‘Oh no, I've done it again.'

It was a calm autumn afternoon, so calm, it induced sleepiness.

A pretty girl sat with a needle and thread began to distort her face as though she wanted to cry.

‘Why can't I do it?'

‘Princess Rosemary, what's wrong?' Iris asked.

Rosemary, who was sitting across from Iris, lifted her gaze and wailed, ‘Help me Iris, I can't pass the thread through the eye of the needle.'

‘I'm so clumsy; the thread is so frayed…'

‘It's alright, Rosemary.' Iris said gently,
‘Don't worry about it, everyone had days like this.'

‘You as well, Iris?'

‘Yes, quite often.' Iris said with a small smile. She put aside her knitting and rose to sit next to Rosemary.

‘Would you like me to help you today?'

‘Yes, please.' Rosemary said dolefully as she handed Iris her needle and thread, her brown eyes were filled with tears.

Iris gave her a conciliatory smile, and helped the cute younger lady to thread her needle.

‘That's amazing…' Rosemary, the fifth Princess of Berghausen, exclaimed joyously when she received the threaded needle from Iris.

‘Thank you, Iris.' She beamed

‘You're very welcome.' Looking at her carefree smile, Iris returned the smile.
Rosemary seemed to have become completely attached to her.

While watching the adorable Princess poke the needle through the handkerchief, Iris recalled the past two weeks.

She had inadvertently given the King a love potion, he made love to her right after, and the morning after she signed a marriage contract.

Actually, it was more like she had been compelled to sign.

“If you sign the contract, I won't tell anyone about your habit of using sweets to calm yourself.”

The pretty pink sweets in the pretty vial were by no means harmless, they were a powerful love potion; more harmful than poison. But Ernest seemed to enjoy teasing Iris by trying to eat the sweets and watching her try and keep him from doing so.

“Very well, may I have my bottle back?”

“No, I rather like these sweets so it is impossible.”

He was a tyrant!

Iris was annoyed and she almost forgot where she was, and was about to chastise him. But then she realised, to Ernest, it was just sweets. The appearance of a Lady clinging to a bottle of sweets like a lifeline would increase the chances of the sweets being sought out.

For her, for the Reinfeldt line, the only thing to do was so sign the contract.

“Lady Iris, you'll be living in the royal palace while the wedding preparations are being done.” The Prime Minister said as she finished signing the contract.

Naturally, she refused; even more important than her lace work tools, an unmarried Lady could not stay in the Palace, leaving her family before she was married. But Iris was eventually convinced by the three men, so she accepted it.

The following day, an air of celebration filled the palace. Even though, they were only engaged, she was treated like she was married to Ernest already.

Above all was Matthias, her brother-in-law,

‘It would be nice if you got pregnant before you get married.' He said. The anger and resentment that sprang up within her at that moment, Iris would never forget.

How did it all get so complicated?

Even though, she was bothered by it all and she had mixed feelings, the past two weeks had been more peaceful than she had ever imagined.

Although, she had to study and be trained for her new position, and had also helped Ernest with a few public affairs, she had time to do her lace work as well. Like today, she was working on her lace, while helping the young Princess with her embroidery.

Back home, she had spent everyday in one argument or the other with Leticia. It all now felt like a dream, almost enough to forget the sin she had committed.

‘...so next put the needle through here.'

Rosemary sewed into the handkerchief mounted on the embroidery square carefully.

Iris returned to her seat to continue with her own work. When she reached for her lace, she let out a long sigh; her hand got a squeeze by a delicate hand,

‘Sister in law, are you alright?' Rosemary asked.

These past two weeks, Rosemary had insistently regarded Iris as her sister in law. Iris had somehow become used to it.

‘Yes, I'm fine…just tired.'

The reason was Ernest.

Ernest came to her every night. Ernest, who had a high physical strength because he trained as a knight, was fine in the morning. But delicate Iris was sleepy during the day because of this. But Iris could not tell adorable Rosemary the true reason of her tiredness. Iris' shoulders drooped and Rosemary shook her head,

‘It's alright; I know my brother had been pestering you.'

The innocent Princess was unexpectedly astute. She seemed to have noticed Iris' inner conflict for she added,

‘But please Iris, don't leave my brother.'

‘Rosemary…'

‘Ernest has never been in a relationship with anyone until you.'
What expression should she have on her face in light of this comment by Rosemary?