After seeing Ruth off, Eustaf breathed out, feeling the physical dirt he wanted to wash up right away.
Then a light footstep was heard.
"Eus?"
Ran approached him with worried faces, fluttering wheat- colored hair.
"I heard the Crown Prince came?"
"Have you heard?"
"Yes, Rolf told me."
Her green eyes stared at Eustaf.
The same color as the greening of Lazia. Eustaf said, somehow feeling better.
"You didn't have to worry."
"Really? Are you okay?"
"Yes."
He answered and asked after hesitating infrequently.
"Would you like to go back to Lazia?"
At the unexpected remark, Ran blinked in surprise and said with arms crossed.
"Eus, I'll be here until the end of this season."
"All right."
Eustaf nodded without any argument.
"Eus can go back first if you want."
"I know," Eustaf replied to Ran. Ran glanced at his face and said.
"But, um... I want you to stay."
"It's a pleasure."
Eustaf said so and leaned his upper body slightly. Suddenly, Ran opened her eyes wide as she got close to him.
"Eus?"
"Yes."
"Eum, uh – Is there something on my face?"
"Nope."
Relaxedly observing the emerald-colored eyes, Eustaf asked after he stretched his waist.
"Would you like to come to my study with me?"
"Huh?"
"We have a report about the second prince."
"I'll go."
Ran nodded and she took the lead in walking.
- You can't trust anyone. Be especially careful of those who whisper that they love you.
His mother whispered several times with her eyes soaked in madness.
- Otherwise, you'll end up like me.
"Noonim."
"Huh?"
"What would you do if I betrayed you?"
"Oh! Don't tell me you're going to sell me to the Crown Prince!"
Astonished, looking back at him, Eustaf replied as if it weren't worth the trouble.
"No way."
"Right?"
Ran laughed and said, exaggeratingly sweeping her chest as if her surprised was a lie.
"What if Eus betray me? I don't know. It must be very painful."
"I see."
"And you will meet Ran Romia de Lazia again after returning from hell."
When she said with a smile, Eustaf looked at Ran and nodded deeply.
"That'll be all right."
"Why is it all right?"
Ran frowned and asked back, adding.
"And there's something that's worth it, and tell me in advance. We're done talking, aren't we? I'm not disturbing you."
"I did."
"Well, well."
Ran shrugged her shoulders.
'Eus, I'm not scared of you at all right now.'
Thinking so in her mind, Ran glanced at Eustaf and met his eyes. Ran didn't see Eustaf smiling because she turned her eyes quickly.
Eustaf, who entered his study, held out the documents given by the green shadow, she leans down behind him to read the document and she frowned and said.
"Is this writing?"
"Yes. Oh, you can't read the password."
"I don't know."
"Then sit down for a while."
Eustaf said so and opened the ink bottle. Ran zipped back behind his back instead of sitting down. While moving the translation, Eustaf looked back over his shoulder to see her.
"What are you doing?"
"Eus, you have pretty handwriting."
"Noonim has bad handwriting."
"Do you know how difficult a pen is to use?"
In her protest, Eustaf said, opening a pen he was holding.
"I know enough."
Ran wished she had a ballpoint pen, or at least a fountain pen.
'Don't you think we can make it with a dwarf or an elf technique?'
Ran think I should order it later, and read the contents of Eustaf's move with his eyes.
"It's more normal than I thought?"
"There's a prince, and there won't be a second prince who wants to stand out."
"Not at all."
Ran nodded her head. Eustaf's writing was as clean and fast as print.
"So, you already met the Crown Princess, Noonim."
"Ah, Yes."
"What kind of person is she?"
"Scary person."
Eustaf asked low when Ran said.
"Did she harm Noonim?"
"Not really, but she's picking a fight. Because her husband is making fun of me...."
Suddenly, Ran blurted the end of his speech. Who's the Crown Princess going to be mad at for doing that?
'You're gonna poison your husband anyway, right?'
After laughing, Ran nodded, 'I don't think so.' It's not that easy to change a person's mind. The Crown Prince is her husband anyway, so she won't be completely free from it.
"Noonim?"
Eustaf stopped writing and turned completely toward her. Ran shook her head, saying, "Ah."
"No, I don't want to be her enemy to tell you honestly."
Eustaf stopped replying to her words and kept writing down the letters on the paper. After a while, he wrote down the last paragraph and said.
"Noonim, you're too close."
"Huh? I don't realize it. Sorry."
Ran, who was glued to Eustaf's back and was watching him write, fell in surprise.
'But it's fascinating.'
I can't get enough of that neat writing, Ran thought so.
Writing down the last sentence, and Eustaf waits for the ink to dry for a while, then passes the paper to Ran.
"You've already seen it."
"But I want to see it again."
Ran said so and looked at the papers.
The Second Prince.
Label Monia La Martel.
He is two years younger than the Crown Prince, and he is twenty six years old this year.
'There is no outstanding point, and there is no noisy side.'
In terms of liking studying and not being active in social activities, he gave a big bonus point.
'At the original, which I read, he also became the emperor without much opposition. And then there was no problem.'
Ran thought so and slipped the document to the candle. The documents began to burn, and suddenly Ran realized and asked.
"Eus, where do you throw this?"
"Fireplace."
Ah, Ran hurried up to the fireplace and threw the paper in, but the burning paper fell on the carpet instead of going inside.
Ran stepped on the paper several times with her feet in surprise. There was a slight burn on the carpet, Ran sighed and looked at the less burnt paper. She put a piece of paper in the fireplace, found a match, and tried to light it, but Eustaf came close and knitted his finger.
