“Is it really necessary... to kill Her Highness Rosie?”
Princess Jasper asked, hiding her displeasure.
At this, Calvain opened his mouth with a bitter smile.
“Even if we raise Rams as our own child, it’s better to get rid of anything that could be a nuisance in the first place. Especially for you, who will be raising the child.”
“For me...?”
“Yes. No matter how much we keep quiet, the day will come when the child learns about his biological mother. What if he resents Norton and his concubine for having a biological mother and just watching them marry?”
“Listen carefully so he doesn’t resent...”
“Enough. Why go through all that trouble? Taking on the risk?”
Prince Calvain waved his hand and cut her off, as if he didn’t want to talk about the matter any further.
‘Yes, that’s the kind of person you are.’
Princess Jasper laughed inwardly.
Prince Calvain was a man who would ruin others' happiness to get what he wanted, and ruthlessly destroy others' happiness to get what he wanted.
She hated herself for even briefly forgetting that fact.
"But soon it'll be your turn."
Princess Jasper asked, hiding her displeasure.
At this, Calvain opened his mouth with a bitter smile.
“Even if we raise Rams as our own child, it’s better to get rid of anything that could be a nuisance in the first place. Especially for you, who will be raising the child.”
“For me...?”
“Yes. No matter how much we keep quiet, the day will come when the child learns about his biological mother. What if he resents Norton and his concubine for having a biological mother and just watching them marry?”
“Listen carefully so he doesn’t resent...”
“Enough. Why go through all that trouble? Taking on the risk?”
Prince Calvain waved his hand and cut her off, as if he didn’t want to talk about the matter any further.
‘Yes, that’s the kind of person you are.’
Princess Jasper laughed inwardly.
Prince Calvain was a man who would ruin others' happiness to get what he wanted, and ruthlessly destroy others' happiness to get what he wanted.
She hated herself for even briefly forgetting that fact.
"But soon it'll be your turn."
She would be miserably and meaninglessly abandoned before everyone's eyes.
The reason she had endured the hand of the enemy who killed her husband all this time was precisely for the day of the Emperor's coronation. Because that was the perfect day for revenge. On that day, when he would be intoxicated by the triumph of having everything, she had endured him with all her might, determined to take it all away.
Princess Jasper clutched the handle of her teacup tightly and reaffirmed her plan once more.
"Now, the nights I have to endure you will be over."
Prince Calvain was already slowly dying.
He was the only one unaware of it.
"The nations of the Southern Continent have probably already received their invitations. The nations of the Northern Continent will also receive theirs today."
"Of course."
"Many will attend, right?"
“Well then. This is the coronation ceremony for the Emperor of Calvain, so of course, everyone must attend.”
Prince Calvain said with a triumphant voice, patting my chest.
“...Of course. The tea is getting cold. Please drink.”
“Yes, the tea you bring is always delicious.”
Prince Calvain finally picked up his teacup.
“Emperor Linel will come to the coronation ceremony, right?”
Princess Jasper asked after taking a sip of black tea.
“He will. That was our original promise.”
The reason she had endured the hand of the enemy who killed her husband all this time was precisely for the day of the Emperor's coronation. Because that was the perfect day for revenge. On that day, when he would be intoxicated by the triumph of having everything, she had endured him with all her might, determined to take it all away.
Princess Jasper clutched the handle of her teacup tightly and reaffirmed her plan once more.
"Now, the nights I have to endure you will be over."
Prince Calvain was already slowly dying.
He was the only one unaware of it.
"The nations of the Southern Continent have probably already received their invitations. The nations of the Northern Continent will also receive theirs today."
"Of course."
"Many will attend, right?"
“Well then. This is the coronation ceremony for the Emperor of Calvain, so of course, everyone must attend.”
Prince Calvain said with a triumphant voice, patting my chest.
“...Of course. The tea is getting cold. Please drink.”
“Yes, the tea you bring is always delicious.”
Prince Calvain finally picked up his teacup.
“Emperor Linel will come to the coronation ceremony, right?”
Princess Jasper asked after taking a sip of black tea.
“He will. That was our original promise.”
If the monasteries of Tanya Island and the Duchy of Aklatto had not been occupied during the Continental Hunting Competition and the dignitaries from each country had not been held hostage, all the dignitaries would have finished the competition at their destination, the Tebello Empire, and then moved on to the Pasha Empire as originally scheduled.
