Chapter 51
51
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Rosa's anxiety quickly became reality.
The Celestial Steed had been relatively calm while the priest displayed his Divinity, but as soon as Rosa held out her palm, it began to neigh wildly.
"Ibiza, you rascal, not again..."
The Grand Duke scolded, but the Celestial Steed's energy was formidable.
—Heeheeheeheeheeing!
Having brought his young daughter and a blind priest, the Grand Duke left the stable without attempting another try.
Then, he said to the priest,
"Derato, you have nothing to worry about. That fellow has been acting strangely only in front of the Princess for the past few days."
The priest bowed his head, looking grateful.
"Your Highness, Baha High Priest, it was an honor just to be allowed to meet such a noble Magical creature. However, the offer to ride in the Celestial Steed Carriage is far too generous, even upon reconsideration."
The Grand Duke chuckled.
"I, too, am uneasy about their fickleness, so I cannot allow you to ride alone. But this is merely the path I travel. Do not concern yourself."
Listening to this, Rosa was the only one who felt frustrated.
"Me too... I wanna ride too!"
As the Princess whined, the Priest of Derato, who already felt sorry, became even more flustered.
Just then, a bird's chirp was heard from somewhere.
—Cheep cheep.
The Grand Duke said with delight,
"Yan has arrived."
"Yan... did you say?"
Derato asked for confirmation for some reason, and the Grand Duke replied,
"Ah... it's a bird the Princess raises. I don't know why, but it seems to be quite friendly with the Celestial Steeds."
After Yan fluttered into the stable, the Grand Duke greeted Priest Derato first.
"Then, I will see you in three days."
"Yes, Baha High Priest."
The Grand Duke sent Derato and his attendant away, then turned back towards the stable.
While Yan sat perched on Ibiza's head, Rosa was finally able to stroke the Celestial Steed.
'It's so pretty...'
But the Celestial Steed snorted, barely suppressing its displeasure.
The Grand Duke asked the bird, unexpectedly,
"Yan, will Rostel be able to ride Ibiza today?"
Then the bird chirped and shook its head.
Rosa was startled.
She had been curious about the bird's ability to answer, but...
'Is it really that smart?'
Moreover, the Grand Duke seemed to follow the bird's answer as if it were the correct one.
"Yan says it's not okay either, my dear..."
Rosa was disappointed but gave up at that point.
'The Celestial Steed only lets Lilin ride it, and that smart bird only follows Lilin...'
She wanted to cry out, but she couldn't anymore.
'If Lilin has Divinity, and that's why the Magical creature and the bird follow her...'
Then she needed something of her own to avoid being abandoned.
To be smarter than Lilin, or kinder, or stronger, or to cry less...
Anything.
"I have to leave in three days... let's meet Ibiza one more time before then."
The Grand Duke said as he stood at the door.
Rosa wanted to make a good impression on him, so she deliberately pulled down the bracelet from under her sleeve and said,
"I touched it today, so it's okay."
As the Grand Duke's gaze lingered on the bracelet, Rosa quickly added,
"I really like the bracelet you gave me, Daddy."
But there was no response.
Moreover, the Grand Duke stared at the bracelet he had given her as if it were something strange for a long time.
'The nanny always tells me to wear it every morning, so I've been enduring it even when it's annoying...'
As she felt awkward under the Grand Duke's gaze, Chelsea opened the door.
"Did you visit the Celestial Steed again? I heard you rushed to see Your Highness after class, so I had no choice but to wait."
Only then did the Grand Duke's gaze leave the bracelet.
Rosa quickly reached out to Chelsea and said,
"Yeah, I went to say hi to Ibiza."
"Oh my! That's a relief, Your Highness."
The Grand Duke hesitated for a moment as if he had something more to say, but soon bid farewell and disappeared.
Meanwhile, Chelsea was relieved that the Princess seemed to be in a better mood than usual.
"Shall we go for dinner now?"
* * *
"Daddy! When will you come back...?"
Four days after the Thanksgiving Festival, her father was leaving for a trip to Troyne.
Knowing it was because of Yan, I still felt subtly sad.
'Maybe when he comes back, he'll have to go straight to Nigel again?'
Sure enough, her father hugged me with a sorry face.
"If things get prolonged in Troyne, I'll probably have to go straight to Nigel. I was busy because of the Thanksgiving Festival, so time is tight."
Without even stopping by the capital?
It was truly disappointing, but I knew my father well, who always had to leave, leaving the mother he loved more than his own life here.
Reluctantly, I nodded and trudged towards Ibiza.
"Ibiza."
As I held out my palm, Ibiza rubbed its nose against it as if greeting me.
"Have a good trip. Please take care of my daddy."
As I was saying goodbye to Ibiza, my father suddenly said,
"By the way, dear. Are you wearing the bracelet I gave you today?"
"Uh-huh."
I proudly rolled up my sleeve to show him the Tears of Baha.
My father unexpectedly asked again,
"Do you wear it when you wash and sleep?"
"Um..."
Could Rosa have noticed something strange about my bracelet?
'Was I too careless because I thought Rosa wasn't close to Father?'
I answered with a slight unease.
"I take it off when I wash, sometimes. I don't take it off when I sleep."
In fact, I had been leaving it in the Separate Palace, but I answered vaguely like that.
"Why?"
When I asked back, my father shook his head.
"No, just... it's too big... I was wondering if it's uncomfortable."
Really?
When my father wasn't smiling, he usually had a very expressionless face, so it was difficult for me to grasp his true intentions.
"Then, I'll be going."
As my father said goodbye, my mother lightly hugged him and kissed him on both cheeks.
"Be careful."
Priest Shamash and the attendant beside the golden carriage flinched and bowed their heads at the King's voice.
The priest called Derato bowed in the direction where my mother's voice was heard.
"Thank you for the valuable invitation, Your Highness."
My mother replied curtly.
"Travel safely."
Ibiza soared into the sky, carrying two more new passengers.
'You're so picky with Rosa, though?'
We waved until the Celestial Steed and carriage were out of sight.
My father's schedule was longer than expected, and I couldn't see him for the next two weeks.
* * *
Two weeks later.
"The Celestial Steed is coming, Your Highness."
Gabriella said as she picked me up.
Gabriella was now completely healthy, and it didn't seem like she would leave my side easily just because the year had changed and my fifth birthday was coming up.
"Daddy, Daddy...!"
I waved happily in Gabriella's arms, but inside, I felt very disappointed.
'If Father had returned on the day I was the Princess, I could have welcomed him much more...'
It was even more frustrating because I didn't know if Rosa would even welcome Father.
Gabriella said as if she had read my mind,
"But Princess Rosa has been very kind lately."
"Will Sister welcome Daddy?"
"Of course. I'm sure she will."
But even if Rosa welcomed Father, I was worried.
I was also concerned about Father asking about the bracelet before he left.
'By the way, Rosa has become a bit kinder...'
Of course, that was just like Rosa, so I couldn't let my guard down for a moment.
'Even in the past, when Rosa made me a scent pouch with Poisonous herbs, I thought she was the kindest sister in the world.'
These days, she was even enjoying studying, and her progress was quite fast.
'You're only four years old, so you can't beat me.'
Just then, Yan tapped on the window with its beak.
"Did he come?"
Gabriella understood what I meant and opened the window for Yan.
A chilly autumn breeze rushed into the room.
Yan spread its wings and soared into the air, drawing an arc.
"His Highness the Grand Duke said he would look into Yan, right?"
"Uh-huh."
Gabriella was staring intently at the window where Yan had disappeared.
"Yan is probably a Magical creature, right?"
Many things about Yan were secret, but I nodded.
If the Celestial Steeds were Magical creatures, then Yan would be one too.
'Yan makes them obey.'
That's just my opinion, though.
Yan returned soon, and while Gabriella went to prepare dinner, I asked,
"How was it, Yan? Did Rosa welcome Daddy?"
I expected the answer to be roughly 'yes' or 'no', but Yan answered unexpectedly.
"She welcomed him like crazy?"
"...Huh?"
"Isn't she acting a little strange? She's so different from you? She was clinging to the Grand Duke's shoulders and kissing him on the lips, it was a mess."
...It seemed that Rosa had become Rosa even earlier than I thought.
"Sigh."
As I let out a deep sigh, Yan tilted its head.