The kitten suddenly climbed into Mariabelle's lap, its eyes widened as if it was surprising to find itself in the lap of a stranger.
Its slightly longer orange fur fluffed out in a blur.
Mariabelle gently stroked her throat while speaking softly so as not to startle her.
Eventually, the kitten began to purr.
Then, it crept around, looking for a comfortable place on Mariabelle's lap, and curled up.
"Well, that's unusual. Melty doesn't really interact with people."
"Is that so?"
Cats are inherently fickle, and some don't easily get close to their owners.
Even if they do, they only come to your side when they want your attention, so it is very rare for a cat to be attracted to someone they have never met before.
"I guess he likes you, Mariabelle."
Therese, who had taken her seat again, smiled at Mariabelle.
"By the way, if you haven't read 'Smile of the Rose' yet, shall I lend it to you for a while?"
"Is that okay?"
'Smile of a Rose' is the latest novel by Viviana Rossa, a very popular romance author in the Empire.
It has not yet been released in the kingdom, so Mariabelle was eager to read it.
"Yes. I thought you and your father were going to stay here a little longer, but it seems you have to leave right away."
It is true that if they are to have their engagement ceremony in the imperial capital in ten days, they will have to leave the day after tomorrow at the latest.
"Certainly it would be better to make the engagement official as soon as possible, and... I see that Mariabelle is very much loved by His Highness."
At Therese's words, Mariabelle's face turned bright red.
But she suddenly dropped her gaze to the kitten on her lap.
What does His Highness like about me...?
It hasn't been that long since she met Renato.
"I don't know why he thinks so much of me, and I'm worried."
After all, Mariabelle had her engagement broken off by Edward, who had supported her as her fiancée for a long time.
She was aiming to be a perfect lady, but what went wrong?
I know that he cares for me very much... But the more I get to know him, the more I can't help but feel that I'm out of proportion.
Until then, as the crown prince's fiancée, Mariabelle had always disciplined herself.
However, Annette's carefree smile was more valuable than Mariabelle's efforts.
So I don't know what Renato thinks is good about me.
"I think you'll have to ask His Highness directly to find out... I'm sure it's just a little thing that makes you fall in love with someone."
"Is that so...?"
"I fell in love with my husband for the most trivial of reasons."
"May I ask you what the trigger was...?"
"It's not that big of a deal," she said.
After that, Therese began to tell the story of her relationship with her husband Daniel.