51. A Runaway Incident That Wasn't Really a Runaway (1)
51. A Runaway Incident That Wasn't Really a Runaway (1)
[Episode 51] - A Runaway That Isn't Really a Runaway (1)
A meeting that was tedious and boring beyond compare.
I was only attending to fill a seat; I didn't actually have anything to say or do. My job was to yawn while watching the envoys and ministers chat away.
It was also my job to narrow my eyes, lift my chin, and tilt my head slightly to look down at the envoys and ministers. Since I couldn't join the meeting, I figured I should at least maintain the dignity of a Queen.
'If only Ainsel were by my side, it would have been less boring...'
I tapped the mirror earring hanging from my ear for no reason, but Ainsel still showed no sign of returning from the Princess's side. Should I really scold her when she gets back?
While I was zoning out with such idle thoughts waiting for the meeting to end, Vin Chaud stood up and announced the end of the meeting. He looked as weary as I felt, with hollow eyes and hair from the consecutive meetings over the last few days.
"We will conclude here for today. The evening banquet will begin shortly, so I ask that all members of the delegation please attend."
Judging by the envoys and ministers buzzing with bright smiles, the meeting seemed to have wrapped up well. I let out a small sigh of relief that I hadn't been asked many questions today, and Vin Chaud approached me on the sly.
"You've worked hard, Your Majesty."
"Hard work? Nonsense, you all worked much harder."
Vin Chaud chuckled at that, then whispered in my ear in a very low voice as if he had a secret to tell. I leaned in, wondering what on earth could be the matter while the envoys were still watching—
"I have made arrangements so that Your Majesty does not need to attend this evening's banquet. Instead, I have ordered for some light refreshments to be prepared in your room, so how about dining with the Princess?"
"Vin Chaud, you..."
I looked at Vin Chaud with wide eyes, and he chuckled with a smile. It seemed Vin Chaud, aware that things had been rocky between the Princess and me lately, had prepared a small event.
There was no reason not to accept this, so I nodded with a smile. To think such an opportunity would arise while I was at a loss for how to approach the Princess, who had been avoiding me every day lately.
'...As expected, I should be the one to apologize first. She's angry because I spoke as if I were forcing the engagement. Since the engagement and the matchmaking are off the table now, wouldn't the Princess also let go of her anger...?'
The reason I told the Princess it would be good to get engaged to the Third Prince was...
It was simply because it was the right thing to do in the game.
If the Prince stays in the kingdom, the Princess and the Prince become 'friends' who can rely on each other. I only said that because I thought it would be good for the Princess, who has no friends.
And if they continued the engagement to marriage, it was also a good opportunity for the Princess to reach her own 'happy ending.' So, I just said it would be good to get engaged, but...
'I never thought she would hate me so much...'
I never imagined the Princess would get that angry. Did I force my game knowledge on the Princess too much? But game knowledge was all I had to offer her.
No matter how twisted the original story was, the main flow remained the same. This 'Prince's Visit' event was the same. The Prince hadn't arrived, but the fact that the main flow—the delegation—was arriving was the same.
The Princess entering the academy later, and what would happen at the 'Hunting Competition' to be held after this—the main flow was proceeding exactly like the game, so I could prepare using my game knowledge.
'So, I thought I could raise the Princess well based on my game knowledge... but parenting is truly difficult. Even if I think it's the right answer, it's not the right answer from the child's perspective.'
However, ever since the Princess got angry and yelled at me, I felt like something was wrong. The thought that even if it's a good choice in the game, it might not be a good choice in this 'reality'.
Even though I know that where I am now is 'reality' and not a 'game,' the habit of clinging to game knowledge wasn't easily fixed.
No matter how twisted and broken the original story was, the fact that I knew to some extent what would happen in the future was a huge comfort to me.
I chuckled and expressed my gratitude to Vin Chaud, who was standing next to me. As expected, he was the only person I could trust with this sort of thing. Truly, he would be a perfect person if only he weren't bald.
"...Thank you, Vin Chaud. Then I shall return to my room first."
"Yes, Your Majesty. It is about time you showed me the two of you together."
"You'll be able to see it from tomorrow, so don't worry."
I stood up and slowly headed to my room. I was so excited at the thought of meeting the Princess and eating with her after such a long time that my mouth corners were curling up, which was troublesome.
As I walked, smoothing my mouth corners to solidify the image of a haughty Queen, I spotted Princess Fiona walking down the hallway with a maid.
Didn't they say she was holding a tea party? with the Princess today? Just as I was wondering why Princess Fiona, who seemed close to the Princess, was walking alone—
"Greetings, Your Majesty Queen Vivian!"
Princess Fiona approached me with a bright smile, taking quick steps. I didn't really want to get close to her because of some inexplicable uneasiness, but... I forced a smile and smiled back at Princess Fiona.
"Princess Fiona, was the tea party enjoyable? I was sure you would be with Titania..."
"Um... well..."
Princess Fiona, who gave a bitter smile at my words, covered her mouth with her fan and sniffled, lowering the corners of her eyes. I stared blankly, surprised by the sudden reaction, and Princess Fiona sniffled and told me what had happened at the tea party.
"I must have made a slip of the tongue... Princess Titania left her seat first. So, I am on my way to apologize..."
The Princess got angry? It was a bit surprising that the Princess, who doesn't easily get angry at people, had gotten angry at Princess Fiona. I was even a little jealous that the Princess always treated others kindly except for me lately...
The sight of her pouting her lips in such a sullen manner looked similar to the Princess for some reason, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hehe, don't worry. If you apologize sincerely, Titania will accept it. However... could you postpone apologizing to Titania until tomorrow?"
"Yes? Why..."
"Because today is the day I have to apologize to the Princess. I also have something I need to beg Titania's forgiveness for..."
Princess Fiona stared at me blankly at those words. Just as I was tilting my head, wondering if I had made a slip of the tongue, I saw Ellie and other maids running around in a chaotic manner around my room. Were they preparing food in my room?
"Is everyone ready—"
As I approached Ellie with a light step, I couldn't continue my sentence when I saw that Ellie's face had turned pale. It wasn't just Ellie. All the other maids were looking at me with pale faces.
Seeing that expression, I realized that the maids weren't busy preparing food in my room, but were running around busily due to some 'accident'.
"Y-Your Majesty..."
Ellie, who had approached me with a pale face, didn't know what to do. She somehow held onto her trembling hands and looked at me with a tearful voice.
"T-The Princess... is nowhere to be found..."
*
Vivian let out a hollow laugh at Ellie's ridiculous words and walked almost at a run toward the Princess's room. Saying the Princess was nowhere to be found—wasn't that absurd?
Yes, the royal palace is so large, it must just be hard to find the little Princess. Saying it must be so, Vivian muttered to herself as if to soothe herself and pushed open Titania's door as if bursting in.
Titania's room was already in disarray from countless searches for the Princess. The blanket had fallen to the floor, the closet doors were all open, and all of Titania's dresses had been taken out.
She looked at the miserable state of the room, as if everyone thought a thief had broken in, but Titania was nowhere to be seen. Not under the bed, not inside the closet; Titania was nowhere.
All that was there was a single sheet of paper placed neatly on Titania's bed. Vivian looked at the paper with something scribbled on it, then turned around and asked Ellie.
"What is this?"
Ellie felt some kind of boiling emotion at that short sentence. Clearly, the words she heard had landed coldly, but it was a voice that seemed to be holding back something that would burst at any moment.
The testimony of Ellie and the maids was as follows. Before the evening banquet was prepared, the maids had visited Titania's room to tidy up Titania's hair, which would surely be messy from the blanket.
But when there was no answer no matter how much they knocked, Ellie said she quietly opened the door to check inside. And so, the only thing in the room was a letter-like piece of paper with just one line written on the bed.
Do not look for me.
Surprised by the paper with those words written on it, Ellie and the maids said they quickly began to search the castle. They asked the guards and knights to search not only the inside of the castle but also the outside, including the garden, but they hadn't found her yet, Ellie and the maids replied, half-crying.
Thinking it wouldn't do any good if the delegation found out, they didn't inform them during the meeting, and they all thought they would find the Princess soon if they searched together, Ellie replied tearfully.
Vivian bit her lower lip and looked at the scribbled paper once more. She looked at it over and over, wondering whose prank it was, but it was undoubtedly Titania's handwriting.
Kidnapping? No, there's no way such a thing could happen here.
Then, why on earth suddenly?
Am I that hateful to her that she would do something like this?
Should I have tried to talk to her and apologize somehow?
Her heart ached as if it were tearing apart. It was just the child's words telling her not to look for her and the act of hiding, but was this what it felt like to have a nail driven into one's heart? Vivian couldn't even breathe properly.
To call Ainsel, Vivian nervously tapped the earring hanging from my ear. Tap, tap, tap, tap. But with Ainsel still not answering, something welled up in Vivian's throat.
Vivian, clutching her head and shaking her shoulders, crumpled the letter-like note, turned around, and looked at the maids. With reddened eyes and a voice trembling as if it would burst at any moment, Vivian ordered the maids.
"Lock the castle gates right now so that not even a single ant can get out. And mobilize all personnel to search the inside of the castle thoroughly. The annex, the garden, all the palaces not currently in use. She must be nearby..."
Ellie trembled at Vivian's voice. No, all the maids around were swallowing dry saliva and were tense. It was a terribly cold and sharp voice, one she hadn't heard in the last few years.
The voice that had been trembling slightly finally burst out, along with a single tear from Vivian.
"Find my daughter, right now!!"
And Princess Fiona watched that scene from afar with narrowed eyes. Without saying a word, just quietly.
"......"