Chapter 27

IBHB 27 – Doesn’t want to give up

TL: Eevee

Ed: Eevee

Another self-edited chapter, as always, feel free to point to any mistakes.

Clarice was currently shut up in her room. She had holed up in a corner of her room and refused all contact with the outside. If not even the hero could get her to come out, there was no way that she would for her mother, Her Majesty the Queen.

“It seems the princess has no plans to open the door.”

As if it couldn’t be helped, the queen ordered Ericia, who had come along for protection.

“Eri. Whatever it takes, get this door to open.”

If she wouldn’t open the door from that side then the only option was to open it from this side.

“Whatever it takes?”

“Yes. But, do try to avoid too-destructive methods, we don’t want to startle her.”

“I accept your orders.”

Ericia stood in front of the door. With eyes of a hawk she observed the tightly shut door. No matter her eccentricities, her skills were real. As Ericia showed her true colours, the air in the corridor froze over with a tension that even made the queen gulp.

Slowly, but surely, Ericia raised a fist. She’s going to break the door. Anticipating the sounds of destruction, the queen shut her eyes. And then-

Knock knock knock.

“Do you wanna build a snowman~~??”

………………

Silence.

After the silence passed, the door opened, and in that gap, Clarice’s eyes were deathly cold. Ericia slammed the door shut without a shred of hesitation.

“Okay bye……”

***

With dinner in hand, Karina came to Clarice’s room only to discover Ericia standing at attention in front of the door.

“Miss Ericia? What are you doing?”

“H, Her Highness gave me a punishment…”

“Punishment? Just what have you done this time?”

“Dunno…”

Dripping sweat, Ericia laughed at herself.

“Probably because isn’t winter right now?”

“???”

That was unexpected, but her head was missing a few screws anyway so Karina let it slide. Ignoring her, Karina grabbed the door handle and heard an argument on the other side. One was Her Highness’s, and the other…

No doubt it was that bitch’s. ‘This time for sure!’ Having made her resolve, she slammed the door open and shouted.

“Add another horny bitch onto the pile!”(1)

Ah! Karina turned white, horrified. Instead of her yelling ‘hands off the princess’ she accidentally let out her true feelings!

“Horny bitch??”

But the person in the room was not the Holy Maiden but the queen. The queen waved her fan with a snap of her wrist and tilted her head.

“What is the matter. Karina. Coming in so hurriedly.”

“Ah… N, Nothing. Your Majesty. I was worried that the Holy Maiden had come again and fighting the princess and…”

Seeing Karina tail off her words, the queen’s eyes narrowed. She’d seemed a bit too happy for that… But since it wasn’t anything worth pursuing she let the matter drop. The bigger problem was Clarice.

The queen had come today with the resolve to make sure that Clarice and Minwoo met up. She thought that the only person who could get her out of her hikikomori state and heal her heart wounded by the Holy Maiden was Minwoo.

Maybe because the Holy Maiden had been brought up, but with tension lower than the floor, Clarice said,

“……I’m alright, Karina. So please get out. Mother, too.”

Karina and the queen both thought. No, you don’t look alright at all!

Her smooth, soft skin was now dry and listless, her radiant hair was tangled up like dog fur and her eyes, once glistening brighter than the dawn star were dead, their light lost. A wilted flower. At her fragile appearance that seemed as if it would drop all its remaining petals with the lightest breeze, the two of their hearts broke.

The queen was ravaged by the urge to run to the Holy Maiden right then and there and tear her hair out while yelling apologise to my ‘daughter’. But faced with the hard reality where she couldn’t (1. The palace couldn’t afford any more incidents right before the marriage. 2. They couldn’t afford to make an enemy of the Mitohi faith.) she grabbed Clarice’s hands, tears in her eyes.

“Don’t worry. Momma’s always on Clarice’s side. So trust Mom. Alright?”

Sniffle sniff. Having revealed her true personality even with Clarice watching, the queen consoled Clarice while dabbing her tears away with her handkerchief.

Clarice only said.

“Mother.”

“Hm?”

“Who was the one that asked Orleia to teach me sex ed?”

“……………….”

Driiiiiip. Now dripping more cold sweat than tears, the queen avoided her gaze and feebly made excuses.

“No, that’s, hohoho. Who knew the Holy Maiden would be such a bomb? Hhohohoh….;;;;;”

Clarice’s gaze stung. A fierce gaze that seemed to pierce even the thickest of faces. The queen couldn’t even fidget. Eventually, Clarice sighed, as if it couldn’t be helped. Thank goodness. She was passing it over. The queen smiled bashfully.

Looking at her mother, Clarice said.

“Mother.”

“Hm?”

“Then your excuse for running away from the protest?”

“…………”

That, she was still holding it against her. Her cold sweat now erasing her makeup and starting to drench her dress, she eventually donk~ed her head and poked her tongue out.”

