We left the palace and headed for the nearby garden. As Leonhart said, the garden was in full bloom with all sorts of flowers, each pulling out its beauty. The sunshine was moderately warm, so I felt very good.

Leonhart guided me to a tea table inside the floral fence.

“The Imperial Palace is so spacious, I’m focusing on places that the lady might be interested, but I don’t know if you enjoyed it.”

“Everything was so wonderful that I couldn’t help but admire it. This garden is really beautiful, too.”

When the servant asked if I’d like tea, I tried to refuse because I drank a lot earlier, but Leonhart ordered them to bring the cold tea with sugar in it.

I’m not familiar with cold tea … as if my curiosity was revealed on my face, Leonhart explained that it was not bad to wet my throat with cold tea because of the warm weather.

After a while, the servant brought the tea. I thought it would be weird if I drank the tea coldly, but it tasted better than I thought. I could barely keep myself from drinking it at once because it was cleaner than juice and smelled better.

“What did you and Cynthia talked about?”

“She showed me a marvelous teapot that changes color and pattern when you pour hot water and I told her the story about my hairpin, and … oh, she gave me a tea that’s good for my mind and body to help me sleep. I was so surprised, I didn’t expect Cynthia to be so kind.”

“I see.”

Leonhart looked away for a moment and touched his jaw, then spoke.

“In fact, I made a statement to her in advance. I want her to treat you with utmost care.”

“What? Why….”

Is this why Cynthia is so nice to me? But why would Leonhart do that?

“Because you may become a family member. What else would it be.”

“….What?”

“I’d like to offer you a proposal, Lady. What if we got engaged?”

Oh, my God.

Proposing an engagement to me, he surpassed my expectations. Of course, I thought he might consider me a candidate for his fiancée, but I didn’t expect him to come to a conclusion so soon.

When Marianne’s biological son, Rudolf, becomes the Duke, I’ll be in completely useless state … He’s still five years old, but if Marianne continues to be a temporary housekeeper for about 13 years, he’ll be old enough to take over.

Sure I know my brother Theodore will be the Duke, but Leonhart couldn’t be sure who will be.

“Sha, there’s Sharon. Didn’t you need to think about it a little bit more?”

“At first, I was going to do that. But in fact, just a moment after that, I changed my mind.”

“Yes?”

“The moment was when Lady stopped my carriage that was about to leave, and handed me a hairpin. Lady Adriana, what purpose did you get Cynthia a hairpin for?”

As soon as my heart began to throb, my mind went blank.

I wanted to say no, but I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t find the right words.

“To be honest, Lady didn’t really mean much at first. A woman of the blood of the Duke of Crescente, but far from the family’s right, pushed by her stepmother and sister. However, if Theodore Crescente returns from a foreign country to succeed the family, she will hold the family’s real power. So, I was going to watch it go a little bit further and decide on my fiancée.”

In contact to my firmness, Leonhart was talking as calm as before.

“But I was surprised that you, who seemed to be polite and nice lady, suddenly made a surprise move in exchange for a gift. And that’s what my gut tells me, that there must be a purpose.”

“It was just because I lacked manner.”

“If I actually saw a child like the society rumors, I would have thought so.”

I had to bite back when I tried to argue a little.

I thought I was looked too far apart from when I handed Leonhart a hairpin. I had to make them think the bad rumors about me were exaggerated rumors.

Leonhart wasn’t at the social party, but perhaps what happened then was told by Cynthia.

“I thought Lady’s purpose was to get closer to us, but am I wrong?”

“….yes, it’s wrong.”

There was a cold sweat behind my back. I didn’t mean to get close to Leonhart, but it was true that I had a purpose to get close to Cynthia.

I moistened my throat with tea, hoping that the agitation would not appear on my face.

“Then I wanted to be wrong. But think about it. Isn’t that a good offer? If we get on the same boat, we can have a winning relationship. I fully support the succession of Theodore Crescente, and the Duke will support me as the Crown Prince.”

Leonhart’s offer was sweet.

Because I have no one to trust, to survive safely, he will be a strong backing as the Prince of the Empire.

What if Leonhart asks me to break up our engagement because of Ramona later? He can do it. I’m not going to pretend I’m breaking up.

But, I already know that Claudian will win the heir’s competition.

Although it’s okay to build a friendship with the Imperial Princess Cynthia, it’s a suicide act to officially board the same boat with Leonhart.

My brother will never abandon his friend Claudian. If I were on the side of Leonhart, I would be hostile to him.

“How heartbroken my mother and Sharon will be if I become Your Highness’ fiancée?”

“Do you need to care about them?”

“Yes, we’re a family who live in the same house, of course.”

I hope Leonhart will recognize the hidden meaning of my words.

I have no intention of becoming a Princess and I don’t want my relationship with Marianne to deteriorate because of the undesired position.

