A voice shattered our rose-colored world. A cursed voice from a world of darkness and gloom.

“If you
two insist on standing around flirting with one another, kindly do it outside.”

I turned to see who it was that wished to steal all light and joy from the world and make everyone
unhappy forever, and there I saw His Highness scowling at us, his stance just as imposing as his voice.
The royal guards who stood behind him were either looking at him with pity in their eyes or looking at us
with a vague sense of nervousness. I suppose His Highness must have heard our exchange just now.
After his failed romantic venture, it must be difficult to watch a spectacle like that.

“Your Highness?” said Lord Simeon.

“Do you have to perform such flamboyant acts of romance right here in the middle of the corridor? If
you insist on doing such things at all, then I insist you go home and do them there. Behaving this way in
public is...a blight on my family’s fine corridor!”

“Wh-What are you...” stammered Lord Simeon. “I-I certainly didn’t intend to...”

“Oh, do be quiet! I order you to go home this instant. You can declare your undying love to your heart’s
content, just as long as you do it somewhere I don’t have to watch!”

I delivered a flustered curtsy to His Highness and dragged Lord Simeon away at high speed. He still
appeared not to understand how his speech had come across. And we have to handle His Highness with
kid gloves for the time being. I couldn’t bear to pour any more salt on his wounds.

We dashed off to a small and largely unfrequented courtyard. By now, very little snow was left on the
ground. Though the wind was still cold, spring was steadily approaching. As if to prove that, the
branches of the flowering trees had tiny buds just starting to show.

“Look,” I said, “even the flowerbeds are beginning to show signs of growth!” These early touches of
spring amongst the remnants of snow made it hard to contain my delight. The world was whispering
that the long-awaited season was finally close at hand. “Do you see?”

But when I turned around, I was met with another surprising sight. Lord Simeon’s face was bright red,
and he was covering his lips with his hands.

“Have you only just realized what you were saying just now?”

But he only grew redder still and looked away.

It was so hilarious, I couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, Lord Simeon! What am I to do with you?” I ignored his
bashfulness and embraced him with all my might.

He hugged me back and cast his eyes upward. “When I’m with you, I lose all presence of mind.”

“And what, I ask, is wrong with that? Tears, laughter, anger... They’re all part of being human, and
they’re all a part of what makes you so precious to me. It’s not only the aspects of you that are dashingly
handsome and perfectly composed that I’m in love with.”

“And my disgraceful jealousy?”

“I love all of you, even that. I love you no matter what. Would you say the same about me?”
He looked down at me with a kind smile. “Certainly, by this point I’m confident that whatever side of
yourself you show me, I won’t run away.”

I stood on tiptoes and put my hands on his cheeks, and he bent down to meet me. Our glasses collided
again with a clink . “They really are quite bothersome,” I said.

“For now, I think it’s only proper for them to get in our way. It would be bad to forget ourselves here.”

We both adjusted our glasses and laughed. So the glasses are serving as our reins?

For now, we had to ensure that in all the time we spent together, we kept the proper standards of
decency in mind. But when the snow disappeared entirely and the flowers bloomed... When birdsong
echoed on the warm wind, and the season had arrived for the whole world to fall in love...

Then it wouldn’t matter if our glasses collided or not. Eternal happiness would be ours for the taking.

A handful of white petals drifted down from the clear blue sky. It felt as though we were watching the
last footprints of winter as it wandered away, leaving us to greet the coming season.

Lord Simeon offered me his hand and I took it. Together we walked through the courtyard.

Even if we did love each other no matter what, it still precluded causing harm to one another. If I took
my present happiness for granted, and failed to put in the work to maintain it, fate would show no
mercy and would subject me to endless ordeals. A connection between two people, no matter how
strong, can still be broken. I’d seen it happen many times before, so now I had to use it as a reference
for my own life, not only for my novels.

The man walking beside me was the most important person to me in the world. For us to be able to
keep living like this forever, side by side, it would probably require a lot of effort. I didn’t ever again
want to put him in the position where he told me he felt lonely. I would love and treasure him with
every fiber of my being.

“Tell me, Lord Simeon... Is there anything that you’d like me to do for you?” I might as well start with an
attempt to bring him happiness, I thought.

But he looked down at me with a mystified face. “What’s this all of a sudden?”

“I’m always the one relying on you and causing you trouble. I was hoping I could show you my gratitude
for once.”

Lord Simeon tilted his head and laughed. “Have you eaten something funny?”

