Chapter 35
35
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Of course, we could take turns wearing it, but I spoke as if there were no other options.
"Ah..."
Icarus seemed surprisingly convinced by my words.
"I understand, Your Highness. But why do you wish to keep it a secret from His Majesty?"
I acted as innocent as a four-year-old, as if I knew nothing of the Sacred object's significance.
"This is from Daddy, and Beatrice doesn't talk to Daddy. So she won't cherish Daddy's gift as much as I do."
Then, I grabbed his hand again.
"But if I have the Sacred Bracelet all to myself, I'll look greedy. What if Mommy hates me then?"
My reasons must have sounded frivolous to him.
Icarus replied with a relieved expression.
"Those are unnecessary worries. Her Majesty would never hate Your Highness for any reason."
"Does Icarus know Mommy well?"
His answer was crisp and simple.
"I do. Because I am the same as Her Majesty."
Then, he examined the Sacred Bracelet one last time before giving me his confirmation.
"Even if we obtain the highest quality replica, Grand Duke Nigel will recognize the real one. Princess Rosa is distancing herself from her royal father, so you may not be discovered for a while, but you must be careful."
"If Daddy finds out, Icarus doesn't know anything."
"Could I ever do that?"
Icarus left a light kiss on the back of my hand that he was holding.
"Do not worry. King Nigel will forgive everything I do for Your Highness."
Ah...
'So that's why you knew so well.'
I smiled bitterly, recalling the atrocities he had committed in my past life.
"Thank you, Icarus."
"Good night."
After he left the room, I fiddled with the Sacred Bracelet again.
If there were many fakes of this Sacred Bracelet and there was no need to make a new one, Icarus would obtain a product within a few days.
'Father is still in Nigel, so even if I wear the Sacred Bracelet alone for two or three days, it won't seem strange.'
So I slipped the Sacred Bracelet under my pajama sleeve.
If I could delay the manifestation of Rosa's Foresight, I should, of course, do so.
* * *
Icarus obtained the item in exactly two days.
'It's really exactly the same?'
The fake Sacred Bracelet, made with real jewels, was so identical to mine that I could almost get confused.
Even the slight discoloration of the glass beads, making them look a little yellowish, was the same.
"Thank you, Icarus!"
I was lying in bed because it was night, but I jumped up and hugged Icarus as if throwing myself at him.
"Yo, Your Highness."
He was greatly embarrassed by that alone, but I really wanted to praise Icarus.
To obtain something so identical to the Sacred object in just two days!
'Praise, praise...'
I barely managed to come up with a way to praise him at the level of a four-year-old and released his neck that I had been hugging.
Then, I reached out and placed my palm on the crown of his head.
My jet-black hair, like mine, awkwardly tangled between my short fingers, and Icarus looked back at me, not knowing what to do.
"...Your Highness?"
I stroked his hair as Gabriella or my mother would do and said.
"Icarus is the best. I like you the most."
He seemed too awkward in this situation and cleared his throat.
Even so, he still asked.
"Re, really?"
"Of course, really!"
This time, I tried to pinch and pull his cheeks with my short fingers... but it didn't work out well.
'Oh well, whatever.'
So I just put my palms on his cheeks and pressed down hard.
I didn't mean to, but Icarus's handsome face was squished.
I hurriedly took my hands off and pretended not to see anything, adding.
"I really, really like you. So pretty."
Then, I fired off the secret weapon I had practiced for my father, a wink.
"That..."
Icarus couldn't find the words and let out a soft chuckle.
"I am glad you like it. It is time for you to sleep, so I will take my leave."
I asked him as he tried to run away in a fluster.
"The jewels? It must have been expensive, did you take mine?"
"No, Your Highness. I have no use for the jewels His Majesty usually gives me, so I took this opportunity to exchange them."
"You exchanged what Mommy gave you?"
I asked again in surprise.
Icarus's loyalty to my mother was close to blind devotion.
'Before, he collected all the things my mother gave him and lived with them displayed like a museum.'
But his reply was calm.
"She will not mind, as it was used usefully in an important place."