And Linel, along with the dignitaries from each country, planned to persuade the ministers of Pasha to lend support to the coronation ceremony for Emperor Calvain.
With the Allied Forces holding the dignitaries hostage at the monastery, and Princess Roxana of the Principality of Aklatto becoming the new Empress of the Lapion Empire, even his own coronation ceremony had been postponed.
“I suppose so? Especially since Prince Norton is staying at the Lapion Imperial Palace. I will make sure we have everything we need to welcome the dignitaries from all over the world.”
“Yes, Princess Resilia will be arriving here first with Rams, so we should start decorating Rams’s room.”
“Yes, I should...”
I’m sorry, Calvain.
That child will never call you father.
‘You can’t be Emperor...’
Crown Princess Jasper smiled as he slurped down the dried poison strawberry powder she had mixed into his black tea.
‘Why do we run into each other so often? Should I go back?’
Hetor was passing by the training hall in the cypress forest and was passing by the main palace.
He turned around slightly when he spotted Melanie talking to Sharon, Zelda's attendant, in front of the main palace. He pretended not to see her and tried to turn around, but
"Woof! Stop right there for a second."
Melanie, who had seen him for some time, insisted on stopping Hetor.
"Has that pomegranate lost its fear?"
What was she calling the person everyone on Tanya Island called the Great King?
Hetor was so dumbfounded that he burst out laughing.
Although he was currently serving as the captain of the Empress's palace guard under Roxana, even the ministers of the Lapion Empire could not treat Hetor lightly.
But even if she came from a prominent noble family, what kind of nerve did she have to call him "Woof" sarcastically when she was just a concubine, and even a second concubine at that?
Hetor frowned and turned around.
But he was startled when he saw Melanie's tear-stained face. She was so expressive, sobbing like a child.
Regardless of the reason, he almost wiped away Melanie's tears without realizing it.
"What are they?"
Those tears?
Hetor asked with an irritated tone.
"There's that Princess named Resilia, you know?"
I know. She's got a similar brain to you.
Hetor only raised an eyebrow at Melanie's fuss.
"She's finally gone mad. She's gone to kidnap her own son, the one she ignored!"
"?"
Melanie said that out of the blue, as if addressing Hetor, without any prior explanation.
Did Princess Resilia have a son?
Hetor tilted his head.
Sharon, who was next to Melanie, gently grabbed her arm and whispered,
"Your Highness, how can you say something like that so carelessly...!"
By "that kind of thing," Sharon was referring to Rams's existence.
“Why? Prince Tesla is gone now, and His Majesty already knows, so what? Besides, His Majesty himself went out of the palace because of it.”
“...Well, that’s true.”
Thinking about it carefully, Melanie was right.
Sharon immediately agreed.
Melanie grabbed Hetor and started telling him the love story between Princess Resilia and Prince Norton.
‘Why should I be listening to this?’
Hetor thought so, but he pretended not to be able to win because it was a bit interesting, so he listened.
After finishing Rosie’s story, Melanie then revealed the existence of Rams, the baby born a few months ago between Princess Resilia and Prince Norton.
Prince Norton was already mad at Princess Resilia and was in love with the bookish Rosie instead of the bright Princess, she said heatedly.
He also mentioned that Emperor Linel had approved of their relationship, and that Rosie was soon to become the Crown Princess of the Pasha Empire.
Melanie's small mouth continued to chatter.
"So now... Princess Resilia harbors a grudge and plans to kidnap the child before the two of them arrive in the Pasha Empire and take him there?"
"She's already kidnapped him! What will happen to our Highness Rosie if that empty-headed Princess arrives at the Pasha Imperial Palace first? What will we do? Her Highness Rosie is so pitiful... sob."
Melanie raised her arms forward, as if about to cry in Hetor's arms.
Startled, Sharon quickly grabbed her arms and stopped her.
At the same time, Hetor took a step back, putting more distance between them.
"You should be worried about yourself."
Who could he pity when a woman who would grow old without ever receiving the love of Emperor Linel?
Hetor stared blankly at Melanie's crying face and inwardly clicked his tongue.
Returning to the Empress's Palace, where Hetor was staying, Roxana's servant came to him as soon as he entered his room.
"Hetor, Her Majesty the Empress is looking for you."
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know about that either.”
“Got it.”
Hetor turned and headed straight for Roxana’s bedroom.
