Chapter 69

But I wasn’t the only one surprised by the crown prince’s words.
I could feel Baron Alocasia staring at me in awe.

“Y-your Highness? Are you…”

Crown Prince Enoch said nothing. However, with just one silent gaze, the baron shut his mouth hurriedly, cautious.

“…”

I remembered the last time he held out his hand to fix my hair.
How awkward I was at that moment, despite being okay when my escort knight Serian touched my sleeve before that.

‘I don’t want to admit it, but… It must be because I was in front of someone I’m conscious of.’

Even though I knew that it wouldn’t be good if I acted like that for no reason in front of a business partner.

“Then it’s fine.”

He was looking at me, expectant… I couldn’t refuse.
The glowing eyes. The warm, expectant gaze of a handsome man.

‘How could I say no to him?’

Even beyond the hood that covered my face, Crown Prince Enoch’s gaze could not be ignored.

‘I shouldn’t have accepted!’

Crown Prince Enoch’s face brightened at once, even before the regret belatedly settled in.

“I am happy to dine with you, Director.”

How could a handsome man be happy with my words?… And the crown prince on top of that…
Though the expression on his face showed that it didn’t have any special meaning…

‘Get yourself together. As business partners, we can definitely share a meal.’

However, as soon as we stepped into the restaurant, my mind collapsed again.
It was futile to say it was a famous place.
The entrance was filled with flowers and luxurious decorations suitable for a restaurant, and the high ceiling made the place not feel stuffy at all.
The elegant and graceful lights, and even the staff member who kindly guided us as soon as we arrived. It was obviously an upscale restaurant, but…

Even if I was the daughter of a duke, I was afraid I was going to feel awkward coming to a place like this.
I wasn’t just embarrassed to come to a fancy restaurant.
The problem was the atmosphere here.

‘Doesn’t this feel like… a place where lovers would regularly come on dates?’

We saw two people on our way in.
A man and woman with a lovey-dovey atmosphere.
I never thought I would come to a place like this with His Highness. What is going on?

“…”

In particular, the place where I and Crown Prince Enoch were guided was a place where we could eat quite privately and quietly.
It was also the place with the best view of the sunset.
The deep sunlight going down beyond the window reminded me of a memory of one day.

“It’s a room-style restaurant, so you can eat comfortably.”

Crown Prince Enoch said that the staff would not come in unless he called, and that I could eat without being nervous.
Then, with a grin, he naturally led the conversation. Unlike me. His bright blonde hair was also covered with the deep scarlet of the sunset.

‘I remember when we walked together to check the building to open Yunette.’

The appearance of the crown prince, who had been waiting for me until the mana lamps turned on, was also the same.
Even then, we were alone. Just like now.

“The room spray you gave me last time was effective.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.”
“I slept well. Thanks to you.”

Even the sound of his breath in every word he said was gentle.
Come to think of it, Crown Prince Enoch’s voice throughout today’s long meeting was pleasant and sweet, without changing.
Even if it wasn’t for that, I thought that his condition looked better than usual.

‘I can’t believe it was due to the room spray.’

I thought I might be nosy, but in the end, it was useful.
Even as I handed it to him, I couldn’t hide my pounding heart. I wondered if I was acting too friendly, so I gave an excuse that it was for testing purposes.

‘It was worth it to stay up late making the room spray.’

But seeing how the crown prince looked today, I had no regrets.

“As a thank you, I wanted to treat you to a meal.”

Was he going to talk about important business matters just the two of us…? That’s what I thought. That’s a relief.

‘… Can I even say that it’s a relief? He’s asking me to have a meal without any public business.’

My brain, which had slowed down for a while, moved again.

‘Still, it’s a good thing.’

Even though it felt like a place for a date, it wasn’t a place you couldn’t come to as business partners.
Since he was treating me to a meal under the pretext of being thankful, it was natural to bring me to a good place.

‘Let’s not get too excited.’

I made it because I was worried when I heard that he didn’t like the summer and couldn’t sleep well.
But I didn’t know he would use it so well. Wasn’t that the best reward for the person who made it?

