Even as she spoke cautiously, as if she had made up her mind, a hint of reluctance lingered on Marie's face. It was as if she were forcing herself to speak because she had to, even though she didn't want to.
“What is it?”
"His Imperial Majesty's childhood is like a taboo to us."
Huh, this is unexpected.
"However, I feel that I must tell the Princess this, so I intend to tell you despite the danger."
"....I’d be grateful, but are you sure it’s okay?"
"I only pray for the Princess's mercy."
"Thank you for making such a big decision. Shall we keep this a secret between the two of us?"
"Thank you."
A look of relief washed over Marie's tense face.
"Sit down. I'm about to tell you something important, so at least we should make eye contact."
"Th-thank you. Excuse me."
"You're welcome."
"...First of all, it is said that His Majesty's wolf has been with His Majesty since childhood. It is said that no one knows exactly when that was, or how they spent time together. However, during that period, there was a single maid who stayed by His Majesty and the Wolf’s side, living with them exclusively."
Marie glanced at me, moistened her lips, and continued speaking.
"I heard that he was living separately at a villa and that the only one he could rely on was that maid, but although I do not know the full details, I hear that she has become His Majesty's wrath due to an unsavory incident."
"It's disgusting..."
"Yes. And because those who prematurely assumed that His Majesty relied heavily on her resorted to underhanded tactics to approach him, His Majesty's distrust of the nobility has become even more severe."
"Distrust? What on earth have you done?"
"As you know, His Majesty is the one who awakened the most powerful force among all Emperors in history and conquered everything single-handedly. He is an absolute ruler who tolerates no dissent from the nobility. Consequently, the nobles, unable to find any way to curry favor with him, came up with the worst possible tactic. They selected women resembling that maid and sent them in as ladies-in-waiting to evoke memories of her."
'Disguise? What nonsense,' I frowned and let out a short sigh of disbelief.
"...They harbored the hope that even if she couldn't act perfectly like that maid, if she showed even a little bit of resemblance, His Majesty might be swayed and open his heart. It was an utterly shallow ploy to make him rely on the lady-in-waiting they had sent in as their own informant. Of course, that ploy did not work at all, and everyone involved was purged."
That's a really cheap trick. Did you really think that would work?
"But how did they know about that maid and make her act similarly?"
"They say they gathered all the information on those who worked there at the time, but since the people who worked at the villa back then were so shrouded in mystery, almost none of that information was accurate. Later, rumors circulated that he had not been in a relationship with the maid that he missed or relied on, so such reckless acts rarely occurred again."
"Yes..."
The words 'a relationship he won't miss' pierced my heart painfully.
It seems what the ladies-in-waiting were talking about among themselves wasn't entirely nonsense after all. Listening to him, it seemed highly likely that Thierry didn't believe I was dead, but rather thought I had run away, leaving him alone.
"Princess, the reason I am telling you this is that ever since that incident, His Majesty has become even more ruthless if he senses even the slightest connection to that maid."
Marie lifted her eyes, which she had briefly lowered. The look in her eyes as she gazed at me with a worried expression seemed sincere.
I couldn't understand at all what she was so worried about. It was true that I was Lari in my past life, but there was no way Marie would know that. And it wasn't like I looked like I would pull some kind of trick like those petty people did.
Ah. By any chance...
"Is it because I am close to the wolf?"
Marie nodded slightly.
"The first thing the infiltrated maids did was approach the wolf. However, no matter how skilled they were at handling the beast, it was useless against that wolf, so no one had ever succeeded."
"..."
"But for the first time, that wolf has found someone to follow besides His Majesty. It is none other than the Princess."
"...I was wondering why you were suddenly telling me this."
Now that I finally understood a little, I tilted my head slightly and continued speaking.
"Marie, are you doing this because you're afraid people will approach me for my usefulness?"
Marie flinched, trembling her shoulders, and bowed her head.
"I apologize. I was worried, so I ended up acting presumptuously."
"Oh, I'm not saying anything. On the contrary, I'm grateful you pointed that out something I hadn't thought of. So please lift your head."
"Princess..."
"To be honest, I didn't think I would meet anyone here who would give me this kind of advice. Hmm, I know it's serious, but I can't help feeling good about it."
I smiled shyly as I looked into Marie's eyes. Marie's yellowish-green pupils trembled slightly.
Marie lowered her gaze with a troubled expression, then finally looked up as if she had made a decision.
"As you are aware, Princess, the moment you move your residence to the main palace, all eyes will be on you. Furthermore, if word spreads that you have dinner with His Majesty every day, your presence will grow immeasurably."
