42
What was held out was the book she had thrown earlier. It seemed Valentin was merely trying to hand back the book Candice had dropped.
（W-W-What is with me, doing nothing but crying……!）
Thinking that if she sniveled and cried in a place like this she would be despised rather than just hated even more, she somehow regained her composure.
（What a huge blunder……! Isn't this conduct unbecoming of a lady!? I want to crawl into a hole!）
It seemed her emotional ups and downs had become extreme due to the confusion of her memories. When she cast a fleeting glance at Valentin, wasn't he still looking this way expressionlessly?
（If it was going to turn out like this, I should have walked while looking ahead properly……! Next time I go to the Violet Palace, I have to be careful, don't I.）
Pushing down such welling regret, Candice accepted the book held out by Valentin with trembling hands. After bowing her head slightly, she spun words to leave this place as quickly as possible.
「I-I am terribly sorry. Thank you very much for picking up the book.」
「…………!」
Candice raised the corners of her mouth and forced a smile to float on her face. Valentin, who had been staring intently at that face, was once again looking at Candice in silence.
（If you have something to say, please say it! I have had enough of getting involved with Otou-sama any further.）
It was when Candice tried to leave this place promptly due to the sheer awkwardness.
「…………Come tomorrow.」
Saying so, Valentin turned his back to Candice and walked away. As Candice watched his figure with her mouth hanging wide open, Hugo said as if to supplement, 「Tomorrow, please come to His Majesty the Emperor's room in the Violet Palace.」 Candice couldn't move from that spot even after the two's figures disappeared from sight.
（My life, is over……!）
Such a thought came to her mind. She thought she had surely angered Valentin with her attitude just now.
Snot trickled down from Candice's nose. As she stood there in a daze, she heard a sniffling sound and looked up. Weren't Eva and Rose clasping their hands behind her, sniffling and shedding tears?
「You two…… why are you crying?」
「B-Because it was scary!」
「We thought we were going to be killed~」
It was to the extent that even Eva and Rose thought so. As expected, his pressure was no joke. In front of such a cold-blooded father, the previous Candice used to say, 「Otou-sama~,」 and link arms with him or touch him.
（W-Why was I never killed up until now, I wonder.）
She almost wanted to emulate that mental fortitude of having been perfectly fine up until now. However, in front of Valentin, Candice stifling her voice and merely crying was probably better. A normal child would undoubtedly scream and cry in terror.
If Arthur had been there, Candice might have been able to take a different response trying to protect him, but she never imagined he would so very normally pick up Candice's book and hand it to her. Normally, he would undoubtedly ignore Candice entirely, and Hugo would be the one to handle it.
（There's absolutely no way Otou-sama would talk to me……! Something, something bad is going to happen!）
After wiping her snot with the handkerchief, returning it to Rose, and thanking her, Candice staggered back to her room. And after confirming the door clicked shut, she collapsed onto her bed.
Then, remembering her own blunder, she rolled around on the bed while letting out groans. 『Come tomorrow.』 Thinking about the meaning of those words brought her nothing but despair.
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