“Did you like the scent?”
“Every single part of it was to my liking.”

It was a firm answer.
I spent quite some time choosing fragrances, but it was quite rewarding because he seemed to like them.
I said that it wouldn’t be difficult to make more, so I would give him more next time.

“Do you have any intention of selling it in this state on the market?”
“Aah. I’d like to do some more research on room spray… Although Your Highness said you were satisfied after testing it. But I feel like I need to increase the popularity a little bit more.”

I shook my head.
I just made it while thinking of Crown Prince Enoch.
I might release it as a product someday, but for now, I wasn’t planning on doing so.

‘The lavender scent isn’t normal, so I think people will either love it or hate it.’

Crown Prince Enoch said he liked it, but…

“The scent of the room spray I gave you last time was made while thinking about you, Your Highness.”

Even if it were to be released someday, it wouldn’t have that scent.
The lavender base would remain the same, but it would probably have a more universal fragrance.

‘Seriously. It’s not even a perfume. Why did I think about His Highness’ preferences and atmosphere and make it so complex?’

For that reason, it was good that he liked it, but to be honest, it was a bit peculiar.
I added lavender and herbs to give a sense of comfort, but the aroma was as bitter as the ashes that remained after burning something.
There was a hint of laziness and heaviness at a level that wasn’t degrading.

‘Honestly, it’s a scent that would only suit Crown Prince Enoch.’

Even though I sneakily added scents he liked, I thought it was good that it suited only the person in question.
It wasn’t an easy scent, so it was a miracle that I, not even a professional perfume maker, could make it with this quality.
Nothing is impossible after all.

‘It’s too precious to make, so I hope he will use it like a perfume later.’

However, I was only going to keep that thought to myself and not say it out loud for the rest of my life.
Room spray should not be used like perfume, so there was no chance of that happening at all. Unless I made it and gave it to him.

‘… But can I make it for him later?’

This wasn’t right. I shouldn’t think about crossing the line for no reason. Let’s focus.

‘I keep thinking strange things because we came to a restaurant with a good ambiance filled with couples.’

I had been looking elsewhere for a while, afraid of being caught blushing, when I made eye contact with the crown prince by chance.
No, to be precise, I was trying to make eye contact with him.

“… Your Highness?”
“Ah.”

But the expression on his face was strange.

‘It looks like he keeps thinking about something.’

The crown prince liked the fragrance I made and was more excited than I thought, so it didn’t seem to be because of that.
On the contrary, if I had noticed a strange look on his face because of that, wouldn’t I have known?

‘… Did he notice that I made it just for him?’

I was just trying to say that I made it with a scent that suited him.
I lied that I made it because I couldn’t sleep either. I did it with a double purpose…

For some reason, Crown Prince Enoch kept touching his face.
As if he didn’t want his expression to be seen, his eyes trembling like a lake with ripples.

‘What is it…?’

I felt like I had never seen him make such an expression.
Like he was hiding his embarrassment.

‘Are the tips of his ears red?’

Why was His Highness feeling embarrassed? I wondered if my eyes were mistaken because the sun had set in this restaurant.

‘If he makes that kind of expression, I’ll feel conscious too…’

I became conscious that we were here, in this place, just the two of us.
I thought that he might have been to many places like this before. Probably… with other ladies, too.
He knew it was a room-style restaurant, and he came right away to the location he reserved.
Besides, his mannerisms looked natural. He seemed to be familiar with this place.
I was the one who was even more embarrassed. I had never been in a restaurant with a man before, just the two of us.

“Ah. Would you like to wear the hood for a moment?”

Fortunately, the awkwardness that flowed for a while was broken by the food.
From amuse-bouche for the appetizer to the veal steak for the main dish. It was a course meal that didn’t lack anything, making even me, the duke’s daughter, clap my hands.
However…

“Lady, you don’t eat shrimp?”
“Actually, I’m allergic to crustaceans. It’s not serious, I just get a little swollen…”

Crown Prince Enoch’s expression, which had been soft all along, hardened in an instant.

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