“Yes. If I go to the palace library for half a day, it will be just in time for dinner.”
“Oh. Seriously, Your Highness, if you go to a place like this on a day like this, you’ll be punished..."
She said this, pretending to cry. I pretended not to hear and just stood up, picking up the books I needed to return.
Irina said, opening the door gently.
“Your Highness, Thalia, that won’t work. Next week, you will receive the second contest topic.”
“Already? Time flies that fast?”
Thalia's eyes widened in surprise. It was clear that she had been enjoying the recent peace without thinking about anything.
Anyway, she was so naive that it was a problem. Sometimes when I saw her, I couldn't believe she was the future Grand Duke at all.
I wonder if, if things continue like this, only the common people will suffer later. If the higher-ups are out of their minds, it's the lower-level people who will suffer.
Seeing Thalia playing with the ribbon even in this situation, seemed like an even more plausible assumption. I spoke as if to cut off my thoughts that were continuing crookedly.
“It’s not that time flies, it’s that you, Thalia, have been playing around too much lately.”
As soon as I opened the door, the sight of the six knights' faces took my breath away, but I pretended as if nothing had happened and continued talking.
“Strictly speaking, you should also participate in my training. The Grand Duke of Valencia allowed you to become my handmaiden for the purpose of your education. Go to the capital and achieve higher achievements.”
“But, but, Your Highness...”
“If you keep hanging out and not coming to class, I’ll have no choice but to write a letter to the Grand Duke.”
“Ugh. Your Highness, I really hate you...”
Thalia pretended to be sullen and made strange noises.
I heard that her grades in college were pretty good. I wonder where the hell she got this weird feeling from.
After all, the capital is full of all kinds of fancy and wonderful things, so it’s hard for a child to lose their mind for a moment...
I stopped my thoughts that had been going on and on. I felt goosebumps because I felt like I had thought something very sound and correct.
As I stopped walking, the procession following behind me also stopped abruptly.
It's so manly, really... Even Olga didn't do this to me. This was the epitome of an overprotective grandfather.
“It will be too hard to follow my schedule starting today, so please attend the classes tomorrow and the day after. Then I will pretend that I never wrote the letter to the Grand Duke.”
“Really! Your Highness, you really won’t write to my father, will you?”
“Instead, if you study hard from now on, you won’t miss any classes.”
“I’ll do well! I’ll really do well!”
Thalia hugged my waist with a squeak. I smiled faintly at her casual attitude.
If I were the real 'Anastasia', I might have been just as naive as that too.
Rather, because I'm fake, I've developed a habit of being even more careful with my behavior. I'm even careful about smiling.
The library of the Imperial Palace was located to the east of the main palace. Considering that the Princess' Palace was located in an unnecessarily deep place, it was not that far in terms of distance.
Lately, I've been going in and out two or three times a day, so I've learned all the shortcuts, and my pace has become faster.
I soon stopped walking in front of the main gate.
“I’ll be alone. Send the maid when the dinner is ready.”
“Yes? Your Highness alone?”
Irina's eyes widened in surprise.
“It’s a library. The guards will be guarding this area.”
“I wonder if that’ll be okay...”
“If you guys are here, why don’t you make a fuss?”
They both looked like they agreed with that statement.
Well, it wasn't the time for either of them to be interested in studying. Irina had just finished her final exams, and Thalia had just submitted a two-year leave of absence from college.
Although she said it was to study the wider world directly, her purpose was obvious.
Institutional social circle. With the strange logic that you should play hard while you can, she attended every invitation she received without turning it down.
So, these days, when I'm immersed in libraries and all sorts of books, I guess they're bound to get bored.
In fact, if the Grand Duke of Valencia had known, she would have been dragged away by the scruff of the neck...
“So, go out and play. Or go outside the palace. I heard that the new tart shop that opened recently is really delicious.”
“Oh, I heard that too. That custard cream is so delicious.”
“The chef is from Limarnac.”
I clicked my tongue. It was a different world. I can guarantee you that George's most famous chef has never left that frozen northern land for even a moment.
The shops that cater to the nobility were different, after all. Thalia spoke cheerfully, secretly showing her delight.
“Then shall I go out for a bit? I’ll buy something for Your Highness too.”
“Yes. I’ll be here until dinner time, so come here right away when you get back.”
