CH 46

“Maybe because she resembled her master, she was so stupid.”

“…”

“I expected it from the moment she started talking about my mother, but…”

“…”

“If she dies, I will receive sympathy from His Majesty. Why don’t I think about it?”

“…”

“I hope Your Majesty Mother and Brother Edenberg can sleep in peace now.”

He was told by his father that he had not pity for him, and that his maid had died without even knowing her subject. In the end, it was said that both his maid and his mother died because of him.

Since then, Arensis was afraid of meeting people and was only in the flower garden where he often spent time with his mother. For about a year, he repeated his life of eating and sleeping without thinking.

One day, he saw a dark-blonde haired, blue-eyed girl tripping over a rock in the flower garden, as if she had taken the wrong path. When he showed her the way out, the girl ran away.  He thought it was because she thought he was a monster, but she came back the next day.

The girl didn’t say anything. Just expressionless, and her mouth was always tightly closed. She spent a lot of time playing with butterflies on her finger. It seemed that she thought it was a place open for public, but Arensis left her alone. It was annoying at first, but at some point, he became more comfortable spending time  with the girl.

At first it was troublesome, but at some point the time with the child became comfortable.

“He hated seeing me… so, he sent me to here.”

“…Why?”

“Well, if I dare to say one thing, is it because my hair color is the same as my mother’s In fact… I don’t know because there are so many.”

“…”

“My father doesn’t like talking to me very much. I don’t know why he hates me… I don’t even know what to fix.”

Once, when she told her story, they seemed to have many similarities. He felt sympathy, then compassion. He started waiting for that girl someday.

One day. Two days. Three days. Four days. Just like his mother and his maid, the girl didn’t come no matter how much he stayed up all night. He wondered if he had done something wrong, so he got scared.

Suddenly, the words of his father that had lost interest in him, dominated his mind. He was used to being alone all the time, but now he felt strange. When he was playing hide-and-seek with his mother or when his chest felt tight, he spent his time in the tree he had climbed the most.

“Hey!”

“Why didn’t you come until now…”

The girl who hadn’t come in a long time opened her tightly closed mouth. No, she shouted. She was much smaller than him, skinny because she didn’t eat well, and was short. Still, she stretched out her hand to support him and ask him to come down quickly.

She said, “If there is no one to cry on, I will cry with you. And if you’re sad because you don’t have a family, I will become your family and stay by your side. So I told you to say alive.”

The girl who didn’t even cry after hearing the immature words that it was her mother’s fault that her father didn’t love her, cried for Arensis. She wished him to stay alive.  

“Why are you even doing this? It has… nothing to do with you.”

“Because I don’t want you to die.”

“…What?”

“So, come down quickly. If it’s scary, I will catch you.”

“Then you will like my mother…”

“I won’t die. I’m stronger.”

She said she wouldn’t die even if he was by her side.

“Why… you haven’t come in the past few days? You and I…”

“My mother is sick, so I went away for a while and came back to see you.”

It was Charelize who came back for him. That girl was the first person who did that.

* * *

“Erasing the little Duchess’s memory… Are you thinking of doing it again?”

“I’m so scared that someone more precious than my life is in danger…”

“Arensis.”

“I got scared and ran away first, I hated the fact… that Lize was dead, and I was breathing alone to the point that it would be better for me to disappear.”

Princess Casilla only knew that Arensis had erased Charelize’s memories.

“The little Duchesss… was dead?”

Not knowing that he had turned back time, Casilla didn’t fully understand what he was saying.

She didn’t fully understand what he was saying because she didn’t know Charelize had gone back in time.

“Sister, I will risk my all to protect Lize. And I will also avenge my mother.”

“…I know what your grudges are. That I, who lived comfortably under the care of my whole life, shouldn’t dare to say that I understand.”

“…”

“But… The reason I took your hand is to protect you from father, who will one day be cut off due to his tyranny like now.”

“To you, they are family, but not to me.”

Princess Casilla looked sadly at Arensis, who was still holding Charelize’s hand. “I’ll tell them to prepare the carriage, so get it sorted out properly and come out.”

Suddenly, it became a quiet space with only the two of them left. Arensis wiped the sweat from her forehead with the sleeve of his own clothes. Her disheveled hair was also carefully tidied up. He looked at her sleeping figure for a while.

“You said you would forget everything about me… In fact, forget-me-nots were blooming next to your grave.”

“…”

“I haven’t forgotten anything, so don’t worry.”

He lifted her body up and kissed her gently on the forehead.

* * *

“…here is?”

Upon coming to her senses and noticing it was her own bedroom, Charelize pulled the silver string.

“Your Highness.”

“Hailey?”

“Did you call for me?”

“First of all, come in.”

Before long, Hailey, who had been allowed to come inside by Charelize’s permission, bowed her head.

“What’s going on? What about the succession ceremony?”

“A man named Viscount Luche told me that Your Highness returned to the mansion first.”

“Viscount Luche?”

“Yes. He said he is the aide of Prince Arensis… I was a bit suspicious, so I came back right away with Martin.”

“…I see.”

Charelize struggled to recall her memory, which seemed to be missing a lot.

The wine served by Harbert IV contained poison that Iris had made herself. At first, she thought it was just a headache, but as time passed, even breathing became difficult for her. She shook Duke Marsetta’s hand and came outside, catching her breath.

“Charelize!”

Perhaps following her, Arensis hurriedly ran, calling her name.

“Fi-First of all, people…”

“No… don’t… call… anyone… please.”

She remembered holding onto Princess Casilla, who turned around to call someone. Princess Casilla called Arensis to reassure him, who had been calling Charelize by her nickname all the time because he didn’t know what to do.

I remembered catching Princess Casilla, who turned to call a person.

She didn’t know what to do, and called Aransis, who kept calling me by my name all the time.

“Why… are you… going… this far…”

With her in his arms, he brought him to the break room and called the doctor. She wondered why he was doing that.

“This time I can’t live alone again without you.”

“This… time?”

“So, endure it. No matter what happens… I must not let that happen.”

“Your Royal Highness, let me take a look at her for a moment.”

“She has an allergy to grapes. Could it be because of that?”

“It’s not. She must have been poisoned.”

“Poisoned?”

“Yes. It wasn’t known to the public, but it seems like someone made the poison themselves.”

“What about the cure?”

“…I apologize, Your Royal Highness. If we treat her in a situation where we don’t even know what poison it is, she could get worse…”

“Are you telling me to just watch her dying like this?”

With Arensis speaking in a sharp voice, she closed her eyes.

There was something strange. There certainly was no cure for her, but now her condition was surprisingly fine. Furthermore, the scars on her palms that didn’t disappear easily as she practiced shooting arrows every day, were completely gone. Instead of having a headache, her body seemed to have gotten lighter.

At that moment, she remembered that Arensis had turned back the time with the cost of his life. This time too, did he make my condition better? Charelize felt uneasy.

“Why don’t you call Lari and ask her in detail?”

Seeing that Charelize was confused, Hailey mentioned Lari, who remained at the Duchy.

“Please go out and get Lari.”

“Yes, Your Highness, and….”

“Anything else?”

“At the end of the banquet, the predecessor Grand Duchess came.”

“…is that true?”

When she heard that the predecessor Grand Duchess Innovestin had come, Charelize couldn’t believe it easily.

“She seemed to be looking for someone urgently… Then, she hugged Lillian and shed tears.”

“…Lillian? Why?”

“I didn’t hear the details of the conversation, but I saw that Lady Blanche received an invitation to the tea party.”

Hailey recalled what she saw and said calmly.

“Invitation to a tea party… How does the predecessor Grand Duchess know Lillian, that child…”

“I’m sorry for not being of any help, Your Highness.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be fine.”

Charelize realized that things were continuing to flow in a different direction from the memories she knew.

“By the way… Is Your Highness feeling well?”

“Lady Luxen… It looks like she poisoned the wine.”

“Is Your Highness referring to… the eldest daughter of Marquis who showed up yesterday?”

“That’s right.”

“Baron Alec… No, first of all, Your Highness’s body…”

As Charelize nodded her head, Hailey looked bewildered.

“Your Highness, it’s Lari.”

“…Lari?”

“I’ve been making soup.”

“Come in.”

When Lari knocked on the door just in time, Charelize replied to come inside.

