With her eyes closed, Charelize was listening to everything Arensis said. However, she continued pretending to sleep, not knowing what to answer. He said thank you for saving his life, but it was somehow awkward to hear that from Arensis.
Then, Charelize gradually felt her drowsiness come. Her whole body became tired. She wasn’t drunk like last time. Strangely enough, being next to Arensis made her relaxed. When she realized that fact, she didn’t feel bad. It was nice for her to be honest.
It was fortunate that she had someone to show her true feelings to. Just like her mother said, she met someone who loved her unconditionally just like that. This time, she didn’t even deceive herself to be loved.
Charelize enjoyed a peaceful night that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was simply a day when she wanted to be like that.
* * *
Charelize, who was tossing and turning slightly, slowly opened her eyes as she felt empty space. It was early in the morning. Rubbing the place where Arensis laid before, it was still warm. Feeling the warmth still there, it looked like he had just left.
She went to the room where he was staying to have a light meal with him. “Your Royal Highness, are you… there?”
“…”
She raised her hand and knocked it several times, but there was no answer. “Your Royal Highness?”
Wanting to know what was going on, she hurriedly opened the door. There was no Arensis. The room was also tidy, so she walked inside.
On the bedside table, there was a picture she had already seen. She lifted the frame and saw her figure smiling innocently. Even though it was the same picture she had seen in the bedroom taken by Lili, the flower field seemed quite different. This time, the flowers seemed to be full of color.
“Your Highness, you’re already up. It rained early in the morning, so the air is fresh.”
It was strange. Charelize was looking at the picture for a while when Hailey, who was passing by, came in and greeted her.
“Do you know where His Royal Highness has gone?”
“I don’t know because I haven’t heard anything else. Is there something wrong?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Your Highness, wi-window…”
“Hailey? What’s wrong?”
She was forced to leave the room when Hailey said she didn’t know his whereabouts, but Hailey pointed to the window with a surprised expression. Puzzled, she turned her gaze to the same spot and saw an eagle flapping its wings and pecking at the window with its beak.
“Shishi…?”
As soon as she opened the window, Shishi, who saw on the window sill, held out the letter it was holding in its mouth.
[Dear Lize, I got an urgent letter from Sister Casilla last night, saying that His Majesty Father is in a dangerous situation. So, I think I will have to go back to the Peschte Empire for a few days. Ah, the way you sleep is pretty. I wanted to see you until morning, but it was a pity I had to go. But aren’t you too much to listen to me while pretending to be asleep? But… It’s okay because you didn’t cry while pretending to be asleep. See you later.
—Aren.]
When she was hurt because of Lili, coincidentally it overlapped with the time when he, with all his courtesy, sent her a letter and medicine. Without realizing it, a smile escaped from her.
At that moment, she heard the sound of wind blowing somewhere and turned her head to find Shishi making a strange expression. It covered its beak with one of its wings as if smiling. Shishi looked at Charelize, who hardened her face, and it immediately suppressed its laugh. Still, its leaked little by little.
“Letter, the content… You know what it means, don’t you?
Shishi shook its head as if it was falsely accused. It turned so hard that a few feathers fell from its body. As Charelize gazed intently at it, it averted its gaze and even looked away.
“Maybe it’s right.”
“What Your Highness mean?”
“You told me last time. This eagle, it seems to understand what I’m saying.”
At that time, she only took Hailey’s words lightly, but upon seeing it, it carried out credibility. She asked Hailey to bring various types of raw meat to verify.
“I understand, Your Highness.”
“Ah, and… There is an alphabet abacus that I wrote while learning the letters when I was young. Do you know where it is?”
“Are you talking about the wooden one? It’s been a long time, but I think I can find it if you’re searching for it.”
“Then bring me that too.”
Thanks to Hailey’s quick movements, a box of raw meat and an alphabet abacus were placed in front of Shishi. Seeing the raw meat, Shishi jumped down from the window sill, looked excited.
“Do you want to eat?”
“Screech!”
Shishi’s mouth was salivating. Its eyes twinkled as it looked at the raw meat.
“I don’t know what you’d like, so I prepared the bones too. I hope you like it.”
“Screech, screech!”
Charelize stopped Shishi from rushing into a bowl of raw meat. Shishi then looked anxiously at the bowl in her hand.
“Scre…ech?”
“What do you want to eat first… can you tell me by using this?”
Shishi, who wanted to put raw meat in its mouth right now, lifted its foot and moved the alphabet abacus without hesitation.
[Both.]
“What can you do for me if I give you this?”
[Deliver. Letter. To. Master.]
Shishi, who wasn’t even taken aback, moved the alphabet abacus again to convey its thoughts. Considering that it knew how to negotiate, it seemed to be very smart. Charelize was satisfied with its response, which was better than most vassals.
“I don’t know if you still remember where Ezela is.”
This time, instead of using the alphabet abacus, it nodded. Seeing that, Charelize patted Shishi on the head. Shishi stamped its feet as if this wasn’t what it wanted.
Charelize brought a letter from her bedroom that she had previously written for Ezela. “It’ll be complicated for His Royal Highness to deliver this letter, so deliver this to Ezela. You can eat these after doing that.”
As soon as it heard that, Shishi lifted one of its feet and scratched the feather on its chest, roughly putting together the alphabet abacus.
[Employer. Is. Wicked. Just. Like. Master.]
After thinking for a long time, Shishi left with a letter Charelize was handed to it in its mouth. Shishi’s eyes, which glanced briefly at her, were full of tears.
Charelize, who sent Shishi, met Royal Princess Veloche to protect the deal she made with Harbert IV.
