Chapter 99

Rose, who had rushed to Eva, quickly brought the news back.

“Little Madam, it is said that His Highness the Prince and Her Highness the Princess have visited.”

“…The princess?”

Luciel’s eyes became round.

“Yes, it’s Princess Claudia.”

‘That’s right, around this time Princess Claudia was still in the Imperial Castle!’

She looked back on her forgotten memories. In the past, when Luciel entered the Imperial Palace, she had never met Princess Claudia since she had already been married off to the Maynard Kingdom of the Western Continent.

Although she had acquainted herself with the Princess’s face using genealogy documents and portraits…she had never actually met her, so Luciel doesn’t know exactly who she was, but she was highly regarded in the public.

In the old newspapers of the Empire, Princess Claudia had consistently supported the children of the slums, and she was praised for being clever enough to attend political meetings and give opinions.

‘When she was still living here, the palace had a warm atmosphere….…Isn’t this place like a thin layer of ice now?’

‘She was a very upright and wonderful person. It was said that if she had been born as a prince, things might have been different for her.’

‘Oh, look about what you are talking. What if someone hears it?’

‘Even if someone hears it, there’s only this fool in the glass vault, right? She doesn’t even know what I’m talking about.’

Sometimes even the court ladies of the Crown Prince’s palace would complain like that. The maids served the Crown Prince by his side, but they were very afraid of him.

It was natural for their lives to come and go with a single word of his.

As the Emperor’s illness deepened, the state affairs handled by the Crown Prince increased, and it was natural for his authority and power to follow suit.

Luciel wondered what kind of person Princess Claudia was, and whether she was really the right person according to public opinion.

‘If that’s the case, I’d better get close to her and keep Reynolds in check.’

The unfortunate fact was that in the Tyra Empire, the men had the right to inherit the throne first.

But what if Reynold completely loses his qualifications to succeed the throne?

The Princess would be the sole descended with direct blood ties with the Emperor and the legitimacy of the Empress.

Anyway, it was a long story to get there, and it was necessary to know what kind of person the Princess was in order to capture the Empress’s heart.

* * *

“Until the start of the banquet, the Prince and the Princess will rest at the Tulip Palace, Little Madam.”

As Luciel was getting the news from Eva, Bell, her little, white pine-cone owl, flew into the parlor and sat on her shoulder.

“Bell!”

Luciel rubbed her cheek against Bell’s soft fur, and Kizef, chuckling behind her, placed a hand on Luciel’s head.

“This guy seems to be getting really frustrated these days, so I took her out to the training hall.”

“Oh, I see.”

Kizef, who poured out his story without her having to even ask, turned to Luciel. He looked at Luciel in the red dress and thought that these colors suit her well.

“Why are you asking about the Imperial Guests?”

Luciel was startled.

‘He has bright ears. Did you hear all of Eva’s conversation before coming in?’

Come to think of it, it seems that father-in-law was keen on hearing and other senses as well, were all Bellstein like that?

“Ah, well, I was just curious about who the princess is.”

Luciel replied with a smile.

“You two can talk comfortably. I’m going to get the banquet hall ready.”

“Yes, thanks for the hard work, Eva.”

Eva bowed her head towards the young couple and stepped back. Kizef, who looked down at the smooth marble floor, softly said.

“We’ve met before. Princess Claudia.”

“Oh really? How is she?”

“Well. I don’t remember.”

That was a lie.

When he was six or seven years old, he once went to the Imperial Palace with his grandfather.

He remembers Princess Claudia’s chasing after Kizef around so much that the adults even joked that they should marry both.

Although Kizef was annoyed with her, he had no ingenuity to deal with her as she was a princess, his height and same age.

Since then, they hadn’t met officially, so it was almost like they were little acquaintances. More than that, there was something that Kizef was concerned about. On the paper that Luciel had scribbled on, Prince Reynold de Hendricks name was written on it.

He had never met the Prince so he had no information. If so, he has no choice but to find out in advance for Luciel’s safety…

Kizef suddenly informed Luciel as if it had come to mind.

“Luciel. The girls your age you met yesterday gathered in the swan garden, how about visiting?”

“Young girls my age?”

“Yes. I think they helped you yesterday.”

Looking back, I remembered the faces of the good young girls I had exchanged greetings with yesterday.

Dana and Marsha.

The two were helping by preventing Penelope from being evil and speaking badly.

“Oh, right. I want to say thank you for meeting me.”

“The banquet ends tonight, but I heard that some nobles are returning during the day.”

“Really? Thanks! Kizef.”

Luciel ran with a somewhat urgent pace. In the wind, Bell flapped her wings several times on Luciel’s shoulder.

