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Chapter 21
Hands Up Who Skipped Animal Play
After finishing my words, I dropped my gaze.
“They look alike… way too much.”
Perhaps because of my low spirits, an unpleasant feeling surged from all directions, crawling through my entire body.
On top of that, I became sensitive to every little provocation, narrowing my eyes. Anxiety rooted in suspicion made me want to immediately find the sculptor and ask questions, but I had to suppress it—if my emotions showed, it would look strange.
“It’s amazing how a statue can resemble someone.”
I added this carefully, trying to maintain a neutral expression.
“Really?”
Sasha tilted their head. Of course, since they didn’t know my past, it was hard for the three-year-old princess to understand why a statue could look like someone familiar to me.
“This statue is meant to pray for peace,” Sasha said, casually folding their hands behind their back with a faint smile.
“Usually, such statues are made with the face the artist considers ideal.”
“I know.”
That’s common sense. I swallowed the rest of my comment, spat it out with a kick to the floor.
“Your Highness, dinner is ready.”
Just as I was about to return to my original position, a maid appeared at the perfect timing.
“Alright. I understand.”
I didn’t want to linger anyway.
“I should go first.”
“See you next time, Your Highness.”
I immediately bid Sasha farewell and hurried along.
‘What a weird day.’
Wanting to get far away from the statue, I led the maid and moved quickly into the palace.
‘I need to eat and rest quickly.’
I decided this while briskly walking down the old-fashioned stairs lined with a red carpet, mentally exhausted from seeing the statue that resembled a primordial form one last time.
Thud!
“Oh, my!”
As soon as I turned the corner, I collided with someone coming from the opposite direction. Dizzy, I hit the ground before even recognizing who it was.
“Is our daughter okay?”
Damn it—of all people, it had to be Jeff!
“I’m sorry, my daughter. Are you hurt?”
Flustered, Jeff lifted me effortlessly with one arm as I staggered. Suddenly, my eye level changed drastically.
“I’m fine.”
Seriously, why does the emperor have to roam around recklessly? I muttered under my breath while rubbing my forehead; it still throbbed from the impact.
“You two may step back now.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I had the maid leave first, and then it was just Jeff and me.
“Are you just tolerating the pain?”
It hurt, but not unbearably.
“I’m really fine.”
And yet, Jeff started again.
“Who does our daughter take after to be so brave~? Is it mom, or dad~? Of course, it’s dad, right?”
Excited as ever, he kept talking nonstop until my ears ached.
‘You two must take after me.’
Hearing him say that was absurd. Who raised you two to talk like that so casually? I couldn’t reveal my identity, which only made it more frustrating.
“Ahem, well then, let’s go together.”
Jeff cleared his throat, perhaps embarrassed after I stayed silent for a while.
“I heard you were in the training ground, so I came to get you.”
For a moment, I regretted not waiting comfortably, but thinking of the statue, I was glad I moved first.
“You can walk down on your own now.”
Despite not being seriously hurt, Jeff’s overprotective behavior pushed me to finally speak.
“It’s okay, Darling. No need to overdo it.”
Why didn’t he understand? I was frustrated.
“I’ll personally see you to the dining hall.”
Even after asking him to let me walk a few more times, Jeff consistently smiled and refused.
“Did you enjoy today?”
As we neared the dining hall, the maids appeared to assist us. Poppy, who had been hiding, waddled along beside us.
“It was like usual, except we attended a class.”
I withdrew my gaze from the maids and Poppy, gripping Jeff’s sleeve tightly.
“But the treasure hunt from earlier left the strongest impression.”
The memory stuck in my mind. Thinking of the poor doll Hecate made made my heart throb again.
“It was a truly unique experience.”
Why is this so awkward? I slightly lowered my gaze.
“Did you find the gift your mother prepared for you?”
Suddenly, my mind became chaotic. The emotions that had surged like waves before, making me cry, played vividly in my memory.
“She said she had prepared it for a long time.”
“Yes.”
I found it, and was embarrassed to show my tears in front of the children.
“Treasure it.”
Unaware of my inner thoughts, Jeff patted my head with a gentle smile.
‘I would treasure it even without being told.’
Even if the doll was ugly, it was made by mischievous, sword-obsessed Hecate struggling on the battlefield, so I intended to keep it.
Twinge…
‘What now?’
Wasn’t this over after one throb earlier?
‘My chest hurts again.’
I raised my head to look at Jeff.
“What’s wrong?”
Jeff asked innocently, eyes wide open.
‘Could it be… that because of them, I found something I lacked?’
Is that why he keeps acting like this?
‘Annoying.’
Just imagining it made me shudder; I shook my head and told myself it was nothing.
The next morning.
“Your Highness, the young lords have arrived at the playroom.”
After an early breakfast, I had been spending time on the balcony, looking at the flowers in the garden, before moving on.
“Alright.”
Today, Poppy was faithfully by my side as the maid reported.
Click-
The playroom wasn’t far from the bedroom, so we arrived quickly.
I imagined the noisy, chaotic children inside and slipped in cautiously.
