After a sufficient interval from the King and Queen, the Crown Prince and his wife stepped out onto the balcony. Following them was the still youthful Third Prince. Lastly, Cyril and Yukino made their appearance.
The citizens who had gathered in the unveiling square erupted into even louder applause and cheers.
Yukino found herself in the position of the tragic princess. The tale of Princess Wendy Lee Dawsett was widely known throughout the nation.
She had been thrust into the palace at just one week old, abandoned with only a single maid to attend to her, all for the sake of the Crown Prince’s birth. She had been married off in place of her beloved elder sister, and at that time, she had feared that such a king would disregard even his own people. In her desire to save her homeland, she had devised a plan to relinquish the throne without bloodshed, bringing it to King Aurila through her bond with Prince Cyril. After everything had concluded, she had attempted to poison herself to extinguish the royal bloodline, but Prince Cyril had lovingly intervened, offering her a passionate proposal.
All of it had been orchestrated by Cyril, who had convinced those within the castle and spread the tale throughout the land.
“Looks like you’ve gotten used to waving,” Cyril whispered beside her, but Yukino chose to ignore him. She couldn’t very well say that she had watched the Emperor’s waves countless times on television from the moment she was born until her death. Nor did she feel inclined to. Instead, she responded differently.
“It’s remarkable how everyone believes such a fabricated story. Don’t you think the citizens are a bit too kind-hearted? They seem so easily deceived.”
“Isn’t that fine? Even if they are deceived, our country has laws to judge that. Besides, there’s nothing deceitful about this at all.”
How frustrating it was that, from an outsider’s perspective, one could insist that the widely known story was true, if only the inner thoughts of each individual were excluded. Yukino did not care for her homeland’s people, her attempt on her life had been for her own sake, and she felt only a slight flicker of passion in response to the proposal.
“Should I just jump off from here?” she murmured cheerfully while waving, causing the First Prince, who was on the opposite side, to glance over in shock.
“Hey Cyril, your wife might actually do it, so keep an eye on her,” he warned.
“She wouldn’t dare,” Cyril replied.
“No, she would,” the First Prince insisted.
“I think so too,” came a voice that joined their hushed conversation—it was King Aurila. It was infuriating that he seemed to be entirely serious, not just teasing.
“Hey Cyril, your father, who forced the Cursed Princess upon you as a bride, is saying something. You’re just like me, aren’t you? You weren’t cherished either, poor thing.”
Yukino did not hesitate to speak rudely to anyone. After all, she wouldn’t mind being punished for treason and killed.
“It’s not that I wasn’t cherished, but being the second son in royalty is inherently unfortunate. But look at the outcome; it turned out splendidly, didn’t it, Cyril? After all, it was you who insisted on marrying Wendy when we discussed her treatment.”
Cyril, who had remained silent until now, deepened his smile, and the crowd erupted into a chorus of excited gasps.
“Yes, I am truly grateful to have been given such an intriguing lady as my wife, Father.”
That wasn’t a compliment. Fine, I’ll just jump.
As she genuinely stepped forward to leap over the balcony, Cyril gently lifted her up. The shrill screams of women echoed around them, and in response, Cyril spun around while holding Yukino and retreated indoors. The sound of the Queen’s heavy sigh followed them as they entered the room.
“Cyril,” she called.
“Yes, Mother,” he replied.
“I shall grant you a holiday and work as a celebration for your engagement.”
“That’s contradictory,” he said.
“You needn’t perform any public duties; that is your holiday. Your work is to spend time with Wendy and ensure she no longer wishes to die. She is now akin to a hero of our nation. It would be troublesome if she were to die so soon; do you understand?”
“Yes, Mother.”
Without a hint of a smile, the Queen urged the King to leave. The Prime Minister, appearing more gentlemanly than usual, smiled at Cyril.
“It seems you have quite a burden, Prime Minister.”
“Oh, Lady Wendy, I have not forgotten our promise,” he replied.
“Ah, as expected of the Prime Minister of a great nation. It may be brief, but let’s fulfill our promise. I look forward to your guidance as a prince’s wife—Walker.”
When she called his name, he smiled, honored to have been remembered, and hurried off without waiting for a response. Wendy was then led away by Cyril.
“Hey, when would be a good time?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“The Queen said it would be troublesome if she were to die soon. I understand that. And that implies it wouldn’t matter after a certain period of time, right?”
