The preparations for the garden party were proceeding smoothly. In the first week or so, there were not many rumors, probably because of the confusion of information and the confusion of the whole palace, but after that, there seemed to be some kind of progress every day, and the ladies and maids were always busy. As a result, the confusion seems to have gradually calmed down.

I feel a chill in my heart just thinking about the time since the rumor spread that His Majesty had gone to Master Peony. To be honest, the incident at the Red Rose Salon was quite traumatic for Shayla.
Suddenly, she was barged into a room, forcibly taken out, and found herself in the Red Rose Salon. She found herself in the Red Rose salon.

And then...

"No need to thank me or apologize. I just did what I wanted to do.
I'm the one who said 'no'. Do you know what ...... means?

--The words of the cold-hearted Master Red Rose.

Her words seemed natural. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. And yet, Shayla allowed a rumor to circulate that would have been detrimental to the Red Rose.
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She was consoled later by a fellow chambermaid who was a good friend of hers. I thought that I had no choice but to say that in order to return myself and settle the situation.
That may have been true. But Shayla couldn't shake the feeling that the Red Rose hated her. I don't know why that's so hard for me.

For a while, Shayla was so depressed that she didn't go out at all, except for the early morning feedings, and spent her time in seclusion. Even if someone came to visit her, she would never open the door.

That was the time. It was during this time, when I was feeding the birds, the only time that I could relax, that Juke came charging in.

After visiting the peonies, water lilies, bellflowers and violets, Juke knocked on the door of Shayla's room again, but Shayla was too afraid to listen to him. In short, she was desperate enough to accept the death penalty for disrespect.

--Of course, that was not the only reason why I avoided him.

The reason why he went around to the Famous Ones was to see how they were doing, to resolve any grievances they had, and to lessen the pressure on you. I never meant to belittle you. Do you understand me?
I'm not sure if I understand or not, but ...... I knew from the beginning that your feelings were just a passing fancy, and that you would never be moved by a nothing girl like me.
No, Shayla, that's a misunderstanding!　My heart has been with Shayla from the very beginning, from the very first day we met. That's for sure, trust me!
"...... I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I'm just not that strong.

When I heard that Juke had gone to Peony, I was surprisingly upset myself. After that, the rumors about the famous people and Juke continued. Every time I heard about it, my heart shook and I could not remain calm.
That day, I realized how I felt. Shayla wanted to keep it under wraps for now. She didn't want to understand why her heart ached. If she realized it, if she accepted it, it would completely destroy the "Shayla" she had become.

So I ran away. Not from Juke, not from my own feelings.

I hate myself for being so weak. I should have gotten used to being abused, hated, even mourned a long time ago.

--The reason I still wanted to stay in the palace was because of what someone said to me.

"No matter what happens, no matter what happens, even if the whole world turns against you. I'm on your side, Shayla. Please don't forget that.

I don't know your face or your real name, but there is only one person who has ever forgiven Shayla for being weak. She always encouraged me that it was okay to be any kind of woman, that I didn't have to kill my heart to be obedient.
In her presence, Shayla was able to relax. She laughed, she cried, she got angry. Just like a normal girl. --And then she said to me. And she told me that she liked me.

I was able to say what I wanted to say in the salon of the Red Rose, even though I was shaking.
And that I didn't cry out in front of the Red Rose.
The fact that she was able to talk to Juke in a surprisingly calm manner.

It was all thanks to the presence of Dee in Shayla's heart. The words "I love you" and "I'm on your side" always supported Shayla when she felt like retreating.

--I'm not alone. So even though she may feel down about her pathetic self, she doesn't throw everything away because of it.

That was Shayla's decision after much deliberation.





But...

(...... still not coming today)

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(If that's the case, I can't help it. But I still miss her.

All right, Shayla thought to herself as she walked away from the scene.

Since the invitation to the garden party arrived, each of the ladies in the entourage has been busy preparing for the event, buying new dresses and decorations. Of course, not all of them are like that, and some of them, like Shayla, have too much time on their hands. They all have their own ways to pass the time, but Shayla has been focusing on "looking for Dee" lately. If the other side is busy, I'll go and see her myself, is the simple conclusion.
Of course, without knowing Dee's form or real name, the chances of Shayla being able to find her in reality are slim, but that's not the point. If you're doing something, it will take your mind off your loneliness and you won't have to think about anything else. In short, it's just a way to kill time.



