ODEN 21

Chapter 21

“W-What happened?!”

While I was carrying Rubellin back to the main building, I ran into Mebern, who had been wandering near the training room.

When Mebern started making a fuss, Ken and Rinel also rushed out of the training room. The moment they saw Rubellin sobbing in my arms, they froze in shock.

When I told them she had slammed into a wall and needed to be checked for injuries, their faces turned pale, and they followed us all the way to the bedroom.

After arriving, I gently laid Rubellin face down on the bed.

Having calmed down a little, Rubellin buried her face in the pillow and looked up at me.

“Mommy… lied to me…”

Her muffled words made my eyes widen.

“Lied to you?”
“That person… really hates me…”
“…No, Rubellin.”

Unlike before in the training room, I couldn’t answer with confidence.

Even I had begun to wonder if I had misunderstood Kalix’s feelings toward Rubellin.

I gently stroked her cheek with the back of my hand.

“Rubellin, let me look at your back.”

She buried her face deeper into the pillow, silently giving permission.

I carefully pulled down just enough of her clothes to expose her back.

There were no visible injuries, and I let out a sigh of relief.

Ken approached with a grim expression.

“Lady Lucina. I’ll go bring a physician.”
“I’m already here.”

The sudden voice startled me, and I turned toward the door.

An elderly man wearing a robe stood there, carrying a large brown leather medical bag.

“I’ve been visiting the Imperial Palace quite often lately. And having to teleport in this old body isn’t exactly pleasant.”

The old man grumbled while brushing dust off his shoulder before bowing politely toward me.

“We meet again.”
“Huh?”

Again?

I was puzzled, but there was something else I wanted to ask first.

“Are you a doctor?”

The old man gave a short nod before setting down his bag and walking over.

“Yes. His Majesty sent me.”

Kalix?

That couldn’t be right.

He had even refused my request to help carry Rubellin to her room.

There was no way he would thoughtfully call for a physician.

“I’ll examine the Princess first.”

The doctor took a pair of gloves from inside his robe and put them on before carefully feeling from Rubellin’s shoulders down her spine, as if checking for broken bones.

“Hm.”

After a moment, he removed his hands and took off the gloves.

“Well, considering the Princess is practically made of steel, there’s nothing wrong.”

“Really? She’s really not hurt?”

The old man quietly looked at me before nodding.

“Yes. There isn’t even a scratch.”

Thank goodness.

Only then did all the tension finally leave my body.

From every direction, I heard Ken, Rinel, and Mebern letting out deep sighs of relief.

After gently patting Rubellin’s head, now asleep, I turned back to thank the doctor.

“Thank you for examining her.”
“I merely did what I should.”

He answered stiffly before immediately turning around to pick up his medical bag.

“Then I’ll be going.”

He gave another respectful bow and left, his robe fluttering behind him.

Ken quietly followed him out.

After watching the old doctor disappear down the hallway, Ken returned.

“Then we’ll take our leave as well. Lady Lucina, please continue looking after Her Highness.”
“Yes. Don’t worry.”

As Ken and Rinel prepared to leave, Mebern looked back and forth between them and me in confusion.

“W-Wait! Aren’t any of you curious? I need to know what happened to Her Highness! This raises serious doubts about Instructor Lucina’s qualifications—Mmmpfh!”

A hand suddenly reached out from behind and covered Mebern’s mouth.

“Ken?”

Ken smiled faintly and shook his head.

“Please don’t concern yourself with it.”

He dragged Mebern toward the door.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

Mebern struggled desperately, slapping at the hand covering his mouth, but his efforts couldn’t even slightly affect the knight.

Watching them disappear, I smiled faintly.

As the knight responsible for Rubellin’s safety, Ken had every right to ask questions.

Yet he chose not to.

Perhaps he had already guessed what happened.

Or perhaps he simply trusted that I would never hurt Rubellin.

As of today, I decided to forgive him for turning my house in Hainton into a pigsty and suspecting me of being a kidnapper.

After Ken and Mebern completely disappeared, I turned away from the door and noticed Rinel still standing there.

“Do you have something to say, Rinel?”
“…Does Her Highness’s injury have something to do with His Majesty?”
“How did you know?”

I blinked in surprise.

Was it because she knew I had gone to Kalix’s office?

“So I was right.”

Rinel slowly closed her eyes.

“I should have realized it when Sir Yukar ordered everyone to leave the annex.”

She murmured quietly to herself before opening her eyes again.

“To tell you the truth, there are times when His Majesty spends a day or two alone in the annex without allowing anyone inside.”
“Why?”
“Only Sir Yukar knows the reason.”

How strange.

Even Rinel, the head maid, didn’t know.

Lost in thought, I stared blankly into the air before asking another question.

“Rinel, how many years have you served in the palace?”
“Since the year His Majesty was born.”
“And even after all that time, you still don’t know?”

She gave a brief nod.

Could it be…

Was today one of those days he always spent alone in the annex?

And because we interrupted him, he became furious?

If so, it was absurd…

But at least it explained why he had been angry.

While I was thinking, Rinel bowed her head.

“I only asked just in case. Please don’t think too deeply about it. I’ll be outside, so if you need anything, simply call for one of the servants.”
“Yes. Thank you, Rinel.”

She raised her head and gave me one of her rare, gentle smiles.

Just as she turned to leave, she suddenly stopped, as though remembering something.

She looked back at me.

“Rinel? What’s wrong?”
“I wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me?”

Lowering her gaze, she continued calmly.

“In all the decades I’ve served in the Imperial Palace, I never had a single peaceful day. I always had to pretend not to see what I saw and not to hear what I heard.”

It was the first time the always-professional Rinel had ever spoken about something so personal.

She lifted her eyes and looked at me warmly.

“Then Her Highness came to the palace, and once again I had to close my eyes and cover my ears… But after you arrived, both His Majesty and Her Highness seem much more at ease. For that, I am truly grateful.”

Before I could respond, her smile became bitter.

The wrinkles around her eyes twisted with sadness.

“At the same time… I can’t help wishing… that someone like you had also been there during His Majesty’s childhood.”

“Rinel…”

“I don’t know what happened today, but… please don’t think too badly of him.”

“…”

Rinel took a deep breath until her chest rose fully, wiping every trace of emotion from her face.

In an instant, she had become the same composed head maid as always.

“I apologize for taking up your time with such unnecessary talk. I’ll truly take my leave now.”

She spoke in her usual emotionless voice before turning and leaving the bedroom.

Once her footsteps faded away, only Rubellin’s quiet breathing filled the room.

I looked at the sleeping Rubellin before gently turning her onto her back.

After carefully tucking the blanket up to her neck, I brushed her hair aside.

Then I sat down beside the bed and recalled my conversation with Rinel.

She had undoubtedly watched Kalix grow up.

She must have known he was being abused, yet had been powerless to stop it.

But who could possibly blame her for that?

Who had the right to point a finger at her and call her a bystander?

Only someone capable of standing against the Emperor, defying the Imperial family’s traditions and education, could say such a thing.

Just as Rubellin was my greatest concern…

Kalix was Rinel’s.

I buried my face in the bed and tried, in my own way, to understand him.

If what Rinel said was true…

Then it made sense why he had become so sensitive.

Why he constantly gave off an aura telling everyone to stay away.

But no matter how many reasons there were…

Nothing could justify what he had done today.

I steadied my wavering heart and suddenly lifted my head.

“You really went too far today.”

Leaning back against the bed, I folded my arms.

Still…

He had promised to try harder as a father.

I’ll trust those words one more time.

Even if he’s staying in the annex…

Surely he’ll come apologize before today ends.

I snorted softly and stared at the door.

“I’ll see how long it takes you to come apologize.”

…Or so I thought.

“It’s already evening! Why hasn’t he come to apologize?!”

I looked out the darkening window.

Several hours had passed.

The only people who had visited Rubellin’s bedroom were Rinel asking about dinner, Ken checking on Rubellin’s condition, and Mebern coming to lecture and interrogate me.

This wouldn’t do.

Even if Kalix rejected me…

I had to ask him to apologize to Rubellin.

I immediately stood up.

I had declared a strike, but I was even more afraid that Kalix and Rubellin’s relationship would become worse than before.

According to Rinel, he was staying in the annex today.

Strike while the iron is hot.

Without wasting another moment, I headed out of the bedroom.

As I reached the door, my eyes landed on the Super Strength Protection Robe hanging on the wall.

For a brief moment, I remembered Kalix wearing one as well.

I picked it up.

Even Kalix, who had absolutely no reason to wear it, had put one on.

Maybe I should do the same today.

“Better than nothing.”

After putting on the robe, I left Rubellin’s room.

Walking down the long, polished hallway, I soon reached the colonnade.

Looking up at the night sky between the pillars, I crossed the corridor and entered the annex.

“Which room is he staying in?”

Standing in the moonlit hallway, I was surprised by how many rooms there were.

Do I have to check them one by one?

Just as I was about to knock on the nearest door, I noticed one room at the very end of the hallway with its door slightly open.

Someone had clearly gone in or out recently.

Raising my voice, I called out,

“Your Majesty, are you in the last room?”

My voice echoed through the empty corridor.

Slowly, I walked toward it.

When I reached the doorway, I carefully slipped inside.

Apart from the pale light spilling in from the hallway, the room was completely dark.

As soon as I stepped inside, cold air rushed across my face, making the atmosphere feel strangely eerie.

“Your Majesty, are you here? If you are, please ans—”

BOOM!

“Ah!”

A sudden clap of thunder made me flinch.

Moments later, raindrops began tapping against the windows before a heavy downpour quickly followed.

The once dry room filled with the damp scent of rain.

I let out a long sigh and straightened myself.

I looked around the room once more, but my eyes, still unaccustomed to the darkness, could make out nothing.

Just one last time.

If there was still no answer, I’d leave.

“Your Majesty, are you here?”

CRACK—BOOM!

At that instant, lightning flashed again, illuminating the entire room.

…!

The sight of a creature hidden within the darkness stole my breath.

The flash allowed my eyes to adjust just enough to see it.

A gigantic creature so enormous it nearly filled the room.

Its body was covered in thick, serpent-like scales.

Its massive frame looked savage.

A long tail stretched behind it.

If I had seen correctly…

That was unmistakably a dragon.

The dragon ancestor of the Imperial family.