“Do you think so?”
Cyril guided Wendy away from the guest room they had been in, leading her toward a new chamber that would serve as her private quarters. Between their bedroom and Cyril’s office, this room was now officially recognized as Wendy’s domain.
Cyril directed Wendy to the bookshelf against the wall.
“Wow.”
There, she found books from her mother, brought from her homeland, along with various other volumes. There were compilations of royal customs, histories, local records, beautiful illustrated flower encyclopedias, catalogs of dresses and jewels, and dessert recipe books. Just looking at them filled her with excitement.
“Over here too.”
A small adjoining room, essentially a walk-in closet, was filled to the brim with dresses, shoes, tiny bags that seemed incapable of holding anything, and an array of colorful hair ornaments and hats.
“All of this was gathered by my mother.”
A strange sound escaped her throat. Was she referring to that cold Queen from earlier?
“After learning about your upbringing, she began collecting furniture, taking about a year to do so. She didn’t know you would be living here, so my father tried to stop her, but she merely glanced at him in silence. The Prime Minister also silently allocated the budget. With three boys in the house, it seems it took quite a while to accommodate an unfamiliar girl.”
It was hard to say anything. The Queen seemed to possess a rather unfortunate personality. But perhaps it was fitting for a Queen to conceal her true feelings.
“Oh, that leatherwork over there was a gift from Viscount Hall. By the way… do you know the story of the girl raised by bears?”
What a sudden change of topic. Yukino shrugged. In her knowledge, it was a girl raised by wolves, but in this different world, history must have diverged.
“She grew up without much interaction with people, lacking proper behavior, and after being taken in by humans, she reportedly walked on all fours and ate with her hands. She couldn’t adapt to the human world and quickly…”
“How tragic. Abandoned, separated from her family, forced to conform to manners, burdened with knowledge, and then she died.”
Cyril took Yukino’s hand and seated her on a small reception set.
“Now, you, however, are quite articulate. Your mind is sharp, and you have courage. Various records indicate that you were raised in neglect, yet your demeanor contradicts that reality, which is quite puzzling.”
“Ah, that’s just a woman’s secret.”
When she deflected the question, he appeared to contemplate for a moment but seemed to give up, realizing he wouldn’t extract anything from Yukino.
“Well, that’s fine. In any case, my immediate task is to ensure that you don’t die, even after being separated from your family, forced into manners, and burdened with knowledge. I need your wisdom on how to achieve that.”
“Isn’t it a bit unfair to ask the person directly?”
“No, I think it’s quite rational.”
Olive brought in tea, accompanied by small, adorable sweets, even though it wasn’t tea time. This former maid, having been a commoner, seemed quite unfit to serve as Wendy’s exclusive attendant now that she was officially engaged. However, it appeared she had never been told to leave. The disadvantages of removing someone who had been with her since childhood were understood. It seemed to reflect the nation’s preference for rationality. Still, asking the person themselves about the reasons for not dying felt questionable.
As Yukino munched on the treats, she replied, “First… how about suggesting that you could stop the royal education in embroidery?”
“That is necessary education.”
“What about reciting poetry?”
“That will be needed when you eventually join some women’s association.”
“So you have no intention of stopping? Are you really committed to the Queen’s tasks?”
“Of course. Since it seems you won’t teach me, I’ll change my approach. Olive, what about you? Do you have any advice?”
The maid standing nearby did not smile but opened her mouth to speak.
“I can do it. And if I can do it, surely one day, His Highness the Prince will be able to as well.”
“What do you mean?”
Cyril stared in disbelief. What a bold statement for a mere maid. Yukino felt a smile creeping onto her lips.
“Then show me.”
“Is that alright? Wasn’t this task assigned to you by Her Majesty the Queen?”
“It doesn’t matter if I achieve it myself, as long as the result is obtained.”
There it was—his rationality.
“Then, if you permit me…”
Olive said this as she knelt beside Yukino. She gently took Yukino’s fingers, which Cyril had been carelessly stroking, and enveloped them in her hands. Yukino instinctively turned to look at her. Olive seemed to be struggling to find the right words.
“…Oh dear, this won’t do. I was confident I could express myself well.”
“What’s wrong?”
After briefly lowering her gaze, Olive slowly raised her head to meet Yukino’s eyes. Her expression was not devoid of emotion.
“Your Highness, you were such a dreamy girl since you were a baby.”