Shayla wanders around in her modest dress without a maid, and most people ignore her. Occasionally, one of the maids who remembered Shayla's face would be surprised and kindly advise her not to go there, saying, "You'd better not go there. With fifty men, the treatment of a lady-in-waiting would be like this.

We walked along at random and came to a deserted place again. I've never been in this area before, and I don't know where I'm going.
I look around ...... to see if anyone is around. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark blue dress (a maidservant's dress), and I walked towards it. I peeked around the corner and saw that it was a dead end, with a single maid. She was crouched down with her back to me.

She was about to open her mouth to ask for directions when something caught her attention. --The maid's hair looked familiar. That neatly curled brown hair.

"......, Dee?

For the first time in her life, Shayla saw a person dexterously jump up from a crouch. She knew from her reaction that her instincts had been right.

"Dee, is that you?
Shayla?　What are you doing here?

Unusually, Dee seemed to be upset. It was a new side to her always calm and collected demeanor.
Dee was curled up in a pitiful ball with her face buried in her lap. She didn't want me to see her face, something she had said many times since we first met. Shayla pulled back quickly.

I won't stick my head out of the corner. It's okay.
I'm sorry about .......
"Why are you apologizing?　Don't worry about it.

I hear Dee stand up, rustling. But there was no more sound. Shayla tilted her head.

"What's wrong?
No, I'm ...... surprised. I'm surprised to see Shayla here.
I was surprised too. I thought maybe I'd called her and hit the jackpot.

I couldn't help but laugh. I was just killing time, but I never thought I'd actually meet her.

"How did you know it was me?
Because you have the same hair.
...... Is that all?
Yeah, that's it. That's almost a guess.

It had been a long time since they had seen each other, and Shayla was naturally in a good mood.
Dee, on the other hand, was a little more reserved.

"Dee?
...... I'm glad to see you're doing so well. I've heard so much about you, but I didn't get a chance to see you.
"About?
............ about you and the Red Rose.

The tone of Dee's voice suddenly dropped. Maybe she's angry, maybe she's concerned, but either way, she doesn't have good feelings.
Noticing that she seemed to have fallen, Shayla levitated in the opposite direction.

It's true that it was hard right after the collision, and it's sad that the Red Rose hates you. But you don't have to worry about that.
It's the Red Rose's fault, why did you kick Shayla out, why didn't you just kick them out?
Hey, Dee?　Relax, I'll be fine.
"Shayla puts up with you like that again!

It was rare, really, for Dee to get this worked up.
For some reason, Shayla was smiling.

"Thanks for the ......, Dee. But I'm really not as bad as I thought I was.
"Shayla...
"Because I have Dee.

Dee fell silent as if caught off guard. Giggling, Shayla continued.

I've been feeling a lot of depression lately because of my weakness and cunning. But with Dee here, I feel okay.
"...... Oh no. I don't...
I don't. Dee always gives me courage and strength.

That's for sure. I can say that with confidence. I don't know what Shayla would be doing right now if she hadn't met Dee.
Dee was silent for a moment. Eventually, a strangely calm voice came back.

Shayla is strong and brave enough. But I'm glad I'm here to help you realize that.

I can hear it in your voice. Dee is not going to have any more conversations about this.


Shayla tried to change the subject.

"...... That's right, Dee. What are you doing here?
I wish I could say the same thing back, but ...... I've just been working on a few things that someone asked me to do for the garden party.
I knew it.

The reason Dee had suddenly disappeared was the garden party.

What happened?
No, it was nothing. So, what's Dee been up to?
Well, I've already done most of it. Well, I've already done most of it, but I've been thinking about how to make the fall flowers a little less spectacular than the spring flowers, and how to make the whole thing a little more exciting.
"Oh, ......, that's right.

It is true that most autumn flowers are rather plain. They are beautiful when you look at them up close, but if you just plant them in your garden, they may be lonely. It is a pity that there is not much to see even if we hold a garden party.

The flowers that bloom on the trees are almost past their prime. ......" I thought vaguely, and then it hit me.

"Hey, do you have any trees planted?
"What?　Yes, of course. No flowers, though.

That's a good thing.

Hey, how about this?

Of course, Shayla had no idea at the time that her casual idea would be so well received.

--The garden party is coming.