CH 10

“…Your Highness, are you okay?”

“How are you feeling? Is there any place where you feel sick? Shall I call Baron Alec?”

I saw a familiar ceiling and a colorful chandelier. As I tried to get up, Hailey supported me. Lari handed me water.

“What… happened?”

“A man brought your collapsed body.”

“…is that so?”

“Your Highness hasn’t woken up for two days… I-I… thought something went wrong…”

As soon as Hailey finished her words, Lari, who was next to her, burst into tears. Seeing that, Charelize gave a faint smile.

“Have I collapsed for two days?”

“Baron Alec said that Your Highness had lost your energy. So, you need to rest for a while.”

Hailey said it toughly as if she would never back down until Charelize answered yes.

“I get it.”

“Lari, stop crying and bring medicine for Your Highness.”

“Heung, yes. I-I understand.”

Lari, who continued to whimper, stuttered her words and went out.

“Hailey.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Do you know anything about that man?”

“I didn’t look closely. However, his light blue hair was mesmerizing.”

“That man clearly knew me.”

“Is there… anybody who doesn’t know the little Duchess of Marsetta?”

“I don’t mean that. The name he calls me is not like others, but he calls me Lize.”

“Call me Lize.”

“Lize?”

“You must know it’s an honor. You’re the only person in this world that I permit to call me Lize.”

As Charelize’s head started to ache, she remembered to give permission to someone to call her nickname ‘Lize.’

“Princess Veloche gave the news to postpone the meeting and told Your Highness to focus only on getting better.”

Tilting her head, Hailey tells another report.

“That’s a relief.”

“And…”

“Do you have anything else to say? Why are you hesitant to say it?”

“Duke Marsetta came to visit… He has been watching Your Highness for a long time when you collapsed.”

The words from Hailey were ridiculous, and Charelize almost threw up. It was disgusting that the Duke was trying to be a father now.

“Never let the Duke into my room again.”

“I will do as your command, Your Highness.”

“By the way, I couldn’t even bury my mother…”

Belatedly, Charelize remembered her mother.

“I got it sorted out instead, Your Highness. You don’t have to worry.”

Hailey stopped Charelize from getting out of bed with the intention of going back.

“I will leave now. Rest well.”

As Hailey left the room, Charelize groaned at the pain she had barely endured.  Strangely, her heart ached whenever she thought of that man and recalled her forgotten memories. Her heart was beating uncontrollably. Her head ached as well as if she had broken a taboo that had been solemnly set for her.

Charelize was convinced that her regression to four years ago had something to do with that man. In her eyes, that man resembled the man she saw before her death, which she had only seen for a short time.

The matter about that man was soon resolved.

“Your Highness.”

“?”

“It’s about the man you mentioned. I think he is Prince Arensis.”

“Prince… Arensis?”

“Yes. When you were at Rosielt Academy, Your Highness told me that you and he were best friends.”

“Are you sure?”

“It was the first and last time Your Highness sent a letter. I felt his light blue hair was unusual, and I suddenly remembered it last night.”

Hearing Hailey’s words, her curiosity only grew.

Charelize went to Roiselt Academy at age 11 and returned six years later at the age of 17. It was a place where it could be said that she had spent half of her life there.

“Prince Arensis, what kind of person is he?”

It was strangely unpleasant to have to ask what kind of person he was.

“Of the four royal highnesses of the Peschte Empire, he is the only one who was not born from Empress Sione.”

“Okay. Anything is fine, so find out more about the prince.”

“I understand, Your Highness.”

* * *

Noon the next day.

Viscount Argent, a vassal of Duke Marsetta, came to visit.

“This project provides full scholarships to some nobles and commoners who enrolled at Eralpier Academy on the condition of excellent grades.”

“What are the benefits we get?”

“In return, those who got selected by the Eralpier Academy are preferentially connected with us after graduation.”

Originally, it was a project run by Duke Marsetta. Recently, he has been going out more often. He couldn’t delay signing the contract any longer, so he inevitably passed it on to Charelize.

“Little Duchess, I apologize, but I think you should go directly to Eralpier Academy in a few days.”

“Directly?”

“As you know, Your Grace is often absent…”

As soon as Viscount Argent mentioned Duke Marsetta, he avoided Charelize’s gaze, who looked at him bitterly. He wiped the continuous sweat with his handkerchief, embroidered by his youngest daughter, which he had folded tidily in his pocket.

