Suddenly Albert who was wiping his tears with a handkerchief from the corner came into his eyes. "Albert, you're really old. Why do you cry every now and then?"

"No, Your Highness. I'm so thrilled today…"

Even before Albert's words were finished, a chime rang through the room to announce there was a visitor. A moment later, a familiar voice hit Killian's ear as the sound of greeting guests came through the open door.

"Is this the costume shop where Princess Kiellini ordered her clothes?"

"Well, it's Lady Anais. She is so fast," Oswald whispered low as he returned to Killian's side after he looked around the cafe.

The day before, he went in and out of to generate gossip on purpose, but now that he had changed all his plans, Killian grimaced. What was worse, it was none other than Lady Anais.

"I will be bothered."

Whether Oswald was grumpy or not, Killian's eyes were turned to the right by the annoyance from his heart. He looked at Sophie, who had been standing by to serve them since the morning.

"You, what's your name?"

Sophie answered, trembling in fear, when the n.o.ble Prince asked her name. "This is Sophie, Your Highness."

"Sophie. I wonder, what's the annex back there doing?" Killian said, pointing to the building across the garden from the window.

Sophie replied, almost stuttering, and embarra.s.sed by the Prince's words, "Well, you mean the annex back there? That's our dorm."

"Really? I'd like to be invited to your quarters right now. Can you invite me?"

Sophie replied in bewilderment at the order of the Prince. "Invitation, Your Highness? How dare I do such a thing. Do as you please."

Killian sprang up at Sophie's answer.

"I'm touched by your loyal answer. I'll accept your invitation. Albert, take the carriage and go to Harrods Street. You'll just say I've been at Bertino mansion since this morning. I'll be right there when I'm done here. I think it's okay to stay there for a while."

Albert groaned at Killian's command. "You don't have to stay at the Bertino mansion. Starting tomorrow, the capital will be in a big fuss about who your new woman is."

"That's what I am aiming for, Albert. For the time being, I have to look like I'm not interested in Princess Kiellini."

With the arrogant response, Killian ignored Albert's complaint from behind of not understanding, and left via the terrace, which was connected with the garden.

"Your Highness, please go out through the door..." Albert murmured to himself as he watched Killian striding coldly away. "No, maybe he'd rather go out through the terrace than the door that the maids go in and out of. But he has to change his habit of going out through the terrace."

Albert shook his head at the deep dilemma, then opened the door leading to the coach house and left.

Sophie suddenly came to her senses, looking at Albert and feeling sorry for him. As she looked around to catch up with the Prince as if it were not time for her to do this, she laughed in embarra.s.sment. The Prince and his party had disappeared from her view and she could not even see their backs, and along with them, the tea cups and snacks had disappeared too.

Sophie muttered as she looked inside the small cafe, "No, why did he take the empty teacup so hard? Is he asking for more tea?"

Sophie tilted her head and went to the kitchen to take out tea leaves and bread she had bought in the morning, and hurried across to the annex. Sophie had taken charge of the Prince's party instead of the blunt Amelie, and sighed deeply, thinking of the tasks she still had to finish today.

-------------

As soon as the chime sounded, Julietta stopped in place, still carrying her business plan.

"I don't know why we've been so busy since this morning. Julie, I think you'd better go to the annex for a while. If it is known you are here while the Prince is here, some strange rumors will be spread and you will be in trouble."

Fortunately, Gibson had dropped Julietta off and returned to the mansion of Duke Kiellini to run an errand for Mrs. Marquis, so there was no visible wagon from the family of the Duke. Surely the carriage of the Prince and his companions would be waiting in line at the coach house of the shop, but nothing good could happen if it were known she was here.

Julietta said agreed and headed to the terrace to go to the annex, while Amelie went out of the studio.

"Is this the costume shop where Princess Kiellini got her clothes?"

Hearing a voice that she seemed to have heard somewhere before, Julietta tilted her head and walked out of the terrace and across the garden.

The size and atmosphere of the annex were very different from that of the main house. When she entered the front door, she could see a small living room on the right side, like a modern house, and if she turned to the left, she could see the dining room right away.

Entering the hall, Julietta opened her mouth in embarra.s.sment at the scene that seemed to repeat what she had been through as soon as she arrived at work.

"Your Highness, why the h.e.l.l are you here?"