It was the first time I felt nervous just by making eye contact. Of course, that was because I had never been alone with such a handsome man before.
Zachary was handsome, but the Duke had a charm that was a bit more captivating. Especially that voice...
“Do you have any memories from your childhood?”
“No. All I remember is that I grew up in the back alleys of George ever since I was five.”
“...There’s no way to prove that either.”
I started to talk about the old little dress I got from Olga, but then I closed my mouth.
Now that I think about it, I completely forgot about it. I left my bag behind, so if Enoch had packed it, he probably still had it.
The Duke seemed to think about something for a moment, then made a short gesture.
“You may go out. Cesare will be waiting in front of the barracks. Ask him to guide you to your quarters. I will call you back soon.”
I got up obediently. Being in one place with the Duke for so long was nerve-racking for many reasons. Whether it was because I was being accused of being a criminal or just my heart.
Anyway, it seemed like the worst had passed. Maybe I was the only one who was too scared.
There was just one question that remained unanswered. I hesitated in front of the entrance to the barracks, then turned back again.
“Excuse me, Your Highness, the Duke. May I ask you one thing?”
"What?"
He was looking down at the papers again. His voice was so indifferent. It was as if he no longer had time to pay me even a little attention.
That pushed me back. I blurted out.
“Does my face look a lot like Her Highness Princess Anastasia?”
“...”
He seemed speechless for a moment. My hair and eye color were like that of a Princess in the clouds. Was that too bold a question for me, who had grown up in back alleys all my life?
But I've always been curious, and after hearing that story from the Duke, I've been curious ever since. Everyone said that the Princess had dark brown hair and green eyes.
The Duke raised his head slightly and looked straight at me. He was silent for a long time.
But those eyes stare at me intently.
The answer was in that gaze.
“If that’s fake, it would be a really convincing fake. I reserve judgment.”
The two knights who were called into the barracks fell silent at their lord's words.
The first to come to his senses was Chief of Staff Cesare.
“Once you get to the capital, you can request a test at the temple. It’ll take a while for the results to come back though.”
“But is it really Princess Anastasia?”
Jacqueline, who had been silent the whole time, spoke.
“I remember the necklace exactly, and even the bare minimum of information about its appearance matches.”
“...”
“Pale blond hair and blue eyes with a hint of gray. Not many people know about her. Princess Anastasia was weak as a child, so only a select few were allowed to see her.”
“...”
“I didn’t even leave behind a single proper portrait. Fortunately, I do have an unfinished copy that I was working on about a week before I went missing.”
“Oh, that. I’ve seen it too. Isn’t it hanging in the main hall of the palace? But I clearly remember it as having brown hair and green eyes.”
“They added some color to it. The Emperor was trying his best to find his surviving granddaughter at the time, and the man who wanted to take advantage of that was always looking for an opportunity. That’s why it mixed in some rumors.”
“Brown hair, green eyes, three dots on her shoulder, and a tattoo on the sole of her foot.”
“If I had believed that the real Princess was alive, I wouldn’t have done that... But the number of people captured has exceeded dozens, so how could a five-year-old girl have survived in their hands?”
The knights fell silent again. They all secretly agreed with those words. None of them had even thought that Princess Anastasia was alive.
“That’s right. It’s something we couldn’t even guess. If that person is really Her Highness the Princess... How did she get to George?”
George old pawnbroker initially reported the necklace stolen, and by coincidence, the person assigned to take charge was Viscount Jansen, the imperial secretary.
The investigation gained momentum from the fact that it resembled the necklace in the portrait of the Princess.
“Assuming that she really is the Princess, it seems she was raised by a certain Mama Olga. That person must be the mastermind behind this, or at least be connected to it.”
The knights were all silent. When they first received the necklace, they thought they would catch the tail of the person behind the disappearance. Who would have expected that they would find the lost granddaughter?
The Duke had been friends since childhood and had been waiting for the Princess's return for a long time with affection, but... few people truly believed that the Princess was alive.