“And, Professor Rosette Percy van Hail contacted me, saying that he would like to meet personally with little Duchess.”

“Professor Hail? Why?”

“He was reluctant to tell the details.”

“Make an appointment and tell him that I’m going to Eralpier Academy.”

“I will take your orders, Your Highness.”

Viscount Argent politely bowed his head and went out.

“How was the tea?”

“It smells really good.”

“What a relief.”

Asked Lari, who came to pick up the teacup.

“Lari, I think I will have to go to Eralpier Academy in the near future.”

“Your Grace is doing business here and there, and he doesn’t even come back to the mansion to do his job. Your Highness is the only one who is suffering for nothing.”

“Even if it’s not because of that, there is someone I need to meet. Rather, it’s a good opportunity to unravel what I’ve been wondering about for a long time.”

“If Your Highness says something like that, I can’t help it. I will follow you that day and keep you safe.”

“How can you keep me safe when you don’t even go near the kitchen because you’re afraid of sharp things?”

Lari put her hands on her waist and inflated her cheeks. Charelize, who tapped Lari’s cheek two or three times, smiled slightly.

“But—”

“It’s okay. Get some rest and think about getting well soon. It seems you get worse as time goes on.”

Lari’s body, which had caught a cold, didn’t get better but only got sicker. Charelize wasn’t the only one who worried. Even if she kept telling her to rest or take a few days off, Lari wouldn’t listen. In the end, Charelize, who lost to Lari’s stubbornness, made her do a job that didn’t have to be overdone.

Charelize thought she should bring Hailey and Martin to the Eralpier Academy.

* * *

The dark dawn came suddenly.

As she continued to sit and work until that time, Charelize felt her eyes tingle. She leaned back for a moment against the chair. Maybe it’s because she’s dealing with documents that give her a headache just looking at them for a long time, so her eyes often get tired these days.

‘Professor Hail. The teacher of Crown Princess Elizabeth.’

Closing her eyes, she pressed them hard.

When she heard the words of Viscount Argent before, she deliberately pretended not to know.

Professor Hail was born as the eldest son of Count Hail and left an unprecedented history when he graduated with a thesis at the age of fifteen. He worked as a professor at the age he was approaching retirement age. He was called a living legend and was respected by many.

Professor Hail was also the teacher of Crown Princess Elizabeth, who was born late to predecessor emperor and empress Roxana. Crown Princess Elizabeth was so smart that it was hard to believe she was still young. She was able to express herself accurately at the Senate meeting.

At the age of seven, she became the youngest student of Professor Hail, the living legend of Eralpier Academy. Even when she was appointed Crown Princess, they continued to maintain their master-disciple relationship. That’s how much they respected and cared for each other.

After the tragic death of Princess Elizabeth, Professor Hail never came to the Imperial Palace. Even within the Eralpier Academy, he avoided contact with others and lived in seclusion, only in his room. Professor Hail never took any disciples again. He continued to miss Crown Princess Elizabeth and became hostile plus wary of Harbert IV.

Since Charelize’s mother died, Charelize was the only one who shared the same blood with Crown Princess Elizabeth. As soon as she heard Professor Hail’s name, she knew the approximate reason why he wanted to meet her.

Charelize recalled the time when she heard the story about Crown Princess Elizabeth.

“Princess’s eyes… look a lot like my older sister.”

“Crown Princess Elizabeth’s eyes were violet, and my eyes were blue. The color is different, Mother.”

“The colors were different, but they had a similar look that gave a strong impression not to lose to anyone.”

“May I ask… what kind of person she was?”

“She was a good, kind person. I might have annoyed her… but she always welcomed me with a smile.”

At that time, Charelize was too young to understand what her mother was saying. She had vivid memories of sitting still and listening to her.

After Empress Roxana gave birth to her mother, she died shortly because of postpartum disease. Crown Princes Elizabeth, who was only two years older than her mother, loved her mother very much.

Looking back, her mother also lived the rest of her life alone. Losing her loved ones one by one, she locked herself in guilt. Just thinking about it made Charelize weaken again; before she knew it, she burst into tears. She still missed her mother

In order to keep her position, she shouldn’t show any weakness. It wasn’t the time yet. She had to be tough until she saw with her own eyes that those who drove her mother that way paid the price.

At that moment, the stars embroidering the night sky shone on Charelize. They were exceptionally shiny that day.