April: The Botanical Garden Opening Event.
Maria and Arthur pretend not to know each other despite their reunion.
May: The Queen's Banquet.
Arthur invites Maria to dance, but she urgently turns to Tristan and asks him to dance, avoiding Arthur altogether.
Though the two never share a dance, they find themselves sitting together at the same table near the end of the banquet. Beneath the tablecloth, their fingers touch, and they feel a flutter of excitement.
From that moment, their romance accelerates like a rushing current. By the June Hunting Tournament and July Jousting Tournament, their relationship evolves into a "What's going on between you two?" kind of ambiguity.
That is, if the story goes as originally written.
"I never intended to interfere…"
Natalie, the expected antagonist, shows no sign of starting her misdeeds, and Tristan—the character I'd counted on—remains lukewarm at best.
Since I can't exactly step into Natalie's role, I've opted for a more passive method of encouragement.
"Miss Dory, shall we head out now?"
"One moment. I think there's dust on this cookie…"
Rick popped the cookie into his mouth and winked.
"Taken care of!"
"Wait a moment. What kind of tea would the young duke prefer?"
"I hear he'd even drink rust water happily as long as it's drinkable. He probably considers any beverage a waste of water."
"Oh no, the cups don't match."
"I'll drink straight from my hands if I must!"
Pitiful. Truly pitiful.
This should do.
"A little disappointing, but let's bring this out as is."
"Yes, ma'am!"
With a maid supporting me, I slowly made my way forward.
Surely Maria and Arthur have spoken by now? It's been far too long for them to sit in silence.
What if they're holding hands already?
Preparing for the potential awkwardness, I raised my voice as I approached the parlor.
"Thank you for waiting! I've prepared a simple tea for our guests. Since Mother is unavailable, I thought I'd step in… Sister?"
What are you doing here?
Natalie, sprawled lazily on the largest sofa in the parlor, looked up at me.
"The injured one is surprisingly busy. I'm sure the guests feel right at ease with such care."
"Sister, when did you come out? I thought you were eating in your room."
"Normally, I'd just get sandwiches, but the menu seemed extravagant today. I figured there must be guests, so I came down… And it turns out they needed more than just sandwiches, didn't they? Did you enjoy the meal?"
Natalie turned her head left and right, surveying them. Judging by the atmosphere, she'd plopped herself down before they even had the chance to hold hands.
Way to ruin the mood!
Or… was she unbelievably quick on the uptake?
Maria responded first.
"It was absolutely delicious. Sharing it with a dear friend made it all the more enjoyable, and I feel truly blessed by the warm hospitality despite my unexpected visit."
Arthur chimed in as well.
"I only just arrived and plan to take my time with lunch since I had a late breakfast. Not because I overslept, of course—I prioritize physical training every morning…"
Natalie's gaze grew colder, like the look people give when someone at a blind date overshares irrelevant details.
Still, Arthur didn't forget his manners. He stood and approached me swiftly.
"I must apologize for my conduct at the last banquet. If I'd known how seriously you were injured, I would have escorted you home. It was thoughtless of me."
"It's alright. My mother was so worried she exaggerated my condition, but I'll recover with just a bit of rest."
"I feel reassured now. Thank you for your kind words. This is a small gift for your recovery."
Arthur presented a modest box, about the size of an A5 notebook.
"Thank you. You didn't have to go to such trouble…"
"It's no trouble. I wanted to contribute, even in a small way, to your recovery."
"May I open it now?"
"Of course."
I recalled what one of the maids had mentioned earlier:
A popular dessert shop just opened nearby. If he's thoughtful, he might bring sweets from there.
Could it really be? My mouth watered in anticipation as I carefully unwrapped the package.
When I opened the box, I was left speechless.
"…Young Duke, what is this?"
"Bandages."
My modest hope for a box of honeyed treats was utterly crushed.
"They're from a well-known brand used for joint stabilization during sprains and fractures. The material's friction is ideal for self-application. It's a Frost Hill specialty—rare in the capital, but fortunately, I found some at the national hospital."
"…."
A fruit basket would've sufficed.
Summoning every ounce of social grace, I managed a bright smile.
