My Mom Entered a Contract Marriage - Chapter 10

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Lilica whispered to Brynn.

“Could it be that he’s delayed because he has something to do?”

“I’ll send an attendant to find out now.”

As Brynn spoke, she made a hand gesture, and the attendant that stood at the end of the row quickly left.

The servant returned after a while, and spoke with a dark expression.

“The Black Dragon Chamber conveys that he’ll be late.”

“Is that all?”

At Brynn’s question, the servant replied, “Yes.” Brynn looked at Lilica, and Lilica replied.

“I’ll wait if he’s going to be late.”

Lilica had been waiting a long time. It’s really hard to stand still. It’s even harder for a child.

As she stood, she shifted her center of gravity from side to side.

Even when she sent another messenger again, the only message she received was ‘I’ll be late’.

It wasn’t until two hours later that the attendant returned with a bowed head, and a new response in tow.

“He asked me to pass on the message that he was too busy and couldn’t meet today.”

Brynn’s dark purple eyes shone coldly. She quickly examined her master’s complexion.

Lilica looked startled.

As Brynn was contemplating on what she should say, Lilica spoke first.

“Is he that busy?”

The servant raised his head out of surprise and bowed again.

“What? Yes…”

“I see. Could you tell him to not feel too apologetic? He must have been worried about keeping us waiting. Let him know that I’m fine. That he doesn’t have to worry.”

Brynn held back her laughter. The attendant nodded earnestly at Lilica’s words.

“Understood.”

“Oh, that’s right. Could you bring newly made snacks over as well? Brynn, what do you think?”

“I think that that’s fine.”

“Really? Then bring me a basket. He must be rather regretful that he couldn’t taste the snacks that Mother asked the chef to make.”

Soon after, Brynn happily watched the servant leave with the basket.

Lilica sighed and said.

“If you’re busy, situations where promises have to be broken might occur, but I’m worried that he’ll feel apologetic for that.”

Brynn nodded amusedly at the well-intentioned naive thought that the person that broke his promise would obviously feel sorry.

“You’ve already said that it’s alright and that he didn’t have to be apologetic several times. It should be fine.”

It was the virtue of their princess, who still turned around and fed him despite the fact that he’ll become a rude human being if he didn’t apologise after doing such a terrible thing, and spoke from the bottom of her heart without any malicious intent.

While Brynn was very satisfied, Lilica said.

“Then, shall we drink tea together? It’s such a waste to just keep things away.”

“I’m much obliged.”

Brynn greeted her gracefully. After the passage of two hours, the time for tea flew by in a flash, and now the sun was already setting.

In the garden where the evening glow shone obliquely, lamps were brought out as they sat down.

It didn’t matter if the dessert had cooled down, so all that had to be done was bring hot water again.

As she didn’t know when the crown prince would arrive, the kitchen kept replenishing boiling water, so it arrived quickly.

Lilica made the tea herself. Her little hands moved skillfully.

It was because she had practised with Brynn countless times for today.

She stepped up on a footstool, made tea, filled her own teacup first, before filling Brynn’s teacup.

Lilica raised her hand lightly, clenched her fist, and opened it.

The servants were at a far enough distance that they couldn’t hear their conversation. Lilica looked at her hand in wonder.

“It really works.”

“Of course. Simple hand signals to call for your trusted confidants will work anytime, anywhere.”

“Then if I clenched my fist, is it a signal that says you can come closer?”

“Yes.”

Brynn touched the rim of her teacup leisurely and spoke.

“When soldiers are present, it’s better to be careful with the hand signals. They might make an attack due to a hand signal that’s meant to call a trusted attendant.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it has happened many times before in the past.”

At Brynn’s words, Lilica nodded, thinking that ‘Even high-ranking people have their own difficulties.’

Brynn asked anxiously.

“Princess, are you really fine? Did you feel upset?”

“Mm, I’m fine.”

Lilica smiled. She spoke in a low voice.

“You know, although I’m apologetic towards Brynn for helping, I thought that this might happen.”

Brynn blinked. It was unlikely that the innocent princess in front of her would be used to plotting or being calculating.

“Why?”

As such, she obviously had to ask this question. Lilica’s brows raised and she spoke with a serious expression unique to her.

