Chapter 72: 72 Tipping point

"......

"......

............ Well, what shall I do with this silence?

In the same place where she had been drinking tea with her three maidens, Diana was now experiencing the most uncomfortable sensation.

It's a good idea to take a look at a few of the things you can do to make sure you're getting the most out of your time here.

"...... So, you know. The Red Rose.

The King, that's who.

--When the maid of honor outside the corridor suddenly told me, "His Majesty is here," I honestly thought about what to do. I wondered what she had in mind for this visit.

However, there was no way I could shut out His Majesty the King who was coming so close. I invited him in anyway, asked the three maids to prepare for the reception, and when the desk was clean, the king suddenly said. --The king suddenly said, "I would like to speak with the Red Rose alone.

Rita and the other three attendants of the Red Rose were reluctant, but they could not say no to the king's request. In the end, Diana sent them out, saying, "Don't worry," and this is how they ended up in a situation where they had to fight the king.

However, nothing happened because of that. Until a while ago, the king was just drinking tea in silence, picking up snacks, trying to say something, and stammering. A few minutes ago, he finally managed to form a sentence, but it was difficult to continue.

I didn't know what she was doing here, so I kept quiet for a while to see how she was doing, but I was wasting my time. I'm not sure what you're doing here.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience I've caused your Majesty and the knights of the Kingsguard.

"Hmm?　I'm not sure what to say. That's nothing for you to worry about. It was the fault of the attackers.

But didn't my running away complicate things in the end?

According to the palace guards, it was only because the Red Rose attracted the attention of the enemy that they were able to buy time and regain their position. If we hadn't done that, one of us probably would have lost our lives. It's a good thing that you're not the only one.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea. ...... As you can see, the girls in the palace guard who were there understood the situation painfully. Even if you don't know what Deanna was trying to do, you can sense that the outcome was positive. I hope they didn't read too much into it and find out something unnecessary.

I'm honored to have saved the life of one of His Majesty's most important guards, even if it was by accident.

"Accidentally. ...... Is it really a coincidence?

I'm not sure what to make of that. Deanna couldn't decipher his true intentions, and the King's gaze wandered restlessly as he searched for something to say.

The first step is to have your opponent open all his cards. Secretly, Deanna changed her mind.

I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I don't understand your question. The day before yesterday, I was so confused by fear that I ran away from the scene, which is unbecoming of a Red Rose. If it ended up saving the lives of everyone in the palace guards, then it was just a coincidence.

"That's true. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to do it. ......, but did you really run away because you were scared?

In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the web site. He doesn't blame Deanna, he doesn't question her, he just wants to know the truth and asks her.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that you can change your mind.

"You think differently, Your Majesty?

"When you say ......?

It's not because I was scared that I ran away. Do you think that there was some other reason?

He averted his gaze for a moment and then nodded without hesitating too long.

"Yes. I heard what you told the guards last night, and I heard what they told you. I felt a little strange about it.

Do you mind if I ask you why?

"If I tell you, will you tell me the truth?

It was not fair to ask a question in return, but Deanna knew she was the one who should concede here, so she tilted her head lightly in the affirmative.

If your thoughts are agreeable to you, I will tell you my 'truth' as well. I have nothing to hide, of course.

Then I'll tell you. --I have heard that you fled into the forest, got lost, and were brought to the temple by a kind traveler who happened to be passing by.

Yes, that is correct.

But ......, that's a bit odd, isn't it?

I beg your pardon?

You said that not long ago you had been attacked by unknown and suspicious persons, and that you had fled in terror and confusion. If that is true, how can you trust someone who is a stranger to you, no matter how kind they seem to be?" ......

Well, the king's reasoning makes some sense. If it were an ordinary young lady, it would certainly make sense.

--But...

"Your Majesty. You've relaxed your guard against me, haven't you?

"...... What?

I'm the Countess of Clester, remember?　In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

It's ......!

Even at the time of his departure, he had come to make sure that Diana had not become more arrogant than necessary about being the "acting queen". At least at that point in time, the formula of "Red Rose" equals "Countess of Clester" equals "Evil Authority" must have still been deep-rooted in his mind.

And yet, here he is, suddenly treating Diana as if she were an ordinary noblewoman. Unfortunately, Diana is not congenial enough to not feel uncomfortable with this.

"Dare I say it?　I am the daughter of the Earl of Crestor, and as such I do not have the most natural of nerves.

If it is ......, it is even more unnatural. You are not a person with normal nerves, but you are distraught because your carriage was attacked and you ran away.

"Suppose I left the carriage with an agenda of some kind. What do you think the reason is?

"If you were a true villainess. If you're a real "bad girl", you'd want to win my heart by deliberately having me attack the carriage and worry everyone by leaving the procession. I suppose that's what I should infer.

His expression was calm as he said it. It was clear that he did not believe in this "inference".

"You don't think I'm a 'bad girl', do you?

I've made many mistakes in judging you based on mere rumors and your appearance. ...... Yes, I may have been wrong all along.

...... I don't know what's going on here. In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

When Deanna was silent, unsure of his true intentions, it was Juke himself who cut in.