Of course, my mother wouldn't mind.
Because my mother was the type of person who would have forgotten that she had given it in the first place.
'Used usefully in an important place...?'
It was only after hearing those words that I realized that Icarus had not taken my request lightly.
So I said once more.
"Really, really thank you. Later... when I grow up, I'll give Icarus even better things."
That is, if a war doesn't break out, or if he survives that war.
I said it seriously in my own way, but he burst out laughing at my words.
"Then I will dare... to look forward to it, Your Highness."
At dawn, I ostentatiously placed the fake Sacred Bracelet in the middle of the bed and hid the real Sacred object Bracelet under my sleeve.
Soon after, Gabriella appeared with Rosa.
She found the Sacred Bracelet, put it on Rosa's wrist, and nodded at me.
'She must have heard from Mother about the existence of the Sacred Bracelet.'
Rosa lifted her wrist and examined the fake Sacred Bracelet.
I smiled mockingly at Rosa as I snuggled into Gabriella's arms.
'You get a taste of it too.'
Then I groped for the Sacred Bracelet hidden under my sleeve.
'As soon as I arrive at the Separate Palace, I have to find a place to hide the Sacred Bracelet.'
That way, I won't be discovered when I change my clothes.
I chuckled in Gabriella's arms like a villain plotting a conspiracy.
* * *
The next day, when I returned to the Main Palace, I heard welcome news for the first time in a while.
"Your Highness, Hestia's little guests have come to visit after a long time."
"Oh, really?"
It was the first time since Gray had learned my secret.
'I thought he would be strutting around the Royal Palace, claiming to be friends with the Princess...’
Gray hadn't shown his face for quite some time after that.
I got up happily.
"Where are they? In the garden?"
Behind me, as I ran out, a red bird fluttered.
"Oh my, Your Highness! Let's go together!"
Even Beatrice followed noisily, and I was the first to arrive in the garden.
"Your Highness!"
"Your Highness!"
The siblings who shouted in unison seemed to be about to use that nonsensical greeting method again.
Gray, one of the siblings who were kneeling on one knee side by side, spoke first.
"Your Highness. If we visit too often, you might not feel well..."
Gray paused there and took a breath.
"I was afraid of burdening Your Highness, so I endured and endured the desire to see you before coming."
So you're not good at lying?
I watched with amusement as Gray squeezed his eyes shut and participated in my lie.
He finally calmed down and asked.
"Have you been well?"
"Of course, Gray."
After Gray kissed the back of my hand, Victory did the same.
"Long time no see, Bitori."
I barely managed to greet him while holding back my laughter, and Victory jumped up.
Dried grass was already stuck all over her neatly dressed dress.
"Your Highness! Bitori grew taller."
I was dumbfounded when I saw her raising her palm above her head.
She was still quite a bit smaller than me.
'She'll get bigger someday, though.'
So I enjoyed the fleeting moment of leisure and generously responded.
"Is that so, Bitori? Cool."
"Kyahaha."
Victory laughed happily and reached out to Yan.
This time, I could feel Yan hesitating, so I asked to confirm.
"Bitori, can you be careful? Yan is a baby. You have to touch him gently."
"Squeaky?"
Oh, right.
His name has changed...
"Ah, not Squeaky, Yan. I changed his name."
"Squeaky..."
"Yeah, Squeaky is good too... But, he said he likes Yan better."
Victory quickly agreed like a child.
"Then Bitori likes it too! Ya Yan!"
Yan hovered over Victory's head for a while with a slightly frightened attitude, but soon seemed resigned and landed on Victory's shoulder.
"Wow!"
While Yan was playing with Victory, I got a chance to talk to Gray.
"Did... did things go well, Your Highness?"
"Things?"
As soon as I asked that, I realized what Gray meant by 'things'.
'Feigning illness', that is.
"Ah, that..."
So I chuckled and replied.
"It went well. It was quite fun."
"When I first met you, I really didn't know you would be such a prankster."
The Princess that Gray remembers on the first day would be Rosa, not me, but I just shrugged.
"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover."