“Whenever I went to His Majesty’s office, he would always be busy working. Then, when the Chancellor Lat says, “You have an appointment today,” he would often reply with, “I’m busy today, so I’m not going.””

Then, Lat would always clutch his head with a groan.

There were times when he’d even complained tearfully, saying, “You have to go even if you’re busy.”

“Well, that’s right.”

His Majesty was famous for arbitrarily breaking his appointments.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince right behind His Majesty, isn’t he? In that case, wouldn’t he be very busy? So I was mentally prepared that even if I made an appointment, he might not be able to come.”

She patted her chest and said, “I can also understand the situation of a working person,” and Brynn replied with a big smile.

“As expected of you, Princess.”

“Eh, what?”

Lilica’s cheeks turned red at her words of praise.

However, she secretly praised her quick wit internally. She then quickly told Brynn again that she wasn’t hurt.

“Thanks to that, I was able to enjoy tea with Brynn like this, wasn’t I? I’m sure I wouldn’t have enjoyed it at all if I drank with His Highness.”

Lilica shook her head and said that she would’ve been nervous and unable to discern what it tasted like.

Brynn nodded.

“As long as the Princess is fine, as your lady-in-waiting, I’m also alright.”

Lilica and Brynn drank tea as dusk fell. The sky turned as red as red tea.

When she felt the light of the lamp getting brighter, she heard the sound of footsteps.

A large figure suddenly popped up through the bushes.

“Tan!”

Lilica jumped up from her seat happily to welcome him. Brynn also got up and gave her greetings.

“Greetings, Sir Tan.”

“No, it’s fine. I heard your voice in the garden, so I was wondering what you were doing.”

Tan grinned.

“So you were having tea with a lady-in-waiting. It’s quite rare to have a tea party at this time.”

“It’s because the sunset is very pretty. Why don’t we drink some tea together, Tan? There are plenty of snacks and tea.”

“If it’s an invitation from you, I shalln’t decline.”

Brynn quickly tidied up her seat and took out a new tea set.

Brynn returned back to her position as a lady-in-waiting perfectly and began to serve tea.

Tan commented that the tea was very good, and Lilica humbly replied.

“It’s a tea leaf that Lat had gifted me. I heard that tea leaves were Sandar’s specialty.”

“No wonder. I thought about gifting you the Wolfe fief’s specialty, but it’s still too much for you, Princess.”

“What’s the specialty?”

“It’s distilled liquor.”

Tan replied with a grin, and Lilica exclaimed, “I see.”

“The snacks are quite new, too.”

“Mother said that she has brought in a new chef.”

“This is delicious.”

The snacks entered Tan’s mouth in a flash.

Due to his size, the snacks were so small that one or two didn’t seem enough to satisfy him.

Lilica ordered more refreshments. The refreshments, which were quickly brought by the attendants, began to pile up one after another.

After tasting whipped cream, Tan’s eyes widened.

“This is really good!”

“Mother told the chef to make it, saying that it’s whipped cream. It seems like it’ll be used instead of buttercream.”

The whipped cream that topped the heavy pound cake was lighter and fresher than the buttercream.

Milk and butter were hard to obtain in the north, and this rich sweetness was something that can only be tasted in the capital.

The people of Wolfe weren’t weak to sweets for no reason.

They were the ones that drank distilled liquor with sugar cubes.

“It’s quite good. It’s hard to obtain cream because it’s cold at our place.”

“If it’s cold, the cream wouldn’t go bad, right?”

At Lilica’s question, Tan smiled and replied, “When it’s cold, not much milk is produced.”

“I see.”

Lilica saved the new knowledge that she’d gained in her head.

As they were conversing about this and that, the garden darkened. Tan requested to escort Lilica to her quarters as it was pitch dark.

At his words, Lilica looked at Tan and asked.

“Then, can I walk around the garden at night for a while?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll just take Brynn with me. The tranquillity would disappear if there’s a lot of people.”

Upon hearing Lilica’s words, Brynn smiled and replied with, “Understood.” Tan began walking with a glazed lamp in hand, and Lilica stood beside him. Brynn followed a step behind them.

The garden at night was rather tranquil, and the scent of roses pervaded the air.