Kizef, who had his eyes on her small back, headed to the aide’s office in the main castle.

* * *

As Kizef said, when she went to the swan garden, Dana and Marsha, whom she met at the banquet, were sitting together and looking at the flowers.

Luciel exclaimed, blushing with delight.

“Dana, Marsha!”

“Princess!”

The girls hugged each other as soon as they met again.

“I was really grateful for yesterday.”

“It’s nothing.”

Marsha, a girl with short brown hair with a cute look, was shy, and Dana, who had scarlet hair like a red carrot, clenched her fists.

“Cavill Young Lady was so rude. The Princess’s pretty silver hair was almost ripped off. I’m glad I could help protect it.”

As Dana smiled, Luciel’s cheeks flushed with gratitude. It was the first time she had met a friend of her age who was purely innocent.

“Thank you so much. Dana, Marsha. If you have time right now, would you like to have share tea time with me?”

The two children’s faces clouded at Luciel’s suggestion and Dana said.

“We have to go back now. I have to go to the capital city.”

“I see. Where do you two come from? I hope to see you again next time.”

“My family is Marande Marquise. I also want to meet the Princess again, too.”

Dana said while holding Luciel’s hand, and Marsha gave her an answer.

“My family is Count Turen.”

“May I write a letter to your family?”

“Of course. Next time you come to the Capital, we will go shopping and play together. I will go and brag to my friends. The Bellstein Castle was nice, and the Princess was so pretty.”

At Dana’s words, Luciel felt good too.

“Yes. Next time I go to the capital, I will definitely play with you.”

“Yes!”

“Next time, please call me Luciel. Because we’re friends.”

“We still have time to call you, Luciel.”

“…Luciel!”

When Dana and Marsha called out her name, Luciel’s heart was tickled for some reason.

“Then see you later.”

Hoping to see them again someday, Luciel waved to the two of them. As they left, Bell, who was sitting on a tall tree, came to Luciel again.

Luciel wanted to show Bell to the girls and she said in a voice full of regret.

“When I was together with Dana and Marsha, you went up the tree, and now you are coming down? Are you shy?”

-Hoot.

Bell nodded her head and flew over another tree branch nearby.

“Huh? Where are you going? Bell!”

Then she pecked at the branch with her beak. Apparently, she was hungry and was hunting bugs. Now she could hunt for herself without having others catch her prey.

Luciel sat down on a wide rock nearby and waited for Bell to finish the hunt. But Bell kept flying around in search of new food.

“I have never starved you…”

How long did she follow Bell to the depths of the forest? The wooden door leading to the forest road, which was normally locked, was open.

‘Did a lot of guests come and leave the forest road open?’

It seems that most of them have been there while staying in Bellstein, but Luciel rolled her curious eyes, entered the wooden door and walked through the forest.

The air was cool and the green trees were thick.

How far did she go?

A building with an orange round tulip-shaped roof appeared.

‘Huh…? Could this be the Tulip Palace?’

In front of the palace, there was a stable with colorful carriages, several wagons, and horses. Dozens of imperial escort knights in white uniforms stood guard in front of them as if encircling them.

Luciel quickly hid behind a tree. She followed Bell and ended up all the way to here, but when she found out that it was the Tulip Palace, Luciel feared that she might run into Reynold.

I heard there is definitely a separate way to Tulip Palace. Someone’s mistake opened the wooden door earlier, creating a shortcut.

‘Let’s hurry up and go back now. If I run into Reynold now, I’m sure my feelings will be unbearable.’

It was when Luciel turned around to go back the way she had come. With the sound of rustling leaves, someone stopped from behind her.

Luciel was very nervous, and her body stiffened at the voice she heard.

“The saying that you can see snow rabbits in Bellstein seems to be true.”

“……!”

It was the voice of a boy. A much younger voice than Luciel remembered, but it was clearly the voice of the Crown Prince, or now, Prince Reynolds.

Luciel couldn’t bear to look up and trembled as she glanced sideways at his shoes.

Horrible things in the past that she couldn’t bear to erase came to mind.

‘Luciel, you won’t get away from me until you die. Until then, you have to help me make jewels. Do you understand?’

Luciel shook her head.

‘No. If I feel more intense emotions here and now…I’m going to create jewels. Let’s calm down please. Calm down.…Luciel! Now is not the past. I’m not a jewel slave. Wake up. Wake up…!’

Despite her stifling fear and anxiety, Luciel barely endured the influx of mana gathering in her heart.

“…Can’t you speak?”

Poof!

Luciel fainted as it was, feeling dizzy and nauseous.