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Chapter 12
She had been curious, but the woman hadn’t sought her out and had remained as quiet as a mouse. Whatever the reason, it was clear she didn’t want to see her.
So she thought, Ah, she has a lady whose name I don’t even know.
Then one day, while taking a walk in the usual garden, she happened to run into her.
“Doggy?”
Perhaps it was that she didn’t despise dogs; she looked at her with gentle eyes and plopped down casually on the bare ground.
“I won’t touch you.”
Even trying to calm her with words was unfamiliar to Schuertz.
It wasn’t just the lack of unconditional contempt—it was the astonishing attitude of speaking kindly to a mere creature, as if it were nothing more than a dog. Nothing about it failed to surprise her.
El was a good woman. Mostly passive, rarely smiling, but at least she smiled relatively often at Schuertz and Lari.
It was nice—kind gestures and gentle words she hadn’t received since her nanny.
Even the maid, very kind and gentle, didn’t scold Schuertz just because El wasn’t around.
On the contrary, she habitually said it was good that El brightened up because of her presence and asked her to stay by her side for a long time.
It had been a bit absurd when she was handed over to the servants, but afterward, being naturally by her side, a desire grew to remain close to her, even if only in private.
As long as El didn’t ignore her, it was fine.
Yes, since El had no interest in her husband anyway, she could stay by her side her whole life like soft tofu.
On the outside a dog, inside human—her lifespan would be similar. Though she wouldn’t be able to appear at night…
“Raella Randmiken.”
“…Raella.”
“…El.”
El usually slept early and woke up late. She slept deeply and hardly woke even if someone was nearby.
At first, Schuertz was cautious, but now knowing she wouldn’t wake, she would sneak into the bedroom every night and watch El sleep.
“…Thank you.”
She still felt uneasy, not knowing the emperor’s intention in marrying her to El.
“…If anyone tries anything, I’ll protect her. Somehow.”
She made this vow every day.
But she never imagined that the steward, whom she had neglected, would act so arrogantly. Even the fact that she now had a lady was surprising enough.
This guy, thinking he’d found El’s weakness, even tried to kidnap her. Remembering how he had bitten her face, she cursed him and retaliated.
Schuertz hoped El wouldn’t be exploited because of her. Please, don’t find her. I’ll escape somehow.
“Your master has come and gone.”
And he had come.
“Did he get angry when you talked about him?”
“…Grrr!”
Tears threatened to fall. It would have been better if the worthless dog hadn’t mattered, yet he had found her anyway.
“What could a worthless dog possibly be worth?”
“….”
“But for now, it seems you’ll be a useful piece in the game.”
“….”
“I’ll postpone dealing with you.”
Copari smiled slyly and trampled Schuertz.
“You miserable dog, you don’t even cry! That makes me even angrier!”
Thud—
Thud, thud—
Despite the harsh kicks, Schuertz clenched her mouth and thought: I must escape at night. If Copari finds out I am the prince, who knows what he’ll do next.
At least being a dog, the security was lax.
After kicking a few more times, Copari told the servants to guard her well and left, closing the door.
In the dark basement, she couldn’t tell if it was day or night.
After some time passed,
“Cough.”
The soft tofu soon changed back into human form.
Then she went of her own accord to see the emperor, whom she had never thought to see until the crown prince’s enthronement.
His platinum hair was disheveled but soft, shining even in the moonlight—a mark of royalty.
His coral-colored eyes, inherited from his mother, were rare.
His overall appearance was gentle and even gave a frail impression. Yet it was full of signs of having been beaten.
The knights guarding the emperor’s bedroom froze upon seeing his hair and eyes. The second prince, who supposedly lived as a monster during the day, had appeared for the first time.
“…P-Prince?”
Trembling, one knight seemed to check if he was really seeing him. Schuertz gave a cold, calm order.
“Tell the emperor that Schuertz Renne has come.”
“…Y-Yes! O-one moment!”
The knight hurried into the palace, and the nearby guards, servants, and maids whispered as they saw Schuertz.
Yet Schuertz raised her head proudly, showing no trace of nervousness. She had imagined this moment many times: standing before the emperor, empress, and Reinard.
Before El, she had been nothing but a gentle soft tofu, but her crooked smile betrayed the chaotic mess inside her.
If not for Raella, she wouldn’t have revealed herself to the emperor now.
Of course, she wasn’t regretful. For El, she could do even worse.
“P-Please eat.”
Schuertz stood before the slowly opening door, closing her eyes. Memories of being abandoned in the Lily Palace and failing to be there for her mother’s final moments passed before her. How will the emperor react upon seeing me?
Whatever the reaction, the current Schuertz did not consider the emperor her father—and she assumed he felt the same.
“It’s been a long time, Your Majesty.”
“What brings you here?”
“I’ve come with a small request, hoping I may be excused.”
“A request?”
It was a thoroughly matter-of-fact reunion.
The corrupt ledger El had compiled became a massive bomb that struck the nobility.
The emperor was furious that palace funds had been used for private purposes, and all implicated nobles were either executed or exiled.
During the current reign, they would never set foot in the central court again.
El didn’t fully understand, but those tied to Copari were mostly nobles who contributed nothing to the crown, mere parasites.
By taking this opportunity to reduce them, it was certainly a relief for the emperor.
Initially, the emperor had been uneasy leaving the so-called cursed monster, the second prince, in the palace, but since he behaved quietly, he left him be.
Then, as his only son Reinard began growing willfully, he wondered what might have happened if it had been Schuertz.
His son had been clever from a young age. If not for that incident, he would have gladly made him crown prince.
He held onto a hope of “what if”—perhaps the curse could be lifted. That was why he had brought a bride from the Sahad Kingdom. The chances were slim, but still.
Schuertz or the empress didn’t know, but a black magician had told him a way to lift the curse before dying.
It had been too ridiculous to attempt before—no one wanted to marry the so-called monster Schuertz.
But seeing the prince’s request when she came, and her attitude toward the mere dog, gave him a small hope.
“Perhaps…”
It troubled him that the crown princess came from the Sahad Duke family, always eyeing the empire—but if Schuertz’s curse was lifted, it could be quietly handled.
It was a politically arranged marriage, after all. He had heard she was the daughter the duke offered.
Whatever went wrong here, he could only extract political gain. He wouldn’t demand retribution for death.
“I should send a gift to the crown princess.”
The emperor, a seasoned politician rather than a father, thought he should observe her a bit longer.
