Chapter 48
48
===
“I was so sorry yesterday.”
“Pardon…?”
As soon as he saw Count Chessware, I said that, and he seemed flustered, kneeling on one knee.
I didn't know the exact situation, so I had no choice but to apologize vaguely.
“Yesterday, um… well, the Celestial Steed didn’t want to play with Rosa… so I was sad. It’s not because I don’t like Count….”
Is this right?
I glanced at him, and the Count laughed loudly.
Then he said to my father,
“There’s a reason why Your Highness can’t take his eyes off the Princess these days. Oh, how can people without daughters live?”
My father seemed embarrassed and replied briefly.
“The child is young and still fickle. I hope you will….”
“Your Highness, why do you make me out to be such a narrow-minded man? I have children too, would I really be upset with a four-year-old Your Highness?”
“I know you wouldn’t….”
The Count cut off my father's words.
“Then please take back your apology.”
I was glad the atmosphere seemed okay.
I let my father talk to the Count and sauntered towards the stable.
The Count exclaimed in surprise.
“Your Highness, the Princess is going towards the Celestial Steed.”
“She’ll probably be fine today.”
My father answered leisurely, but in the end, he hurried to catch up with me.
Yan fluttered his wings above my head.
* * *
—Heeing….
As soon as Ibiza discovered Yan, he whined pitifully and lowered his head.
Then he slowly walked towards me and rubbed his nose against me.
It seemed like he was very happy to see me for the third time, so I greeted him happily.
“Ibiza, were you doing well?”
—Heeing….
My father, who had followed behind, let out a hollow laugh from behind.
“Ibiza, this rascal, he was such a tyrant yesterday. Are you sorry too?”
Ah….
Ibiza, you hate Rosa?
He’s so consistent and reliable.
‘But don’t show it too much….’
I asked him inwardly, and my father approached, seemingly pleased.
“Ibiza seems to be in a good mood today. When he puts his ears together like that, it means submission. What’s gotten into him?”
Just then, Yan was flying over Ibiza’s head, chirping.
‘It doesn’t look like Ibiza is submitting to me….’
But my father didn’t pay attention to Yan and spoke to me again.
“At this rate, he might even let you ride on his back?”
I was startled and shook my head.
“Sca, scary….”
My father chuckled softly.
“You can tell him not to fly and just take a little walk in the garden. If you’re still scared, shall we ride together, with Daddy?”
—Heeheeing.
As if he understood, Ibiza flapped his wings once and stomped his feet back and forth as if urging me.
“Ibiza, do you want to go too?”
Just in case, I asked, and he gently nudged my back with his head.
My father laughed heartily and said,
“Ibiza, this rascal, he’s very eager today.”
In the end, I ended up riding Ibiza with my father and taking a walk in the garden.
“Oh my, the Princess is riding the Celestial Steed!”
The guests who remained in the royal palace appeared one by one and cheered.
Ibiza spread his wings wide as if enjoying the attention.
‘Come to think of it, is he a natural performer?’
Startled, I hunched my shoulders, and my father calmed Ibiza down.
“Shh….”
Ibiza quickly calmed down at my father’s touch, and my father slowly circled the garden with a face full of pride.
“Honey, wave to the guests.”
It seems like everyone is looking at Ibiza, not me.
I thought that, but I waved as my father suggested.
‘Come to think of it, Rosa made a fuss because only I got to ride the Celestial Steed.’
What should I do if I’m the only one riding again?
I barely managed to control the twitching corners of my lips.
* * *
It was when I returned to the main castle in my father’s arms after the walk.
A priest with a cane and his attendant were walking from across the hallway.
‘I don’t think I’ve seen that priest before….’
They found my father and stopped to bow, but unexpectedly, my father also stopped in front of them.
Then he called his name quite intimately, acknowledging him.
“Derato.”
When the attendant beside him bowed deeply, the priest with the cane replied.
“Baha High Priest, it’s been a while.”
