Chapter 18: [Heroine is Happy].
After the party…
The Crimson General has spent three days trying to party and socialise with the other nobles. She was uncomfortable with all of these people trying to invade her personal space, keeping up her manners and formal way of speaking- it was utterly draining.
"Oh General Bonheur, would you please tell us your battles in the great war?"
"Please everyone is interested in how you managed to defeat such a powerful foe!"
"Would you like to talk about a few business matters?"
But- all of her attention was obviously given to one girl only.
"Pssst!"
In the distance she could hear someone calling her attention, it was the crown princess who was hiding behind the pillar and urged her to follow.
Princess Camille could see the poor girl's situation as if she was about to cry. She mouths to Rowan, "Come with me."
Immediately Rowan's ears perked and excused herself to the flocking nobles. "My apologies, I need to go somewhere else."
She doesn't look back and happily follows the crown princess like a little puppy.
===
Royal Garden of the Palace
===
"Your highness! Please wait a moment!" She manages to catch up with Princess Camille. "G-Goodmorning."
"Goodmorning to you as well, General. You look a bit tense- would you like to see my favorite place in the palace to relax?"
…
The royal garden sprawls across acres of lush, manicured grounds, enclosed by ornate wrought-iron fences adorned with intricate golden filigree. The air is fragrant with the mingling scents of blooming roses, jasmine, and lavender. Gravel pathways, lined with trimmed hedges and marble statues of mythological figures, wind gracefully through the verdant landscape.
At the heart of the garden stands a grand fountain, its crystal-clear water cascading in mesmerizing patterns, glinting under the sunlight. Surrounding the fountain are vibrant flower beds arranged in intricate, symmetrical designs, showcasing an array of colors from deep crimson roses to golden marigolds and violet irises.
Towering oak and cypress trees provide shaded alcoves, where stone benches invite visitors to rest and admire the view. Ornate gazebos, draped with climbing wisteria, offer secluded spots for intimate conversations or quiet reflection.
A serene pond, dotted with lily pads and bordered by weeping willows, mirrors the azure sky. Swans glide gracefully across the water, while koi fish dart beneath the surface. Nearby, a meticulously maintained hedge maze beckons the adventurous, its pathways leading to a hidden pavilion adorned with intricate mosaics.
"Your highness, can you tell me more about the flowers you like?" (Rowan) was never the talkative girl. "Perhaps we can plant a few around our future garden."
But when it came towards the crown princess whom she greatly admires, her mouth never tired of talking and telling the crown princess stories.
Throughout the garden, the soft melodies of birdsong and the gentle rustling of leaves create a soothing ambiance.
"My favourite flower huh." (Princess Camille) and the Crimson General were spending their time at a secret secluded place only available to be roamed by the royal family.
The royal gardens.
It was full of rare and beautiful flowers that were collected from the east and west kingdoms.
'Women like flowers.' (Rowan) thought, perhaps if she asks the princess her favourite flowers she can surprise her when the time comes.
"When it comes to flowers I have no favourites. How about you, General?" (Princess Camille) asks the red-haired girl who seemed to shyly wag her non-existent tail.
The Crimson General was like a little puppy who was happy to be tagging along to her owner. "I… I like hibiscus."
"Hibiscus?" In this world those are flowers grown in the east, she recalls that there's some in the royal garden. "I believe we have them here."
The crown princess tries her best to remember where it was, leading the crimson general to a plot of land filled with hibiscus flowers.
The hibiscus flower blooms like a quiet explosion of color, its soft, wide petals reaching out as if to embrace the sunlight. Its colors are almost too bold to be real fiery reds, golden yellows, and rich pinks that seem to glow against the darker veins running through them. At the center, a darker hue pulls your eye inward, where a delicate stalk stretches out, tipped with tiny bursts of pollen like a sprinkle of gold dust.
"They're… beautiful." (Princess Camille) reaches out to take a petal and gives it to Rowan. "Just like you."
Ding!
[Notification: Heroine is happy to be complimented by the crown princess]!
[Notification: Heroine is happy to be spending time with the crown princess]!
{Points Up}
[Love Meter Max Level].
[Happiness: +10].
[Confidence: +5].
[Resolve Meter Max Level].
Princess Camille almost groaned on the new system that's been updated to let her see the heroine's status. These past days she's been trying really hard to ignore it, feeling guilty of invading Rowan's privacy.
"I-I…" (Rowan) has her knees shaking out of happiness after seeing her favourite flowers presented to her by the girl she likes.
I guess the crown princess beat her to it.
"Thank you, your highness."
The petals feel fragile, like crumpled silk, yet they hold their shape with surprising strength. Around it, the deep green leaves fan out, rough and veined, a perfect frame for such an unapologetically vibrant flower. "Mother liked them, she said that I was something similar to hibiscus. Its color was like my hair."
"I believe you inherited your hair from your mother, correct?"
