Chapter 80
80
===
“I told you, Your Highness, even if it's sickly and thin, it still has a basic frame.”
Amidst the chaotic atmosphere, a servant from the Marquess family stepped forward, barely managing to squeeze out the feeble words.
“Ah, so….”
I alternated my gaze between the horse and the Marquess even after that.
“But my hands, they won’t reach all the way to that animal, will they?”
Yan flinched slightly at my words, but Icarus was the first to move.
‘True, if Kashian stands too close, it’ll look like I’m relying on him.’
Icarus approached, picked me up, and whispered in my ear.
“Your Highness, horses are large and powerful animals, so you must be especially careful. I will protect you, but do not get too close.”
But to touch the horse without getting close, my arms are too short….
Fortunately, Marquis Hestia intervened.
“Don’t worry, Chamberlain Chenelli. It doesn’t have the strength to walk, let alone kick someone.”
Anyway, we approached the horse.
Even though I’m not old enough to ride yet, I know how to handle horses.
‘Because I’ve been riding Ibiza, who is dozens of times fiercer than a horse, for years now.’
I reached out and slowly stroked the horse’s back.
However, I couldn’t concentrate because Icarus was standing too far away.
After thinking, I looked up at him.
“Put me down, Icarus.”
“But….”
He hesitated, but eventually gave in and stood close beside me.
The horse stood still with its head drooping.
I approached the horse with cautious steps.
“What’s its name?”
Gray, who was nearby, quickly answered.
“Pastel, Your Highness.”
“Pastel….”
As I repeated the horse’s name, Gray whispered softly.
“It was my mother’s horse.”
I was swept away by the unsettling atmosphere of the garden, but I immediately came to my senses.
‘I know that Marquis Hestia’s wife passed away when Victory was very young….’
Gray smiled reassuringly at me.
“Pastel is old, so… it’s okay if it doesn’t live long. I would be very grateful if you could make it less painful, Your Highness.”
Before touching Pastel, I grabbed Gray’s hand.
“I will.”
It was a completely different feeling from when I stood before an animal for the first time.
“I will, Gray.”
I wanted more than ever for Gray’s horse not to be in pain.
‘So that Gray’s heart won’t hurt either.’
After letting go of Gray’s hand, I stood on tiptoe.
Then, I tried to make eye contact with Pastel.
“Pastel, will you look at me?”
It was much taller than me, so it took some time.
“Can you tell me where it hurts?”
Pastel didn’t say anything, of course, but at least it looked at me.
The moment I met its blurry brown eyes, I realized.
‘Pastel will understand my heart.’
As if possessed, I reached out and placed my palm on Pastel’s forehead.
Instantly, something as strong as a sting flowed between me and Pastel.
—Heeheeing…….
The animal whined softly, and I felt a slight dizziness and took my hand away.
‘Wow….’
The warmth of life that hadn’t cooled down was still in my small hand.
Kashian had already come right next to me and smiled contentedly.
“Indeed, you are fit to be the chosen Sacred King. You did well.”
Unlike other times, I was a little out of breath.
It was different from when I healed Yan and Gabriella with tears.
I have now, for the first time, manifested a strong will to heal someone in front of me with my own hands.
For the first time, I desperately wanted my power.
—Purr, purr!
Pastel snorted and rubbed its head against me.
Hahaha, the Marquess’s loud laughter was heard.
“You are truly amazing, Your Highness.”
The clear sunlight shone on the Marquess’s moist eyes.
He praised me, endlessly stroking Pastel’s back.
“To heal an animal every three or four days like this. There won’t be any sick people in Ruelle in the future.”
As Pastel slowly took a step, the onlookers cheered.
“Wow!”
“Long live Princess Rostel!”
“She is a true daughter of Ea!”
My mother, who had been standing blankly, started laughing, joining in the commotion.
Even Icarus lifted me high above his head and responded to the crowd.
“Long live Princess Rostel!”
“Long live Rostel la Parca!”
Gray, Victory, and even Kashian joined in.
“Long live our Princess Rostel!”
* * *
After a long commotion, I returned to my room.
Gray, as if the excitement from earlier hadn’t subsided, stared blankly out the window with both cheeks flushed.
‘What is he looking at?’
