Before long, the sky was colored with a red sunset.
After spending several hours exploring the city together, it was time for the two people to part ways.
Leticia smiled softly and bid farewell to the princess.
“Thank you so much for today. I will see you next at the welcome banquet. This time, the banquet is being hosted by Your Highness, isn’t it?”
“Yes. You can look forward to it. His Majesty has repeatedly emphasized that nothing should be lacking in our hospitality.”
“It must not be easy to prepare for the banquet. I took up so much of your busy schedule today. I hope my gift, though modest, brings some comfort to Your Highness.”
“Haha…”
The princess laughed awkwardly and averted her gaze.
In her hand were the earrings Leticia had given her as a gift.
After Leticia left, escorted by Banessa, the princess also trudged toward the carriage.
“Shall we go to the palace?”
“Yes. Where else would I go?”
The princess sighed deeply and leaned back into the carriage seat. She habitually fiddled with the earrings and closed her eyes.
Usually, it was an action to calm the urge to tug at her earlobes, but today was different.
‘To use the power of healing to remove the earrings.’
Surprisingly, Leticia had hinted at a way to get rid of the earrings. She hadn’t said it outright.
Rather, after gifting similar-looking earrings, she kept repeating explanations about the power of healing.
「I’m embarrassed to say this myself, but I can heal most wounds without a trace. I’ve also heard that my power is much stronger than that of an ordinary saint.」
At some point, the princess had no choice but to infer Leticia’s intent.
‘Cut off the ear and regenerate it, that’s it.’
Cutting off a healthy ear. The mere thought of it gave her chills.
‘But it’s true that it’s the cleanest and safest method.’
If she could find a way to cut off her ear without the watcher’s eyes beyond the earrings noticing, there would be no safer method of removal.
‘Should I take the risk and accept the Queen Consort’s help?’
Leticia must have recognized the earrings because of her purification power. She knew well, having grown up watching tapestries depicting the feats of past Wings.
The most magnificent among them was undoubtedly the Wing who wielded the ‘Flame of Purification’.
The sight of the white flames burning hundreds of beasts was truly spectacular.
‘Being so sensitive to darkness, she must have recognized my earrings immediately.’
It was horrifying to think of wearing such an item containing such intense darkness that Leticia recognized it at a glance.
‘But cutting off a healthy ear…’
The princess closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
‘I don’t need to decide right away. I have plenty of time.’
Leticia had only made a suggestion, not pressed her to decide immediately. Despite her worries, the princess realized her mind felt lighter than before.
‘Because I’ve found a way to get rid of these cursed earrings.’
She now had a way to escape the burden that had been weighing her down lately. Regardless of the drastic solution, she felt grateful enough to shower Leticia with kisses.
‘This must be why Callisto is so devoted to the Queen Consort.’
The princess chuckled, feeling she could understand her brother’s feelings a little better.
Just the thought of being freed from the earrings made her this grateful.
How grateful would she be to be freed from the pain she had endured all her life?
Thinking about it, she quickly frowned in regret.
‘If only the Queen Consort were single.’
If that were the case, she would have immediately placed her in the position of Crown Princess, no, the Crown Prince’s consort.
‘The Queen Consort is out of the picture, so should I propose an alliance instead? Does the Queen Consort plan to have children?’
As the de facto head of the royal family, the princess began planning the future of the royal house as soon as she was freed from the burden of the earrings.
It was then.
A smooth voice came from behind her.
“Your Highness, did you enjoy your outing?”
Startled, the princess turned around, barely managing to smooth her crumpled brow.
The pleasant mood she had felt for a moment was instantly crushed.
Rehir.
It was Josephina’s son.
“I heard you went on an outing in the capital with the Queen Consort.”
Rehir smiled, narrowing his eyes.
“Did you like the earrings she gave you?”
“How does Sir Rehir know about that?”
Rehir only smiled broadly in response.
The princess, failing to maintain her composure, looked up at Rehir with cold, hardened eyes.
‘You don’t even bother to hide the fact that you’re spying on me?’
Internally cursing him, the princess extended her handbag.
“They weren’t bad. Would you like to take a look?”
“May I inspect the item you received, Your Highness?”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Feigning innocence, despite having already decided to hand it over.
The princess, tossing the handbag to him, crossed her arms.
She knew it was rude, but she didn’t want to hold back.
It was a feat that she didn’t slap him.
‘Thanks to the Queen Consort’s suggestion, my mood has calmed down this much.’
If he had approached her right after seeing the drugged emperor, she might have lost her temper.
But surprisingly, Rehir tested the princess’s limits again.
“There doesn’t seem to be any issue with the earrings. However, just in case, I will keep them for a while.”
“…What?”
“It’s an item given by a fake. There might be some wicked trick, so it needs to be checked with the goddess’s power.”
