I opened my palm and held it out to him. He cupped the back of my hand and placed his right index finger on my palm.
The feeling of drawing each stroke was ticklish. How on earth did he notice it so intently with his eyes closed?
"Landlord?"
"No."
"Train?"
“That’s not it either.”
“Then.”
“There are a lot of similar words. If you get confused, it’s quicker to figure them out in sentences.”
He calmly rolled up my sleeve a little and wrote a very short sentence on my wrist.
He was right this time, too, because within the sentence, he could quickly infer what the word was.
"...I don't know."
I snapped my finger to the clock and answered. He smiled softly and shrugged.
As soon as he turned his back on me, his face, which had been pretending not to know anything the whole time, fell apart.
'My salvation.'
I wanted to grab him again and ask him why he said that to me.
“Young Lady, wake up.”
I lifted my face from where it was pressed against the desk at the gesture of a hand shaking my body awake.
I think I fell asleep in the early morning hours after struggling with a lot of homework that I couldn't possibly finish in one night...
I stared blankly down at the paper I had just been sleeping on.
The assignment that had been progressing with plausible logic until yesterday was now half-spread and wrinkled because of my spit.
“Oh, no, uh...”
A hollow laugh escaped my lips. I was about to swear without thinking, but Isabella's stern face came to mind, and I hesitated out of habit.
Now, even the subconscious is under control... Education is sometimes nothing and sometimes everything.
As I was blinking absentmindedly, Lisa urged me once more.
“Young Lady, please. You have to move quickly.”
I was often pushed into the bathroom by Lisa. Looking at Lisa's pale face, I began to feel that something was wrong.
I took off my chemise and asked as I soaked in the bathtub.
“What’s wrong, Lisa?”
"That is..."
While Lisa hesitated, the bathroom door opened again. It was Isabella, her maids, and Etoile's seamstresses.
Everyone's eyes widened as if they had been called out of their sleep. They quickly knelt down to greet me.
“Young Lady.”
“Isabella. This is it, what the...”
Isabella cut me off gently, saying:
“The Emperor has sent a carriage. It passed through the Northwest half an hour ago, so there is only an hour left.”
I opened my mouth in shock and barely managed to respond.
“...Wait a minute. The Emperor is sending a carriage? Why? There wasn’t even a hint of that until yesterday.”
“It’s already been last week since the Poste Brum newspaper published the article. The first edition of the newspaper that contained Young Lady’s article is so popular that it’s hard to even get ahold of it now. Even if he’s the Duke of Kairak, it would be difficult to delay reporting to the Emperor any longer.”
That was true. The newspaper article planned by Cesare, 'How the Missing Anastasia Came Back Alive,' was now a huge success.
People were equally excited about the story of the Princess who came back alive. Unlike the previous con artists who had been talking nonsense, this time, there was even a plausible motive behind it.
She is a woman personally selected by Duke Ashkabad.
The article in the newspaper was very moving, and the deceptively beautiful portraits also contributed to its popularity.
All I did was get called out and sit there dumbly laughing in front of a portrait artist.
In any case, among the many women who had called themselves Princess Anastasia, I was the only one who had the support of the entire empire.
Many people in the capital gathered in front of the Duke of Ashkabad's mansion every morning and evening to show their support for me. Baskets of flowers, dolls, and postcards were piled up like a mountain in front of the main gate every day. Even the Emperor had rarely received such praise.
And all this commotion was aimed at today's result: to attract the attention of the Emperor, who, on the pretext of illness, was refusing to meet with anyone except the Duke of Kairak.
“The more silent the palace remains, the more people will notice that something is strange. But we need to find a fault, so we rush in like this, with little time to prepare.”
Isabella snapped her fingers and gestured to her maids.
Under her command, I was immediately pulled out of the water, wrapped in a large towel, and placed in front of the dressing table. Even while I was absentmindedly watching, their hands were precise and without any wandering.
In an instant, my messy hair became smooth, and my cheeks and lips became smooth and lively.
“I’ll let your hair down and tie it with a ribbon in the middle just once. It’s early in the morning, so it won’t be a big flaw, and it’ll look more natural. Now, get up.”
