The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 48

Tericia’s cheerful mood lingered into the evening and easily reached Rashid as they shared dinner.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” he said casually, though he already knew who had visited earlier that day.

As she recalled the events of the afternoon, a bright smile spread across her face.

“Lady Josephine and Lady Feder came by.”

There was a lively tone in her voice.

“It was really fun. I think I’ve finally found friends around my age.”

“It sounds like you got along well with them.”

“Lady Feder is sweet. She still seems a bit innocent—like she hasn’t been exposed to much of the world yet.”

She tried to sound composed, but it was clear she’d enjoyed their visit. The way Lady Feder kept glancing for a chance to join the conversation with Josephine had even struck her as cute.

“Josephine has such a refreshing personality. Her way of speaking is unique, too. Kind of like…”

When she trailed off, unsure how to describe it, Rashid filled in the gap.

“Direct? Like a knight?”

“Yes, exactly! That’s the perfect word for it.”

“Her father, Margrave Glen, likely influenced her a great deal. When you live a life where split-second decisions mean life or death, efficiency becomes a habit—even in conversation. I’ve heard Lady Josephine is skilled with a sword herself.”

Rashid remembered seeing her handle a blade once. Though her strength wasn’t overwhelming, her technique had been sharp and precise.

“Really? Now I want to see her in action. I bet she looks amazing with a sword.”

“She probably does. Count Glen believes that every child of the border nobility—son or daughter—should be capable in basic combat. I’m sure Lady Josephine trained hard to meet his expectations.”

Tericia laughed gently at that.

“Come to think of it, she did complain a bit about how stubborn her father is. Are all swordsmen like that? Even you act that way sometimes.”

She giggled at the thought. It was good to see that, despite the pressure, Josephine seemed to have a decent relationship with her father.

But Rashid didn’t respond.

Confused, Tericia looked up and met his gaze. His expression was… hard to read.

“Rashid? Is something wrong? Is the food not to your liking?”

“…No, not at all. Please, enjoy your meal, Tericia.”

He resumed eating while looking at her with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

Calling me stubborn? he thought. That’s rich…

He swallowed his quiet protest and returned to his meal.

“Oh—there’s something I wanted to ask.”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

“Would it be alright if I hosted a tea party in the garden soon? I’d like to formally invite the noble ladies.”

Rashid raised his eyebrows in mild surprise.

“You don’t need my permission. You can do as you wish.”

“What do you mean I don’t need permission? You’re the head of the house—I should ask.”

“You’re in charge of the estate’s domestic affairs. You don’t need to ask me for anything.”

With no duchess in place, Tericia had naturally taken on the role of managing the household as the only woman in House Hespelt.

After the former Duke left for the estate and Rashid officially took over, responsibility for the household had smoothly transitioned to her.

At first, she had tried to refuse. Running the entire household wasn’t something to take lightly. It was nothing like the small tasks she’d helped with before.

The entire estate—and in some ways, the whole duchy—now moved through her hands. It was a much larger responsibility than anyone might imagine.

For someone like Tericia, who bore the Hespelt name but wasn’t truly of the family, it was almost too much power to hold.

This isn’t my place…

‘We’re not asking you to take on everything, Sister. The others will handle the details. You just need to give your approval.’

Of course, those “others” hadn’t been thrilled. But Rashid had stayed firm—and persuasive. He had a way of making things sound simpler than they really were.

When that didn’t work, he tried being dramatic.

‘Then I’ll just handle things myself. I heard there’s a cat sneaking around the stables… maybe she was meant for this job after all.’

If she wouldn’t do it, he might as well leave it to a stray cat.

Naturally, Tericia didn’t give in so easily. Even when Rashid had Heinz bring the cat to her, she stood her ground. If it hadn’t been for Adler, she might’ve held out longer.

After trying to stamp documents using inked cat paws, Adler had shown up at her door with a desperate expression.

“Please, Lady Tericia… Have mercy.”

His face had been stained in bright red ink, like he’d lost a battle with a stamp pad. Moved by the absurdity—and his sincere pleading—Tericia had finally relented.

“Then I’ll be counting on you, Sister.”

As she remembered that day, Tericia pouted slightly.

She knew Rashid only called her “Sister” when it suited him. And yet, whenever he used that sweet tone, she couldn’t help but give in.

“Then do as you like, Sister,” he said now, intentionally using the word again.

“Spend lavishly if you want. You could even run the household into the ground, summon mages for a full spectacle—go all out. No matter how much you spend, I’ll keep making money faster than you can spend it.”

“…That won’t be necessary,” she replied, shaking her head with a tired sigh. She fell into quiet thought for a moment.

“I’m thinking it might be time to officially start selling the perfumes.”

This time, Rashid paused.

He knew that everything going on lately had delayed her original plans. Truthfully, he had hoped the idea would just fade away.

