The Reincarnated Villainess Whose Romantic Trauma From Her Past Life Is Too Strong Is Sweetly and Painfully Doted On by the Prince of the Neighboring Country - Chapter 28

“……………… Sigh…………”

In response to Cherie’s words, “I’m just worried about Miss Lily,” Salute let out a long, deep sigh.

Then, while exhaling, he slowly leaned his weight onto Cherie’s right shoulder, resting his head there.

“…Fine. If that’s what you say, Cherie, I’ll respect your will.”

He added, “I intended to do that from the start, anyway—”

As he spoke, he snuggled closer against Cherie’s side. She felt as though he were acting like a spoiled child with her, and for some reason, the sensation felt a little nostalgic.

—She couldn’t quite put her finger on why it felt nostalgic, though.

“…Thank you, Lord Salute.”

“Mm-hm.”

While humming his affirmation, Salute slowly loosened his grip on Cherie’s hand, which he had been covering with his own. He then slid his fingers between hers, interlacing them.

“…But I worked pretty hard today, so I’d like a reward.”

Resting his head on her shoulder, he began to toy with her right hand using his left. Cherie felt an indescribable fluttering in her chest, but she replied carefully, trying not to let her inner turmoil show.

“A reward?”

“Yeah. I want to drink some of your flower tea.”

—Oh, is that all? Cherie thought.

But at the same time, she realized he had a point.

(It’s true that today, Lord Salute had to defeat a boss character because of an unexpected accident. And since he used flower magic, he must be exhausted.)

Considering that, asking for flower tea as a gesture of thanks was perfectly reasonable. In fact, it might not be enough. No, it definitely wasn’t enough.

“I’ll brew as much flower tea as you’d like, if you’re happy with mine but I don’t think that’s a fair trade for how much you helped me today.”

“Then, let me stay like this until we reach my manor. I overdid it today and I’m worn out.”

“………………”

As Salute leaned against her and made his request, Cherie felt a bit hesitant.

She wasn’t sure if this posture, this level of intimacy was appropriate for people who were supposed to be “friends.”

However, Salute seemed to sense her hesitation perfectly.

“Girls do this kind of thing normally with each other, right?” he said with a completely innocent, nonchalant look.

(………… Is that so…?)

Cherie wondered, but she felt that if she were too stubborn about it, it would look like she was overly conscious of him. Unable to refuse, she accepted his request with a small, “…Then, alright…”

—From Cherie’s angle, she couldn’t see it.

She couldn’t see how happy, yet painfully tender, Salute’s expression became as he leaned on her and played with her hand. Just as Cherie found the warmth and scent emanating from Salute to be comforting, Salute was suffering from a love so intense it felt like his chest was being torn open, fueled by the heat and sweet fragrance coming from her.

Without Cherie ever knowing, the carriage simply continued to roll along, carrying the two of them.

Whether it should be called Cherie’s intuition proving right or not—the reputation of Lily, the Maiden of the Flower Succession, began to plummet in the blink of an eye.

It was unclear who had started it, but rumors began to circulate that Lily wasn’t performing her duties as the Maiden properly.

According to the whispers:

“She’s only interested in hunting for men; her work is always sloppy.”

“Her grades in Flower Magic class are terrible; her actual ability as the Maiden is questionable.”

“She’s only good at acting cute and cozying up to people; she’s a shallow, hollow person.”

Hearing these rumors, some offered Lily comfort, while others grew suspicious and began to keep their distance. Even those who comforted her didn’t seem to believe in her entirely.

Lily, who usually acted with innocent cheerfulness, seemed to find the atmosphere increasingly uncomfortable as the rumors spread throughout the academy.

—Then, one day.

The incident occurred.