Chapter 140: A Puppy-Like Sub-Man

"Gasp!"

A familiar sound. I turned my head towards the sound, holding my parasol. Cabel Ernst, a sub-man, appeared in front of me while I was walking in the flower garden. His curly brown hair swaying in the breeze with his round blue eyes.

He stared blankly at me in his Arlanta knight uniform. At the moment, like Ijekiel, Cabel looked clearly different from three years ago. But as soon as he shouted, it was extremely naive.

"Fa-fairy!"

Yeah, since I look like mommy Diana, I'm like a fairy. He stepped back and muttered to himself. Ugh, come to think about this calmly, I've become shameless compared to the last three years.

"Ahem."

"Oh, Felix! Did you just laugh?

I felt a little embarrassed when I heard Felix, who was standing next to me, clear his throat. Felix was second in the princess fan club after Lillian so he probably didn't laugh because of the fairy remark.

I should have laughed because it looks funny to see a grown young man look at me and say something childish. R-right...?

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a fairy."

I spoke back to Cabel Ernst, who still has a blank expression. Then he, who seemed to ponder on my words, was surprised as if he realized something.

Ah, looking at that face, I think he realized who I am. Well, if you don't notice anything after seeing this jewel, that's a big deal.

Perhaps three years wasn't that short. After he came to his senses he immediately apologized to me as a courtesy.

"Please forgive me for my disrespectful attitude, Princess Athanasia."

"I'll allow you to introduce yourself."

"I'm Cabel Ernst, Arlanta's second knight. I'm not good enough, but I'll be accompanying you on this delegation. Bless the little sun of Obelia."

Hoo? This is normal, right? N-no, of course, it is. Cabel Ernst is normal, but...

Still, compared to when I last saw him at Arlanta's boarding school three years ago, should I say he looks mature or he has become more mature?

He still has an innocent side, as proven by the fact that he saw and called me a fairy this time. However, his behavior has become more crucial. Well, considering how flustered I felt in front of him when we first met three years ago, can we both say that we made progress?

"You must have been taking a walk alone?"

"Yes! It seems that I have taken the wrong way while getting some fresh air."

Cabel Ernst said, who couldn't think of anything to say. It was evident from his nervousness that he was agitated by the unexpected meeting.

"Well, I'm sorry for what happened earlier. The fairy I know, no... Someone I know... Ah, no, it's a little tough to describe, but I was mistaken since you seem so much like someone I met by chance before..."

Seeing his small blush and stutter made me feel a little faint. The words and contents were similar when I saw Ijekiel in the dessert cafe recently, yet it seemed completely different.

"It is."

Well, you're right about the fairy you've seen before. I should get going since my conscience hurts a bit now.

"I cherish this flower garden the most."

"Oh, I'm sorry for coming in without permission. It wasn't intentional..."

"The flowers are really beautiful so maybe fairies really live there."

It was a few years ago, but I'm sorry for popping up out of nowhere and making you mistake me for a fairy. So, I won't laugh at you as much as I want to!

"Obelia is warm all year round, so the flowers are always in full bloom. Maybe the flower fairy led Sir Ernst here."

"..."

"I will leave first, so you can take a leisurely look around the garden. I shall see you then."

Cabel Ernst's expression went a little goofy again as I said it with a smile.

That expression, well, it's a little awkward. I need to get moving. With my back to Cabel, who was dazed, I turned around first. Felix spoke to me in hushed tones as I walked.

"It seems that the princess gained one more follower."

"Well..."

I mean, it was to be expected, right? Regardless of where I glanced, that face said, 'I fell in love at first sight.' So, you were supposed to meet Jeanette here, but instead, you met me. Is that why you fell in love with me instead of Jeannette? No, I don't believe so...

I glanced back, but Cabel Ernst, who was still looking at me, caught my eye, making me feel even more uncomfortable. I rushed out of the garden.

୨・┈・୨✿୧・┈・୧

Two days later, I met Cabel Ernst again.

"Hello!"

As soon as a loud voice rang out, I turned my head in amazement. I squealed unintentionally as I saw the face that came into view.

"This is Cabel Ernst from the second knights of Arlanta!"

He introduced himself again in a loud voice as if he didn't think I'd forgotten who he was. No, this isn't even the same floral garden where we met last time. It's strange that we happened to cross paths twice.

"It looks like you went out for a walk alone today..."

"No, I saw you passing by while competing with a colleague today..."