“With the order of His Majesty, I will teach the Royal Princess about Political Science. I will do my best, so please take good care of me.”
“Welcome, little Duchess. I’ve heard from His Majesty Father.”
When Charelize gave her a formal greeting, Royal Princess Veloche sent all her servants who were with her.
“…I’ve been looking carefully since earlier, but that maid was nowhere to be seen. Where has she gone?” asked Charelize as she didn’t seem to see the maid who was rude to her when Royal Princess Veloche brought wine to the duchy.
“Ah. Sera went to the temple. I told her to get my mother’s letter.”
“I see.”
“It will probably take a while.”
Royal Princess Veloche smiled leisurely with one corner of her mouth up. It was quite surprising that she could understand the meaning behind Charelize’s question of whether the eyes and ears of Harbert IV were there.
“It’s not that Your Royal Highness doesn’t know the virtues of the monarch, which is the basis of monarchy and political science, but I think you just haven’t learned it.”
“… That’s right.”
“When His Majesty ask, you must give the proper answer… I think you should memorize at least this much.”
“This… all?”
Charelize handed the four books she had brought to Royal Princess Veloche. “Is there a problem?”
“The amount is a bit too much.”
After picking up one of the books, Royal Princess Veloche turned over the pages and put on a puzzled expression.
“A lot has been reduced by my standards.”
“…Excuse me, little Duchess… When did you finish it?”
“My first reading was when I was nine years old, and I finished it all in six months. After that, I read the military studies of Tobe and I remember it was interesting. I’ll bring it next time.”
“…Yes, thank you.”
Royal Princess Veloche’s face suddenly darkened. Unable to understand why, Charelize held out the paper she had written in advance out of her arms.
[In the near future, I’ll gradually hint that my health is not in good condition. Although I didn’t show any signs of illness when meeting the emperor, you can mention that my complexion seemed dark and that I stumbled and lost my balance. Since I’ve already displayed such a behavior once, there is no reason for him not to believe it. To further enhance credibility when the rumors spread completely, I plan to stage a fainting.]
After reading the contents carefully, Royal Princess Veloche nodded to show that she understood. Charelize took the paper back and burned it on the candle. She made sure with her eyes that it would disappear into ashes.
“It seems like it won’t be enough even if I stay up all night… Still, I’ll give it a try.”
“I added additional explanations by organizing the difficult parts in a note. If it’s difficult, you can send me an official letter anytime. It’s not a bad thing if you show a hard-working attitude.”
Royal Princess Veloche organized the books that Charelize brought. Charelize, who taught her about basic common knowledge that should be known formally, headed towards the Helsen Prison after finishing their conversation.
“Greetings to the little Duchess.”
“You’ve been working hard. Where is the Duke?”
“You can come this way, Your Highness.”
She was escorted by the knight to where Duke Marsetta was. Coincidence or not, it was the place where she died. She couldn’t help but think of the past when he abandoned her.
“Chare…lize?”
“I heard that the trial will be held soon. Murdering a member of the Imperial family is a crime that cannot be escaped by Duke. No matter how much you ask for forgiveness, my resentment won’t disappear. My mother can’t come back alive, right? Nevertheless, the choice to keep Duke alive… It’s not because I feel sorry. I want you to live more painfully than being die and pay for the crime you have committed against my mother.”
“…I get it.”
The bitterness spread around the mouth of Duke Marsetta.
“Can I say… one last word?”
“Go ahead. Today will be the last time I have a conversation with Duke like this, so I’ll listen.”
“The words… I said sorry that I couldn’t be your father were sincere. I’ve never been able to protect you… I’ve never hugged you before… I hurt you because of my selfishness… I’m sorry. I don’t ask for forgiveness. You, keep walking your way.”
“…Every time I hear an apology from Duke to put your minds at ease, it always makes me feel dirty. Until the end… you’re the worst.”
“…It’s just. I regret it so much. Looking at you… I hope you can laugh. I hope this will cheer you up a bit. The regrets that come now are funny… I also laughed the other day at my father’s belated apology… I know how ridiculous it is to try to hold on when your feelings are already gone… I know that very well…”
“Just like the previous duke, who couldn’t become a good father, would you like to be remembered as a good person in his place?”
Charelize didn’t know what Duke Marsetta was thinking. He said he wanted her to laugh, but in the end she knew it was nothing more than a way to relieve his guilt. Ever since he abandoned Lillian, whom he cherished so much, Duke Marsetta couldn’t be a ‘good person’.
“Duke.”
“…”
“Please… don’t die here… like me. Even if that’s the case, I will bring you back to life and make you pay back the price… But please, spare yourself the trouble. Just stay still, don’t do anything. I understand it must be difficult for you to sit here, facing the consequences from your one and only child, but at that time… as you said, I have never been your daughter.”
“…What?”
“I’m saying I’ll deny your existence. It was something Duke always did, and that’s what I have always received throughout my life. Please don’t feel unjust about it.”
Charelize wanted him to live and feel pain somehow. It was too cowardly of him to die now.
“The thoughts of Duke, who killed my mother, aren’t simply about hardship, but about the foolish decision made in an instant. Think about what consequences your foolish choice has brought you here and keep thinking about that. Brain is meant to be used in such a moment.”
Duke Marsetta could no longer be a father for her. if in that past it was a matter of him not fulfilling that role, now it was Charelize who refused it.
“My head… hurts…”
“Even if you think so… you won’t be able to get out of here.”
“Help, he…lp. Charel, please….”
“Don’t call me by that name with your filthy mouth. It’s a name my mother gave me with great care.”
Duke Marsetta was nothing more than a murder who killed her mother. His behavior was the same even when he struggled in pain.
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