WMHMS - Chapter 139

"Right, in that case, I think it would be best to settle it for now by letting the children meet often."

Saying that, the Emperor nodded once.

"...Still, it's a relief that Lucian seems to have found a like-minded friend thanks to Madam." 

"It is simply an honor for us to have such a good friend as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." 

"You don't have to speak so stiffly while watching my reaction. It's not like I'm going to do anything about you rejecting the offer." 

The Emperor laughed as if finding it amusing to see me standing at attention.

And soon after, he told us to step back.

"You may go now. I can't keep people busy all day long."

At those words, I also stood up, stood beside Carcel, and bowed in greeting.

“Then let’s go back.”

Carcel also finished a brief farewell and escorted me out the door.

I whispered to Carcel.

"Still, His Majesty the Emperor accepted the refusal more easily than I expected."

The Emperor looked pale, so I was worried he might become hostile toward me if I gave a negative answer.

Carcel patted my shoulder and laughed.

"Honestly, there is some reason to dislike Asha. It was a situation that could have been extremely dangerous for you if things had gone wrong, but you acted for His Highness without showing any signs of distress."

"I hope so. His Majesty won't suspect me of being a spy anymore, will he?"

"The very fact that His Majesty offered the position of the Crown Princess in the first place is no different from having already decided to keep Asha as his own."

Carcel's face was affectionate as he said that.

I asked him.

"I wonder what Linea and my mother are doing right now. I feel like I should spend some time with them today, even if just for a little while."

Although I had time with Linea in between, I suddenly realized that I seem to have been neglecting her lately.

"I heard the temple sent a gift. How about we open the gift together for the first time in a while and enjoy a simple tea time?"

"But isn't Carcel super busy right now?"

The matter of Grand Duke Dischlie was a problem, and besides that, investigations into Count Tabes and Priest Noction were also in full swing.

This was just a task added to his main job!

" I have some time to spend with my family."

“Then that’s a relief.”

So we returned home.

And without even the slightest thought that I would see such a perplexing sight as soon as I got home!

***

"No matter how much you peel, there is no end to it."

I was sure gifts would only come from the temple.

I wonder why there are so many gifts.

It was getting low enough to make me turn completely pale.

"Wait, didn't you say they only come from the temple?!"

"Since most of the people who witnessed the incident that day knew that Asha had rendered great service to His Majesty the Emperor..."

"So you're saying they sent this many gifts under the pretext of wedding congratulatory presents? And this person even sent a family heirloom!"

The letter explained in great detail what this necklace meant to their family and said it was being presented as a gift to celebrate the marriage.

I let out a groan.

"No, if I do this, it looks like I'm stealing someone else's great-great-grandmother's necklace."

"I will return this gift appropriately."

" Still, I've opened half of it."

The maids were helping, but I had to read the letters enclosed with the gifts myself.

Linea was also busily unwrapping gifts next to me.

" What did Linea get?"

Unlike me, the child was excited, perhaps finding it fun because it all felt like a random box.

"They say this is a mysterious gift from the East! Mom, take it!"

Smiling brightly like that, what Linea held out was a statue with the face of a wild boar that had about thirty arms.

“Thank you.”

The face of the wild boar statue is so terrifyingly distorted and looks like it is in a fit of rage that if I put it next to my bed while sleeping, I feel like I will have a nightmare.

I quietly put the new item into another box so that Linea wouldn't see it, slid it aside, and finally reached the gift sent from the temple.

"I think this is what Priest Noction said." 

"Wait a moment, Asha."

Carcel accepted it from me, perhaps worried that there might be a problem with the gift given by Priest Noction.

"Just in case, I will run a check first and then tell them to open it." 

"Ah..." 

"I will also bring the gift sent by Count Tabes after the inspection is finished." 

Carcel, who still suspected the two of them, said to me.

I was well aware of his concerns, so I readily handed the gift to Carcel.

"Ah. There's this too. Princess Safiya?"