“My word! What on earth do you mean by that? Is it so odd that I want to show you my gratitude?”

“I’d say it’s so admirable, it feels somewhat unsettling coming from you. It leaves me terrified as to what
scheme you might be planning, or what trap I might fall into later.”

“How rude!”

Lord Simeon laughed loudly at my sullen reaction. And here I was trying to make him happy! Very well
then, if that’s his attitude, I’ll abandon the whole endeavor. I brushed off Lord Simeon’s hand and turned
away.
Then he put his arm around me and whispered into my ear in a low, alluring voice. “I do have one idea in
mind.”

The touch of his hair and breath tickled me. “...What is it?” My whole body shivered right to my very
core—and precisely because it felt so good, I was worried all of a sudden. It’s surely not appropriate to
start feeling this way in a place like this. And...it’s rather late to be asking, but is there really no one
watching?

In a panic, I took a glance at our surroundings, but then a large hand rested on my cheek and turned my
head to face its owner. His light blue eyes were right in front of me. As we gazed at one another, I felt
strangely embarrassed. My cheeks are burning.

“Lord Simeon? What are you...”

“I made a promise to you, as I recall. Tomorrow I’ll be taking the whole day off, and I’d like us to go out
together.”

“Excuse me?”

After all the possible things he could have said, I had never expected that. A deadpan expression formed
on my face. “What you’d like me to do for you is...that?”

“Yes. And what is wrong with that, exactly?”

There was nothing wrong. Nothing whatsoever. Only, it seemed quite an odd thing to say while
unleashing the full force of his sensuality! Besides, it wasn’t even Lord Simeon’s desire in the first place.
It was a promise he’d made to me, because it was something I had wanted.

“It sounds lovely,” I said at last, “but I was asking about what you want, Lord Simeon.”

He returned to his usual expression and spoke in a clear tone. “And I assure you, this is precisely what I
want. Is there anywhere in particular that you’d like to go? If not, perhaps we could visit a department
store. I don’t know much about women’s preferences when it comes to gifts, so I’ve always been asking
my mother or my cousin for advice, but I’ve realized that I might just as well ask you for your own
opinion and get you exactly what you want. So whatever it might be—jewelry, or anything of the like—
I’ll buy it for you.”

I was lost as to what face I should make in response. “I’m grateful for this, I truly am, but it doesn’t serve
as a way for me to show you my gratitude. It’s you spoiling me, nothing more. There’s no benefit for
you.”

“There most certainly is.” He held my hand again and began to walk. I walked with him, hand in hand. “It
grants me the exclusive enjoyment of your smile. And personally, that is what I ‘fanboy’ over the most.”

For a moment I was left dumbfounded—and then I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. How can Lord
Simeon use that word? When did he become such a jester that he would imitate my manner of speaking
like that?

“You...fanboy over it?”

“Yes. I fanboy over it.”

As I continued laughing, I gripped Lord Simeon’s arm tight. He mentioned my smile, and then
immediately I’ve granted it to him. After all, for my part, Lord Simeon was the one I fangirled over the
most.

“In that case,” I said, “why don’t we eat some ice cream together? It is one of the local specialties. The
trend amongst lovers right now is to share it between the two of them. I imagine it can be rather
embarrassing to do it in front of other people, though. Be prepared for that.”

“I’ll gladly take on that challenge. If you’re so inclined, I’ll even feed it to you.”

“Yes, of course. I forget to mention, but we have to feed it to each other. That’s exactly the trend.”

“I see,” he said at last. “That does sound somewhat embarrassing.”

What I want is to be loved by the person I love, and to protect the one who protects me.

Happiness is something two people build together. It’s something they protect together.

The world was overflowing with happiness. I heard the bell of a nearby church ring across the shining
sky.

The Blissfulness of Simeon Flaubert

When I went to deliver my report, the man who was meant to receive it was nowhere to be found.

“Where is His Highness?” I asked a chamberlain who had been left behind. I received an answer that he
was in the conservatory. He had apparently taken a walk to catch his breath since he had no urgent
tasks on his plate at present.

Upon hearing that he was in the conservatory, I was slightly unsure as to what course of action to take.
Should I follow him, or is it better to leave him be?

It was, after all, the very place where the recent events had all begun. His Highness had only reluctantly
attended the “garden party” that had been held in the conservatory to help him choose a bride, but
nonetheless, fate had led him to meet someone. If he had set foot in there again, it must have meant he
wished to be immersed in the memories of his love that was not to be.

