Linel and I were about to spend some quality time lying on the bed in our guest room when we heard the sound of something falling into the sea.
That made us tear our lips from where they had just been.
“Didn’t you hear anything?”
“I only heard my own heartbeat?”
Until then, we both assumed we’d misheard something.
So, just as our faces were about to draw closer, a splash—the same sound as before—came out. It was clearly the loud friction of something hitting the sea.
“Did you hear it this time?”
“Yes. What’s going on?”
He hurriedly put on his uniform jacket.
I followed him, wanting to go out onto the deck.
As we opened the guest room door, we heard someone’s urgent shout.
“There’s someone in! Someone!”
At that sound, we quickly climbed onto the deck.
People were already gathered there.
“Your Majesty.”
Prince Norton, who had been out earlier, approached us.
“What’s going on? Who on earth fell into the sea? Did you rescue the person who fell?”
“Yes. Fortunately, someone witnessed the fall and immediately called for help. The nearby sailors and knights are currently rescuing them by throwing rescue tubes and ropes.”
A sigh of relief escaped Prince Norton’s words.
Linel let out a short sigh and walked toward what appeared to be the site of the accident.
“The first person to call for help was Count Ethan.”
Linel stopped walking as Prince Norton continued to explain the situation.
“What? Count Ethan?”
“Yes, fortunately, he was close to where the accident occurred. Thanks to that, the knights were able to rescue the person who fell into the water right away.”
“What were they doing when the accident happened?”
“I don’t know the cause, but... It seems like it fell into the sea on the platform over there, the platform that sailors use to look ahead with their binoculars during the day.”
Prince Norton answered, pointing to the platform.
The railing on the platform only reached about the height of an adult’s thigh.
“Hmm, if I misstep, I might fall. Let’s go and figure out who’s missing first.”
Linel was approaching the accident site when a trembling voice came from behind him. Linel, I, and Prince Norton all turned to look at the voice. Catherine was standing there with a very anxious expression. Moreover, she covered her mouth with her hand as if she had just said something wrong.
“Catherine. How did you know?”
Prince Norton stopped a passing knight, asked something, and then exclaimed with a surprised expression,
"Who is that?"
"It's Grand Duke Martins."
"...Why Grand Duke?!"
The unexpected figure made me raise my voice without realizing it.
"He must have accidentally fallen in while trying to save Her Highness Pesilini."
It was said that he had thrown himself first in an attempt to save Pesilini.
And it was none other than Grand Duke Martins, who had no athletic ability at all. Who would have thought Grand Duke Martins could be so reckless?
I'd thought he was only bad at swordsmanship, but he was helpless.
Two figures appeared on the deck, drenched in water.
Pesilini, who had fallen in first, was relatively calm, but Grand Duke Martins lay on the floor, gasping for breath.
Even though it was early autumn, the seawater was quite cold, and they both shivered.
"If you can move without any trouble, Pesilini and the Grand Duke, just change your clothes and come straight to the Magic Tower Lord's room."
Linel ordered them.
Following his orders, the two changed clothes and gathered in Bellos's room.
Bellos first checked Pecilini's condition. He concentrated on her pulse, nodded once, and then spoke.
"Thank goodness. Both Her Highness and the baby are fine."
"Haa... Thank you, Magic Tower Lord."
Pecilini's eyes welled with tears.
Only then did Linel, Grand Duke Martins, and I, whose faces had been tense with tension, relax.
"It'll keep you warm if you hold me."
I handed Pecilini, who was still shivering, a heated stone I had wrapped in a blanket.
"Thank you, Your Highness Zelda..."
Pecilini took the blanket and held it against her stomach.
I retrieved a towel from Bellos's room and wrapped it around her still-damp hair to pat it dry.
"I-I'll do it,"
Pecilini said, wincing.
"It's okay. I heard it's ginger honey tea. Drink it quickly before it gets cold."
I nodded to the teapot the kitchen attendant had just left behind.
“Yes, Your Highness... thank you for your concern,”
Pecilini said, gently taking my hand.
Linel waited until she finished her cup of ginger honey tea, then set it down before pulling a chair in front of them.