Knock, knock.
Hetor knocked on the bedroom door and stepped inside.
“Your Majesty.”
“Yeah. It seems like it’s been a bit hard to see you lately, huh?”
Roxana looked at Hetor as he walked towards the table, eating the fruit Nancy had brought her.
“Hard to see me? I think I saw you yesterday, too?”
Hetor said, looking down at the fruit plate.
The plate was piled high with pomegranates.
They must have been exported from Tanya Island.
Looking at the pomegranates, Melanie’s face flashed through Hetor’s mind.
Embarrassed, he quickly looked away from the fruit plate and sat down in front of Roxana.
“I’m saying this because someone who used to show up several times a day has stopped doing so. Anyway, that’s not why I called you; he’s out of the palace right now.”
Roxana put down her fork.
“...Really? What’s going on?”
A little while ago, in front of the main palace, Melanie had told him the reason, and he unconsciously lied.
“I heard that Zelda rode out of the palace with Grand Duke Martins of Shattonil and Commander Macrom.”
Roxana had recently planted someone from the Empress’s Palace in Zelda’s quarters to keep an eye on her, so she was able to hear the news right away.
“I don’t know why she left.”
“I see.”
“I see... what do you mean? We should find out right away. Isn’t it strange? Even the Emperor left the palace.”
Roxana frowned at Hetor’s indifferent attitude.
“I’ll find out. I’ll go out.”
“...Just going out?”
Roxana asked, puzzled.
“Didn’t you clearly say the Emperor was out of the palace?”
Hetor found it strange that he had so neatly gotten up from his seat without bothering her. On top of that, he even asked her a question out of the blue, which was unusual for him.
“Oh, by the way. How does that pomegranate taste?”
The one Melanie had recently handed him behind the Great Temple building, saying it was a rare fruit, was a Grade B pomegranate at a glance, but the one Roxana was eating was Grade A.
“It’s just okay. Nancy brought it for me, so I’m eating it.”
And Linel, along with the dignitaries from each country, planned to persuade the ministers of Pasha to lend support to the coronation ceremony for Emperor Calvain.
With the Allied Forces holding the dignitaries hostage at the monastery, and Princess Roxana of the Principality of Aklatto becoming the new Empress of the Lapion Empire, even his own coronation ceremony had been postponed.
“I suppose so? Especially since Prince Norton is staying at the Lapion Imperial Palace. I will make sure we have everything we need to welcome the dignitaries from all over the world.”
“Yes, Princess Resilia will be arriving here first with Rams, so we should start decorating Rams’s room.”
“Yes, I should...”
I’m sorry, Calvain.
That child will never call you father.
‘You can’t be Emperor...’
Crown Princess Jasper smiled as he slurped down the dried poison strawberry powder she had mixed into his black tea.
***
‘Why do we run into each other so often? Should I go back?’
Hetor was passing by the training hall in the cypress forest and was passing by the main palace.
He turned around slightly when he spotted Melanie talking to Sharon, Zelda's attendant, in front of the main palace. He pretended not to see her and tried to turn around, but
"Woof! Stop right there for a second."
Melanie, who had seen him for some time, insisted on stopping Hetor.
"Has that pomegranate lost its fear?"
What was she calling the person everyone on Tanya Island called the Great King?
Hetor was so dumbfounded that he burst out laughing.
Although he was currently serving as the captain of the Empress's palace guard under Roxana, even the ministers of the Lapion Empire could not treat Hetor lightly.
But even if she came from a prominent noble family, what kind of nerve did she have to call him "Woof" sarcastically when she was just a concubine, and even a second concubine at that?
Hetor frowned and turned around.
But he was startled when he saw Melanie's tear-stained face. She was so expressive, sobbing like a child.
Regardless of the reason, he almost wiped away Melanie's tears without realizing it.
"What are they?"
Those tears?
Hetor asked with an irritated tone.
"There's that Princess named Resilia, you know?"
I know. She's got a similar brain to you.
Hetor only raised an eyebrow at Melanie's fuss.
"She's finally gone mad. She's gone to kidnap her own son, the one she ignored!"
"?"
Melanie said that out of the blue, as if addressing Hetor, without any prior explanation.
Did Princess Resilia have a son?
Hetor tilted his head.
Sharon, who was next to Melanie, gently grabbed her arm and whispered,
"Your Highness, how can you say something like that so carelessly...!"
