I forgot about the nausea and stared intently at the woman. But at that moment, our eyes met as she glanced at me, pretending to wipe away her tears.
A glint in her eyes, unlike that of someone crying, flashed by in an instant.
"I was worried that being alone might get me into danger like before... Sob."
But she, who had clearly been like that, mumbled while choking back tears. With such an innocent face that I began to doubt if I had seen it wrong just moments ago.
My hair stood on end. I was speechless at that spine-chilling change.
"Don't say such unlucky things."
At Thierry's voice, tinged with irritation, her gaze moved, creaking like an unlubricated door.
However, although the answer was clearly sharp, it seemed to be laced with concern. I wondered if I was mistaken, but the woman must have felt the same way, as she wiped away her tears and smiled brightly.
"You're worried about me, right? Hehe. Even though you've become a bit more reserved than before, I don't think your affectionate nature has changed."
"...Huh. Affectionate?"
"I know you're still acting this way because you're embarrassed!"
“This is ridiculous...”
"Tch, are you going to keep doing this? We worked so hard to get back together."
At some point, I felt like I had become an audience member. To think I was just helplessly watching two people who seemed like the stars of the stage. This was clearly my room, yet I felt like I needed to leave right then and there.
'That's strange. This isn't what I expected.'
When I asked him before, Thierry had clearly gritted his teeth, saying he would break up once he met a woman. However, looking at him now, he seemed like someone who had actually been waiting for a woman; it was to the point where I wondered if he had been searching for her because he genuinely wanted to meet one.
"Yeah. We met with difficulty."
I curled my lips at Thierry's nonchalant acknowledgment.
I am the real Lari, so why on earth is that woman savoring the joy of reunion right before my eyes? How is that woman exactly like Lari?
As my mind became confused by various questions, my heart fluttered, making all the pushing I had done toward him seem pointless.
“Right?”
"So just do as I say."
"... Yes?"
I also opened my eyes wide in response to the woman's flustered question. I hadn't realized it before, but it seemed he was genuinely annoyed, as he was displaying a cold and domineering attitude.
Forgetting my restless heart, I stared at him blankly.
"I told you to stay at the Imperial Palace, but I don't think I ever told you to wander around as you pleased. Besides, the palace you were supposed to stay in isn't here either, is it?"
"Ah, well... can't I stay here too? As I said before, I feel uneasy being apart... Wagen also told me to ask, saying it would be better for me to stay at the main palace with Your Majesty."
"I can understand. I really can understand, but I can't help being annoyed."
"Your Majesty... Are you angry?"
"Did you just realize? Stop following me around. Wasn't listening to your whining yesterday enough? And now you're even going to someone else's room... Ah, Princess."
Thierry stopped speaking and suddenly turned around. I flinched and hunched my shoulders at his attitude, which was an exaggerated reaction as if he were the one surprised by my own behavior.
He glanced at me once, then squinted one eye as if embarrassed. He repeatedly opened and closed his mouth as if he had something to say, then swallowed a sigh and turned his head away.
Thump. My heart sank at his attitude, which seemed to be turning away from me. Maybe the annoyance he just showed was just him grumbling out of embarrassment, just as that woman said?
I felt down in an instant.
“Let’s get out first”
“What? Your Majesty?”
“Follow me.”
Thierry took the lead and left the room.
Just as I was starting to feel a bit resentful of him for coming in and going out as he pleased, the woman who was about to follow him out with a flustered look suddenly stopped abruptly and turned around.
"Ah. Just a moment. Come to think of it, I haven't even said hello."
The woman, blinking her eyes as if she had just seen me, took a step closer to me and continued speaking very quietly.
"I heard you're a Princess from another country, and that you received some affection on my behalf?"
"... What?"
What did you just say? Did I hear that correctly? I stared in disbelief at the woman spouting such unbelievable nonsense.
"But what a pity. Now that I've returned, he probably won't need you anymore... Ah. If you happened to want to go back, you can look forward to it. Things might just go the way you want."
It was an attitude that was clearly wary of anyone. I stared intently at the retreating figure of the woman who was smiling sweetly as if she were someone important.
Before I knew it, my hands were soaking wet.
***
“...Invitation to a meal?”
There was no way he wouldn't know that we had decided to eat in the room for a while, but a maid came up and said that Thierry wanted to have dinner together.
Is it because of what happened earlier today?
I left the room, soothing my aching stomach.
Marie's expression was grim as she followed me out. She seemed to have a very heavy heart, as she had gone to see Maud earlier that day to convey my desire to meet her, but was told that it would likely be difficult right now.
