《Princess Bibliophile》


 Chapter 1 - Volume 01; Act 01 – Part 01

    Volume 01; Act 01 ¨C Part 01


    Act 01: Fake Fianc¨¦e


    When I heard the sounds of familiar laughter, I nearly missed my step on the ladder.


    I looked down in surprise and saw two figures outside in the royal palace¡¯s inner garden through the window that had been opened for ventilation. I know one of them well.


    He is His Highness Christopher, the first heir to the throne of the Southlynd Kingdom.


    He is 21. The wise and great Crown Prince who is entrusted with the future of this kingdom.


    His Highness makes the most of his outstanding features and attracts young girls to ladies of marriageable age. Cunning nobles with clear judgement and foresight also follow him. He is also famous for carrying himself with the majesty of a king even though he is young.


    I can¡¯t believe that the Crown Prince, who carries himself as the Crown Prince and doesn¡¯t let his guard down, would laugh lightly like this.


    He¡¯s defenceless ¨D¨D¨D.


    I¡¯m stunned by this sight because I have stayed by his side and served him for four years, so I know his personality well.


    Even His Highness is the son of man. Sometimes he would laugh, and he also joked and looked his age. But that is only when he is with his inner circle.


    The royal palace is a place where people scheme against others, and although this was the inner garden, he was acting defenceless in a place where others could see him, and seeing this made my heart pierce with a sharp pain.


    I sighed quietly.


    The time has come.


    ???????


    My name is Elianna Bernstein.


    The daughter of a noble house which was granted the title of Marquis, but I have a title that the other ladies don¡¯t.


    That title is ¡®fianc¨¦e of His Highness Christopher, first heir to the throne of Southlynd Kingdom¡¯.


    Four years ago at the age of 14, I stepped out of our remote fief and came to the glamorous royal capital for my high society debut. For some reason, Prince Christopher proposed that I stay by his side as his fianc¨¦e while I was overwhelmed by the dazzling ladies.


    The Bernstein House is a Marquis House, but they were the lowest and even more inferior than Earls who hold power. Why was a daughter from such a House chosen as the fianc¨¦e of the Crown Prince¨D¨D¨D?


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the type of romance that would make women around the world happy. It also wasn¡¯t because he wanted me by his side because I was gorgeous ¨D¨D¨D nor did he fall in love with his dream girl.


    I have light wavy blonde hair, and faint grey eyes. Even if my family and relatives tell me that my appearance is cute, my appearance isn¡¯t generally liked by people because they give me shameful nicknames.


    Prince Christopher has dazzling blonde hair, eyes like the clear blue sky and handsome features. He is the exact opposite of me, and the room lights up just from him being there.


    The reason why such a girl had been chosen as the fianc¨¦e for the Crown Prince who marriageable ladies long for¡­ is simply because I was convenient.


    My family doesn¡¯t belong to any factions in the palace, so there are no nasty power struggles within my family. And neither my father nor brother are interested in political power (¨D¨D¨D in a sense, they might fail as nobles in court).


    And, because I didn¡¯t have a special someone who reciprocated my love, my house was singled out as a way to alter the recent faction power struggles in court.


    When we had first met, Prince Christopher said with his dazzling appearance, ¡°¡­ Miss Elianna, all you have to do is stay by my side and read books.¡±


    For generations, my family has been famous for our love of books. The regional library at our fief, which was built by my ancestors, is opened to the public. Our library contains books of various topics and treasured rare books collected by the generations of Marquises, and is said to rival the royal palace library.


    People of the Bernstein family are said to be eccentric people who prefer books over three meals a day, and I am no exception. I grew up being buried in books even before I could read or write.


    The nickname which was given to me, who loves unknown books more than the dresses and jewellery that women like, is¡­ not bookworm, but ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡». Usually, it is a nickname that would make people grieve in shame.


    But, even though I am ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡», I knew that Prince Christopher¡¯s proposal was bizarre.


    For a moment, I had an absurd thought, had I been chosen to read to him?


    While my head was down, His Highness mentioned the faction problems, the power dispute and the advantages of the Bernstein House. He spoke of his request as if he was making a deal.


    ¨D¨D¨D Tell the truth.


    My mother, the Queen, and the others around me would be annoying if I don¡¯t quickly find a fianc¨¦e.


    ¡°How about it, Miss Elianna? As long as you¡¯re around the age to make your social debut, you cannot escape from your duties as a noble. Don¡¯t you want to spend your life reading books by my side instead of a future where you have to marry into some house, manage their household and attend social events between ladies?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Hah.¡±


    It was easier to imagine the hardships I would face as the fianc¨¦e of the Crown Prince than those I would face as some noble¡¯s wife.


    By the way ¨D¨D¨D.


    My reactions towards our handsome Crown Prince might have been disrespectful. People of the Bernstein family were equally uninterested in things other than what we love (books), so this is how I usually interact with people.


    Prince Christopher had a smile on his face.


    ¡°If you become my fianc¨¦e, you can refuse invitations to tea parties and balls that are intended for people who are looking for partners. That way, you¡¯ll have more time to read¡­ Well, you will only have to accompany me to official events and events sponsored by the royal family.¡±


    In any case, a weak and puny noble can¡¯t refuse an offer made by a member of the royal family. Even I, who is ignorant of the world, knew that the Prince¡¯s offer was extraordinary.


    In other words, His Highness had offered me a deal without any romantic feelings involved.


    ¡­ It is full of hardships. I was depressed by the impending troubles that were headed my way, and about how my reading time will probably be snatched away. His Highness smiled and whispered like the devil, ¡°And if you have the title as my fianc¨¦e, you can freely read and borrow books¡­ from the royal palace archive.¡±


    ¨D¨D¨D The blood of the Bernstein House was made of ink.


    Yes, if his whisper is real then I, as a daughter of this house, cannot help but jump at the offer.


    The royal palace archive, as the name suggests, is a sacred place for book lovers. Unlike the royal library, which was opened to the public, is it the royal family¡¯s cherished book collection and only a limited number of people in the royal palace have access to it.


    My father and brother actually want to be surrounded by books day and night while acting as the head librarians in our fief, but they reluctantly come to work at the royal palace because of this archive.


    The rare, treasured books in the royal family¡¯s possession made me jealous of my father and brother whenever they talk about them.


    I can see them first hand, touch them and experience unknown worlds. Is there anything more blissful than this for book lovers?


    I smiled with joy, and my eyes were twinkling, and Prince Christopher responded with a dazzling smile.


    ¡°Then, the engagement has been established. I am free from the hassle of finding a fianc¨¦e, and you are free from the shackles of a noble lady. As¡­ as compensation for you agreeing to be my fianc¨¦e, I will protect your free time. I promise.¡±


    At that time, my heart throbbed just like when I touch books I¡¯ve never seen before.


    As Prince Christopher had stated, after announcing me as his fianc¨¦e, he let me read freely without abusing his position.


    At first, I had been sceptical about whether this would be possible. Since in the beginning, the Queen and her followers would continuously invite me to tea parties, the ladies in waiting would barrage me with questions, and high-ranking nobles expected a lot from me. However, His Highness and close aides tactfully settled everything for me.


    For four years since then, I rarely appeared in front of others and spent my life well as a Crown Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e, only in name.


    And then finally, I think I have also come to understand Prince Christopher¡¯s true intentions. They even collide with the recent whispers recently.


    ¨D¨D¨D The rumours seem to be accurate and the reason why His Highness won¡¯t hold his wedding ceremony with ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡», even though she¡¯s an adult now, is because she¡¯s only his fianc¨¦e in name. Now that the power struggles have settled down, His Highness can finally receive the Princess who he actually loves. ¨D¨D¨D

 Chapter 2 - Volume 01; Act 01 – Part 02

    Volume 01; Act 01 ¨C Part 02


    Don¡¯t blindly believe in rumours. But, I also knew that I had the facts to corroborate this.


    In Southlynd Kingdom, men and women are considered adults at the age of 18. But even if the woman is a minor, it is possible for partners to get married when the man reaches adulthood as long as they don¡¯t act indecently. However, His Highness has postponed our marriage by telling people that I am still young.


    And, he doesn¡¯t bring up the topic of marriage even when I reached the age of 18. That might have increased the credibility of the rumours.


    But it can¡¯t be helped.


    The exchange between His Highness and I are based on the merits we can gain from each other. It is impossible for him to welcome a lady as a princess consort when she hasn¡¯t even received the proper education.


    We harboured no feelings of love between us, and are just cooperating together to ward of marriage requests from other men and women.


    And now¡­


    As if I was reading a book, I knew that a day would come when His Highness would break off the engagement, and I realise that that day has come.


    The other person with His Highness is from a Viscount House and she had just recently entered the inner palace to learn good manners through apprenticeship.


    There are many reasons for why a noble lady would go to the inner palace for apprenticeship: getting ready for married life, add value to themselves before getting engaged, or for job hunting.


    Even noble ladies need to work depending on the situation at their house.


    Amongst those reasons, I hear that ladies admire the position of lady in waiting or maid. The prestige of serving a high-ranking noble, the opportunity to meet a promising gentlemen who works at the royal palace, or perhaps, having a member of the royal family fall in love with you at first sight like in a romance novel. The chances of these things happening was by no means zero.


    I think the name of the Viscount Lady is Irene Pascal.


    Recently, I have encountered this lady many times.


    The first time I saw her was at the royal palace archives. It started when I overheard a conversation about her from the archive staff.


    ¨D¨D¨D Recently, there¡¯s an adorable lady learning good manners through apprenticeship, they whispered.


    She has chestnut hair that looks soft to touch and light brown eyes that charm anyone who looks at them. She is an attractive, pretty and sociable woman with a voice that people don¡¯t get tired of listening to.


    I got the impression that she is the exact opposite of me, and I remembered the face of the lady who often appeared in the archives on errands for the inner palace.


    That happened when I noticed that the ladder had been chipped and went to look for someone to tell. I peeked into the break room when I heard the voice that resounded from within.


    Thereupon I smelt the scent of tea leaves that floated around the room, and saw Miss Irene panicking as she picked up the tea utensils which had fallen all over the place.


    ¡°Please excuse me for¡­ my carelessness, Sir Theodore.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing serious.¡± The person who replied is the manager of the royal palace archives, His Royal Highness Theodore.


    He is the younger brother of the current King, but since they are years apart in age, it is more fitting to call him Prince Christopher¡¯s brother.


    He is still single even though he is a member of the royal family. He has dark golden-brown hair and ultramarine eyes, and is impressively popular with his middle-age charm.


    ¡°That aside, you¡¯re not hurt, are you Miss Irene?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ But, what should I do? I¡¯ve stained someone¡¯s book. This is a popular book amongst women downtown. Is there someone in the royal palace that likes this kind of book?¡± Her voice is full of doubt.


    The book she was referring to was smeared with tea leaves. It is one of the most popular books in town, and reading about the daily life of a housewife from a fisherman town is interesting and sometimes moved me to tears.


    I felt uncomfortable and came out from the doorway.


    ¡°Mm¡­ that is my book.¡±


    Bernsteins don¡¯t distinguish quality in things that have been printed. However, this is not the normal consensus amongst nobles, and I feel ashamed because people wouldn¡¯t expect the fianc¨¦e of the Crown Prince to like a book like this.


    ¡°Oh my.¡± Miss Irene covered her mouth cutely, then quickly began to apologise, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Elianna¡­! I ruined your belongings due to my carelessness¡­!¡±


    Does she think that I¡¯m angry because she ruined my belongings?


    Before I could refuse, Prince Theodore¡¯s sigh echoed around the room, ¡°Everyone knows that they shouldn¡¯t leave their belongings here. So the fault lies with Miss Elianna. You don¡¯t have to apologise that much, Miss Irene.¡±


    However, to calm the distressed Miss Irene, Prince Theodore informed me, ¡°I¡¯ll keep this. We will tidy up this mess, so you may go now. Miss Elianna, be more careful next time.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say anything back to Prince Theodore who sounded cold, and barely managed to tell him about the ladder before leaving.


    I often see Miss Irene and Prince Theodore getting along with each other after that.


    About half a month ago, I saw her chatting happily with Sir Glenn Eisenach, a red-haired knight who serves as His Highness¡¯s guard, and also affiliated with the Imperial Knights.


    Sir Glenn is a cheerful person, and is popular with both men and women so this isn¡¯t a rare sight.


    But then the next time, I was surprised when I saw her with Lord Alexei Strasser, a Duke who is a close aide to His Highness and also considered as his right-hand man. He is also known as the Ice Lord.


    Like his nickname, he has black hair and ice-blue eyes, and looked intelligent. He treats everyone equally with his cold attitude, no matter if they are a high ranking noble or a cute lady. Therefore, seeing someone talk to him in an outgoing way is also rare for me.


    Also, according to the conversations I heard in secret, Lord Alexei is quite close with Alan Ferrera, the young, handsome, and popular Royal Maestro with honey-coloured hair.


    At that time, I thought nothing of it.


    It seemed he is seen in quite an unfavourable light by other males, but I suppose that jealousy and envy are at play there since all his acquaintances are famous people.


    However, the interactions between His Highness and Miss Irene could be seen as intimate from other¡¯s point of view, and Miss Irene¡¯s feelings towards His Highness are conveyed through her earnest stares.


    I see, I finally understand.


    If you want to shoot the general, first shoot his horse¡­ this might be rude, but I¡¯ve seen evidence of this.


    In spite of being a noble lady, I like books and tend to seclude myself to read them, so these interactions are a great way to build her connections and is worthy of praise. That is the skill I am supposed to demonstrate as the fianc¨¦e of the Crown Prince.


    Is Miss Irene trying to gain a foothold to get close to His Highness? Or are the people around His Highness being considerate towards her because she has caught His Highness¡¯s attention?


    Even I don¡¯t know which it is but this is clear.


    The relationship between Miss Irene and His Highness didn¡¯t just start yesterday.


    Because His Highness Christopher was having fun and laughing like that.


    ¡°¡­ Miss Elianna?¡± I came to my senses when I heard the voice that had suddenly called out to me. When did I get off the ladder? The laughter from outside had already disappeared before I realised.


    I noticed that I had spaced out for a brief amount of time.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The person who had asked me what¡¯s wrong in a deep bass voice is the manager of the royal palace archives, Prince Theodore.


    I thought he was someone who I wouldn¡¯t exchange much conversation with, but we got closer when I started coming to the royal palace archives.


    Prince Theodore looked at the book in my hand and ladder and frowned faster than I could shake my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you to call someone to get the higher books for you the other day.¡±


    A noble climbing a ladder is definitely not commended by others. I apologised quietly.


    Prince Theodore sighed. He even wasted a sigh on me even though he has been busy lately.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that you would be coming to the palace today. Where are your guards? This may be the royal palace, but don¡¯t walk around here without an attendant.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    It was like a teacher scolding a naughty student.


    Up until now, Prince Theodore was one of the people who tolerated my unbefitting behaviour as a noble lady, but does this mean that things won¡¯t be the same as they were in the past?


    ¡°Does Chris know you¡¯re in the palace?¡±


    ¡°¡­ He doesn¡¯t.¡±


    I haven¡¯t been to the royal palace in the past five days.


    My aunt had hurt her lower back, so she requested me to starve off her boredom¡­ in the name of nursing. Because of that, I was kept away from the books I wanted to read, and I endured the hardships of being forced to recite the romance novels and love poems my aunt proposed.


    Today, I sneaked out of that torment and went to the royal palace archives to read the books I wanted to read, then I witnessed that scene.


    Prince Theodore sighed again. He coldly chased me away from the archives by saying, ¡°You should go home.¡±


    As expected, my chest hurts. Prince Theodore was the only person, other than my relatives, with whom I could discuss books with. I thought that I could ask him about the book I had if I met him today.


    I tottered through the corridor. Actually, the times when I have been chased out of the archives like this have increased in the past month.