“What on earth happened? Why did Yulina try to hurt you?”
“I don’t know, Your Majesty.”
“Why did you go up to the platform on the deck?”
“Her Highness Yulina went up to the platform first and said she felt the ocean with her whole body, so she pulled me.”
“Did Yulina say anything before she pushed?”
This time, I asked cautiously.
Unfortunately, Pecilini didn’t know anything.
“Yes, Her Highness. It happened so quickly...”
“That’s strange. You and Yulina seemed to have been close all this time? Didn’t you even ride in the carriage together to Polt?”
Pecilini’s face darkened at Linel’s question.
“I thought we had become close. But why did you suddenly...!”
Her voice was dripping with betrayal.
“Are you sure it wasn’t a slip or a mistake, but rather that Yulena deliberately pushed?”
Linel asked cautiously once more.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I barely managed to grab the railing with one hand as I fell overboard... Oh, and even then, Her Highness Catherine, who appeared from nowhere, called my name, ‘Pesilini!’... Her Highness Yulena forcibly pulled my hand away from the railing...!”
Pecilini looked down at her hand and swallowed her anger.
I quickly wrapped my arm around her shoulder and calmed her down.
“Why did you jump into the sea during the rescue?”
Linel asked Grand Duke Martins, but the Grand Duke couldn’t answer readily and just licked his lips.
“I heard from Commander Macrom earlier that the Grand Duke fell into the sea, which delayed Her Highness Pesilini’s rescue. Is that true?”
Bellos asked Grand Duke Martins with genuine curiosity.
The Grand Duke glared at Bellos but couldn’t refute him.
"I know you're not a righteous man. So, it's more likely that you didn't fall into the sea trying to save Pesilini, but that someone pushed you from behind?"
Linel said with conviction.
"I think so too."
Bellos added.
“No, Your Majesty. That’s not it.”
“Then what, exactly?”
Nancy quickly blurted out at Roxana’s nervous voice.
“It’s... the baby in Her Highness Pecilini’s womb.”
“...There’s something wrong with the baby?”
Roxana asked with a mixture of surprise and anticipation.
Nancy glanced at the guest room door out of concern and approached her.
Although they were alone in the room, Nancy covered her mouth with one hand and whispered to Roxana.
“It... isn't His Majesty's child!”
“!”
That made us tear our lips from where they had just been.
“Didn’t you hear anything?”
“I only heard my own heartbeat?”
Until then, we both assumed we’d misheard something.
So, just as our faces were about to draw closer, a splash—the same sound as before—came out. It was clearly the loud friction of something hitting the sea.
“Did you hear it this time?”
“Yes. What’s going on?”
He hurriedly put on his uniform jacket.
I followed him, wanting to go out onto the deck.
As we opened the guest room door, we heard someone’s urgent shout.
“There’s someone in! Someone!”
At that sound, we quickly climbed onto the deck.
People were already gathered there.
“Your Majesty.”
Prince Norton, who had been out earlier, approached us.
“What’s going on? Who on earth fell into the sea? Did you rescue the person who fell?”
“Yes. Fortunately, someone witnessed the fall and immediately called for help. The nearby sailors and knights are currently rescuing them by throwing rescue tubes and ropes.”
A sigh of relief escaped Prince Norton’s words.
Linel let out a short sigh and walked toward what appeared to be the site of the accident.
“The first person to call for help was Count Ethan.”
Linel stopped walking as Prince Norton continued to explain the situation.
“What? Count Ethan?”
“Yes, fortunately, he was close to where the accident occurred. Thanks to that, the knights were able to rescue the person who fell into the water right away.”
“What were they doing when the accident happened?”
“I don’t know the cause, but... It seems like it fell into the sea on the platform over there, the platform that sailors use to look ahead with their binoculars during the day.”
Prince Norton answered, pointing to the platform.
The railing on the platform only reached about the height of an adult’s thigh.
“Hmm, if I misstep, I might fall. Let’s go and figure out who’s missing first.”