“The garden is finished, and the greenhouse has started producing enough flowers to begin small batches. I think we’re ready.”

“Have you chosen who’ll oversee it?”

“Sarah and Lady Lays. Sarah’s already gone to Alpen to take care of things.”

He hadn’t expected that—but it was a solid choice.

“I figured Sarah, but… Lady Lays? That’s unexpected.”

“She’s the best person I know when it comes to growing Sedamen.”

Tericia smiled as she recalled the vibrant garden, she’d once seen at Baroness Lays’ estate.

Petals danced like they were caught in the wind, and a breathtaking swirl of fragrance rose from that garden—so vivid, so surreal, that Tericia closed her eyes for a moment, lost in the memory.

Because of that, she didn’t notice the slight furrow in Rashid’s brow.

“You’re planning to give them out as gifts, then? Will you be making them into sachets?”

As he asked, she turned to him with a soft smile.

“For now, yes. Also… could you arrange a meeting with an alchemist? Before I begin the actual work, I’d like to hear their thoughts.”

“An alchemist?” Rashid echoed.

In Latran, magic-users focused more on academic research than combat. As a result, alchemy—using magical knowledge to experiment and create potions or objects—had developed considerably. That was why alchemists were especially active in Latran.

“Yes. There’s something I’ve been wanting to try.”

“I’ll let Adler know,” Rashid replied simply.

He had plenty of questions, but he didn’t ask. The truth was, he was far too soft when it came to Tericia. Unfairly so.

In the ducal office, Rashid leaned back in his chair, the stack of paperwork untouched as he sat deep in thought for once.

The office, once used by the previous Duke, now belonged to him. Though it appeared mostly unchanged, subtle differences stood out.

Books on the shelves, ornaments above the fireplace, and even the flowers and decor on the tables—these were now chosen to suit his tastes.

Or rather, to suit what Tericia might like. He had ordered them changed with her in mind.

“We’ll need to keep an eye on the Glen and Feder families,” Rashid murmured.

Adler looked up from the documents at the sound of his voice.

“You want them watched?”

“Josephine Glen and Emily Feder.”

“Understood.”

Adler replied shortly and turned back to his paperwork. He focused on it for a while, but something felt off. For some reason, Rashid’s documents didn’t seem to be decreasing.

When he glanced sideways, he saw the Duke twirling his pen idly instead of signing anything. Letting out a silent sigh, Adler gave up and leaned back in his chair.

“Do you need anything else?”

“She said she wants to hold a tea party.”

“A tea party?” Adler repeated, though he knew Rashid disliked repeating himself.

A tea party, out of nowhere? He frowned briefly—but then nodded as if it made sense.

“Well, it’s about time. Lady Tericia hasn’t been very socially active until now.”

“Is that really necessary?”

Adler narrowed his eyes.

“…Are you serious?”

“……”

It wasn’t hard to read Rashid’s real thoughts. Clearly, it was jealousy. He didn’t want to show her off to anyone else.

“You can’t keep her hidden away.”

“I know.”

“Then act like it.”

Rashid didn’t respond. Adler let out a long sigh.

“What do you want her position to be?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re aware that Lady Tericia’s status within the house is… unclear.”

“……”

“No one says anything now because things are still settling after your succession. But once order is restored, people will start talking. And now that she’s managing the estate, it’s only going to get worse.”

“If anyone dares say a word against her—”

Rashid’s voice dropped, laced with quiet anger.

“Let’s start by fixing how you refer to her,” Adler said bluntly, folding his arms.

“Is she ‘your sister,’ ‘Lady Tericia,’ or just ‘her’? You need to decide. Either strike her from the family registry and propose marriage, or propose and then strike her name. But make up your mind.”

Whichever order he chose, the end result was the same: marriage. Rashid looked at his former mentor with a raised brow.

“What? Don’t tell me you thought you were hiding it well.”

“Of course not.”

It was no secret that Rashid only called her “sister” when it was convenient. He smiled arrogantly.

“I’m just giving her time. The decision is made—but she has to come to it on her own. Sooner or later, our sister will.”

Adler let out a dramatic sigh.

Poor Lady Tericia. How did she end up with someone like this?

But he was wise enough not to say it aloud.

Rashid, now looking visibly more refreshed, finally reached for his paperwork.

“Oh, and start looking into some alchemists.”

“Alchemists…? You mean for Lady Tericia?”

“She asked me to.”

Adler briefly tried to connect a tea party with alchemists. No image came to mind.

“Seems like she wants to create something new.”

“…Understood.”

The office was quiet, filled only with the sounds of pages turning and pens gliding across paper. Then suddenly—

“What kind of gift would be good for the tea party?”

“…Pardon?”

Adler lifted his head at Rashid’s unexpected mumbling.

“If she’s going to host one, I want to help her make it special.”

Adler shook his head and went back to work.

The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt.

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