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CHAPTER 61….
Another imperial garden, the Diamond Garden.
Thanks to the emperor’s maid who came to greet us, Cecile and I arrived right on time and stepped into the garden.
As befits its name, the emperor’s garden was filled with many beautiful flowers, but the most striking feature was the large artificial lake at its center.
Just before I could lose myself in the scenery, I heard the emperor’s voice.
“You’re here.”
“May the blessing of the goddess Eridium be upon you. Have you been well, Your Majesty?”
“I have been… unscathed.”
That sounded like there had been some not-so-peaceful days.
As if to confirm it, standing next to him was Renald, clutching a stack of documents.
Renald, his face dark and weary, said,
“Your Highness, the First Princess, you are as lovely as ever today.”
“Mm, thank you.”
“Think nothing of it.”
Is he really okay?
From the looks of him—like he might collapse at any moment—he probably hadn’t slept properly in days.
I glanced at the emperor; though not as bad as Renald, he didn’t look much better.
With an awkward smile, I sat down and looked between the two of them.
While the maid poured tea into my empty cup, I noticed Renald occasionally leaning in to whisper brief reports to the emperor.
I was going to ask about the Hamtek Mountain Range, but in this state, I don’t think I can bring it up easily.
I’ll just eat some cake instead.
“Has the princess been well?”
“Sorry?”
“Your injury.”
The emperor tapped his own forehead, and I finally came to my senses, folding my hands neatly and nodding.
“The palace physician you sent treated me with great care, so I don’t think it will get worse.”
The doctor had said the cut was deeper than it looked and I’d need to keep applying ointment regularly for a while.
He did say that as long as I took care of it, there’d be no scar.
As I reached up to touch the gauze on my forehead, the emperor caught my hand unexpectedly.
“Even if it’s uncomfortable, bear with it.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll have to keep that gauze on until the wound heals. If you keep fiddling with it, it will only get worse.”
“The physician said it wasn’t that serious…”
“It’s serious.”
“…”
“You bled that much—how could it not be serious?”
That was right after I got hurt, though…
No, why am I trying to justify this?
After all, the wound was thanks to Yevgeny, so it was only natural for the emperor to feel some sense of responsibility.
Maybe it’s better to use that guilt to my advantage.
With that thought, I looked straight at him and said,
“All right, I will.”
“Good girl.”
“But, Your Majesty… may I make a small request?”
“What is it?”
“Well…”
I glanced at the maids standing far away, then clasped my hands and made my eyes shine.
“I don’t know how this will sound, but… palace life is terribly lonely, Your Majesty…”
The emperor’s shoulders twitched.
Looking rather startled, he stared at me, teacup in hand.
I gave a rueful smile.
“I didn’t realize Yevgeny would dislike me… that much. Now, perhaps the only ones I have left are Emin and my mother…”
“….”
“So, if Your Majesty would permit it… may I invite my maternal grandfather to the palace—or rather, to my mother’s quarters?”
“The princess’s maternal grandfather… you mean Duke Wehal de Epsilard.”
“Yes. Since my mother and grandfather are all I have left, I would dearly like to see him again. If my mother saw him, she might even rise from her sickbed.”
“….”
The emperor’s expression darkened.
When he didn’t answer, Renald, unable to bear the silence, spoke with an awkward smile.
“Forgive me, Your Highness, but… might that not be a difficult request?”
“Why? It’s only a granddaughter wanting to see her grandfather…”
“That’s not for me to say…”
I knew perfectly well it was because of the empress’s interference.
But what does the empress pressuring Count Epsilard have to do with the emperor?
If the emperor gave his permission, my grandfather wouldn’t have to sneak around to visit my mother in the palace.
And it would make my revenge much easier.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that bringing my grandfather here would affect the emperor as well.
It seemed likely he and the empress had some sort of deal.
Don’t tell me… it has to do with my mother’s life?
I glanced at the emperor, who still hadn’t spoken and was staring down into his tea.
No… surely not.
I remembered how he had once looked coldly at my mother when she was still healthy, and shook the thought away.
“If it’s difficult for Your Majesty, then never mind. In that case, may I ask about the Hamtek territory that the Riverdleys handed over to me?”
“If it’s that, you can ask me. I’ve just finished processing the matter and was going to report it to you today.”
I took the documents and began reading through them carefully as Renald explained.
“While ownership has indeed passed to you, Your Highness, since you have not yet had your coming-of-age ceremony, you cannot exercise economic control over Hamtek.”
“Then who is in charge of Hamtek right now?”
“That would be—”
“The First Prince,” the emperor said.
“Prince Dmitry?”
He nodded.
I gripped the documents tightly in surprise.
I thought His Majesty would be managing it himself…?
Why was someone so close to the empress in charge of it?
Then it hit me—among those opposed to my ownership of Hamtek had been the empress herself.
So she maneuvered things to her own advantage!
Lately, the empress had been sparing no effort in sending assassins after me, even employing the Alea Guild, infamous for killing royalty.
If I die, the land’s ownership will naturally pass to Dmitry, who is currently its administrator. That’s her game.