By "that kind of thing," Sharon was referring to Rams's existence.
“Why? Prince Tesla is gone now, and His Majesty already knows, so what? Besides, His Majesty himself went out of the palace because of it.”
“...Well, that’s true.”
Thinking about it carefully, Melanie was right.
Sharon immediately agreed.
Melanie grabbed Hetor and started telling him the love story between Princess Resilia and Prince Norton.
‘Why should I be listening to this?’
Hetor thought so, but he pretended not to be able to win because it was a bit interesting, so he listened.
After finishing Rosie’s story, Melanie then revealed the existence of Rams, the baby born a few months ago between Princess Resilia and Prince Norton.
Prince Norton was already mad at Princess Resilia and was in love with the bookish Rosie instead of the bright Princess, she said heatedly.
He also mentioned that Emperor Linel had approved of their relationship, and that Rosie was soon to become the Crown Princess of the Pasha Empire.
Melanie's small mouth continued to chatter.
"So now... Princess Resilia harbors a grudge and plans to kidnap the child before the two of them arrive in the Pasha Empire and take him there?"
"She's already kidnapped him! What will happen to our Highness Rosie if that empty-headed Princess arrives at the Pasha Imperial Palace first? What will we do? Her Highness Rosie is so pitiful... sob."
Melanie raised her arms forward, as if about to cry in Hetor's arms.
Startled, Sharon quickly grabbed her arms and stopped her.
At the same time, Hetor took a step back, putting more distance between them.
"You should be worried about yourself."
Who could he pity when a woman who would grow old without ever receiving the love of Emperor Linel?
Hetor stared blankly at Melanie's crying face and inwardly clicked his tongue.
***
Returning to the Empress's Palace, where Hetor was staying, Roxana's servant came to him as soon as he entered his room.
"Hetor, Her Majesty the Empress is looking for you."
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know about that either.”
“Got it.”
Hetor turned and headed straight for Roxana’s bedroom.
Knock, knock.
Hetor knocked on the bedroom door and stepped inside.
“Your Majesty.”
“Yeah. It seems like it’s been a bit hard to see you lately, huh?”
Roxana looked at Hetor as he walked towards the table, eating the fruit Nancy had brought her.
“Hard to see me? I think I saw you yesterday, too?”
Hetor said, looking down at the fruit plate.
The plate was piled high with pomegranates.
They must have been exported from Tanya Island.
Looking at the pomegranates, Melanie’s face flashed through Hetor’s mind.
Embarrassed, he quickly looked away from the fruit plate and sat down in front of Roxana.
“I’m saying this because someone who used to show up several times a day has stopped doing so. Anyway, that’s not why I called you; he’s out of the palace right now.”
Roxana put down her fork.
“...Really? What’s going on?”
A little while ago, in front of the main palace, Melanie had told him the reason, and he unconsciously lied.
“I heard that Zelda rode out of the palace with Grand Duke Martins of Shattonil and Commander Macrom.”
Roxana had recently planted someone from the Empress’s Palace in Zelda’s quarters to keep an eye on her, so she was able to hear the news right away.
“I don’t know why she left.”
“I see.”
“I see... what do you mean? We should find out right away. Isn’t it strange? Even the Emperor left the palace.”
Roxana frowned at Hetor’s indifferent attitude.
“I’ll find out. I’ll go out.”
“...Just going out?”
Roxana asked, puzzled.
“Didn’t you clearly say the Emperor was out of the palace?”
Hetor found it strange that he had so neatly gotten up from his seat without bothering her. On top of that, he even asked her a question out of the blue, which was unusual for him.
“Oh, by the way. How does that pomegranate taste?”
The one Melanie had recently handed him behind the Great Temple building, saying it was a rare fruit, was a Grade B pomegranate at a glance, but the one Roxana was eating was Grade A.
“It’s just okay. Nancy brought it for me, so I’m eating it.”
“There’s quite a lot. Can you eat it all?”
“There’s so much to eat, why am I eating it all? The servants will either eat it or throw it away if there are any leftovers. But why are you asking?”
Roxana burst out laughing at Hetor’s uncharacteristic meddling.
“No, it just looks delicious.”
“?”
Roxana was about to ask what the nonsense was when Hetor, walking faster than usual, left the bedroom door.
