Chapter 298: Explosion(3)
Chapter 298: Explosion(3)
The Minerva Empire and the Ters Kingdom were always at each other's throats whenever the opportunity arose, but that didn't mean they were in a state of total hostility.
To be precise, it was a relationship of rivalry, and there were occasional gestures of goodwill, such as sending Hiriya to the Halo Academy as a transfer student.
Because of this, unlike in Albenheim, the teleportation gates were located near the royal palace. This meant there was no need to go through tedious immigration inspections; one could head straight to the palace.
As a side note, since this matter was to be conducted in the form of a trial, it was scheduled to take place inside the palace. I heard that not only those directly involved but also numerous nobles would be in attendance.
It was a matter that bound to draw attention, considering a princess of their own nation had been struck. I had expected this much, but Lina told me something unexpected.
"There will be nobles who defend you. Count Kamar, most likely."
"Count Kamar?"
"Yes. But it won't be for your sake; it'll be to attack the royal family. It would be great if you could exploit that, but it’s probably best if you just keep your mouth shut. This is your first time dealing with something like this, and it shows on your face."
I nodded at Lina’s words, which were somewhere between a tip and a warning. As she said, staying quiet and exercising my right to remain silent wasn't a bad idea.
Besides, I wasn't at a complete disadvantage since Hiriya was also at fault in this matter. My concerns lay elsewhere.
While talking to Lina, I glanced behind me. Adelia and the other guard knights were following with disciplined strides.
The guard knights had indifferent expressions, but Adelia’s face looked rather somber.
She probably thought I was suffering because of her. It was obvious without even asking.
‘There’s no need to worry that much, though.’
Adelia’s face showed no signs of brightening even as we followed the guide into a private room.
I, too, was so overwhelmed by the awkward atmosphere that I couldn't say a word, let alone find the leisure to look around the palace I was visiting for the first time.
Even though the guide was explaining something or other in front of me, it didn't really register. I was more worried that the guide might recognize Adelia.
‘No. He must have recognized her.’
The guide likely knew that the royal family treated Adelia as if she didn't exist. Therefore, it was highly probable that even if he wanted to acknowledge her, he couldn't.
Given his many wrinkles, he likely had more experience in the palace than others. In such a situation, feigning ignorance was the best policy.
"Then, I hope you both have a comfortable stay."
Eventually, we entered the guest room, and Adelia and I were left alone. I looked around the interior, which was dazzlingly opulent, as expected of a guest room in a royal palace.
It wasn't just a simple guest room; seeing as it even had a bed, it was practically a bedroom. The scale of the room was also larger than expected.
This likely meant that the Ters Kingdom was still treating me as a guest rather than a criminal.
While it was an undeniable fact that I had slapped Hiriya, this was their way of indicating they were willing to listen to my side of the story.
If not that, it could just be for show. Either way, the King and the nobles tended to value dignity.
Yet, the fact that such people had made life miserable for Sister Adel was a truly subtle hypocrisy.
"…I'm sorry."
As I was looking around the room in wonder, Adelia, who had been hovering behind me, spoke quietly.
I turned around in confusion to find Adelia looking as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.
She seemed to be holding it back by biting her lip firmly, a sight that was both somewhat cute and pitiful.
"For what?"
"Because of me… If it weren't for me…"
Perhaps the emotional distress she had endured for the past fortnight finally broke, as Adelia began to choke up. Tears started to well up in her sky-blue eyes.
She kept her mouth shut tight to hold them back, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling, so she hurriedly wiped them away with her hands.
Adelia might look strong on the outside, but she was incredibly fragile on the inside. She must have been blaming herself intensely while coming all the way here.
She was the owner of a glass heart that had once shattered and been barely pieced back together. As such, she needed to be nurtured with care.
"There's no need to blame yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. They were the ones who started it."
"But…"
"Again, again. There you go again. I’ve told you many times, you just need to stay by my side. Want a hug?"
"……"
When I spread my arms and made the gentle offer, Adelia, who had been hesitating, fell into my embrace.
As I patted her back to reassure her, her sobbing gradually subsided.
She was like a Golden Retriever, but her personality was incredibly timid, which didn't match her stature. Perhaps that was why she was even cuter.