"Thank you! I'll make good use of them!"
"I'm glad to have contributed to your recovery, Miss Redfield."
Arthur looked quite pleased with himself, while beside him, Natalie's expression openly screamed, What the hell is wrong with this guy?
Calm down, sister!
The reactions of those around us were no better. When I glanced at the maids, they shook their heads subtly. Rick was visibly struggling to suppress his laughter, his jaw clenched tight.
Even in this world, that's not exactly a typical get-well gift.
You're lucky to be dating the kindest woman in the story…
I wondered how Maria might react.
Curious, I turned to her—and was met with an unexpected expression.
A wistful look.
"It's been so long since I've seen this bandage."
"…You know it?"
"I got scolded for using it when I was little. They said it was too expensive to waste on a scraped knee."
Maria reached out toward the bandage, then glanced at me for permission before touching it. I nodded. She caressed it with a face full of nostalgia, and Arthur's expression softened with a similar sentiment.
What a mood.
I want to leave this couple alone and send everyone else away.
Can I make that happen?
Maybe I should pretend my leg hurts and ask Natalie and Rick to help me back to my room.
But the problem is Rick might not leave Maria's side…
Suddenly, Natalie stood up.
"Maria, have you had enough of chatting with Dory?"
"Pardon? Oh, yes. We had a lovely conversation earlier."
"Then how about taking a walk with me? I'd love to show you the count's garden. Normally, Dory would do it, but given her leg…"
Natalie cast a glance at me, feigning pity, before making eye contact with Arthur. Was she hinting that she'd take Maria away so Arthur could have some alone time with me?
It's not what you think, really!
Maria, innocent as ever, stood up with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Oh, I love garden tours!"
Rick stood as well.
"May I accompany you? My master insists I stay close to the lady."
"Suit yourself."
Natalie agreed without hesitation.
Ugh!
If you were scheming for alone time with Arthur, fine—but why are you doing me this favor?!
As the three of them left for the foyer, I hastily called out to Maria.
"Maria! You're not just going to leave after coming all this way, are you?"
"Of course not. I'll take a quick walk and come right back."
"How about taking the young duke along—"
Natalie cut me off decisively.
"The count's garden paths are too narrow for two men. The young duke can have his chance next time."
Maria looked a bit disappointed but didn't argue since she was a guest. Soon, Natalie, Rick, and Maria disappeared beyond the door.
Now it was just the two of us in the awkward silence.
Arthur, wearing a socially polite but strained smile, let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead once the door closed.
"Everyone seems to be avoiding me… Is it just my imagination?"
"No, no! It's just a coincidence, really!"
Leaving him out so obviously had hurt his feelings!
I slid the plate of cookies toward him.
"Please, have some. You must be hungry."
"Thank you."
Arthur nibbled at a cookie, looking rather downcast, then broke the silence.
"Miss Redfield, are you close with Maria? I noticed you called her by her first name."
"We only became close recently. Maria reached out to me first, probably because she doesn't have many peers to talk to in society."
"That's admirable. I can't even address her comfortably."
"You were alone with her earlier, right? How far did you get in conversation? Did Natalie interrupt immediately?"
"We exchanged, 'How are you?' and 'Fine, thank you.' Maria seemed like she was about to greet me casually but corrected herself. Actually… we were acquaintances as children."
Arthur began to recount their history—how they were friends in Frosthill, how Maria had to leave due to her parents' circumstances, and how they reunited five years later, now awkward around each other.
One difference stood out between their accounts:
"I think I… may have romantic feelings for her."
Compared to Maria, who only shared their friendship story, Arthur was much more straightforward!
Even as his face turned red, Arthur didn't stop speaking. He seemed to think this was the perfect moment for advice.
"How does one approach a lady properly?"
"You did well at the last banquet, didn't you? You even brought me lemonade, inspired by His Highness."
"I can't keep imitating others. When relationships become more personal, those nuances aren't visible in public."
"Well said. With that kind of consideration, I'm sure you'll do fine."
"Really?"
Arthur still looked anything but reassured.
"By the way, what did you think of my get-well gift?"
"…."
"Please, be honest."
Should I really tell him the truth?