Following Gray’s gaze, I saw Marquis Hestia riding Pastel and taking a stroll in the garden.
‘It was the Marquess’s wife’s horse….’
Pastel must mean a lot to him too.
Unknowingly, I looked at Gray’s face, and he consciously made his expression a little brighter.
“I’m okay, Your Highness. I hardly have any memories of my mother.”
I don’t know what to say.
I died before my parents in my previous life, so I have never lost a family member.
‘But if I think back to when Gabriella left, I can guess what kind of pain it is to lose a mother….’
Gray comforted me instead.
“Pastel was also the foal of the horse my mother rode when she was young. It’s a precious horse to our family. If she’s in heaven, my mother will be grateful to Your Highness.”
“Yeah, that’s a relief….”
But Gray added a word with a bitter face that I had never seen before.
“If my mother had held on for a few more years, she would have met Your Highness, right? Then Your Highness would have healed her. Right, Your Highness…?”
Poor Gray.
I reached out and stroked the back of Gray’s hand.
“That’s right, Gray. But later, if the Marquess or Victory, if Gray is sick, I will definitely heal you. I’ll practice hard so I can do that.”
“You’re so kind.”
Gray ended up praising me even with such a sad face.
I was at a loss in the awkward atmosphere, but Victory and Kashian returned late.
“Your Highness, where is Yan?”
I was sitting awkwardly and was startled by Victory’s sudden question, almost falling off the chair.
“Uh, huh?”
Victory looked around the room as if wanting to find Yan, and when he couldn’t see him, he leaned out the window and looked into the air.
Then, he looked back at me as if disappointed.
“Did he go outside again? Where does he keep going?”
“Uh, uh, I don’t know….”
While I was unknowingly looking at Kashian, Victory grabbed the hem of his clothes, stood on tiptoe, and peered at him.
“No, Your Highness. The priest’s hair color is so, so similar to Yan’s. I wanted to bring Yan and compare them.”
Then Gray, who was next to me, suddenly jumped up.
“G, get your hands off him!”
……What is this again?
Everyone’s eyes turned to Gray in bewilderment.
“I, it’s not polite to touch the priest’s body without permission.”
“Ugh, you nag.”
Victory sighed, but he did put down the hem of Kashian’s clothes.
Kashian shrugged as if it was nothing, as I shook my head at Victory.
‘You can turn from a bird into a person, but you can’t change your hair color?’
Even the young Victory thinks so, so I don’t know how long I can deceive Gray.
Gray even knows Yan’s voice.
* * *
The next day, Glennys, a northeastern port city of Ikan.
“Waaaaaah.”
Pascale Sanz, the Crown Prince’s First Knight and the Second Commander of the Habib Imperial Guard, vomited loudly towards the jade-colored sea.
The Crown Prince’s gaze towards the knight was stinging.
“What kind of knight can’t ride a ship?”
Pascale retorted with a pale face, as if he was very wronged.
“Ugh, what kind of knight is supposed to ride a ship? If it weren’t for Your Highness’s reckless secret trip, I wouldn’t have had to ride something like a ship… Uuuugh.”
“Ugh….”
Crown Prince Shade sighed and took out a blue-green leaf from his robe pocket and handed it to Pascale.
“Here, this is something that others only use when using the ‘Gate’.”
Pascale accepted the leaf without hesitation and quickly chewed on it.
“The ‘Gate’ would be better for my stomach. But to have to ride a ship again….”
Shade clicked his tongue at his subordinate and looked back at the land on the opposite side of the sea.
“I wonder if they’ll do well?”
Pascale sighed as if he was at a loss for words.
“If they don’t do well, they’ll be killed for impersonating the Crown Prince if they’re caught. Wouldn’t they do it with their lives on the line?”
Shade reluctantly endured the birthday banquet and received the reward of touring Ikan.
Of course, he had no intention of looking at the ruined Temple of Terra as he had told his father, so he had some trouble finding a substitute.
“Well, as long as they have the imperial uniform and silver hair. No one at the Temple of Terra knows my face.”
“It was the first time I’ve seen the effects of magical hair dye in person, but it was perfect, wasn’t it?”
Shade retorted cynically.
“Are the Magic Tower guys always trying to scam me?”