Chapter 53
53
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The castle guards had clearly seen the King returning from his nightly stroll.
However, the King, who should have been ascending the stairs, had vanished unnoticed at the end of the corridor.
A short while later, she reappeared at Sei Palace.
'Forbidding the use of the basement-level employee corridor was an excellent decision.'
The security at Sei Palace was always lax.
It was made to appear that the unimpressive Separate Palace was merely the maids' quarters, allowing the King to reach Gabriella's chambers without being detected by anyone.
"Gabi."
She called out softly, but there was no response.
Then again, Gabriella was getting old.
'I shouldn't wake the child…'
However, she had been told that both Princesses slept soundly through the night and often traveled between the Separate Palace and the Main Palace in the early hours without waking at all.
King Oblin reluctantly raised her voice slightly.
"Gabriella Muha."
After a moment, accompanied by a slight rustling sound, Gabriella appeared.
"Your Highness?"
She had thrown a robe directly over her nightgown, but she showed no concern for her attire.
It was that rare for the King to visit Sei Palace alone in the middle of the night.
King Oblin asked directly, "Was it your decision to prepare a fake 'Tears of Baha' for Rosa?"
"Pardon? What… what are you talking about?"
Of course, Gabriella knew nothing, so the King soon returned to the Main Palace.
'Icarus, then.'
He had obtained a perfect replica for the Princesses' convenience and safety…
That was something Icarus would do, and something he was capable of.
The King might have even approved of it if she had known in advance.
However…
'Without seeking my permission beforehand? Without a single word?'
That was unlike Icarus.
Before returning to her chambers, King Oblin deliberately passed by the Princess's room.
Then, she mouthed to Icarus, who was guarding the door.
'Come to me before you leave the palace.'
Icarus quietly nodded.
A dried flower was pinned near his chest.
The flower, which had been there for quite some time, caught the King's eye for the first time.
* * *
The night was filled with worry due to Rosa's sudden change in attitude.
Gabriella's rustling woke me up.
'Gabi…?'
But Gabriella, seemingly unaware that I had stirred, hurriedly left the room.
'Where is she going?'
It wasn't a common occurrence, so I listened at the door for a moment, but without much expectation.
Sei Palace was our secret space, so it was quite soundproof.
'Different from its shabby exterior.'
Thanks to that, I was able to spend time with Yan more comfortably than in the Main Palace.
However, it seemed Gabriella had been in such a hurry that she hadn't closed the door properly.
Suddenly, I heard my mother's voice from outside the door.
"Was it your decision to prepare a fake 'Tears of Baha' for Rosa?"
Oh, no…
'I'm doomed.'
Gabriella returned to the room immediately, but she couldn't fall asleep easily and tossed and turned.
I couldn't sleep either, but I lay still as death, pressing my eyelids shut.
'What do I do about this…? What should I do about this…?'
My mother hadn't gotten an answer from Gabriella, so now she would ask Icarus.
'Icarus has kept his mouth shut for me so far, but it's different if my mother asks him directly…'
He would end up confessing the truth.
What excuse did I make when I asked Icarus to get me a fake bracelet before?
"Chelsea doesn't talk to Daddy. So she won't cherish Daddy's gift as much as I do."
"If only I have the bracelet, I'll look greedy. What if Mommy hates me then?"
Let's assume my mother believes that story.
The problem was my father.
'It's unlikely that my mother suddenly noticed the difference in the bracelets…'
If my father recognized Rosa's fake bracelet, then I had been wearing the fake and real bracelets interchangeably.
'That would look incredibly strange.'
It was the first time since I was little that I dreaded the next day so much.
* * *
Early in the morning in the audience chamber, I rushed to my father first.
The 'Tears of Baha' was worn over my sleeve so it would be easily visible.
"Daddy…!"
"Did you sleep well, baby?"
Rosa had received such a grand welcome the day before, and my father hugged me without any awkwardness.
Although he did glance at my bracelet for a moment.
"It's good to be back? My daughter came running to Daddy first."
My mother chimed in from the side, pretending to be jealous.
"It's only the second day. It'll be different from tomorrow, you'll see?"
I smiled bashfully, got out of my father's arms, and hugged my mother again.