Linel was approaching the accident site when a trembling voice came from behind him. Linel, I, and Prince Norton all turned to look at the voice. Catherine was standing there with a very anxious expression. Moreover, she covered her mouth with her hand as if she had just said something wrong.
“Catherine. How did you know?”
Linel asked, taking a step closer to her.
“...Just.”
“Just?”
“Uh, I just happened to see it.”
Linel tilted his head at Catherine’s somewhat dubious answer and asked again.
“You came up to the deck alone at this time of night?”
“I was feeling stuffy, so I came up to get some air...”
“You didn’t push her, did you?”
Melanie, who had come up onto the deck late, suddenly interjected.
“Melanie, what nonsense are you talking about?!”
Catherine glared at Melanie with a look of bewilderment, then turned to Linel and spoke clearly.
“It’s Yulina. I saw Yulina pushing Pecilini.”
“What? Yulina?”
Linel looked at me with a look that said, “Who was that?”
When I quietly said, “A concubine from the Principality of Aklatto,” he said, “Ah,” as if he finally realized who Yulina was.
“Her Majesty the Empress came out onto the deck with her knights, and when I explained the situation, she slapped Yulina across the face and dragged her away. Now, the knights are standing guard in front of her stateroom. I’ll follow them and confirm that.”
“That’s right...”
Linel muttered with a thoughtful expression before staring at Catherine again.
“But that’s a bit strange. Prince Norton said that the first person to request rescue was Count Ethan. Were you with him?”
Catherine hesitated to answer his question, then brushed it off as ignorant.
"Something smells fishy?"
I looked around, trying to find Count Ethan. But then, at the vice-captain's call, the knights pulled the rescue rope and pulled Pecilini up.
"Pecilini!"
Even from a distance, she was thankfully conscious and seemed more unharmed than I'd expected.
"Your Majesty! There's another person who fell into the sea."
Prince Norton stopped a passing knight, asked something, and then exclaimed with a surprised expression,
"Who is that?"
"It's Grand Duke Martins."
"...Why Grand Duke?!"
The unexpected figure made me raise my voice without realizing it.
"He must have accidentally fallen in while trying to save Her Highness Pesilini."
It was said that he had thrown himself first in an attempt to save Pesilini.
And it was none other than Grand Duke Martins, who had no athletic ability at all. Who would have thought Grand Duke Martins could be so reckless?
I'd thought he was only bad at swordsmanship, but he was helpless.
Two figures appeared on the deck, drenched in water.
Pesilini, who had fallen in first, was relatively calm, but Grand Duke Martins lay on the floor, gasping for breath.
Even though it was early autumn, the seawater was quite cold, and they both shivered.
"If you can move without any trouble, Pesilini and the Grand Duke, just change your clothes and come straight to the Magic Tower Lord's room."
Linel ordered them.
***
Following his orders, the two changed clothes and gathered in Bellos's room.
Bellos first checked Pecilini's condition. He concentrated on her pulse, nodded once, and then spoke.
"Thank goodness. Both Her Highness and the baby are fine."
"Haa... Thank you, Magic Tower Lord."
Pecilini's eyes welled with tears.
Only then did Linel, Grand Duke Martins, and I, whose faces had been tense with tension, relax.
"It'll keep you warm if you hold me."
I handed Pecilini, who was still shivering, a heated stone I had wrapped in a blanket.
"Thank you, Your Highness Zelda..."
Pecilini took the blanket and held it against her stomach.
I retrieved a towel from Bellos's room and wrapped it around her still-damp hair to pat it dry.
"I-I'll do it,"
Pecilini said, wincing.
"It's okay. I heard it's ginger honey tea. Drink it quickly before it gets cold."
I nodded to the teapot the kitchen attendant had just left behind.
“Yes, Your Highness... thank you for your concern,”
Pecilini said, gently taking my hand.
Linel waited until she finished her cup of ginger honey tea, then set it down before pulling a chair in front of them.
“What on earth happened? Why did Yulina try to hurt you?”
“I don’t know, Your Majesty.”
“Why did you go up to the platform on the deck?”
“Her Highness Yulina went up to the platform first and said she felt the ocean with her whole body, so she pulled me.”
