The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 54

“It has a calming effect, and the sweetness helps lift your spirits when you’re feeling down. Don’t you think it deserves a lovely name?”

“A lovely name, hmm…”

At Tericia’s words, the young ladies at the tea party paused for a moment before sharing suggestions with one another.

“Since it’s sweet, how about something like the scent of roses?”

“That might be too common maybe we could look at gemstone names instead?”

“Or something a little different, maybe…”

Watching them, Tericia smiled softly. It was a rare and pleasant experience—having so many people involved in something that was originally her own project.

Flower names were mentioned, followed by gems. The suggestions flowed until—

“Ardor. What about ‘Ardor’?”

A quiet but confident voice chimed in from the side. Everyone turned to look. The one who had spoken was Emily Feder, who had been keeping to herself lately.

“Ardor… It means ‘love’ in an old language.”

Tericia repeated the word under her breath, as if savoring it.

“That’s a beautiful name, Lady Feder.”

As Tericia offered her thanks, Emily’s cheeks turned slightly pink.

“It really suits it,” someone added.

“Oh my, it sounds so elegant too. Being in an old language makes it feel even more special.”

Buoyed by the compliments, a faint smile appeared on Emily’s lips. Then her gaze met Tericia’s. Embarrassed by the kind eyes looking directly at her, she quickly turned her head away.

Tericia noticed the tips of her ears turning red, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you, Lady Feder. I’ll be sure to repay you when I return to the Hespelt estate.”

“…That’s not what I was hoping for,” Emily said, feigning indifference—but the joy in her voice was unmistakable.

Tericia exchanged a knowing glance with Josephine. Clearly used to Emily’s usual tone, Josephine returned a gentle smile.

“I truly mean it. Oh, before I forget—”

She signaled to Sarah, who brought over a set of beautifully prepared boxes. Even at a glance, they looked elegant and expensive.

“This is Ardor, the scent you just sampled. It’s a gift from me.”

Delighted, the ladies eagerly accepted the boxes. A gift from the Lady of House Hespelt—it was the kind of thing they’d proudly talk about wherever they went.

Tericia handed one of the boxes directly to Josephine.

“Thank you for hosting today, Josephine.”

“Please, think nothing of it. I was struggling to come up with a theme anyway. You helped me more than you know.”

Josephine answered lightly, and Tericia nodded in appreciation. Then she turned to Emily and handed her a box personally.

“Thank you for naming it, Lady Feder. I’ll definitely return the favor.”

“…Well, it’s not necessary—but I won’t say no.”

Her response, firm yet faintly playful, made Tericia laugh softly again.

“We’re also working on a body oil version. Once it’s ready, I’ll send a gift to everyone who joined us today.”

The ladies’ eyes lit up even more. Until now, the scent had only been available as incense. The idea of carrying it on their skin was too good to pass up.

Josephine watched Tericia, impressed. Her grace, her generosity, and the way she treated those who could help spread her brand—it was skillfully done.

She’s not someone to take lightly, Josephine thought, studying Tericia again with fresh eyes.

This whole tea party had been approved by her, yes—but Tericia had taken control so naturally, subtly promoting her product without losing her charm. It was all thanks to her calm and elegant presence.

Without realizing it, Josephine found herself genuinely enjoying the event. Just then—

“Excuse me, my lady. Just now…”

One of the attendants entered, looking visibly flustered.

“What is it?”

Even as Josephine asked, the servant hesitated. His eyes darted to Tericia.

“Well…”

Feeling his glance, Tericia suddenly had a bad feeling.

No way…

Her mouth felt dry.

“The Duke of Hespelt has arrived.”

“What?”

Everyone in the room turned to look at Tericia. And no one looked more shocked than she did.

“…Rashid is here?”

She whispered to herself, then slowly stood.

“Josephine, may I excuse myself for a moment?”

“Of course.”

With a grateful nod, Tericia stepped outside. Her aide, clearly used to such situations, began tidying up the incense and burner.

“She’ll probably be heading out right away,” Josephine commented.

Sarah bowed politely.

“That seems likely. I’ll make sure to thank you again later.”

After bowing to Josephine and the other noble ladies, she followed after Tericia.

For a moment, the room went still. The young ladies sat frozen—until, one by one, they started standing.

“Um, I think I’ll get a little fresh air…”

“I’m feeling a bit warm. Just stepping out for a moment…”

Each of them offered some excuse as they glanced at their hostess. Josephine, now wearing the brightest smile she’d had all day, stood and clapped lightly.

“Shall we go see for ourselves? Let’s find out if the Duke of Hespelt really came.”

She led the way, walking with light, graceful steps. Emily quickly followed.

The rest of the ladies exchanged glances, then hurried to follow without a word. No one wanted to miss this.