"I opened the gift Princess Amira sent earlier, and it looks like Princess Safiya sent a gift as well."

“Really?”

I tilted my head.

There were so many gifts sent by Princess Amira that if you stacked them, they would reach the ceiling of the drawing room.

"We barely know each other, so I’m grateful she sent a wedding gift." 

In fact, the people who sent gifts today were not just those who attended the wedding.

Princess Safiya's gift was not particularly strange, as even people I had only exchanged greetings with or seen from afar had sent gifts.

That's what I thought at the time.

"Aaaah!"

Until 30 minutes ago.

***

" They say what Princess Safiya sent is a mysterious fruit that only grows in the desert." 

"It seems fruit grows even in the desert."

I was only able to rest after unpacking a fair number of gifts and organizing the list of who sent them.

Having tea time with my family in the greenhouse for the first time in a while, I took out some fruit from the gifts that had a label saying it was fresh and needed to be consumed quickly.

I knew what this fruit was.

"They said it was a pomegranate."

However, the family members all looked as if they were seeing it for the first time.

"If you crack it open like this, the eggs come out."

As the chef lifted the cross-section he had already cut, beautiful, jewel-like pomegranate seeds were revealed.

"Wow!"

Linea took the unfamiliar fruit, fascinated by it.

I also asked the child with a smile.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

"I see something white inside. Is it safe to eat?" 

"Ah, that's a seed. Don't eat the seed; just drink the juice and spit it out."

"Are you spitting out all the seeds every time you eat this tiny fruit?" 

Linea showed a look of surprise, as if it were an incredibly annoying fruit.

I smiled slightly and nodded.

" It may look like this, but it will taste slightly sweet and sour." 

Carcel, who originally had no interest in sweets, showed little interest, and only my mother and Linea watched, their faces showing they were wondering if they should try it.

It was then.

One of the butterflies released into the greenhouse fluttered its beautiful wings and landed on a pomegranate seed.

"Oh my, look at this."

"Did the butterfly come because it liked the smell of fruit?"

"Yeah, I guess it smelled sweet."

Unlike flies, when a butterfly lands, it doesn't look particularly dirty.

Since Linea was fascinated, I joined in and watched with bated breath as the butterfly landed on the pomegranate seed and twitched its long, tube-like mouth.

Mother also watched the two of us as if finding us cute and chuckled.

And soon the butterfly.

"Uh?"

It trembled slightly, folded its fancy wings, and plopped down to the side.

When Linea saw that, she screamed in surprise.

“Aaaah!”

Linea turned sharply to look at me with a surprised face and asked.

"Do butterflies normally die if they drink fruit juice?! Should I have stopped them from eating it?"

I was just as bewildered.

"No, that's not it... Linea, Mother. Could you please try not eating for a moment?"

Something was strange.

A butterfly landed on a fresh pomegranate seed, drank the juice, and died not long after.

"No way." 

I recalled the eyes of Princess Safiya, whom I had met on the day I was talking with Raphael.

'Do you think I killed Raphael?'

Whether Raphael is still alive has not been disclosed to the outside world.

The people who saw him that day might mistake him for dead.

In fact, there was also a fabrication to make it look like Raphael was dead, just in case assassins were sent to kill him properly.

Carcel also realized the seriousness of the situation and told me.

"I am quite suspicious. The food might have spoiled."

Still, because Linea was there, Carcel seemed to avoid mentioning the poison.

"I think we need to check." 

"I will have it sent to Isar immediately."

Carcel moved swiftly and precisely.

He called Matt and gave him an order.

"Send this to Isar and tell him to examine what is inside, and confirm Princess Safiya's location." 

"All right!"

"This could escalate into diplomatic friction, so just make sure you can secure her identity at any time. Don't arrest her immediately."

I blinked, still bewildered as to what was going on.

"Then, would Princess Safiya have personally sent this food knowing that our family might not eat it?" 

That simply? Without even hiding the fact that you sent it?

Then Carcel opened his mouth and answered.

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