Episode 92. The Princess’s Unexpected Understanding
Then Prince Kydel frowned.
“Then Her Highness Milliora will immediately protest to His Highness Grayon. It won’t be good for Her Highness Milliora if something like that happens.”
“...”
It couldn’t be more annoying that he was right.
His Highness Grayon wasn’t the kind of person to just let his younger sister crawl up to him.
Besides, His Highness Orl might try to use His Highness Grayon and Her Highness’s conflict as a weakness, and if that happens...
“Just...! I’ll tell her the truth. Prince Kydel was being playful and bought me that ring to vent his anger. Her Highness knows better than anyone that I was falsely accused.”
He said with a face that nodded in agreement.
“What a shame. In that case, let’s postpone the walk until next time. Thank you for taking the time for me today, Miss Lorisha.”
Take the time? You threatened me!
“Eeeeek!”
He escorted me with a cheerful smile, as if he couldn’t see my expression.
***
“Ha...”
Her Highness Milliora’s response was unexpectedly concise.
As soon as I returned to the palace from Etrang, I reported to her about Prince Kydel.
I spoke in detail about the ring. I told her what an absurd reason it was as a gift.
‘Prince Kydel seems to think jewels are toys!’
But Her Highness the Princess simply stared at me without asking or responding. And then finally sighed.
“I understand.”
“Yes?”
For a moment, my mind felt clear.
What, how did you understand...?
“What woman wouldn’t fall for Prince Kydel? Even men fall for him. You didn’t see the departure ceremony for the Amata War, did you? How did his subordinates look up to him?”
“Your Highness...”
“What, you mean no? Are you going to say that Locard Kydel isn’t cool?”
“No, that’s not it, but that and this...!”
“I told you, I understand. He’s not someone else, but Prince Locard. What can I do? How can you deny it if I deny it? I thought you were a smart kid.”
I was so dumbfounded that I spoke in vain. It was a bad thing to say, but I had no choice.
“It wasn’t me who brought the ring, it was him.”
“He said it was to vent your anger. Why would you play with a jewel ring like the Kydel family?”
“...”
“You think you’re lucky. Since he's Prince Locard, I can just call you out and scold you after enduring such humiliation. But my maid can’t even dance. How horrible!”
Calling me out and scolding me.
I thought back to Prince Kydel’s sly, conspiratorial face and trembled.
I had explained the medal incident so firmly last time.
I couldn’t tell whether I should like or dislike the way Her Highness handled the situation.
Damn nobles!
I glanced at Her Highness.
Prince Kydel’s curses were something I always did, but I didn’t dare to call her a “damn royal” in front of the person in question.
The Princess didn’t notice my suffering at all and said,
“Didn’t you see him at the tea party? He’s kind and gentle to everyone. And the Kydel family is famous for fairness and tolerance. Locard is really a Kydel. The problem is you.”
“...!”
The moment I heard those words, my clothes almost burst and I almost died.
“If you betray me because you fell for Prince Kydel... If you betray me to win his favor, do you know what I’ll do to you?”
“...”
“You think you’re lucky. Since he's Prince Locard, I can just call you out and scold you after enduring such humiliation. But my maid can’t even dance. How horrible!”
Calling me out and scolding me.
I thought back to Prince Kydel’s sly, conspiratorial face and trembled.
I had explained the medal incident so firmly last time.
I couldn’t tell whether I should like or dislike the way Her Highness handled the situation.
Damn nobles!
I glanced at Her Highness.
Prince Kydel’s curses were something I always did, but I didn’t dare to call her a “damn royal” in front of the person in question.
The Princess didn’t notice my suffering at all and said,
“Didn’t you see him at the tea party? He’s kind and gentle to everyone. And the Kydel family is famous for fairness and tolerance. Locard is really a Kydel. The problem is you.”
“...!”
The moment I heard those words, my clothes almost burst and I almost died.
“If you betray me because you fell for Prince Kydel... If you betray me to win his favor, do you know what I’ll do to you?”
Her jewel-like eyes narrowed beneath her neatly-groomed silver bangs. It was goosebumps-inducing.
“Lorisha. I only have you. The competition isn’t over yet, and you’re the only one who’ll take the beating for me, and you’re the only one who’ll teach me what to say in front of my brothers. But if you abandon me because of a man..”
“Your Highness, I...”
She cut me off firmly.
“I will be angry. Very angry.”
“I will never.”
“Do you understand? I may seem funny to you, but I am Tagar. I can do things you can’t even imagine.”
“How could I find you funny? How could I...”
“Do you understand?”
“Yes. Yes! Your Highness!”
As I was about to leave, hesitantly backing away, she called out to me again.
“Lorisha.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Watch out for the back of your head.”
“...Yes?”
“You are now the public servant of the Tagar society ladies.”
She said that and laughed heartily.
“Lorisha. I only have you. The competition isn’t over yet, and you’re the only one who’ll take the beating for me, and you’re the only one who’ll teach me what to say in front of my brothers. But if you abandon me because of a man..”
“Your Highness, I...”
She cut me off firmly.
“I will be angry. Very angry.”
“I will never.”
“Do you understand? I may seem funny to you, but I am Tagar. I can do things you can’t even imagine.”
“How could I find you funny? How could I...”
“Do you understand?”
“Yes. Yes! Your Highness!”
As I was about to leave, hesitantly backing away, she called out to me again.
“Lorisha.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Watch out for the back of your head.”
“...Yes?”
“You are now the public servant of the Tagar society ladies.”
She said that and laughed heartily.
***
11. The Passing Hearts
I had been spending my time in the backyard chatting with Lord Rond for a few days. In fact, I chatted and Lord Rond mostly just sat, but anyway.
Then Misha said she had come to visit.
