Outaishihi ni Nante Naritakunai!! Chapter 352

A few days later, I hosted a tea party in the castle.
Since marrying Freed, I hosted a few, but I mostly invite the usual faces.
Marianne, Char, Tiris, Siris, Cecilia.
It's one of my recent pleasures to invite them and enjoy an afternoon tea with whoever can come.
Until a while ago, I didn't like tea parties much, but I wonder if I changed after getting engaged to Freed. Nowadays I can normally listen to the chit-chat unique to women, and I honestly enjoy it. Above all, I understood the worth of friends who associate with me as before despite me becoming the Crown Princess, which made me want to treasure them even more.
It's not surprising or anything, but the number of young ladies wanting to curry favor with me have increased compared to when I was a duke's daughter. Every time I see it, I realize how precious friends whose attitude remains unchanged are.
The participants of today's tea party are Char, Marianne, and Tiris.
The weather was good, so I decided to have the tea party outside and set up a table in the royal quarters courtyard. I say courtyard, but it's a special place where only royalty and people with permission can enter, and the guarding soldiers are keeping watch so that nothing dangerous happens.
Furthermore, I told Freed about my plans, and Cain is also hiding as my guard, so I have truly nothing to worry about.

"It's a wonderful garden…"

While enjoying tea, Tiris exhaled in admiration. The temperature in the royal quarters garden is controlled with a magical art, so you can watch flowers from every season all year round, but normally it's an impossible scene. Everybody who sees it for the first time is taken aback, and I had been no exception.
The other attendees at today's tea party, Marianne and Char, were also looking at the garden with sparkling eyes. Seeing everybody's surprised faces, I felt happy that I'd made the right choice to have the tea party outside.
Tiris enjoyed the garden in silence for a while, but when she looked at the tea sweets lined on the tables, she strangely tilted her head.
She looked really strange, so I instinctively asked her.

"Tiris. What's the matter? Did something happen?"
"N-No… That's not it."
"?"

Evasive.
Tiris loves sweets, so she's well-informed about fads in the Royal Capital. Knowing that, I had the kitchen cooks put all their skills to preparing sweets in order to meet her expectations, but I wonder if something didn't suit her fancy.

"Tiris. Please be honest. Um… Was there something unsavory? I'll talk to the cooks then."
"N-No, it's different. They aren't Japanese confections…!"
"Japanese confections?"

This time I tilted my head at the words that came from Tiris's mouth.
Why did Japanese confections come up? I was more and more confused. Char, who was listening to my and Tiris's talk, spoke with a know-it-all air.

"Dear Sister. Tiris came to today's tea party hoping to eat Japanese confections that Dear Sister made. She's simply disappointed that contrary to her expectations, the usual sweets were served. You can leave her alone."
"Lady Charlotte!"
"Eh, it's the truth, right?  Weren't you excitedly talking about being able to eat Japanese confections before coming here?"

Puzzled Charlotte was lovely, but Tiris couldn't stand being exposed. With her face turned bright red, she told me.

"L-Lady Lidiana! T-That's wrong. By no means am I displeased that the sweets weren't prepared by Lady Lidiana…!"

But, her bright red face confirmed Char's words.
I see, so Tiris wanted to eat Japanese confections. I did something bad.

"… Is that so? You were anticipating them? I didn't know whether you'd be pleased by them, and I thought I'd be taking away the opportunity to show off their skills from the kitchen cooks, but I wish I had prepared Japanese confection if you'd been looking forward to them."
"L-Lady Lidiana… I had no such intention… I-I apologize."

Tiris got smaller and apologized. But, I had no idea what for.

"Why are you apologizing? You wanted to eat my Japanese confections, right? I want to increase the number of Japanese confections fans, so I'm very happy that you feel this way. The question remains how you learned about Japanese confections though…"

I think people of the southern town generally know that I run the Japanese café, but unexpectedly, it hasn't yet spread to nobles.
There are hardly any nobles who are close with commoners, so everybody keeps silent about their enjoyment. As for the Japanese confections, they're known as something sold in a popular place in the Royal Capital.
Occasionally nobles visit, but they mostly don't know I'm behind it.
I'm happy about this situation, so I hope it can continue.
And so, I didn't expect Tiris would know about Japanese confections, and moreover my involvement in them.

"Um… Is it unpleasant? That I… know about Japanese confections…"

When Tiris asked with upturned eyes, I smiled to reassure her.

"Unpleasant? There's no way. I'm not particularly keeping it a secret. I just wonder how you've heard about it."
"Is… Is that so? Um… Lady Lidiana, do you remember that my hobby is touring the Royal Capital for sweets?"
"Y-Yeah. You introduced me to various sweets you came to know that way. I remember."

Tiris has a hobby of eating around, and she spares me no detail about delicious things that she comes to know that way. Thanks to her I'm quite confident about my knowledge of popular places in the Royal Capital.

"Um… And so… I was strolling through the southern town just the other day wondering if some new place opened. And then――"

She incidentally heard about the Japanese café showdown and discovered that I'm the café's owner… Seems like that.

"At the beginning, everybody was evasive about the identity of the owner, but, um, I had eaten strawberry daifuku made by Lady Lidiana. I knew what red bean paste was. So when I heard about Japanese sweets in detail, I sensed that perhaps Lady Lidiana was involved. When I brought up your name, I was told, "If you know, there's no need to hide it," and taught the truth."
"… I see."

I'm convinced.
I certainly treated Tiris to strawberry daifuku before. 'Red bean paste' is quite often used in Japanese confections, so it's natural that she thought of me after hearing about the form and fillings of the Japanese confections.
Moreover, my identity isn't a secret or something. Once she realized it, townspeople wouldn't hide it.
No wonder.
Tiris was extremely bashful, but she continued.