“Did Yulina say anything before she pushed?”
This time, I asked cautiously.
Unfortunately, Pecilini didn’t know anything.
“Yes, Her Highness. It happened so quickly...”
“That’s strange. You and Yulina seemed to have been close all this time? Didn’t you even ride in the carriage together to Polt?”
Pecilini’s face darkened at Linel’s question.
“I thought we had become close. But why did you suddenly...!”
Her voice was dripping with betrayal.
“Are you sure it wasn’t a slip or a mistake, but rather that Yulena deliberately pushed?”
Linel asked cautiously once more.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I barely managed to grab the railing with one hand as I fell overboard... Oh, and even then, Her Highness Catherine, who appeared from nowhere, called my name, ‘Pesilini!’... Her Highness Yulena forcibly pulled my hand away from the railing...!”
Pecilini looked down at her hand and swallowed her anger.
I quickly wrapped my arm around her shoulder and calmed her down.
“Why did you jump into the sea during the rescue?”
Linel asked Grand Duke Martins, but the Grand Duke couldn’t answer readily and just licked his lips.
“I heard from Commander Macrom earlier that the Grand Duke fell into the sea, which delayed Her Highness Pesilini’s rescue. Is that true?”
Bellos asked Grand Duke Martins with genuine curiosity.
The Grand Duke glared at Bellos but couldn’t refute him.
"I know you're not a righteous man. So, it's more likely that you didn't fall into the sea trying to save Pesilini, but that someone pushed you from behind?"
Linel said with conviction.
"I think so too."
Bellos added.
"What a coincidence, Linel and Bellos are such a good match. "
Grand Duke Martins remained silent, occasionally clearing his throat at their teasing.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Duke really did try to save me."
Pecilini quietly raised his hand and wrapped his arms around Grand Duke Martins.
“Is what Pecilini said true?”
I asked the Grand Duke, my eyes wide with surprise.
My voice almost sounded like, “Pecilini is misunderstanding something, isn’t it?”
“I was so moved that I unconsciously threw myself at him. Please don’t tease me too much.”
“That wasn’t physical. I just recklessly threw myself at him.”
Grand Duke Martins, who had mistaken himself for a human tube, blushed at my precise observation.
Everyone burst into quiet laughter.
When the laughter died down, I calmly shared my thoughts with Linel.
“How about we announce Pecilini’s pregnancy now? Then no one will act rashly. And those around her will be more mindful.”
“Um... I was planning to announce it when I returned to the Lapion Empire, but I think it would be better to do it sooner, as you suggested.”
He agreed.
“No, Your Majesty. Don’t announce it!”
But Pecilini strongly opposed it.
It was a bit unexpected.
“Why?”
he asked.
“Actually, I was planning to tell you when I returned home after finishing my schedule in the Pasha Empire, but I will tell you now.”
What was she saying, her expression so solemn?
Pecilini stood up from her chair, clutching the hem of her dress with both hands.
“Your Majesty has been considerate enough to allow me to raise this child as the Prince of the Lapion Empire, but I wish to go to the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“...Are you serious?”
Linel asked with a bewildered expression.
“Yes, I would like to. Please permit me, Your Majesty.”
“But even if I permit, the Grand Duke who will lead the Kingdom of Shattonil in the future...”
Linel glanced at Grand Duke Martins and paused.
“I have already spoken with His Highness the Grand Duke.”
At Pecilini’s answer, everyone’s eyes turned to Grand Duke Martins.
“That’s right. However, the unborn child will not be treated like royalty.”
Grand Duke Martins said calmly.
“Well, if that’s more convenient, then go ahead. It might confuse those who already know Pecilini’s pregnancy, though.”
Linel chuckled.
He seemed to be referring to Roxana.
“Thank you very much, Your Majesty,”
Pecilini said sincerely, and he tapped Grand Duke Martins on the shoulder and gestured toward the guest room door.
“You should speak with me privately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Linel led Grand Duke Martins out first.
I took this opportunity to whisper quietly to Bellos.
“I have a favor to ask, my friend.”
“Just say whatever. What’s so great about being friends?”
