Previously
The White Rose knights surround Irenia, but Caesar intervenes with predatory ferocity, nearly strangling the Knight Commander to death. Irenia manages to calm Caesar with her tears and touch, preventing a murder and forcing the intimidated knights to retreat.
“Ah…”
At that moment, the feeling that washed over me was pride. Before I knew it, my heart swelled with deep gratitude.
I was so touched that Caesar—our Caesar—had gotten angry on my behalf. He had even recognized that my feelings were hurt, despite me suffering no physical harm.
I felt truly proud of him. My little puppy had grown furious for me!
“Treating you… so badly…”
Thinking back on those men seemed to bother Caesar as well, a chill clouding his eyes. He frowned repeatedly, as though unable to calm himself down.
“Oh, no, you shouldn’t do that.”
I almost praised him without thinking. I barely managed to suppress the smile forming on my lips. I needed to show firmness rather than indulgence, but I still couldn’t help laughing.
“Shouldn’t?”
“Yes, because something dangerous could happen.”
I tried to speak in a serious, solemn tone, but the atmosphere made it difficult. I had to force myself to think of dull, mundane things just to keep from smiling.
Like my teacher Imelda’s old, frayed stockings, the lice I once found in the butler’s wig, or that horrifying stain on my attic wall that sometimes took the shape of a face in my nightmares… Whew…
“A-Are you two all right?”
The one speaking to us was Delfina. Given how precarious the situation had been, she hadn’t dared approach until now.
“Oh, we’re fine.”
“Heavens, what happened?!”
Delfina rushed toward us on the verge of tears, hurrying to help me up.
“I’m fine, don’t cry.”
Even though the situation was exceedingly grave, that was all I could bring myself to say.
“I never liked that knight order anyway.”
“Haven’t you?”
Even while Delfina dusted the dirt from my skirt, my mind remained fixed on a single thought.
The words the knight commander had spoken.
‘Perhaps things would be different if His Highness the First Crown Prince conveyed the order himself. But do you really think the Crown Prince, who can barely speak, is capable of that?’
I gazed toward the path where the knights had vanished.
Thanks to him, I knew what I had to teach Caesar. No, I had intended to teach him all along.
“What wretched people.”
“Exactly! How dare those scoundrels treat Your Highness like that? Heaven will surely punish them!”
Delfina unleashed a string of curses. I couldn’t help but smile, never having expected such a side to her.
There were plenty of people angry on my behalf today, so I didn’t feel nearly as awful as I had expected.
“Let’s go back.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I took Delfina’s hand.
“Caesar, let’s go.”
“Okay.”
I reached out to him as well. The hand that took mine was warm.
“Shamerset, come here.”
A sleek leopard slipped down from a marble column onto the carpet, moving as though it were gliding.
Every muscle in the large feline’s body rippled in harmony as it strode forward with quiet confidence.
Cornelia had raised the beast since it was eight months old, and it obeyed her devotedly.
It had been a wedding gift from the Sultan of the Southern Continent when she became Empress.
Its name, Shamerset, meant ‘Noble Animal’ in the language of the Southern Continent.
Now, that noble creature nuzzled the back of her hand, purring contentedly.
Countess Elvira watched the scene in silence.
“And what of that matter?”
It wasn’t clear whom she meant, but the countess answered with complete certainty, knowing precisely whom she referred to.
“Her Highness the Crown Princess is living without any notable issues so far.”
“Is that so?”
Cornelia smiled, as though mildly surprised.
Behind her stood two servants carrying Shamerset’s meal—he consumed fifteen chickens and eight rabbits a day.
Because the leopard permitted no one other than the Empress to touch him, the servants trembled in terror.
One could not tell whether the Empress’s smile stemmed from her pleasure at Shamerset’s feeding time, or her amusement at the report she had just received.
“And the rest?”
“It is said His Highness the First Crown Prince clashed with the knight order.”
Elvira gave a concise report: the commander of the 2nd Division of the White Rose Tree Cross, the Empress’s personal guard, had been beaten within an inch of his life by the First Crown Prince.
Cornelia frowned slightly upon hearing the report.
She tapped her temple with her long nails before gesturing into the air.
A lady-in-waiting stepped forward, bearing a silver tray that held a cigar.
Cornelia lit the cigar and drew a deep breath before releasing the smoke in a long sigh.
“Hah…”
Throughout this, no one dared utter a word. Only the Empress’s slow exhale broke the silence.
After a moment, Cornelia muttered in displeasure:
“I placed them there to keep a close watch on him, yet this is how it turns out?”
Everyone held their breath and bowed their heads. It was painfully obvious that Her Majesty’s mood had soured.
Those tasked with feeding Shamerset, in particular, swallowed hard, trembling with dread.
“Useless, the lot of them.”
Countess Elvira intervened at once:
“What would Your Majesty think of cutting the 2nd Division’s budget and demoting its commander by two ranks?”
“A fine idea.”
The Empress tapped her nails against the arm of her chair.
“Demote him two ranks.”
“By your command.”
With that, her anger subsided slightly.
The countess was adept at handling such matters, but a frown lingered on Cornelia’s face.
“What family does that commander belong to?”
Elvira felt a touch of pity for the family in question.
None of them would be able to show their faces at social gatherings until the Empress’s mood improved, subjected to quiet ostracism.
Yet that was simply the nature of the Imperial Palace.
It was a place where only those of keen instincts survived.
And that commander had committed a grave blunder.
“I shall handle the matter appropriately.”
“Yes, do so.”
At that moment, the pungent stench of blood permeated the room.
Shamerset had crushed a rabbit’s skull, crimson blood dripping from between his fangs.
The Empress loved watching him eat.
Her cheeks flushed like a young maiden’s.
The crunch of splintering bones was light and refreshing to her ears.
At times, she wished the corpse lying there were not that of an animal, but of a political rival.
Yes, for instance…
“What is that woman doing?”
“So far, she has made no notable moves.”
The countess glanced around before leaning in to whisper something in the Empress’s ear.
Boredom settled over Cornelia’s features.
“One after another…”
She exhaled cigar smoke once more.
Through the haze, faint phantoms seemed to form and dissolve.
Truly, none of them were of any use.
Still, the time had not yet come.
“Yes, until the time comes, let them enjoy themselves a little…”
She had granted them this respite herself.
Everything required time to ripen.
And she knew well that the wait only sweetened the pleasure.
Like a farmer waiting for fruit to ripen.
She could always wait.
Just then, an abrupt scream rang out: “Aargh!”
Shamerset had bitten into one of the servants’ arms.
“Ha ha ha.”
Cornelia laughed aloud for the first time that day.
Caesar’s room was in complete disarray, so I brought him to mine.
I intended to teach him something new today.
Delfina had already prepared everything I asked for in advance.
“Here it is.”
A variety of learning tools and children’s picture books covered the table.
“Because, in the end, you need to learn how to speak.”
Remembering the White Rose commander’s sneering remarks about Caesar’s stuttering made me angry, but in some ways, he wasn’t entirely wrong.
If Caesar was to attend formal banquets in the future, he had to speak far more fluently than he did now. He would meet many people, and his position demanded that he speak and engage with them.
Settling for mere positive or negative words wasn’t enough, even if he still felt like a child. He needed to learn how to express his feelings through speech, however simply, even if he couldn’t manage complete fluency yet.
“If you learn to read, your speech will become much more natural.”
I thought teaching him how to write would broaden his vocabulary and help him grow accustomed to using words properly.
“Caesar, look at this.”
I held up an illustrated flashcard—a learning aid featuring words starting with letters of the alphabet, complete with drawings of familiar objects to help children memorize easily, such as an apple, a baby, a cat, and a puppy.
I started with the puppy card, showing its soft-looking fur.
“Isn’t it cute?”
Caesar shoved the card away sharply.
“No.”
The card fluttered onto the table. It seemed he didn’t like puppies. What about cats?
“Ugh.”
He promptly whipped his head away. He wasn’t interested in cats, either.
I had to find some way to capture his attention, no matter what it took.
FADE OUT