“Then, is there any basis to the rumor that his mother is Terasang?”
“As Your Highness has seen, Prince Batistan is very handsome. His mother must have been of excellent qualities, but since she was not able to rise to the government, there were many speculations that she was born of humble origins.”
Irina's elegant voice became lower and lower. I bent my head a little closer.
“In particular, the previous Marquis had been suffering from a chronic illness for a long time, and usually, when a son who was to be the successor is brought in, the mother is often promoted to the position of government. But she didn’t do that...”
“Either it was Terasang, or his mother had already passed away long ago.”
Even if Irina was like that, it seemed like it was quite a hot topic since even Thalia was mentioned in a row.
Irina added, as if a memory had suddenly occurred to her.
“Oh. By the way, his uncle had a baby boy last spring.”
Even if he was acting as a proxy for the Marquis, it was a time when he had been in office for over fifteen years.
If he had a child with his wife, it was natural that Dmitry would be pushed aside in the line of succession, even if he was the eldest son of the previous Marquis.
Thalia let out a pitiful sigh, as if she didn't know such detailed circumstances.
“That Young Master, his position as a small business owner has completely diminished.”
Irina nodded and continued.
“Before, even if dirty rumors were going around, there were always people who would try to talk to him. Now, only immature young ladies follow him around. Because he looks so neat.”
I let out a deep sigh. Maybe we are more alike than we think? I can't even imagine what it must be like for a man to come to me and say something like that.
I was lucky that this happened to me after I was fully grown. What if I was a seven-year-old kid and one day I was suddenly dragged into the palace?
I don't know, but I probably wouldn't have been as comfortable as I am now. Maybe I didn't even know the subject and lived under the illusion that I was a real Princess. The more I did that, the more people would have constantly suspected and laughed at my origins.
The humiliations he must have suffered were ones hebcould not have avoided if he had been unlucky. The reason hebendured and put up with all of that was probably because of the position of the head of the household... After his much younger cousin was born, even that was taken away from him, or her was forced to step down on his own.
There was no one in the world who deserved to be treated like that, no matter how humble his lineage. I couldn't help but feel pity for that man.
***
As scheduled, Laskan arrived late in the afternoon. Hearing that he was waiting in the garden, I hurried down to the first floor.
When I arrived at the garden, the table was beautifully decorated with all kinds of fresh flowers.
Judging by the abundance of tuberoses and lisianthus, it seemed that the flowers sent to Laskan in the morning had been used to their full potential. They were very pretty, just as Irina and Thalia had boasted.
"Your Highness."
Laskan bowed gracefully, took my hand, and led me to the front of the table. I sat down in the chair the servant had prepared for me as if I had been a lady since birth.
I didn't push my hips back too far, I didn't hunch my shoulders, and I didn't hunch my back. The manners and dances were becoming more familiar to me as the days went by. It was as if they were something that had been ingrained in me from the beginning.
“You look good.”
“I can honestly say that I’ve grown a lot.”
I smiled and offered him a chair. It had been a few days since I last saw him, but it was nice to see his face.
It's fun to meet someone you know. If they have a nice face, it's even better. But contrary to my feelings, my words came out sharply.
“Why did you come today?”
“I wanted to see Your Highness. I also had something to return.”
Since he confessed to me, he has not hidden his feelings and has continued to clash with me, as if he believes that small raindrops can pierce through rocks.
The problem is that I am not a rock. It was hard to push him away. The moment I became sincere, I would really not be able to let him go, and then it would be hard to give up everything and leave.
Even if I write a memorandum, I must not let my guard down. As Dmitry said, I must keep in mind the possibility that he may not let me go.
I want to believe Laskan in my heart, but it's better not to believe the words of those in power. I deliberately pursed my lips and bit back firmly.
“If you’re going to return it, is it Olga’s necklace that I borrowed from you last time?”
"Yes."
I stubbornly called Anastasia's necklace Olga's necklace. Olga wasn't someone I had to hide, and to me, it was her necklace.
Some people found me a bit absurd, but Laskan surprisingly accepted it without any problems. Just like now.
At Laskan's beckoning, the attendants came in carrying velvet boxes. They said the horses had been borrowed, but in reality, they had been taken away for repairs.