“If that woman is truly the princess as His Highness said, then she must enter the palace before Princess Kairak’s coming-of-age ceremony. If we delay any longer, even if she is the rightful heir, Princess Kairak will already be recognized by the public as the Emperor’s successor. It will be seen as usurpation, which will be ridiculous in many ways.”
“For us, isn’t it a good thing that it has appeared, whether it’s fake or real? If it’s real, the pebbles we picked up are worth gold, and even if it’s fake, it can buy us some time.”
Jacqueline chimed in with a twinkle in his eye. As the youngest son of an Eastern admiral, he tended to view everything simply, even when it came to his superiors, whom he respected.
However, Cesare, who would normally make you shiver, continued speaking in an unexpectedly heavy tone.
“Jacqueline is right. This is the last card we have available. We don’t have to bow down to Kairak.”
Cesare gritted his teeth and replied. The conflict between Kairak and Ashkhabad was now an old feeling.
But that deep emotional chasm showed no sign of being filled as the years passed.
Even if the engagement between the Princess of Kairak and the Duke of Ashkabad goes ahead, it is nothing but a humiliation from their perspective.
“Stop your seditious remarks. If it turns out that she is not Her Highness Princess Anastasia, Princess Kairak is the only alternative to inheriting the Emperor’s blood. I should not harbor any personal regrets when offering my loyalty.”
“That blood, it would be very faint.”
Jacqueline blurted out. But he closed his mouth again at the Duke's gaze.
I looked around the place the Duke had given me.
The floor was covered with white furry animal skins, and the wooden table and bed were all splendid. The quilts were made of real silk and were very thickly stuffed with cotton.
Although it was called a makeshift shelter, this barracks seemed better than any place I had ever stayed, except Mama Olga's small two-story house.
It was my one and only haven of peace. It was a place where I could truly rest. No matter how old and unrepaired the ceiling was, no place could beat it, no matter how much rain or snow poured down.
It was a shame because if I had been assured that I would be safe, I would never have left.
I looked around cautiously and sat down at the table. There was steaming hot tea and cookies prepared for me.
Seeing that he was treating me so well, I thought it was a good idea to be honest with the Duke.
In fact, no matter how young I looked, I wasn't registered as a child. If you said that I was actually older and that I was just making things up to look young, I would have nothing to say.
I have seen very young children being punished for this, even before they were born, just because they look similar. The higher-ups think that people like us have some kind of amazing disguise skills.
If there was something like that, I would have made a lot of money by dealing with the old nobles a long time ago.
“Miss. Get up.”
I woke up with a start when someone shook my hand.
Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep with my head down on the table. It seemed like I had let my guard down after running away for so long and finally being caught.
I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"Who are you?"
It was a knight and a woman. She had very confident eyes and her brown hair was tied up in a bun.
“This is Jaina Lanford. His Highness the Duke has ordered me to bring her to you.”
“His Highness the Duke? On this night?”
“It’s already dawn. The carriage you’re going to take is ready. The roads are all cleared. Everyone had a hard time, doing in one night what would have taken two days.”
“Wait a minute. It’s morning already?”
I looked surprised. I thought I was only a little bit asleep, but I ended up staying up all night? My shoulders and back were aching.
I got up from my seat, rubbing my left shoulder.
“Yes. He said you were fast asleep and that he couldn’t wake you up outside the barracks, so he sent me. There are few women in the Knights Templar.”
She added softly. The Duke seemed to be a much more gentlemanly man than I had thought.
In Mama Olga's house, pickpockets, regardless of whether they were men or women, would sleep huddled together in the same room. Rather than being separated by gender, they were more like a pack of animals.
Suddenly, a funny thought occurred to me. If there were no female knights in this order, would the Duke have just been waiting for me to wake up?
“I will take care of you for the time being. If there is anything you need, please let me know. I have never done this before, so please be forgiving of my shortcomings.”
Jaina spoke to me so politely that I almost felt embarrassed. It seemed like the unexpected treatment of a precious young lady would continue here as well.
I nodded timidly.
"Thank you."
“I prepared some warm water, so why don’t you wash your face first?”
Jaina urged very gently. She was in no hurry, but things outside the barracks were different. It sounded like everything was being hurriedly sorted out.