I didn’t bother to talk about Claudian and my brother. I don’t have give Leonhart the impression that I’m an enemy.

It’s difficult to live in the same house with Marianne and Sharon, there was no need to increase the number of enemies by taking Claudian’s side, who was not even in the Empire.

I’m a neutral, but I might come over if everything is well. I decided that my position would be just about that much.

“I see. That’s the story, and apparently, you’re calling Cynthia by her first name?”

“Yes, Cynthia allowed me to call her by her first name….”

“Hm, why don’t you call me by my first name?”

“….Huh?”

Uh … were we that close? Of course, I can’t say that I’m close to Cynthia yet, but Leonhart is a Prince. He is a figure in position where he could become an Emperor in the future. It’s embarrassing that such a person tried to pretend to be close.

“Don’t be so surprised. I just thought that as we get closer, Lady might consider the proposal positively.”

He’s dangerous guy. I must built a strong wall of my heart so I don’t get caught up in it.

“I think my father will be back soon. It’s a little early, but shall we move to the dining room?”

“Yes….”

After dinner in the palace and returning to the mansion, I asked Leah to make a cold tea, but she was so bad at it and her tea made me shudder.

I asked Leah to learn how to properly make it, and the kitchen maid made me the perfect cold tea. Well, it’s delicious.

It was the date to go to Black Town.

***

I went to the predetermined meeting place. I was looking around because I didn’t know who was the escort until a man wearing turban and covering himself with a cape approached me.

The man took an example and showed me a card with white flowers on it. It was a token of the Magnolia Trade.

“Hello, Miss Riana. This is Teil from the Magnolia Trade.”

“Oh … yes. Please take care of me.”

How did he know it was me? Mm … I commissioned the Magnolia Trade, surely he got an explanation about my appearance.

“I’ve prepared a carriage, so let’s take it.”

Teil guided me into a parked carriage. The carriage was all black and, to put it mildly and badly, rugged.

Still, the police was luxurious, and the interior was comfortably furnished. The flaming of the chair also not lag behind the Duchess of Crescente’s carriage.

The carriage didn’t run that long. Black Town was located in the capital, even if it was the outskirts.

So why would they let a place like Black Town alone?

Even though the size is quite large and it’s not far from the Imperial Palace, they can handle the Emperor’s power.

Black Town is being managed by the demons.

Going there now is a purpose of finding the magic stone, but I couldn’t say that I was not curious at all.

Black Town is a place where cultured aristocrat would not even look.

From now on, I step into such place.

I was a little scared, but on the other hand, there was a strange excitement about the world that I had never experienced.

I got off the carriage with vague expectations. Then, I caught a glimpse of the Black Town.

“…”

“This is the Black Town.”

For me, who had only seen the clean and prosperous Empire’s streets, the sight of Black Town was quite shocking.

Despite the broad daylight, the street was littered with drunken people, and women in very exposed clothes were walking in and out of shops with colorful signboards. On one side, some people were watching a fight.

I was frowned at the sight I had never seen before.

“But it’s just this much because it’s daytime.”

Then what happens at night?

I can’t imagine. Teil openly told me.

“The structure of Black Town is rough, but I know it. Please let me know where you have a business and I’ll take you there.”

“Well, let’s just walk around for now.”

“Yes….?”

Teil’s voice was a little shaky.

My words must have been quite disconcerted. But I didn’t want to reveal my purpose yet.

In The Story of Ramona, Ramona and her party found and obtained the only magic stone on Mount Broke. This information has been sold to the Magnolia Trade.

Other than that, there was a magic stone in Black Town, which Leonhart found.

In the novel, however, Leonhart was the enemy of Ramona. Claudian and brother Theodore are at odds with him over the crown and Ramona.

So, the Ramona’s party has been told that Leonhart had found a magic stone in the Black Town, but could not find out exactly where and how.

If that’s all, it would be a relief.

Perhaps Leonhart spreads lies for the purpose of deceiving Ramona and her party.

The search for magic stone is long after now, when the battle between Claudian and Leonhart is growing more intense.

It’s no use asking him where the magic stone is now. Even if he knew, he won’t tell me.

In the end, I cannot sell such uncertain information to the boss, so I came to Black Town to explore the uncertain site on my own.

“You didn’t come here because you wanted to see Black Town, did you…?”

“I don’t do that kind of thing. No matter what, I’m still pursuing a peaceful and stable life. I can’t live that way right now because of circumstances….”

Teil looked disconsolate, as if he didn’t believe me.

I don’t think it’s likely that a person pursuing a peaceful and stable life would secretly sell information about the magic stone, open an account under fake identities, and come to Black Town.

But … there was a more urgent problem.

It’s hard to figure out where to start and how to find the clues to the magic stone.

I thought I’d come up with a plan of finding a way.

But if I can’t find a clue soon enough, I’ll see that all the magic stones on the continent are already mined.