Hwarr-!
The blue flame swallowed the paper. When Ran looked at him in surprise, Eustaf asked.
"Are your fingers all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Just now, that's blue flame?"
"Yes, I can't use it completely, but I can do this. It'll be surprising."
"I see."
Ran sighed and said.
"Then I'll meet the second prince."
I was told to meet him once before, but I was busy after that, so I couldn't apply for a meeting. Eustaf thought for a moment and asked.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Should I ask for a meeting?"
Eustaf thought for a moment and shook his head.
"No, let's do it in a different way."
********
The pride of the 'green arch' was not just the green arch. A beautiful garden that fits the name perfectly was the pride of the mansion.
The Duchess of Lazia spent more time in the green arch than in the Sky castle, which is mostly cold north. With children, most of them did not return to Lazia at all. And as if to compensate for the harshness of the North, Lazia's garden shone in a variety of seasons, including winter camellia and silver thorns, starting with snow drops that bloom before the snow has yet to melt.
So, Label responded to the polite invitation while asking if he would come to see Lazia's garden.
'But I didn't think I was invited alone.'
Label thought so and looked at the Duke of Lazia, who was pouring tea in front of her.
Like a comfortable social gathering, she did grow up splendidly, dressed in comfortable clothes, stretched and loosened her hair.
'No doubt.'
I can see why my brother is chasing her like that, thought Label.
There are all kinds of colorful flowers in the social world, and although all of them are different, the noble lady is still a noble lady.
There was a similar feeling of inevitability.
However, the Duchess of Lazia had a heterogeneous feeling. I can't pinpoint what it is.
'I think something's a little different....'
Label looked at Ran thinking so. The green eyes are bound to show their eyes at first sight with elegant wheat-colored hair.
I've never seen such vivid green eyes like emeralds. All of them were combined with heterogeneity, giving the Duchess a unique charm.
"Do you want sugar or milk?"
"No, I put it in myself."
Label said so, and Ran nodded, pouring tea into her glass and sitting there.
A pleasant wind shook the leaves of the garden, and a gentle scent of flowers brushed the tip of my nose.
It was early summer.
"It's a beautiful garden."
"Thank you. I always admire that."
"And I never thought I was invited alone."
Ran smiled faintly at the Label words.
"Personally, I'm interested in Your Highness."
"Hmm."
Label answered vaguely, adding sugar and milk evenly to the teacup and holding the cup.
"I was also curious about the rumored Duke of Lazia."
"Then today's meeting will be suitable for both of us."
Ran smiled and lifted her glass full of sugar lightly as if it were a toast.
"Is that so? I'm curious. Why is the Duke of Lazia interested in me, the second prince."
Ran smiled lightly.
"Can't I?"
"Because I know my brother is interested in you."
"The Crown Prince has Olivia."
"Then you interested in me as a marriage partner?"
Ran opened her eyes round and laughed out loud at Label's words. It's not Lady's manners, but Label shrugged, thinking the smile was refreshing.
"Sorry, I'm not used to aristocratic grammar."
"Actually, so am I. And the answer is no."
"Ah, until you handed over the patriarchal position to Lazia to the young Master."
"No... even without it."
"I see."
Label said so and blinked lightly after a sip of tea. It smells a little different from ordinary tea.
"Sugar."
When Label looked at Ran, she replied as if she had read his mind.
"The sugar is different, so the scent is different. It's Lazian sugar."
"Sugar."
Label said, "Excuse me," after lightly tasting the sugar.
"It's different."
It usually smells different from sugar.
"It's different. It looks good with tea."
"Are you touching the sugar industry? Isn't Lazia's wealth accumulating too much?"
Ran smirked.
"The wealth of Lazia is the land of the Empire."
"You said you weren't used to it."
Ran laughed again at Label's words. That's what I say, 'I'm not used to aristocratic grammar.'
'What the hell with this man.'
It's totally relatable.
If the crown prince has blond hair and blue eyes, and the girl thinks the prince is the same, this is dark brown hair and dark amber eyes.
He had a strong intellectual feeling.
"If you like it, I'll send some to His Highness."
"I won't refuse."
Label said so and was lost in thought for a moment.
The Crown Prince's approach, the Battle of the Spirit, where the Emperor must have closed his eyes, and his contact with himself in the middle.
"The Duke of Lazia."
"Yes."
"I don't like being loud."
"I know."
"And being used is not my cup of tea."
"It would be the same for anyone."
Ran blinked and said. She sighed deeply and said.
"I know what you're worried about. But now it's just a social gathering. There's no need for political concern."
Really.
With that face, Ran looked at Label slowly. His shoulder drained of strength.
"Then. I'll try to enjoy it comfortably."
"Yes, with pleasure."
Ran laughed again. Ran asked after finishing the tea.
"Would you like to take a walk in the garden?"
"That's good."
Label nodded. Ran got up and began to show him around the garden. The Duke of Lazia's garden was well-treated in every corner of its reputation, and Label was amazed.
About halfway through, Label flinched and shrugged his shoulders.
"Prince?"
Ran looked back at him, wondering if he had been stabbed by a thorn.
"No, there seems to be a black leopard between the shrubs over there...."
After he spit it out, Label became awkward because this sound ridiculous.
"Black Leopard?"
Ran, too, turned her gaze to that side, and laughed, "Ah."
"Eus!"
Eustaf, dressed in a slim black suit, appeared through the shrubs.