‘Did I pick the wrong business partner?’

Crown Prince Enoch, he might be a little strange…

I got a little serious.
As if he felt my uneasy gaze, Crown Prince Enoch belatedly settled the situation.

“It’s because I remember that I’ve heard the same thing in the past.”
“I see.”

So I didn’t say anything wrong. I neatly organized my deepening thoughts.
Then, I glanced secretly at the Crown Prince.

“But last time too, and even today, I don’t think the Lady is making proper eye contact with me.”
“I tend to not be able to make long eye contact with people…”

The Crown Prince nodded at my response.

“In fact, it’s not just the Lady who can’t make eye contact with me. It’s the same for the tired old gentlemen.”

That’s good. As expected, all people live the same way. Maybe it’s because he’s the crown prince…

“Well, I guess it’s because I’m handsome.”
“Sorry?”

Did he say that out of his own mouth?

“Honestly, I’m not a monster. Where in the world is a monster like this?”
“…”

No, of course. He was handsome. Though he was…
It was ridiculous because he said that he was handsome with the most serious face in the world.

“Oh…”

As I faltered without realizing it, Crown Prince Enoch smiled at me.
It was a smile like the sunshine on a spring day.
It was like, ‘He finally smiled,’ that kind of feeling.

“Your looks may change a little when you get older, but you won’t hear that you’re a monster then, right?”
“Your Highness, are you feeling unwell today?”

But when the crown prince heard those words, he smiled again.
He smiled at every word I said.
It seems His Highness smiles more than I thought… According to the rumors, he was serious and mature.
As expected, I couldn’t trust the rumors. I should make my own judgement.

But why did he keep talking about monsters over and over again?
No, I think the fact that he said he was handsome was even more shocking.

‘Hm, I feel like I had this conversation with someone before… It must be a mistake.’

While reflecting on the crown prince’s words, I thought of one possibility.

‘Don’t tell me… Did he try to make me relax because he knew I was nervous?’

Amazing.
Even if we were wearing hooded robes, I was bound to get stiff while walking this street with the crown prince.

‘We talked about work right away while writing the contract last time, but now we’re just walking down the street.’

However, I did not feel nervous, compared to my worries.
It seemed that it was thanks to the strange words and nonsense of Crown Prince Enoch. Who would have thought someone who is more handsome and more elegant than anyone would say something like that?

… Maybe I won’t feel as uncomfortable as I thought I would be accompanying the crown prince today.

***

A fountain beneath a sunny sky. The voices of people laughing and talking while making a wish.
The stream flowing under the bridge was sparkling under the sunshine, and the well-maintained streets were easy to walk in even when walking in shoes.

We paused for a moment after crossing the crossroads leading to the shop candidate. Crown Prince Enoch suggested,

“Shall we walk down a nice road?”

The open boulevard was full of flowering trees on either side.
As I raised my head, a few petals fluttered in the breeze.
The coveted flowers bloomed like they had been waiting for a spring day.
I opened my mouth as I recalled the names of the trees that looked similar at first glance.

“I was thinking of Yunette as the name of the shop.”

Crown Prince Enoch immediately understood the meaning.

“It means ‘daybreak’ in ancient language.”
“Some people die because of cosmetics, and many people suffer from side effects even if they don’t die. I made this with the hope that we can escape from that darkness.”

I hope that Yunette was a light of hope for the people.
In addition, it wasn’t too long, and it had a neat and bright feeling.

“I hope the cosmetics shop is a reliable and trustworthy place.”

In that sense, the location of the shop was really important.
I could choose the location just by looking at the map, but I wanted to check it meticulously. There are some things that can only be seen if you come by in person.

“If you look at the map, it’s next to a crowded park, but this side feels a little remote because it’s far from the entrance.”
“The trees around here are old and tall. The shadows cover the shop.”
“The structure isn’t good for a cosmetics shop. It would be alright after remodeling, but there’s no reason to choose this place when there are other options.”

