Pest Control! (5)
News of my breakup with Oslo has once again swept the capital.
All the newspapers ran special articles on our breakup, and reporters still lined up outside our house.
Unless a war breaks out somewhere, there seems to be no movement for the time being.
Thanks to that, I, who was in a state of voluntary confinement, gathered with Ian and my brothers in the central garden and had tea time.
"What about father?"
Kjer answered, handing me a teacup.
"He has entered the palace."
"What happened?"
"Well, did he go and ask His Majesty why that little brat is acting like that?"
"...Really?"
Chevio giggled.
"Oh my, do you believe that? Who is our father that he would show his emotions in front of other people? He just went to work."
"Ha, you surprised me."
Chevio put a few cookies on a plate and placed them in front of me.
"There are more reporters. No, if you said you were breaking up, it would be over. I don't know what else there is to find out. I can't go out and it's frustrating."
"Why are you going out like that? Stop complaining."
Chevio's eyes narrowed at Ian's blunt voice.
"It's not that going out is a problem, it's that I feel like I'm being watched that I don't like it."
"Young Lady is also patient."
"Aren't you going home? Is it okay for the little Duke to be away from the estate for this long?"
"You have to give me permission to return."
The imperial palace was just as noisy as our house. That may be why Ian's return permit has not yet been issued.
Of course, Ian reassured me that the people of the duchy wouldn't be in trouble if their return was delayed by a few days, as there was a 'savior'.
But that didn't make my guilt and anxiety go away. It was true that Ian's return was being delayed because of me.
'I can't delay any longer. Let's check the scar right away.'
Now I have no choice but to take off my clothes.
As I was thinking that, Ian suddenly smelled something strange.
This is...
Then Chevio asked Kjaer.
"No word from the royal family yet?"
"his Majesty must be in a state of confusion right now. When our father was dealing with the accident you caused, he was also in a state of confusion. It's a similar situation."
"Ah, no, why are you suddenly bringing up old stories? Even the youngest can hear it."
Kjer raised the corners of his mouth cynically.
"You must know shame. Well, you were almost expelled from your family once, so you must be embarrassed."
"Oh, don't exaggerate. I didn't have any major accidents."
"Don't you remember when you disappeared with the youngest?"
"..."
When I was five years old, there was a commotion where I disappeared without a trace while I was sleeping soundly.
When they searched the house thoroughly but couldn't find me, my nanny, who thought I had been kidnapped, burst into tears and my mother fainted.
Eventually, the father's patience runs out and he tries to move the knights, but the imperial swordsmanship master shows up with two rascally brats at his side.
I heard that Chevio got caught trying to carry me to his driving class while I was sleeping?
The second child of the Astrod Family was an obvious case in the genealogy, and I knew it because I had heard it several times, although I couldn't remember it.
Chevio shouted with a resentful face.
"It was because of lan!"
"Why are you involving me in what you did?"
"When I said my youngest was pretty, you told me not to lie. You said a younger sibling couldn't be pretty, and you accused me of being a liar!"
"..."
"That's why I took the youngest. But I was caught by the teacher before I could show you."
Although Chevio appealed his grievance, he was only met with ridicule from Kjer.
"I can't believe it. How did you know you wouldn't get caught? Are you really full of muscles even in your head?"
"I thought you didn't know Millenia was a person! She looks like a doll, our youngest."
"But,"
Chevio and Kjer nodded at the same time. Even Ian looked calm as if he had heard the obvious.
I heard that he often came and went from home when he was young, so it seems like he was brainwashed by my older brothers.
Unable to bear the embarrassment, I quickly changed the subject.
"Your Highness."
"Yes."
"Are you hurt?"
"...Nо."
"It smells like medicine."
There was silence for a moment.
lan exchanged glances with Chevio, not even realizing that I was staring at him.
"I think you've mistaken me for Chevio."
"The smell of medicine coming from the little Duke is different from the smell of medicine coming from my brother. By the way, my sense of smell is better than my hearing."
"..."
"I think you applied Little Brother's ointment. It's old, so it probably won't be very effective."
As I said that and smiled, Ian opened his mouth slightly. Perhaps because he was handsome, his embarrassed expression was also cool.
"Where did you get hurt?"
"My back is a little..."