“What, did you just say? Are you implying that a mere priest dares to confiscate the princess’s belongings?”
The princess glared fiercely, her eyes blazing.
That they would so boldly take away a gift she received.
If the Emperor were in his right mind, such a thing would be unimaginable.
Whether she got angry or not, Rehir didn’t even blink.
“Your Highness, why are you so angry?”
“Ha, you take away someone’s gift without permission, and you ask why?”
“There could be a plot from the imposter. Naturally, I have to verify it.”
Rehir spoke with such confidence and then looked at her slyly.
“It’s strange that you would stop me. Are you harboring any treasonous thoughts?”
“What? What did you say? Treasonous thoughts?”
“Surely, you haven’t forgotten how you escaped from prison, have you?”
He was referring to the day she had narrowly avoided imprisonment by praising Josephina to the Emperor.
The princess gaped in astonishment.
“Sir Rehir, are you threatening me? All I asked was for my gift back, and now you threaten to imprison me?”
“Threatening? Not at all.”
Rehir chuckled.
“It’s just that I’m worried. His Majesty has decided to trust your loyalty, but such incidents keep happening. How would His Majesty react if he learned of this? He would surely be greatly shocked, especially given his frail condition.”
Rehir’s smile deepened.
“Oh, and His Majesty asked to increase the efficacy of his medicine today. I had no choice but to use more, but I’m worried. If we keep increasing the dosage daily, his health will deteriorate…”
“Take it. Take the damn earrings!”
As Rehir brought up the Emperor, the princess finally couldn’t hold back and shouted.
“I applaud Your Highness’s wise decision.”
“Hahaha, how grateful I am.”
“You must be busy preparing for the banquet. You should rest. You need to put all your effort into showing the grandeur of the palace to the imposter.”
“Hahaha, yes, I will put in all my effort!”
After parting ways with Rehir, the princess returned to her room and began furiously hitting the innocent pillow. She screamed and shouted curses while buried under the covers.
“You bastard! Die! Just die already!”
She hurled every curse she could think of. Knowing full well the earrings could hear, she didn’t care.
‘He would be satisfied with that!’
Rehir had never trusted the princess for even a moment.
So, hearing her curse in rage would only satisfy him.
He would be certain that, despite her hatred, she had no choice but to act according to his will.
‘So, he would never imagine it.’
The princess gritted her teeth.
‘That I already have a way out!’
Those ears, I’ll just cut them off. At the next banquet, I will immediately convey my intentions to Leticia. The princess resolved herself.
* * *
On the way back to the mansion, Banessa, riding in the carriage with Leticia, asked,
“Do you think the princess will accept your proposal?”
“Well, I don’t know either. Cutting off a healthy ear isn’t exactly easy. I only suggested it because there was no other way.”
Leticia shrugged her shoulders.
“But Her Highness seemed so miserable that I had no choice.”
“Indeed, when I first saw her in the reception room, I thought a corpse had walked in.”
Banessa was referring to their first encounter with the princess at the palace.
“Still, it’s a huge relief. Thanks to you, we could identify the princess’s earrings.”
Contrary to what the princess thought, it was Banessa, not Leticia, who had recognized the nature of the earrings.
「Lady Leticia, the princess’s earrings seem strange.」
「Strange? How so?」
「Um… I just feel like burning them to ashes.」
「…What?」
「It feels similar to when I saw Tenua. I’d feel at ease if they were burnt without a trace.」
Banessa, who wielded the Flame of Purification, was more sensitive to the power of darkness than other Wings. Because of this, he had noticed something off about the princess’s earrings right away.
“I’ll tell Her Highness later that it was you who recognized the earrings, not me.”
“Hmm, do you think she’ll care? I’m just a humble knight from a small principality.”
Banessa grinned and joked. Sensing his intent, Leticia giggled and replied.
“No way. Banessa, you’re the greatest knight of two nations. You’re the knight of the Principality, chosen by the goddess.”
“Hmph, only you recognize my worth, Leticia.”
Banessa’s exaggerated prideful remark made Leticia burst into a clear laugh.
As Leticia laughed, Banessa’s expression brightened as well.
Though he continued to make silly jokes, he kept a close eye on Leticia’s condition.
Noticing her fatigue, he quickly fell silent.
After a while, a calm silence settled in the carriage. Leticia blinked slowly as she watched the scenery pass by outside the window.
Banessa spoke carefully.
“Lady Leticia, why don’t you rest until we arrive?”
“Hmm, do I look tired even to you, Banessa?”
“Pardon?”
“Everyone keeps telling me to rest whenever they see me lately. Kailas especially.”
At first, she thought it was just the Wings being overly concerned for her, but the repeated advice was starting to get on her nerves.
Leave a Reply