“So far, you’re the only one who knows. I have something else to look into.”

“Yes, Your Highness. If you feel any discomfort, you must tell me right away.”

At the same time, Hailey was ordered to keep this a secret for the time being.

“You’re awake, Your Highness.”

“Did you make soup?”

Lari dragged the tray, bringing the steaming soup to the front of Charelize.

“Yes, I added beef and potatoes. Eat it while it’s still warm.”

“…you made it yourself.”

Charelize noticed bandages on most of her fingers. Assuming that Lari made it herself, she narrowed her eyes.

Lari had been afraid of sharp things since she was little, so Lari has never been allowed to go into the kitchen where the knives were lying there. She seemed to have some trauma from it, so Charelize didn’t bother to ask.

At some point, Lari started to make her tea, and personally checked out what Charelize would eat. Now she could even make simple meals herself. Charelize felt sorry for her, because she knew better than anyone how difficult it was to overcome something and achieve it.

“Hehe. It didn’t hurt much, and I’m fine!” Lari said with an awkward, innocent smile.

“Yesterday… do you know who brought me?”

“Ah, yes. The carriage arrived earlier than expected, so I went out… Your Highness was held in the arms of Prince Arensis.”

“…As expected.”

Charelize didn’t have much appetite in the morning. She tasted it little by little, thinking of Lari who had worked hard since early in the morning.

“He took Your Highness to your bedroom, asked me to take care of you, and went right away… By any chance, did something go wrong…?”

“It’s not a big deal, so you don’t have to worry about it. You both suffered a lot.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I made a lot of soup, so please eat more.”

Charelize looked around and patted Lari’s head several times as she continued her words. “Very few people know I have allergies, let alone His Grace the Duke.”

“I also knew it for the first time that day. Your Highness who came to dinner with the Duke suddenly collapsed…”

Hailey recalled an incident in the past when Charelize’s life was almost in danger.

“The fact that even my father doesn’t know… What do you think it means when someone knows?”

“Doesn’t that mean they’ve been by Your Highness’ side for a long time, or Your Highness trusts them more than you thought?”

“More than I thought. Arensis, I can’t believe he is so ingrained in my life…”

“Your Highness?”

“Did something happen between Your Highness and the prince?”

When Hailey heard Charelize calling out Arensis’ name, Hailey called her out. Lari asked her curiously if anything had happened between them.

“It’s a little strange.” Charelize’s eyes, which had never let go of tension, gently relaxed.

“Your Highness, I know you’re worried about nothing, but just in case…”

“What’s wrong, Lari?”

“Do you remember Chenia, who became Princess… Lillian’s exclusive maid?”

Lari still seemed awkward to treat Lillian as a princess.

“Chenia? Are you referring to the maid who worked in the annex, and became Lillian’s exclusive maid?”

“Yes. I thought it was because she boasted that she had recently become an exclusive maid.”

“Then?”

“At dawn… I saw Chenia wrap her whole body and go outside…”

“Lari, you. Could it be that you followed Chenia?”

Hailey, who cut off Lari’s careful confession, looked angry.

“I woke up earlier than usual… I can’t even sleep anymore…”

“How far did you follow her, Lari?”

“To the entrance of the village of Rivier. I’m telling the truth!”

“First of all… thank you for letting me know. However, it could be dangerous, so call me next time or go with someone.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Chenia, let’s keep an eye on the kid a little bit.”

Charelize said, placing an empty bowl on the table after a long time.

“Your Highness, there are vassals who have been here since early in the morning, waiting for you.”

“…Waiting?”

“Yes, Your Highness. They probably came right away after they came home.”

“They must have gathered over the issue of Lillian’s succession right.”

Hailey said those vassals had been waiting for a long time. Charelize, who quickly noticed what brought them here, nodded her head. She changed into a comfortable dress, took off all her jewelry that she hadn’t taken off the day before.

Upon entering the meeting room with her hair tied up, the sight was quite a mess. She just came in after hearing the loud voices that could be heard from outside.

“Greetings to the little Duchess…”

“Goddess Resina’s blessing….”

“I don’t know why you guys came here, and you don’t have to do unnecessary greetings.”

Charelize stopped the vassals from rising up from their seats and bowing their head as they tried to greet her.