* * *

Due to the rushed schedule, there weren’t too many people gathered in front of the hospital. However, it wasn’t empty either.

Suddenly, a pedestal had been erected in front of the building, and people were coming and going, piquing the curiosity of many passersby.

Since Luna had arrived a little earlier than the start of the event, she briefly looked around the hospital and chatted with several people. Despite Laura’s earlier sarcastic remark about opening too soon, the hospital had been quite well-prepared.

As she left the hospital with Laura exclaiming that it was more like a hospital than expected, Rosemary, who had just arrived, welcomed Luna.

“Lady Luna!”

It had been almost three weeks since Luna had seen her after their meal at the Marquis’s estate. Rosemary, who was almost on the verge of tears, approached Luna and firmly grabbed her hand.

“I really missed you!”

Luna had also felt empty without Rosemary’s presence during this time.

Despite her busy schedule, she had occasionally wondered if Rosemary was doing well, so Luna held her hand and smiled brightly.

“I missed you too. How have you been?”

“Not good at all! I heard that you went to the countryside, and I couldn’t stand it.”

Rosemary spoke restlessly, like a puppy that has found its lost owner again.

Although she had heard that Luna went to the countryside, she had gone to the mansion twice more out of concern, just in case.

It was cute too. The Marquis and Marchioness appeared behind her. They made eye contact with Luna and greeted her politely.

After hearing the entire situation from Antes, Luna greeted them with complicated feelings.

Although they were parents who did something wrong to their children, they were also the only family members, so she hoped that things would work out for them someday.

“Huh? Brother, what’s that necklace?”

In the meantime, Rosemary noticed Antes’ necklace and furrowed her brows as she asked.

It was because there was a flower ring that didn’t suit a nobleman , nor did it go with Antes, swaying near his chest. It was so unpleasant that it made her scalp crawl.

“What?”

When she asked, she received a nonchalant response.

Seeing that he didn’t want to explain it to her, Luna, who was feeling awkward, smiled and explained it to Rosemary instead.

“It’s a ring I bought at a market when we went to inspect the mine and stopped by a night market. Looks like he liked it. He’s been wearing it ever since.”

“…Yes? A night market?”

It was already surprising that they had bought something at a night market, but Rosemary couldn’t comprehend why he was still wearing it around his neck. To her, it was a very simple and unremarkable ring.

Laura, feeling itchy about it, rolled up her sleeves and approached. Although it was a bit cheeky, she couldn’t resist showing off the ring that Luna and Antes had designed together.

“Miss Rosemary, do you know what this ring is?”

Upon hearing a brief explanation that Luna and Antes had brought matched rings together at the night market, Rosemary, with no pretense, opened her mouth wide.

No, so you’re saying that that crappy ring is a symbol of love?

She felt so jealous that she wanted to snatch it away and put it on her own hand, but Rosemary restrained herself and kept her mouth shut.

Now wasn’t the time for that. Jealousy would have to wait until they were legally separated.

‘Get married, really. You’ll have to play together all the time and never see Luna again.’

While Rosemary was imagining an unexpected future and burning with jealousy, a splendid carriage bearing the imperial seal arrived in front of the hospital.

“It’s been a while.”

The person who got off the carriage unexpectedly turned out to be Crown Prince Callion.

As soon as he appeared, everyone around respectfully bowed their heads. Except for two people.

“Why is your face like that when dealing with royalty?”

Antes, who already had such an attitude to begin with, greeted Callion with a displeased expression, and even Luna welcomed him with an unfavorable look.

If he had maintained his demeanor, this reaction wouldn’t have occurred, but Luna couldn’t welcome him warmly after seeing his childish behavior.

“If you don’t like it, just leave.”

Antes was clearly in a good mood when he put the necklace on Luna at the mansion, but he started to get upset at the uninvited guests like the Marquis and the Crown Prince.

Even though it was a good day, the atmosphere was a mess because many people who shouldn’t have met were meeting, so Luna hurried to interfere.