“I will do that.”
Irina and Thalia walked away, arm in arm, excited.
It was a good time. I smiled happily as I watched their backs, and entered the library door that Enoch had opened for me.
The quiet library was always the same. Bookshelves stretched to the ceiling, and no one was there. The windows were half-covered with curtains, and again, no one was there to be seen. The librarian was quiet, as if he was there but not there.
Now, just pick up a few suitable books and sit down in your usual chair...
“...Princess Veronica?”
I cried out, forgetting where I was, because I doubted whether I had seen it correctly.
She raised her head at my voice. Veronica looked at me and tried to get up from her seat.
"Your Highness."
Veronica's usually stiff expression relaxed a little. Now I could read her a little. It was a smile, a hint of delight, even if it was very subtle.
It was our first meeting since the competition. The Duke of Kairak was furious and ordered the Princess to be under house arrest immediately after my victory was announced.
I had hoped that we would meet briefly at the palace someday, but I never thought we would run into each other in a place like this.
“It’s okay, just sit down.”
I hurriedly signaled that I was okay, like someone who had been stabbed in the back. My gaze inevitably went to her ankles first.
“Are you feeling better? Where are you hurting?”
“It has improved a lot.”
Despite saying she looked much better, she looked noticeably thinner.
I don't know what to say. It seemed like all the changes in her were because of me.
Whether intentionally or not, I hid the existence of the Igtalis flower from her. And I took away her promising victory.
I opened my mouth a few times. It was the best I could do to ask.
“...Are you eating properly?”
"Yes."
She snorted as if to tell me to stop worrying about useless things. As if she wasn't so weak that I had to worry about her.
I was saved by her confidence and gave her a pat on the back.
“It must have been uncomfortable to walk.”
“I have to keep working hard from now on.”
“Then now...”
"Your Highness."
She cut me off and let out a short sigh.
“You don’t have to look at me like I did something wrong.”
I felt a stinging sensation as if I had been caught. She still looked calm.
“I know you got a lot of votes in the first competition. Congratulations. So now I know that Your Highness is not just being arrogant when you say that you will do your best to beat me.”
“...”
“But it’s only a difference of three votes. It’s a level that could easily be overturned depending on the outcome of the competition.”
“Are you disappointed that I didn’t tell you that I found that out...”
“May I, Your Highness?”
She smiled broadly as if she had heard something funny.
“Your Highness and I owed each other our lives. That was special. We have no obligation to each other.”
“...”
“I’ve already accepted the result. If I lose, it means I was no good from the start.”
She swept her loose hair behind her ears. The sleeves of her thin, loose shirt fell down, revealing her wrists for a moment.
And then I saw it. A long, dark red, brutal bruise ran from her wrist to her forearm.
Since Veronica's skin was on the lighter side, the contrast was dramatic. You couldn't go wrong with it.
As soon as I opened my eyes wide in shock, she reflexively lowered her sleeves and covered her wrists. Now, the suspicion was taking on a concrete form.
I took a step closer and grabbed her wrist.
Veronica furrowed her brow. She looked a little surprised, or maybe just in pain.
I carefully examined the parts that could not be covered by clothes: the nape of the neck, the ankles, the parts that women in the slums would check if they wanted to know if their husbands were right for them.
Even though she tried to cover it up, the signs were clear. The skin had turned yellow wherever it was connected to her clothes, and the clothes were unusually tight, covering up to her collar.
I barely managed to open my stiff, frozen lips.
“Lady Veronica, by any chance...”
“Don't say anything.”
Veronica pushed my hand away coldly.
“Your Highness, please, don’t say anything.”
I could only stare at her blue eyes. The maids' jokes from the past few days came to mind, overlapping over her face.
The Duke of Kairak was said to have been furious when Princess Veronica lost the contest by a large margin. Half of the furniture in the drawing room was blown away, and the servants' faces were covered in bruises.
There were even sarcastic remarks asking how they could stop the smoke from burning broken furniture, no matter how much they tried to block it.
Duke Kairak, is he hitting you?
I couldn't help but swallow that question.
The subject of the next competition is not yet known, but rumors are rife that it will involve some ancient relic or legend.
Because of that, Veronica and I started hanging around the library whenever we had time to find even the slightest clue.
From the first day on, we sat across from each other in silence and read books competitively, as if we were competing to see who could stack them higher.
