Chapter 33

“Not at all?” 

“… Yes?” 

I tried not to reveal any expression towards him, but I couldn’t help myself. 

“I heard you’ve lived there a long time. Is there anything especially memorable or impressive there?” 

“None at all, Your Majesty.”

After I was reincarnated, I’d only gone out once; I couldn’t understand what this royal wanted to say. “If you could give me some more details…”

“There you go!”

“… ”

Oh, why is he so frustrating?! This tyrant!

Still, it is better for me to remain calm. After all, isn’t it said that the person who gets angry first loses?

“How enlightening! I wish I could help you with this, but since His Majesty is here, there’s no use for me. I shall take my leave…””

The tyrant wasn’t a patient man, and he gave off a powerful aura; perhaps it was due to his long-standing position in Lania. However, I’m grateful because this served as a great training for me.

“That day.”

But I forgot he was no pushover.

‘That day.’

As soon as I heard those words, cold sweat trickled down my back. “W-what do you mean by that day?”

“Are you going to say that you can’t remember, again?” The weary voice of the emperor grew deep.

The only time we ever came close to meeting was when I was going to give Haniel back.

“That day you must have…”

“Yes, I certainly waited!”

“…”

“I waited until nightfall. It was the Emperor who didn’t show up. However, since I guess I’m the only one responsible, if the Emperor is dissatisfied with my actions, my guilt would weigh upon me until death.”

Heuk.

My increasingly loud words ended in an apology.

To be honest, I don’t know if my excuse made sense.

Now, I just had to remember how long I waited for him that day.

But I can’t give Haniel to him!

My mind went blank as I weighed my two options: losing Haniel or losing my life.

As if he was enjoying a spectacle, the emperor quietly leaned to the side.

“You waited for me?”

“Yes, I’ve waited anxiously for you to come. I was waiting despite the bitter cold of the north.”

Why was he laughing at me? There was a tinge of anxiety around his smirking lips.

“When I am embarrassed, I speak everything on my mind without regard to my surroundings; I think with the mentality of the lower class.” Since his expression did not change, I could not grasp what the Emperor was thinking.

“I didn’t mean to leave. I made up my mind to tell everything to Your Majesty if you came on time, but when I didn’t see you, I thought that there was a misunderstanding…”

“There is a reason why I couldn’t go.”

“…I believe that you couldn’t come because of circumstances beyond your control. After all, you are a member of the imperial family.”

That was smooth, wasn’t it? It must have been smooth.

We gazed at each other for a very long time, and in the silence, only the sound of our breaths could be heard. However, no matter how intimidating the emperor’s gaze was, I’d already made up my words.

He didn’t come! He didn’t see it!

Baby, your mother will live! When life and death could happen at any moment, there was nothing scarier than being abandoned. Even if the emperor says he saw, he would never believe that the baby swan was the missing princess.

I couldn’t help but speak. “Of course, I don’t dare blame you. However, it would have been wonderful to show you the beautiful Lake Ferdium.”

“It really is a shame.”

My smile became more natural as I regained my composure. “I know. Goodness, you must have seen many places all over the world so beautiful they would leave you a fool, so I’ll leave you now.”