Chapter 41 Dear Princess Rifine's Thoughts
My name is Rifine Dia Ortria.
I am the princess of the Ortria Kingdom.
I have a rough personality and am a troublemaker who picks fights with every noble lady I meet.
In this Royal Palace, everyone fears me, keeps their distance, and avoids getting involved with me.
I thought that was fine.
I didn't want to befriend the people in the Royal Palace who mistreat my mother just because of her slightly lower status.
Other nobles are the same anyway.
They care about power and politics, things I don't understand, and no one pays attention to me.
Or so I thought.
"Lady Rifine, what's wrong?"
Tilting her head, Yumie Granbell asks me.
She traveled all the way from the Granbell territory to have tea with me... and she's a weirdo who wants to be friends with someone like me, saying she'll accept all of me.
"Nothing at all."
I reply and try to focus on practicing magic.
No, I was going to focus.
But I can't help but be distracted by Yumie.
It's not that she's bothering me; it's just that I naturally think about her being nearby.
This is the first time I've felt this way... and I'm a bit unsure of how to interact with her.
"Yumie. I'm tired today, so I was thinking of taking a bath... would you like to join me?"
"Huh?"
So, I casually invited her, but as soon as Yumie heard that, she started to panic.
"Uh, no, I mean, it would be too much for me to bathe with Lady Rifine!"
Her face turned red, and she stammered excuses.
Is she... embarrassed?
As soon as I realized that, I smirked, thinking it was a chance.
"Were you lying when you said you would accept all of me? I'm sad."
I pretended to cry, and Yumie panicked even more.
Hehe, after being toyed with by Yumie for a while, now it's my turn to make her say "I give up!".
"Ugh... I understand, then I'll join you..."
Just a moment ago, she was acting so dignified and composed, but now she looks small like a little animal that has just left its parents.
The contrast is so amusing that I can't help but laugh.
"Hahaha! You're so cute, Yumie. You're way cuter than me."
"Hmph..."
Noticing that she was being teased, Yumie's cheeks puff up like dumplings.
Really, Yumie keeps showing me different sides of herself.
I never get bored watching her.
"Now, enough of that, it's time for a bath, let's go!"
While teasing Yumie is fun, I genuinely look forward to taking a bath together.
We burst out from the basement, ignoring the maid's nagging as we head to the bathroom.
"Calm down. Even though , Rifine's a girl, she is still a child. There's no need to be overly conscious. Just go in normally, normally..."
In the corner of the changing room, Yumie is mumbling something while taking off her clothes.
Is she really that embarrassed to have someone see her skin? It might be proper for a noble, but since we're the same gender, she shouldn't worry so much.
"Hey, how long are you going to stay there? Hurry up and come!"
"Oh, wait a minute, Lady Rifine!?"
I take Yumie's hand and pull her into the bathroom.
No matter how many times I see it, the place is unnecessarily large and elaborately designed, way too big for just the two of us.
Honestly, it usually makes me feel a bit lonely.
Yet today, for some reason, it's really fun.
Maybe it's because Yumie is by my side.
"Look, Yumie. Let's try something called 'back washing.' I'll wash your back, and you wash mine!"
"Eh!?"
Is she really that embarrassed? Even though we're not in the bath yet, Yumie turns red as if she's flustered.
Still, I'm happy that she'll do it with me if I ask.
"Hey, hey, Yumie, are you close with my brother?"
I cautiously ask Yumie, who has started washing my body with a hesitant look.
Then, perhaps thinking that talking would distract her, she begins to speak enthusiastically.
"That's right, I'm on good terms with Prince Sigurt. Especially since my elder brother is the prince's best friend."
"Does Yumie also have a brother?"
"Yes! He's a very kind elder brother."
From there, Yumie started an endless brag about her brother.
Most of it was about how much her brother cares for her... but Yumie looked genuinely happy talking about it, and I couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
"You really love your brother, don't you?"
"Yes! ...Oh, no, that's not it, okay? Well, it's not wrong, but what I was talking about was how my elder brother is totally smitten with me!"
"There's no need to hide it, right? It's not a bad thing."
I wondered what she was so shy about as I watched her glance away.
Feeling that sight was cute, I quietly muttered to myself.
"I wonder if a day will come when I can interact with my elder brother like that..."
Yumie had just told me that her brother thinks about me.
However, my elder brother is the person closest to becoming the next king.
He must have more complications than I can imagine.
Is it selfish of me to want to be close to him like Yumie is...?
"...If you two can't meet openly, how about meeting secretly?"
"Secretly...?"
"Yes. In that underground place that Lady Rifine showed me, I think you could meet Prince Sigurt without anyone noticing."
That might be true when I think about it.
But...
"Do you think my elder brother would come there? He's said to be very busy... and he probably has a lot of attendants, right?"
"I'll ask the prince for you, saying that Lady Rifine wants to meet him. I'm sure he'll find some time for it."
"Really...?"
"Yes. So, Lady Rifine, please wait with peace of mind. If it happens, then at that time... let's all chat a lot together, making up for the times we couldn't."
In front of Yumie's smiling face, who was talking to me, I couldn't help but feel like I was about to cry.
Just imagining the time spent happily chatting with Yumie and my brother fills my heart with so much expectation.
I thought I would find the time spent just chatting with someone boring.
"Yumie..."
"Yes, what is it?"
This must be my true feelings that I realized because Yumie faced me directly.
So... I need to clearly express my honest feelings to Yumie, who gave me this opportunity.
"Thank you. I like you more than anyone I've met so far."
Even though we've only known each other for a day, I feel this so naturally.
After a moment of surprise at my words, Yumie responded...
"Yes, I like you too, Lady Rifine."
She gave me a smile that was almost dazzling.
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