    I had free access to the archives ever since I became His Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but the archive workers, who I have gotten to know, have become distant and seem like they¡¯re trying to keep me away from the books. The chances for me to handle old books increased, but when I offered to help them with gloves on, they firmly refuse.


    It was like they thought I would do something to the books, and it made me feel dejected.


    But I finally understand after having witnessed the previous scene. Everyone must have seen that His Highness had found his special person, so they were distancing themselves from me little by little.


    Looking back, the event that happened in the rose garden 10 days ago was also the same.


    On that day, the regular tea party was scheduled to be held in the rose garden. But, I was detained by the Head of the Medical Department and was late. I quickly rushed to the rose garden with my male attendant.


    The rose garden seemed to be noisy. It was Miss Irene and a few ladies-in-waiting.


    ¡°Geez, Miss Elianna!¡± I winced a little at Miss Irene¡¯s accusing voice and strong gaze.


    ¡°Where have you been? Everyone has been waiting for you.¡±


    It was my fault that I was late, even though I had a reason.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had something to do¡­ What happened?¡±


    Miss Irene¡¯s clothes and hair are wet. But the weather looked fine when I was in the corridor.


    Miss Irene was startled and looked down to hide her intense gaze, then her body started shaking as if she had just remembered that she was wet and cold.


    ¡°Someone like me has done something rude. And for you to see me in this state¡­ Please forgive me.¡±


    Huh? I tilted my head. She was just telling the truth and there was no need for her to humble herself to that extent.


    More importantly, if she doesn¡¯t change her wet clothes then she¡¯ll catch a cold. When I opened my mouth to speak, a sharp voice called out to me, ¡°Miss Elianna!¡±


    When I turned around, I saw the red-haired knight, Sir Glenn, running towards us with an unusually dangerous look on his face. Sir Glenn was more drenched than Miss Irene and the other women.


    What had happened? He sternly inspected my appearance from head to toe, then also observed the male attendant near me and finally sighed in relief.


    ¡°Even so¡­¡± he muttered unpleasantly. I shrunk back at being blamed indirectly.


    Did Sir Glenn also feel disappointed in me because I was late and made everyone wait for me?


    He must have thought, ¡°She¡¯s not worthy to be the fianc¨¦e of my master, Prince Christopher.¡±


    ¡°Sir Glenn,¡± it was Miss Irene who called out to him. She spoke in a voice softer than the one she had used on me and tried to mediate between us, ¡°You have to change your clothes. You can still catch a cold no matter how strong you are, Sir Glenn.¡±


    Sir Glenn sighed a little at her gentle, consoling voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Miss Irene. You¡¯re also covered in water. I want to ask you about this, so I will take you home.¡±


    He called a nearby guard over in a stilted voice and told him to escort me home with an unusually strong gaze.


    ¡°The tea party is cancelled. There is a little uproar in the palace right now, and even His Highness is busy. So please go home for today.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    If I don¡¯t ask about the situation and apologise to the audience for my delay, then it would also affect Prince Christopher¡¯s reputation.


    I¡¯d thought, but I was overwhelmed by Sir Glenn¡¯s unusual unrested appearance, and couldn¡¯t say anything else.


    Sir Glenn left while talking to Miss Irene, and I learnt from the guard who had taken me home that the pipes in the rose garden had been damaged.


    When I got home, I noticed that Sir Glenn had always taken me home whenever I left the royal palace.


    And I realised later that that wouldn¡¯t be the last time it happened.


    Looking back now, they were all plausible events.


    Like whenever Prince Theodore calls me in a formal way and coldly took his distance from me. Or like when Sir Glenn stopped smiling at me in a carefree way and made a clear distinction between where his attention should be.


    It has been four years since I¡¯ve become Prince Christopher¡¯s fianc¨¦e. I was able to interact with His Highness¡¯s close aides.


    Sir Glenn, the red-haired knight, is friendly and doesn¡¯t act like someone from court, and he was always willing to help me carry books. The Ice Lord, Lord Alexei, makes use of whoever is handy, and he uses me as a maid to sort out paperwork and run errands for him whenever I¡¯m not reading.


    And the hour that I spend chatting with His Highness and his four close aides, or sometimes five, was the first time I felt that I¡¯d enjoyed something other than reading.


    My place will probably be replaced with Miss Irene in the near future.


    No, my place may already be gone.


    Because that Prince Christopher had already showed his true self to people other than his relatives and close aides.


    ¡°¡­ Oh dear.¡±


    I stopped in the middle of the corridor and pressed my hand to my chest. It felt like a gaping hole had opened up in my heart.


    Then finally, I realised that I was shocked even though I¡¯m slow-witted.


    The image of His Highness laughing was etched in my mind and wouldn¡¯t go away. Same as the image of him acting intimately with Miss Irene under the shade of the tree.


    I vaguely knew that this day would come. But when that time had actually arrived, I was assaulted with more shock than I could have imagined.


    In the last four years, I seem to have grown very attached to my relationship with them.


    ¨D¨D¨D I am just his fianc¨¦e in name, and one day when he finds the person he loves, I will be relieved of my role.


    I became his fianc¨¦e for that reason. ¨D¨D¨D


    That was what I was supposed to be.


    This is strange. I, the ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡», feel like crying because my chest hurts so much. The sense of loss I felt since losing my mother at the age of six, fills my heart.


    I gently stroke the book that would always comfort me in times like this.


    This book was something that was given to me by Prince Christopher about six days ago. It was on a bright afternoon.


    His Highness, his close aides and his guards were tense after the rose garden incident, and I was also feeling uncomfortable.


    I was reading like usual and His Highness spoke to me softly, ¡°¡­ I have a present for you.¡±


    I slightly tilted my head. His Highness has never given me a gift.


    I was always anxious when he gave me appropriate dresses and accessories befitting of a Crown Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e to keep his reputation whenever I go to balls or diplomacy events.


    ¨D¨D¨D How many books can I buy with this accessory? I always think.


    I didn¡¯t say it into words, but His Highness probably also didn¡¯t think that he needed to give national treasures to his fake fianc¨¦e. Presently, the beautiful accessories were hidden in the shadows.


    Therefore, it was odd for His Highness to declare that he had a present for me, and it freshly resonated in my heart.


    Prince Christopher was smiling like usual and he gave me a book that wasn¡¯t even wrapped up.


    ¡°¡ºRuin of Kai Erg Empire: Celestial Edition¡»¡­ Weren¡¯t you asking for a book on empire history that wasn¡¯t written by a historian? I had a hard time finding it because it rarely appears in the market¡­ But I finally found it and wanted to give it to you as quickly as possible¡­ But I thought you would be happy about it,¡± his smiling face as he said that was gentle, and he looked at me seriously as if he was waiting for my reaction.


    I couldn¡¯t put it into words straight away and trembled with emotion.


    The book I had gotten was extremely difficult to obtain, even with the Bernstein¡¯s connections, I had almost given up. Then, the book suddenly appeared in front of me and I was surprised and excited.


    ¨D¨D¨D Most of all¡­


    I was delighted that His Highness spared time and money and sought this book for me with great difficulty.


    When I received it, I gently stroked the cover that was written in a foreign language and my heart was once again moved by how it felt.


    ¡°¡­ Thank you very much, Prince Christopher.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to express my joy beyond this. I just stared at him with my emotions evident in my eyes.


    His Highness also rubbed his chest as if he was relieved and smiled happily.


    I was reminded of the happiness I felt at that time and calmed my sense of loss.


    Even if His Highness has found someone who he could show his true self to, and even if he annuls our engagement, I believe that Prince Christopher wouldn¡¯t treat me harshly.


    Instead of waiting for my engagement to be annulled, I summoned up my courage to hear those words from his own mouth.


    ???????


    His Highness¡¯s office is also the room where I spend most of my time next to the royal palace archives.


    At first, I had refused since I was only his fianc¨¦e in name and it would cause a lot of problems.


    But he said ¡ºThis is the place where you could read freely without anyone disturbing you¡». So I tried spending time in his office and realised that his office wasn¡¯t bothered by noise at all. That was also the first time I felt that His Highness was keeping his word.


    When I asked a chamberlain, who I was familiar with, to pass him a message, he looked extremely flustered. Is His Highness receiving an important guest?


    I also noticed when the door of the next room which was used for meetings was opened and the waitress showed up. A bright, cheerful and adorable voice came from beyond the door, ¡°¨D¨D¨D I never knew that Prince Christopher was so interested in crafts.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a smooth talker, Miss Irene.¡±


    Oh! I couldn¡¯t tell straight away which cheerful voice had pierced my heart.


    Then, I heard Prince Christopher¡¯s voice as if it was delivering the final blow, ¡°Even if I gift you some crafts, they would probably be inferior to the ones the craftsman at your house make.¡±


    ¡°Is Your Highness going to give me a gift?¡± The voice which was brimming with joy echoed in my head like a decisive hit.


    I see. I calmly understood somewhere deep in my heart. I took the present that I had received from His Highness as something special, but it didn¡¯t mean anything particular to him.


    Suddenly, the rare book that I was hugging close to my chest wasn¡¯t so rare anymore and it became worthless.


    I feel like I¡¯m going to collapse. I calmly hold my breath that seems like it¡¯s going to shake, got the upper hand on the waitress who was panicking, and barged into the room.


    Prince Christopher stood up and trembled as if he was startled.


    ¡°Elli¡­?¡±


    I was called by a nickname that only a portion of my relatives call me, however I first curtsy for entering the room without permission.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind¡­ But aren¡¯t you supposed to be at your aunt¡¯s today?¡±


    Suddenly, I felt that my eyes had gone cold, which is unlike me. His Highness¡¯s words were as if to say he had chosen when I wouldn¡¯t be in the royal palace to deepen his relationship with another lady; it was as if he had such nasty thoughts.


    At the same time, I felt my facial expressions which usually didn¡¯t move, make a smile.


    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t thank you enough for your concern over my aunt¡¯s condition. I actually came here on a small errand today and I apologise for interrupting your conversation.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what is your errand?¡±


    It was rare for me to see His Highness waver.


    There are some familiar faces in the room. For some reason, Sir Glenn was covering his face with one hand, and Lord Alexei had a hand on his temple as if he was having a headache.


    Miss Irene, the only woman in the room, looked surprised, but she still had the same frightened look on since I entered the room.


    But, I didn¡¯t pay attention to those three. The person I was staring at was Prince Christopher and only him.


    With a smile, I imitated the smile His Highness always had, and made the biggest smile I could ever make.


    ¡°This book that I received from Your Highness the other day¡­ I¡¯m giving it back to you.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    It was unusual for His Highness to freeze, and it looked a little funny.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡±


    I stared at him one last time before putting the book on the desk. Then I curtsied and left the room.


    There was no voice chasing after me.


    When I got home, I was quite absent-minded. My father and brother came home and visited me, but I didn¡¯t feel well so I refused dinner and locked myself in my room.


    I, Princess Bibliophile, didn¡¯t feel like reading.


    ¡°Get it together¡± and ¡°I should acknowledge it¡± went around and around in my head. I sighed alone in the dark room.


    Why am I so surprised and shocked that Prince Christopher can show his true self to another woman? Why was I devastated that his present to me wasn¡¯t special and almost collapsed?


    Why does my chest feel so tight and painful¡­ and why does it hurt every time I breathe?


    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±


    It¡¯s because I love His Highness.


    I don¡¯t know when it started. I love his blonde hair that shines in the sun, his crystal azure eyes which are like the clear blue sky, his dignified voice when he issues orders, his proud royal attitude, the times when he would show his stern determination and even his commanding gaze.


    My heart grew painful just by remembering them. I realised for the first time that I was such a foolish person.


    I pretended to understand and put on a face that made me look clever, but I didn¡¯t even know the truth inside of my heart. A big-headed ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡».


    No matter how much I read or how much I learn from my predecessors, that knowledge won¡¯t help me now. I realised too late.


    Even my own heart doesn¡¯t feel what I want.


    I snorted at my own pitiful self.


    I don¡¯t even know what I should do from now on. The books don¡¯t provide me with an answer at all.


    All I know is that, the person next to His Highness¡­ who would read to him under the sunlight that filters through the tree leaves, or enjoy tea with him on rainy days¡­ isn¡¯t me.


    I didn¡¯t feel like doing anything, and stared blankly as the night went on.

 Chapter 3 - Volume 01; Act 02 – Part 01

    Volume 01; Act 02 ¨C Part 01


    Act 02: One Woman Show


    Nothing happened for about three days. I received a letter and told father and brother about my plans for the day over breakfast.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D From Prince Theodore?¡± I nodded at my brother¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I borrowed a dictionary from the palace archive, so I¡¯m going to go return it.¡±


    Unable to finish reading my book at home, I went to the palace archive to borrow a dictionary four days ago.


    I returned the book, but I accidentally took the dictionary home with me. I looked through my memories to see if I had borrowed any other books.


    I also had a private room that I had borrowed ever since I became Prince Christopher¡¯s fianc¨¦e. It will be hard, but I need to clear the room ahead of time.


    Brother looked as if he was thinking about something, and father spoke to me, ¡°Oh¡­ Elli. I have something I would like to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Father is always relaxed and easy-going. It is rare for him to discuss something with me.


    Father is in his mid-forties, and his light brown hair is mixed with some grey hair.


    Father used to work (it was close to him doing nothing) as an official in the royal archives under Prince Theodore, but after I was chosen as Prince Christopher¡¯s fianc¨¦e, that position wasn¡¯t suitable for him, and he was selected for a ministerial post in the finance office for political reasons.


    Incidentally, my older brother is the same and seems busy every day acting as the prime minister¡¯s assistant.


    Once again, I am sorry I had even sprung these duties onto my family.


    ¡°I received a letter from your grandfather a little while ago. We haven¡¯t seen him for a while now. What do you think? Both Fred and I will take days off, so how about we all go there together?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Father,¡± my older brother, Alfred, replied. He looked sternly at father as if to rebuke him.


    I tilted my head while examining father¡¯s proposal, and thought that it didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea.


    Grandfather, who gave his title to father, lives a secluded life at the fief. I certainly received a letter from grandfather around the time I became an adult at 18. He had suggested that I return home.


    It was just a matter of time before my engagement with His Highness is annulled, and the capital will probably become a place that would make me feel uncomfortable for a while. More importantly, it would be painful for me to see His Highness¡¯s new fianc¨¦e around.


    ¨D¨D¨D Even if I was told to run away, I was looking for a place to go with these bottled up feelings.


    ¡°But father and brother, will you be able to take some days off?¡± I interrupted the two who were arguing for some reason.


    I have never been able to go home with father or brother ever since I became Prince Christopher¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Before, when I had peeked into their work stations, a mountain of documents had already been placed artistically onto the desk and they looked as if they could slide down at any moment.


    It is easy to imagine that the work they had to do when they worked at the palace archive was nothing compared to the work they did now.


    I really take my hat off to them for not complaining or grumbling even though they were working outside of their fields.


    Father answered nonchalantly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯ve already applied for it. It¡¯s important to take holidays. A person¡¯s time (time to read books) is limited.¡±


    ¡­ I wonder why. I feel like there¡¯s another reason behind this.


    I can clearly see inside my smiling father¡¯s head; he is having a pleasant time being surrounded by his favourite books.


    Brother Alfred sighed as if he wasn¡¯t going to take action.


    ???????


    I went to the royal palace with father and brother and was flustered outside the government building, which I have never entered before.


    I usually go to the palace from the passage which only the royal family use with the permission of His Highness, and the people who I meet on that path are limited as well. Therefore, only a few people probably knew what I look like.


    As soon as father and brother got off the carriage, they were dragged off to the oval office by people who were waiting for them and yelling, ¡°Over there!¡±


    The government building seems to be a hectic place. Will their holiday really be approved while the situation is like this?


    ¡°Prince Christopher did?¡± My heart jumped because I wasn¡¯t prepared to hear the name suddenly spoken.


