"You're saying I'm forcing Her Majesty?"
Hearing Celitia's words, ilenn beca even more furious. "Where did you find this maid? How dare she be so insolent!"
Celitia opened her mouth to continue arguing, but Dorothy quickly rushed forward, pulling her back forcefully while repeatedly apologizing:
"I'm sorry, Lady Countess! I'll definitely educate her properly!!"
"Don't be angry, ilenn." Marianne took ilenn's hand. "This child is just worried about —don't take it to heart."
"Still calling her a child—you're clearly not much older than her yourself."
ilenn glared at Marianne reproachfully, her expression revealing heartache.
"You're always so kind. If you're too good to the servants, they'll just beco more and more lawless."
"Alright, alright, don't lecture either." Marianne laughed helplessly. "I can't count how many tis I've heard this speech—my ears are about to develop calluses."
"You really are..." ilenn's expression beca even more helpless.
Marianne didn't respond to her words: "You want to go out for so fresh air?"
"I heard there's a grove with many peach blossoms in bloom," ilenn nodded. "The weather is so nice today—I want to go flower viewing with you."
"I see," Marianne smiled gently, saying softly, "Alright, I'll go with you."
"Queen Marianne!" Celitia frowned again, very disapproving.
"It's fine—just taking a carriage out for a walk. Don't worry."
Marianne gently patted Celitia's head, lightly stroking her like comforting a small animal.
Seeing that Marianne was determined to go out with ilenn, Celitia sighed and had to give up persuading her.
"Then let us accompany you." Celitia said.
ilenn found this insolent maid very displeasing and snorted coldly:
"A clumsy new maid is worthy of accompanying Her Majesty?"
"Enough, ilenn." Marianne persuaded. "She's a good child who was just worried about . Stop holding it against her."
"Fine, fine, I'll listen to you," ilenn had no choice but to sigh helplessly. "Then let's go together."
Both sides tidied up a bit, with ilenn and Marianne each bringing their personal maids, taking carriages to the ntioned peach blossom grove.
Throughout the journey, Celitia was on edge the entire ti, and Ariel was extrely nervous as well.
However, contrary to her expectations, they arrived at their destination without any incidents.
Ariel was worried and whispered in Celitia's ear:
"Mother and ilenn went on an outing, and Lord Charles ca along as a guard. Now only Lady Liana is alone at the villa. I feel it's quite dangerous."
"But I think the villa's security is quite strict—it would only be safer than here."
Celitia lowered her voice. "Since we're already here, let's stick close to Queen Marianne."
Seeing her seemingly certain about sothing, so questions that Ariel had already suppressed rose again in her heart.
"Lily," she gazed at Celitia, "do you know sothing?"
Celitia fell silent.
After a long while, she took a deep breath and answered softly: "Please don't ask for now, okay?"
When she couldn't hide it anymore, she would probably tell Ariel the truth.
Until then, she just wanted to delay as long as possible and focus on what was in front of them.
Ariel obediently kept quiet: "Alright, I won't ask."
While the two whispered to each other, Dorothy helped Marianne down from the carriage.
Celitia and Ariel also quickly got off and followed closely behind Marianne.
ilenn, accompanied by Eva, got down from another carriage.
Behind the two carriages, Charles led a team of guards, cautiously standing watch outside the peach blossom grove.
Celitia's gaze lightly swept over her "father," observed for a mont, then looked away.
The journey had been peaceful, the grove was heavily guarded outside, and inside also seed normal.
Could it not be here either?
"How beautiful."
Looking around at the scenery, ilenn visibly relaxed and sighed sincerely.
"Yes." Marianne smiled.
The peach blossoms in the grove were in perfect bloom, their petals delicate and vibrant, blooming freely.
Occasionally a breeze would pass through, and petals would leave their branches, spiraling and fluttering down, gradually covering the ground.
"Co on, let's take a walk."
ilenn naturally took Marianne's hand, and the two walked shoulder to shoulder along the path through the peach blossom grove, heading deeper inside.
"Several years ago, you and I also walked hand in hand like this through a peach blossom grove. Do you rember, Marianne?"
"Of course I rember." Marianne smiled faintly. "Back then, I was still working as a private doctor at your house. I wasn't a queen, and you weren't a countess yet either. Thinking about it now, it feels like a dream."
ilenn's hand imperceptibly tightened a bit, but fearing she might hurt Marianne, she quickly loosened her grip.
Her voice beca slightly ethereal: "Yes, that was probably my happiest, most carefree ti."
Marianne turned her face and smiled cheerfully at ilenn:
"Isn't now good too? You finally won the family struggle, beca a countess, and achieved your dream. I'm very happy for you."
ilenn stopped in her tracks.
A breeze passed through, petals scattered everywhere, and she turned her head in the flower rain, gazing deeply at Marianne.
"But Marianne, do you understand? Once a person has one thing, they want even more... humans are such creatures."
"If you want it, then go for it." Marianne answered firmly. "I believe you can do it, because you've always been such a determined person."
ilenn didn't respond.
She only moved closer to Marianne, gently reaching out to remove a pink petal from her temple.
"A petal fell on your head." ilenn explained.
"Thank you." Marianne gently thanked her.
Dorothy and Eva followed far behind the two, keeping their eyes, noses, mouths, and hearts to themselves, remaining silent throughout as if they had seen and heard nothing.
Celitia and Ariel walked at a slightly more distant position, still whispering constantly.
"So Queen Marianne was once Lady Countess ilenn's private doctor?" Celitia asked.
"Mother... Her Majesty did indeed study dicine once."
Ariel pondered:
"However, this is the first ti I've heard about their past together. No wonder they have such a good relationship."
"Indeed." Celitia looked thoughtful.
At least from what she could see now, ilenn treated Marianne quite well and could be said to care deeply for her.
But what did the note an by "infatuation and jealousy"?
So hard to guess...
Celitia sighed inwardly.
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