Chapter 16

“Now you use it.”

“Really? Can I use it?”

“I think that would be better.”

“Are you really okay with this?”

Bran asked carefully, and Atil nodded. Lilyca clenched the key with both hands.

“I’ll use it, but the owner is Your Highness.”

“But you will be using it.”

“Yes, I will. However, let’s be co-owners.”

After all, when His Highness es of age, he will bee His Majesty the Emperor, and she will have to leave. She had no intention of taking it all by herself, nor was she confident.

“Whatever.”

Atil replied and ruffled her head. Lilyca burst out laughing.

It was very nice to have someone touch her without hurting her.

Lilyca decided while holding the key.

‘I have to make the garden beautiful for when I’ll return it to His Highness.’

As Atil suddenly remembered, he asked what he had been concerned about for a while.

“By the way, how long are you going to call me Your Highness?”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t have to call me Your Highness anymore.”

At that question, Lilyca somehow felt a sense of disorientation. She thought she heard the same question somewhere.

Lilyca answered, tilting her head.

“Then, Prince Atil…?”

“You said we were brother and sister.”

In the end, Atil said, ‘Must I explain to you more?’ Lilyca smiled as she grabbed his hand at the words he uttered with that embarrassed expression.

“Atil.”

Atil smiled faintly and took Lilyca’s hand. Lilyca led his hand to the kitchen excitedly.

The people in the kitchen were so frightened by the presence of His Highness the Crown Prince that their faces hardened. When Bryn served the raspberries, the cook politely asked,

“I’ll cook it for you. Should I send it to the White Dragon Room and the Black Dragon Room respectively?”

Lilyca said after one glance at Atil.

“Send it to the White Dragon Room. And send the best to His Majesty and Empress.”

“I see. Please, rest assured that it will be done diligently.”

Lilyca said to Atil, “Let’s go eat,” and not long after taking him into the White Dragon Room, crystal balls full of raspberry cream came in.

It was a cold dessert made by mixing sweet and fresh whipped cream with raspberries and sugar.

After eating cream and raspberries until she was full, Lilyca became happy.

After putting the last raspberry in her mouth with a silver spoon and enjoying the whirlpool of sweet and sour taste, she finished the tea with satisfaction.

Pai laughed.

“Princess, you eat so sweetly.”

Lilyca asked cautiously.

“Is something wrong? Do you think I ate without following etiquette?”

Pai shook his head at the question.

“No, I just want you to look happy.”

“Isn’t it fun to eat something delicious?”

“Yes, it is.”

However, no one had such a blatant feeling of happiness on their face as Lilyca.

Somehow, Pie admired her expression because it made him happy just by looking at it. He lightly pressed his lips.

‘Oh my.’

He had made a slip of tongue.

‘I like that you look happy. What was this?’

It might have sounded like an insult if he had told other nobles. But Pie relaxed.

Lilyca didn’t twist words. She accepted them as they are without thinking twice or thrice.

If she said she was happy, he’ll believe her, and if she said she was sad, he’ll believe her as well.

He wouldn’t even look for something hidden behind her words.

‘I don’t have to think about how to interpret her words, whom to report to, and whether to find weaknesses in them.’

Pai thought about it and apologised,

“Sorry, Princess, I made a mistake.”

Lilyca shook her head.

“No, I shouldn’t have asked you if I wasn’t following etiquette.”

It was probably a question that a real princess wouldn’t have asked.

“No. I made a mistake with that statement. Without realising it, my tongue became loose.”

Lilyca stared at Pai and held out her empty glass bowl.

“Give me one, and I will forgive you.”

Pai chuckled.

“I’ll give you two.”

Atil, who was watching them, scooped raspberries from his cup and put them in Lilyca’s.

“What’s up Atil?”

Lilyca asked and he answered,

“It’s for every time there is something to apologise for in the future. I don’t want to apologise for every single one of them.”

“Princess, please take good care of His Highness.”

Bran poured his share into Lilyca’s cup.

“Who are you to ask that?”

Atil said in an annoyed voice, and Bran just laughed, ‘haha’.

Raspberries piled up again in Lilyca’s cup in an instant. Lilyca opened her mouth and looked at Bryn.

“I’ll give half to Bryn. I think Bryn will be a lot of help moving forward.”

Bryn, whose cup was empty, smiled and held it out, and Lilyca gave her half.

Pai was pleased.

Although Atil grumbled, he looked fortable around Lilyca. Pai didn’t know how long it had been since he had seen him like this.

Above all, he never thought he would go back to the garden. The princess did not know how precious that garden key was to Atil, but Pai did.

Lilyca will take great care of the garden and cherish it.

‘That’s fascinating.’

It was the first time for him to feel so fortable.

‘Is this what adults in a family called to be relaxed? It’s said you should marry someone you are fortable with.’

Comfort, which was rare for snakes, was awkward and interesting at the same time. But Pai was also anxious that the existence of such feelings would cause mistakes.

However, Lilyca’s existence as a person serving His Majesty was wele.

‘As long as the princess doesn’t betray him.’

She was still young, but no one could know how she will turn out when she grows up.

Pai had seen several children who were healthy and cute when they were young, but as they grow up, they became like poison.

When someone heard this story, they said, ‘Young people say all sorts of things.’ Pai, though, was thirteen. When you became a teenager in Sandar, you had the same right to speak as an adult.

To survive in the snake’s lair, you must have that level of intelligence at that age.

‘I better be careful.’

It is better to be careful about beings that can loosen the boundaries of the mind.

Pai thought so and put the remaining raspberries in his mouth.

* * *

It was three days later that Lyrica met her mother. She had heard that the meeting was over, but she thought her mother would be tired, so Lilyca decided to visit her later.

Lydia was dressed in a gown and her hair was roughly tied together. With a very tired face, she kissed her daughter and said,

“Did nothing happen during that time?”

“Yeah, nothing happened.”

“That’s good my dear, ugh.”

While trying to hug Lilyca, Lydia patted her back and let out a moan.

“Are you okay?”

When Lilyca asked in surprise, Lydia nodded her head.

“I’m okay. I’m just tired. Mommy looks ugly, right?”

Lydia covered her cheeks and smiled. Lilyca shook her head.

“No, Mother is still beautiful!”

Lydia laughed at Lilyca’s words, “Whoa.” Seeing that smile, Lilyca thought, ‘Mother is really pretty.’ And she admired her again.

Although she looked tired, her skin was strangely shiny and her eyes were reddish, so she was very pretty. Lilyca frowned while staring intently at her mother.

“Mother, I think you have been bitten by an insect. Are you okay?”

“Yes?”

“Here-”

When Lylica said that while tapping the nape of her neck, Lydia hurriedly pulled back her gown.

“The red colour has spread quite a bit. Aren’t you itchy?”

“Uh-huh, Mommy is okay. She’s really okay.”

Lilyca nodded her head as Lydia waved her hand frenetically. She must be ashamed of being bitten by an insect. She shouldn’t though.

Coughing, Lydia said as she touched the collar of her gown.

“In the meantime, I got a reply from Bharat. He said he’d e to teach. Will you be all right?”

“Really?”

“Yes. Didn’t you want Fjord Bharat to e?”

“Wow-!”

With pure joy, Lilyca clasped her hands. Lydia chuckled.

“Do you like it that much?”

“Yes!”

“And…”

Her mother yawned slightly and continued.

“When Atil hired a new escort, he decided to hire yours as well. Go to the Guard Knights and choose the one you like. You can ask Tan to pick a decent person.”

Lydia said so and yawned again. Lilyca said,

“You must have been very tired from the meeting.”

“Meeting?”

“Yes, you and His Majesty were staying together for a meeting.”

“Oh, yes. It was a one-sided meeting… one-sided… fufu. Oh, but the meeting ended well.”

Lilyca felt heavy at the thought of how hard it must have been on her mother. Still, she was glad that she had called her like this.

Lilyca jumped up from her seat and hugged her mother tightly.

“Okay. Get a good night’s sleep now. I’ll listen to the rest later.”

“Yes, Mommy will sleep a little bit. Take the letter from Bharat to the maid.”

“Yes.”

When Lilyca left the room, the maid handed the letter to Bryn.

It was a letter with colourful flower patterns on it.

‘It was said that the flower on those patterns was the ancestor of their family. So, is the ancestor of the Bharat family a flower?’

Could a flower be an ancestor?

‘But it’s plausible.’

Considering the appearance of Fjord, she really thought it could.

Maybe he had a flower fairy as an ancestor or something like that?

She arrived in front of the stairs while looking at the envelope of the letter. Lylica peeped around. She gave a dry cough.

“Bryn.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Is there no one around?”

“No one is watching.”

Lilyca looked at the railing secretly. Bryn asked politely.

“Would you like to ride down?”

“Will it be okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

“Okay then.”

With Bryn’s support, Lilyca raised her hips on the large, wide marble railing.

“Wow-!”

At once, she gained speed and slid down the railing.

‘Uh? Huh?’

The stairs were longer than expected and the speed was also faster than planned. What if she couldn’t land properly?

“Ah!”

She was going to bounce off!

At the bend of the railing, Lilyca made a small noise and closed her eyes tightly.

She slowly opened her eyes; someone had picked her up. She lifted her chin and looked up to see His Majesty standing there.

“You can’t close your eyes at the end. You need to find out where you’re going to end up.”

“Your Majesty!”

Surprised, Lilyca’s eyes widened, and he hugged her gently. Alteos said to Bryn, who was standing next to her.

“Wasn’t it dangerous?”

“If it weren’t for His Majesty, I would have lifted her.”

Bryn bent slightly her head. Alteos turned to Lilyca.

“I didn’t know that the princess’s job included cleaning the railings.”

Lilyca’s face turned red. Alteos stared intently.

“I’m sorry…”

“Did you want to clean the railing?”

“No, I slid down the railing…”

“Why are you sorry about that?”

Lilyca looked at him with a troubled expression. Alteos said, “Oh.” and squinted his eyes.

“I am not asking you to confess your mistake. I’m asking because I really don’t know why you’re sorry about that.”

Speaking, he looked into Lilyca’s eyes for a moment.

“Did you see your mother?”

“Yeah, she looked tired.”

“Hmm.”

Lilyca looked at Alteos’ face involuntarily. Her mother looked tired, but His Majesty was somehow shiny.

“Did you like the oute of the meeting?”

“What meeting?”

“You said you had a meeting with Mother…”

“Ah.”

Alteos rolled his eyes and nodded.

“It was very satisfying.”

“I see.”

“Lily.”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever asked your mother about that?”

“Pardon?”

“The meeting.”

“Oh, yes.”

Alteos coughed a little.

“What did she say?”

“Well…”

Lilyca wondered what to say.

“The meeting ended well.”

“Is that all?”

“What? Uh, and.”

When Lilyca looked at him, Alteos said, “Honestly.” and smiled brightly.

“It was a one-sided meeting…”

“One-sided. Hmm… is that so. Hmm…”

Alteos said.

“Then, I should try to make a meeting that can satisfy both sides in the future.”

Alteos dropped Lilyca down when he saw an envelope in her hand.

“Bharat?”

“What? Ah yes. I want to invite Fjord Bharat as a guest.”

“Fjord Bharat?”

“Yes.”

When she answered, Alteos was deep in thought. He reached out his hand and Lilyca handed him the letter.

A letter envelope with Bharat’s crest painted clearly, and a silver dragon crest indicating who the recipient was.

“Often, very often, I wonder what the Empress is thinking.”

He muttered before returning the letter to Lilyca.

“Go on.”

Alteos turned the other way around and strode away.

Lilyca looked at the invitation and asked Bryn.

“Do you think His Majesty is angry?”

“No, if he was angry, he would have killed either of us. Or maybe both.”

“…”

Seeing Bryn smiling, Lilyca thought, ‘It must be hard for aristocrats.’ She put the letter in the pocket of Bryn’s apron.

It seemed wise not to let anyone see it.