“Tehe★”

That day.

The queen came to know that out of the many ways to give face, there was also the option of a fist to the face.(2)

***

“This girl does not have the right to see Hero-nim.”

Clarice told the queen, who was currently rubbing her eyes with some eggs that Karina had brought. Right now, Clarice was feeling that if she had any sense of shame at all, there was no way she would be able to face the hero.

“But my boy Minwoo wanted to see you?”

The queen called him ‘my boy’ so as to remind Clarice that he was her son-in-law. Biting her lip, Clarice looked up with a pitiable expression.

“I can’t. I don’t want to be even more of a burden on the hero than I already am.”

“Burden? How on earth is our Clarice a burden…”

Clarice held back the tears that threatened to spill over at any moment and yelled.

“Do you not know? My very existence is a burden to the hero!”

“………The Holy Maiden said that to you? That you were a burden?”

The queen asked with an icy voice. If so, then it wasn’t the Holy Maiden’s hair that she’d be tearing off, but her neck.

“No. But the cause of all this is myself. If I wasn’t here, then Hero-nim wouldn’t have had such hardship up till now, Orleia would be happy with the man she loves…”

Slap!

Clarice couldn’t finish her sentence. The queen had delivered a harsh slap to her cheek. For the record, it wasn’t revenge for earlier. Absolutely not. Probably not. Clarice touched her stinging cheek with a shaky hand. She turned her wavering gaze to her mother, whose face was as scary as it had been during the imprisonment incident.

“Such stupid words. Your mother will not forgive them. Even if Clarice yourself were to deny our Clarice, I will not forgive them.”

“Mother…”

Clarice felt. This was different to that time when she had seemed (acted) hateful. Right now, her mother’s eyes were filled with warmth. To the point where all she wanted to do was cry in her breasts.

“Minwoo, Holy Maiden, throw that all aside. Speak Clarice’s true mind, not the one that’s bound by those two. What does Clarice want to do? Does she really not want to see Minwoo? Is she going to just grovel at the Holy Maiden’s feet? Is she going to just suck her thumb as the Holy Maiden steals Minwoo away from her!”

“I…”

Clarice clenched the hems of her dress. My heart. My true heart, unaffected by those two.

“I don’t know… But, I am angry. Thinking that Orleia and the hero are going to be together makes my heart hurt so much.”

She heard from Karina. That Orleia and Hero-nim were once promised to marry each other. What came to Clarice’s mind after hearing that was her and the hero now. It was similar. Both promised to marry, a scam marriage brought upon by deceit, but the results were different.

Orleia wanted to marry the hero so much she would lie to him for it. But Hero-nim had been disillusioned with her, abandoned the holy sword and fled. But what about herself? Originally a man, an unwanted marriage. But even so, Hero-nim didn’t flee. Because she said she wanted to remain in the kingdom, he stayed with her and was always by her side.

At that realisation, Clarice felt sorry for Orleia. Even though it was a thin sympathy she had no words. But, Clarice had obtained what Orleia had wanted for so long without any effort at all, despite never having wanted it to begin with. That was why she had refused to see the hero.

Rather than her, that would only remain a hindrance, wouldn’t Orleia, who loved him, be better-

But on the other hand she was always thinking. To ‘have’ Hero-nim, Orleia wouldn’t hesitate to deceiving others. To be together with her, would Hero-nim be truly happy?

“That’s plenty. Go on and see Minwoo.”

The queen stroked Clarice’s hair and said.

“Don’t you see? The fact that Clarice is feeling those emotions, is that she doesn’t want to give up on Minwoo.”

Clarice turned to look at the queen with eyes wet with tears.

“Mother… But, can I really do that…?”

“Doesn’t matter. If you don’t want to give him up, then don’t. No one will say anything. Even if they do, ignore them. Momma here will back you up. Didn’t I say? Momma’s always on Clarice’s side.”

The queen smiled reliably. Then, finally, Clarice’s face lightened up and a small smile surfaced. Following the smile, a single, clear teardrop fell down her face.

It was then.

Wham!

“Your Highness!! Big trouble!!!”

Senyun ran in as if to break the door down. The queen’s face hardened, as she stood up to chastise her.

“What is the matter? Barging in so rudely.”

“Ah, ah. I, I’m sorry! But there’s something urgent I need to tell you…!”

Senyun ran to Clarice and hurriedly said.

“Minwoo, Minwoo’s chrysanthemum is in danger!”

Blink blink. Clarice blinked dumbly before she and the queen exchanged a glance, and turned back to Senyun and asked,

“Chrysanthemum?”(3)

Author’s Notes

Big… Problem…. I’m… Out of reserves…. ㅠㅅㅠ

The next chapter’s going to be a few days…