It’s not as though I have any urgent business with him. My report can wait for the time being. While he
has the time to spare, I might as well let him do as he wishes.

I tried to brush aside those thoughts as quickly as they rose up. Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a moment.

Admittedly, it was sad that his romantic endeavors had been unsuccessful. When I thought back to his
sheer joy at finding his ideal partner, I couldn’t help but feel compassion at the cruel way in which reality
had shattered his heart. I would go to any length at all to give His Highness whatever consolation I could.

However, keeping the partner in question in his heart as a tragic lost love could prove to be rather
awkward. After all, there had been no problem with the partner’s personality, but rather, a large
problem with their gender. Outside of Marielle’s fevered imagination, he could not have pursued that
path—not without raising many uncomfortable questions that affected the entire kingdom.
I hurried to the conservatory. The knights who were on guard duty had been left by the entrance, and I
found him deep inside, reading a book. I walked past plants imported from tropical lands that spread
their leaves out wide and reached the open area in the center. I stepped across the floor tiles with their
geometric pattern. Where on that fated day a whole host of dazzling young ladies had been gathered,
today one person sat quietly on his own.

On the table in front of His Highness was a rather large pile of books. Philosophy books, perhaps? Or his
favorite, collections of love poems? If reading brought him more comfort than merely being lost in
thought, then perhaps there was no need to worry.

I quietly walked up to him. “Your Highness.”

“Ah, is this about your report? If there’s nothing urgent, then I’d ask you to deliver it later, if you please.
I’ve finally found time to take a breather.”

His voice was steady and self-assured, but the words gave me some pause. He sounds rather world-
weary.

“What are you reading?” I asked, as gently as I could. Perhaps, I thought, we could have an enthusiastic
discussion about it, and it might brighten his mood a little. When we were boys, we often read the same
books and talked endlessly about them.

His Highness let out a languid sigh. “Love is good, isn’t it?”

“...Yes.”

What a thing to say so suddenly. Sadly, it seemed a topic I would struggle to discuss as enthusiastically
as he might like. I suppose he is reading a collection of love poems after all. I glanced at the others on
the table. Were they all full of love poems? It was impossible to tell, as every book was wrapped in a
cloth cover that concealed its title. Based on their thickness, they certainly didn’t look like philosophy
tomes. They looked much easier to read than that.

“Love is something that arrives unexpectedly... Yes, I suppose that is how it went. Destiny can strike
when you least expect it. I wonder if I’ll encounter a new love again someday...”

“Of course you will.” To me his attitude seemed rather too wistful for a grown man, but I held my
tongue on that front. Instead I tried to respond in kind.

“They say that people are always longing to find love. If there’s a man and a woman, the ingredients are
there for love to blossom. This was far from your last chance to find happiness.”

“I suppose you’re right. Perhaps I’ll end up happening upon a princess who’s been hidden away, just
waiting for me to rescue her.”

“Excuse me?”

A princess? Hidden away? What an oddly specific scenario to suggest.

“Or perhaps I’ll be feuding bitterly with an enemy, but we’ll end up falling in love?”

“I...don’t quite...”
Who was he referring to? Did he mean his enemy, that is to say the Kingdom of Lagrange’s enemy? That
would be Easdale, I supposed. We weren’t at war with them—our rivalry was not exactly at that level—
but they were still an opponent with whom we had continual disputes. Easdale did have a princess, but
she was not of the right age to marry His Highness. If not her, then perhaps the daughter of Earl Avory,
whose house guarded the border? She seemed a suitable enough marriage partner. For a political
marriage, in fact, she was exactly the sort of partner one would seek out.

But a hidden princess? He must have heard about that scenario somewhere, much as I’d borrowed my
romantic reassurances from Marielle. Wait... Marielle? Could he have...

“Perhaps,” said His Highness, “I should give her a single rose every day for her to leave by her window. I
could pour all my emotion into those passionate roses and secretly watch over her from afar!”

No, I thought, anything but that! It was a memory locked deep inside me that was so embarrassing that
recalling it made me feel as though I would die. Though I’d drawn the idea directly from one of
Marielle’s books, my message had not come across properly at all. Despite her being the very person
who had written it, she had misunderstood my intentions entirely. I suppose I was the naive maiden in
that scenario, vainly hoping I would set her heart racing.

Which made that one scenario in particular...rather too personal!

“Your Highness, what exactly is that book you are reading?”