🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter : 29
“Pardon?”
Lusana blinked in surprise, seemingly flustered. Then, with a rather vacant expression, she mumbled something under her breath.
Marianne frowned and patiently repeated what she had just said.
“I told you to disappear from the mansion immediately, right in front of my eyes.”
“W-Why speak so harshly, Your Highness! In this freezing weather, and at such a dark night, where do you expect me to go…?”
At that moment, a maid standing behind Lusana, fidgeting nervously, shouted out. They say that when you’re bewildered, laughter comes naturally—and it truly was the case. Marianne let out a hollow laugh.
She had restrained herself with superhuman patience, almost swearing in the middle, only to be met with shouting in return. It really wasn’t funny. These people truly didn’t see Marianne as a princess, as someone in a position of authority.
Marianne wiped the smile from her face and glared at the maid.
“Harsh? You’re calling me harsh after carrying oil and lamps into the annex?”
“T-That is…”
Seeing her fumble, trailing off in words but holding her head high, Marianne lost all desire to continue speaking.
As if sensing her mood, Tehez, who had been waiting stiffly by her side, furrowed his brow and stepped forward.
“What you’ve done clearly counts as attempted murder, and even bears the potential charges of assassination against royalty and high nobles. His Highness was prepared to graciously pardon you with exile, yet you dare speak out as a mere maid? If you were so eager for prison, I could send you there myself.”
She spoke with a low growl and drew her sword. From behind, the sound of other swords being drawn in unison rang out. Though they called it “prison,” it was clear they meant to strike her neck immediately, and the maid’s face turned pale.
“Step back, Diane.”
During the short standoff, Lusana seemed to regain her senses and shook her head. She clenched her fists tightly and stared Marianne down.
“…I will leave the mansion immediately. But Princess Marianne, even if I don’t know, Prince Louis will not just stand by and watch this.”
Despite her lips trembling, Lusana shamelessly spoke until the end, and the knights quickly surrounded her. Sir Tehez was the first to point his sword and drove Lusana and the other maids out of the mansion.
“You—how dare you shout after causing all this trouble!”
“It’s fine, Laurent. At least we stopped her before she set fire to the annex.”
Watching Lusana being dragged away, Laurent, uncharacteristically, even waved his finger in anger. Marianne forced a bitter smile and calmed him.
“Your Highness, let’s head back into the mansion. Your lips are blue from the cold.”
Marianne nodded. Having stayed outside for too long, the night’s drop in temperature made her body ache. Perhaps it felt even colder because her heart had grown cold.
‘Even now, I don’t understand. How can someone commit such a horrible act and show no guilt at all?’
Was this common for those born as high nobles under the protection of royalty? Marianne let out a faint sigh and walked from the annex to the mansion’s entrance. While Amelie helped shake off the snow and water clinging to her, Tehez returned.
“Your Highness. All the offenders have been exiled. Upon searching Lady Biarritz, it seems she used an artifact imbued with concealment magic. This would have allowed her to bypass the knights’ vigilance easily… but these are merely excuses. Whatever punishment is deemed necessary, I will accept it.”
After reporting, Tehez knelt on one knee without hesitation, his expression very grim.
Even though others had committed the wrong, it was he who bore the weight of responsibility and guilt. Marianne couldn’t help but give a bitter smile again.
“Stand up, Sir Tehez. No one could have known they would use magic to act. Make sure to tell the knights on watch as well. We won’t hold them accountable, but I want them to continue taking good care of the mansion.”
“…Understood.”
She patted Tehez on the shoulder. Still, he rose with a dark expression and bowed.
“Now, let’s head back…”
As Marianne was speaking, her vision suddenly went black. She wobbled slightly—but a firm hand caught her.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
Fortunately, the dizziness passed quickly. Marianne looked at Tehez, Amelie, and Laurent, who were anxiously staring at her, and awkwardly smiled.
“Yes. I guess I’m just a little tired. Thank you for catching me, Sir Tehez.”
“Not at all. I’ll take my leave now. Please take care of yourself, Your Highness.”
“I will.”
After Tehez left, Marianne turned around.
“You’ve stayed out in the cold too long. Let’s go to your room. I’ll prepare some warm tea. And if you continue to feel unwell, please tell me immediately, Your Highness.”
Amelie walked behind her, whispering softly. Marianne nodded briefly in acknowledgment. Her body felt unbearably heavy.
She just wanted to bathe in hot water and go straight to bed.
