Chapter 65
65
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One month later, the Imperial Capital of the Empire.
In front of the Empress's bedchamber, who was suffering from an illness, the sound of her groaning could be heard even outside the door.
Crown Prince Shade, taking off the long sword he always carried and placing it against the door, said to the guards,
"No need to announce me."
Then, he quietly opened his mother's door and entered.
He stood for a long time at the head of the groaning Empress's bed, but she did not notice his presence.
Eventually, Shade spoke first.
"...You're not feeling well, you shouldn't have forced yourself to attend the Harvest Festival."
The Empress opened her eyes at her son's voice, then gave a faint smile.
"I can't refuse to do what I have to do as Empress."
Then, as if finally coming to her senses, she added.
"Why did you come again... Your Highness. You mustn't keep coming if you don't know what my illness is. The Crown Prince is the only..."
Shade, in front of his sick mother, took off his expressionless mask and collapsed.
"How, how can you not even get up like this? Don't just rely on the Magic Tower, let's find a renowned doctor now, Mother. I will speak to His Majesty."
The Empress's voice was weak, but her tone was firm.
"...Don't."
"Mother!"
The Empress remained composed even as her young son's eyes welled up with tears.
"Even if it takes time, the Magic Tower must cure Mother's illness. You know that His Majesty is trying to give strength to the Magic Tower, don't you?"
Shade closed his mouth tightly, but the Empress continued.
"This time, inviting the High priest's protégé as a guest to the Harvest Festival, Mother would not have allowed it if I had known in advance. No matter how solid the position of the Crown Prince, the only heir, is, His Majesty is the master of this land. He is the Crown Prince's father."
This time, Shade couldn't help but open his mouth in frustration.
"You can't even cure the mother who collapsed overnight, yet you want me to support the Magic Tower, which is only confident in words? Are you truly sure whether what they lack is ability or loyalty?"
But even her son's sharp words did not dim the Empress's smile.
"Near His Majesty's faith, there is also Mother's faith."
Can you really trust Father that much, Shade almost asked aloud.
The Empress's pale hand reached out to her son.
"It seems that the magician Gernan didn't teach the Crown Prince about love. His Majesty cherishes and loves Mother and the Crown Prince."
Shade closed his mouth again.
Because he shouldn't ask if he had that many children from the 1st Empress and the 2nd Empress.
He didn't want his sick mother to waste her energy on a conversation with him.
He held his mother's dry hand tightly.
"If there is anything I haven't learned, please get up and teach me, Mother."
The Empress nodded.
"I will."
But unlike her answer, the Empress's vibrant emerald eyes were losing their luster day by day.
Shade turned his heavy steps and left the Empress's bedchamber.
The Crown Prince's brow furrowed deeply with worry as he picked up his sword again.
"Hey, Yan."
I cautiously called Yan, taking advantage of the gap when Gabriella had left the room.
Yan had been busy going outside for a while, but lately, he had been quietly sticking by my side.
It was as if he had received special orders from someone to monitor me until the Divination.
"What."
I pouted inwardly at the blunt reply.
I couldn't do it openly because Yan might dislike what I was about to say.
"Um... it's not that I don't trust you, absolutely not."
I had only said that much, but the bird, more perceptive than a person, looked at me with its black eyes.
I cleared my throat and continued.
"Um... you said that, with my Healing Power, I can save everyone except the dead."
"I did?"
This time, I glared at Yan.
"Ah, don't pretend you don't know!"
"...So?"
"But, as you know, I've never really used my Healing Power properly..."
So, I had never actually healed anyone before.
Until now, I had only healed Yan and Gabriella, my hand pricked by a needle, or my father's hand with a cactus thorn stuck in it...
'That was all using my tears.'
The Kings of Ruelle with Healing Power usually cut their palms with a sharp knife and showed them healing on their own.
"Shouldn't I test that properly?"
"...Why?"
"Well, I have to perform the ritual..."