The thought of losing Hamtek made me groan inwardly.
But then—
“However, Dmitry will only manage it for two years.”
“Two years? Not until my coming-of-age?”
“Yes. After that, I will manage it myself until you have safely reached your coming-of-age and can receive it directly.”
“Oh… so that means…”
There was no risk of it being taken permanently, but it also meant I had to survive two years under the empress’s schemes.
I need funds if I’m going to make contact with the Alea Guild before the empress does…
But since I couldn’t touch Hamtek’s revenue until adulthood, that was out.
I’ll have to find another way.
I leaned back in my chair, the breeze teasing my hair and cheek.
Though it was a peaceful moment, unease still thudded faintly in my chest.
While gazing at the lake, a thought suddenly struck me—about the third boundary under imperial control.
I turned to the emperor.
He raised an eyebrow, as if to ask what was on my mind.
“Your Majesty, about the Monster Forest managed by the imperial knights…”
“You mean the space surrounding the imperial palace?”
“Yes. If you cross the second boundary, there’s a huge lake—does something live there? Like a nymph or a spirit?”
“I haven’t received any such reports, but the knights did say they sensed a strange presence there.”
“Oh, now that you mention it, I have heard from some knights that you can feel something in the lake, pulling you toward it, though you can’t see it. Would that be in the lake itself?”
“Yes. One of the junior knights once got pulled in because of that energy.”
The imperial knights included those led by Duke Elliott, Richard’s father. No wonder Richard had been so shocked when I fell into the lake.
I’d completely forgotten until now, but that makes me even more curious.
The creatures in the lake had never shown themselves, only emanated that strange aura.
Since the third boundary is under the court magicians and the knights’ jurisdiction, I should ask Richard about it.
If I asked the emperor, it would only raise suspicion—
“But you speak as if you’ve seen it yourself, princess.”
“P-pardon?”
“Your tone sounds like someone who has experienced it firsthand. Have you crossed the boundary without my knowledge?”
“N-no.”
Oh no, did I sound too much like I’d actually been there?
It went without saying that for young royals or nobles without the strength to protect themselves, crossing the second boundary was practically illegal.
Without strong magic, they’d stand no chance against the monsters, and most who died there were never even recovered.
If the emperor thought I had recklessly gone into the forest, he might punish me severely for breaking an unspoken rule.
I had to play dumb.
“I just heard the story from a young noble.”
“And who told you?”
“Ah… it was Young Lord Elliott.”
“…You mean Richard Will Elliott.”
“Yes. We became close at Yevgeny’s birthday banquet. He’s rather odd but fun to be around.”
“Fun…?”
“Yes. He’s bold—he does things I can’t, and it’s entertaining to watch.”
“…And?”
“And also—”
As I chattered on, Renald glanced between us with a wistful expression.
“I think he might have magical talent like you, Your Majesty. Once, he even used teleportation magic to take me… somewhere in the palace grounds, I think. Oh, and there was a time he got lost—maybe he’s more scatterbrained than he looks?”
“Not interested.”
“…Sorry?”
“Whether Elliott’s eldest son is scatterbrained or skilled in both magic and swordsmanship is none of my concern.”
“Uh… right…”
“And especially none of yours.”
“…?”
Was it just me, or did that have a prickly edge to it?
It almost feels like he dislikes Richard… no, that can’t be.
After all, the only reason I could even become engaged to Richard in the future was because the emperor approved of him.
And he’d always valued Richard highly.
It’s probably just because I talked too much about him.
I closed my mouth, and the emperor set down his empty cup, rubbing his temples.
He rose first and said,
“This was enjoyable. You must be tired too, so you may go back now.”
“Yes, it was an honor.”
“Our next meeting—send me the time you choose.”
“Yes.”
I bowed, and our meeting ended earlier than expected.
I didn’t mind, but his expression at the end left me unsettled.
Did I do something wrong…?
Considering how his face darkened at the mention of Count Epsilard, he probably hadn’t been in a good mood from the start.
Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I left the imperial palace.
“Next time, I’ll have to gauge the mood better before bringing things up.”
The next day, I sent the guest list to the emperor through Illia. When she returned with his reply, I stared at it in disbelief.
“What… is this?”
“What’s wrong, Princess?”
“…Illia, does His Majesty seem normal to you?”
“W-what?!”
Startled, Illia and Mulin both read the reply over my shoulder.
Illia read aloud:
‘To the First Princess: I ask you…’
Then Mulin continued,
‘…from now on, three times a week, host tea parties at your residence for young ladies your age…’ Wait, do people usually hold this many tea parties?”
“Not that I know of…” I said weakly.
What had I possibly done yesterday to deserve this kind of punishment?
What I wanted was to bring my grandfather here, not this!
I held my head, while Illia and Mulin read the letter again, then exchanged glances.
“This might be…”
“You’re thinking it too, right…?”
Thinking what? What might it be?
“What are you two plotting?”
They both lit up and rushed over to me.
“Princess! Think of it positively—this might be your chance to steal away all the Second Princess’s people!”