As Marianne trudged forward, Amelie, pausing for a moment, added:
“By the way, I spoke with Marquis Croque and saw him off. Fortunately, he understood the situation and left a message that he hopes to have dinner together on his next visit.”
“Ah… well done, Amelie. Thank you.”
Oh, she had completely forgotten. Marianne stopped briefly like Amelie had, realizing her own negligence.
She must have been completely out of her mind when heading to the annex. She had even forgotten Jean, and though there was nothing she could have done at the annex, she had run out like a madwoman.
‘Such an embarrassing display.’
Marianne smiled bitterly. She felt embarrassed, and she also wasn’t sure if she could have dinner with him next time.
“Your Highness, what about dinner…?”
“I’m not very hungry. I’ll just greet Cedric and go to bed early. Please tell Julia I’m sorry.”
“Julia knows about the commotion, so she’ll understand. Let’s go in.”
They hadn’t exchanged many words, yet they were already in front of Cedric’s room. Marianne managed a faint smile at the sight through the door Amelie opened.
“You’ve been taking medicine, haven’t you, Cedric.”
“Ugh?”
He must have been drinking hot chocolate topped with marshmallows after taking frost lily medicine, judging by the black stains around his mouth.
Marianne approached Cedric with a relieved smile.
“Aww, uh!”
Was he greeting her? She brushed Cedric’s hair and turned to Chloe, who was fetching a napkin.
“Chloe. Thank you. Thanks to you keeping watch, we prevented a fire at the annex.”
Chloe looked stunned. Her hand, poised to wipe Cedric’s mouth, froze, and only after a moment did she speak in shock.
“Good heavens, were they really trying to commit such a terrible act? I should have poured water on them!”
Chloe huffed, and Amelie also frowned, recalling the events at the annex.
If they had gotten wet in this weather, they could have frozen to death. Marianne chuckled at Chloe’s fiery words.
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t douse them with water, but Lusana and the maids have all been expelled from the mansion. So even if they wanted to do something bad, they won’t be able to.”
Although Marianne’s voice carried a faint laugh, Chloe relaxed her tense shoulders upon realizing just how exhausted Marianne looked.
“I see. Your Highness, you look very tired. Shall I bring some warm tea?”
“No, that’s fine. Instead of tea, can you fill the bathtub with warm water?”
“Yes. I’ll prepare it right away.”
Chloe hurried off. Marianne planned to bid Cedric goodnight and go to bed, sitting on the chair beside him.
“Uh, uhuh.”
As if waiting for this, Cedric reached out and gently tapped Marianne’s cheek. The soft touch tickled, and Marianne closed her eyes.
“Is this comforting me? You’re so kind, our Cedric.”
“Aw. Uh…”
Cedric whimpered softly. Perhaps it wasn’t comforting in the way Marianne had imagined. His voice sounded a little dissatisfied.
“Hmm?”
Marianne opened her eyes to find Cedric furrowing his brow and frowning beneath his eyes, moving his lips as if trying to speak.
“Cedric?”
He repeatedly opened and closed his lips as if struggling to say something, finally clutching his head and speaking.
“…Ma-ri.”
“…Huh?”
Marianne stared at him with wide eyes, surprised. His stammering, broken words were awkward, but she could understand his meaning.
“Cedric, are you calling me?”
Exhausted from finally releasing the words trapped inside, Cedric leaned against her, rubbing beneath her eyes once again.
The gentle, careful touch seemed to tell Marianne not to cry.
“…Thank you, Cedric.”
Marianne whispered, bowing her head to hide the wet warmth rising in her eyes. She bit her lower lip to hold back her tears, but the heat swelling in her chest was impossible to suppress.
Eventually, despite Cedric’s comforting pats, the tears spilled. As they ran down her cheeks, her body felt drained.
Cedric, flustered, fidgeted anxiously, but he couldn’t see Marianne’s eyes clouded with tears.
‘I didn’t ask for anything grand.’
She had simply wished for the northern people to survive the winter safely, so that Cedric’s future would be a little less harsh.
The thought that everything she had prepared for that purpose had almost been destroyed in an instant hit her with crushing reality.
‘How can people treat others’ lives so carelessly?’
Even meeting the people she had only read about in print, Marianne sometimes marveled at their vitality. But in this world, those born and raised here seemed willing to harm life recklessly, without an ounce of guilt, and that burden was heavy.
So, even as she felt relief at preventing such cruelty, anger and sorrow soon threatened to overwhelm her relief.
Amidst these complex emotions, Marianne held Cedric’s hand and quietly wept for a long while.