You're right. I should have asked you from the start. --Red Rose. Are you really as bad as people say you are?

--My heart jumped in the direction of the day after, making an unfamiliar sound.

She had entered the palace in the summer and had been hated and looked down upon for years. The person with whom I had once abandoned even the possibility of establishing a good relationship was now looking desperately at me, trying to see Diana. She is just trying to find out the truth, without profit and loss or anything else.

It must be... I thought I had given up completely, but somewhere in my heart, I was expecting to see those eyes.

"Whether I'm a 'bad girl' or not. It is the people who are involved with me who will determine if I am a 'bad girl' or not, not myself. If you think I am not a 'bad girl', then you must be a 'bad girl'. ......

Yes, ...... I suppose you do.

Can I ask you why?

I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you have. I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not, but I don't think Deanna would ever try to smother him with a half-hearted attempt at deception.

"Reason. When I think back, there are many reasons, but ...... I think the most important one is 'that'.

What's that?

...... During this trip, you always went down to the city at night to join the people's festivities in secret.

The question came out of nowhere, and Deanna hesitated for a moment before deciding what to say. While she was in town, Diana was almost completely unconcerned, and although she wasn't proud of it, she was confident that she had truly enjoyed the festival. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work.

...... One of those looks might have been.

I'm also curious as to what a folk festival is. I've asked Alford to take me to as many festivals as possible in the towns we're staying in.

...... So you discovered me while you were sneaking around as well?

That's how it happened.

I was careless. I had assumed that he was a serious king, and that he would not indulge in ritual travel. Alford, being Alford, should have told me about the king's secret plan as soon as possible.

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. I'm not sure if you've seen ...... that.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I'm not really a 'blooming rose princess of ice and fire' when you see me at that time.

I'm not going to lie, at first I thought it was a different person with a very similar face. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. ...... To pile up all the ice cakes you can and then get depressed when they break off at the root, you're not even a noblewoman.

I'm sure you'll agree with me.

I think the subject of ice cream is just about eating it, don't you?

The subject of ice cream is eating. Deanna felt like sulking.

"Your Majesty has a bad temper, too. If you had seen me, you could have asked me to join you.

"I was a little lost. You seemed to be enjoying yourself so much that I thought it would be a good idea to interrupt you.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who knows the Red Rose in the palace, so what kind of punishment is this? I'm still a selfish person, but I choose when and where to be selfish, you know?

Apparently so. So I thought. --I wondered if this girl was really the 'bad girl' that people say she is. At least from my point of view, you didn't seem like a bad person at that time.

...... Thank you very much for that.

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It may be a compliment, but it doesn't feel like a compliment. If you have witnessed the ice cream collapse, did you perhaps also witness the shooting stall knockdown and the rampage at the pie fight? ...... is what it means to feel uncomfortable in life.

Juke finally laughed at Deanna, who was half chilled, half pouting.

I've suspected for quite some time that you might not be who you say you are, to tell you the truth.

Is that so?

Those were unexpected words. He had found a sensible solution to the case of the ousting of the former headmistress without unnecessarily blaming Diana, but before that, at least, he had never doubted that Diana was a bad woman. The clash before the garden party was a case in point.

For me, the 'answer' was already prepared from the start, and I never questioned it in the first place. I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. ...... You don't realize that you're just taking the easy way out and you haven't been looking at yourself properly for a long time.

It is a weakness that is natural to all human beings. Don't be so self-deprecating as to think it's necessary.

"But it would have been an unforgivable mistake for a king.

Juke's smile was laced with self-mockery. She had never faced him like this before, and Diana wondered seriously how she should react.

Looking back, the discomfort was there all along. I wish I had listened to your words that first night instead of being so judgmental. I wish I had thought more carefully about what you wanted to say to me at the first night of the season. ...... If only I had looked directly at how Sonata, who had taken so much unreasonable blame on me before the garden party, still swallowed it all and fulfilled her duties. --I would have come to this conclusion much, much sooner.

"It's inevitable, Your Majesty. It's important to look back and reflect on the past, but regret does not create anything.

But I was wrong, wasn't I?

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's had it.

...... but.

I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm sure you've heard of it, but I've never heard of it.

I saw you on the streets of ....... I saw you in town, and I couldn't believe that you were a bad person, because you were laughing with joy from the bottom of your heart. If the answer is wrong and I have been doing the wrong justice all my life,......, then for the first time, I can face that possibility head on.

I felt like strangling my past self.

With such a horrible confession in a crushing voice, Deanna finally gave up worrying about it.

You see, how many times do I have to tell you?　Regretting the past is not going to help you in any way.

"But after what I said to you...

"It's over, all over.

It's done, all done. Juke looked back into Deanna's eyes as if he had heard an auditory hallucination. I'm not sure why I should be so surprised when I say ...... something so obvious.

I'm not sure what to make of it. It's all over now. Regret will not bring back the past, nor will it allow you to start over.

That's ...... true, but...

You need to be remorseful.　To be honest, I have plenty of remorse. I've been in the palace for a while now, and I've made a lot of mistakes.

"......, you too?

Yes.