It's coming. I took a deep breath. This way, even if I tighten my underwear, it's somewhat bearable. Later, as I let out my breath, there will be more space.
Isabella, who was quick-witted, noticed my trick and pursed her lips but said nothing. She seemed to think it would be better to look a little thicker than to faint in a flash.
After all the petticoats were put on, the Etoile seamstresses carefully lifted the dress.
The head seamstress said confidently.
“Fortunately, the dress you commissioned last time was already finished. I had to finish it in a hurry because you called, but it’s still a piece I’m happy to show you.”
You said I requested it? I didn't see that design when I ordered it last time.
I tilted my head, but the dress was really beautiful at first glance, even though it required three seamstresses and two maids to make it because of the delicate fabric.
I was amazed at the beautiful shape and soft feel of the dress the whole time I was wearing it.
“Yes, you’re almost done. Just bend your knees a little bit.”
Finally, to finish off the look with a few delicate touches, the maids brought in a mirror.
I looked in the mirror for a moment and stopped. It was a change that was hard to get used to no matter how many times I saw it, but this time, it was a different matter.
“This is... Really...”
As I stammered and opened my mouth, Isabella asked cautiously.
“How is it?”
“Sure, that’s great. But...”
“It’s a grade lower than the fabric supplied to the royal family. The young lady cannot make clothes with that quality fabric yet. Still, I asked that the appearance of the dress you wore as a child be preserved as much as possible.”
When I put it on like this, it was strange that I didn't recognize it at first glance. It was a copy of the very clothes Olga had given me.
As I slowly raised my gaze from where it had been down to my toes, my eyes met with the woman in the mirror.
Indeed, it was Princess Anastasia. The Princess from the portrait Isabella had. She was a little more grown up, a little more innocent-looking, but it was undoubtedly her.
“His Excellency is waiting in the reception room.”
Only then did we both come to our senses at Lisa's voice.
Isabella wrapped her shawl around my shoulders and patted my back gently. I could feel her hands shaking.
“Take care on your way. I’ll be waiting here.”
She greeted me as if she was going on a long journey. Tears were welling up at the corners of her eyes. She greeted me gracefully.
Now I could see it. It wasn't the example of nobles and noblemen that she had first taught me... it was an example of royalty.
Isabella straightened her bent back and smiled brightly.
“When we meet again, I will be able to address you properly. Your Highness Anastasia.”
As soon as I opened the door to the reception room, Laskan was waiting for me. Even though it was early morning, close to dawn, he didn't look the slightest bit disheveled.
Is he like that in the bedroom? I thought blankly and blushed. I didn't mean it that way. I was just curious about his sleeping habits.
I was having random thoughts when I finally noticed Laskan's expression.
“This is...”
Laskan had a look of utter shock on his face. It made me feel a little embarrassed.
“Isn’t it great?”
I said that casually, spinning around in place, even though I knew who he saw in me.
It felt a bit shameless to ask him with my own mouth whether I looked like Princess Anastasia. Laskan nodded absentmindedly.
“It was a good decision to order those clothes.”
“Were these clothes commissioned by Your Excellency?”
“Because it’s a good card to use.”
I looked up at him in silence. Sometimes, I get confused when I see him. He treats me very politely and gently, but he doesn't hesitate to say that it's for political purposes.
I was confused as to whether he was being nice to me because he liked me or if he was just thinking of me as a political pawn. People's minds change hundreds of times a day.
I slumped my shoulders sullenly.
“Everything is good, but one thing is missing.”
At the Duke's gesture, a servant brought a small velvet box. The servant carefully opened the box with his white-gloved hand.
Inside was Olga's necklace.
“This is...”
When I couldn't bring myself to continue speaking, he lifted the necklace himself.
I bent my neck slightly to make him comfortable. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Laskan hesitate as he took a step closer. I tilted my head and asked.
“Why is that?”
“No, nothing...”
He had an expression on his face like he was surprised by something.
Soon, my attention was diverted as he put the necklace on me.
