"Talk?"

"Right, I'm bored since I haven't talked with many people recently"

Urged by Lady Helene who said she wants to talk, I sat next to her.

Lady Helene looked at me and meaningfully smiled.

"Fufufu. I've heard the rumors. You really are loved by His Highness a whole lot"

"Heh?"

Abruptly told that, I unconsciously made a strange voice.

Lady Helene smiled happily and pointed at the nape of my neck.

"That. It's the kiss mark His Highness left, right? It's just like a bruise. You're hiding it with your hair, but you must be careful"

"Eh?"

In a fl.u.s.ter I tried looking where she pointed at… But it's exactly a spot I can't see myself, so no matter how hard I twisted my head I couldn't confirm it.

… Gununu. Freed, d.a.m.n you, you left it with all your strength knowing I wouldn't notice.

I took a fleeting glance at the practice ground below.

Freed, who had devoured me thoroughly last night, waved his hand with a smile upon sensing my gaze. While waving back to him, I swore in my mind to appeal to decrease the number of kiss marks a bit more.

Certainly, I said that I'm fine if they can't be seen, but it's meaningless if it's only where they can't be seen by me.

Even if I ask him to stop he won't listen anyway, so I want to add the condition that they can be hidden under clothes.

By the way, recently I thought it would be good to give Freed one as a retaliation, but I was hopelessly poor at giving them, it didn't even take half an hour for them to disappear. It's absurd that when Freed leaves them they can stay for a week at worst.

While I struggled to put on a kiss mark, calling it a "Revenge" he regretfully returned the favor twofold.

What's more, as I became desperate he pinned me down, and despite not showing much patience until then he declared "Lidi, you're so cute doing your best I can't endure anymore, so that's it", and I ended up endlessly going along with him until morning. Uuu… I think the number of times really is too high recently. I don't hate it though!

Anyway, having my kiss mark pointed out I hung my head in unbearable embarra.s.sment.

"I, I apologize"

For now, I concealed the indicated kiss mark with my hair.

Lady Helene continued smiling happily.

"It's fine. It's wonderful you are close. Everybody desires a relations.h.i.+p that's as good as yours, so you should be happy. I don't think anybody will complain about it… But, let's see. If you're embarra.s.sed, why don't you visit my room for a while? Then we can calmly talk, right? I'll arrange tea, and I won't bully you, okay?"

I blinked my eyes at the word bully.

"N… No, I didn't have those kind of thoughts…"

"Ara? Is that so? Isn't my position likely to make me pick on and bully you? I believe it wouldn't be strange to be cautious"

"… Haa"

I could only be dumbfounded when Lady Helene unabashedly said that.

Certainly, I can't say the possibility is zero.

Concubine's bullying. Hm…

"You are not suitable for His Highness. Leave immediately"

It could be verbal abuse like this.

But when I imagined it, I smiled a little.

Because, it's something out of a romance novel.

It might happen in another country, but it's impossible in ours. As long as there's the King's Flower system, the position of princess consort is absolute. It's the same for me who's already received the proof of princess consort.

Of course she may bully me because she dislikes me, but so what.

I have the King's Flower. If it was discovered, it would be unmistakably the concubine who would be driven out. There's nothing to gain by bullying. Even if it was to blow off steam, the risk is too high. It'd be endangering her precious position of concubine.

Besides, this is only my intuition, but Lady Helene doesn't look like the person to do that.

If I had to say, she seems to be a witty person that's fun to talk with.

That's why I didn't really harbor any doubts, but Lady Helene didn't seem to understand that.

With her eyebrows lowered slightly in disappointment, she said.

"If you are unwilling, of course I won't force you, okay? I don't have a hobby of scaring cute children. I just thought it's a rare opportunity to talk once――"

"I will go"

"Ara?"

Not wanting the precious invitation to go to waste, I covered her words with my positive answer. Lady Helene blinked her eyes, surprise was written on her face.

"Is that fine? Truly? I'm His Majesty's concubine, you know?"

"Of course. Actually, I've also wanted to talk with you once. I apologize I wasn't able to instantly reply before. I do not find it unpleasant in the slightest. That's why please don't misunderstand me"

"You've wanted to talk? With me?"

"Yes"

When I nodded with a smile, saying "Princess is unusual" Lady Helene exhaled in exasperation.

"The Queen is a matter of course, however even Sarah didn't let down her guard easily. You really don't think anything will happen?"

"Yes, I do not"

When I answered with a smile, Lady Helene's became more and more astonished.

"It might sound weird coming from me, but how about you distrust me a little? You are His Highness's fiancée, right? I think that far from just me, there are many young ladies who would hara.s.s you out of envy for that position. Of course, if anything happened to you, His Highness would undoubtedly move, even so…"

"Thank you very much for the concern. However, it's fine. I believe you, Lady Helene, besides――"

"Besides?"

As Lady Helene fixed her gaze on me who deliberately cut off words, I turned a nasty smile towards her.

"I'm not a woman who would stay silent when bullied. Supposing something happened, I would return the favor threefold. I wouldn't trouble His Highness"

"Wha?"

"The rule of the Vivoir ducal house is to return the favor threefold. Of course, this also applies to the envious young ladies. I only hope they attack quickly. If they do, I can thoroughly smash them without any reservations. Wouldn't it feel refres.h.i.+ng?"

Picking a fight with me naturally means picking a fight with the Vivoir ducal house.

In other words, the other party would challenge me with the resolution to make an enemy of the ducal house. If they showed such resolution, I would pull no punches either. It would be rude to pull them.

I wouldn't let Freed intervene either. They'd be picking a fight with me. I want to properly deal with it myself.

However, I don't intend to be the one to start things in the very least, so if they feel like doing this, I wish they'd hurry up. With that feeling I sharpen my fangs every day waiting for the chance.

That said, recently I haven't seen such young ladies at all.

Ufufu, seeing me laugh with an evil face, this time Lady Helene made a blank face.

Then with all her might she burst into laughter.

"Fu! Fufufu! Excellent. I thought the princess of the preeminent ducal house would be a quiet child, but unexpectedly you're a tomboy. No matter who it was, you'd turn tables on them"

"Of course. That's why, I will be alright even without your concern"

"Truly, it was an unnecessary concern"

Ah, how interesting, saying that Lady Helene wiped the tears that had gathered in the outer corners of her eyes with her finger.

"I never would've imagined His Highness's rumored fiancée would be such a child. So you were wearing a façade at the dinner party. I didn't notice at all. Your façade was quite masterful!"

"Thank you for the compliment. I've been keeping it up for eighteen years"

Father and Brother always tell me that my façade is transparent, so I'm happy to have it praised.

When I thanked her with a nonchalant att.i.tude, Lady Helene finished laughing and said to me.

"It seems like we'll get along well. Once again, if you like, won't you come to my room? I have too much free time. I would be happy if we could have tea together"

"With pleasure"

It was my intention from the beginning.

When I nodded with a deliberate ladylike att.i.tude, for some reason Lady Helene burst into laughter again.

Yup, well.

… It's great she's pleased.