“Dreamy?”
“One day, you suddenly started mumbling in a language I didn’t recognize, and I thought, ‘This is it.'”
“This is it?”
“As a maid, I was not allowed to touch or speak to you.”
Yukino knew this. She recalled how Olive had been forced to become her personal maid and sent here. I wonder how Olive’s family is doing? Oh, that white hair…
“While I pitied you, I did nothing to save you.”
“You’re foolish. As a maid, that’s how it should be.”
“Even after being made your maid and coming here, I remained a citizen of the Kingdom of Levaze, employed by the royal family. What I feared most was being removed from your side. I knew you had no intention of living long, and I thought that was only natural. Therefore, I resolved to quietly watch over you, hoping that when the time came, I would be by your side. I cannot say I wished for your death. I simply wanted to ensure that you would not die alone after living all this time by yourself.”
Olive’s calm words left Yukino bewildered. She had been by her side all along, but she never realized how much Olive had kept bottled up inside.
“However, since coming here, you have sometimes shown a joyful face. When you were escorted by His Highness Cyril, you smiled a little. The fact that someone could boldly take your hand, which no one was allowed to touch, gradually changed my feelings.”
Yukino felt compelled to respond, to say something, but she found herself unable to move. She could only gaze at Olive’s single strand of white hair.
“Still… perhaps my desire for such things is rooted in guilt.”
Olive pulled something from her pocket and placed it in Yukino’s palm. It reflected the light—a small, tiny gem. It was the most she could afford with her maid’s wages. A nearly transparent blue, the same color as Yukino’s—Wendy’s—eyes.
“Happy birthday, Your Highness. I sincerely celebrate your 18th birthday today. And I hope that Olive will be able to celebrate this day with you for many years to come.”
A tear fell from Olive’s eye, landing on the gem. It seemed far more beautiful than the gem itself.
Yukino’s heart fluttered. It thudded, then suddenly filled with warmth, which overflowed as tears.
Yukino cried out loudly, and Olive gently patted her back, the rhythm feeling oddly familiar. It stirred a memory within her. Long ago, when Yukino—Wendy—was very small, there had been someone who patted her back like this. A rhythm meant to offer kindness to something that should not be touched.
Yes. All she wanted was to be told to live.
Not “don’t die,” but “live.”
By the time the two of them cried themselves out, Yukino found herself pressed against a beautifully embroidered handkerchief by Cyril.
“That’s a complete defeat for me. When do I get my turn?”
“The patterned part is too stiff and hard to use…”
“Well, it’s not meant for practical use, after all.”
Cyril said this in a flat tone as Yukino continued to cry into the crumpled handkerchief.
“Tomorrow, we’ll go horseback riding.”
Yukino looked up in surprise. It had been a while since she had ridden, and she hadn’t visited at all.
“Efona seems to be losing her energy. She probably wants to see you. Or maybe she just wants the sugar cubes you give her.”
“Just give them to her… sniff… just sugar.”
“Well, it’s the same no matter who you get it from, but she wants it from you. Animals are simple that way, and that’s why their feelings are genuine.”
Wiping her tears, blowing her nose, and stuffing the dirty handkerchief into a small bag that seemed too small to hold anything, Yukino nodded.
“I’m starting to understand. Olive and Efona—now you have two reasons to live. If I can be the third, it would also uphold my dignity as your husband.”
“Cyril…”
“What?”
“You resemble the Queen.”
He was expressionless, but he wasn’t a bad person. In fact, he might be a good person.
“Is that so…?”
He looked somewhat reluctant, but then suddenly had a bright idea. That smile was directed at Yukino, and she realized it might be the first time someone had smiled at her like this.
“I’ll take the sixteen gems I have and crush them, scattering them at your family’s grave. Then, I’ll take that blue stone from your maid and make it into a ring, so you can wear it whenever you want.”
Yukino envisioned the scene of gems sparkling in the sunless graveyard. She didn’t know where the grave was. She would probably never know in her lifetime. That would signify the complete separation between Yukino and Levaze.
“So, you’re saying you’ll become a reason for me to live?”
“Well, that’s something you should say later. It’s my line to say.”
“Is that so?”
Then she would wait. For the moment those words would reach Yukino’s heart.
By riding Efona, learning about this world, and understanding the hearts of unseen people, she would surely achieve it one day.
Someday. When that day comes, the princess who had longed for death would vanish without a trace.