I am...
I, who had been silent as if deep in thought, opened my lips.
“Carsis. From now on, you will stay in the room next to me.”
'I want to protect you, Carsis.'
It was such an impulsive decision.
I knew that the weight of these words was by no means light.
“I heard that the royal escort knights stay in a small room next to the royal bedroom. It’s so that they can respond quickly if something irreverent happens in the palace. Although I am only the Duke’s daughter right now, I will soon become the Crown Princess. So if you use my safety as an excuse, no one will say anything about you staying in the room next to mine.”
It was a pretty plausible story for something made up in a hurry.
I reached out my hand to him.
“Let’s go, Carsis.”
Carsis's gaze trembled slightly as he looked at me.
Soon his head dropped.
“...It was the same that day too.”
A lower voice than before flowed out through his lips.
“That day, too, the young lady reached out to me, just as you did today. To a dirty child, as shabby and dirty as a field rat in a swamp.”
The beautiful Elizabeth who saved him from hell.
“My world has changed since I met you. The hand you extended to me, who was just born and living, was a miracle, even the word ‘miracle’ is not enough.”
Elizabeth was his salvation itself.
“I know. If you become the Crown Princess, I can no longer be by your side.”
My eyes opened wide at Carsis's words.
He knew.
That I was gradually distancing myself from Carsis.
No, is that a given?
Because I've rejected him several times already.
It turned out better.
It was a time when I was wondering how to get away from Carsis.
Of course, I made an unplanned choice in an unexpected situation. But I thought it was right to draw a clear line with him now.
“You are right, Carsis. I will soon become the Crown Princess, and in the future, the Empress. In such a situation, I do not want our relationship to be known to others.”
“...”
“Keep in mind that when I call you to my room next door, I am calling you as my escort. I have no other intentions.”
My sharp words instantly cut off Carsis's slim hope.
A bitter smile spread across Carsis's lips.
“Even though it was a relationship with a set ending, it still hurts a little.”
But Carsis quickly erased that smile and knelt before me.
“I won’t ask for anything more from you, young lady.”
Then he gently kissed the hand I held out.
“But please, my master.”
As if treating something very noble.
“Until the day you leave this place, young lady. Please don’t push me away, even for the short time that remains. I will live quietly, burying that memory as a recollection.”
Hot breath tickled the back of my hand.
“Carsis...”
My heart is broken.
I'm sorry I have to say this.
My heart ached at the harsh world that Carsis had endured all this time.
I hugged him tightly as if to comfort him.
'I will definitely make you happy.'
Carsis's eyes opened wide as if he hadn't expected someone to suddenly embrace him.
But soon he buried his head in my shoulder.
With a brighter smile on her lips than ever before.
***
The impact of bringing Carsis to the next room was greater than expected.
Because I was called to the Duke's office so early in the morning.
I spied the Duke sitting on the sofa, sipping tea.
Are you trying to get out of bed?
It was when I, who was nervous without realizing it, was swallowing dry saliva.
“I heard you moved Carsis to the room next to yours.”
Duke Cretian recited without showing any emotion.
“Yes. I heard that in the imperial palace, there is a space for knights to stay in the room next to the bedroom for safety. Since I will soon become the Crown Princess, I told Carsis to stay in the room next door for safety.”
It might have worked for Carsis, but it was too ridiculous an excuse to fool Duke Cretian.
You've been doing fine for over 20 years without taking any action, and now you want to have an escort in the next room for your safety.
As expected, Duke Cretian snorted.
“Who here threatens your life?”
“That’s not it, but...”
I thought you were just a fool for your daughter.
Since he had previously allowed Carsis to stay in the mansion, I thought this issue would be easily resolved.
When I saw the Duke staring at me with a cold gaze I had never seen before, my mouth burned.
“Elizabeth. As you said, you will soon become the Crown Princess. But what would others think if they saw you being so close to your knight escort? You don’t really think the royal family doesn’t know about this, do you?”