"Mm…"
Princess Camille stares at the hibiscus flowers and smiles fondly, "Then… we'll plant a lot of hibiscus flowers. One that your mother would be proud of."
[Notification: Heroine is happy that the crown princess honors her mother]!
{Points Up}
[Love Meter Max Level].
[Happiness: +10].
'I-Is it that easy getting to raise her level? Does she love me that much?' (Princess Camille) was questioning everything and even her sexuality.
"Thank you, your highness. That's very thoughtful, I think my mother would like your idea." (Rowan) wishes that her sister would also meet the crown princess, she wonders if the two would get along.
Aveline is overprotective when it comes to Rowan, even back at the mansion when she got hurt from training she scolded the soldiers that they should be careful of hurting her little sister. Rowan shrugged it off and asked everything to ignore her sister's pleas. She wanted to be seen and treated to be an equal, if it meant getting beat up then she lacked the skill to counter them.
"You know- I did tell you that you can call me by my name." (Princess Camille) notices that Rowan was still calling her by her royal title.
Rowan chuckles as she holds the flower up to her head. "...Her highness has also been using my title as general when you're trying to call my name."
The crown princess sighs, crossing her arms. "We should probably take our time and slowly adjust until we're both comfortable calling each other by our name. It took me a while to adapt to this world's customs in order to not get found out about my real identity. Now calling people by their titles is like a reflex for me."
'This atmosphere… This feels like a garden date or something. Honestly, I don't know what to do when someone important confesses their love to you. I don't like her that way… this is just our marriage of convenience.' (Princess Camille) wonders if there's a day where she'll have the crimson general's feelings to be reciprocated.
Rowan on the other hand finally finishes putting the hibiscus flower on the top of her ear. She shyly turns to the princess before getting the courage to ask her, "Princess Camille, does this flower suit me?"
"...!"
The heroine's beauty is blinding that a mere npc like the crown princess cannot handle such adorableness! How come this scary general is actually a real cutie pie when she wants it to be?!
"Cough- yes. It suits you so much." She prays that this hibiscus flower may never leave. Princess Camille takes a deep breath, for some unknown reason she can't keep her heart still. "...my heart is full."
The two started going around the garden, picking random flowers and started making a little flower crown for each other to bond. Princess Camille finishes hers, and places it on top of Rowan's head who had her love meter on MAX. The system kept notifying her that it was full and that she can't raise it up any higher.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The sound was too much for her and wished there was an option to mute that.
Princess Camille watches Rowan curiously as she busily tries to finish her flower crown. "Oh right, didn't you have a friend towing around with you?"
She remembers this one man that was always by Rowan's side looking a bit too friendly with her when presenting the demon head to her father, the king. "Where is he now?"
"..." (Rowan) lets go of the flower crown that she was working on and breaks down. "I forgot about Jonathan! And my paperwork at home I forgot all about them!"
Rowan cursed the heavens above, war was just recently over and she needed to settle some few things regarding her military work! Not only does she need to manage the loss of her troops, supplying a few villages that's recovering and counting casualties- she was relaxing here trying to woo the princess!
Ding!
[Notification: The Heroine is sad about her responsibilities].
[Happiness: -10].
[Sanity: -10].
[Confidence: -10].
"Wait what?" The notification completely took Princess Camille by surprise. "Rowan is everything alright?"
"I…" (Rowan) really felt guilty of her free time doing nothing but making flower crowns with the princess, she turns to her looking sad. "Princess Camille, my apologies but after spending my days here in your home I have forgotten that I too need to go back to mine. My work… is a lot. I want to spend more time with you but…"
Ding!
[Notification: Heroine is sad she won't be able to spend time with the crown princess]!
[Happiness: -10].
[Health: -5].
[Notification: Heroine wants to hug the crown princess before going home].
[Happiness: -10].
[Confidence: -20].
[Notification: Heroine wants to bring the crown princess home].
[Happiness -20].
[Resolve: -20].
'What the fuck are all of these notifications?! Even one notification said health got lowered- why?! Not spending time with me lowers her health?!' (Princess Camille) was mildly panicking because Rowan is fast to please and apparently fast to get depressed too!
"Rowan!" She quickly hugs the crimson general to get her to calm down, she read on the notification that she wanted to be hugged so might as well! "Please don't worry, I'll be with you soon. I have talked with my father and decided to step down as the crown princess. My little sister will take on that role now."
Rowan was stiff as a stick, she stood there looking down on the small figure of the crown princess.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[Notification: Heroine happy with the hug, she wants one more].
'S-Shut up system.' (Princess Camille) wishes that this stupid system would shut up. She looks up and sees Rowan's flustered face making her incredibly flustered as well but if she doesn't do anything about it her happiness meter might go in the negative.
"That means I get to go back where your home is."
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[Notification: Love Meter Max. Heroine is happy that the princess is coming home with her :D].