29
＊ ＊ ＊
The tea party with Arthur had a peaceful atmosphere
from beginning to end.
She parted ways with Arthur after promising to meet
again at dinnertime.
It was when she was trying to return to her room via the
courtyard while chatting with Eva and Rose.
Her eyes met with Maxence, who was wiping his sweat
with a cloth hung around his neck while holding a sword in one hand.
He was probably on his way back to his room from sword
practice.
Eva
and Rose bowed their heads deeply to Maxence.
The courtyard is located at the entrance between the palaces
where the children live and the Violet Palace where the Emperor
lives.
The inside is divided into three, allocated as White,
Red, and Blue respectively.
She was surprised that she coincidentally met both Luca
and Maxence in a single day.
Perhaps noticing Candice as well, Maxence
widened his eyes slightly.
Because Candice never went to see her mother, she
basically stayed holed up in the White Palace.
Unlike Luca and Maxence who went in and out
frequently, seeing Candice was probably an unusual sight.
Just like with Luca, up until now, she had made a
fool of Maxence, calling him a 『muscle brain』 and 『smelling of sweat』.
She had killed Maxence, who had become immobilized by
poison, with a single thrust of her rapier to the heart.
She thinks she was truly out of her mind back then.
（To think there's absolutely no way
someone like me would be loved by Otou-sama…… I was so stupid.）
Keeping in mind to take the exact opposite approach in order
to avoid the death penalty, Candice put on a cheerful smile different
from before.
「Good day, Maxence-oniisama.」
「…………」
「Were you doing sword practice?」
「…………」
However, Maxence did not move, keeping his glare
directed this way.
His cassis-red hair, which had been so short, was now tied
back, plastered to his forehead with sweat.
Maxence
emitted a terrifying pressure with his slanted eyes, but right now his
atmosphere was still softer than when he had grown up.
But it seemed he only had swords on his mind, as usual.
Just like with Luca, an awkward silence flowed
between the two.
When Candice's smile began to twitch, Maxence
opened his heavy mouth.
「…………Do not talk to me.」
Candice
froze with her smile plastered on.
Anger welled up fiercely toward Maxence, who said so
and passed by her side.
（What's his problem, even though I
went out of my way to greet him! It makes me incredibly angry……! That muscle
freak）
She almost wanted him to return the amiability she had
worked so hard to sprinkle around.
Irritated to the point of thinking she would absolutely
never talk to Maxence from now on, Candice took Eva and Rose
and returned to her room.
「What is with that attitude! Return
my smile! I will not forgive him!」
Eva
spoke as if to soothe Candice, who began taking her anger out on the
cushions on her bed the moment she entered the room.
「Her Highness Candice, Imperial
Princess, please calm down.」
「Even though I went through the
trouble of having tea with Arthur and eating delicious sweets…… my good
mood is ruined!」
「It seems His Highness Maxence
is that kind of person, so.」
「The senior maids also said that
taking care of His Highness Maxence is tough. The ones who have it the
hardest of all are his guards; saying, 〝I will not acknowledge anyone weaker than me as a guard,〟 it seems they are personally beaten
to a pulp by His Highness Maxence.」
「Hmm, is that so……」
Up until now, Candice had never approached Maxence.
Perhaps she had sensed an atmosphere similar to her own.
Around the part where he would carve up guys he didn't like
one after another…….
Remembering that, Candice pressed her aching stomach.
（It seems he practices the sword every day, so he's very stoic, isn't he. Even I wouldn't be able to win against that muscle brain without Luca-oniisama's poison, after all.）
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