Bellos said with a friendly smile.
“I need teleportation. Not now, but later.”
“That’s difficult. If His Majesty catches you, I might really lose this beauty this time.”
Bellos cupped his beautiful face in his hand and declined my request.
Grand Duke Martins remained silent, occasionally clearing his throat at their teasing.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Duke really did try to save me."
Pecilini quietly raised his hand and wrapped his arms around Grand Duke Martins.
“Is what Pecilini said true?”
I asked the Grand Duke, my eyes wide with surprise.
My voice almost sounded like, “Pecilini is misunderstanding something, isn’t it?”
“I was so moved that I unconsciously threw myself at him. Please don’t tease me too much.”
“That wasn’t physical. I just recklessly threw myself at him.”
Grand Duke Martins, who had mistaken himself for a human tube, blushed at my precise observation.
Everyone burst into quiet laughter.
When the laughter died down, I calmly shared my thoughts with Linel.
“How about we announce Pecilini’s pregnancy now? Then no one will act rashly. And those around her will be more mindful.”
“Um... I was planning to announce it when I returned to the Lapion Empire, but I think it would be better to do it sooner, as you suggested.”
He agreed.
“No, Your Majesty. Don’t announce it!”
But Pecilini strongly opposed it.
It was a bit unexpected.
“Why?”
he asked.
“Actually, I was planning to tell you when I returned home after finishing my schedule in the Pasha Empire, but I will tell you now.”
What was she saying, her expression so solemn?
Pecilini stood up from her chair, clutching the hem of her dress with both hands.
“Your Majesty has been considerate enough to allow me to raise this child as the Prince of the Lapion Empire, but I wish to go to the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“...Are you serious?”
Linel asked with a bewildered expression.
“Yes, I would like to. Please permit me, Your Majesty.”
“But even if I permit, the Grand Duke who will lead the Kingdom of Shattonil in the future...”
Linel glanced at Grand Duke Martins and paused.
“I have already spoken with His Highness the Grand Duke.”
At Pecilini’s answer, everyone’s eyes turned to Grand Duke Martins.
“That’s right. However, the unborn child will not be treated like royalty.”
Grand Duke Martins said calmly.
“Well, if that’s more convenient, then go ahead. It might confuse those who already know Pecilini’s pregnancy, though.”
Linel chuckled.
He seemed to be referring to Roxana.
“Thank you very much, Your Majesty,”
Pecilini said sincerely, and he tapped Grand Duke Martins on the shoulder and gestured toward the guest room door.
“You should speak with me privately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Linel led Grand Duke Martins out first.
I took this opportunity to whisper quietly to Bellos.
“I have a favor to ask, my friend.”
“Just say whatever. What’s so great about being friends?”
Bellos said with a friendly smile.
“I need teleportation. Not now, but later.”
“That’s difficult. If His Majesty catches you, I might really lose this beauty this time.”
Bellos cupped his beautiful face in his hand and declined my request.
“Hey, look at this guy? My fists are just as good as his, aren’t they?”
I quickly extended my fist before Bellos's eyes at the speed of light, then lowered it.
"...Where are you going this time?"
Bellos asked, his face terrified, his neck clenched.
As expected, a punch is faster than a request.
Things had gone wrong.
Immediately after the incident, Roxana returned to her cabin, feeling extremely anxious. Feeling a pang in her stomach, she ordered Nancy to make her some refreshing lemon water.
Nancy quickly found the kitchen inside the cabin.
It was quite busy.
Soup to warm her stomach and ginger honey tea to raise her body temperature were being prepared for Pecilini and Grand Duke Martins, who had fallen into the seawater.
Nancy was mingling with the kitchen servants to make the lemon water when she saw one of them leave with a teapot, two teacups, and a simple snack on a tray. She followed him.
'I think they're taking it to the Lord of the Tower?'
She overheard the other servants talking earlier, and Pecilini was being treated in Bellos's room. As expected, the kitchen servant was heading there.
Nancy quickly followed him and spoke kindly.
"The teapot looks a little precarious. Put it here. Since we're going anyway, I'll carry it for you."