“...I know. But have you seen Carsis’ room? I don’t know who did it, but they did something very lowly. Carsis was like my little brother before she was my bodyguard. I can’t stand seeing him treated like that.”
“It was expected from the moment that child, whose origins we don’t even know, became a knight of our family. It’s not like we appointed him as a knight of honor without that much determination. Carsis must have expected that much.”
“...”
As the Duke said, Carsis was taking it for granted that he was being treated unfairly beyond his expectations.
That's why I was more concerned about that appearance.
I just lowered my head without answering.
“I’m saying this out of concern, but please don’t do anything like finding the culprit who tormented Carsis.”
“...Yes. I know. So, until I go to the palace. Until then, don’t say anything about what I do for Carsis.”
The Duke, who was glancing at me like that, let out a short sigh.
“If you really say so.”
“Then I’ll get up now. Starting today, I’ll be taking another lesson in palace etiquette.”
“Yeah, I guess I’ve held you back too long. Just go out.”
“Yes, Father.”
I left the office and went straight down the stairs to the palace.
I never thought I'd want to go to etiquette class this quickly.
I let out a hollow laugh as I snickered.
"Miss."
As I reached the first floor, Carsis approached me as if he had been waiting for me.
He was looking at me with droopy eyes as if he was very bothered by me being called to the Duke.
“Maybe because of me, His Highness...”
“That’s right. He's mad. For making you stay in the room next to mine.”
“...”
Carsis lowered his head as if he had expected this.
“I guess I shouldn’t have stayed in the room next door. Starting today, I’ll stay in my room again.”
“You don’t have to. I have permission.”
Then as if he didn't know that the Duke would give permission, his eyes widened.
“So don’t worry and stay in the room next door.”
“But how...”
“That’ll be later. Let’s go to the palace first. We’ll be late if we keep going like this.”
I, who was embarrassed to talk about the conversation, hurried my steps while mumbling my answer.
Why do I want to go to the palace so much today?
It was truly a shame.
But that feeling was fleeting.
As soon as I arrived at the palace, I wanted to go home again.
***
'Shit.'
Just an hour ago, it seemed like I was eager to get to the palace.
That must be because the difficult memories were romanticized during the sweet rest.
As soon as I arrived, I clicked my tongue when I saw Baroness Caroline making me take a test asking if I had forgotten what I had learned.
However, since I had been practicing the gestures of a noble lady from time to time, nothing frightened Caroline.
I did get nagged a little bit though.
After a short test, I was catching my breath.
Caroline returned to my room and was presented with a trial greater than any I had faced before.
“Today, we will learn about dance, which can be called the flower of social interaction.”
“...Dancing?”
“Yes. I heard that the dance of the Cretian Princess is as beautiful as the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings. Can I look forward to it this time?”
No, not at all.
They say they covered up everything else somehow, but dancing was a completely different area.
If I had known this would happen, I would have made excuses and taken private dancing lessons.
I didn't even know how to do basic steps, let alone flap my wings gracefully.
What kind of excuse can I come up with to get out of this crisis? I started to rack my brain.
'Should I say I twisted my ankle coming down the stairs this morning? No. I walked in too fine for that!'
I, who was thinking of various solutions, clapped my hands inwardly.
'Yes! First of all, you can't dance without a partner. However, if you have a practice partner prepared, even if it's just practice since it's your first dance in the palace, you say you definitely want to dance with the crown prince!'
It was a ridiculous excuse, but now was not the time for me to be discussing such things.
Didn't you say that Elizabeth danced like a butterfly?
If someone who used to be like that were suddenly discovered to not know even the basic steps, he or she could arouse unnecessary suspicion.
That was when I opened my lips to come up with a hastily made excuse.
The door opened with a knock and a man came in.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
The one who opened the door and came in was Crown Prince Ernest.
Caroline, who recognized him first, was the first to offer an example.
“I came to see how the future Crown Princess is doing. Did I bother you?”
Comments
Post a Comment