“Yes, is there anything uncomfortable?”
“Thanks to your concern, I am living in a way that is almost too much for me.”
My father lowered his voice a little as if he was conscious of me.
“I have sent word to Troyne. I would like to depart sometime next week, so please wait.”
“I understand.”
When I glanced at the priest, my father finally said,
“Ah, this is my daughter.”
The priest bowed once more.
“Greetings to the Princess. I am Priest Nichea Derato from the Temple of Shamash.”
However, the priest’s gaze was wandering somewhere on the floor, not at me.
“Oh, um….”
I hesitated a little and replied.
“My name is Rosa. Welcome to the royal palace.”
The priest’s gaze finally found where I was.
He seemed to be unable to see, but his smile towards me was kind and clear.
“I am grateful that you allow me the honor of remembering Your Highness’s voice.”
I quietly looked at the attendant standing next to the priest.
He was ready to support the priest in case he fell, and he stood with his head bowed, afraid of making eye contact with us.
‘If those two came all the way from Troyne to the royal palace, it must have been a lot of hard work.’
I opened my mouth to answer so that their efforts would be a little more rewarding.
“Me too. It’s my first time seeing a Priest of Shamash.”
I could see the face of the attendant bowing his head turning red.
—Chirp chirp!
While Yan was singing softly, my father greeted him.
“Then, I’ll contact you again.”
My father readjusted me in his arms and started walking again.
Then, when he arrived in front of my room, he kissed my forehead so affectionately.
Startled, I opened my eyes wide and looked up, and my father smiled happily.
“Thank you, honey. Priest Derato is also a friend of Daddy’s. Is that why you treated him well?”
That’s not it?
‘I never thought that deeply about it….’
It was a bad misunderstanding, but I could only smile awkwardly.
* * *
‘To see the Princess so close.’
Noah Finnan, Priest Derato’s attendant, was in a good mood.
When he escorted Priest Derato from the distant Temple of Shamash to the capital, he thought that they would be treated like outcasts when they arrived at the royal palace.
‘I thought there must be a reason why no one readily followed the trip to the royal palace.’
Noah was the youngest of the attendants at the Temple of Shamash.
If any of the senior attendants had stepped forward, he wouldn’t have dared to follow the trip to the capital, but they were all just watching each other and no one volunteered.
‘Everyone didn’t want to attend Priest Derato.’
Of course, the journey of serving Priest Derato was not easy.
But in Noah’s opinion, Derato was the most suitable person for the position among the Priests of Shamash.
‘Priest Derato will hear the voice of God someday?’
If not, it was impossible to accept the reason why God had taken away his sight.
Such a wonderful person.
‘The Baha High Priest must know the true worth of our priest.’
So that’s why that solemn person would call the priest’s name directly and take care of the accommodation.
Noah thought happily.
‘The Princess also said that it was her first time seeing a Priest of Shamash….’
Are royals originally so dignified, noble, and lovely from such a young age?
Noah was seeing a young royal for the first time, so he thought that must be the case.
‘Her eyes were as red as our High priest’s….’
It was when Noah was replaying the events of the day over and over again.
“Noah?”
Priest Derato suddenly spoke.
Noah was startled as if his inner thoughts had been exposed and jumped up.
“Yes? Yes, High priest?”
“How can you be so surprised when someone calls you in the same room?”
Priest Derato continued with a mixed voice of laughter.
“Would you seek someone’s help so that this can be sent to the Temple of Shamash?”
A letter was held at the fingertips of Priest Derato.
“Of course, High priest.”
Noah took the letter and bowed his head.
Priest Derato wouldn’t be able to see it, but Noah always did.
Then he quickly left the room to find someone to send the letter.
‘Everyone in the royal palace is kind.’
Perhaps because the Baha High Priest was staying there, the treatment of the priest felt much better than in Troyne.
‘So sending a letter would be easy.’
Noah’s steps were light as he walked down the hallway.