The feeling of drawing each stroke was ticklish. How on earth did he notice it so intently with his eyes closed?
"Landlord?"
All I could feel was a single character, so I kept my story short. The hand kept touching me, and the tickling sensation made me feel weird. My priority was to quickly defuse the situation.
"Train?"
“That’s not it either.”
“Then.”
“There are a lot of similar words. If you get confused, it’s quicker to figure them out in sentences.”
He calmly rolled up my sleeve a little and wrote a very short sentence on my wrist.
He was right this time, too, because within the sentence, he could quickly infer what the word was.
"...I don't know."
I snapped my finger to the clock and answered. He smiled softly and shrugged.
As soon as he turned his back on me, his face, which had been pretending not to know anything the whole time, fell apart.
'My salvation.'
I wanted to grab him again and ask him why he said that to me.
***
“Young Lady, wake up.”
I lifted my face from where it was pressed against the desk at the gesture of a hand shaking my body awake.
I think I fell asleep in the early morning hours after struggling with a lot of homework that I couldn't possibly finish in one night...
I stared blankly down at the paper I had just been sleeping on.
The assignment that had been progressing with plausible logic until yesterday was now half-spread and wrinkled because of my spit.
“Oh, no, uh...”
A hollow laugh escaped my lips. I was about to swear without thinking, but Isabella's stern face came to mind, and I hesitated out of habit.
Now, even the subconscious is under control... Education is sometimes nothing and sometimes everything.
As I was blinking absentmindedly, Lisa urged me once more.
“Young Lady, please. You have to move quickly.”
I was often pushed into the bathroom by Lisa. Looking at Lisa's pale face, I began to feel that something was wrong.
I took off my chemise and asked as I soaked in the bathtub.
“What’s wrong, Lisa?”
"That is..."
While Lisa hesitated, the bathroom door opened again. It was Isabella, her maids, and Etoile's seamstresses.
Everyone's eyes widened as if they had been called out of their sleep. They quickly knelt down to greet me.
“Young Lady.”
“Isabella. This is it, what the...”
Isabella cut me off gently, saying:
“The Emperor has sent a carriage. It passed through the Northwest half an hour ago, so there is only an hour left.”
I opened my mouth in shock and barely managed to respond.
“...Wait a minute. The Emperor is sending a carriage? Why? There wasn’t even a hint of that until yesterday.”
“It’s already been last week since the Poste Brum newspaper published the article. The first edition of the newspaper that contained Young Lady’s article is so popular that it’s hard to even get ahold of it now. Even if he’s the Duke of Kairak, it would be difficult to delay reporting to the Emperor any longer.”
That was true. The newspaper article planned by Cesare, 'How the Missing Anastasia Came Back Alive,' was now a huge success.
People were equally excited about the story of the Princess who came back alive. Unlike the previous con artists who had been talking nonsense, this time, there was even a plausible motive behind it.
She is a woman personally selected by Duke Ashkabad.
The article in the newspaper was very moving, and the deceptively beautiful portraits also contributed to its popularity.
All I did was get called out and sit there dumbly laughing in front of a portrait artist.
In any case, among the many women who had called themselves Princess Anastasia, I was the only one who had the support of the entire empire.
Many people in the capital gathered in front of the Duke of Ashkabad's mansion every morning and evening to show their support for me. Baskets of flowers, dolls, and postcards were piled up like a mountain in front of the main gate every day. Even the Emperor had rarely received such praise.
And all this commotion was aimed at today's result: to attract the attention of the Emperor, who, on the pretext of illness, was refusing to meet with anyone except the Duke of Kairak.
“The more silent the palace remains, the more people will notice that something is strange. But we need to find a fault, so we rush in like this, with little time to prepare.”
Isabella snapped her fingers and gestured to her maids.
Under her command, I was immediately pulled out of the water, wrapped in a large towel, and placed in front of the dressing table. Even while I was absentmindedly watching, their hands were precise and without any wandering.
In an instant, my messy hair became smooth, and my cheeks and lips became smooth and lively.
