The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path

16. So sparkly that I just can’t take it anymore

The morning after the New Year’s Ball—

“Huu.”

In the presence of the topiaries that she wasn’t sure whether they’re dogs or deer, Radis had swung her sword recklessly up until now, but she eventually threw it to the ground.

“Ah, how frustrating!”

Radis roughly sat herself down on a garden stone, rubbing her sweaty forehead.

“Think about it, Radis. You must have heard something…”

What she’s trying to recall now was a memory from her previous life.

‘I heard that His Majesty the Emperor has finally decided on who his successor will be.’

Radis grunted, pressing down on her temples even more in an attempt to refresh her memory.

‘I need to change my approach. Okay, let’s try to think back on the situation, not the conversation. Where was Father back then?’

At the time that Zade had muttered those words, he was sitting at the table.

With this, Radis’ mind visualized the dining hall of the Tilrod mansion.

Seated at the furthest seat of the table, looking as if he was about to fall, Zade stared at his plate like that. Meanwhile, David was at the head of the table.

‘Ah, really? I’m sure that His Majesty has made a good choice.’

And the one who said this was David.

That smug expression on his face made it look like he was the one who’d been appointed as the crown prince.

Right then, Margaret placed a whole bulb of a roasted onion on David’s plate.

‘My baby! You have to eat your vegetables too, don’t you?’

It was a known fact that David hated onions. Throwing a tantrum, he banged one fist on the table.

‘Ugh, enough! We’re talking about something important!’

However, instead of hitting the table itself, David ended up hitting one edge of the plate, which then turned over. The onion and the sauce on his plate spilled over, causing a mess on the table.

‘This is your fault!’

‘David, you—’

‘Zade, don’t yell at him!’

Subsequently, Margaret and Zade raised their voices and fought…

After watching this scene, Radis just slipped back to her room.

Radis scratched her head. The memories she recalled were of little value.

“In the end, I guess I didn’t hear who became the crown prince, did I?”

Still, little value didn’t mean zero value.

“There must be a reason why David seemed to like the news so much.”

Another memory was easily recalled.

After Radis had played her part in her previous life, David entered the imperial academy.

She heard that he didn’t have much progress when it came to swordsmanship, but he eventually joined a faction there. It was the faction of the sixth prince, who had also entered the academy.

Looking back, it didn’t seem like much of an achievement, but David was so darn proud of this that it seemed like his shoulders would go much higher than the top of his head.

With how many times he’d say sixth prince this and sixth prince that, you’d wonder how anyone’s ears still remained intact on their heads.

‘His Highness the Sixth Prince only drinks tea from tea leaves imported from Schert Island. It’s got a very sophisticated taste.’

‘His Highness the Sixth Prince likes to be sanitary, so he always uses a handkerchief to hold a doorknob or a railing. Do you know how elegant he looks when he does that?!’

‘You know, His Highness the Sixth Prince just looks so set apart from others. It’s like there’s a halo over his head… As expected, one’s blood lineage is important!’

Radis never thought that David’s obnoxious praises, which were as loud as a parrot’s screeches, would help her now.

As she was in deep thought, Radis concluded.

“If David was so happy about the news of the Crown Prince being decided, then as expected, it must have been maybe the Sixth Prince, or at least someone close to the Sixth Prince.”

Radis picked up the sword she had thrown earlier, then she began to walk.

Of course, she didn’t personally know the sixth prince, and neither did she know who’s closely involved with him.

But at the very least, she knew someone who would know about that.

Radis pounded one fist at Yves’ door and shouted.

“Marquis!”

After knocking on the door, Radis stood there and waited.

However, Yves did not come out.

Radis knocked on the door one more time.

“Marquis, Marquis! I have a question!”

After a while, the door creaked open, and through the small gap, Yves peeped his head out.

“Radis… Youuu…”

Radis was astonished.

At this moment, Yves was not as well put together as he usually was, and his bangs were like a bird’s nest.

Said Yves, who had a bird’s nest for hair,

“I told you, didn’t I? I have no plans of getting out of bed today…!’

“Ah…?”

“But how dare you drag me out of bed?”

Yves’ expression was full of complaints, but nonetheless, he opened his door to her.

“I won’t forget this debt of yours, Radis!”

Embarrassed, Radis followed Yves into his bedroom.

“And do you even know what time it is? How on earth is it okay for you to come to someone’s room so early in the morning? And the room of someone who told you explicitly that he’s gonna rest for the entire day, huh?”

Though he was grumbling with his back turned to her, Yves began to boil some water so he could prepare tea for her.

Ashamed by her actions, Radis replied.

“I-I’m sorry. I suddenly had something to ask you. It’s okay if you don’t make tea for me. I’ll just ask one thing and leave right away.”

Holding the teapot, Yves turned around and asked.

“So what’s the question?”

“……!”

Utterly baffled, Radis’ mouth went wide open.

She hadn’t noticed while his back was turned to her, but right now, Yves was wearing only loose pants and a loose robe over this.

It looked like he had been in a hurry to put on the robe, too. The collar area was crumpled to the fullest and, over his pants, the waistband of his robe was precariously tied—as if it would come completely undone at any given moment.

And, through the open gap of the robe, the rippling muscles of his chest and abs could be seen plain and clear.