Today is my daughter"s wedding dress fitting.
My daughter, who"s hardly come home since New Year, seems to be unchangingly loved by His Highness.
I can understand how much His Highness cherishes my daughter from rumors I hear from my husband and my surroundings.
Since I hear my daughter too is all over His Highness, it might be inevitable for her to not leave her lover who she"ll soon marry and return home.
But, me being lonely is a different matter.
My dear daughter whom I gave birth to. That daughter will marry into the Royal Family in two months and become a member of royalty. When that happens, that child will become the Crown Princess.
It will become difficult to casually enjoy tea.
I feel very lonely that despite this my daughter doesn"t seem to mind at all and doesn"t seem to want to come back home.
Even if I understand children are like this, after all it"s still painful.
That"s why I"m looking forward to meeting my daughter for the first time in a while today.

"Rosina, aren"t you too excited?"

When we boarded the carriage, my husband talked to me. I asked my husband to send me to the room where I"ll meet my daughter, and he accepted. Rather than having royal guards who I don"t know well lead me, I will be relieved to have my reliable husband do it.

"Ara, it"s because I"ll see Lidi in the wedding dress first. I"m very much looking forward to it. She"ll surely be beautiful"
"…"
"Are you envious? Fufu, but you can"t. No men are allowed today. His Highness too will surely be vexed"
"Rosina…"

I fended off my husband"s glare with a smile.
Our daughter seems unaware, but my husband can"t help but hold her dear. Everybody in the mansion except our daughter knows.
Such a daughter will wear a wedding dress. Even if he"s relieved that she"ll marry His Highness, as her parent he must feel complicated about it.

"Aren"t you a selfish person…"
"What?"
"No matter what I will marry Lidi to His Highness! You were saying things like that, and now that it"s decided, you"re in a bad mood. If you show that face to Lidi, maybe that child will notice she"s loved by you a little?"
"… If Lidi is happy, then it"s fine"
"Yeah, you"re right"

I agreed with my husband who told me so despite being sullen.
He"s my husband. Supposing he judged our daughter couldn"t become happy, he"d break off the engagement no matter what it took. Even if it"s what he had wanted.
My husband who wished for our daughter"s engagement with His Highness for her sake, wouldn"t hesitate to break off that engagement also for her sake.
I think it"s very wonderful of him.

"Lidi can marry her beloved. I"m glad"
"Rosina?"

My husband looked at me as I muttered so.
I replied to him with a sweet smile.

"She"s the same as me. Lidi will surely be happy"

It seems our daughter clearly told my husband yesterday. That she loves His Highness.
I won"t tell my daughter, but my husband was weeping yesterday in our room that he"s truly glad.
Surely even if I told her, she wouldn"t believe it.

"Aah, it"s been a long time since I"ve been in the Royal Castle"

The carriage stopped. Because I had no reason to visit the castle recently, it"s truly been a long time. With my husband"s escort I alighted the carriage, and together we walked inside the castle.
There"s no guide, but there are Prime Minister"s guards.
On the way, seeing my husband everybody gave a slight bow. I kept in mind to walk a little behind my husband who calmly responded to that.
It"s been over twenty year since we got married, but I haven"t regretted marrying him even once.

"I absolutely won"t make you regret it. Be with me"

Incidentally I recalled the words he said when he proposed.
I worked as a court lady in the Royal Palace. As a daughter of a wealthy merchant family, I entered the Royal Palace as a court lady to learn good manners. I became friends with Clara at that time.

"Cut it out. Rosina. You are surely being deceived"

I and my husband met at the Royal Palace. It was my husband who was calling out to me. At first, I didn"t take him seriously, thinking I"m just being teased, but before long I was taken with my husband who often showed up and enjoyably talked with me.
The head of the preeminent ducal house. In contrast, I was nothing but a daughter of a merchant family. I was resigned that our status was too different to marry, but my husband removed every obstacle and reached out his hand to me. The words at that time was the line just before.
My beloved had done so much, there was no way I wouldn"t respond positively.
I nodded to the proposal right there and decided to resign from the Royal Palace.
It was Clara whom I told first at that time.
―――― That I will marry him.
I was suddenly getting married without saying anything about it before. And my partner was the preeminent Duke.
I understand Clara was against it thinking about me.
Even when I was scolded about why I had never told anything before, I couldn"t answer.
… I hadn"t expected to be able to marry him. Thinking about my partner"s position, it had been better to not tell anyone. It"s exactly because I had thought like this that I couldn"t tell Clara.

"I"m sorry. But, I"ve already decided"
"If you marry that man, I will never again meet you"

As I shook my head at Clara"s words, she said so as if it was a final warning.
But, even though she told me that, I wouldn"t stay there.
I had already decided to trust my husband who had showed me his sincerity.
It was useless to say anything else. Thinking so, I silently turned my back to Clara.