    From the open door, I heard the sounds of people moving around busily, the sound of documents and the conversations people were having as they moved around.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°But, you know. I heard that His Highness sent a messenger to the Parcas House. Miss Irene is a member of the Parcas House.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? So, will His Highness really annul his engagement with Bernstein¡¯s Fairy Princess and get engaged to Miss Irene?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Senior, isn¡¯t that a lie? I heard that the Parcas House is just profusely making it known to others.¡±


    ¡°But I actually saw it. His Highness and Miss Irene had a secret date.¡±


    ¡°Ah. The maids are talking about that as well. This just means that His Highness is also a man.¡±


    ¡°Also, there have been weird rumours going around amongst the maids. I heard that the Fairy Princess is jealous of Miss Irene and harasses her a lot.¡±


    ¡°No way. That¡¯s just a rumour.¡±


    ¡°Right~.¡± The conversation continued, and I quietly walked away.


    They had mentioned some unclear things, but everyone in the royal palace is showing great interest in the relationship between His Highness and Miss Irene¡­ and also me.


    These rumours about Miss Irene have also reached the disinterested me despite there being only a limited number of people in the royal palace, so those in the know might already have known about His Highness¡¯s relationship for a long time now.


    It might have just been me who didn¡¯t know about it since I only read books without care.


    I pondered depressingly.


    I was only thinking about running away from this situation, but at this rate, even Prince Christopher¡¯s reputation which he went to great lengths to build up, will be dragged through the mud. This will be an unfavourable situation for the future of Southlynd.


    To overcome this situation, I would have to publicly announce my engagement annulment with His Highness as soon as possible, but a Marquis House cannot be the one to break off the engagement, unless in extreme circumstances.


    I pondered and concluded that I should consult someone about this, then the door in front of me opened in a hurry.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D did you find the evidence?¡±


    ¡°The warehouse was already surrounded by the third patrol force. But we received a report stating that several boats headed towards Ulthar before dawn.¡±


    The young man¡¯s cunning eyes which looked strict, but still courteous, became frosty.


    ¡°Is the capital¡¯s patrol force full of stupid people? You¡¯ve been watching over the warehouse at Neville River, but you didn¡¯t keep an eye out for boats?¡±


    ¡°N-no! We have gone ahead to the estuary and have already deployed soldiers there. Commander Glenn said that we will round them up!¡±


    ¡°It seems that your witless brains will start gaining some intelligence after going without sleep for three days.¡±


    The Ice Lord smiled like a servant of the devil. His glance stopped on the sacrifice (sheep) who had failed to escape.


    ¡°Oh, Miss Elianna. You look like you¡¯re free. Thanks to you, every place in the royal palace has been occupied. Could you bring these with you since you¡¯re going to the palace archives? On your way, please tell the royal household department to look over this personnel record for the last five years and also tell them to reorganise it by this afternoon. Tell them, ¡®such a foolish plan won¡¯t add anything to the fuel¡¯.¡±


    Lord Alexei looked ghastlier than usual. On a closer look, his ice-blue eyes are slightly bloodshot, and his white skin also looked pale from tiredness.


    Is it a serious case?


    Lord Alexei ordered me to do odd jobs for him as his eyes sparkled. His subordinates looked as if they felt sorry for me, but none of them were willing to sacrifice themselves in my place.


    I only came here to return a dictionary and clean up the private room. What an odd development¡­


    ¡­ No, is this normal?


    I was finally climbing up the familiar grand staircase in the centre of the royal palace with a great deal of effort.


    It was then.


    ¡°Kyyyaaaaaaaa¡­!¡± A loud scream came from behind me, and I heard something rolling down.


    I looked back in surprise and saw a woman tumbling down the stairs. Her soft, chestnut hair was spread out as if it was covering her body, and her arms and feet had been thrown into the air. The figure of her falling looked painful, and I worried about her safety.


    Before I rushed down the stairs, ¡°Irene¡­!¡± another roaring scream could be heard, and a man approached her.


    ¡°Irene! Irene, get a hold of yourself¡­!¡± Shouting in a heart-breaking voice was a slender young man with honey-brown hair and a sweet face. He could even be mistaken for a boy.


    ¡°Irene! How did this happen¡­?!¡±


    Well, you should call a doctor before you grieve.


    I looked around for someone to call, but people had already started to gather around because of his alarmingly loud voice. People rushed over to check how she was, and I heard people telling others to call for a doctor.


    Meanwhile, Miss Irene slowly regained consciousness. The honey-coloured hair man helped her up, and she clung to his arm while shaking.


    ¡°Miss Elianna¡­ Miss Elianna did¡­ this to me!¡±


    ¡­ Excuse me?


    Everyone¡¯s gazes from downstairs except for Miss Irene¡¯s looked at me with criticism.


    I was standing with my eyes wide open.

 Chapter 4 - Volume 01; Act 02 – Part 02

    Volume 01; Act 02 ¨C Part 02


    Is this how it feels to be caught red-handed?


    Or an evil villainess who relentlessly pushes a weak lady down the stairs? Should I laugh loudly while holding a fan in my hand? Or should I curse her and say ¡ºYou don¡¯t know your place! ¡».


    ¡­ Oh my, this isn¡¯t good.


    I, of all people, got involved in something that looked like a stage play, and my thoughts went off into the distance. My aunt made me repeatedly read romance novels to her just the other day, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from overlapping a scene from the novel with reality. Were they actually bad influences?


    ¡°Irene¡­ Did Miss Elianna really do this to you?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡­¡± Irene, who was shaking pitifully, spoke and a new protagonist appears. No, should I say hero in this case?


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D What is this fuss?¡± His Highness Christopher appeared. He seemed unusually irritated, but that didn¡¯t damage his handsomeness at all.


    It is concluded that the Heroine would be the one who calls his name.


    ¡°Prince Christ¡­!¡±


    Miss Irene looked joyful as tears ran down her face, and my heart grew cold and sunk.


    Even if this is a well-orchestrated farce, is the role that I¡¯ve been given to follow the plot accordingly? Is this also part of the deal that I had made with His Highness?


    His Highness calmly grasped the situation and got onto one knee by Miss Irene¡¯s side.


    Miss Irene looked like a tragic heroine as she clung to his sleeves with tears running down her face while he was checking to see if she was injured.


    He asked her about the situation in a dignified voice. She was frightened, but answered as if she was determined, ¡°I, I¡­ I just told Miss Elianna that the relationship between me and Prince Christ¡­ His Highness is a misunderstanding. B-but, Miss Elianna said that I¡­ that I was in the wrong. Then she suddenly pushed me down the stairs¡­!¡±


    The way she was covering her face and grieving reflected pitifully in other¡¯s eyes. Prince Christopher comforted Miss Irene gently.


    ¡°Irene. Why a misunderstanding? Did Elianna do anything else to you?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ Prince Christ. I couldn¡¯t say it all before¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything anymore. Will you testify so that all her crimes are clear?¡±


    Miss Irene¡¯s eyes full of tears coincided with Prince Christopher¡¯s.


    Even the trails of tears coming down her face looked like a painting.


    ¡­ I wonder why. I feel like I have chills on my back.


    I feel like I have seen this side of His Highness before.


    His glistening eyes before he catches his prey, and the smile of the devil that perfectly covered his carnivorous slaughter.


    Miss Irene eagerly accused me.


    According to her, every day had been tough for her ever since she started learning manners through apprenticeship at the inner palace. She was abused by lower-ranked nobles, treated like a servant, and her meals were skipped. On top of that, she was forced to sleep in the stable and narrowly escaped from being violated by a lower class soldier.


    And all of this was instructed by the future Queen of the royal palace, Miss Elianna.


    ¡°A-and¡­¡±


    Her harassment had become even worse after she got acquainted with Sir Glenn, Lord Alexei and Prince Christopher.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D The other day, Miss Elianna wanted a rose from the garden, so I went there to pick her one. It was on the day that the pipes were damaged and she laughed at me while I was soaking wet. When I went to the palace archives to borrow a book I¡¯d been asked to borrow, the ladder was tampered with, and Prince Theodore saved me when I almost fell down¡­ The candy I received from Miss Elianna the other day had a¡­ b-bug in it¡­!¡±


    Dear me! I, ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡», had done a lot of things. The first half aside, the second half sounded kind of familiar.


    In front of me who was pondering to myself, His Highness listened to the succession of harassments and stopped her compassionately, ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you, Irene.¡±


    He comforted her while gently suggesting, ¡°So you wanted to talk directly to Elianna about everything?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, but I can¡¯t believe that she would push me¡­!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re sure that Elli pushed you down?¡±


    ¡°She did! I¡¯m sure of i¡­¡±


    Finally, Miss Irene¡¯s eyes moved from His Highness and looked up at me with blame, and she was speechless from the contradiction.


    ¡­ I am sorry. It seems like I have ruined the grandest stage of your lifetime. I also apologise for not looking like a lady.


    To the audience, none of the ladies have this kind of strength.


    In my arms are five books with the length and thickness of an adult¡¯s thumb. I held two rolled-up maps on the tips of both my hands as if to stop the books from dropping, and a bundle of paper and documents are perfectly balanced on top of all the books.


    Only the top half of my face was peeping through the top because of my petite stature. The arms that I had trained from sorting the archives didn¡¯t shake one bit. However, I couldn¡¯t push someone down without the books falling everywhere.


    ¡­ Unfortunately, I don¡¯t remember even apprenticing for acrobats.


    His Highness Christopher let out a small and practised sigh.


    I was a bit surprised. It was the same lamented sigh that my aunt and family members do. It meant¡ºPlease don¡¯t show your strength that clashes with your appearance¡».


    However, I don¡¯t need weak arms for books. Because sometimes, book lovers needed to face the threat of climbing ladders while carrying books in their hands.


    His Highness stood up and didn¡¯t even look back at Miss Irene as she clung onto him, ¡°Hmm? Erm, Prince Christ¡­¡± as he walked away from her. He climbed up the stairs while silently being pressured by those around us and took the two rolled-up maps and half the books from my hands.


    I had no time to refuse. ¡°Isn¡¯t carrying books under one¡¯s arms uniquely apply to men?¡± He muttered and complained for some reason.


    ¡°Alex, that guy¡­ Jeez. I always tell him that¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Prince Chris¡­! Please believe me. Miss Elianna really pushed me down. And she also harassed me a lot up until now¡­! Please make a fair and just judgement, Your Highness!¡± Miss Irene was intoxicated with playing the role of the Heroine. However, she seemed to have noticed the clear mood around her and appealed while crying.


    His Highness quietly listened to her appeal, ¡°I see. Then first, did anyone actually witness the scene?¡±


    ¡°Alan did¡­!¡±


    Miss Irene looked at the honey-coloured hair young man for a chance of recovery, and he smiled innocently, ¡°Yes. I saw Miss Irene Parcas tumble down the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Did Miss Elianna push her down?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Well, no one could have seen it. She¡¯s carrying so many books. Even I don¡¯t have the acrobatic skills to push someone while playing a musical instrument.¡±


    Miss Irene turned red, and she glared at him. ¡°Alan, you¡­!¡±


    The young man, on the other hand, smiled gently, ¡°It would be obvious even if you had my testimony. And if you add in the Royal Maestro¡¯s ears, then I heard you scream before you came tumbling down¡­ It would have been fine if you were screaming as you fell down, but it was as if you knew that you would be attacked beforehand.¡±


    Miss Irene¡¯s face quickly paled.


    The young man, Alan, looked a little dissatisfied with her reaction. It was as if he was saying, you¡¯re done?


    He lightly shrugged and drew the attention of the curious onlookers behind him, ¡°You were pretty lousy at the end, Irene. You probably thought you were smart, but you were in the palm of His Highness¡¯s hand. Especially today, both you and your father decided to make your decisive moves, and were marching towards ruin.¡±


    A short and plump middle-aged man stood where the curious onlookers were divided. He looked petrified despite dressing like a noble. Was it because the soldiers were about to restrain him?


    Miss Irene shouted in surprise, ¡°Father¡­?!¡±


    From next to me, His Highness smiled, but his cold voice resounded, ¡°¨D¨D¨D Shall we move on to the real act?¡± He addressed everyone and for the first time, I saw His Highness¡¯s sharp gaze point down.

 Chapter 5 - Volume 01; Act 03

    Volume 01; Act 03


    Act 03: The Prince¡¯s Uncontested Position


    ¡°Irene Parcas, and your father, Viscount Parcas. He was arrested on charges of injuring and attempting to assassinate Miss Elianna Bernstein. ¨D¨D¨D Guards!¡±


    Miss Irene screamed. The Viscount had already been restrained, so they were able to restrain her too.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Your Highness. There must be some mistake. I am the one who was harassed by Miss Elianna. Please open your eyes. Please¡­! The person who spent time with me is you. Please go back to the intelligent you!¡±


    My heart sank painfully, but His Highness reacted to the vivid accusations clearly and honestly, ¡°These are words that are worthy of lese majeste, but it¡¯s my job to correct you if you¡¯re under any misconceptions. ¨D¨D¨D Miss Irene. Let me explain your point in a fair and just way.¡±


    Then he said in a clear voice without muttering as if to let others hear him, ¡°First, the incident at the inner palace. ¨D¨D¨D Right now, Elianna doesn¡¯t have the official authority to order those in the inner palace. The person who manages the inner palace right now is the present Queen, my mother. Young ladies who come to the inner palace to learn mannerism through apprenticeship are also her responsibility, and they are under her command. If you had been harassed like you had stated, then that problem would be attributed to Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s management, and I will investigate this in the name of the Crown Prince.


    But¡­ if this is a false accusation, then it would be lese majeste against the royal family¡­ and would be treason for undermining their authority. Miss Irene. Is it true that you were harassed at the inner palace?¡±


    ¡°Wh-! Th-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Miss Irene¡¯s momentum from before flew off somewhere, she became flustered, and her eyes swam.


    She was pinning a crime on me, but I never imagined that it would develop into her questioning the Queen¡­ and even committing treason.


    ¡°There¡¯s a witness¡­¡±


    Miss Irene looked at the young man as if relying on him, but she already knew the answer, and there wasn¡¯t much hope. An inappropriate sweet smile was given to her in return.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry? I can testify to all the damage you¡¯ve done. Oh, by the way, we know who all the maids and soldiers are that you¡¯ve bribed, so you can¡¯t expect anything else.¡±


    ¡°Alan, you betrayed me¡­!¡±


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯ll tell you this, so you don¡¯t misunderstand. ¨D¨D¨D I am His Highness¡¯s hidden pawn for times like this. I am here to see if anyone is harming Miss Elianna at tea parties or evening parties. So, I thought that your movements were suspicious this time and observed you.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± the voice that muttered this was full of despair. I frowned a little.


    If you¡¯re going to convict me, shouldn¡¯t you choose a better place? I sympathise with Miss Irene a little, and I also questioned whether her past actions would be mentioned since the hidden pawn had brought it up.


    His Highness also seemed to have thought of this and sighed lightly, ¡°Next, Miss Irene. About what you said before¡­¡±


    Miss Irene was taken aback and energy restored in her eyes. She looked up at the reassuring Prince Christopher and I.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­! My statements were because I seem to have misunderstood Miss Elianna. But please believe me! I have never plotted to assassinate Miss Elianna!¡±


    She put off her apology and asserted her innocence. She made a stunning fast recovery and took the offensive. She didn¡¯t look like a feeble lady. This is probably her true nature. She must be snorting at my sympathies.


    His Highness replied coldly, ¡°We have all the evidence for that¡­ But, I can¡¯t ignore what you said earlier. You said it yourself. The incident with the water hose at the rose garden. The incident involving the ladder in the palace archives. And the incident when a foreign item was mixed into your refreshments.¡±


    The Viscount, who was near Miss Irene, was also quivering in surprise. He couldn¡¯t stay calm, and his gaze was wandering around everywhere.