'But it’s not even Marie, and to convey the message through a maid I’ve never seen before. I think this is the first time something like this has happened...'
I headed to the dining room, puzzled in many ways.
I reached for the handrail to go down the stairs, but Oscar reached out his hand to me first. Since he usually tended to watch me take the handrail, it felt a bit awkward to refuse such a favor he offered first for the first time in a while. So, I obediently took his hand.
"Please let me know if you are having trouble."
"Thank you, Sir. You must be short on time to train because of me."
"I can do it during my free time. It would be even better if you could take a walk toward the training ground occasionally."
Good grief. Thinking this was my chance, I let out another chuckle.
I nodded and followed Oscar down the stairs step by step.
"Princess? Where are you going?"
Thierry was standing at the bottom of the stairs. With that woman, the Lari impersonator.
Thierry stared intently at my hand, which was clasped with Oscar's, for a moment, then suddenly strode up the stairs. Stopping two steps below me, he snatched my hand away from Oscar's.
"Weren't you supposed to be resting in your room?"
"What? Your Majesty asked me to have a meal together. That is why I was on my way down."
"Me? When did I say that?"
You're saying Thierry didn't say that?
I was rolling my eyes, trying to recall the face of the maid who had come earlier.
"Ah. I never said 'Your Majesty.' I just asked you to pass on a message saying I’d like to have dinner together... It seems that lady-in-waiting misunderstood."
The imposter at the bottom of the stairs spoke urgently.
"What?"
"I'm sorry. It bothered me that I couldn't properly greet you yesterday, and I was worried you might feel stifled staying only in your room... Did I do something unnecessary?"
The imposter clutched her skirt tightly with both hands while glancing around nervously. On top of that, hearing her sobbing voice, she looked quite pitiful even to me.
Perhaps that was the reason; instead of getting angry, Thierry furrowed his brow and rubbed his forehead with his other hand, suppressing his rage.
I looked at him strangely. I unconsciously tightened my grip slightly on the hand I was holding.
As if sensing it, Thierry lowered his hand from his forehead and looked at me. I quietly met his gaze, which was still looking down at me despite the two-story height difference.
"Are you sure you'll be okay? Do you want to go back to your room now?"
His face was filled with worry. I felt a complex mix of emotions at his unchanging attitude toward me, even though a woman appeared who seemed almost certain to be the real deal, despite being called an imposter.
Why is he treating me gently like before, when he used to push me away? And above all, I was sick and tired of the reassuring feeling I had in the back of my mind about his attitude.
However, that feeling was quickly forgotten when I saw a woman behind Thierry glaring at me with Lari's face. She was giving me a disgruntled look, as if I had stolen her belongings. I had a hunch that if Oscar and Marie hadn't been behind me, it wouldn't have ended with just that expression.
"It's okay."
Thanks to that, my reason, which had been clouded for a moment, returned.
The fact that Thierry, who had previously chased away the fakes, is keeping her by his side like this means she has been acknowledged as Lari. As the real Lari, I knew better than anyone that she was an imposter. That is why it seemed my priority was to figure out how she could be recognized as Lari.
'Actually, thanks to that woman, many of my questions might be resolved.'
Actually, considering everything I’ve gone through so far, it wouldn’t be surprising if a woman suddenly appeared possessing Lari’s body. The situation I’ve been in hasn’t been normal for a long time to begin with, so perhaps it is wrong to even try to view the incident through the lens of common sense.
At one time, I repeatedly assumed that all of this might be a dream or that I might be crazy, but having firmly resolved to trust who I am now and put those assumptions behind me, I had no choice but to trust myself and face this situation before my eyes just as I did back then.
'To put it bluntly, even if that woman were the real owner of Lari's body.'
Even so, the time spent with Thierry belonged solely to Thierry and me, so revealing the identity of that fake was the top priority above all else.
"Fine again? You're going to collapse at this rate."
Thierry whispered in dissatisfaction. But at that moment, the imposter, who had been watching nervously, cautiously opened his mouth.
"...I think I was wrong. You aren't feeling well, so wouldn't it be better for you to go back and rest right away?"
It was a sudden whim. You called me over secretly, and then suddenly told me to go back.
But I think I understood the reason for that capriciousness a little. She must have disliked the fact that Thierry was being favorable towards me.
I stared strangely at the imposter who had been sending me wary glances since yesterday.
"Your Majesty, doesn't the Princess look even worse for some reason? I think you should tell her to go back and rest right away."
She spoke pitifully with a worried look on her face. Then, sticking close to Thierry, she subtly grabbed his arm.
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