“I guess so.”
"It would be fine if you intended to use that attention and presence to your advantage, Princess, but from what I have observed, you do not seem to welcome people's interest. Am I right?"
I only intended to behave myself, but I was surprised by Marie, who had noticed deeper aspects of me than I had expected while watching me all this time.
Of course, I intended to look into the villa and my death depending on the situation, but since it wasn't the right timing yet, I didn't actually do anything. My current feelings were exactly as she felt.
But...
Did Marie observe me closely on someone's orders? If so, why is she saying things like this that would be helpful to me?
My feelings became a bit complicated. However, since this kindness did not seem to pose an immediate threat to me, I decided to obediently follow Marie's lead for the time being.
"...I suppose so. After all, I didn't come here of my own accord."
"In that case, I think it would be best to keep your distance from the wolf from now on."
"Hmm..."
"The Princess even mentioned the name of a wolf that no one knew. Since only His Majesty and I were there at the time, there is no way the story will leak to others, but it was a situation where our lives were at stake."
“That much?”
"Princess, how you came to know the wolf's name is not important. What matters is the fact that you know it."
Marie's voice grew softer and softer.
"It’s not that no one has ever known the wolf’s name. It’s just that they found it out with impure intentions, so it simply no longer remains in the world."
I think I've caused a bigger mess than I thought...? I never imagined calling out Rood's name would cause such a huge stir.
Is that why Thierry is acting so unpredictably? And is he watching closely to see how things go, planning to kill me if things go wrong?
"...Is he angry at me for losing?"
Please tell me it's not true. I looked at Marie with a desperate expression, my eyebrows drooping at the ends.
"Ah. I dare not presume to guess His Majesty's true intentions, but one thing is certain... His Majesty is also treating the Princess completely differently from his past behavior. Normally, you would have been dragged off to prison on the spot."
"Gasp...!"
"B-but you're here safe and sound right now! So you're fine for now! You don't need to worry too much. Probably..."
Marie looked restless, trailing off her sentences hesitantly and glancing at me.
"But I don't know what that means, though. One thing is clear: the Princess is the first person to become an exception for His Majesty."
I just smiled bitterly. Because it certainly didn't seem like a good exception.
***
I woke up in my new place with a heavy heart.
After hearing the serious story, I talked with Marie a little more and learned a few new things.
Marie is a low-ranking lady-in-waiting from a fallen noble family, and it is rare for a low-ranking lady-in-waiting to have the opportunity to serve a superior exclusively.
"To be honest, when they said I was assigned exclusively, I initially wondered if the Princess was a scary person. I thought I was assigned because no one else wanted to take you on. But after getting to know you, I realize you are not like that at all; in fact, you are a very kind person, so I am becoming increasingly worried. I am afraid you might get hurt all alone."
Marie seemed to perceive me as a completely weak Princess.
In the end, she kept apologizing and trying to smooth things over, saying that she had said something unnecessary and that it was clear luck that I had come because they had to hastily assign personnel since I was from another country, so I just smiled sweetly, thinking that was probably the case.
Well, what more needs to be said about the power struggles among the nobles?
I couldn't possibly be unaware of their mindset that, since I was just a Princess brought here as a hostage, they could treat me however they pleased. So, I decided to think positively about my situation, considering that at least they didn't treat me any worse than this.
'Ah, it's raining.'
Just then, the sound of rain tapping on the window filled the silence.
I came in a rush because I was told I had to move to the main palace as soon as I woke up in the morning, but seeing the rain getting heavier, I thought it was a relief that I had moved quickly.
'Even if we can't go out today because it's raining, I guess I should refrain from going for walks for the time being, whether the weather is good or bad, right? I don't think I should be seen with Rood too often...'
But isn't Thierry the problem rather than Rood? I feel so anxious every time I run into him that my heart won't be able to handle it, and of all people, he has to suggest having dinner every night.
'Still, it was nice meeting Maud. I’d like to see him separately sometime; should I hang around near the kitchen later?'
It might be difficult right now, but I wanted to go at least once once people's interest had died down a bit.
I was sitting blankly in a chair, staring out the window, when I heard a knocking sound mixed with the sound of rain.
"Princess, shall I reheat the tea?"
Marie opened the door and came in.
"Hmm~ It's fine."
"...Are you feeling lonely by any chance?"
I looked puzzled at the cautious question.
"You looked a bit stifled. You can't leave the palace, and it's raining today, so it's difficult to go for a walk... Ah, I heard the main palace has a very well-equipped library; would you like to take a look?"
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment