Chapter 9
Episode 9
I was genuinely flabbergasted.
I mean, what kind of bullshit is this? How can you not distinguish between someone pretending to hate something because they’re shy and embarrassed, and someone who actually, truly hates it?
When everyone in every direction is brainwashing her with, “Young Duke Raymon likes Princess Titania, but he’s just pretending not to for the sake of the family and other reasons!” it’s no wonder the kid turned into such a nuisance.
“The Princess was always so flawlessly beautiful, so he was likely quite flustered to see her suddenly looking so disheveled. More importantly, Princess…”
Cleo narrowed her eyes slightly. It was a sharp gaze that looked down on me as something insignificant, something displeasing.
My body instinctively recoiled. I could boss around the servants, but this young body, which had zero experience being loved by an ‘adult,’ froze up whenever an adult reproached it.
Especially when it was someone the child believed cared for and liked her.
“No matter how beautiful the Princess is, this attire will not do. As a woman of the Imperial Family, you must show a presence more noble than anyone else.”
“…Did I, did I do something wrong?”
“Young Duke Raymon is a very remarkable boy. Even though he hasn’t reached adulthood, it’s not uncommon for him to act as the proxy for the head of the house. No matter how secretly he adores the Princess, he had no choice but to be angry when the Princess tested him in such a state.”
“He’s angry because… I tested him?”
I widened my eyes as if to say, ‘Oh, I never even imagined that!’
Yeah, I really couldn’t have imagined it…
I knew Cleo would try to gloss over it with sweet talk!
But to frame it as, ‘How could you test me like this in front of others when you know better than anyone how much I love you? Did my heart seem that cheap to you?’ was a whole other level!
“Yes. The Princess was in the wrong.”
“…I was… in the wrong….”
I repeated those words like a dejected child before clinging to her desperately.
“Then, then, what should I do to make him stop being angry?”
As if waiting for that exact reaction, a look of satisfaction settled on Imperial Consort Cleo’s face. She pondered for a moment before speaking.
“How about giving him a sincere gift to show you’re sorry?”
“A gift…?”
Ah, this feels a bit ominous. My gut is telling me she’s trying to pass off a ticking time bomb. It feels like knowing there are only two seconds left on the timer, but having to take it anyway just to throw it somewhere else to survive.
Hiding my burning inner thoughts, I widened my eyes innocently as if asking what it could be.
“I recently obtained a truly precious sword. Hmm… I was thinking of giving it to our dear Prince Brian, but fine. Since my sweet Titania is so upset, I should be the one to show some consideration.”
After making a huge show of her generosity, the Imperial Consort shrugged as if it were an incredibly rare treasure and finally spoke. She looked immensely proud of herself.
“The name of that sword is ‘Verispacio.’ Doesn’t the name itself sound noble?”
For a second, I almost lost my mind and spat out a curse.
Damn it. Hey, lady, that’s a demonic sword.
If there are ancient weapons that can use the power of the gods, there are bound to be weapons imbued with the power of darkness that can use dark energy. Just as there are divine beasts and demon beasts.
Strictly speaking, Verispacio is a sword named Veris-Pacio.
It was a sword created in an attempt to mix the powers of the demon beast Veris and the divine beast Pacio, but ultimately, it was a failure. If used for a long time, it devours the owner’s mind and leads them to ruin.
If my memory serves me right, Prince Brian in the original novel used that sword and ended up self-destructing at the end… and Imperial Consort Cleo went half-mad after seeing that.
“If it’s that sword, even Young Duke Raymon won’t be able to help but let go of his anger.”
“…….”
…Sending a demonic sword as a gift to the ducal family that is practically the only one in this Empire capable of identifying and using ‘divine power’?
It’s lucky that Imperial Consort Cleo doesn’t know the truth; if she did, I’d be so bewildered I’d think she was telling me to go die in a roundabout way.
Well… she probably just intends to use me to deliver a bribe in advance, but seriously, lady….
“But, I can’t be so shameless as to just take things from Your Highness…”
When I timidly acted apologetic, the Imperial Consort let out a snort.
No, I’m serious. Why are you doing something you never do? Give it to your son whom you love to death! Why on earth would you give a peerless sword to the House of Castline of all places and invite ridicule (and murderous intent)!
As if waiting for me to react that way, the Imperial Consort asked again.
“Do you truly think so, Princess?”
“Ye-yes?”
“Then, for this summer’s Dedication Festival, would Titania go in place of Prince Brian?”
“Ah….”
Aha, now I see the Imperial Consort’s move.
Every summer and winter, the Imperial Family sends a direct royal member to the two temples located at the extreme ends of the Empire to observe the rites.