"Unfortunately, I didn't have much time on that day, so I couldn't line up for the Japanese café, which was full. But after hearing about them, I became very curious about what kind of food Japanese confections are… Perhaps I had selfish expectations after being invited here. I truly apologize."

Tiris said that and resolutely bowed her head. I made her raise her face.

"I'm saying you don't need to apologize. After hearing all that, I certainly want you to eat them. However, I really haven't prepared any for today. Supposing you have the opportunity to visit the café again, please visit by all means. If I'm there, I think we'll be able to talk."
"… Lady Lidiana goes there? Her Highness the Crown Princess does?"
"Ah."

Damn it. With my status as the Crown Princess, it must come to her as a surprise that I go to the Japanese cafe. Not only Tiris, but everyone else looked at me in wonder. I averted my gaze from everyone and gave an excuse.

"Er, um… See, I don't go there every day, and I have an escort with me, and… I have my husband's permission…"

Tiris's eyes widened in surprise, then she put her hands on her cheeks and exclaimed, "My."

"In other words, His Highness lets Lady Lidiana do whatever you want. He endures the desire to confine his beloved at his side for her sake… How wonderful…"
"Eh?

Somehow the conversation turned in a direction different from what I imagined. For some reason Marianne also joined in. Clenching her fists, she shouted elatedly.

"The Crown Prince dotes on Lady Lidiana! It's natural!"

Moreover, even Char began nodding, "Yup, yup."

"Dear Sister deserves to be loved after all… Ah come to think of it, Dear Sister, I apologize. Of all people, I forgot. Here, this month's share. Please enjoy it."
"Huh…? Er, t-thank you."

I immediately accepted the largish envelope presented to me. I couldn't keep up with the conversation, but I knew what it was.
I gently opened the envelope, checked inside, and looked up at the sky from the impact.

… The best. I have no regrets about my life.

Char informed me, full of confidence.

"My older brother boasted that he created another masterpiece this month. That a good material stimulates creativity. I'm confident in it satisfying Dear Sister, but how do you find it?"

There was only one word I could answer with.

"… It's wonderful, Char. Thank you… Truly, thank you."
"It's most important that Dear Sister is delighted. I'll convey it to my brother as well."

I strongly nodded to those words.
Inside the envelope, there was a picture that depicted Freed strolling in a garden. The picture was signed by a painter at the height of his popularity in the Royal Capital. I was so happy that I unconsciously hugged the envelope.

―― Aah, Freed is cool.

I didn't think I'd be delighted by my husband's picture, but since it was wonderful, I couldn't help it.
Looking at me, Char laughed with satisfaction, and Marianne on the seat next to her smiled victoriously. She slowly spoke.

"Well then Lady Lidiana. Could we ask for what you promised?"
"… Right, okay."

After a short pause, I nodded to Marianne's question.
Actually, while it's extremely regrettable, I recently officially recognized the 'Watching Over Crown Prince and Princess Association' that Marianne and Char organized. That's right, it's another incomprehensible association.
According to them, the number of members increases every day, and nearly forty percent of noble young ladies of this country have joined already.
… I want someone to tell me how it happened.
Anyway, normally I'd never get close to it, so the reason why I officially recognized such an unthinkable association lies with Char.
I'd been unaware, but Char's second oldest brother seemed to be an up-and-coming painter, and at the request of his little sister he agreed to four times a year offer a picture of me and Freed for distribution to members of the Watching Over Association.
And here's the crux of the matter, I would also receive those pictures if I'd approved of that association.
Marianne's face as she gave me the offer looked just like a carnivore that caught its prey. Feeling like I sold my soul to the devil, I gave in to the temptation of Freed's new pictures and inadvertently said that I officially recognize it.

―― Even without pictures I have the real thing.

I understood that, but knowing that there are cool pictures of Freed, I couldn't ignore them.
It was a brilliant strategy to convince the me in love with Freed.
But, Marianne didn't stop there.
She also showed me the picture of Freed in the military uniform from the time of the engagement ceremony, and told me that if I wanted it, she wished to hear this and that about me and Freed.
I was sure I would refuse… I was sure, but I couldn't say no to the Freed in the military uniform that's without exaggeration my most favorite thing in the world, so I regretfully surrendered.
I added the condition that I'd talk within my capacity, but I nodded.
It was a deal with the devil that makes me want to cry just by recalling it, but I have no regrets. All the pictures I've received are truly wonderful, and the one I just got from Char is simply the best. I can swallow slightly unfavorable conditions to get them once every three months.
By the way, the picture from my and Freed's wedding was normally sold in town. It was painted by the painter employed by the Royal Palace I mentioned before, and once Marianne told me of it, I hurried to go shopping… I bought ten.
The storekeeper asked, "Lidi dear? Why are you buying ten!? He's your husband, right!?" in surprise, but it's what I wanted. After all, it was a rare picture of Freed with divided bangs. I had no choice but to buy.
Cain, who was with me, looked incredibly exasperated, but one was for everyday appreciation, four for spare, and five for storage. I got ten in case something happened, but recently I've been feeling it's not enough. A few days ago, I muttered that I should buy a few more, but seeing Cain's off-put face made me wonder if I said something strange.
I think it'll be fine no matter how many wonderful pictures of Freed I get though.
Anyway, that's why in exchange for receiving Freed's pictures, I ended up having to tell her this and that about Freed.
I feel like crying that I reap what I sow, but with every picture I receive I can't help but feel confident that my choice wasn't wrong.

Chapter end