Chapter 23
23
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"Yes, Your Highness."
The autumn breeze was quite cool.
Gabriella set me down on the floor and brought a thick robe to put on me.
'Wait, does Yan know where Father's room is?'
I was curious only now, but it was up to Yan now.
'Just don't run into any cats...'
Come back safe, Yan.
No matter how much I tiptoed, I couldn't see out the window.
I pictured my father's room window in my mind and prayed for Yan.
'Not that he'd appreciate it.'
* * *
As the sunset fell, a letter from my mother arrived instead of Yan, whom I was waiting for.
My mother and Gabriella mainly exchanged letters via Icarus at dawn, but sometimes when important changes occurred, they would send someone during the day to convey what they had to say.
'I guess that's what happened yesterday too.'
Since I had collapsed.
'But why today?'
I anxiously watched Gabriella, worried that the letter was about Yan, who had gone to the Main Palace.
Sure enough, Gabriella's expression was dark as she set down the letter after reading it.
"Gabi...?"
When I called out in a trembling voice, Gabriella seemed to avoid my gaze for a moment.
I was startled and clung to her skirt, pulling on it.
"Mom's letter? Huh? Is it about Yan?"
"Ah, no..."
Gabriella immediately denied it.
It was a relief, but her attitude was suspicious.
'What's going on that's making her like this...?'
Gabriella picked me up, worried, and sat me on her lap, calling me affectionately.
"Your Highness, our kind Your Highness."
Her tone was like when I was trying to appease Yan, so I became even more anxious.
"Today... Rosa Your Highness apparently stayed in bed all day."
Why Rosa?
I asked with my eyes, and Gabriella sighed.
"When the maid asked if she was okay from the morning, she must have been feeling mischievous. His Majesty dropped by, wondering if something was wrong, but it turned out she wasn't really sick..."
So, what is it?
Rosa was pretending to be sick and just stayed in bed all day?
'Then what about me telling Father, the physician, and the teacher that I was okay?'
As my eyes widened in shock, Gabriella continued with a pitiful look.
"In her young mind... she must have been jealous that Your Highness didn't have class yesterday and got to rest. I suppose we should prepare to review again..."
"No!"
I shouted in a shrill voice, even though I knew Gabriella was not at fault.
"Your Highness..."
"No, I won't do it! I'm gonna, I'm gonna say I'm sick tomorrow too!"
But even as I said it, I could feel it.
'Then Rosa won't get up the next day either.'
If I said I wasn't sick and then pretended to be sick again the next day, the Royal physician would think we were strange.
"I really hate my sister..."
In that moment, the sadness of the past exploded.
I burst into tears of frustration, and Gabriella didn't know what to do as she comforted me.
"Your Highness, I'll try to persuade Rosa Your Highness tomorrow..."
But Gabriella can't win against Rosa.
It was always like that.
No one, no one could beat her.
'Especially since the prophecy at age seven.'
Because there was no one in this kingdom who could go against the princess chosen as a seer.
There were times, of course, when it was convenient because people mistook her for me.
'But it's so unfair.'
That stupid studying wasn't a big deal to me anymore.
Even so, I'm fed up with Rosa's attitude.
'She does whatever she wants and never suffers any losses?'
She's been studying comfortably all this time!
As I was huffing and puffing, Yan flew in from the open window.
"Oh my, the Magical creature is back!"
Gabriella seemed to have already confirmed that Yan was a Magical creature.
"Yaan..."
As I shed bitter tears, Yan flew closer and wiped away the tears with his wing feathers.
"...He really is a Magical creature. He's definitely a Magical creature."
Thanks to Yan, I stopped crying, and Gabriella left in a somewhat hurried manner.
She was probably going to write a reply to my mother.
As I went to the open window, Yan quickly flew over and spoke first.
"Why are you crying when I'm not here? What a waste of tears."
Since when was he so concerned about me?
He always just snapped at me, but he must have felt sorry for me when I cried.
I stared sullenly up at Yan, who was sitting on the windowsill, and muttered.
"...I hate my sister so much. I hate my sister."
I thought I would be scolded if I said that, but Yan unexpectedly nodded.
"Your sister was pretending to be sick today, so she might have to stay in bed for a few more days. Both of you."
"Really? Did you see it too? What did Rosa do?"
"Uh-huh, like this..."
Yan stopped there and collapsed on the windowsill.
His acting was so realistic that I almost asked if he was okay.
Yan continued while lying down.
"Like this, lying down... She rubbed her stomach and said it hurt. She didn't eat much, and she ate candy when no one was looking."
I frowned and asked.
"Her stomach...? Does everyone believe that?"
"Everyone except the King."
"Ugh!"
As I stomped my feet in annoyance, Yan made a strange laughing sound.
Only then did I get a strange feeling and asked again.
"But did you see Rosa? Don't go to her. She'll be mean."
Yan replied nonchalantly.
"She can't fly."
That made sense.
Only then did I remember why Yan had gone to the Main Palace.
"Father? Did you see Father?"
"Yeah. Your father had a lot of questions for me."
"Did you tell him? Did you do this with Father too?"
"Hey."
Yan jumped up.
"The only reason I talk to you is because you're so frustrating, kid. I don't talk to other people."
"...Wouldn't it be more frustrating if you didn't talk?"
"Whether I talk or not, you humans are all equally frustrating."
The little thing was starting to act edgy again.
"So, did Father call you a Magical creature?"
"That's none of my business."
"Hey!"
When I shouted at the little bird, Yan raised one wing.
"How dare you say 'hey' so presumptuously."
I pointed my finger at him, following Yan's lead.
"You say 'hey' to me too. I'm a princess too."
"I'm a pwincess too..."
Yan mockingly imitated my tone, causing me to burst with frustration and threaten him.
"You really...! If you keep doing that, I won't let you sleep!"
I expected him to resist, but Yan suddenly became docile.
"What, do you actually like me a lot?"
Yan pretended not to hear me and moved on to the main point.
"Hmm! Anyway, I'm done talking with the High Priest. I'll stay in Ruelle Palace as long as I want."
Wait a minute...
Until a few days ago, Yan couldn't fly properly, so he said he couldn't live in the garden.
'But today he suddenly can fly?'
I became a little afraid that Yan would leave soon.
"...How long will you stay?"
As I asked cautiously, Yan scoffed as expected.
"You're scared I'll leave, aren't you? Who else will play with you if I leave?"
"...I have friends besides you?"
I thought of Gray and Victory and retorted, but even to my own ears, my voice sounded unsure.
Yan laughed at me as expected.
"Ah, them? Victory said she'd come too..."
"She... she's still young, so that's why."
"And you're not?"
"You're the same!"
Yan, who had been teasing and sneering at me all this time, shamelessly flew onto my palm.
"I'm tired. Give me a 'ho'."
"Again...?"
I was appalled, but Yan rubbed his little head all over my palm.
"Yeah. I overdid it because I was worried your father would think it was strange. Hurry."
I looked down at Yan suspiciously, but he wasn't wrong.
I quietly raised my hand and observed Yan.
But the wound seemed a little better than it was during the day.
"Hmm? You're a little better."
I was just saying it as it was, but Yan insisted.
"No, I'm not. It hurts a lot."
Is it true...?
I glared at him unhappily, but in the end, I blew on his wound.
'Is he really a Magical creature?'
Maybe he's just a strange bird.
* * *
I kept worrying until I fell asleep, but I decided to take this opportunity to correct Rosa's habits.
Because of that, I returned to the Main Palace the next day and broke Beatrice's heart.
"You said you had a stomachache?"
I had said I had a stomachache to imitate Rosa, but Beatrice knelt down as if the sky had fallen.
"Y-You said you were okay...! You said you didn't hurt...!"
