"Just kidding, it was only a joke."
After flashing plenty of underwear and knocking Rest completely off-balance, Celestine flashed a mischievous smile.
In short... this had apparently been a practical joke aimed at Rest.
The reason the two maids had dragged him so forcefully into the depths of the mansion was deliberately to show him Celestine's changing scene.
"No... I saw you changing, you know? This isn't something that can just be brushed off as a joke!"
Rest pinched the bridge of his nose and somehow managed to squeeze out those words.
(At least it wasn't right after I ate the dragon liver... I definitely would have had a nosebleed...)
"Why would you pull a prank like this? It doesn't seem like you..."
No... maybe that wasn't entirely true.
Celestine had once barged in on Rest while he was bathing before.
Despite being such an exalted young lady — or perhaps precisely because of that — she had a strangely bold streak in her.
"You will be my husband someday. There's nothing wrong with seeing me in my underwear."
Celestine said this without the slightest embarrassment, perfectly composed.
"Besides... I wanted to be a little mean to you. You haven't come to visit me at all, Rest."
"Visit..."
"You spend far less time with me than you do with Viola, Primula, and Yuri, doesn't it? So I thought a little payback was in order."
"That's..."
There was nothing he could say about that, really.
He lived together with the Rosemary sisters, and Yuri had run away from home and was staying as a houseguest.
Rest was engaged in frontier development, so it was only natural that he couldn't meet with Celestine, who was based primarily in the royal capital.
"Of course, I understand your circumstances, Rest. Still… couldn't you at least do something as a fiancé, such as sending letters or gifts?"
"Ugh…"
"Oh, I'm not pressuring you. I do understand that you're still getting used to the lifestyle and manners expected of a noble. That's why this is just a little game."
"…I'm sorry."
Rest let his shoulders slump as he apologized.
Celestine showed no sign of being angry whatsoever.
If anything, this was her way of teasing precisely because she understood all the reasons Rest had been so busy.
He should consider her magnanimous as a bodhisattva for letting this slip—his failure to observe the basic courtesies required of a fiancé over something as minor as this.
"Well then… let's put the joking aside and move on to the real matter, shall we?"
Celestine, now changed into a violet dress, seated herself in her chair with graceful poise and tilted her slender neck.
With nothing more than a look, she gestured for him to sit in the chair across the table from her.
As soon as Rest sat down, a maid promptly set down a cup of tea and a plate of sweets.
"First, allow me to thank you. Sending something as rare as wyvern meat is truly generous of you."
"You're… very welcome."
"This came from the Southern Mountain Range, didn't it? Traveling all the way out there at this time of year—could it be that the Clover household is planning to hold a party?"
"That's… correct. Spot on, as always."
"Ah, so I was right. You went to hunt wyverns for the main course. Dragon meat is a symbol of 'longevity,' and flying monsters represent 'soaring upward,' making them auspicious signs of a family's prosperity. They're perfect for a noble's party. Which means your visit here must also be connected to that… Could it be you've come to inquire about the availability of alcohol?"
"…………"
She had hit the nail on the head.
He had been hit squarely, perfectly, in the very center of the bullseye.
There was no need for any explanation — she had guessed his purpose exactly, and Rest was struck speechless.
"Just from that look on your face, I can tell my answer was correct."
"Ah… a perfect hundred. No complaints here…"
"I am relieved to hear that. I would have been mortified if I had been wide of the mark."
Celestine watched Rest's astonished expression with an amused smile.
Was it possible that the teasing was still going on? He was being completely outmaneuvered, left grasping at nothing.
"If you already know, then this will be simple… Do you happen to know of any good wine suitable for the party?"
"Actually, there was something I wanted to report to you, Rest. It just so happens to be about wine."
Celestine lifted her teacup from her calm expression, and lightly pressed her lips to the rim.
In an elegant, picture-perfect gesture, she took a sip of tea before setting the cup down without a sound.
"The Sanada Shoko — production of the distilled spirits the queen dowager had been working on in the fishing village has finally borne fruit. She succeeded in developing a new variety of alcohol, and I had been meaning to invite you for a tasting."
"A new variety… from that village?"
It was the village where the queen dowager had spent her final years.
There, she had built a distillery with her own funds under the name Sanada Shoko.
It was still supposed to be in the early stages of development and nowhere near ready for sale, but it seemed that after Rest had claimed the domain and left its affairs in Celestine's hands, things had taken shape.
"A new variety of wine would be perfect for a party celebrating the beginning of the Clover household, a newly elevated count's family. If you are willing, might we go to the village together?"
It was an offer too good to refuse.
Without a moment's hesitation, Rest accepted Celestine's proposal.