Zachary was handsome, but the Duke had a charm that was a bit more captivating. Especially that voice...
“Do you have any memories from your childhood?”
“No. All I remember is that I grew up in the back alleys of George ever since I was five.”
“...There’s no way to prove that either.”
I started to talk about the old little dress I got from Olga, but then I closed my mouth.
Now that I think about it, I completely forgot about it. I left my bag behind, so if Enoch had packed it, he probably still had it.
The Duke seemed to think about something for a moment, then made a short gesture.
“You may go out. Cesare will be waiting in front of the barracks. Ask him to guide you to your quarters. I will call you back soon.”
I got up obediently. Being in one place with the Duke for so long was nerve-racking for many reasons. Whether it was because I was being accused of being a criminal or just my heart.
Anyway, it seemed like the worst had passed. Maybe I was the only one who was too scared.
There was just one question that remained unanswered. I hesitated in front of the entrance to the barracks, then turned back again.
“Excuse me, Your Highness, the Duke. May I ask you one thing?”
"What?"
He was looking down at the papers again. His voice was so indifferent. It was as if he no longer had time to pay me even a little attention.
That pushed me back. I blurted out.
“Does my face look a lot like Her Highness Princess Anastasia?”
“...”
He seemed speechless for a moment. My hair and eye color were like that of a Princess in the clouds. Was that too bold a question for me, who had grown up in back alleys all my life?
But I've always been curious, and after hearing that story from the Duke, I've been curious ever since. Everyone said that the Princess had dark brown hair and green eyes.
The Duke raised his head slightly and looked straight at me. He was silent for a long time.
But those eyes stare at me intently.
The answer was in that gaze.
***
“If that’s fake, it would be a really convincing fake. I reserve judgment.”
The two knights who were called into the barracks fell silent at their lord's words.
The first to come to his senses was Chief of Staff Cesare.
“Once you get to the capital, you can request a test at the temple. It’ll take a while for the results to come back though.”
“But is it really Princess Anastasia?”
Jacqueline, who had been silent the whole time, spoke.
“I remember the necklace exactly, and even the bare minimum of information about its appearance matches.”
“...”
“Pale blond hair and blue eyes with a hint of gray. Not many people know about her. Princess Anastasia was weak as a child, so only a select few were allowed to see her.”
“...”
“I didn’t even leave behind a single proper portrait. Fortunately, I do have an unfinished copy that I was working on about a week before I went missing.”
“Oh, that. I’ve seen it too. Isn’t it hanging in the main hall of the palace? But I clearly remember it as having brown hair and green eyes.”
“They added some color to it. The Emperor was trying his best to find his surviving granddaughter at the time, and the man who wanted to take advantage of that was always looking for an opportunity. That’s why it mixed in some rumors.”
“Brown hair, green eyes, three dots on her shoulder, and a tattoo on the sole of her foot.”
“If I had believed that the real Princess was alive, I wouldn’t have done that... But the number of people captured has exceeded dozens, so how could a five-year-old girl have survived in their hands?”
The knights fell silent again. They all secretly agreed with those words. None of them had even thought that Princess Anastasia was alive.
“That’s right. It’s something we couldn’t even guess. If that person is really Her Highness the Princess... How did she get to George?”
George old pawnbroker initially reported the necklace stolen, and by coincidence, the person assigned to take charge was Viscount Jansen, the imperial secretary.
The investigation gained momentum from the fact that it resembled the necklace in the portrait of the Princess.
“Assuming that she really is the Princess, it seems she was raised by a certain Mama Olga. That person must be the mastermind behind this, or at least be connected to it.”
The knights were all silent. When they first received the necklace, they thought they would catch the tail of the person behind the disappearance. Who would have expected that they would find the lost granddaughter?
The Duke had been friends since childhood and had been waiting for the Princess's return for a long time with affection, but... few people truly believed that the Princess was alive.
“If that woman is truly the princess as His Highness said, then she must enter the palace before Princess Kairak’s coming-of-age ceremony. If we delay any longer, even if she is the rightful heir, Princess Kairak will already be recognized by the public as the Emperor’s successor. It will be seen as usurpation, which will be ridiculous in many ways.”
