Lilian Winston and I were sitting in the garden of the Winston estate. There were flowers everywhere.
“What a beautiful view,” I praised.
Lilian smiled. “Thank you for the compliment. The garden is all thanks to my mother, who took such good care of it. I’m only carrying on her work,” Lilian replied.
I nodded. Come to think of it, the countess had once been known for her gentleness and kindness. She deeply valued all living things, whether people, animals, or plants. She treated everything with respect.
No wonder the plants were tended so beautifully and carefully. Still, her personality was completely different from Lilian’s, who seemed cold and indifferent. Even so, Lilian was quite wise, if a little cunning. But Lilian wasn’t someone who needed a rough man.
Perhaps Lilian was much more like her father, Count Winston, who was known for his firmness and strong convictions. With those qualities, Count Winston had been appointed as the King’s adviser.
“So, what did you want to discuss with me, Miss Winston? I’m sure you brought me here for a private conversation like this because it must be important,” I said.
Lilian slowly sipped her tea, savoring the distinctive flavor of her favorite tea in this Kingdom, before finally speaking.
“I only want to know why you called off your engagement to Sir Felix. You two seemed so harmonious all this time,” Lilian said curiously.
I fell silent for a moment as I stared at Lilian in confusion. Why would she say that? When she saw how confused I was, Lilian spoke again.
“I’m asking because I’m considering sending a proposal to Sir Felix.”
I nodded in understanding. I knew Lilian was the person who pursued Felix the most. But she didn’t do it openly, which allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.
“My reason is the same as what His Majesty said at the party last night. I feel I’m not ready to marry yet, and I have many shortcomings. I don’t want to become a burden to Sir Felix. If you want to propose to Sir Felix, please do so. I’ll be happy to support you.”
If it were Lilian, they would make an extraordinary couple. Lilian’s wisdom might be able to calm Felix’s heart better than my childishness ever could.
Lilian stared straight into my eyes, as if searching for a lie. But when I saw the relief on her face, I knew she hadn’t found one.
“In that case, thank you for your concern, Princess. I truly thought you’d be angry with me,” Lilian said.
I smiled bitterly. If this had been the old me, I would have done exactly what Lilian said. But things were different now. I had sincerely let Sir Felix go, even though it had been difficult.
But for the sake of both our safety, I had to do it.
After that, we made small talk until the sky began to turn dusky.
“It seems it’s time for me to return, Miss Lilian,” I said.
“Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize how late it was. I never expected talking with the Princess to be so enjoyable that I wouldn’t notice how quickly the time passed. In that case, I’ll escort you to the gate,” Lilian said with a smile.
When we reached the gate, I looked at Lilian for a moment.
“Thank you for the invitation, Miss Lilian. I truly had a wonderful time today,” I replied honestly.
Lilian’s smile now looked completely sincere. It was different from usual, when her smile always seemed strained.
“I feel the same way. I hope I’ll be able to talk with you more, Princess,” she said.
After that, I got into the royal carriage. I felt happy on the way home.
This was the first time in my life I’d ever had a good friend. In my previous life, I had no friends. But that wasn’t the case anymore.
Now I had a good ally, and I hoped our relationship would last a long time.