Walking the streets with Crown Prince Enoch in the middle of the day…
To be honest, I was a little worried because it wasn’t the teatime format that the nobles were used to, and we weren’t dancing either.
What should I do if the silence is prolonged? What should I do if I spit out something weird and awkward?
But my voice flowed more smoothly than I had feared.
Is it because ‘seeing the place to set up shop’ is a clear topic of conversation?
Is it because the person I was walking with and talking to was Crown Prince Enoch?

“You’re right. The tree in front wasn’t planted in the store, so it cannot be touched. I suggest you avoid this place.”
“Actually, looking at it in person, the alleyway is narrow, so it will be less accessible to customers who come by carriage.”

Crown Prince Enoch nodded at my words and answered them all, not overlooking anything. Thanks to this, my judgment could not be shaken.
How many places did we check like that?

“Oh.”

We finally reached the final candidate. I reflexively let out a small exclamation.
Though it was a place that had already been pre-investigated, when I stood in front of the store, the atmosphere was even better.

“It would be good if we could use the first floor of the building as a shop and the second floor as an office.”

It wasn’t far from the main street with a lot of boutiques, so it wouldn’t be suspicious even if I, a noblewoman, came here often…

“It’ll be good for people who come to the cosmetics shop after stopping by the boutiques. It also looks convenient to get in and out of the carriage.”

I also liked the appearance of the building. The outline was neatly stretched, and it felt bright. It looked clean without looking empty.

When I entered the shop with a pleasant first impression, the structure inside was also suitable for a cosmetics shop.

‘There was an encumbering column inside the building we stopped by earlier, and the surrounding area was noisy.’

The location was good, and the price was also favorable. I was lucky to have a place like this for sale.

‘But why is it for sale?’

Maybe there was some problem I didn’t know about.
At that moment, the former store owner who had put the property for sale greeted me and Crown Prince Enoch.

“I think I will need to change the interior design if I buy this store. When can I start construction?”
“Haha, you can do it at any time, just say the word. Business is stopped right now. There are only a few pieces of furniture left that haven’t been removed yet.”
“I see. How long has it been vacant?”
“Not long. It’s been since last month. Haha, you look like a young fellow, but you’re smarter than you look?”

The store owner smiled lightly as I asked a sharp question.

“May I ask why you stopped doing business?”
“As you can see, I’m getting old… It was hard for me to run it by myself after my grandmother left. Until when do I have to work? There’s not much time left until I die, so I’m going to have some fun.”
“You still look healthy.”
“Your lip service leaves nothing to be desired, Young Lady.”

After that, I continued to ask a few questions.
Though it was my first time looking into a building, words flowed out fluently in front of a person who had done business for a long time.
Was it because I had thought about and studied the cosmetics shop so many times?
I was a little proud.
And to my surprise, my voice was clearly full of confidence.

“I’ve been doing business here for quite some time.”

According to the store owner, he seemed to have put quite a bit of effort into this store.

“I wanted a good person to show up and set up shop here, so I’m glad that a smart person like the Young Lady has appeared.”

He left his words of blessings to stay here for a long time.
I dragged Crown Prince Enoch away to talk with my partner for a while.

“To be honest, this is the place I’ve liked the most so far.”
“Me too.”

Crown Prince Enoch and I lowered our voices so that no one else could hear.

“Your Highness, why don’t we come back again in a few hours just in case? It looks good during the day, but I also want to see the atmosphere at night.”

The location of the building was good, but it was unlikely that someone else would take it in the span of a few hours.
The crown prince agreed.

“Yes, let’s do that.”
“Ah, then there’s something I want to discuss while we wait…”

After looking around, I settled on a bench in the park that was as out of sight as possible.
The scent of flowers traveling in the spring breeze tickled the tip of my nose.
Although the sun was warm and I was wearing a hooded robe, it wasn’t hot because the trees created shade.

——