"Mommy…!"
"Aww, my pretty daughter…!"
I monopolized my parents' love from the morning and went to the banquet hall.
Trying to hide my anxiety, I was eating when my father asked.
"But does our baby like Chelsea more, or Beatrice more?"
Huh?
I was so preoccupied with the bracelet that I dropped my jaw in astonishment.
It wasn't even 'Do you like Mommy or Daddy more?', but he was asking me to answer that with Beatrice right next to me?
'My answer is obviously Beatrice, but…!'
Beatrice pretended not to know my thoughts and covered both ears.
"I can't hear you, Your Highness. Ahhh, I can't hear anything…"
I frowned at Beatrice and rolled my eyes around before answering.
"I… I actually…"
I mean, why are you even asking this?
I'd feel sorry for Chelsea for no reason.
"I like Tritz a little more…"
Then my father smiled brightly.
"That's a relief, baby."
A relief?
For some reason, my mother looked flustered but didn't stop my father.
My father continued.
"Actually, Chelsea has something that came up, so she won't be able to come to the castle for a while."
What?
My mother finally interjected.
"Instead, my distant relative, Dakota Propie, will help us with Beatrice."
Suddenly, overnight?
I finally realized.
'Tears of Baha…'
The Princess was wearing a fake bracelet instead of the Sacred object, and my father thought that a four-year-old couldn't have gotten a fake bracelet on her own.
'Especially since I only wore the fake on the days Chelsea worked…'
I looked at my mother.
My mother had come to Gabriella in the middle of the night to ask about the bracelet, but she had a calm face as if nothing had happened.
'My mother had plenty of time to meet Icarus last night…'
So she probably knew the whole story already, but my mother didn't change her expression and continued.
"Dakota will come tomorrow. I'm sure our baby will get along well with her new maid."
So, my mother had decided to abandon Chelsea.
Even though Chelsea had done nothing wrong, and even though she knew that all of this was caused by my greed.
'Covering up Chelsea's crime would protect us…'
That was exactly what my mother had done for the past 15 years that I remembered.
* * *
It was time for class soon after, but I couldn't focus on the book.
'What's going to happen to Chelsea now?'
In the past that I remembered, it was mainly Icarus who kicked out the employees.
It would have been a relief if they were just kicked out.
There were many who were falsely accused like Chelsea was now.
'There were many who were executed or exiled…'
Some heard of the death of family members who were still alive, and others were separated from their families or friends.
She wasn't my maid, so I didn't know much about Chelsea…
'But Chelsea really likes her job as a maid, and she works hard.'
Besides, Chelsea had worked in the castle much longer than Beatrice in the past.
'But because of me…'
I finished the class somehow and went to see my mother.
"Mom…"
My mother probably knew why I had come, but she said with a calm face.
"Did you come to play with Mommy, baby? Mommy is having an important conversation with the adults right now, so Mommy will go to your room when it's over."
I had no choice but to return to my room and wait for my mother for a long time.
But I didn't hear from my mother for a long time.
"What are you going to do?"
Yan suddenly asked when Beatrice had left the room for a moment.
"I'm thinking…"
I barely managed to say that and swallowed a sigh.
'Should I reveal my Healing Power to my mother?'
Of course, almost nothing would change even if I did.
Even if I had a slight Healing Power…
'If I can't announce it publicly, I won't be able to reveal our existence.'
A Princess who received Divinity had to perform a ceremony first and publicly announce her ability within the kingdom.
'That's why I had to live as a secret Princess for 15 years before.'
How great would it have been if I had a complete Healing Power enough to perform the ceremony.
But…
'Just because that's not the case doesn't mean I have to give up like this.'
I took out the planner hidden on my desk and bravely wrote at the bottom.
「Get Mom's approval」
To be recognized by my mother as a daughter who inherited the Healing Power.
'Even if I can't announce it to the whole country, and even if I have to live as secret twins.'
First, I need to get my mother's approval.
'My mother will be happy.'
Because she's looking forward to the Healing Power that will be given to me.
'And then I'll ask if we really have to kick Chelsea out, and if there's no other way.'
While I was worrying alone, Yan beeped and hovered over my head.