The next day was peaceful as well.

“You may head out now.”
“Yes, yes sir.”

The attendants of the Moutet Count’s Estate became shocked but started to move at Benjamin’s comment.

I smiled and looked toward them.

Some of the ones who made eye contact with me even blanked out for a moment and ran into each other.

I looked at my notebook because I thought that I would be a bother if I kept looking at them.

The summer breeze of the Imperial Capital blew inside from the open balcony.

The breeze was kind of hot but eating a bite of the sweet and cool pêche melba made it perfect.

I thoroughly went through the information I had written into the notebook until now.

“Mm.”

First of all, I knew about the ability that I possessed.

I absorbed the power that was in the divine item, the Paten of Wishes, and thanks to that, I have a large amount of the purest quality of ether.

However, I face ether depletion the same way other priests do if I overexert myself. Just like everyone else, my body cannot handle ether overload.

I know because I fainted both times I used too much ether.

I drew a large arrow with the quill pen.

The reason why I transmigrated into QNW is because someone made a wish on the Paten.

That was why I tried praying to another divine item, the Sword of Wisdom from the Flaming Star, to send me back home.

Of course, nothing happened.

The author seems to have no intentions of letting me go until Prince Jesse’s survival is guaranteed.

The pen drew another arrow in the opposite direction.

Christelle and Imperial Prince Cédric. I had made up my mind to not get involved with the two of them the first day I transmigrated here.

It was because the two of them were QNW’s official couple. Prince Jesse originally sacrificed his life for their love.

The top priority for my survival was to avoid the main characters. However……

“They seem to be curious of the stories about your adventure with your friends, your highness.”

Ganael said that as he closed the door. I awkwardly smiled while looking at the young boy.

Unlike the attendants at the Imperial Palace who were thoroughly educated, the attendants of the Count’s Estate seemed frantic at the chance to speak to me.

Gazes full of interest and curiosity followed me all day.

Basically, this was the problem. Friends.

I ended up becoming friends with the main characters without meaning to do so.

“Mm……”

I filled my cheeks with a combination of peaches boiled in syrup and vanilla ice cream.

The back of your head is supposed to chill and help you focus when your mouth gets cold, but thinking about the two of them prevented that from happening. At least it was still delicious.

Despite trying my best to avoid them, this was the result.

I even tried to act rude. Unfortunately, the Imperial Prince was my senior in this department and held a firm position on being the one who is rude.

It was difficult to get rid of a personality that you have had forever.

I tried to only take care of the people in my immediate area, but by the time I snapped back to by senses, the situation had already grown out of control.

“Do I seem close to the two of them?”
“You have gotten very close to them, your highness.”
“Yes sir! Very much!”

Benjamin and Ganael both responded, despite me not explaining who ‘the two of them’ was referring to.

I could not figure out a fitting response.

I knew very well that it would get complicated if I became friends with the people here, especially the main characters.

I didn’t want either side to get hurt when I eventually need to go home.

However, I am an extremely normal person, so this seemed unpreventable.

I was a regular human without a skill for mental fortitude or emotion depletion.

“This is difficult.”

I quietly mumbled.

I needed to go back home to Eunseo and my brother, but I could no longer think of any methods.

But I could not give up.

I ate everything on my spoon and turned to a new page in the notebook.

I had promised the two of them that I would be with them until the Annual Prayer Meeting.

In that case, I needed to prepare at least a little bit for what would happen after that.

“Benjamin. Could I get what I requested please.”
“Yes, your highness. Here it is.”

Benjamin pulled a piece of paper out of his inner pocket.

“Thank you very much.”
“Please call for me at any time should you need more details on anything, your highness.”

I nodded my head and put the paper he handed me in between the pages of my notebook.

It was a simple outline of a weekly schedule for the second half of the year.

Of course, a diplomatic hostage like me did not have a set schedule.

However, knowing about the public plans of the Imperial family or the annual events of the Empire in advance should help me in some way.

Who knows? Reading about these things might make me remember something from QNW that Eunseo told me.

“Then shall we slowly head down?”

I spoke as brightly as I could.

Now that I have finished lunch and organized my notebook, it was time to go use my healing powers on Sir Geens.

I could probably rest a bit after coming back and memorize a new healing cir-

– Tap, tap, taaaap

I thought that it suddenly started to rain. It was something tapping on the open balcony door.