I'm going to wear that necklace again at this New Year's to prove my legitimacy, but if it's still there, the worn-out parts will be noticeable. Olga must have kept it in a box for a long time without opening it.
"Wow!"
I opened the velvet box without thinking and let out an exclamation. Inside was not only a necklace but also a pair of ruby earrings.
The craftsmanship was so intricate that it seemed as if the necklace and earrings had been a single piece from the beginning. I opened my eyes wide and looked at him.
“What is it?”
“The ruby used in the necklace is produced only in the mines of Palema. I happened to get my hands on it and commissioned it to the craftsman.”
“You want to give it to me?”
He nodded slightly.
“You will inevitably have to wear that necklace during the New Year’s celebration, but since Palema’s ruby is such a precious gem, I thought it would be difficult to find earrings of the same level.”
A ruby from the Palema mine? A gem that is so valuable that only a few are produced each year? You got it 'by chance'?
This was a blatant lie. Laskan probably thought I hadn't noticed, but I had endured Cesare's brutal special training. I knew the local specialties.
The problem was that even his lies seemed cute now. I was seriously ill, too. Come on, Sasha, please.
Laskan's expression became serious as I slapped myself on the cheek with both hands.
“You don’t like it that much?”
“No, no. I just suddenly feel sleepy.”
It was an excuse that sounded ridiculous to me, but Laskan seemed to believe it. I was starting to worry that he wouldn't believe me if I told him I made a cake out of potatoes.
Anyway, I was really grateful that you gave me earrings because you were worried about me. Thanks to you, I no longer have to worry about jewelry.
I could get a new one, but honestly, using the budget allocated to the Princess's palace as I please feels a bit... What was it called? It felt like embezzlement.
I'm not a real Princess, so I'd be struck by lightning if I wasted tax money like I wanted. That's why I chose just one dress made of the fabric I liked.
“I will gratefully accept it.”
I said that with a genuine smile.
“But, Your Highness...”
“Tell me.”
“Retail doesn’t look like a good place to store things.”
I was startled and put my hands under the table. I was worried that the material of the muslin dress I was wearing today was somewhat thin, but the sleeves seemed to be hanging loosely under the weight of the glass bottle.
But I didn't have anywhere else to store it. I couldn't just leave it in the room. I don't know what the ingredients are, so what if someone finds it?
"...Did you see it?”
"Yes."
I smiled awkwardly. It might have been better to ask Laskan since he was a knight and had been on the battlefield for a long time. He would be good with all kinds of poisons and drugs.
I hesitated and then handed the vial over to him.
“Then please take a look at this.”
Laskan held up the vial to the sunlight, then turned his gaze back to me.
“...Where did you get this?”
“The Young Mast r I met last time gave it to me. Don’t ask who it is, but do you know what this is?”
He opened the cork without hesitation and sniffed it. Then he dropped a drop into a glass of water.
When Laskan brought the glass to his lips, I was completely shocked, as if I was afraid that something might go wrong. But Laskan put the glass down again as if nothing had happened and said,
“It’s Dracon’s poison.”
“What is that?”
“It is so named because it has the same effect as the poison of the legendary creature, Dracon. Unlike other poisons, it is easy to distinguish because it has a unique taste when dissolved in liquid.”
“Poison? No, so you just ate poison? Are you okay?”
“There are no major side effects if taken consistently. However, it is dangerous if taken more than one drop per day for a long time.”
“What happens?”
He looked at me blankly with his golden eyes that looked like a wolf's.
“At first, you will often lose consciousness and fall down. To those around you, it may seem like a temporary fainting due to fatigue. As it progresses, you will experience numbness in your tongue and jaw joints.”
“...”
“Then you start losing your memories little by little. At first, you can’t remember small names, and eventually, you have trouble telling who you are or where you are. Then, when even the antidote doesn’t work...”
Laskan took a deep breath as if choosing his words.
“You literally become a madman.”
“...”
“It is not a poison that is used often. It takes a long time for the poison to take effect, and as I said, when mixed with water or tea, it has a unique taste and smell. It is not easy to drink it without knowing.”
I felt suffocated. So, Dmitry had to drink poisoned tea every day even though he knew it? I bit my lip.
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