Knock, knock—
While I was comforting Adelia for a while, someone knocked. Adelia, having calmed down, slipped out of my arms as soon as she heard the knock.
At this hour, there was no one else likely to visit besides Lina. It wasn't as if Hiriya would come looking for me.
Adelia seemed to realize this as well, as she wiped away her tears and moved to open the door.
"Ahem. Who is it?"
"Ah! Sister Adel? That’s Sister Adel’s voice!"
"Huh?"
The voice of a very young girl from outside reached the room. Adelia also reacted with surprise as soon as she heard that voice.
Did they know each other? While Adelia was momentarily frozen, I stepped forward and asked the girl behind the door.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Lara! But whose voice is that?"
"Lara?"
I looked at Adelia with a questioning expression at the girl who identified herself as Lara. I had heard the name before, but I had forgotten who she was.
Seeing my expression, Adelia replied with a complex look on her face. It was a different reaction from when she faced Hiriya.
"…She’s the youngest sibling. The late-born sister."
"Sister! Open up. I want to see your face after so long."
Lara’s whining from outside reached us. If we left her there, she might attract attention, so it seemed better to let her in for now.
When I nodded in approval, Adelia skillfully opened the door. As the door swung wide, Lara, who had been on the other side, revealed herself.
‘A doll?’
As soon as the door opened, a cute little doll appeared. She had sky-blue hair and sky-blue eyes, which were practically the symbols of the Ters royal family.
Her bangs were cut straight, and her long hair, which reached down to her waist, was so glossy it reflected the light.
She had delicate features overall, but her large eyes and chubby baby fat were the most striking.
She was a girl who held great promise for the future in many ways, and I couldn't help but be impressed inwardly.
"Ah! Hello! I am the Third Princess of the Ters Kingdom, Lara von Kerchers!"
Lara, who seemingly had no idea I was there, hurriedly greeted me as soon as she saw me. She grabbed the hem of her dress with both hands and bowed her head.
Her voice, which hadn't reached puberty yet, was high-pitched and piercing. As soon as I received her greeting, I bowed politely in accordance with etiquette.
"Greetings, Princess Lara. I am Isaac Ducard Maishal of the Minerva Empire. It is an honor to meet you, Princess."
"I'm happy to meet you too, Sir Isaac! But…"
After greeting me brightly, Lara looked back and forth between Adelia and me, then tilted her head in confusion.
"Why is Sir Isaac with Sister Adel?"
"Well… someone might see, so why don't you come inside?"
Unlike the Crown Prince, Laos, and Princess Hiriya, Lara seemed to like Adelia. Come to think of it, even at the exhibition a year ago, Lara hadn't shunned Adelia.
In fact, I remembered her trying to run toward her before being stopped by Hiriya. That memory was so vivid that it came back clearly.
After checking again to see if anyone was watching, I let Lara inside. As she passed through the door, Lara bowed her head and expressed her gratitude.
That single gesture made me doubt if she was really raised in the same household. If it had been Hiriya, she would have just ignored me and walked past.
"Sister. Have you been doing well?"
"Y-yes… Have you been well too, Lara?"
"I'm starting the Academy soon!"
"It's already been that long?"
"In two years!"
"……"
Lara and Adelia began chatting as I closed the door. Unlike Adelia, who was awkward, Lara was busy chattering like a lark.
It was only natural to doubt once again if that girl was truly of the same royalty as Hiriya. Or perhaps she was completely unaware that Adelia was an illegitimate child.
I pushed those questions aside one by one and approached them. As I did, Lara, who had been chattering away, mentioned me.
"But Sister, what is your relationship with Sir Isaac? I heard from Brother that you decided to live in the Empire…"
"Sir Cross is currently serving as my exclusive maid, Princess. She also doubles as my guard knight."
"Aha. I see."
Lara accepted my answer immediately. She didn't seem to care what Adelia was doing.
However, just because she accepted it didn't mean she had no complaints.
"Then you should have at least written a letter; I’ve been waiting all this time. Is it that hard to write a single letter, Sister?"
"T-that’s… I'm sorry. I’ve been so busy lately that I didn't have the energy to write."
Adelia was flustered by Lara’s grumbling and didn't know what to do. It looked like an older sister busy with work and a younger sister waiting for her.
However, there was a slight lie in Adelia’s answer: the fact was that even if she had written letters, they would have all been blocked.
But Lara seemed completely unaware of that fact. So, I asked a question in a cautious voice.
"Excuse me, Princess Lara. May I ask how old you are?"
"I'm fifteen."
"I see."
A late-born child. Since she was born late and received plenty of love, she must have developed such a cheerful personality.
However, setting aside her bright and cheerful personality, the fact that she didn't shun Adelia, the illegitimate child, was noteworthy.
Surely, she must have heard advice until her ears were sore to stay away from Adelia, the illegitimate child.
With that thought, I glanced at Adelia and asked another question in a very cautious voice.
"Princess. Do you happen to know about Sir Cross’s birth?"
As soon as I asked, Lara blinked her large eyes and replied.
"That Sister Adel doesn't have a mother? Or that her mother is different?"
"……"
With her doll-like appearance, she delivered a parental insult so purely. Adelia also looked at Lara with an absurd expression, seemingly more bewildered than angry.
I don't know what she heard, but answering like that meant she was somewhat aware of Adelia’s background.
Meanwhile, Lara stood by Adelia’s side, grabbed her sleeve, and said in her characteristic clear voice.
"What does that matter? I just like Sister."
"Then, haven't you heard strange things from your other siblings?"
"I was told not to get close to Sister Adel. I don't know why they say that when Sister Adel is such a good person. Even if our mothers are different, we have the same father, don't we?"
"Uh……"
My mind went blank at her miraculous logic.
I couldn't tell if she was just unable to discern right from wrong because she was only fifteen, or if she was more open-minded than others.
However, thinking about it again, Lara was simply an exceptional case.
Even if they didn't openly treat her as a scapegoat or a non-person like the other Ters royals, it was natural for their relationship to be distant.
The only conscience of the Ters Kingdom. That was my first impression of Lara. Thanks to her, I was able to set my mind at ease.
"Princess Lara, what do you like about Sir Cross?"
"I just like her. Where else can you find someone as pretty and kind as Sister? Ah. Don't tell my other brothers and sisters this. I'll get in trouble."
"I see. Then you must have been very disappointed when Sir Cross left."
"Yes. But I'm happy because I can see her face like this!"
The more I talked with Lara, the more Adelia’s face filled with warmth. Even if she had grown up, in an older sister's eyes, a younger sibling is always a younger sibling.
Perhaps the reason Adelia was able to endure her hellish life in the palace was because of Lara’s existence.
Lara didn't care about Adelia’s background and saw her for who she was, so she was nothing short of an angel.
‘But does Lara not know the reason I came here?’
Based on my past life, fifteen is an age for adolescence and protection, but this world was different.
Personalities vary, but even at fifteen, they know what they need to know, and even if they’ve entered puberty, they develop a sense of intuition.
Just as Lina and Mari had entered social circles and politics from a young age, there was a high probability that Lara had walked a similar path.
But seeing her current behavior, she was the very image of an innocent young girl.
Perhaps because she was a late-born daughter and was raised with extreme care, she didn't seem to know much about outside affairs.
"Sir Isaac. How many days do you plan to stay in the Ters Kingdom? If possible, I’d like you to stay for a long time…"
"Do you want to be with Sir Cross?"
"Ah. Was I too obvious? Yes! I want to be with Sister!"
"Well… honestly, I'm not sure how long I'll be staying."
I was planning to go on a rampage, so I really didn't know. It was uncertain if they would believe me even if I brought the manuscript, and I didn't know how the trial would proceed.
Perhaps they would drag it out with absurd excuses just to drain my energy. Whatever the case, it wasn't easy to predict.
"Ehh. Does that mean you might leave as early as tomorrow?"
"It's not certain, but that could be the case."
"I see. It can't be helped. I'll have to play with Sister Adel until then."
"Haha."
I couldn't help but laugh at Lara’s cute decision. I really wished the other royals and nobles had this kind of conscience.
Of course, it didn't take long for me to realize that was a futile hope.
"How dare he lay a hand on the noble face of a princess?! He must be executed immediately!"
"Hear, hear! What was he thinking, especially as someone who hasn't even inherited a title!!"
"Looking at that fellow, I can see the level of the Minerva Empire's dignity."
I haven't even said a word yet, you bastards.