"Oh, thank you. It's inconvenient because there's no large tray on board."
Recognizing Nancy as the Empress's personal servant, the kitchen servant accepted her kindness without question.
A moment later, they arrived at Bellos's room.
Nancy placed the teapot she was holding back on the cook's tray.
"Come in."
"Thank you for your help."
"It's nothing, really."
Nancy lowered her head so her face wouldn't be seen, opened the door, and quickly hid herself in the passageway right next to the door.
A moment later, the cook left the room with an empty tray and returned to the kitchen. Nancy, watching them, muffled her footsteps and pressed her ear to Bellos's room door.
She didn't have to eavesdrop for long.
The moment she pressed her ear to the door, she heard a loud noise.
"...Oh my, this is unbelievable!"
It was an unexpected surprise.
Nancy covered her mouth and hurried to Roxana's room.
"Your Majesty!"
Roxana tensed as she saw Nancy rush in, lost in thought.
She worried that Yulina had already revealed the truth behind this incident.
Even though she had told her in advance how to respond in case things went wrong, I was still secretly worried.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”
“Yes, if it’s wrong, it’s seriously wrong!”
Roxana grimaced at Nancy’s unusual words and expression.
Could it be that Yurina has already... told His Majesty...?
I quickly extended my fist before Bellos's eyes at the speed of light, then lowered it.
"...Where are you going this time?"
Bellos asked, his face terrified, his neck clenched.
As expected, a punch is faster than a request.
***
Things had gone wrong.
Immediately after the incident, Roxana returned to her cabin, feeling extremely anxious. Feeling a pang in her stomach, she ordered Nancy to make her some refreshing lemon water.
Nancy quickly found the kitchen inside the cabin.
It was quite busy.
Soup to warm her stomach and ginger honey tea to raise her body temperature were being prepared for Pecilini and Grand Duke Martins, who had fallen into the seawater.
Nancy was mingling with the kitchen servants to make the lemon water when she saw one of them leave with a teapot, two teacups, and a simple snack on a tray. She followed him.
'I think they're taking it to the Lord of the Tower?'
She overheard the other servants talking earlier, and Pecilini was being treated in Bellos's room. As expected, the kitchen servant was heading there.
Nancy quickly followed him and spoke kindly.
"The teapot looks a little precarious. Put it here. Since we're going anyway, I'll carry it for you."
"Oh, thank you. It's inconvenient because there's no large tray on board."
Recognizing Nancy as the Empress's personal servant, the kitchen servant accepted her kindness without question.
A moment later, they arrived at Bellos's room.
Nancy placed the teapot she was holding back on the cook's tray.
"Come in."
"Thank you for your help."
"It's nothing, really."
Nancy lowered her head so her face wouldn't be seen, opened the door, and quickly hid herself in the passageway right next to the door.
A moment later, the cook left the room with an empty tray and returned to the kitchen. Nancy, watching them, muffled her footsteps and pressed her ear to Bellos's room door.
She didn't have to eavesdrop for long.
The moment she pressed her ear to the door, she heard a loud noise.
"...Oh my, this is unbelievable!"
It was an unexpected surprise.
Nancy covered her mouth and hurried to Roxana's room.
***
"Your Majesty!"
Roxana tensed as she saw Nancy rush in, lost in thought.
She worried that Yulina had already revealed the truth behind this incident.
Even though she had told her in advance how to respond in case things went wrong, I was still secretly worried.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”
“Yes, if it’s wrong, it’s seriously wrong!”
Roxana grimaced at Nancy’s unusual words and expression.
Could it be that Yurina has already... told His Majesty...?
“No, Your Majesty. That’s not it.”
“Then what, exactly?”
Nancy quickly blurted out at Roxana’s nervous voice.
“It’s... the baby in Her Highness Pecilini’s womb.”
“...There’s something wrong with the baby?”
Roxana asked with a mixture of surprise and anticipation.
Nancy glanced at the guest room door out of concern and approached her.
Although they were alone in the room, Nancy covered her mouth with one hand and whispered to Roxana.
“It... isn't His Majesty's child!”
“!”
Comments
Post a Comment