IDTRAFTML 38

~Chapter 38~

“Amelie, is that really true?”

A few days had passed since I declared I would start a business.

When Lyssa returned safely from her mission, she was the first person I told.

“Yes. I’m looking for a shop location right now.”

“That’s amazing! My friend is going to be a shop owner?”

“Haha. It’ll just be a small shop, nothing grand.”

Lyssa’s genuine joy and praise warmed me, though I felt a little embarrassed.

After all, my reason for starting a business wasn’t exactly pure. My ultimate goal was still to connect her with Richard, which gave me a small pang of guilt.

“Then you’ll be too busy to visit the knight order? Though, you haven’t been coming lately anyway, because of your restriction…”

“No, I can still visit sometimes until the shop officially opens. I’ll use the preparations as an excuse. And even after it opens, I’ll still stop by once or twice a week.”

“Really?”

“Of course! I’ll just tell Father I went for business promotion—he can’t complain about that.”

“Amelie, honestly…”

Even after her tiring mission, Lyssa’s face was glowing as she smiled at me.

“What kind of shop are you opening?”

“Well… calling it a shop might sound odd, but—it’s a counseling office.”

“Counseling office?”

I nodded confidently.

The idea had come from Viscount Garnet himself. The business would be “counseling”—with a focus on romance advice.

There wasn’t anything like it in this world yet, and since I already had plenty of experience giving love advice, I thought it had decent potential.

“It does sound unusual to call it a shop. But… wouldn’t it be hard for people to share their troubles with a stranger?”

“Normally, yes. But sometimes people actually find it easier to open up to someone they don’t know. Because they won’t see them often.”

“Ohh, that makes sense. And if the listener is you, Amelie, they’ll want to tell you everything.”

How could my favorite girl always say the sweetest things?

Lyssa’s endless encouragement healed me.

Someday, if she ever came to me with her own love troubles, I’d drop everything to help her.

And if those troubles were because of Richard… well, I’d strangle him myself!

‘…Wait, did she even greet Richard yet?’

Before punishing him in my head, I realized I didn’t know if the two had even met since she returned.

“Lyssa, did you stop by the imperial palace?”

“Yes, I did. I came straight here afterward.”

“Oh, then you must’ve seen Richard.”

“No, I didn’t meet him.”

“…Huh?”

My brain short-circuited at her calm response.

How could she go to the imperial palace and not meet the male lead?!

“I just reported to the Crown Prince. I’ll see Richard tomorrow at training anyway.”

“Oh dear.”

That was exactly what a “nonchalant heroine” in a romance fantasy would say.

Reading it in novels was one thing, but hearing it in real life was frustrating.

If I was this annoyed, poor Richard must be suffering ten times more.

Even now, he was probably thinking about Lyssa.

“Lyssa, when you go to the training grounds tomorrow, you should at least greet Richard and say you’re back.”

“Okay, I will.”

She agreed brightly, without even asking why.

Her love life was going to be a long, difficult road.

Honestly, at this point, it wasn’t Lyssa who needed romance counseling—it was Richard.

“Lady Amelie!”

The next day, when I went to the training grounds with Lyssa, the Second Knight Order was the first to rush out and greet me.

“Have you all been well?”

“We haven’t been well at all without you, Lady Amelie!”

“Are you in good health?”

“Yes, as you can see, I’m very healthy.”

Even though I had greeted them when returning from the capital to the mansion, they still worried so much.

I had even gained a little weight during my stay at home, but in their eyes, I still looked too frail.

“We thought you were sick because you didn’t reply to our letters.”

“You sent me letters?”

“Yes, to House Garnet. I doubt anyone in the Second Knight Order skipped sending one.”

…The only letters I had ever received were about romance advice.

I had been a little—just a little—disappointed about that, but hearing now that everyone had sent me a letter was strange.

“I never received them… Could it be…?”

Yes. I had never once received my mail directly.

Everything had been passed to me through the butler.

So the only one who could have intercepted them was—Viscount Garnet.

“It seems the letters got misplaced. I’m sorry for not replying.”

That man!

I had one more thing to do when I got back home today—track him down until I got every single one of those letters.

“No, it’s enough that you came here. That makes us truly happy.”

“I’m glad I could come too. To celebrate, I brought plenty of snacks and drinks, so please enjoy.”

Clap clap.

At my signal, the servants I had brought laid out the food.

The amount was nearly double what I had brought last time, and the knights’ eyes went wide.

“Wow…”

“Lady Amelie, your generosity has grown even greater!”

“Someone might think we’re holding a banquet!”

And then—

A familiar voice slipped in naturally among their admiration.

I turned toward it, knowing it belonged to Richard.

“Always spoiling them as soon as you arrive.”

Because of his letter a few days ago, his playful interference didn’t irritate me this time. I even chuckled.

And honestly, I was relieved to confirm that seeing him didn’t make me feel nervous anymore.

The flutter I’d felt back then was clearly just because I was inexperienced.

“Ah, Richard. I came back safely from my mission.”

While I was relieved, Lyssa—busy holding back the knights—delivered her greeting as coolly as ever.

I secretly glanced at Richard to see his reaction.

It might sound cruel, but there was nothing more entertaining than watching the male lead look disappointed at the heroine’s indifference.

“…Ah. My brother told me. Congratulations on completing your last mission as vice-captain.”

Richard looked surprised for a moment, then gave a short congratulation before slightly averting his eyes.

‘He’s hurt, right? He must be hurt!’

Watching the male lead’s heart ache was the best kind of fun!

It wasn’t as dramatic as I’d hoped, but seeing it live was satisfying enough.

“Thanks. Oh! Richard, did you hear? Amelie is opening a shop.”

“She’s… opening a shop?”

His gaze snapped to me at once, as if to confirm whether it was true.

“I got the idea while talking with Father.”

“You can’t just suddenly—”

“Lady Amelie, you’re opening a shop?”

“What kind of shop? I’ll come and sell things for you!”

Richard’s voice, which had been ready to question me further, was drowned out by the knights’ noisy excitement.

“My shop won’t be selling goods, so you don’t need to worry about that. But please do visit.”

“If it’s not selling goods… then what kind of shop is it?”

“I’ll be listening to people’s worries. Just like I do now.”

“Oooh…”

The knights reacted as if I’d just told them something incredible.

“I always wanted to run a business, but I didn’t have a clear skill to use.”

Richard also listened closely.

This was the perfect timing to promote the counseling office.

“Then I remembered the conversations I had with you all. I realized how meaningful it was to share worries and help each other. Thanks to you, I decided to open a counseling office.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“Please tell us when it opens—we’ll come to congratulate you!”

The effect was incredible.

The knights shouted my name with admiration, their faces glowing with emotion.

Even I had to admit—it was a perfect story.

Recruiting customers already seemed successful.

‘Ah, I almost forgot the most important client.’

“Richard, if you ever have worries, come to me anytime.”

I smiled at him with my best business smile.

“…I don’t have any worries.”

He replied stiffly, then turned and walked deeper into the training grounds.

“As if you don’t. You’ll be my VIP client one day.”

Even from his back, I could already see Richard’s future as my most important customer.