On his way back to his room, he glanced at Adjutant Palto, who was following him, and said,
“Tell Tanya Island to select only specially selected Grade A pomegranates from the harvest and send them to the palace.”
“Why pomegranates all of a sudden? You don’t even eat them, do you?”
“It’s not for me to eat.”
“But, the pomegranates exported to the Lapion Imperial Family should be Grade A even without a separate order, since they’re going to His Majesty the Empress?”
“Don’t just say Grade A, tell them to bring ‘specially selected Grade A’.”
Hetor emphasized again.
“Why are you suddenly issuing such an order?”
“...”
“Ah! To give it to Your Majesty, the Empress?”
Roxana burst out laughing at Hetor’s uncharacteristic meddling.
“No, it just looks delicious.”
“?”
Roxana was about to ask what the nonsense was when Hetor, walking faster than usual, left the bedroom door.
On his way back to his room, he glanced at Adjutant Palto, who was following him, and said,
“Tell Tanya Island to select only specially selected Grade A pomegranates from the harvest and send them to the palace.”
“Why pomegranates all of a sudden? You don’t even eat them, do you?”
“It’s not for me to eat.”
“But, the pomegranates exported to the Lapion Imperial Family should be Grade A even without a separate order, since they’re going to His Majesty the Empress?”
“Don’t just say Grade A, tell them to bring ‘specially selected Grade A’.”
Hetor emphasized again.
“Why are you suddenly issuing such an order?”
“...”
“Ah! To give it to Your Majesty, the Empress?”
When Hetor didn’t respond, Palto slapped his forehead with his hand and asked in a low voice.
“...”
But this time, there was no answer.
The rain, which seemed poised to continue pouring down, began to gradually ease as the carriage entered the palace, and it completely stopped before it even reached the main palace. The carriage stopped in front of the main palace.
“There are about two hours left until the trial, so let’s all eat together in the main palace. I can have the servants bring us a change of clothes.”
Linel said, getting out of the carriage first, and I joined in.
“And let’s check with Magic Tower Lord first to see if Rams has a cold.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, that would be a good idea.”
Rosie added, and Prince Norton, unable to resist, followed his advice.
“Of course. Thank you for your consideration.”
Fortunately, Rams didn’t have a cold.
Still, Magic Tower Lord prescribed some cold medicine just in case.
He mixed the medicine in milk and gave it to Rams, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The four of them regrouped in the banquet hall after changing out of their rain-soaked clothes. All four of them looked visibly exhausted. Perhaps it was the exhaustion from the rainy bridge that had drained them, but they were extremely hungry.
If the food had arrived a little later, I almost plucked and ate the flowers adorning the table.
"You all must have had a hard time, so eat plenty."
As soon as Linel finished speaking, I cut the steak into my mouth in a combative manner.
Just then, Raphael walked into the banquet hall, holding something in his hand.
His gait was also quite combative.
"The giant squid's expression is unusual."
Linel muttered as he watched Raphael approach, then chuckled.
"Is something wrong again?"
“...”
But this time, there was no answer.
***
The rain, which seemed poised to continue pouring down, began to gradually ease as the carriage entered the palace, and it completely stopped before it even reached the main palace. The carriage stopped in front of the main palace.
“There are about two hours left until the trial, so let’s all eat together in the main palace. I can have the servants bring us a change of clothes.”
Linel said, getting out of the carriage first, and I joined in.
“And let’s check with Magic Tower Lord first to see if Rams has a cold.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, that would be a good idea.”
Rosie added, and Prince Norton, unable to resist, followed his advice.
“Of course. Thank you for your consideration.”
***
Fortunately, Rams didn’t have a cold.
Still, Magic Tower Lord prescribed some cold medicine just in case.
He mixed the medicine in milk and gave it to Rams, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The four of them regrouped in the banquet hall after changing out of their rain-soaked clothes. All four of them looked visibly exhausted. Perhaps it was the exhaustion from the rainy bridge that had drained them, but they were extremely hungry.
If the food had arrived a little later, I almost plucked and ate the flowers adorning the table.
"You all must have had a hard time, so eat plenty."
As soon as Linel finished speaking, I cut the steak into my mouth in a combative manner.
Just then, Raphael walked into the banquet hall, holding something in his hand.
His gait was also quite combative.
"The giant squid's expression is unusual."
Linel muttered as he watched Raphael approach, then chuckled.
"Is something wrong again?"
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