“What brings you here?”

Of course, this didn’t mean that Luna was welcoming Callion either. It was too troublesome and tiring to be courteous, so it was better to just pretend he wasn’t there.

With a cheerful smile, Callion, who had just met the two of them with clearly shown signs of disapproval, answered.

“Father was going to come, but he’s extremely busy, so I came instead. You already knew from the gold mining incident, but I’m very interested in business for the empire. Besides…”

After pausing for a moment, Callion winked at Luna.

“It’s more fun to have someone to chat with, so I couldn’t help but come.”

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, leave.”

Naturally, Antes blocked Luna’s path, and Luna suppressed the urge to vomit. Despite their similar appearance, the difference in their etiquette made her feel this repulsed.

Perhaps Callion was enjoying Luna and Antes’s extreme reactions, or maybe he didn’t know how to hide his amusement, but he responded cheerfully.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, the heir of Marquis Vincent?”

“Oh, it’s been a while, Your Highness the Crown Prince. But did you know about this? Brother and Luna have matched rings!”

Suddenly? Callion couldn’t hide his confusion at Rosemary’s sudden comment. Even if she was known for spouting nonsense, there was no room for Rosemary’s nexpected behavior.

Luna, too, was wondering what she was talking about and poked Rosemary’s arm with her finger.

Rosemary said that it was time to start and dragged Luna away from Callion.

“Rosemary, what’s wrong?”

“Yes, yes? What are you talking about?”

“No, you suddenly started talking nonsense.”

It hadn’t been just for a day or two that Rosemary had been saying nonsense, but today it was worse.

“Me?”

She tried to keep her composure, but she couldn’t completely suppress her tense expression.

There seemed to be some reason for it, a reason she couldn’t understand as herself. Luna, who had casually accepted it without questioning further, took her seat.

“Oh…”

Unfortunately, that seat happened to be next to Callion.

As a member of the imperial family, he naturally occupied the most prominent seat, and it was only fitting that Luna, who was at the center of the business, sat next to him.

They had openly thrown her off balance once, and now she was back in the adjacent seat! Rosemary’s expression hardened at this unexpected turn of events.

Unaware of the urgent situation, Antes silently took a seat next to Luna. Rosemary, caught in this uncomfortable love triangle, absentmindedly began to twist her hair, feeling frustrated.

Rosemary’s inexplicable behavior, caught in a swamp of misunderstandings, made Callion, who had briefly paid attention, burst into laughter.

He then stepped up to the podium, a serious expression on his face, and thanked Luna for her initiative.

“…I hope that the good deeds done by Lady Peils will serve as an example for other nobles, and the imperial family also promises not to spare any support for the free hospital.”

Audiences, who had not received any promotion for the hospital and were hearing about its founding purpose through the Crown Prince’s speech, began to question its validity.

Even passersby who happened to overhear stopped in their tracks, their eyes widening in disbelief.

After concluding his speech, the Crown Prince stepped down from the podium, and it was Luna’s turn next.

Luna, holding her prepared speech firmly in her hand, approached the podium amidst the applause and cheers of the Marquis family and Antes.

“I am Luna Peils, responsible for the establishment of the hospital.”

With a deep bow, she mentioned her mother’s suffering and explained the purpose behind the free hospital.

“I hope it becomes a place where anyone can receive medical treatment and medication for free. I will cover all the expenses.”

Treating illnesses for free? Did that even make sense?

After Luna repeated unbelievable words following the Crown Prince, a considerable crowd gathered in front of the hospital, enveloping the area in silence.

“For those who have difficulty moving, we will dispatch medical staff. We will prioritize treating those with serious conditions.”

Listening closely, a woman who had been contemplating her ailing neighbor, who had been begging for money for her mother’s medicine for years, swallowed hard.

Her recently turned adult daughter had been purchasing medicine in bulk, leaving only a message asking for her mother’s prescription. Despite disappearing for quite some time now, she felt that a free hospital would be helpful to her long-suffering neighbor.