The new Duke of Hespelt—until now, only spoken of in rumors—had arrived to personally pick up his sister.

That alone was enough to ignite everyone’s curiosity.

“Rashid?”

Tericia couldn’t believe her eyes.

The tall man standing before her really was Rashid Hespelt. This was the first time she had seen him since that night—and the morning that followed. A memory she hadn’t shared with anyone.

As if nothing had happened, with a perfectly composed expression, he stood by the family’s carriage, waiting for her.

“Sister.”

Rashid stepped forward, took Tericia’s hand, and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

She must’ve rushed over in small, quick steps—her slightly uneven breathing pleased him.

“I thought the tea party would be ending around now, so I came to escort you.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Tericia’s face, but she quickly smiled, as if nothing was wrong. Or maybe it was more of a helpless, uncertain smile.

Watching her closely, Rashid had to press his lips together to keep from grinning. It was oddly satisfying to know he wasn’t the only one flustered this time.

“…You must be busy.”

“I was just passing by.”

Rashid didn’t spare a glance for anyone else—his focus remained solely on Tericia.

“If you’re finished, shall we go?”

“I’m not quite done…”

She’d already shared the scent, given the gifts, and thanks to Emily Feder, even named it. Technically, her part was over.

Still, leaving like this felt rude to the hostess. More than that, a part of her genuinely wanted to stay until the tea party ended.

Normally, she would’ve ignored Rashid’s quiet interference in her social life, but today was different. Things were still a little awkward between them after what had happened a few days ago.

“I assumed you’d be done by now. That’s why I came.”

“It’s not time to leave yet.”

“If you’d like me to wait, I’ll wait.”

Rashid’s relaxed smile didn’t fade—it almost felt teasing.

“You want me to keep the Duke of Hespelt waiting?”

“If it’s my sister’s request, I’ll wait as long as necessary.”

The way he deliberately emphasized the word sister made him sound annoyingly smug. And from the look on her face, Rashid knew she caught it, too. He let out a quiet chuckle.

“This isn’t really the place to talk about it, but—”

He gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The spot he touched seemed to burn.

“I’m not here to ask for forgiveness, so don’t misunderstand. I may lose to you in everything else… but this time, I won’t take back what I said.”

His golden eyes were calm and resolute. The younger brother she once knew was nowhere to be seen. The man standing before her now was someone who desired her—without hesitation.

With a quiet sigh, Tericia was the first to yield.

“Still, leaving like this wouldn’t be polite.”

She glanced behind her. Sarah had already finished cleaning everything up and was waiting nearby.

A little farther back stood Josephine, the hostess of the tea party, smiling gently. The other young ladies had gathered, watching with wide, curious eyes.

Josephine caught Tericia’s gaze and gave a subtle nod—it was her silent permission to leave.

Tericia finally let out a small, helpless laugh.

“…Shall we go, then?”

“Of course, Sister.”

Rashid smiled warmly and held out his hand. Her small, pale hand rested in his.

He held her hand firmly and gently pulled her toward him. He lingered in her warmth for a moment, then started to walk with her.

“You should eat more. You’re too light.”

“You’re just too strong.”

“I won’t deny that.”

Tericia let out a breathy laugh, half exasperated. Rashid chuckled softly as he walked beside her.

“Have you decided on a name for the scent?”

“Lady Feder named it ‘Ardor.’”

“Hmm… ‘Love’ in an ancient tongue. It suits the fragrance well.”

“It’s not a romantic scent.”

Her face flushed at his words. No matter how much she tried to steer the meaning away, the name kept leading back to the same idea.

“It’s a good name.”

Rashid smiled lightly and led her toward the carriage.

“Stop.”

“I think it’s fine to call it a romantic scent, honestly.”

“I said stop.”

Flustered, Tericia quickly looked down and climbed into the carriage. Still grinning, Rashid followed her inside.

The doors closed, and the ornately decorated carriage began rolling toward the ducal estate.

“……”

“……”

The people left behind could hardly believe what they had just witnessed.

They had only ever heard rumors about the young Duke of Hespelt—that he was cold and distant, with a heart like ice.

Their fathers or older brothers who had seen him at noble council meetings had called him arrogant, a man who didn’t know how to smile, someone who wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed.

So, who was the man they had just seen?

The man who smiled so sweetly at Lady Tericia, who held her so gently, as if afraid she might break?

Their faces warmed. A quiet flutter stirred deep in their hearts. Embarrassment welled up from nowhere.

“It’s the scent… That’s all,” someone whispered.

Yes, it must’ve been the sweet scent the lady had gifted them.

They repeated those words to themselves, trying to brush away the jealousy they didn’t want to admit.

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