    ¡°The other day, the pipes in the rose garden were damaged and water sprayed everywhere. At that time, there was an unfortunate incident where an unidentified intruder entered the royal palace. ¨D¨D¨D Do you know anything about this incident, Viscount Parcas?¡±


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know anything! Nothing at all!¡±


    ¡°I see. The intruder was fortunately captured by the guards, as well as Glenn. It turns out that his purpose was to assassinate Elianna.¡±


    The witnesses raised their voice noisily in surprise. My eyes also flickered with astonishment and summarised that Sir Glenn must have acted that way at that time because of this.


    ¡°Also, the damage on the ladder and the poison found on the books in the archives. The contamination of foreign items mixed in the tea leaves. ¨D¨D¨D All these were aimed at Elianna, and Uncle Theodore reported that these incidents happened right after you entered the palace archives, Miss Irene.¡±


    Furthermore, I learnt the reason why I was barred from the palace archives. Prince Theodore was also probably busy because of this. It seems like the chip in the ladder wasn¡¯t caused by ageing.


    ¡°That¡¯s a false accusation! Aren¡¯t those just circumstantial evidence? Someone¡­ suspicious, like a witch, set all this up. I didn¡¯t do anything like that!¡±


    For the first time, Miss Irene glared at me with disgust and hatred.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange for Princess Bibliophile to continue sitting in a position beyond her means?! People are even saying that she used a suspicious drug on His Highness. Do you think such a person is worthy of being Queen of this kingdom?! Prince Chris, you¡¯re being deceived by Princess Bibliophile¡­!¡± Miss Irene vividly accused me, trying to appeal to those around her.


    The witnesses became bewildered. Even I knew that this wasn¡¯t the result that she had wished for.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D I see.¡±


    A chill ran down my spine. I wanted to distance myself from His Highness, but I somehow managed to bear with it because I thought it would be rude.


    His Highness Christopher was smiling, but he alluded cold anger.


    ¡°I understand that your motives are different from those of your father¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What motive¡­?¡±


    His Highness paid no attention to the bewildered Miss Irene and turned his sky-blue eyes at the witnesses downstairs. ¡°I don¡¯t want to brag about my fianc¨¦e¡¯s achievements and worth. I will allow you to speak. Answer if you know what they are.¡±


    Everyone, who were gathered here, seemed puzzled as they looked at each other.


    I was as puzzled as Miss Irene. This may be a situation where one might be overshadowed by His Highness. I am ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡». Not all of Miss Irene¡¯s remarks are wrong.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± A man, who looked like a civil official timidly asked to speak. He was encouraged by His Highness¡¯s gaze and turned towards Miss Irene.


    ¡°Women might not know much about this¡­ But, Miss Elianna was the one who discovered the collusive relationship, corruption and embezzlement of the Weimar feudal lord and consul. Since then, the seafood from Weimar¡¯s fishing harbour has livened up the market.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Weimar¡­¡± The person who babbled looked like he worked in the kitchen. He looked frightened by his own remark but spoke when prompted by His Highness¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°The cookbooks from that fief containing seafood recipes are ground-breaking¡­ Um, we chefs have learnt a lot from them.¡±


    A female court lady agreed, ¡°A book published around the same time depicting the daily lives of housewives in Weimar has become extremely popular. The Queen also loves reading it. It is said that housewives and the Queen face similar hardships and worries. ¨D¨D¨D I heard that Miss Elianna had published this through her family-owned publishing company.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of books¡­¡± an old man, who was one of the court doctors, began as he rushed to the front. He happily stroked his beard.


    ¡°A new type of medicinal herb was discovered from the eastern information document that Miss Elianna had ordered. This herb is effective in diseases aimed at woman, and Your Highness, it shouldn¡¯t work on men, but¡­ Oh, I wonder how this got distorted.¡±


    ¡°Please forgive me for speaking,¡± a middle-aged man, who seemed like a squad leader, honestly requested.


    ¡°I heard that Miss Elianna was the first to anticipate last year¡¯s cold wave in Maldura Kingdom and advised them to double their reserves. Thanks to that, we were able to gain the militant kingdom, Maldura¡¯s gratitude by providing them with food and giving them aid supplies. Their people probably won¡¯t allow it if they try to start a war with our kingdom in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh my ¨D¨D¨D.¡± A few ladies raised their voices. They probably came here with their husbands.


    ¡°The Hololeion weaves from the fief bordering Maldura¡­ It was Miss Elianna who brought back the weaves with a special technique that had become obsolete, and that weave is now popular in high society.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s trendy, and I¡¯m troubled because it¡¯s hard to obtain. I have to reserve the weaves half a year in advance.¡±


    ¡°But thanks to that, the fief which didn¡¯t have any prominent specialities is now crowded with weavers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come to think of it, it was Miss Elianna who made the eastern writing tools, which gentlemen like to give as gifts, popular.¡±


    ¡°That is popular among women,¡± and ¡°You don¡¯t need to use that much pressure like with feather pens,¡± the ladies giggled together.


    The conversations leapt everywhere: ¡°The meteorology field has begun attracting attention,¡± ¡°Miss Elianna endorsed inventions that could revolutionize the weaving industry,¡± ¡°I hear that the ancient text deciphering researchers and the Head of the Medical Department are trying to poach Miss Elianna,¡± and ¡°A feudal lord in a fief with no specialities wants her advice,¡± etc. ¨D¨D¨D


    I was getting more and more frightened.


    Rather than remembering those events, the Elianna that they were talking about was like a different person from ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡».


    Aren¡¯t they mistaken¡­?


    When I couldn¡¯t bear this anymore, my waist was suddenly pulled by a strong hand. When I looked up, I saw His Highness Christopher¡¯s blue eyes which looked like they would swallow me up.


    ¡­ I wonder why I feel like he¡¯s saying, ¡°I won¡¯t let you go,¡± even though he¡¯s smiling.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D I think everyone understands my fianc¨¦e¡¯s achievements and influences,¡± he said with a vivid look and the voice of a King. The gazes of admiration from downstairs gathered at His Highness and (even) me.


    Amongst them, Miss Irene was the only one who was dumbfounded and looked down.


    ¡°It seems like some of you don¡¯t know about these things. Which is exactly why I was about to tell you to know your place¨D¨D¨D. It seems like you¡¯ve barely reduced one of your charges. Miss Irene.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± She muttered under her breath, no longer malicious. His Highness¡¯s gaze was sharp and directed at the man behind him.


    I heard a voice that took my breath away, ¡°A month ago, a ceramic piece that was recognised as the royal family¡¯s treasure, Zelga, from the age of the Hero King was discovered. Earl Casull presented this to the royal family. The appraiser also determined that it was the genuine article¡­ Miss Elianna detected that it was a fake. ¨D¨D¨D So, was Earl Casull and the appraiser trying to deceive the royal family? The appraiser aside, but Earl Casull who is from a House famous for their loyalty to the royal family for generations?¡±


    Rather than asking, he was telling everyone. His line of sight stayed on Viscount Parcas.


    ¡°And when we went to examine this in detail, we found that there was a constant commotion over the fakes in the art collections and exhibitions which are popular amongst nobles and merchants in the royal capital lately. There only seemed to be one mastermind, but he concealed himself well. At that time, the appraiser, who we let go, died mysteriously, and a disturbing presence appeared around Miss Elianna.


    ¨D¨D¨D You must have shown contempt at Earl Casull for presenting a Zelga counterfeit, but did you also resent Miss Elianna for detecting that it was a fake? Or did you think that you could make your daughter Queen if she weren¡¯t around? Which is it, Viscount Parcas?¡±


    The man, who was spoken to, still detained by the guards, jumped up skilfully.


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know anything! What kind of evidence do you have to state such things¡­?!¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Getting the evidence really troubled me. When your daughter approached me, I thought that you had instigated her, but it seemed like she didn¡¯t know anything about your crimes. Well¡­ but you were both involved in the incident involving the intruder in the rose garden and the poisoning.


    ¨D¨D¨D Miss Irene told me a lot. She requested that I showed compassion to the main Earl Casull House when I was at odds with them and that Viscount Parcus¡¯s House was originally from the Western Isles before they were incorporated into the branch family. She also told me that you employ artisans who are good at woodcarving using the techniques obtained from back then¡­¡±


    The shivering Viscount was now as white as paper.


    His Highness laughed maliciously while reminiscing.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but raise my voice and laugh when I heard that. We couldn¡¯t find any evidence no matter how hard we looked into your fief and the merchants you¡¯re connected to. I couldn¡¯t believe you¡¯d hide it in the timber¡­ That you would hide the fakes in the timber which were floating on the banks of the Neville River.¡±


    At the end of His Highness¡¯s gaze, Sir Glenn and a respectable-looking man appeared promptly.


    The man was old, seemed honest, ¨D¨D¨D and credible. He kneeled down at the bottom of the stairs. Sir Glenn quickly dashed up the stairs in place of him. He took the books off His Highness and gave him another bundle of paper in exchange.


    His Highness quickly looked through the papers and pointed his sharp blue eyes downstairs.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the evidence. Several art pieces, which are seen as fakes, and items which are seen as the replicas of Zelga were seized from the timber supplies owned by Viscount Parcas. The nobles of this kingdom are seriously aware that replicating Zelga goods is the same as treason against the royal family.


    Also, we have seized the same kind of poison that was used against Marquis Bernstein¡¯s daughter from a merchant you¡¯re close with. We¡¯ve also collected evidence that the intruder in the royal palace is connected with that merchant. ¨D¨D¨D That¡¯s everything. Do you have anything else to say? Viscount Parcas.¡±


    The Viscount became dejected, and his knees folded. His Highness had been nonchalantly questioning the Viscount up until now, but it seems like he was waiting for the evidence that the Viscount had been using as an excuse.


    The Viscount was no longer motivated to say any excuse, and he looked as if only an empty shell of him remained.


    Next, His Highness looked at the old nobleman who was kneeling down.


    ¡°Earl Casull. You were also a victim of this counterfeit disturbance, but I have to say that you hold a heavy responsibility as the head of the main house for not being able to prevent your branch family from working behind the scenes.¡±


    *GASP* A low and honest voice replied from where the old man was bowing his head.


    ¡°Our entire Casull family is well aware of our grave responsibility in this incident. Please deal with us in any way.¡±


    The old noble¡¯s voice was passionate again, ¡°The shame of failing to see through the counterfeit of Zelga, the royal treasure, will remain in the Casull House forever. I express my sincere gratitude to Miss Bernstein for discovering this, and preventing disgrace to the royal family! ¨D¨D¨D This is presumptuous of me, but our Casull House will back Miss Elianna Bernstein as Her Royal Highness.¡±


    ¡­¡­ Excuse me?


    I staggered a little. I don¡¯t think we talked about this at all, though.


    The witnesses started getting noisy with excitement when they heard what Earl Casull had said.


    Prince Christopher gave his bundle of papers to Sir Glenn, took the rest of the books from my arms and once again, firmly pulled my waist towards him.


    His smile had changed after he¡¯d finished acting as the arbiter and was shining brilliantly. I didn¡¯t even have time to say anything as he directed this smile at those downstairs.


    ¡°Thank you, Earl Casull. I am grateful for your offer.¡±


    No, Your Highness. This is where my lines come in.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s important for me to make it public here, but I have already heard everyone¡¯s honest assessment of Elianna in this incident. Therefore, I will ask. ¨D¨D¨D Speak now if you object to Miss Elianna Bernstein becoming my Queen.¡±


    No one could oppose this. Even Miss Irene seemed stunned and speechless. People from all walks of life have raised my reputation, and her own biased opinion of me has been presented to her. On top of that, even her father¡¯s evil deeds have been exposed.


    My mind was also a complete mess, but I finally noticed that there was a meaning behind His Highness¡¯s shining smile four years later.


    People started clapping one after another, and it quickly became a unanimous agreement, and a roar of cheers could be heard.


    It was like being in the finale of a theatre production.


    His Highness smiled and received their cheers, ¡°I will make an official announcement later,¡± he informed them to dismiss (falling of the curtain after an act) them.


    Even though I was one of the main leads on the stage that was suddenly drawn, I realised too late that I left the stage without saying any lines.

 Chapter 6 - Volume 01; Act 04 – Part 01

    Volume 01; Act 04 ¨C Part 01


    Act 04: After Getting Off the Stage


    I remained in a daze as His Highness kept his hands on my waist, and we walked down the familiar corridor, which lead to his office.


    His Highness heard more about the situation at the river from Sir Glenn, who looked tired and gave him further instructions. We joined up with Prince Theodore and Lord Alexei, who was waiting for His Highness half-way to the office.


    I finally realised now that these two weren¡¯t present at the stage play. Did His Highness¡¯s close aides all appear because they were worried that it would have looked like a really well-devised plot? In the books that my aunt made me read to her, the main characters were always on the stage.


    ¡­¡­ No.


    When did this stage begin and what kind of plot was prepared?


    Wasn¡¯t my role ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡»? Did I misread the script somewhere?


    My head was turning in chaos.


    Prince Theodore, who was returning a book to His Highness, took a quick look at me in concern, ¡°¨D¨D¨D Elli? Are you alright?¡±


    His ultramarine eyes, which were deeper than His Highness¡¯s, looked at me with sincerity.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sure Chris told you, but I kept you away from the archives because of the dangers. The staff also kept you away because we were worried about you. They were all worried that you might have been offended by this. There¡¯s nothing to be concerned about anymore, so you can use the archives like you used to.¡±


    This is the same Prince Theodore, whom I know from when we would discuss books. Without knowing, I relaxed and sighed in relief.


    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±


    Prince Theodore suddenly let out a small mischievously laughter.


    ¡°Even so¡­ You¡¯ve done it, Chris. I didn¡¯t think you would use that situation to press your marriage forward.¡±


    They must have seen the whole thing from somewhere. His Highness¡¯s changed entirely from somewhat displeased, and he smiled vividly.


    ¡°The early bird gets the worm. My last barrier, Viscount Casull, has also been removed. With this, old man Bernstein won¡¯t have anything to complain about.¡±


    I looked up at His Highness curiously when he said my grandfather¡¯s name. Prince Theodore smiled somewhat sadistically.


    ¡°I thought it was almost time for the finale, so you should thank me for calling Elli, Chris. ¨D¨D¨D Well, personally, I wouldn¡¯t have cared if the situation got worse.¡±


    His Highness suddenly dishevelled as if he was scuffed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve told you many times to stop acting as if you¡¯re in love with your nephew¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡­ How much younger do you think Elli is from you?¡±


    ¡°You lolicon,¡± I think I heard words that sounded like something His Highness wouldn¡¯t say. I¡¯m sure it was just my imagination.


    ¡°It¡¯s common for there to be an age difference in marriages between nobles. Besides, I¡¯m the one who gets along with her the best. But a certain someone always glares at me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re overly familiar with her, Uncle! And, stop calling her in a friendly manner, Elli this and Elli that!¡±


    ¡­ Where did His Highness, who had calmly exposed other¡¯s crimes from a while ago, go?


    I watched their exchange with my eyes sparkling, and a frosty voice containing displeasure spoke, ¡°Please keep your banter at that. There¡¯s a pile of new work to do thanks to the clean-up and Your Highness¡¯s words.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Sir Glenn hung his head down exhaustingly.


    ¡°Seriously¡­ Give me a break. You can¡¯t just wrap everything up suddenly no matter how much you¡¯re being pestered about the deadline. We collected evidence in three days for a case that we¡¯ve been secretly investigating for a month. Are you planning to work us to death? I¡¯ll freaking resent you if my guards start wanting to change their post one after the other.¡±


    ¡°Geez,¡± Lord Alexei didn¡¯t try to hide his irritation.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time to let the ¡ºBrains of Southlynd¡»go back to their secluded life after we dragged them out onto the main stage for the first time in several generations? What the heck was the handsome Prince doing when he had four years?¡± This was the relentless Sir Alexei¡¯s sarcasm. His Highness looked sullen.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want Elli as my partner just because she¡¯s a Bernstein.¡±


    ¡°I know. Please confess your first love to her while you two are alone. It¡¯s absurd, and I can¡¯t stand listening to it.¡±


    Lord Alexei flipped through the bundle of paper indifferently like usual. Then, a new member appeared with a bright voice, ¡°¨D¨D¨D Honestly, the handsome Prince is actually such a good-for-nothing. If she had known, Ireeeennne would have taken a different offence.¡±


    It was Alan, the Royal Maestro with honey-coloured hair. He laughed mischievously.


