Come to think of it, I remember seeing Lucas chasing after Filene...

It seemed to be a one-sided infatuation, and Tiara Rose chuckled.

“I don’t want to return to Lapislazuli just to get married. I want to continue serving Tiara Rose-sama.”

“Filene... Thank you. Your loyalty is very touching. But if you have someone you like, I don’t want you to hesitate because of me.”

Tiara Rose didn’t want Filene to give up on someone she loved just because of her.

Filene smiled softly and thanked her.

“If I have to marry Lucas, I’m prepared to sever ties with my family.”

“Do you dislike Lucas-sama?”

“Liking a man like that is out of the question!”

Seeing Filene’s firm rejection, Tiara Rose’s eyes widened. Filene rarely showed her emotions, so this was unusual.

Sighing, Filene continued.

“Lucas is self-centered. He only finds things interesting if they go his way. He keeps inviting me out, and I still receive letters from him regularly.”

“I see...”

It seemed that Lucas’s affection was having the opposite effect.

“I’ve been refusing the marriage proposal, but he’s persistent. I wish he would stop.”

“I understand... If you don’t want to get married, I won’t say anything. If you have any problems, please consult me. I’ll support you.”

“Thank you, Tiara Rose-sama.”

With the weight off her chest, Filene smiled with relief.

“Well, I’ll be going back now.”

“Yes. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“Alright.”

After learning about Filene’s situation, Tiara Rose left the lounge.

She didn’t want to stay too long and disturb Filene’s break. She told her it was fine to take her time and then headed to the guest room where Sirius was staying.

Sirius was a student from Tiara Rose’s homeland, Lapislazuli.

She thought it would be best to ask him about Lapislazuli, especially regarding Lucas, who was pressuring Filene to marry.

After explaining her purpose to Sirius’s attendant maid, they prepared a room for tea. As a queen, Tiara Rose wouldn’t just barge into a man’s room.

While sipping tea, she waited for Sirius to arrive.

“Sister Tiara!”

“Prince Sirius, I’m sorry for the sudden visit.”

“No, I’m happy to see you, Sister Tiara.”

Sirius Lapislazuli entered the room with a joyful expression.

With his pale golden hair and sky-blue eyes, the 10-year-old boy, who was the first in line to the throne of Lapislazuli, smiled innocently.

He was the younger brother of Hartnights, Tiara Rose’s former fiancé.

“But, what brings you here? It’s unusual for you to have business with me.”

“I actually have something I want to ask...”

“Ask? What is it?”

Tiara Rose gestured for Sirius to sit on the opposite sofa. As the maid served tea, she began her inquiry.

“...I see, the son of the Dantston family. I know him as well.”

“I only know about his situation before Filene left, so I’m not familiar with the current situation.”

“Ah, I see.”

Sirius recalled and shared the information he knew.

The Dantston family had succeeded in the coral processing business and was quite wealthy. They owned multiple stores in the city, one of which was a popular shop in Lapislazuli.

“I see, that explains why he’s so persistent...”

“Sister Tiara?”

“It seems he’s proposing to Filene, and I wanted to know more about him.”

“I see... I remember the Sanfist family, on the other hand, wasn’t doing well in their business.”

Sirius mentioned that the Sanfist family, Filene’s family, was struggling with their business.

Tiara Rose knew that Filene’s family wasn’t particularly wealthy, but the situation seemed more serious than she thought.

In other words, this was a marriage arrangement heavily influenced by financial considerations.

“Objectively, it’s not a bad match...”

“Yes, but it’s a purely strategic marriage.”

Sirius seemed to think it would be fine to get married, looking puzzled.

However, Tiara Rose couldn’t agree with a marriage that Filene wasn’t comfortable with. She wished there was a way to refuse, but a common excuse wouldn’t convince Lucas.

After thanking Sirius, Tiara Rose left the room.