Thud!
“Huh?”
The door closed, and I raised an eyebrow at the unusually quiet, cold room.
“Why is no one here?”
The children of the Fleur household, usually running around, laughing, spilling snacks everywhere, were nowhere to be seen.
“They wouldn’t be this quiet.”
The maid wouldn’t lie to me. So where had the children gone? Were they hiding? I pondered.
Swish!
At that moment, a soft object pressed lightly against my head. I hurriedly reached up—it was a headband.
“Hehe, Your Highness!”
Where had they been hiding? My heart nearly jumped out from the surprise.
“It’s a surprise gift, Your Highness!”
Beatrice proudly called out, wearing a white headband with small ears sticking up.
“Surprise gift?”
I really thought I might faint. I muttered under my breath as I removed the headband.
“Your Highness! Let’s play Animal Play with us~.”
“It’ll be fun.”
“Animal play…”
I hesitated, sensing it was going to be exhausting.
Quack~ quack!
Poppy flapped its arms up and down.
“Huh?”
Beatrice naturally looked at Poppy, who was startled by a small bump on their head.
“Ah, shoot! Poppy’s!”
Beatrice panicked, realizing the animal headband for Poppy was missing.
“You can use mine.”
I shrugged; animal play doesn’t need a headband to enjoy.
“No, that’s Your Highness’s.”
But Beatrice disagreed.
“Sorry, Poppy~.”
Beatrice began crying, large tears falling, and my head started ringing as if I had a migraine.
‘I don’t want to wear it!’
Why did I have to wear such childish things? Watching Beatrice cry and holding Poppy, I finally stepped in; otherwise, they’d cry all day.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Poppy… um…”
Please, think of something fast! I muttered to myself, frustrated by the children’s noisy cries.
“Poppy will be a duck!”
Perfect, since Poppy is a duck plush. I awkwardly smiled and held the headband tightly.
“Really, Poppy?”
Of course, this was my improvised solution, not Poppy’s idea.
“Yes, Poppy will be a duck.”
Luckily, Carlisle supported my idea, giving it credibility.
“……”
Beatrice fell silent, motionless as if time had stopped.
“Great! You’re a cute duck!”
Unexpectedly, she smiled brightly, her red eyes sparkling.
“I’m a rabbit.”
Then Beatrice announced her animal by hopping, and Poppy happily followed her, confused but cheerful.
“The big brother is a wolf! Your Highness is a raccoon.”
‘Rac…coon?’
Wait, my headband didn’t look raccoon-like at all.
While I hesitated, Beatrice swiftly grabbed my headband and put it on me.
“Come on, Your Highness, you must wear it too!”
“Ah… alright.”
Damn it. I froze like a stone while Beatrice placed it on me, and Carlisle just happily went along, enjoying the peaceful play.
“Hmm?”
After that chaotic moment, I realized someone who should have been here was missing.
“I don’t see Ronowe today.”
The one I liked seeing every time was absent. I wondered if he was sick or had another reason.
“The elder sister is in the library, Your Highness~ With the emperor’s permission.”
I had thought he was just a lazy child, but this was surprising.
‘He went to read because he likes books?’
I realized he even asked Jeff’s permission beforehand to visit the palace library.
“Alright, then follow me.”
Damn, the hard part begins.
I positioned myself and watched Beatrice imitate a rabbit, feeling overwhelmed.
‘How am I supposed to be a raccoon?’
Even Poppy urged me to join. Secretly, I shed a small tear.
After the exhausting play, the children collapsed onto the sofa or lay down to rest.
“Finally, they’re out.”
Animal play was truly demanding.
Thanks to it, the children quickly ran out of energy and fell asleep.
“Since they’re too tired to continue, watch over them and wake them on time.”
I gave the maid instructions while holding Poppy.
“I’ll return to my room.”
And rest. Absolutely rest. I was mentally drained and wanted no more play.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The loyal maid obeyed, and I walked toward the bedroom with another maid.
‘Is Ronowe still reading?’
After a while, I remembered Ronowe, who hadn’t shown up all day.
‘Could he still be inside?’
Today, we had spent time in a distant playroom, and naturally passed by the palace library. I stopped.
“What’s wrong, Your Highness? Are you entering the library?”
The perceptive maid asked, and I nodded.
“Yes. I remembered something I need to check.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The maid opened the door immediately.
‘I feel uneasy without seeing the noisy one around.’
I needed to see what he was doing and strode inside.
‘Why does the library feel so… different today?’
The library was unusually empty, with a gloomy atmosphere pressing on my shoulders.
“Huh? What’s that?”
On the floor, a shadow of dark red shimmered.
‘There’s a strong presence there.’
Sensing danger, I sent the maid in another direction and hid behind a large pillar.
‘It feels threatening, like condensed negative energy. What’s going on?’
I observed the long shadow cautiously, not daring to move recklessly.
Standing still wouldn’t solve anything, so I moved slightly to see who it was.
“!”
The figure shrouded in dark red energy was…
‘What on earth…’
Ronowe, reading a book with a serious expression.