Hundreds of years ago, it was a grand event where the Emperor would go in person to hunt nearby demon beasts and purify the area.
But now, it’s just a formality of sending a royal member to keep up appearances.
It takes over two weeks just to travel back and forth between the Imperial Palace in the Capital and the temples.
The rites themselves take nearly a week, so all in all, you have to waste almost a month.
Naturally, the Imperial Consort, who is busy securing the future, doesn’t want to send her son Brian there anymore.
But if Brian doesn’t go? Prince Adrian would have to go.
She hated that more than anything. So, she picked me—the young Princess who had almost died recently—to go in his stead.
If I complete this trip successfully, she’ll probably keep sending Titania every summer and winter from now on.
Well, if she sends me, I’m more than happy; that place is a goldmine.
I’ve been so frustrated as a Princess who couldn’t even step foot outside the Imperial Palace on her own.
However, on the outside, I shifted my eyes as if I were anxious.
“B-but, Your Highness. That’s the edge of the Empire, so it’s scary, and there are demon beasts on the way…”
“Now, now! Titania. Aren’t you the Empire’s only Princess and a direct royal? Your fiancé, Young Duke Raymon, is contributing to the Empire by slaying those very demon beasts. If you whine over something like this, Young Duke Raymon will be disappointed, won’t he?”
“Yes….”
It would be ridiculous for a child who has never left the palace to suddenly agree to go to a dangerous place she’s only heard of. When I backed away with a deliberately frightened look, Imperial Consort Cleo threatened me with a stern tone.
Everything leads back to Young Duke Raymon with her. Is he some kind of panacea? Well, it’s true that the name alone used to shut Titania up.
The real problem is something else, though.
In fact, the Dedication Festival is a rite performed every year to reinforce the barriers sealing the ‘darkness’ and to soothe that darkness.
That’s why the Imperial Family was also one of the five hero families; as the possessors of the Power of Light that controlled everything, they used to bring the descendants of the other hero families and exercise their power personally.
They call them heroes, but there’s a theory that there were actually six hero families including the Imperial Family, counting a forgotten hero of darkness whose power was similar to that of demon beasts.
However, the Imperial Family, having begun to lose the Power of Light, intentionally buried the truth and turned the event into a mere formality.
Furthermore, the other hero families, who were once adored by everyone, gradually declined until even their names were forgotten.
The House of Castline, the only one that successfully preserved its power, worked hard to protect the descendants of those falling hero families and preserve the bloodlines through marriage. This was because divine power was passed down through blood.
Thanks to that, the House of Castline gained the potential to awaken almost all ‘divine powers’ except for the Power of Light. Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone can use them. It just means the possibility exists.
So, who slays the demon beasts that keep surging out because of the weakening barriers every year?
The House of Castline does.
And who cleans up the mess of the rites that are faltering because the others aren’t fulfilling their proof of ‘power’ that five people were originally supposed to perform together?
The House of Castline does.
Seriously, they’re like the leader of a group project where all the other team members went AWOL.
They can’t even run away. If the barrier collapses, demon beasts will pour out and the Empire will become hell.
In particular, the winter rites are held right within the territory of the House of Castline. It’s only natural, since the core of all seals is the ‘Northern Barrier.’ The Dedication Festival held at the southern tip in the summer is just a temporary fix, like a drop in the bucket.
“…….”
…So, if things keep going like this, summer aside, I’ll have to visit the Castline territory in the winter whether I like it or not.
Isn’t this a suicide mission in a different sense? As a member of the Imperial Family, I can’t exactly stay at just any noble’s house.
Doesn’t that mean I’ll have no choice but to enter the main castle of the House of Castline?
Taking advantage of my dazed state, Imperial Consort Cleo spoke quickly as if to push the matter through.
“I shall trust only in the Princess, then. I will send a priest, so heal your body, dress yourself elegantly, and wait. That is a woman’s virtue.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
Woman’s virtue, my foot! You’re just saying that to treat Titania like a doll!
Ugh, my eyes naturally blurred at the bleak future ahead. I looked at the departing Imperial Consort and recited to myself.
Though I’m lonely, though I’m sad, I will not cry… I’ll endure, endure, and endure again, why would I cry…
Let’s run through the green fields with a smile… Let’s sing while looking at the blue sky, my name is…
My name is Can— no, Titania… Damn it.
“I want to go home.”
Are you listening, Teacher? Or whatever mysterious power or god put me in this body.
If you’re listening, please send me back to my home from my past life. My fox-like mom’s soybean paste stew and my deer-like dad are waiting for me…….