“Oh. Seriously, Your Highness, if you go to a place like this on a day like this, you’ll be punished..."
She said this, pretending to cry. I pretended not to hear and just stood up, picking up the books I needed to return.
Irina said, opening the door gently.
“Your Highness, Thalia, that won’t work. Next week, you will receive the second contest topic.”
“Already? Time flies that fast?”
Thalia's eyes widened in surprise. It was clear that she had been enjoying the recent peace without thinking about anything.
Anyway, she was so naive that it was a problem. Sometimes when I saw her, I couldn't believe she was the future Grand Duke at all.
I wonder if, if things continue like this, only the common people will suffer later. If the higher-ups are out of their minds, it's the lower-level people who will suffer.
Seeing Thalia playing with the ribbon even in this situation, seemed like an even more plausible assumption. I spoke as if to cut off my thoughts that were continuing crookedly.
“It’s not that time flies, it’s that you, Thalia, have been playing around too much lately.”
As soon as I opened the door, the sight of the six knights' faces took my breath away, but I pretended as if nothing had happened and continued talking.
“Strictly speaking, you should also participate in my training. The Grand Duke of Valencia allowed you to become my handmaiden for the purpose of your education. Go to the capital and achieve higher achievements.”
“But, but, Your Highness...”
“If you keep hanging out and not coming to class, I’ll have no choice but to write a letter to the Grand Duke.”
“Ugh. Your Highness, I really hate you...”
Thalia pretended to be sullen and made strange noises.
I heard that her grades in college were pretty good. I wonder where the hell she got this weird feeling from.
After all, the capital is full of all kinds of fancy and wonderful things, so it’s hard for a child to lose their mind for a moment...
I stopped my thoughts that had been going on and on. I felt goosebumps because I felt like I had thought something very sound and correct.
As I stopped walking, the procession following behind me also stopped abruptly.
It's so manly, really... Even Olga didn't do this to me. This was the epitome of an overprotective grandfather.
“It will be too hard to follow my schedule starting today, so please attend the classes tomorrow and the day after. Then I will pretend that I never wrote the letter to the Grand Duke.”
“Really! Your Highness, you really won’t write to my father, will you?”
“Instead, if you study hard from now on, you won’t miss any classes.”
“I’ll do well! I’ll really do well!”
Thalia hugged my waist with a squeak. I smiled faintly at her casual attitude.
If I were the real 'Anastasia', I might have been just as naive as that too.
Rather, because I'm fake, I've developed a habit of being even more careful with my behavior. I'm even careful about smiling.
***
The library of the Imperial Palace was located to the east of the main palace. Considering that the Princess' Palace was located in an unnecessarily deep place, it was not that far in terms of distance.
Lately, I've been going in and out two or three times a day, so I've learned all the shortcuts, and my pace has become faster.
I soon stopped walking in front of the main gate.
“I’ll be alone. Send the maid when the dinner is ready.”
“Yes? Your Highness alone?”
Irina's eyes widened in surprise.
“It’s a library. The guards will be guarding this area.”
“I wonder if that’ll be okay...”
“If you guys are here, why don’t you make a fuss?”
They both looked like they agreed with that statement.
Well, it wasn't the time for either of them to be interested in studying. Irina had just finished her final exams, and Thalia had just submitted a two-year leave of absence from college.
Although she said it was to study the wider world directly, her purpose was obvious.
Institutional social circle. With the strange logic that you should play hard while you can, she attended every invitation she received without turning it down.
So, these days, when I'm immersed in libraries and all sorts of books, I guess they're bound to get bored.
In fact, if the Grand Duke of Valencia had known, she would have been dragged away by the scruff of the neck...
“So, go out and play. Or go outside the palace. I heard that the new tart shop that opened recently is really delicious.”
“Oh, I heard that too. That custard cream is so delicious.”
“The chef is from Limarnac.”
I clicked my tongue. It was a different world. I can guarantee you that George's most famous chef has never left that frozen northern land for even a moment.
The shops that cater to the nobility were different, after all. Thalia spoke cheerfully, secretly showing her delight.
“Then shall I go out for a bit? I’ll buy something for Your Highness too.”
“Yes. I’ll be here until dinner time, so come here right away when you get back.”
“I will do that.”