    He quickly took my hand as soon as he reached us and dropped his mouth on it. His cunning green eyes captured me.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself again, Miss Elianna Bernstein. I¡¯m Alan Ferrera. I¡¯m the one who spread your nickname as ¡®Fairy Princess¡¯. I¡¯ll be happy if you treat me as close as Alex and the others from now on.¡±


    Fairy Princess?


    I blinked and denied in my mind. What kind of joke is this?


    To tell the truth, I had another nickname when I was staying at the fief. It was¡­ ¡ºGhost of the Library¡».


    My light blonde hair, which I had inherited from my late mother, was thin and spread out messily. It looks as if my hair faintly floats in the dim-darkness. Also, my skin paler than white because I only read books in a room, and I¡¯m expressionless because I prefer books over people.


    Those features of mine further enhanced the image of a ghost.


    Children at the fief also used me to test their courage, and whenever I stayed in the study at night when the weather wasn¡¯t good, a new maid would see me, shriek and run away, ¡°I-it appeared ¨D¨D¨D.¡±


    ¡­ How long was I treated as a ghost? ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡»is much better when compared to that inhuman treatment. No, that title might be equal to honour for someone of the Bernstein House.


    Therefore book-worm becomes ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡».


    When I denied the Fairy Princess nickname in my mind, His Highness Christopher quickly tore Alan¡¯s hand off mine.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop the situation before it turned out like that? Even if the result was good, it would be hard for you to act now that you¡¯ve revealed yourself.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Lord Alan countered, unabashed.


    ¡°Your Highness, you were the one who wanted to call the Viscount and settle things. It didn¡¯t seem like she would break out of her delusions if she weren¡¯t treated in the same way as the Viscount. It was frustrating because we couldn¡¯t create a decisive setting because Your Highness kept Miss Elianna away from the royal palace. It was meant to be.¡± It sounded as if he was teasing His Highness as he spoke in a straightforward and bright voice.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the right time to tell people my real identity? The Queen, the women around her and the smart ladies had already found out my real identity a long time ago. More like, whenever I¡¯m around, His Highness gets overprotective and doting¡­¡± Lord Alan was roughly silenced. I just fluttered my eyes at His Highness who had done that.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Still, I remembered the words that had bothered me and apologised to Lord Alan. I should thank him if he is a trusted aide of His Highness, and keeps an eye on me behind the scenes.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for never noticing you up until now. I will be careful in the future. Lord Royal Maestro.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s Alan.¡±


    ¡°So you really didn¡¯t notice me once in these four years, even though you¡¯re supposed to be a woman who evenly matches His Highness¡­ Hahaha,¡± Lord Alan looked blank as if he had lost some confidence.


    I felt awful. I¡¯m not good in high society because I¡¯m bad at remembering people¡¯s faces.


    If it is a book, then I can remember it no matter how diverse it is.


    Lord Alan looked offended when His Highness scoffed. He half-closed his eyes as if he was at ease.


    ¡°Well, unlike some Prince, I wouldn¡¯t ask for her aunt¡¯s help to keep her away from the royal palace and cause misunderstandings that made her want to give up on her love. ¨D¨D¨D Well, whatever? When Miss Elianna threw the book you gave her, back at you¡­, An insignificant someone¡­ looked as white as ash.¡±


    In front of His Highness, who had stiffened, ¡°Oh?¡± Prince Theodore interrupted amusingly.


    ¡°A Bernstein threw a book? That¡¯s like¡­ the sun rising in the west,¡± Sir Glenn said in a disheartened tone.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Give me a break. That was the motive for something descending, or something.¡± His personality seeped out. This time, Sir Glenn¡¯s eyes became teary, and he stared blankly off into the distance. Was he made to work very hard on this incident?


    I, who had learnt consideration and sympathy, reflected. I finally understood now that I had behaved immaturely at that time.


    In the end, they were all just my misunderstandings and assumptions. I can¡¯t blame Miss Irene for this either.


    Then, ¡°¨D¨D¨D Elli,¡± a voice called from behind me, and I turned around. Brother was the one who was walking quickly towards us, and yet I was being influenced by him.


    Without knowing, my tension started unravelling when I saw my family¡¯s face.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    He looked at me when he came closer, and his grey eyes, which were the same as father¡¯s, looked at me questioningly, ¡°I heard there was a commotion¡­ Are you alright?¡±


    He gently brushed my fringe aside in worry. He hasn¡¯t changed since we were little. I loosened up while he was checking my condition.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Miss Irene had complicated expectations, but if things went the way she wanted, then I would have caused a great deal of trouble to brother and father.


    This isn¡¯t a play, it¡¯s reality. I was finally able to realise this when I felt the warmth from brother¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think anything would have happened to you since Prince Christopher was there,¡± he said as he looked up at His Highness, who had approached us. His Highness regained his sparkling smile.


    ¡°Tell old man Bernstein and the Marquis that all the conditions have been met¡­ I would appreciate it if they can close their eyes to the fact that the deadline has passed.¡±


    Brother nodded with an ironic smile. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them, but¡­¡± he said. However, his tone changed, ¡°If you make my sister look like that again, I won¡¯t let you mobilise the Bernstein¡¯s brains.¡±


    His Highness¡¯s face twitched a little. ¡°¨D¨D¨D I know,¡± the voice he replied with was also a little stiff.


    Lord Alexei interfered with a sigh. He gave some papers to brother, ¡°Now then¡­ about the holiday that you applied for, the Prime Minister will collapse from being overworked in three days if you¡¯re not here, Fred. The finance office is the same. Without Marquis Bernstein, the office would undoubtedly become chaotic, and that would interfere with the recovered treasury again. ¨D¨D¨D So, I¡¯ve borrowed His Highness¡¯s authority and turned down both your applications.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I thought that would happen,¡± brother sounded as if he¡¯d given up. I knew that Lord Alexei and brother are both civil officials and that they were on friendly terms.


    Brother examined the papers and dropped his shoulders. He probably was the same as father and wanted to snatch a holiday so that he could spend all his time reading. I was the only one who had gained this privilege, and I felt terrible.


    Lord Alexei¡¯s icy-blue eyes became sharp as if he¡¯d seen through brother¡¯s motive. ¡°People of the Bernstein House,¡± he began, and brother interrupted him in a panic.


    ¡°Oh, uhh¡­ Your Highness and Elli too. Your Majesty and the Prime Minister has summoned you both. They want you to report the details of this incident.¡±


    This time, His Highness pulled me while flustered.


    ¡°Please tell them to give me a little more time since this is urgent. It¡¯s a serious matter related to the survival of the royal family. ¨D¨D¨D Uncle and Alex, explain the situation to them first,¡± he informed them quickly. He kept his hands on my shoulders, and we left as if he was running away.


    His close aides looked at us in shock. A question mark floated in my mind again.


    A serious matter related to the survival of the royal family¡­?

 Chapter 7 - Volume 01; Act 04 – Part 02

    Volume 01; Act 04 ¨C Part 02


    His Highness took me to his office. The maid served the tea, and then His Highness dismissed her. It was just the two of us in this room.


    First and foremost, I have something that I really want to ask him.


    ¡­ Why are you sitting next to me, Your Highness?


    You¡¯re drinking tea gracefully even though you had said that it was an urgent matter regarding the survival of the royal family. He sighed, and it sounded like he was relieved.


    He turned towards me and slowly reached out to me. His Highness¡¯s hands which looked on the verge of touching me, or not, was on my cheeks. His fingertips touched my ears, and even my messy hair.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally caught you.¡±


    The sweet smile, which I have never seen before, sent heat running to my cheeks, and even the tips of my ears.


    His Highness Christopher smiled wider, and his blue eyes softened.


    ¡°Sorry, Elli. I¡¯ve caused you a lot of misunderstandings and anxiety.¡±


    I felt like I was going to tilt my head, but I stiffened because His Highness was still touching me. His Highness laughed mischievously, ¡°Fufu,¡± and then began talking, ¡°Actually, four years ago¡­ or perhaps I should say, it was actually almost 10 years ago¡­ No, wait, yeah. Old man Bernstein and the Marquis gave me some conditions when I got engaged to you.¡±


    ¡°Conditions?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The first was to get the marriage approved by the nobles without using the Bernstein¡¯s hidden name. The second was¡­ to make you more interested in me than books.¡±


    I was at a loss for words. His Highness laughed, faintly traced my cheeks then pulled his hands away.


    ¡°The deadline was four years. It was until you came of age. If the conditions aren¡¯t met by this time, then the engagement would be cancelled, and you, Alfred and the Marquis¡­ would be pulled from court and confined in your fief.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know this at all. I wanted to say, but it was completely different from what I had initially heard. His Highness sighed a little.


    ¡°And even when you came of age, I couldn¡¯t force our marriage. Sorry. I made you feel uneasy.¡±


    He looked me straight in the eyes and expressed his feelings of gratitude. I faltered faintly and tried to calm my fluttering pulse.


    ¡°¡­ What if you told me this at the beginning?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± his sky blue eyes looked off into the distance and stared at the air.


    ¡°If I had told Elli at that time, then you would have definitely replied with ¡ºWhy don¡¯t you choose another fianc¨¦e instead of doing something so troublesome? ¡».¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t reply to him.


    At that time, I was undoubtedly lured in by the bait called the royal palace archives. However, if he had told me the circumstances and asked me to agree even with that bait, then I would¡­ refuse.


    Free time or the Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e. ¨D¨D¨D If I had to choose once, then I would have definitely chosen the first option at that moment. I can¡¯t give up the time I have to read books.


    ¡°¡­ I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°If you apologise now, then my position¡­ No, well. Elli did show more interest in me than books in the end. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    A little¡­ maybe. This was different from what I had expected. I¡¯m sure my face twitched, and he looked at me while smiling.


    His Highness was probably talking about when I went to return that book to him. On that occasion, I certainly viewed books as worthless.


    ¨D¨D¨D I, ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡»viewed them as worthless.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± I hesitated when I spoke. I know that I had misunderstood the situation and made assumptions about it. But not all of my emotions have caught up with me.


    Until this morning, I thought that it would only be a matter of time before my engagement was annulled and that His Highness and Miss Irene were in a relationship where they both reciprocated each other¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Yes?¡± His Highness¡¯s voice was gentle, and it unravelled my feelings. He lightly, but firmly showed me his intent, and held my hands which were on my lap.


    ¡°I made you more anxious because of what had happened with Miss Irene, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m really sorry¡­ I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on her ever since the incident with the Zelga counterfeits. At first, I had let her go because she was only spreading silly rumours. But, I don¡¯t know if she took advantage of this, or her father instigated her, but she started aiming for your life. From that point, I wanted to catch her.¡±


    His Highness changed from serious to annoyed, and then a frown appeared on his handsome face.


    ¡°But then, the mastermind, Viscount Parcas, might have feigned ignorance at the expense of his daughter. Alex explained this to me, so I had no choice but to place skilled guards around you and tried to get evidence on Viscount Parcas¡­ But, they showed me their useless talents. They were acting so suspiciously, but I couldn¡¯t find any evidence.¡±


    Watching him glare off in the opposite direction as he recalled this in irritating while pushing his hair back, startled me.


    His Highness Christopher behaves in public precisely like his reputation, but sometimes he would even act like this while managing government affairs or when he was with his inner circle. It was as if he was showing his genuine self, and it made women feel as if they were special. He is so sinful.


    With me having such an impression, His Highness laughed scornfully for a second. It was the first time I¡¯ve seen him act like this, and I was terror-stricken.


    ¡°And they even prepared assassins while I was flustered. The poison used by Miss Irene was not lethal, and seemed like the type that would make someone a bit sick¡­. But, I thought that I had no time to choose the method.¡± He ended his sentence with that and showed his anger. His Highness tried to suppress his thirst for blood.


    ¡°Glenn and Alex also sounded out Miss Irene, but they couldn¡¯t gather anything special. I know what it looked like when I was investigating her myself¡­ So I had no other choice but to keep you away from the royal palace for a bit, Elli.¡±


    ¡°¡­ So, you got my aunt¡¯s cooperation?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± His Highness sighed and nodded. He got up, took long strides to the desk, picked up a book and looked back at me.


    ¡°But in the end, it caused you to come to a misunderstanding. My mind really went blank at that time¡­ Well, but thanks to that, you were made aware of me,¡± he said, smiled and wholly regained his composure. He continued to smile as he walked back and sat down next to me again.


    He stared at me with his kind and somewhat mischievous eyes, and it was like he could see the change in my heart.


    I suddenly realised that blood was flowing to my cheeks. To what extent was I under his control?


    ¡°But, I really regret that I hurt you enough for you to give me back this book. I¡¯ve been searching for this book for a long time for you. I wanted to see you happy¡­ Will you receive it again?¡±


    He offered me the rare book that I had given back to him the other day.


    The feelings of loss I felt when I had parted with this book, and the feelings which had faded was refreshed in my mind. My chest felt tight.


    The thoughts, this was a little present to give me, and it wasn¡¯t anything special, swirled in my mind.


    But now, those thoughts had been overturned, and His Highness stared at me while looking serious and tense. Feelings that I couldn¡¯t put into words swelled up within me.


    He searched for this book for me. He wanted to see me happy.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you very much, Prince Christopher.¡±


    I frantically fought the urge to run away as if I was reliving the feelings I had felt at that time while staring back at His Highness.


    His Highness relaxed when I received the book. He wasn¡¯t acting. He was really relieved.


    ¡°¡­ Elli.¡±


    His Highness grasped my hand again and smiled beautifully as he looked at me.


    His sparkling smile, and approaching blue eyes looked as if they were silently urging me to close my eyes.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± I opened my mouth as usual in this sweet aura.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D What is the hidden name of my family?¡±


    His Highness¡¯s face which was on the verge of touching me, sunk¡­ ¡°Can¡¯t you ask that later, Elli?¡± His mutter sounded somewhat sorrowful.


    Did I say something, inexcusable?


    He softly sighed sadly. He pressed the corner of his eyes as if to change his mood and aligned his eyesight with mine again.


    ¡°Before I tell you that, I will tell you this, so you don¡¯t misunderstand.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you by my side because of the Bernstein¡¯s hidden name. I want you to keep that in mind.¡±


    His beautiful blue eyes captured me and didn¡¯t let me go. He has been calling me by my pet name for a while now, but I don¡¯t even care about that.


    His Highness¡¯s smile became somewhat intense as I faltered.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then I don¡¯t mind pushing you down right now.¡±


    What?!


    I quickly backed away and nodded like a bobby doll.


    He began speaking with a smile.


    The hidden name of my family is ¡ºBrains of Southlynd¡». Only the royal family and a small number of people know this. The Kings who the Bernstein House have served have prospered equally.


    ¡°That¡­ is an honour¡­¡±


    I was a bit puzzled.


    Hasn¡¯t my House just been a group of book-lovers for generations? Even father and brother aren¡¯t the exception¡­


    His Highness¡¯s voice is mixed with bitter laughter, ¡°Both Marquis Bernstein and Alfred have been outstanding ever since they started working in court. But, they didn¡¯t desire promotions because of the Bernstein trait, and just wanted to be surrounded by books. So, the Prime Minister, Alex, and some others wanted to be appointed in their post and are always looking out for the opportunity to do so.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    It seems that father and brother didn¡¯t take on heavy responsibilities because I was chosen as His Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    Once again, I was surprised by the truth that he had revealed, and at the same time, I fully understood that it was because of my House¡¯s hidden name, that conditions were applied to a proposal from the royal family.


    However¡­ in spite of this, my House has only weak and puny nobles in political relations.


    His Highness laughed, ¡°It¡¯s good that the Bernstein House doesn¡¯t put much importance on their abilities, but it is also a weakness. They¡¯ve been working in the archives for generations because of this.¡±


    No, Your Highness. That is the best job for Bernstein people.


    ¡°Elli, you¡¯ve also shown that ability too. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    His Highness puffed out as if he was about to laugh as he watched me frown, ¡°Jeez. ¨D¨D¨D The embezzlement case in Weimar.¡±


    He hinted, and I traced my memories.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, that had happened when I first became His Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦e. I wasn¡¯t used to reading in his office at that time, so I listened in on the conversation between His Highness and Lord Alexei, and that was how it started.

 Chapter 8 - Volume 01; Act 04 – Part 03

    Volume 01; Act 04 ¨C Part 03


    It was a tax revenue problem due to recent poor catches in Weimar, a district facing the port, and His Highness and Lord Alexei was talking about lowering it. I had a question, so I just asked it, ¡°Hasn¡¯t Weimar been getting good catches for the past six months or so?¡±


    His Highness blinked and calmly questioned me back, so I answered honestly, ¡°¨D¨D¨D In Dan Eduard¡¯s travel journal, which was published a month ago, he mentions fishing techniques from Weimar. He stated that the local speciality made with Sami fish is heavenly.¡±


    Lord Alexei frowned, ¡°So what?¡± I felt like I could hear him say even though he hadn¡¯t spoken. I also flinched a little inside, but I still somehow managed to reply, ¡°Mr Dan¡¯s writing is not popular because it isn¡¯t available to the general public¡­ but the things he writes about are accurate. There is no mention in his book about Weimar having a scarcity of fish. His book is based on the area when he visited it this year, so it isn¡¯t about the past. And¡­¡±


    I hesitated a little. It was really embarrassing.


    ¡°I was curious about what Sami fish dishes were like¡­ So I ordered the Weimar regional circulation notice.¡±


    ¡°Regional circulation notice?¡± His Highness spoke as if he had heard something unexpected.


    I nodded and answered, ¡°They didn¡¯t have any cookbooks, so I asked them if it would be in the regional circulation notice. The content was vibrant, so I traced back and ordered notices from up to six months back. ¨D¨D¨D None of the articles I read spoke about Weimar having a scarcity of fish. They did write about how active the fishermen are. They also have articles on different dishes made with Sami fish. I didn¡¯t see any articles that talked about them having poor catch¡­¡±


    They wouldn¡¯t be vibrant if they have a scarcity of fish, and the fishermen wouldn¡¯t be active. Nor have a lot of fish specialities.


    His Highness and Lord Alexei looked at each other grimly when I said that much. His Highness immediately gave him an order ¡°¨D¨D¨D Alex. Quickly look into the Weimar feudal lord and consul.¡±


    They discovered fraud and collusion in a flash, and the tax embezzlement came to light.


    I think I look pitiful now.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that because Your Highness and Lord Alexei looked into Weimar and found this out?¡±


    That is not my achievement. His Highness laughed and shook his head.


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have come to light if Elli hadn¡¯t said anything. And it was you who made the cookbook and published it, right? As the people said earlier, the market seafood became more popular because of that.¡±


    ¡°I realised for the first time that regional circulation notices were a powerful thing,¡± and ¡°You also recommended they should publish the short columns which depicted the daily life of housewives. That was also extremely popular, so the publishers are waiting to see what you have your eye on next.¡± ¨D¨D¨D


    I was a bit flabbergasted.


    I had the recipes compiled into a single cookbook because the chefs at my house wanted it, and I also assembled the short columns because I wanted to read them all together.


    I really don¡¯t know what makes people happy.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D And your greatest achievement was the matter in Maldura Kingdom.¡±


    I pulled my chin in at His Highness¡¯s words. I certainly remember saying a lot of uncalled remarks about that.


    In addition to the usual aspects, it was around the time when the people who were in charge of crop management came together to take measures to prevent the price of this year¡¯s harvested wheat from falling.


    I couldn¡¯t help but state because they were discussing marine trade in the south, ¡°¨D¨D¨D It¡¯s better to buy as much stock as possible.¡±


    His Highness and his aides were used to me joining in on their conversation, so they asked why I thought so. I wasn¡¯t that confident at that time, but I spoke anyway, ¡°Six months ago, I was helping air out the books in the palace archives, and I found a memorandum from the person in charge three generations ago¡­¡±


    They were also used to my stories starting at a random place, and Lord Alexei urged me to continue.


    ¡°According to the memorandum, Southlynd was blessed with a good harvest that year, but the other kingdoms had an early cold wave, and their crops were damaged. The internal administration had a rough time because of the after-effects, and Maldura invaded them.¡±


    ¡°So that will happen again this year?¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, I haven¡¯t received any reports like that from the weather officials.¡±


    The crop manager looked dubious. Crops and weather are closely related to each other, so the two departments are always working together.


    I replied hesitantly, ¡°Weather damage doesn¡¯t necessarily occur in a year with good harvest. Therefore, it¡¯s difficult for weather officials to predict the weather. This is what I recall¡­ Mr Yulin Coral wrote something similar in his academic book about weather reports 50 years ago, which has now gone out of print.¡±


    I recalled a book I had read in the past at our fief.


    ¡°Mr Coral also made the same precedent as the memorandum, but his book wasn¡¯t treated as academic because the content also went back into myths and his work was abolished. However, his point is the same.


    In the memorandum at the archives, the author wrote that a similar phenomenon had happened in another kingdom when he was smaller. There was a minimal precedent in the fief called ¡ºArs Breath¡». Both of these authors¡­ thought that weather damage was caused by a condition or rule.¡±


    ¡°Conditions¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. So, I was curious and did some research¡­¡±


    This was not limited to Southlynd. If an area in the Ars continent continues to have good harvest, then another area will have weather damage. This wasn¡¯t absolute, so they couldn¡¯t determine the condition.


    But, I thought that it would be possible to predict this by taking statistics, so I asked for cooperation from authors of weather expert books and from people who seemed to be free at the weather office. I also consulted with Prince Theodore and asked him to collect weather information from other kingdoms¡­ Of course, those were difficult to obtain.


    Information about other kingdoms is often challenging to obtain. So, while in the middle of looking through the past records of the continental merchants¡­¡±


    ¡°There is a 70% probability that there will be weather damage from a cold wave in the northwest region, which includes Maldura.¡±


    There was a lot of tension in the room.


    ¡°Could you show me the statistics?¡± the manager asked, and I told him that they were with Prince Theodore in the palace archives. He instructed a chamberlain to go get the statistics, but Lord Alexei calmly stopped him, ¡°Please wait.¡±


    ¡°Assuming that the cold wave prediction is accurate¡­ Is that a reason for our kingdom to buy the wheat? Shouldn¡¯t we pay attention to market control and distribution instead?¡± He said, and Sir Glenn also replied while looking like a soldier, ¡°Yeah. We should be more vigilant near the border of Maldura. There¡¯s a good chance that Maldura will attack. We should contact the fief feudal lord and take action.¡±


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Do we have to fire back every time they wage war?¡± I said quietly. Every time I read history books, I can¡¯t help but wonder.


    Why does war never cease?


    Why do people who wage war learn nothing from their predecessors?


    ¡°Would people feel safe if we strengthened our own defences when another kingdom comes at us with armed forces?


    Is returning force with power something a civilised kingdom does? ¨D¨D¨D We are not barbarians. We are cultured people with weapons known as knowledge.¡±


    The room fell silent. I said what I was thinking, ¡°It¡¯s easy to wage war. However, many more things (mainly books) are lost because of this. Historical facts teach us this. Instead of waiting for them to wage war, we, as a civilised kingdom, should pick the buds before it starts.¡±


    Lord Alexei thought deeply, and then muttered, ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°What Miss Elianna says is ideal¡­ But, do you think that reason could convince a kingdom that¡¯s proud of its barbarism?¡±


    I smiled back, ¡°I don¡¯t. But why do we have to respond to their level? We must have our own way. And it¡¯s the role of the government officials to use the wisdom they have to achieve this.¡±


    Sir Glenn looked as if he was sweating cold sweat. Lord Alexei¡¯s icy-blue eyes twinkled sharply.


    His Highness Christopher snigger a little, ¡°It¡¯s Alex¡¯s loss. ¨D¨D¨D War is certainly an act of murder, no matter what just cause is behind it. Also, this age is different from the civil war age, where winning is lionised. All that remains behind is life which is irretrievably lost, and deep-rooted evil. I cannot lightly cause war as someone who will become King of a kingdom. If we can take measures before this happens, then we should.


    Call Uncle and the weather office, and also bring the statistics that Elianna had researched. I will inform His Majesty and the ministers that I would like to hold an emergency meeting first thing in the afternoon,¡± His Highness immediately gave instructions, and everyone began to move.


    I was also responsible for the statistics, so it was decided that I would sit on in the meeting even though it was frightening.


    That was the incident about avoiding war with Maldura that the squad leader had mentioned.


    I remembered many of my own brazen remarks from that time and became smaller. His Highness stared at me gently.


    ¡°Elli has become popular with women from military families since that incident. Nobody likes to send their husbands or sons to war.¡±


    ¡°But, credit for that doesn¡¯t solely belong to me.¡±


    Of course, people opposed this. But, it was His Highness and the centre wing who insisted that we could gain favour from Maldura by supporting them and that the surrounding kingdoms would know Southlynd for their act of humanity.


    I was able to forecast the weather damage because I had that memorandum and book, and I was able to achieve that prediction with the help of the others and the weather officials.


    ¡°But it started with you,¡± His Highness was beating the air (it was in the eastern handbook). I somehow managed to come up with a counter-argument.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not the one who made Hololeion weaves widely known in high society.¡±


    ¡°But it was Elli who revived and ordered it.¡±


    I was at a loss for words.


    I read an old passage written by a continental merchant related to a weather issue, there was a rare description of a type of fabric which was no longer being produced. In the old days, when paper wasn¡¯t as popular as it is now, they had the custom of recording weaving techniques.


    I was curious about what the fabric was like, so I discussed the technique with an artisan, and what I got was Hololeion weaves.


    But, that¡¯s ¨D¨D¨D.


    ¡°Well, it was certainly Countess Storrev and her daughter who showed it off in high society,¡± His Highness said amusingly. I looked even more miserable.


    Earl Storrev House is the home of my late mother. My aunt, mother¡¯s younger sister, took in an adopted son-in-law to replace the heir that had died so that he could succeed the House. The other day, it was that aunt who injured her back and made me read endless romance novels to her.


    Aunt has three daughters. My cousins are very lively and are engrossed with fashion. My number was up as soon as they saw the Hololeion weaves.


    I couldn¡¯t even get a say in before they declared, ¡ºWe¡¯re going to make this popular in high society! ¡». I was deprived of words by their strange declaration. The Hololeion weaves were a craze in no time, and there were shrieks of protest from the fief where the weaves were made.


    His Highness laughed wickedly, ¡°Your family is protecting you. They are protecting your reputation in high society.¡±


    I went silent. Indeed, my aunt and cousins always looked after me after I lost my mother.


    ¡°But, I wasn¡¯t the one who discovered that Zelga was a fake. That credit goes to brother,¡± I tried to argue once again, but His Highness only smiled.


    ¡°You were the first to realise that something was wrong with it.¡±


    If I remember correctly, that happened a month ago.


    As I entered the office from the archives, I came across a scene where His Highness and Lord Alexei were looking sullenly at a ceramic piece.


    When I also stared at the piece, His Highness noticed me and explained, ¡°It seems like they discovered a Zelga piece.¡±


    I was curious and kept staring at the ceramic piece which was also known as the royal family¡¯s treasure¡­ ¡°Oh my!¡± I tilted my head.


    ¡°Did you get it appraised?¡±


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D It¡¯s been appraised. Do you find something suspicious?¡± Lord Alexei¡¯s response caused me to frown. I did have my doubts, but there shouldn¡¯t be anything wrong with it if it has been appraised.


    But, I don¡¯t know¡­


    ¡°Elianna?¡± His Highness urged. I stared back at his blue eyes and understood.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a fake?¡±


    The two stepped forward in surprise and bent down to look at the ceramic piece. I made an eave in the pottery with the hand which wasn¡¯t holding onto my book and checked in the shadows.


    ¡°¡­ Zelga is regarded as the royal treasure because of its prized ¡ºZelga Blue¡»which was produced with a mineral and unique composition that doesn¡¯t exist today. ¨D¨D¨D Zelga means dawn in the ancient language. In other words, ¡ºZelga Blue¡»is the deep colour of dawn¡­ This seems to be a more simple substance.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lord Alexei asked while a little tensed. I made myself smaller because I wasn¡¯t confident.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything else about arts and crafts¡­ Brother might know about this.¡±


    Brother Alfred is well versed in the field of art (books). So I told them that he might know more about this, so brother was summoned straight away. He said this as soon as he saw the piece ¡°¨D¨D¨D It¡¯s a fake.¡±


    He was completely certain.


    He explained it in much more details than I had done and even revealed the differences in patterns and other things.


    His Highness leaned against the chair, held his forehead, and sighed while looking mixed.


    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that it was appraised by the appraisers from the royal palace treasury before we made it public. This is Earl Casull¡¯s responsibility.¡±


    One of brother¡¯s eyebrows twitched, but the conversation ended when His Highness said, ¡°Please keep this a secret.¡±


    After that, I wasn¡¯t involved because he was exchanging words with Sir Glenn while looking like he had mixed feelings.


    For some reason, this was also linked together like the previous incidents¡­

 Chapter 9 - Volume 01; Final Act

    Volume 01; Final Act


    Final Act: And the Two of Them¡­


    His Highness laughed weirdly at me, who was still looking miserable.


    ¡°I was quite worried about how to get those who only looked at things superficially and those who only think about power struggles to acknowledge Elli without using the Bernstein¡¯s hidden name.¡±


    Be that as it may, this may sound rude, but I don¡¯t see you being troubled at all with you smiling like that.


    ¡°The Bernstein House has always embraced their reputation as puny nobles, and they don¡¯t care even if they¡¯re put down by a House that sticks to authority. ¨D¨D¨D But, Elli showed her own worth, and I didn¡¯t have to make up schemes.¡±


    Huh¡­?


    His Highness also tilted his head a little.


    ¡°We just talked about this, right? You silence the nobles, officials and ladies of high society with your abilities. Furthermore, ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡¯s¡»reputation is rising with the people of Southlynd.¡±


    ¡°As the friendly noble lady who produced new trends and anticipated how to avoid war, as well as an insight into the lives of the commoners¡­¡±


    Your Highness, who are you talking about? Was I called the ¡ºGhost of the Library¡»because I¡¯m friendly? Do I have this insight because I¡¯m a glutton who is interested in food cooked with Sami fish?


    Something is wrong. I panicked and backed away from him.


    His Highness smiled at me and closed the distance between us.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would establish your position by yourself. I¡¯m glad, Elli. You also want to stand by my side, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡± My voice came out. I realised that a face was coming closer to mine and I panicked and was confused.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Your Highness?¡±


    I was prepared for our heads to butt if he got any closer and stared firmly into his blue eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡±


    I can still hear you even if you turn away.


    ¡­ What is it? I feel that I have only seen the sides of His Highness that I haven¡¯t seen before today.


    I can see it if I think about it. I certainly gave sound advice and had some achievements, but it took a lot of work to spread this information widely as something only I did.


    Count Casull¡¯s case is a good example. Based on our conversation just now, depending on how it went, only one person was set to profit.


    His Highness brushed back his dazzling blonde hair with one hand and sighed lightly.


    ¡°I do admit that I manipulated Elli¡¯s reputation a little bit. But, your reputation would have gone up on its own even if I hadn¡¯t done anything. You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    He looked me straight in the eye, and I couldn¡¯t stay stubborn.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ Why did you go that far?¡±


    ¡ºBrains of Southlynd¡»


    That name is now a heavy responsibility. Didn¡¯t His Highness accept the troublesome conditions to obtain this?


    My heavy feelings reflected in my eyes, and he lifted my cheeks with his hands. The hands which had grabbed my cheeks were strong.


    He had a powerful look in his eyes.


    ¡°Elli. I said it before, didn¡¯t I? I don¡¯t want you because of the Bernstein¡¯s hidden name.¡±


    I could see that my pupils were shaking with hesitation through his eyes. He breathed gently as if to erase my anxiety.


    ¡°Well¡­ I know that you can¡¯t remember it, Elli.¡±


    I was puzzled, and His Highness told me with a gentle smile.


    His Highness and I have met once before nearly ten years ago, he said.


    ???????


    In those days, His Highness was being carefully raised as the First Prince of Southlynd Kingdom. He was smart, but as the very picture of a Prince, he was arrogant and domineering.


    One day, he was in a bad mood at the Royal Library and took his anger out on the books.


    He threw them, kicked them, and used them as substitutes for balls ¨D¨D¨D.


    ¡°¡­ Elli! Don¡¯t be angry again. You¡¯ve already scolded me harshly back then.¡±


    Oh my, Your Highness. You don¡¯t have to be that flustered. It¡¯s okay if you¡¯ve reflected on that.


    Well, it¡¯s such an exaggeration to wipe off cold sweat.


    ¡°Anyway¡­¡±


    He was slapped by a younger girl at that time. My, that is a courageous move, but it¡¯s terrifying.


    The girl used enough strength in her slap to even make His Highness speechless, and she scolded him, ¡ºApologise to the books! ¡»His Highness, who had regained his composure, argued.


    ¡ºIt doesn¡¯t matter who you are! Books are our silent predecessors. They are mankind¡¯s treasures. Were you taught that you could act inhuman to people who can¡¯t speak? ¡»


    ¡ºY-you¡¯re exaggerating¡­ Aren¡¯t they just books?¡»


    ¡º¡­ How old are you?¡»


    ¡ºHuh? ¡­ Tw-twelve years old.¡»


    ¡ºThe book you just threw away is a history book that was written hundreds of years ago and is still being reprinted. You, who has only been living 12 years of your life, is like a baby in diapers in front of this book. You¡¯re just an inexperienced freshly hatched chick. Apologise to your great predecessors! ¡»


    His Highness was overwhelmed, a girl younger than him called him a baby in diapers¡­ no, a chick. His intelligence had always been praised, and he took pride in that, but now that pride had taken a bad beating. He reflected and apologised.


    Since then, His Highness became interested in the girl and often visited the Royal Library. He began to listen to the girl talk about books.


    The books the girl talked about were all interesting, and they completely differed from the education he had been taught as the Prince.


    It didn¡¯t take long before his heart started fluttering at the girl instead of the books. Therefore, he investigated her background because he wanted to keep her at his side. Then, he consulted with his father, His Majesty¡­


    ¡°The Prime Minister and father started panicking all of a sudden.¡±


    His Highness looked off into the distance. Did the person not have an esteemed position? Was she actually a Princess from another kingdom who came here incognito?


    ¡°Elli.¡±


    His Highness¡¯s gaze looked lukewarm.


    ¡°This is a story about you and me from the past.¡±


    I blinked my eyes.


    ¡­ Wh-which means that girl is me?


    ¡°Hah,¡± he sighed out loud. The usual ambition in his sky-blue eyes wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you still can¡¯t remember even though I¡¯ve told you this much¡­ no. I¡¯m sure you had the worst impression of me back then, so I should be happy that you don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Well, Your Highness. Please cheer up. My memory of others is like the morning dew.


    He rubbed the middle of his eyebrows again as if to loosen the wrinkles, and continued.


    That was the first time he learnt of said girl¡¯s¡­ Elianna Bernstein¡¯s hidden family name.


    His Majesty and the Prime Minister warned His Highness that it would be difficult to wed someone from the Bernstein House since they weren¡¯t interested in power¡­ And that it was better to avoid demanding something that would sour the mood of the House that held such a hidden name.


    Still, His Highness didn¡¯t give up and paid no heed to their advice. He sounded out the Marquis, my father, and the next day, I returned to our fief where grandfather was living his secluded life.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I also remembered about this after being told this much.


    Father was so depressed after mother passed away that he couldn¡¯t even look at books, and he wouldn¡¯t let brother or me leave his side. I remember growing up at the royal capital when I was little, but then I was suddenly sent to the fief, where grandfather lived, with brother when I was nine.


    After that, I didn¡¯t step into the soil of the royal capital until I made my debut at 14.


    His Highness laughed bitterly.


    ¡°I really wanted to knock myself at the back of my head for my carelessness at that time.¡±


    ¡­ Your Highness? You can¡¯t hit the back of your head by yourself, you know?


    ¡°Well, anyway. I appealed to the Marquis and old man Bernstein many times, and then you were finally coming back to make your debut. You had gotten so cute, and you didn¡¯t remember me at all. You also didn¡¯t notice at all that other men were trying to court you¡­!¡±


    ¡­ Your Highness. You¡¯re a little scary. Please calm down.


    And, uh¡­ do you know the proverb, ¡®love is blind¡¯? Or ¡®every man has his own taste¡¯?


    Even I don¡¯t make a hobby of demeaning myself¡­ I also think it¡¯s disrespectful to Your Highness.


    I backed away more because of my unbearable feelings, but His Highness held me steady and seized me with his blue eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re too oblivious. You didn¡¯t even notice when ambassadors from other kingdoms were persuading you to come to their kingdoms. You don¡¯t know how troubled I¡¯ve been¡­! You have to be more aware that your appearance attracts others.¡±


    Huh¡­ The Ghost of the Library is surprisingly popular with others?


    His Highness¡¯s blue eyes looked deep and dark. I was startled, and a shiver ran down my body.


    ¡°Elli. My feelings for you won¡¯t change even if you¡¯re the Ghost of the Library or even if you¡¯re slow. You should be more aware of this. It took almost ten years, but I¡¯ve finally caught you. I¡¯m not going to let you go no matter what happens, you know?¡±


    My hands were still in his, and I bent down.


    Even I understood that His Highness, who had done so much, wanted me personally and not the Bernstein name. But¡­ but¡­


    ¡°B-but, Your Highness. I haven¡¯t received the Queen¡¯s Education.¡±


    His Highness blinked his blue eyes a few times. Why is with that blank face?


    ¡­ I can hear you, Your Highness. You¡¯re saying something like, ¡°Oh? Even you care about stuff like that?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t receive the education¡­ but you took the exam. It was determined that you wouldn¡¯t need the Queen¡¯s Education.¡±


    Huh¡­?


    ¡°When you first became my fianc¨¦e, mother and the court ladies invited you to tea parties and barraged you with questions, didn¡¯t they? That was to test your knowledge, education, etiquette¡­ well, aside from sociability. They said that your appearance and nature are also fine.¡±


    ¡°I, I didn¡¯t hear about this¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t tell you. I thought you would run away if I told you.¡±


    I realised now that his sparkling smile was the smile of the devil. Is there a way to escape from His Highness who is getting closer to me?


    ¡°I, I¡¯m not good with socialising.¡±


    This is an absolute condition for a Queen.


    Your Highness, please stop putting your mouth on my hand. My heart feels like it¡¯s going to pop out of my mouth.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Mother is bad at diplomacy.¡±


    Excuse me?


    ¡°She¡¯s not good with¡­ other kingdom¡¯s culture, knowledge or language. Therefore, whenever a guest of honour from another kingdom comes, she always calls for you and stays in the royal palace, right?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re very knowledgeable,¡± she would say.


    Speaking of which¡­ I also remember this. I just thought that was one of my duties as the Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    I learnt other languages because I wanted to read books from other kingdoms. Some books were translated, but those written in the original language had the subtle phrases and nuances from that kingdom.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Say, Elli,¡± His Highness took a short breath, and spoke to me in a gentle and persuading voice.


    ¡°Standing at the top requires perfection, but everyone has strengths and weakness because we¡¯re human. Fortunately, we have people to make up for those points around us. ¨D¨D¨D And most of all, I want you to stay by my side for the rest of my life. You don¡¯t want this, Elli¡­?¡±


    My heart was throbbing stronger than ever.


    I was engulfed by His Highness¡¯s clear-blue eyes, and the anguish I felt this morning melted and disappeared.


    It was so sad and depressing when I thought that I wanted to stay by his side, but couldn¡¯t any more.


    ¡°Can I¡­ stay by your side?¡±


    Prince Christopher smiled broadly with happiness.


    ¡°Elli. Elianna. You¡¯re the only one I want by my side, both in the past and the future.¡±


    My throbbing heart took hold of me, and I felt a smile appear on my face.


    ¡°I learned for the first time that there is something that can¡¯t be understood from reading alone.¡±


    ¡°Fufu,¡± His Highness laughed. He touched my cheeks, his blue eyes swirled gently and sweetly, and the border between us disappeared.


    Before touching my lips, he whispered lovingly, ¡°¨D¨D¨D My beloved Princess Bibliophile.¡±

 Chapter 10 - Volume 01; Behind the Scenes: Part 01

    Volume 01; Behind the Scenes: Part 01


    Side Story 01: Behind the Scenes (Males)


    (Alexei¡¯s POV)


    I had been stunned when I met that girl for the first time.


    Her silvery-golden hair that was close to silver. The fluffy aura that lightly coloured her as if it was melting, and the mysterious air around her that was transparent in the day and highlighted her pretty features.


    Her hazy eyelashes covered her ashy-blue eyes. Her small nose bridge and lips. Her slender body and white skin.


    ¨D¨D¨D She is a beautiful girl who looked like a doll.


    That was my, Alexei Strasser¡¯s, first impression of her.


    It was honestly surprising. Is this secluded young lady really someone from the Bernstein House who is also known as the¡ºBrains of Southlynd¡»?


    Unfortunately, I have little memory of her debut. I only remember that Christopher, my cousin, childhood friend, and the Crown Prince of this kingdom, had been restless.


    I did know that he has been persistent about her since long ago.


    She was given the title of his fianc¨¦e about a month after her debut, and I was shocked rather than surprised¡­ No, I take my hat off to his skill. I wished that he was that enthusiastic about political matters though.


    Shortly after she started coming to the royal palace, I came home to find my sister, Theresa, awfully excited.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Brother!¡± I can hear you even if you don¡¯t shout. It was shameful for her to show that kind of expression as a Duchess, even if she was in front of her family.


    ¡°Argh! Stop making that scary face. That¡¯s why your migraine never goes away.¡±


    Who is the one making my migraine worse?


    ¡°Anyway, hey! The Queen¡¯s tea party was today, wasn¡¯t it? I met Miss Elianna for the first time since the engagement party¡­¡±


    Come to think of it, there was something like that. I remembered.


    My sister, Theresa, had just turned 15 this year. She has the same black hair like me and reddish-brown eyes from father. She is a beautiful and dignified lady, even if I take away my bias as her brother.


    My sister was at the top of the list for fianc¨¦e candidates for Prince Christopher because they were close in age and because of our parentage before Miss Elianna showed up. But, she was also kept at a distance because mother was the former King¡¯s sister, and their blood relations were too close.


    The expectations of the lazy Prince, who wouldn¡¯t choose a fianc¨¦e, became apparent, and I couldn¡¯t cause a fuss in the royal court. This was probably also true for my sister and the ladies who were considered as his fianc¨¦e candidates.


    When I wondered if his ex-fianc¨¦e candidates were invited to this tea party, my sister blushed for some reason and started shaking.


    I questioned this, and she began to laugh because she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.


    ¡­ Theresa. I¡¯ll have you spend twice the time with your etiquette tutor tomorrow.


    ¡°Brother¡­! Don¡¯t look sly. You look like a black-hearted officer of the devil!¡±


    Rude.


    According to what I heard from sister when she managed to calm her laughter down:


    At the tea party, the table surrounding Miss Elianna was occupied by the young ladies who were admirably given the title of His Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦e candidates.


    As soon as the tea party began (¨D¨D¨D sister heard the bells chime), they all attacked Miss Elianna.


    They said, ¡°¡­ Even if she¡¯s from a Marquis House, there¡¯s a limit to how shameless someone from the lowest rank can be. A country bumpkin who doesn¡¯t know her place. I wonder how many men she has deceived with her docile appearance. She¡¯s just like a poisonous insect. Like a poisonous moth that has infested the royal palace. But it seems like she¡¯s still a larva right now¡­¡±


    ¡°Hohoho,¡± the young ladies laughed together, and Miss Elianna opened her mouth.


    ¡ºThe period for larvae have already passed.¡»


    ¡°Hah?¡± One of the ladies blinked her eyes as if she had heard wrong, and Miss Elianna explained indifferently.


    ¡ºThe fresh green season is already here, so the poisonous moths should have evolved from larvae into pupae. They will become adults in about half a month and gather around light, like the ones outside. We have to be careful in their breeding season. Some eggs are injected with poison to protect them from predators.¡»


    ¡°What¡­?¡± The lady next to her seemed to have forgotten to hold her fan to her mouth.


    ¡ºSome species are even dangerous to touch because the adults attach their poisonous hairs on their eggs. Poisonous moths mainly lay their eggs on rose plants.¡»


    Was it intentional or accidental when she stared at the hair of the most arrogant lady as she said that?


    ¡°Eep,¡± the lady said as she panicked and ripped off the rose from her neatly arranged hair. She turned pale, probably because she had imagined that the insect¡¯s eggs were in the rose she wore.


    Apparently, Miss Elianna didn¡¯t seem to care and kept on speaking.


    ¡ºThe larvae of poisonous moths cling to the poisonous hairs shortly after hatching and pass winter with the group. That kind of hairy variety is generally called caterpillars. There are poisonous and non-poisonous kinds¡­ By the way, the opposite of that is a hairless caterpillar.¡»


    Then, Miss Elianna talked about the ecology of hairy caterpillars and hairless caterpillars in detail, and when she ended the conversation by saying that some varieties in the southern islands had a habit of eating larvae from trees, the ladies shrieked, ¡ºStop already!¡»


    The ladies who had met at the table looked miserable.


    A certain lady, who had prepared her hair especially for today, was nowhere to be seen, half the ladies at the table looked pale and nauseous, and the rest were in tears while crying out, ¡°Please stop it already.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I was also speechless. I wonder how my sister is since she was happily saying, ¡°It was a masterpiece, Brother!¡±


    ¡°I talked with Miss Elianna after the tea party.¡±


    ¡°Bravo,¡± apparently this was a sincere compliment from Theresa. Because Miss Elianna had crushed the former candidates head-on and had also met the expectations of the Queen and her court ladies, who had gathered at one table.


    Miss Elianna tilted her head because she didn¡¯t understand what was going on, and Theresa indirectly pointed out what had happened earlier¡­


    ¡ºEveryone seemed interested in insects.¡»


    ¡°I only told them what I knew,¡± Miss Elianna, who had replied sincerely, honestly thought this, and seemed to have attracted sister¡¯s interest.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t take it badly. Although it¡¯s not like she can¡¯t feel emotions. She¡¯s interesting, Brother. Introduce me to Miss Elianna.¡±


    Sister, who was leaning forward with her eyes sparkling, made my head hurt.


    I still don¡¯t know Miss Elianna¡¯s nature yet, but it¡¯s sheer stupidity for me to introduce a lady who remained composed as she caused a commotion to my openly pleased sister. I don¡¯t want to imagine what would happen.


    I treated my sister coldly, and she grumbled in dissatisfaction, ¡°Fine. I heard that Miss Elianna is on good terms with the three Storrev sisters. I¡¯ll get them to introduce me¡­¡±


    I¡¯ll tell mother and father that it¡¯s better to keep Therese in the house with the private tutor for a while.


    ???????


    Another time.