“For us, isn’t it a good thing that it has appeared, whether it’s fake or real? If it’s real, the pebbles we picked up are worth gold, and even if it’s fake, it can buy us some time.”
Jacqueline chimed in with a twinkle in his eye. As the youngest son of an Eastern admiral, he tended to view everything simply, even when it came to his superiors, whom he respected.
However, Cesare, who would normally make you shiver, continued speaking in an unexpectedly heavy tone.
“Jacqueline is right. This is the last card we have available. We don’t have to bow down to Kairak.”
Cesare gritted his teeth and replied. The conflict between Kairak and Ashkhabad was now an old feeling.
But that deep emotional chasm showed no sign of being filled as the years passed.
Even if the engagement between the Princess of Kairak and the Duke of Ashkabad goes ahead, it is nothing but a humiliation from their perspective.
“Stop your seditious remarks. If it turns out that she is not Her Highness Princess Anastasia, Princess Kairak is the only alternative to inheriting the Emperor’s blood. I should not harbor any personal regrets when offering my loyalty.”
“That blood, it would be very faint.”
Jacqueline blurted out. But he closed his mouth again at the Duke's gaze.
***
I looked around the place the Duke had given me.
The floor was covered with white furry animal skins, and the wooden table and bed were all splendid. The quilts were made of real silk and were very thickly stuffed with cotton.
Although it was called a makeshift shelter, this barracks seemed better than any place I had ever stayed, except Mama Olga's small two-story house.
It was my one and only haven of peace. It was a place where I could truly rest. No matter how old and unrepaired the ceiling was, no place could beat it, no matter how much rain or snow poured down.
It was a shame because if I had been assured that I would be safe, I would never have left.
I looked around cautiously and sat down at the table. There was steaming hot tea and cookies prepared for me.
Seeing that he was treating me so well, I thought it was a good idea to be honest with the Duke.
In fact, no matter how young I looked, I wasn't registered as a child. If you said that I was actually older and that I was just making things up to look young, I would have nothing to say.
I have seen very young children being punished for this, even before they were born, just because they look similar. The higher-ups think that people like us have some kind of amazing disguise skills.
If there was something like that, I would have made a lot of money by dealing with the old nobles a long time ago.
“Miss. Get up.”
I woke up with a start when someone shook my hand.
Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep with my head down on the table. It seemed like I had let my guard down after running away for so long and finally being caught.
I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"Who are you?"
It was a knight and a woman. She had very confident eyes and her brown hair was tied up in a bun.
“This is Jaina Lanford. His Highness the Duke has ordered me to bring her to you.”
“His Highness the Duke? On this night?”
“It’s already dawn. The carriage you’re going to take is ready. The roads are all cleared. Everyone had a hard time, doing in one night what would have taken two days.”
“Wait a minute. It’s morning already?”
I looked surprised. I thought I was only a little bit asleep, but I ended up staying up all night? My shoulders and back were aching.
I got up from my seat, rubbing my left shoulder.
“Yes. He said you were fast asleep and that he couldn’t wake you up outside the barracks, so he sent me. There are few women in the Knights Templar.”
She added softly. The Duke seemed to be a much more gentlemanly man than I had thought.
In Mama Olga's house, pickpockets, regardless of whether they were men or women, would sleep huddled together in the same room. Rather than being separated by gender, they were more like a pack of animals.
Suddenly, a funny thought occurred to me. If there were no female knights in this order, would the Duke have just been waiting for me to wake up?
“I will take care of you for the time being. If there is anything you need, please let me know. I have never done this before, so please be forgiving of my shortcomings.”
Jaina spoke to me so politely that I almost felt embarrassed. It seemed like the unexpected treatment of a precious young lady would continue here as well.
I nodded timidly.
"Thank you."
“I prepared some warm water, so why don’t you wash your face first?”
Jaina urged very gently. She was in no hurry, but things outside the barracks were different. It sounded like everything was being hurriedly sorted out.
Comments
Post a Comment