What?

I stopped listening to him. So, you didn't just happen to run into me here; you've been following me from afar? No, why do I have to...

Maybe because Cabel had said something unintentionally, it looked like he was embarrassed by what he said.

"Well, actually today, I coincidentally found a flower that suits the princess..."

However, using gibberish as a justification only added to the strangeness of the situation. My back was drenched in a cold sweat.

Ugh, why the hell are you doing this, sub-man! Do you really think you're doing this for me?

"So, I just... I wanted to give you this!"

And I felt another mild feeling when I finally saw Cabel Ernst presenting it to me.

Wait a minute! Isn't that my garden's flower? Did you pick my flowers and bring them to me? Seriously, what kind of bizarre gift-giving approach is that? Isn't this a scenario where I may be upset because you chose my flowers as you please?

But I couldn't say anything to him when I drew my gaze away from the flower and lifted my head.

Whether it is true that he followed me during the duel, Cabel Ernst was wearing a light shirt, not a knightly uniform.

With unkempt hair and dirt on his trousers... Because of his appearance, the pink flower in his palm seemed to stand out even more.

Besides, maybe it's because he ran all the way here, or maybe it's because he was shy, his face was flushed red...

"Thanks."

Aren't you cute?

It made me laugh that I received the flowers from Jeannette's sub-man.

Cabel Ernst was overjoyed as I accepted the flowers as though he were a giant puppy. Seeing his face brighten up made me think he's the type of person who expresses his emotions honestly.

"Does it suit me?"

"It suits you well."

I felt playful all of a sudden, and when I asked about the flower, Cabel nodded affirmatively.

"You really look like a flower fairy, princess."

At the same time, Felix, who was next to me, also painted me gold.

pr/n: I also don't know what this is. Painting me gold, afaik, means that you made me happy/happier.

Coo-cool. But me being a flower fairy is more embarrassing than disappointing. It would be better to break up with the sub-man at this point!

"I should put it in a vase in the room. Thank you for the gift, Sir Ernst."

I smiled as I turned away from Cabel. My back kept tickling to see if he was staring at me this time. I returned to the Emerald Palace after a long walk and found Lucas in my bedroom. He hadn't visited my room for quite some time.

"When did you come?"

Lucas perched on the back of the sofa, turning the pages with a bored gesture before looking at me. He asked as soon as he saw what I was holding.

"What flower is it?"

"I got a present."

At that moment, Lucas' eyebrows twitched.

"From whom?"

"There is a puppy-like sub-man."

"Ugh."

Lucas lowered the hand holding the book and extended the other hand to me. So I unintentionally handed Lucas the flower I was holding.

"Isn't this the flower from your garden? What sort of gift is that?"

Heck, this kid. You stab me in pain.

"It is a gift because it contains the heart of the person who gave it."

Yeah, don't ignore the gift from Cabel Ernst! Of course, I had the same thoughts as you, but there was a gap between what I thought and what I actually did, so it was pretty cute.

Hmm, but it's obviously creepy. I feel like I snatched the sub-man who should fall for Jeannette accidentally...

Is it because, unlike in the novel, Jeanette is not in the Imperial Palace? Was it in a flower garden where the two of them first met? I'm sorry, but that's exactly what I don't remember.

Squeal!

I pondered for a moment, then suddenly heard a chirping sound and turned my head.

"What are you doing now?!"

And right away, he shouted.

"Did you give me a good present or something? You must have liked your pet bird."

What caught my eye was the sight of Lucas putting flowers in a cage! What's more, I saw the blue-eyed bird in the cage eating the flowers!

"I think that dog knows your new taste and gave it to you."

Beep! Beep!

With a natural and cheerful smile, Lucas answered yes. I rushed over, but all that remained were the sepals and stalks of the flowers.

I looked blankly as the blue-eyed bird fluttered in delight as the bit petals dispersed over the cage floor with its beak, picked, chewed, and tasted them.

"Are you in elementary school? Why do you turn the flowers I received into rice for Blue?"

"Because I don't like it."

"What?"

"Is it because this flower has become crooked?"

What?! That's an insult to my flowers!

"What a pretty flower this is! Do you know how much the gardener of the Imperial Palace took care of it?"

"I don't know and I don't want to know, but I'll give it to you again."

Woah.

At that moment, a sweet scent flowed into the tip of my nose. When I got up, I was already buried in a pile of pink flowers.