Rezamiliana’s Feelings
“Why are you so surprised?”
Seeing Siana’s astonished expression, Rezamiliana looked puzzled, while Siana spoke inwardly to herself.
Back then, when we talked about something like this inside the carriage, it was about her fiancé, so it did not feel strange. But a discussion about how to close emotional distance is nothing more than a pure love story with no connection to the future of the nation, isn’t it!?
Even as she thought this, remaining silent for too long would feel unnatural, so Siana decided to at least give a reply.
“N-no, it is nothing at all.”
“I see. That is fine then. So, by what method did you close the emotional distance?”
“By talking, enjoying tea, and spending time together. They are simply very ordinary methods.”
“Given your position as royalty, if you were to do such things with a man from a count’s household, would it not make him feel so self-conscious that the distance would not lessen at all?”
“It is true that such an aspect cannot be denied, but if enough time is spent together, the distance gradually narrows little by little.”
“I see. I understand. That is helpful.”
“…”
Hearing her say this much, Siana found it strange that Rezamiliana was speaking in a way she normally would not. Yet, since Rezamiliana had just brought up something she had said in the carriage before, Siana also recalled a certain conversation from that time.
“At the very least, for the foreseeable future, I have no time to search for a fiancé because of work. I have received marriage offers from dukes in the kingdom and from royalty of other countries, but I seem unskilled in such matters. When it comes to thinking about whom I should choose as the man to share my life with, I do not understand it at all.”
“If there is a man whom you feel you want to love and support, I believe that man will be the one who should share his life with you, Rezamiliana-neesama.”
“To love and support, hm… The ones I feel that way toward are you younger sisters, Father, Mother, of course Violet who always supports Felisiana, the others who support us royals, and all of our kingdom’s people. But that love and support is probably very different from the meaning Felisiana intended.”
From the contents of that remembered conversation, Siana began to consider why Rezamiliana had suddenly started talking about romance. Once she arrived at her own answer, she could not stop herself from asking Rezamiliana directly.
“The reason you suddenly asked me such a thing, Rezamiliana-neesama, could it be… that a man whom you feel you want to love and support has appeared for you as well?”
Perhaps she had never imagined being asked something like that. Hearing it, Rezamiliana’s eyes widened.
Then, after a short silence, she opened her mouth to speak.
“That is right. If it is you, Felisiana, then I suppose I can tell you.”
After saying this, Rezamiliana’s cheeks flushed red as she continued.
“The truth is… I too have found a man whom I feel I want to love and support. I cannot say, as the First Princess of this country and at the same time your elder sister, that I would throw away everything for his sake. But in any case, a man has appeared who has drawn my heart to him.”
“What!?”
Siana was just as shocked by Rezamiliana’s words as she was by the expression on her face.
Th-this is the first time I have ever seen such an expression on Rezamiliana-neesama! I know because I feel the same way, but this is the look of someone thinking about the boy she likes. But Rezamiliana-neesama? For someone to capture the heart of that Rezamiliana-neesama…
Immediately curious about who the man was, Siana asked.
“It is a little sudden, and I am somewhat surprised, but if Rezamiliana-neesama has found such a person, then I am truly glad. What kind of man is he?”
“Let me see. He is kind, well-mannered, and someone who devotes himself earnestly to continuous effort. I am unskilled in such matters, and I still do not know specifically how I should interact with him. Even so, I am certain there is no falsehood in my heart that wants to love and support him.”
To make Rezamiliana-neesama say this much… Just what kind of person is he? Until now, I thought that aside from Lux-kun, all other men in this world were of no importance. But the world truly is vast.
Yet, no matter what kind of man might exist, Siana was certain that she herself could never come to love anyone other than Lux, so she did not pay particular attention to that point.
Rezamiliana let her blush fade and, with a calmer expression, spoke to Siana.
“Felisiana, I trust you understand, but to avoid unnecessary trouble, I ask that you tell no one of this matter.”
“I understand.”
“Good. This time for certain, you should rest well tonight. Forgive me for keeping you so long.”
“No, I should be the one apologizing. Please excuse me.”
With these words and a bow, Siana left Rezamiliana’s office.
…For a while, the shock that Rezamiliana was harboring feelings for a single person would not leave Siana’s mind.
Rezamiliana’s Side
“Fufu… a man whom I want to love and support, is it. It is an embarrassing phrase to speak aloud, but if I use it to refer to you, then it is not so bad.”
Left alone in the office, she murmured this with a faint curl of her lips, then closed her eyes as she thought of tomorrow, letting Lux’s image pass through her mind.
“Tomorrow will be the first day I meet you as a princess. Just thinking of that makes my heart beat faster even without swinging a sword. I cannot wait to see you.”
Putting her feelings into words, Rezamiliana spoke them quietly and firmly.
After that, time passed and the sun rose. At last, the Third Royal Exchange Gathering was about to begin.