We quickly turned our heads.

“Percy, what are you doing over there?”

The little chimney bird was flapping his wings and harassing the window with his beak.

I put my notebook in my pocket and rushed over to the balcony.

‘I thought he would be out in the field with the red pandas.’

– Tap, tap tap.

“No, the window is going to go owie. You’ll also get hurt if it breaks. Come here.”

‘I petted him a lot this morning. Why is he suddenly acting like this?’

I reached one hand toward him.

Percy tilted his head before jumping onto my index finger and then flying down to the ground.

He seemed quite capricious……

“Huh?”

I blinked my eyes. I could see the convoy of the Imperial family’s carriage right outside the building. And…

“Why is he there?”

An exaggeratedly handsome man with black hair was looking up at the balcony.

His orange eyes were even more radiant than usual thanks to the sunlight of early summer.

Percy, who was now seated on top of his head, was chirping as if he had no idea about what was going on.

‘Did the Imperial Prince tell him to call me out?’

The Imperial Prince’s mouth moved as I stood there wondering if he wanted us to return to the palace immediately.

‘Shopping.’

‘……What?’

*

The four of us were the only patrons at the extremely vast Legault Central Commerce Center.

It was because the Imperial Prince had rented out the whole place for the afternoon.

According to his attendant, David, the Imperial Prince had used his money to do so, making my jaws drop to the floor.

Christelle quietly gasped in admiration and mumbled something about how this was an action that matched his name.

I didn’t expect to meet a personal shopper here, since it was something I had not seen even back in Korea.

‘Is this the VVIP shopping that I have only heard about?’

“Please give me everything from here to over there!”
“Good job, Eva. You know ten things after I teach you just one.”

Christelle warmly caressed Eva’s curly hair.

Eva seemed to like the compliment quite a bit as she ordered the staff at the Commerce Center with her hands on her hips.

The employees could not even rest as the noble young lady continued to order them around.

Eva, who couldn’t suppress that two percent of villainess nature inside of her, would say things like, ‘Why are your hands so slow? Did you eat escargot today?’ or ‘You can just tie it with silk if you have no string.’ Of course, she was saying them without any malice.

Apologizing and covering up for her was my responsibility.

“This is for you, your highness. It’s because you are white and blonde.”
“…Thank you very much. I’ll use it and wear it well.”

Eva, who finished paying at the fifth shop, handed me a large paper bag.

One of the employees following us will end up carrying it, but I needed to personally check what it was.

The young lady then handed the Imperial Prince a large bag as well. She seemed to find this extremely difficult.

“And this…… This is just a small token of my sincerity, your Royal Highness. I picked this because you dazzle brightly like Betelgeuse in the night sky and have eyes like a lake with a sun setting over it.”

‘Isn’t the difference in description too much?’

I had that thought for a moment but still happily opened the gift from Eva.

There was a golden banquet outfit with sparkling diamonds and multiple white satin shirts.

There were a handful of accessories as well.

Of course, I wouldn’t be able to show it to the head of the boutique even if I took it to the Imperial Palace.

“Then shall we take a look over there at shoes and boots now?”
“Yes, that sounds great!”

Eva responded energetically to Christelle’s suggestion.

The child said that she had never been shopping in her entire life.

It was her brother, the young Duke, who mostly used money in the House of Blanquer, and the things that Eva needed were always bought in advance by the ducal couple.

She was rumored to be the little villainess out east and had yet to make her Beau Monde debut, so she didn’t even have friends to exchange gifts.

The two young ladies departed toward the shoe store. I spoke to the Imperial Prince, who was seated next to me on the long couch.

“Thank you very much for not mentioning the Imperial safe to Eva, your Royal Highness.”
“……”

He slightly frowned as he looked at me.

‘He’s always like this despite knowing what I mean.’

“Normally I am not allowed to receive gifts like this.”

It was obvious.

All of the gifts and letters that nobles had sent me until now all went to the Imperial safe.

I could at least pretend to receive these gifts from Eva today because the Imperial Prince didn’t openly mention it to her.

I wondered if he was being considerate of the child’s feelings.

“……Pack it yourself.”
“Excuse me?”
“There is not enough room in the safe.”