With a deep inhale, she felt the scent of flowers permeating deeply into her body. While the silence might have been scary, she wasn’t scared as she was standing next to Tan.

While just walking around quietly was fun, Lilica opened her mouth.

“Thank you for coming today.”

Tan grinned. Perhaps because she got to know about the origins of the castle, it was quite the wolfish smile.

“I’ve also eaten something delicious thanks to you. Thank you for the treat.”

Lilica smiled and he continued to ask.

“Are you sure that you’re fine?”

“Hm?”

“You had another guest today, didn’t you? I was worried if you were hurt.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Lilica realise that Tan didn’t come over by accident.

“I’m not upset. And, as for His Highness the Crown Prince, I think he’s a ‘kind person’.”

“What?”

When Tan asked in surprise, Lilica grinned.

“Wasn’t he trying to come and meet me? He tried his best to get his work done somehow, saying, just a little more, a little more and he’ll be done with work.”

However, time flew by as a result.

That’s why he eventually said that he wasn’t able to make it.

She thought the way he kept saying he’ll come over in a little bit made him rather kind.

Tan seemed to be agonising about what he should say in response to Lilica’s unconventional logic.

Lilica continued without paying much attention to his countenance.

“You came because you’re worried that I’d be upset, right? Thank you, Tan. I would have been hurt if I was alone. I might have been very sad. But it was alright because Brynn and Tan were here.”

Tan stopped and looked at Lilica.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the serious, adult-like expression on her face, but the faith in her eyes made it impossible for him to laugh.

She has never been ‘truly’ hurt, and she didn’t believe that anyone would ever ‘truly’ hurt her.

It was a kind of trust and love that shouldn’t be regarded as like a young child’s.

The look on her face said that if there wasn’t a human with enough malice to drop a kitten that depended on her or kick a happily approaching dog, she didn’t want to wake up.

Tan was in awe.

Lilica’s life thus far had not been smooth.

Through reports, Altheos, Lat, and Tan were well aware of the kind of life she had led.

Nevertheless, even though she was hurt, she didn’t yearn so much for affection that she became servile, and neither did she raise a sharp knife.

That was also considered difficult for adults.

“You don’t have to thank me. I’ve said it before, it’s because I ate something delicious. Besides, I skipped the rest of the work.”

Tan grinned.

“I won Lat in rock-paper-scissors.”

“With Lat?”

“Yes, we were deciding who would go between me and Lat, and we decided through rock-paper-scissors.”

“It would’ve been alright if the both of you had come,” said Lilica, and Tan nodded.

“However, who would complete the work?”

“That’s true. If I had known that earlier, I would have sent a basket to Lat as well.”

“A basket?”

“Yes, I’ve actually sent one to His Highness the Crown Prince. He’s very busy, so he can eat while working.”

At those words, Tan’s shoulders trembled and he burst into laughter again.

Bestowing food was usually done by the person with higher standing to those with lower standing.

Of course, it wouldn’t matter if a new snack was sent by his younger cousin, saying that it was really delicious.

Although it wouldn’t.

Tan wondered if it would be taken as that sort of intention and chuckled.

He probably needs to have a conversation with His Highness next time.

This innocent princess didn’t seem to be purely naive.

She was caring, friendly, and was willing to protect him.

‘This is getting interesting.’

When Altheos said, “I’m getting married,” he had many concerns in various aspects, but from the current looks of things, it didn’t seem like he needed to worry at all.

After taking a walk around the garden, Lilica sighed and said quietly in front of her quarters.

She couldn’t help but curl up into a ball.

“Actually, there’s only one thing I’m worried about.”

“What is it?”

“I think Mother will be upset, so I’m worried about that.”

In order to invite His Highness the Crown Prince, she’d helped Lilica prepare a lot of things, but wouldn’t she be quite upset to hear that the crown prince broke the promise unilaterally after Lilica had waited for two hours?

“I’m fine though.”

Tan nodded at Lilica’s words.

“If the Princess says that you’re alright, I’m sure it’ll work out.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course.”

Lilica’s expression brightened at Tan’s guarantee.

“Thank you, Tan.”

After another greeting, Lilica entered her room. Brynn smiled and closed the door after greeting Tan. .

Tan sighed in front of the door.

“I really hope Her Majesty the Empress will be alright with this.”

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