I'm sure there are better ways for the Red Rose and Shayla to protect themselves. It's a good idea to take a look at the actual information on the web, as well as the information on the internet.

But that's a time that has already passed. Imagining "what ifs" of the past will not change the current situation. --Then...

If you've realized your mistake, then you have to make it a new beginning. Use the lessons learned from the past to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. Then you can make that mistake into the past that was necessary for a better future.

I'm sure there are many things that I did wrong that made things worse.

I won't deny it. I'm not denying it. It's just that it's your start.

In the first place, the very existence of the palace was Juke's mistake in not being able to control his subjects. It's not just a matter of time before you find yourself in a situation where you're not sure what you want to do. Juke is still unaware of this. --And that was his starting point.

The only thing we can do is accept it all and start from there. We can only accept it all and start from there. ...... I'm sure it's very scary.

Oh, ...... scary. From now on, I'm going to have to deal with the foolish me of the past, no matter what.

It's not like you'll be alone.

I was encouraging her, thinking that Al would be running for office with his hands up in the air, but for some reason, Juke looked back at Diana very quickly at the moment he said that.

"Are you going to help me?

"What about ......?

"I've been so horrible to you. I honestly thought you'd never forgive me.

No, I don't care that much whether you forgive me or not.

In the first place, I have never personally felt any kind of emotion for Juke, to the extent that I was moved by his every word and action. I've been keeping an eye on his words and actions because as a king, I need him to grow up.

You just said that the beginning is when you realize your mistake. You said earlier that the beginning was when you realized your mistake. ...... Can you and I make this the beginning all over again?

I'm sure you're aware of that, but this is just a friendship thing, right?

Of course. What else is there?

...... I have to warn you from the bottom of my heart that what you just said may sound like a confession of love, depending on the occasion.

You are a natural couple. Shayla often says things like, "Wait a minute, if that wasn't between two girls, that would be out of the question! I'm not sure what to make of it. I wonder what the future holds for the two of them.

As for the one who was interrupted, she stammered, blushing, "No, I didn't mean it like that. If I were to catch up with him and tell him that he needs to be careful because he looks like a man in a hurry when he is hit on the right point from the viewpoint of a girl in love, the poor King might not recover for a while.

There's no need to be in such a hurry. It's a good thing that you're not the only one.

"So ......? That's right. ...... By the way, Red Rose, I have one question for you.

"What is it?

"Do you desire the favor of my ...... King?

No, I would prefer to end this foolishness quickly and leave the palace to the right person to take the place of the Red Rose.

Juke was stunned again. ...... This time, well, I don't know.

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. Eventually, I became friends with Shayla and made friends with Raia and the others, and it became difficult to leave without seeing their happiness.

It's not that I'm not a good person, but I'm not a good person. ...... In fact, I had almost given up recently, but the night before last, I promised Kai that we would go see the town where the houses with shouji were located. In order to fulfill that promise, you have to escape from the palace and return from the Red Rose to the mere Diana, no matter what.

I think I can form a joint front with you in that regard as well, don't you?　You want Shayla to become the Red Rose if possible, don't you?

I'm sure you're right, but... I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. ...... That's too convenient for me, isn't it?　Are you sure that's what you want?

That brings me back to my original question.

For the first time, Deanna let her real smile peek out in front of Juke.

The day before yesterday, I left the carriage not because I was scared, that's for sure. I don't know if they were after the ...... Red Rose or myself, but they were after my life.

"--!　...... So it is.

Did you notice that?

The men who attacked the king's carriage were too unwilling. I've been talking to Alford about the possibility of this being a diversion.

His Majesty the King and his entourage had noticed the unnaturalness of the bandits immediately after the attack.

I'm sure you'll agree with me. When I realized that, ...... I immediately fled to the forest.

"To protect the palace guards who were there?

The situation was clearly in our favor. I was hoping that my escape would buy me a little time.

Your aim was spot on. ...... But it's too dangerous.

But for me, it was much safer than being in a carriage.

With a chuckle, Deanna revealed the best part of her story.

I was born and raised in a manor house in Crester. I was born and raised in a lord's manor in Crestor, a place where 80% of the grounds are covered in forest, and I grew up playing in the forest before I can remember.

Even though you're a noblewoman?

My father and mother didn't expect me to have common sense in such places. --That's why the forest is the place where I feel most at ease.

The sound of water pulsing through the trees, the breathing of animals, the sound of the wind blowing through the forest. The whispering of fallen leaves and the guidance of insects.

Familiar to me since childhood, they have always protected Deanna in harm's way.

"I'm a wild child at heart, you know. I'm a wild child at heart. I don't belong in the confines of a palace. Handing over the Red Rose to His Majesty's beloved and leaving the palace is more like a blessing than a curse.

"If you're that kind of girl... You can certainly think of it that way ......?

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It's a great comfort to know that you, the Red Rose, are on our side. ...... I'm so sorry for everything.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea. ...... Could it be that this is what he wanted to do today? He has a very clumsy personality.

I'm not worried about it, as I said before. As I said before, I don't mind. I'm very relieved that you understand.

Could things possibly turn around from here?

--Diana's heart fluttered with the faintest hope.

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