"Hey! What if I tell you? We decided to keep it a secret!"
Ian hurriedly made an excuse as if he was sorry.
"I'm almost better. I recovered very quickly."
Unfortunately, none of his excuses reached my ears.
'Did you hurt your back?"
I held back the cheers that were about to burst out. I spoke as calmly as I could.
"I have some ointment. I'll apply it for you."
"Ugh! Cough, cough!"
Chevio let out a violent cough, and Kjer turned to me with a puzzled expression.
"Oh, you don't have to be embarrassed, I can't see you even if you take off all your clothes, Your Highness."
It's a lie, but what can I do? If I don't do this, there's no way to check the scar.
"Hey, youngest, isn't that the problem?"
"Then?"
"No."
Chevio mumbled and trailed off.
Just as Ian was about to tell me to go to the bedroom right away, Nadia came into the central garden carrying a silver platter.
"Miss, a letter has arrived from the Imperial Palace."
The silver platter she brought contained a card with an ornate seal.
Kjer read the card, paused for a moment, and then stood up.
"Millenia."
"Yes?"
"Prepare to enter the palace."
***
After quickly getting ready, I went out with Nadia.
Kker, who had been waiting in front of the carriage, grabbed my hand.
"Get on."
Nadia and I got on first, and then Kier got on the carriage.
After a while, as the carriage slowly started to arrive at the main entrance, a cloud of reporters could be seen gathering there.
"Over there! It's the little Prince's carriage!"
As soon as the main door opened, reporters rushed in. Nadia quickly drew the curtains to cover the windows.
"Your Grace! How are you feeling right now!"
"I heard you were usually against Prince Oslo. Is that true?"
"Is there anyone you have in mind for Young Lady's marriage partner?"
Reporters crowded into the carriage and peppered it with questions. The carriage shook violently.
"Nadia."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Nadia covered me with her wide cloak. Then Kjer opened the carriage door.
"Please ask questions one by one. Don't talk nonsense."
As he said that and drew his sword, the reporters who had been making such a fuss all became quiet. But they didn't back down.
Boom! Boom!
The sound of flashes going off was heard frantically from all directions.
'My older brother will be in tomorrow's newspaper.'
Honestly, I thought the reporters would back off once I announced my breakup with Oslo, but I didn't expect them to be this persistent.
Kjer looked around the room with a cold expression and closed the carriage door.
The reporters' barrage of questions came flooding in again.
"I'm sorry, it was because of me.'
"Apologize only when you do something wrong. This isn't your fault."
The carriage moved forward little by little, wrestling with the reporters for a while.
It was the moment when I finally escaped the crowd of reporters and entered the street.
"Millenia!"
Someone suddenly appeared and blocked the carriage.
It was a woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat pulled down low, but I couldn't recognize her. She ran to the front of the carriage and shouted urgently.
"Millenia! It's Sierra! Let me talk to you for a minute! Just a minute!"
The voice is so loud that even the reporters who were barely able to shake it off will come rushing back.
"Brother, stop the carriage for a moment."
"..."
As Kjer pulled the string without saying a word, the coachman stopped the carriage.
As I got out of the carriage with Nadia, Sierra approached me hesitantly.
A face without makeup, messy hair, and a very wrinkled dress.
Compared to her usual appearance of being perfectly groomed from head to toe, it was unimaginably shabby.
Looking at the documents she was tightly clutching, I could see why she had come running like this.
"Millenia, what is this? You want me to pay you back?"
"If you borrow something, you have to pay it back."
"I borrowed this huge amount of money? That doesn't make sense!"
"It's the sum of the amount of the IOU you gave me every time you borrowed money. I can show you if you want."
"What, loan certificate?"
Sierra hesitated as if she had been hit by a bullet.
Up until now, she's been spending my money like water.
And she would write me a promissory note every time as if she were doing me some great favor because she knew full well that I had no intention of getting it back.
"How do I know it's real? You could have forged my signature!"
I burst out laughing without realizing it. Sierra asked again with a confused expression.
"Why, why are you laughing?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. It was too funny."
"So what!"
"Why would I forge your signature for such a pittance?"
I spoke clearly to the pale Sierra.
"In case you forgot, I am Millenia Astrod."
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment