115. Come Find Me
115. Come Find Me
[Episode 115] - Come Find Me
"...Will this do?"
The morning sunlight poured in through the window with the curtains pulled back.
I looked at the morning sunlight resting on the stationery and finished the letter I would leave for Titania. I had been agonizing over it all night, but only in the morning was I able to write the letter to leave for Titania.
There were many things I wanted to say, but in the end, I could only write a few sentences. Because the end of this long-winded story pointed to only one sentence. I put the letter in an envelope and closed my eyes for a moment.
Thinking that today was the last day here, the emotions were not just new; they were unsettling. Would I be able to live well outside? I knew nothing but the ecosystem of the royal palace. Could I start anew?
I was anxious, but there was no helping it. Didn't they say humans are animals of adaptation, anyway? The anxiety would only last for a moment. I had no choice but to believe that I would adapt well even in a new place.
With that, I opened my eyes, got up from my seat, and started rummaging through the desk drawer. I pulled out a piece of paper that had been stuck in the corner for about 10 years from deep inside the drawer and stared at it blankly.
'I wonder if it still works?'
For the past three years, I had been thinking about how I would live outside after leaving the royal castle. Since money would be sufficient, the question was what to do once I was out. Having a job would be nice, and living alone would also be nice.
Well, I had thought of a ton of other things, too. Should I take over an inn and become an innkeeper? I thought it would be nice to listen to the stories of travelers coming and going at the inn. It would be fun, even if it were hard.
Or should I open a bakery? One of the jobs I wanted to have if I had a lot of money before coming here was a patissier. A owner who sells delicious food cheaply without worrying about the cost of ingredients. Just thinking about it was cool.
What else was there? Right, if I were going to live without doing anything, being a building owner is the best. I had enough money to buy a few buildings, so I could buy one and live off the rent. Being the ultimate bum didn't look too bad either.
'Well... in the end, I couldn't decide on anything.'
After agonizing like that, the day to leave the royal castle came without having decided on anything. Everything sounded good, but it was because I thought I wouldn't succeed with my shallow knowledge.
The things I had been doing were socialite work, paperwork in the royal palace, or eating sweets and laughing 'ha ha ho ho' while catering to others' whims. Anyway, it was useless outside.
So, I gave up on everything and the only thing I could think of was mooching off an acquaintance for the time being. Living by rolling around at an acquaintance's house while paying rent! If I could even find a job there, it would be truly perfect.
But the problem was that I didn't have any close acquaintances like that. I couldn't mooch off the acquaintances I met in high society. The reason I raised my reputation in high society was for Titania.
Besides, if I mooched off socialite acquaintances, Titania would come looking for me, so that was troublesome. Then, what about Lady Serina, who was at least a close friend? Lady Serina was also troublesome. No, I didn't want to be a burden.
Then, there was only one thing left for me.
I quietly unfolded the faded, dust-covered paper.
Flash! The paper glowed, and soon, eerie smoke flowed out from the wardrobe next to it. With the thought of 'Why the wardrobe?', the door opened with a Bang!, and a silver-haired maid popped out from the wardrobe with a 'Poof!'
"You have finally summoned me, Princess-nim. I have been waiting all this time."
A girl with silver hair that looked like it had been spun from finely drawn silver, and eyes as blue as a clear autumn sky, raised her head and shouted majestically.
"Now! Let us depart! To the 'Coven' with this Fran!"
*
3 months after Vivian left the royal castle.
"Titania, are you done packing?"
"Yes! I'm done! Did they say the carriage from the royal palace arrived?"
"Yes, it just arrived. They said we can depart as soon as we load the luggage."
Titania, who had finished packing all her belongings from her three years at the dormitory, answered Viola with a bright smile. Having finished her three years of academy life, Titania couldn't stop smiling at the thought that she could finally return to the royal castle.
She wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible, even by a second, and run into her mother's arms. How would her mother look after three years? Would she look the same as in her memories? Or, had her hairstyle changed a little? It didn't matter. Titania was happy just to be able to see her mother.
"Come to think of it, what about Fiona?"
"Fiona already left in the Silverword Kingdom's carriage. She seemed to be in such a rush, she left right after the graduation ceremony ended?"
"Reeally?"
Titania's lips curled up. In fact, it was a fact she already knew. The fact that Veronica eonni had to send Princess Fiona's diploma to the Silverword Kingdom as soon as the graduation ceremony ended.
So, in other words, it meant she would be alone with her mother for a while after arriving at the royal castle. Because Veronica eonni said she would also come by carriage when she came to the royal castle! Alone with Mother! Alone with Mother for their reunion after three years!
"Ehehehe!"
"Are you that happy?"
"Of course! I'm returning to Moth... no, to home after three years?!"
"It's okay to tell me you're happy to see the Queen-nim after three years. As if I didn't know you're a mama's girl? What am I going to do with our Princess-nim who is still a mama's girl at this age."
"Ehehehe!"
Despite Viola's teasing, Titania just let out a laugh. It was true that she was a mama's girl, and there was no reason to feel bad about Viola's teasing. It was true that going to see her mother was more joyful than graduating from the academy.
I'll have to stick to Mother like glue until Veronica eonni comes! No, it doesn't matter if she comes. I plan to stick to Mother like a leech for about a year from now on. I'll sleep with Mother every day, eat with her, and be with her. Since we haven't met for three years, I'm going to stick to her constantly!
Ah, what should I do first when I meet Mother? A hug, of course? I'll jump out of the carriage and give Mother a big hug. Since I'm taller now, Mother will be the one held in my arms, right? I'll act all cute to Mother, who is held in my arms, and kiss her on the cheek, and kiss her on the lips too.
Titania stomped her feet in joy, indulging in lewd fantasies she couldn't stop. Normally, she would have tried to hold back a little, but she couldn't. After all, she was meeting the person she loved after three years, so how could she hold back? She couldn't be more impatient than this.
As Titania was waiting for time to pass quickly while staring only at the second hand of the clock, a knock-knock sound came from the door, and at the same time, the coachman from the kingdom announced that all the luggage had been loaded.
"Princess-nim, we can depart immediately. Shall we leave as is?"
"Yes, let's leave right away. How many days does it take to get to the kingdom?"
"Unlike three years ago, the road between the kingdom and the academy is well-maintained, so the distance that used to take a week now takes three days. If we run without rest, two days is enough."
"Yes, please run without rest."
Titania waved goodbye to Viola, followed the coachman out of the dormitory, and boarded the carriage. Finally, it was time to return to the kingdom after three years.
Titania, who had boarded the carriage, couldn't hide her swelling heart and twitched her lips. It was to the point where even the coachman could see at a glance that Titania was happy.
"Giddy up!"
Before long, the coachman swung his whip with all his might along with the command to start. With a clatter-clatter sound, the carriage slowly began to move away from the tiresome academy.
Seeing the academy moving away outside the window, Titania felt like she wanted to scream. Was this how a prisoner who escaped from prison felt? She felt like dancing a dance she couldn't even dance.
No, Titania vowed that when she returned to the royal castle, she would dance with her mother. She thought dancing was the most appropriate way to convey this happy feeling to her mother.
'I practiced the male part at the academy, too. I'll do the male part, and Mother will do the female part. The exact opposite of when I was young.'
Hmm~ hmm~
Titania hummed a dance song to the rhythm of the clattering carriage wheels. Imagining dancing alone with her mother in a dance hall where there was no one else.
Only, just the two of them.
*
As the coachman said, they ran without rest, so they were able to arrive at the royal palace from the academy in just two days. As the main gate of the royal palace began to be visible in the distance, Titania took out her hand mirror and began to tidy her hair. Then, Ainsel appeared and asked Titania.
-...Princess-nim. Um...
"Sorry, Ainsel. I'm a little busy right now... Can we talk later?"
-Ah, I'm in a hurry too...!
Snap!
Titania, who had closed her hand mirror, smiled brightly while minding her tidied hair. She felt sorry for Ainsel, but she didn't want to be disturbed today of all days. It was her reunion with her mother after three years.
As Titania was looking at her reflection in the window and tidying her clothes and hair, a screech- sound was heard as the carriage stopped, and the coachman opened the carriage door to announce that they had arrived at the royal palace.
"Princess-nim, we have arrived."
"...? We arrived? But..."
Titania looked outside through the gap in the open door as if it were strange. Surely, someone had come to meet her as promised. The fact that it wasn't her mother offended Titania's sensibilities.
Titania's brow furrowed slightly as she got off the carriage. Why? Why on earth? Her mother wouldn't break a promise she made with her, would she? Titania looked at the person who had come to meet her with a sharp gaze.
The person who came to meet her in front of the carriage was not her mother, but none other than Vin Chaud.
"...Princess Titania, it's been three years. Did you enjoy the academy-"
"Vin Chaud, where is Mother?"
"......"
Titania cut off Vin Chaud's greeting and asked about her mother's well-being.
Even when she turned her head to look around, her mother's figure was not visible. Could it be, is she really not feeling well? She always said she was healthy in her letters, but is she unable to come out because she's not feeling well?
"Vivian... the Queen-nim is..."
"Forget it. I'm going back to my room first, so unload the luggage."
"Pr, Princess Titania! Wait a moment...! Ha..."
Leaving Vin Chaud's sigh behind, Titania walked into the royal castle with fast strides. As she entered the royal castle, her feet moved on their own as if her body remembered. There wasn't even time for the maids to stop Titania.
Titania was able to quickly find where the room she and her mother used was. A large room in the middle of the hallway when you go up to the 3rd floor. That was her and her mother's room.
A room where the whole room is bathed in sunlight during the day, and if you open the terrace, you can see the royal palace's garden at a glance. Titania headed there quickly. To meet her mother after three years.
But-
"...? What? Why..."
Is the room empty?
Titania looked at her room that she used with her mother, and frowned as if she were dumbfounded. Did her mother move rooms? However, there was no such content written in the letters.
Although the room changed every season, this room was definitely the room used for the current season. Titania chewed over her memory again, but as expected, she looked around the room, confirming that this was the place.
Perhaps because the room had been empty for quite a long time, she couldn't feel any human warmth. Titania, who was looking at the dark room with the curtains drawn, turned her head and looked at Vin Chaud who had followed her.
"Vin Chaud, where is Mother?"
"First of all... The Queen-nim left this letter for you, Princess."
Twitch, Titania's brow furrowed even more.
Bad thoughts flashed through her mind, but she tried to ignore them and received the letter Vin Chaud handed her. On the outside of the letter envelope, only 'To Titania' was written.
Clearly, the handwriting on the letter envelope was her mother's. That was why she felt anxious because worse thoughts came to mind. Titania carefully tore open the envelope and began to read the letter inside.
...The content of the short letter was like this.
Actually, she was scheduled to leave the royal castle from the beginning.
That her leaving the royal castle was an unavoidable matter.
So she was sorry. Just, that she was sorry.
That she loved her. Truly, that she loved her.
That she was sorry for lying.
That was the end.
There was no mention at all of where her mother was going after leaving the royal castle or where she would live.
Titania's face, looking at the letter, shaded fiercely.
"Find..."
Titania ordered Vin Chaud.
"Find her and bring her back. Even if you have to turn the entire kingdom upside down, bring her back."
At Titania's ice-cold voice, which she had never heard before, Vin Chaud squeezed his eyes shut. As if he knew it would turn out like this, as if he had already expected it, he bowed his head and obeyed Titania's order.
"Bring Mother to me right now!!"