In fact, I thought Yan would get angry at that point.
Yan had been incredibly angry even when I had pricked my finger with a needle...
'Why worry ahead of time when the Divination is just around the corner? Test it after receiving the Divination!'
I thought he would lash out.
But instead of getting angry, Yan just let out a short sigh.
I don't know why, but I quickly said, not wanting to miss the opportunity.
"So, I'm going to try it for the first and last time today, okay?"
Yan asked in a resigned voice.
"With what?"
"Um... that's..."
Actually, I had stolen a meat-cutting knife from the banquet hall for today and hid it in Sei Palace.
As I quietly got up and found the knife, Yan's black eyes became even colder.
"Oh, Mom also performed the ritual with a knife like this. I saw it in a book, so it's definitely true."
Anyway, I was doing my best to persuade my little friend.
'The reaction is quite bad, as expected.'
I kept making excuses to Yan.
"So, this is my responsibility as a Princess, what should I say, ah! Responsibility! It's because of responsibility. Responsibility to perform the ritual well, right?"
Even if I said that, there was no reply.
"So Yan, just this once. It's not because my faith is very lacking or anything like that, okay?"
I was looking straight at Yan to hear the answer, so I saw my little friend getting bigger and bigger with my own eyes.
"...Huh?"
So, Yan got bigger.
Almost... as big as me?
Just like Gray had said with confidence, his tail also became incredibly long.
"Ehh...?"
I blinked blankly and rubbed my eyes alternately with my fists.
I couldn't believe it, I wanted to stroke Yan's head, but the guy sitting on the window frame was too tall to even reach.
'He looks exactly like Shamash's bird from the book?'
But the next thing was even stranger.
Yan, who had turned into a very big bird, suddenly, so suddenly...
'Turned into a person...'
Not even a kid like me.
A really big and handsome... adult with hair as red as Yan's feathers.
An adult, a man at that.
He was even taller than my father.
'Huh?'
I stood there with my mouth open, unable to even scream in disbelief, and Yan, who had become a person, grabbed the knife I had hidden and cut his palm.
I couldn't come to my senses even as I watched the red blood dripping.
He asked accusingly.
"What are you doing?"
"...Huh?"
"Aren't you going to heal me?"
I wish this was a dream.
I put my small palm on human Yan's torn palm and used Divinity as if possessed.
His hand was as big as Icarus's.
'No, even my Divinity shouldn't be a dream.'
Even in the hazy dream, I soon stopped the bleeding and healed the wound as Divinity was activated.
He held out his palm and showed it clearly in front of my eyes.
"It's done, right? You saw it, right?"
"Aaaah...!"
Only then did I come to my senses and start screaming, and the big palm that was nearby blocked my mouth as if it had been waiting.
"Little one. Is it okay to be noisy now, or not?"
You, you...
'There's no way you're Yan!'
I wanted to cry out, but his way of speaking was terribly like Yan's.
His voice was eerily the same.
'If you were going to be such a handsome man, you should have told me...!'
Then I wouldn't have shown you this, that, those things, and...
"You, you...!"
Finally freed from his grasp, I pointed my finger, and Yan frowned.
"This is very disrespectful."
"You, you...!"
I'm a Princess, you know?
I wanted to say that, but he was wearing Clerical robes.
Sob...
"Ah, are you a priest? Where are you a priest? If you're a priest, is it okay to deceive royalty like this?"
Finally, when I properly questioned him, Yan chuckled.
"I got hurt instead of Your Highness, is that your thank you?"
Hey.
Who's really disrespectful now?
I was speechless, but I fumbled and answered while looking at Yan's palm.
"Ah, well, I'm thankful, but..."
And then, the moment I looked up at him again.
The red-haired handsome man who had been up there was gone.
"...Huh?"
My little friend was sitting on the window frame again, saying shamelessly.
"If you're thankful, give me a kiss."
...Are you crazy?