The Count wouldn’t contact me unless I contacted him first, and there were no incidents in the palace right now.
So the reason she had come was definitely because of Prince Kydel.
I returned to my room with a nervous heart.
Misha was sitting on the sofa in my room, waiting for me.
I quickly scanned it with my eagle eyes, but all my things were in their places. The kid who would have messed up my room and scattered my things before was waiting quietly.
I asked in surprise.
“Misha? What’s wrong?”
Misha answered calmly.
“If it’s work, it’s you. Do you know how the rumors about you have spread? It’s chaos because no one asked me.”
“...!”
Even though I was the most wronged person in the world in this matter, I was speechless when Misha said that.
If it were the current situation, Misha would say that I stole Prince Kydel from her!
But there was nothing I could say to Misha.
Who would believe that this pathetic play was part of a fierce competition between the Princes?
I tried to ignore her with a heavy heart.
“Rumors?”
“You don’t have to pretend not to know. I forgot Prince Kydel.”
My mouth sank. Why was she so surprised these days?
“Competing with an illegitimate sister for a man. It hurts my pride, really!”
Oh, was that why?
I felt sorry for myself for feeling sorry for Misha, even if only for a moment, and smacked my lips.
But at the same time, I couldn’t help but look at Misha again.
Misha still hated me, but I didn’t feel the resentment that was as chilling as before. It seemed that we had somehow come to acknowledge each other’s existence, although the inertia of our long-standing ill feelings left us unable to be kind to each other.
'Wait a minute, what did she just say...? Sister?'
Suddenly, I felt strange. I felt a little dizzy, and my chest felt tickly. Whatever it was, it was too much for me to digest right now.
However, I felt like I would lose if I revealed my feelings in front of Misha, so I tried to keep a calm expression.
Misha said, as if it were ridiculous.
"You all are so out of your minds that there are even rumors that the Prince proposed to you. I heard that you use some strange magic to control the Prince?"
I drooled and placed my palm on my forehead.
"Misha, I have no relationship with Prince Kydel. No matter what it looks like on the outside, our relationship is strictly official."
I drooled and placed my palm on my forehead.
"Misha, I have no relationship with Prince Kydel. No matter what it looks like on the outside, our relationship is strictly official."
"The Prince of the Kydel family climbed over your balcony on a strictly official matter?"
"Gasp!"
"Henrietta saw him."
"..."
I was speechless and looked at Misha's expression. Misha opened her eyes wide and glared at me.
“Do you see my puffy eyes? You bad girl. I wish I could pull out all your hair!”
“Mi, Misha. I understand how you feel, but that kind of talk is...”
“What’s wrong with that? I cried all night. I didn’t even know that and wrote that letter so earnestly to him! Oh, what’s wrong with my youth?”
Misha said, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Hey, Misha. Who wrote that letter?”
You don’t even know what kind of trouble I’m going through because of that letter!
But there was a bigger problem right now.
“Misha, if that kind of talk gets out... It’s definitely not for the reasons you think!”
“Would I do something that would tarnish the honor of the Duke of Kydel? Henrietta kept her mouth shut. My mother doesn’t know either. If she found out...”
Misha made a heartbroken expression as she thought of the Countess, then flared up.
“Anyway, what do you think of me?”
“Thank you.”
“After crying for a while, I realized that I was the only one who was mistaken. Did you think there were just a few female cadets who tried to woo him at the academy? But he always put up an iron wall. In fact, I didn’t have a chance either.”
“Ugh...”
“But even a Prince like that wouldn’t have to do that to someone as easy as you, right?”
“Huh, yeah?”
“An illegitimate child, your behavior is... Are you honestly a woman? If Prince Kydel sees you swearing just once, oh.”
He said he would acknowledge my swearing as a taste for the time being...
“Prince Kydel doesn’t see you as a woman.”
When did you say I was so great?
I didn’t know how to take Misha’s words.
“Ummm..."
Misha said gloomily.
“It was because I thought and acted on my own that I was vulnerable to Kalin Ankart. I thought everything would go my way. But I won’t do that again.”
Seeing that I thought I wrote the letter to Prince Kydel, it seemed like the plan was off to a rocky start, but I could still congratulate Misha on coming to a realization.
I had nothing else to say, so I muttered.
“I see.”
“I’m not asking you to understand. What do you know about me? Get up.”
But there was a bigger problem right now.
“Misha, if that kind of talk gets out... It’s definitely not for the reasons you think!”
“Would I do something that would tarnish the honor of the Duke of Kydel? Henrietta kept her mouth shut. My mother doesn’t know either. If she found out...”
Misha made a heartbroken expression as she thought of the Countess, then flared up.
“Anyway, what do you think of me?”
“Thank you.”
“After crying for a while, I realized that I was the only one who was mistaken. Did you think there were just a few female cadets who tried to woo him at the academy? But he always put up an iron wall. In fact, I didn’t have a chance either.”
“Ugh...”
“But even a Prince like that wouldn’t have to do that to someone as easy as you, right?”
“Huh, yeah?”
“An illegitimate child, your behavior is... Are you honestly a woman? If Prince Kydel sees you swearing just once, oh.”
He said he would acknowledge my swearing as a taste for the time being...
“Prince Kydel doesn’t see you as a woman.”
When did you say I was so great?
I didn’t know how to take Misha’s words.
“Ummm..."
Misha said gloomily.
“It was because I thought and acted on my own that I was vulnerable to Kalin Ankart. I thought everything would go my way. But I won’t do that again.”
Seeing that I thought I wrote the letter to Prince Kydel, it seemed like the plan was off to a rocky start, but I could still congratulate Misha on coming to a realization.
I had nothing else to say, so I muttered.
“I see.”
“I’m not asking you to understand. What do you know about me? Get up.”
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