“I’ll let your hair down and tie it with a ribbon in the middle just once. It’s early in the morning, so it won’t be a big flaw, and it’ll look more natural. Now, get up.”
It's coming. I took a deep breath. This way, even if I tighten my underwear, it's somewhat bearable. Later, as I let out my breath, there will be more space.
Isabella, who was quick-witted, noticed my trick and pursed her lips but said nothing. She seemed to think it would be better to look a little thicker than to faint in a flash.
After all the petticoats were put on, the Etoile seamstresses carefully lifted the dress.
The head seamstress said confidently.
“Fortunately, the dress you commissioned last time was already finished. I had to finish it in a hurry because you called, but it’s still a piece I’m happy to show you.”
You said I requested it? I didn't see that design when I ordered it last time.
I tilted my head, but the dress was really beautiful at first glance, even though it required three seamstresses and two maids to make it because of the delicate fabric.
I was amazed at the beautiful shape and soft feel of the dress the whole time I was wearing it.
“Yes, you’re almost done. Just bend your knees a little bit.”
Finally, to finish off the look with a few delicate touches, the maids brought in a mirror.
I looked in the mirror for a moment and stopped. It was a change that was hard to get used to no matter how many times I saw it, but this time, it was a different matter.
“This is... Really...”
As I stammered and opened my mouth, Isabella asked cautiously.
“How is it?”
“Sure, that’s great. But...”
“It’s a grade lower than the fabric supplied to the royal family. The young lady cannot make clothes with that quality fabric yet. Still, I asked that the appearance of the dress you wore as a child be preserved as much as possible.”
When I put it on like this, it was strange that I didn't recognize it at first glance. It was a copy of the very clothes Olga had given me.
As I slowly raised my gaze from where it had been down to my toes, my eyes met with the woman in the mirror.
Indeed, it was Princess Anastasia. The Princess from the portrait Isabella had. She was a little more grown up, a little more innocent-looking, but it was undoubtedly her.
“His Excellency is waiting in the reception room.”
Only then did we both come to our senses at Lisa's voice.
Isabella wrapped her shawl around my shoulders and patted my back gently. I could feel her hands shaking.
“Take care on your way. I’ll be waiting here.”
She greeted me as if she was going on a long journey. Tears were welling up at the corners of her eyes. She greeted me gracefully.
Now I could see it. It wasn't the example of nobles and noblemen that she had first taught me... it was an example of royalty.
Isabella straightened her bent back and smiled brightly.
“When we meet again, I will be able to address you properly. Your Highness Anastasia.”
***
As soon as I opened the door to the reception room, Laskan was waiting for me. Even though it was early morning, close to dawn, he didn't look the slightest bit disheveled.
Is he like that in the bedroom? I thought blankly and blushed. I didn't mean it that way. I was just curious about his sleeping habits.
I was having random thoughts when I finally noticed Laskan's expression.
“This is...”
Laskan had a look of utter shock on his face. It made me feel a little embarrassed.
“Isn’t it great?”
I said that casually, spinning around in place, even though I knew who he saw in me.
It felt a bit shameless to ask him with my own mouth whether I looked like Princess Anastasia. Laskan nodded absentmindedly.
“It was a good decision to order those clothes.”
“Were these clothes commissioned by Your Excellency?”
“Because it’s a good card to use.”
I looked up at him in silence. Sometimes, I get confused when I see him. He treats me very politely and gently, but he doesn't hesitate to say that it's for political purposes.
I was confused as to whether he was being nice to me because he liked me or if he was just thinking of me as a political pawn. People's minds change hundreds of times a day.
I slumped my shoulders sullenly.
“Everything is good, but one thing is missing.”
At the Duke's gesture, a servant brought a small velvet box. The servant carefully opened the box with his white-gloved hand.
Inside was Olga's necklace.
“This is...”
When I couldn't bring myself to continue speaking, he lifted the necklace himself.
I bent my neck slightly to make him comfortable. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Laskan hesitate as he took a step closer. I tilted my head and asked.
“Why is that?”
“No, nothing...”
He had an expression on his face like he was surprised by something.
Soon, my attention was diverted as he put the necklace on me.
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