Irina and Thalia walked away, arm in arm, excited.
It was a good time. I smiled happily as I watched their backs, and entered the library door that Enoch had opened for me.
The quiet library was always the same. Bookshelves stretched to the ceiling, and no one was there. The windows were half-covered with curtains, and again, no one was there to be seen. The librarian was quiet, as if he was there but not there.
Now, just pick up a few suitable books and sit down in your usual chair...
“...Princess Veronica?”
I cried out, forgetting where I was, because I doubted whether I had seen it correctly.
She raised her head at my voice. Veronica looked at me and tried to get up from her seat.
"Your Highness."
Veronica's usually stiff expression relaxed a little. Now I could read her a little. It was a smile, a hint of delight, even if it was very subtle.
It was our first meeting since the competition. The Duke of Kairak was furious and ordered the Princess to be under house arrest immediately after my victory was announced.
I had hoped that we would meet briefly at the palace someday, but I never thought we would run into each other in a place like this.
“It’s okay, just sit down.”
I hurriedly signaled that I was okay, like someone who had been stabbed in the back. My gaze inevitably went to her ankles first.
“Are you feeling better? Where are you hurting?”
“It has improved a lot.”
Despite saying she looked much better, she looked noticeably thinner.
I don't know what to say. It seemed like all the changes in her were because of me.
Whether intentionally or not, I hid the existence of the Igtalis flower from her. And I took away her promising victory.
I opened my mouth a few times. It was the best I could do to ask.
“...Are you eating properly?”
"Yes."
She snorted as if to tell me to stop worrying about useless things. As if she wasn't so weak that I had to worry about her.
I was saved by her confidence and gave her a pat on the back.
“It must have been uncomfortable to walk.”
“I have to keep working hard from now on.”
“Then now...”
"Your Highness."
She cut me off and let out a short sigh.
“You don’t have to look at me like I did something wrong.”
I felt a stinging sensation as if I had been caught. She still looked calm.
“I know you got a lot of votes in the first competition. Congratulations. So now I know that Your Highness is not just being arrogant when you say that you will do your best to beat me.”
“...”
“But it’s only a difference of three votes. It’s a level that could easily be overturned depending on the outcome of the competition.”
“Are you disappointed that I didn’t tell you that I found that out...”
“May I, Your Highness?”
She smiled broadly as if she had heard something funny.
“Your Highness and I owed each other our lives. That was special. We have no obligation to each other.”
“...”
“I’ve already accepted the result. If I lose, it means I was no good from the start.”
She swept her loose hair behind her ears. The sleeves of her thin, loose shirt fell down, revealing her wrists for a moment.
And then I saw it. A long, dark red, brutal bruise ran from her wrist to her forearm.
Since Veronica's skin was on the lighter side, the contrast was dramatic. You couldn't go wrong with it.
As soon as I opened my eyes wide in shock, she reflexively lowered her sleeves and covered her wrists. Now, the suspicion was taking on a concrete form.
I took a step closer and grabbed her wrist.
Veronica furrowed her brow. She looked a little surprised, or maybe just in pain.
I carefully examined the parts that could not be covered by clothes: the nape of the neck, the ankles, the parts that women in the slums would check if they wanted to know if their husbands were right for them.
Even though she tried to cover it up, the signs were clear. The skin had turned yellow wherever it was connected to her clothes, and the clothes were unusually tight, covering up to her collar.
I barely managed to open my stiff, frozen lips.
“Lady Veronica, by any chance...”
“Don't say anything.”
Veronica pushed my hand away coldly.
“Your Highness, please, don’t say anything.”
I could only stare at her blue eyes. The maids' jokes from the past few days came to mind, overlapping over her face.
The Duke of Kairak was said to have been furious when Princess Veronica lost the contest by a large margin. Half of the furniture in the drawing room was blown away, and the servants' faces were covered in bruises.
There were even sarcastic remarks asking how they could stop the smoke from burning broken furniture, no matter how much they tried to block it.
Duke Kairak, is he hitting you?
I couldn't help but swallow that question.
***
The subject of the next competition is not yet known, but rumors are rife that it will involve some ancient relic or legend.
Because of that, Veronica and I started hanging around the library whenever we had time to find even the slightest clue.
From the first day on, we sat across from each other in silence and read books competitively, as if we were competing to see who could stack them higher.
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