He looked away while saying that.

I looked at the Imperial Prince in shock before looking at David, who was standing behind him.

The middle-aged man was biting his lips as he shook his head.

‘Wow, the safe really must be full. I guess it helps that the Imperial family is so wealthy.’

“I understand, your Royal Highness.”

I answered.

I didn’t have much materialistic greed, but it was nice to be able to keep a gift.

I thought that this was the right mood and asked the Imperial Prince another question.

“Your Royal Highness, did you get up like that yesterday in order to prepare for today’s shopping?”
“……”

‘That totally was it.’

I chuckled and observed the Imperial Prince’s face.

He didn’t show it on the outside and made it seem as if he didn’t like Christelle, but I was pretty certain that he was actually pretty close to her now.

That was why he rented out the entire Commerce Center to help her shop and even let us use the imperial family’s carriage.

I even heard that he invited her to Romero Palace.

I was feeling a bit proud of this guy who was progressing their relationship little by little like a proper Romfan male lead.

It was worth all of the effort I’ve put in until now to push the two of them today.

“If I may make a suggestion, you lack presentation skills, your Royal Highness.”
“What?”
“You are doing so well, but…… The way you express it in words is a bit… disappointing?”

This must have been one of the reasons Eunseo cussed this bastard out every other day.

It was also the reason I felt so frustrated about the cast of < Reason, Sensibility, and Holiness >.

“……”

It must have been difficult for the Imperial Prince to receive criticism. He glared at me as if he would burn me up before getting up and walking away.

‘I’m only saying it for his benefit. Did I sound too much like an old fart?’

*

“Today was so much fun. Thank you very much, your Royal Highness. Prince Jesse. Young lady Christelle.”

Eva stood in front of the building and respectfully thanked us.

The employees of the Commerce Center and the attendants who came with us from the Count’s Estate were busy loading things into the carriages.

It was all items that were purchased today.

The Imperial Prince nodded his chin once as Eva got on the carriage first.

I ordered a custom flame resistant formal attire in Vice Captain Élisabeth’s name and bought a magic stone sprinkler that could be installed in the greenhouse at the Count’s Estate.

The former was something I picked because the young Countess seemed to burn her clothes quite a bit while sparring with the Imperial Prince, and they said that they would make it immediately once she comes to get measured.

The latter was for Sir Michel Moutet, who enjoys taking care of the greenhouse.

‘I hope the father and daughter both like my gifts.’

“Then shall we get on as well?”

Christelle asked in a pleasant voice.

She didn’t seem tired at all despite shopping for over four hours.

It happened as I stuck my tongue out and opened the carriage door.

“Old lady, you can’t do that here. We have some esteemed guests right now!”
“Don’t push me. You know that I can’t see.”

I heard a weak woman’s voice through the chaos.

Christelle, the Imperial Prince, and I all looked at each other.

Christelle was the first to move.

The Imperial Guards, who were forming a circle around us, took about two steps to the side as she approached.

I quickly followed behind her.

“Grandma, are you unwell?”

Christelle asked. The old lady who appeared seemed long past ninety.

Her small murky grey eyes were looking at the air without focus.

It was hard to tell where she might be having difficulties as she was wearing a long and old robe.

The Commerce Center employee who was talking to the old woman became shocked after seeing us and bowed.

“Please accept my deepest apologies, your Royal Highness. This old lady is a street fortune teller……”
“And?”

The employee flinched at my question.

I’ve seen this cliché of the main character running into a mysterious fortune teller or a seer in many novels.

“That, she would not listen to us despite being paid a day’s wage to take the day off. Please forgive me.”

Basically, he meant that they tried to remove the ‘unsightly things’ from the streets before the Imperial Prince and his group showed up.

I scowled at his explanation.

I gently grabbed the swaying old lady’s arm to support her when she started to speak.

“Sir, you are not from here.”
“Excuse me?”

I felt my heart drop.

Well, it was obvious.

Anybody who knows that I am the prince of the Holy Kingdom could say that.

However, her words sounded very odd.

The old lady didn’t respond to my question and slowly raised her head.

Her blank eyes were directed toward the Imperial Prince.

“And it looks like our esteemed sir will lose a connection once again. How pitiful……”

—
Translator’s Comments

Well… that’s not ominous at all…

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