Reunion
Tanya was surprised to see Dean’s face for a moment but … she withdrew to the side soon.
“Welcome, Duke of Almeria”
At his words, I put a smile on my face.
“I am honored to be invited”
“… I will present myself again, I am Alfred Dean Tasmeria, the first prince of this country”
… Those were words for breaking with me… Your meaning is distancing yourself not Dean?
It may not be the case, but that was what I heard from it.
“I am Iris, Iris, Lana, Almeria”
Even if you know the other person’s face, when you talk for the first time to them, you introduce each other. That is the common etiquette for nobility.
And as long as the noble with superior rank does not state his name, you can’t say his name, even if you know it, you can’t call his or her name.
Dean now is royalty … and I’m just a noble.
All about us is in the past now.
“This time, we caused a great inconvenience to the Duke of Almeria and his territory, I would like to apologize for it.”
“There is no such inconvenience, Your Highness, our house has just completed the duties as a noble.”
“You are… No, my apologies. The Duke of Almeria is the most respected aristocrat I know.”
I do not know if it’s a praise, anyway I just smile.
I do not know how many times I will have to politely smile today, but my chest hurts.
Silence falls among us.
It’s different from all the previous times when we were talking a lot about ideas and plans in the territory, now only regret is between us.
He gestures the employees to go away.
“Tanya, you also please await for me at the entrance.”
I told Tanya who did not move when he gestured the others.
“Well…”
As I am perplexed, she alternates looking at him and me at the eyes.
“All right.”
Although it’s not good to be alone with a man, this is not a closed room but a wide sky.
Just because I can’t see them doesn’t mean that there are not a lot of people going back and forth in the corridors surrounding this garden.
“…Okay”
Then, only us remained in this garden.
“…Were you surprised?”
He changed his tone.
“… Yes, that’s right, I was surprised that “you” appeared from that door that day…”
Even if I can’t see them, people are waiting for his orders near.
That is why I gave a workaround and didn’t state myself clearly.
“But, the more I think about it, the more I’m not convinced at the same time, why did you appear before someone at that time?”
I knew well that Dean as the First Prince received advanced education.
Saying that he came from a merchant’s house and coming to me, I can not explain it. But his advanced education coming from a merchant’s house also can’t be explained.
That’s why I knew he was the First Prince, or better said I was convinced when I knew it rather than being surprised.
Perhaps he was coming to inspect our territory as an undercover.
Because the young lady of a Duke’s house who was kicked out of the school started doing variously suspicious activities instead of being sitting still in her house, or because after being kicked from school she took the position of acting as a lord. Something like that could have generated doubts on him.
At my words, he laughed bitterly.
Apparently, my guess seems to be true.
“……is there something wrong?”
To my sudden change, he asks me.
“No, all is okay. I was just thinking a bit.”
It was truly nothing.
… What did he came up with that made him come to me?
Thinking about that … I ended up with the conclusion that I don’t care about his reasons.
I am not blaming him, more like I’m amazed at the circumstances.
In the first place, there is neither a grudge nor anger against what he did. It’s understandable that he was lying about his identity all this time.
Because I was the one who accepted him without knowing his identity, so I’m to blame for it.
There were a lot of things that seemed to be funnily ridiculous coming from a merchant’s house though.
Yet I accepted him because my grandfather and mother knew his identity all along.
…… No, that’s irrelevant.
Before I knew about it, I really did not care.
Even if he was a thief or a commoner, I’d closed my eyes as long as he was on my side.
Why, would I have to question his identity if he was at my side?.
So, I do not mean to blame him at all.
Thinking that far, I just smiled.
To this time, I’m still being captured by him.
How awful, love is a troublesome thing.