―――― Since then, over twenty years have pa.s.sed.
She"s achieved the position of Head Court Lady and works energetically in the castle.
She seems to be like cat and dog with the husband I married, even so despite those quarrels she appears to be doing well.
I haven"t met her since, still I"m delighted to secretly hear about her activities.
And to my surprise, she now takes care of my daughter.
What a quirk of fate. I can be relieved that Clara is on my daughter"s side.

"Rosina? You look absentminded, are you alright? We"ve arrived"
"… Ara, I"m sorry. Thank you, dear. I"m alright"
"Then it"s fine… Lidi will come in a while. Wait in this room"
"Yeah, I understand"
"I have work. I can"t come…"
"It was said men are forbidden, right? Jeez, you"re p.r.o.ne to worrying"
"Yes…"

While worriedly looking back again and again, my husband walked to the office. I waved my hand to such husband and entered the room I"d been guided to. Inside the room were dress craftsmen, all of them bowed at once in silence.
Looking nervous, one craftsman said.

"Princess Consort will come in a little while"
"I see, thank you"

Exactly as stated, my daughter came right away. Seeing my daughter enter the room, I became lost for words.

"Lidi…"

In the time I didn"t see her, my daughter has become very beautiful.
Her skin is glossier, her expression gives off faint seductiveness. Her straight light brown hair that"s same as mine is more l.u.s.trous than before.
My daughter is wearing an open chest dress, but what drew the eye was the big tattoo.
It"s the King"s Flower.
My daughter"s King"s Flower that I see for the first time gracefully covered the left side of her chest as if to a.s.sert its existence.
―――― This is the proof of His Highness"s princess consort.
A large blue tattoo that demonstrates His Highness"s obsession with my daughter. It strangely suited her.

"Mother"

It"s visible at a glance that she"s loved and treasured by His Highness. She seems to be s.h.i.+ning from inside. Seeing my daughter so obviously happy, I was relieved from the bottom of my heart.

"Come back home every once in a while"

I hugged my daughter whom I saw for the first time in a while. I honestly showed my feelings.
Yes, while I lovingly stroked my daughter"s hair, she nodded so again and again, and incidentally I noticed the woman behind my daughter.

"… Clara"

What happened later is difficult to put into words.
She gave me words of apology, and we hugged and cried.
She hasn"t changed at all in over twenty years, it was simply nostalgic.

"I"m sorry, Lidi. Today is a day for your sake, and yet…"
"No, if Mother is having fun, I am happy as well"

Seeing my daughter smile truly happily, I felt tears well up again.
… She"s grown into a good child.
Same as my son, my daughter is a child who makes all sorts of messes, but she"s gentle at heart. I"m very happy His Highness understands that.

"Be happy with His Highness"

Yes, I once again hugged my daughter who nodded so honestly, and I bid farewell.
I left the room together with Clara who will see me off to the carriage.

"I am glad she looks happy…"
"Yeah, both His Highness and Princess Consort unmistakably love each other. It"s alright, Rosina. I"m sure they"ll be wonderfully close King and Queen"
"You"re right"

When I nodded with a smile, I heard a voice from behind.

"Rosina"
"Dear"

It was my husband who appeared. Apparently, he came here to see me off.
My husband and Clara made very unpleasant faces when their eyes met for a moment, but without saying anything they stopped at simply averting their eyes.
… Perhaps it"s out of consideration for me.
Clara detests my husband for what happened to me, and my husband doesn"t like Clara for being hostile to him for being my husband.
Both are my favorite persons, I wish they could get along, and if not I wish they at least wouldn"t fight.

"Clara, thank you. My husband came, so this far is fine. If you like, could you write me letters? I"ll also write them"
"… Yeah"
"It"s enough, right. We"re going, Rosina"
"Yes yes, see you, Clara"

I nodded to my husband who impatiently called my name.
I bid farewell to Clara and took my husband"s hand.
While walking, I looked at my husband"s profile.

"… What is it"
"… We managed to make up"

I told him so in a mutter. My husband knows he was the cause of the break-up between me and Clara.
Perhaps for that reason, after a short pause he answered.

"… I see. I"m glad"
"Yeah, truly"

Whatever his feelings are, my husband still was happy for me.
After all, I"m glad to have married him, I smiled a little that I hadn"t made a mistake.

"… Lidi was very beautiful. Look forward to the ceremony in two months"
"Yeah…"

When I additionally mentioned the state of my daughter, my husband"s eyebrows dropped slightly.
I pretended not to notice it.

"I hope a bride will also come to Alex"
"… Truly"

When I changed the subject, this time my husband"s eyebrows scrunched.
Seeing this, I giggled a little.