    Glenn casually mentioned the topic of the Hero King¡¯s dragon extermination to Miss Elianna.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Ah. It¡¯s a thief story.¡±


    ¡°Th-thief¡­?¡±


    It was an adventure drama that every man in Southlynd has read in their childhood. Glenn looked as if he had misheard her, but Miss Elianna quickly nodded before he could say anything.


    ¡°In the old days, people came to the dragon, who lived peacefully and quietly. The dragon¡¯s land was bountiful, and they wanted to make it their own. When they told the dragon to leave, the dragon got angry and blew out fire. Then, a thief, who claimed to be a hero, came. He bullied and drove away the dragon who had done nothing wrong. He also took the dragon¡¯s most important treasure and boasted, ¡ºYour things are my things. My things are my things.¡»This story is about a thief, is it not?¡±


    Pitiful. Even I could hear the sound of Glenn¡¯s heart breaking. ¡­Your Highness. You¡¯re desperately turning away, but your shoulders and the arms that are pressing on your stomach are shaking.


    I could guess this from sister¡¯s story, but she really wasn¡¯t the standard lady.


    According to His Highness, Miss Elianna had learnt etiquette, so that the court ladies wouldn¡¯t find fault in her because she didn¡¯t want her reading time interrupted.


    I wondered if her values were alright, but I was surprised to hear that she voraciously read books from A to Z. Is this the Bernstein blood at work?


    If she could help me organise paperwork, then I could use her more than the half-hearted assistants. When vital documents for cases suddenly appear, she also attaches documents from a different perspective, and I could use those as reference. She also accurately put together the main points. She can also display strength that ladies don¡¯t have.


    I¡¯d like her to work under me and use her if she wasn¡¯t His Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡­ but he glared at me viciously, so it was impossible.


    But, Your Highness. I often wonder if she will do.


    She lacked emotions, just like a doll, and only became lively when she read.


    However, the title of the book she read when His Highness gazed at her and smiled a smile that would make ladies blush was ¡ºEcology of Wild Animals Who Live in the Jungle¡».


    Where is the element that makes young ladies blush and go starry-eyed?


    I sighed at the recent causes of my headaches and recalled the hushed mutters of the royal archive staff as they looked confused.


    ¡ºSomehow, the number of peculiar books have been increasing lately¡», they had said.


    I held my temple again at the fact that I played a part in this.


    A little while ago, Miss Elianna¡¯s brother, Alfred, who is also my friend, secretly consulted me. ¡°My sister said something outrageous,¡± he said.


    ¡º¨D¨D¨D Brother, when should I return the ornaments I borrowed from the royal family?¡»She¡¯d said.


    I was also stunned when I heard this. In other words, she didn¡¯t think that the gifts that were given to her ever since she became Christopher¡¯s fianc¨¦e was from him; she was under the impression that they were loaned to her as the Crown Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    ¡°No way,¡± I included this in my gaze, and Alfred, who usually looked meek, seemed troubled as he shook his head. It¡¯s true.


    I felt more mind-boggled than a headache. I think that her thick-headedness is extremely problematic, but I wanted to pinch the corner of my eyes instead of my temple. She wasn¡¯t even aware that he had gifted her those under his name, just how much has our handsome Crown Prince of Southlynd not been able to take advantage of his reputation in front of her?


    ¡°Ah¡­ How should I put it, my sister is strangely honest¡­ Well, she¡¯s too honest.¡±


    Does her honesty lead to a situation where the Crown Prince¡¯s office gets turned into the devil¡¯s room?


    I looked at my friend with resentment. If His Highness finds out the truth¡­ or if she actually returns his gifts, then he would be depressed. But first, he would probably go wild like never before.


    It goes without saying that his first victim is Glenn, and even if that is fine, he also involves me.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s why we made those conditions.¡±


    Alfred smiled wryly as he escaped from my gaze. I stared at him in annoyance.


    I know that Alfred, like his father, Marquis Bernstein, doesn¡¯t want his sister to become the Crown Princess. I had once asked him what he thought about His Highness¡¯s actions, and he said.


    ¡ºHmm. I feel like supporting him as a man because of his tenacity, but it¡¯s pretty tricky to do so since he¡¯s going after Elianna. I think it¡¯s going to take time. I¡¯ll be happy to support him if he could get her to pay attention to him without feeling down.¡»


    He just looked back with an inscrutable smile. I felt like I was reminded that it was challenging.


    Even I got caught up in this.


    Anyway, I talked with Alfred, and we decided that he will get Miss Elianna not to return the gifts, but instead, wear them regularly. Also, I will discourage His Highness from showering her with gifts.


    I looked for a day when His Highness seemed to be in a good mood and coughed once.


    I casually waited as he made arrangements for new ornaments, then His Highness must have noticed it himself because he looked unusually depressed.


    ¡°I know that Elli doesn¡¯t enjoy dresses or jewellery. But those gifts are from my personal assets. I don¡¯t want to be thought of as an unromantic man who can¡¯t even gift a single ornament to the woman I love.¡±


    He was a young man who had yet to become an adult, even if the wise young Prince was equipped to be King, and lionised by the people. Sometimes, he probably wanted to give priority to his wishes.


    I sighed, and was stuck with giving advice that I wouldn¡¯t typically give, ¡°Doesn¡¯t a gift have worth because it makes the person you are giving it to happy?¡±


    His Highness frowned as if he was sulking and went silent.


    After that, he stopped showering her with ornaments, and the archives started getting more questionable books.


    Miss Elianna will visit the royal palace more if there¡¯s a book that interested her.


    Is the authority of the royal palace archives alright? I had a new reason for my headaches.


    ???????


    However, there had also been an incident where those ornaments were the trigger.


    Was it about a year after Miss Elianna had become His Highness¡¯s fianc¨¦e?


    Miss Elianna, who dressed up for the annual royal family sponsored ball, was always surrounded by the court ladies in the past year or so. She was no longer the country bumpkin and had become a refined woman as the shiny Crown Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    I recall that Miss Elianna had worn a light-coloured dress with delicate and eye-catching lace on the edges. It was a lovely outfit suitable for young ladies.


    ¨D¨D¨D There is a sequel. Until then, dark-coloured dresses with lace peeking out from the edges were the mainstream fashion. However, as soon as Miss Elianna wore a light-coloured dress which matched her hair, with dark lace peeking around the corners, it became popular among the young ladies. Conservative elderly women would frown upon it because it was improper, but ladies loved it since the whiteness of their skin stood out more with this style of dress.


    But, what I heard from Theresa was ¡ºMiss Elianna¡¯s clothes usually use those combinations. Apparently, her cuffs always get dirty when she reads.¡»


    Incidentally, she preferred clothes that weren¡¯t overly decorated for a similar reason, so Glenn and the others would say, ¡°I¡¯m so glad my wife¡¯s dress is so easy to take off recently.¡±


    Other than being a target for His Highness¡¯s burst of anger, Glenn should also be careful of his back too.


    Leaving that aside.


    That day, Miss Elianna was like a flower bud before it bloomed, and attracted everyone present with an innocent yet hidden scent.


    One of the items that played a leading role in this was the wonderfully blue corundum, which was sparkling like a star and adorned her chest. It wasn¡¯t hidden in the whirls of glittering light from the night party and shone brightly.


    His Highness, who had given her this corundum, which was the same colour as his eyes, was in a good mood when he saw her wear it, and he turned more than necessary while dancing. Every time the star sparkled, Miss Elianna¡¯s innocence became more noticeable.


    Miss Elianna looked unusually gentle, and her ashy-blue eyes sparkled as she enjoyed her conversation with His Highness.


    From an outside point of view, they looked harmonious and suited each other.


    But, I know.


    She happened across a book she¡¯d wanted to read, and was still excited from that. His Highness was probably only talking about that book.


    I endured my headache and tried not to let it show on my face when I suddenly noticed that a man was fascinated by Miss Elianna.


    He was the new ambassador from Miseral Dukedom, a seaside nation in the southwest. The previous ambassador was a gentle elderly man, but the new ambassador was a man who looked around the same age as Uncle Theodore. He seemed friendly, and I could see through his ambition.


    I had a bad feeling about this.


    The new ambassador should have met Miss Elianna, who was present when he met the Queen the other day. I don¡¯t know what had happened then because His Highness and I weren¡¯t present, but Alan reported that the ambassador seemed interested in Miss Elianna.


    ¡­ I¡¯m begging you. Please refrain from behaving in a way that would wake up the sleeping devil. I prayed, earnestly.

 Chapter 11 - Volume 01; Behind the Scenes: Part 02

    Volume 01; Behind the Scenes: Part 02


    Not even a speck of my prayer reached the gods. Is this the curse of not believing in them every day?


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Miss Elianna. This is a confection made from brown sugar from the southern continent. It¡¯s very popular with young women from my kingdom right now.¡±


    He gave her an elaborately crafted sweet, and Miss Elianna blinked her eyes in confusion.


    They were in the resting area of the royal palace archives. According to a report from Alan, the new ambassador has been enthusiastically attending night parties and tea parties just like all the other ambassadors, but he grew irritated when he couldn¡¯t find the person he was aiming for. ¨D¨D¨D Per her agreement with His Highness, Miss Elianna didn¡¯t have to appear in high society unless she needed to.


    Then, the new ambassador changed his approach and started showing up at the royal palace archives. His purpose was, of course, Miss Elianna.


    From my view of vision, as I felt like getting a headache, Uncle Theodore was flipping through the catalogue of books as if it was someone else¡¯s problem.


    It was Uncle who had dragged me away when I only came to pick up some documents. ¡°You¡¯ll see something interesting,¡± he said. As someone who has to clean up afterwards, this was an act that shouldn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°Please try some, Miss Elianna. I would like to hear your honest opinion on it.¡±


    I sighed quietly in my mind. This ambassador seemed to be aiming for Miss Elianna¡¯s extensive knowledge for a few days now. He probably received some useful advice on his own kingdom¡¯s problems during his conversation with the Queen the other day.


    It wasn¡¯t bad for him to aim for that, but the tricks he uses to attract woman are ordinary.


    Before I could open my mouth, someone had entered the room unnoticed and passed through the side and picked up a piece of sweet.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Tears of the Black Pearl. This looks delicious. Lord Effingham. May I have one too?¡±


    It was His Highness Christopher with his dazzling blonde hair and handsome smile. The ambassador seemed surprised by the Crown Prince¡¯s sudden appearance, but he was advised to leave himself some room and not say a thing.


    His Highness nodded calmly and attracted Miss Elianna¡¯s attention, ¡°Elianna.¡± He bit off half the sweet and pressed the remaining half against her lips.


    ¡°¡­?!¡±


    Miss Elianna¡¯s eyes widened. She loosened her lips, and he pushed the sweet in.


    His Highness watched as Miss Elianna turned black and white and mischievously licked the fingers that had touched her.


    Fixed concepts of etiquette and behaviour don¡¯t exist here. The people who are watching just want to vomit sugar. Even if you are restraining yourself, can¡¯t you do this when you two are alone, Your Highness?


    Miss Elianna had her eyes wide in surprise. She chewed the sweet that was pushed into her mouth, but her emotions were apparent on her face.


    ¡°¡­ M-miss Elianna?¡± The ambassador sounded confused. No matter how you look at her, she had made that expression because of the confectionary, not because of His Highness.


    It¡¯s not that there was a problem with the sweets called the Tears of Black Pearl. That is a limited edition foreign confectionery that is also popular with ladies in our kingdom.


    It¡¯s just that there¡¯s a problem with the person who is eating it.


    ¡°Are you alright? Elianna.¡±


    His Highness, who had done something he shouldn¡¯t have, ordered the maid to bring tea. Miss Elianna quickly washed her mouth with the tea, and the ambassador looked as if he¡¯d received a shocking blow.


    I understand how you feel. Because she undermines the three main principles that butter a woman up: dresses, jewellery and sweets. I was also shocked when I saw her act like this for the first time.


    ¡­ Uncle Theodore. You may be holding back your chuckles, but I recall that you were just like the ambassador a year ago.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m not good with sweets.¡± Miss Elianna, who apologised, didn¡¯t like sweets, contrary to her appearance, which looked like she does. How sinful is it that the person who had just shrewdly sat down next to her had the qualities of a devil even though he looked handsome on the outside.


    Say, Your Highness. Your office has a mountain of documents waiting to be approved, so why are you lazing around for?


    If you have time to smooth things over with a dry laugh, and glare at the ambassador who¡¯s trying to attract Miss Elianna¡¯s attention, then won¡¯t you return to work?


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Is this called Tears of the Black Pearl?¡± Miss Elianna asked with interest, and Uncle looked at her with curiosity. The ambassador¡¯s complexion was restored.


    ¡°Yes. Our kingdom¡¯s confectionery artisans did a lot of research and worked hard to make it. It was originally made to spread the name of the black pearl that we had discovered last year, but nowadays, the sweet is becoming more famous,¡± the ambassador became talkative once he¡¯d recovered. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± he invited her with a smile on his handsome face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare one for Miss Elianna. The soft colour of the pearls would suit you, and I¡¯m sure that the nobility of the black pearls will shine on you.¡±


    I feel like I had him issue a challenge to His Highness, ¡®more than the blue corundum¡¯. My insides went cold.


    No man courts Miss Elianna in this kingdom. One, because she has the title of the Crown Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and two, His Highness Christopher restrains any man who approaches her with his smile and cold gaze.


    The ambassador, who was opposing His Highness, had guts and should be commended, but won¡¯t you stop since his smile is getting wider?


    ¡°Elianna. I think that you look better with the sea gems known as the mermaid gems rather than the black pearls. It also matches your eyes¡­ all the more so if you focus on the future. I¡¯ll get a new one made for you.¡±


    The mermaid gems which His Highness had mentioned with a hidden meaning probably referred to aquamarine. It was a gem that had the meaning of ¡ºhappy marriage¡»and I heard it was popular amongst young ladies.


    Although the two men were exchanging rivalry gazes, Miss Elianna replied like usual, ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    His Highness¡¯s shoulders fell for a moment. Miss Elianna¡¯s interest seemed to be directed at the sweets on top of the top.


    ¡°When I read ¡ºKarly¡¯s Myths¡», there was a story about the black pearls. The book is a collection of stories about gods who the southern continent tribes worship¡­ It is said that the incarnation of the Goddess Kahina, who the Marutai sea tribe worship, is a jewel called the Tears of the Black Pearls.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Then, the artisans must have known about this myth, but I don¡¯t know if they named it that because of the myth,¡± the ambassador responded friendly, but His Highness and Uncle thought for a bit. I predicted that we had just gotten useful information.


    In recent years, the pirates have been raging in the seas and have caused problems for southern maritime trade. As a seaside nation, Miseral Dukedom should also be facing this difficult situation, but they were able to minimise the damage that the pirates had done with peculiar tricks.


    However, by using the small and rare black pearls that could be harvested in Miseral, and transferring them to the tribes of the southern continent may be a clue to reducing the damage caused by the pirates.


    Seaside tribes shouldn¡¯t have suffered much damage from the pirates, and if both continents cooperate, then we might be able to find an effective way to deal with the pirates.


    ¡°Lord Effingham. I¡¯ve thought of something that has to do with trade in your kingdom. Let¡¯s move to a different room to talk.¡±


    I can tell that His Highness was using this excuse to send the ambassador away.


    ¡°No, I¡­¡± I had thought that the ambassador, who was fixated on Miss Elianna, was quick-witted, but I overestimated him since he couldn¡¯t even tell that the story right now had to do with trade in his kingdom.


    ¡°I would love to give Miss Elianna the black pearls¡­¡± Miss Elianna, the only person who didn¡¯t seem to understand anything, replied in the same manner, ¡°Thank you, but no thanks. It¡¯s too much for me.¡±


    ¡°I have¡­ the blue corundum.¡±


    I could see that His Highness was in a good mood.


    But I wonder why. I felt like I heard her say, ¡ºborrowed¡».


    I prayed that it was my imagination because His Highness was in a good mood.


    ???????


    The ambassador from Miseral Dukedom was entrusted with the mission of negotiating with the southern continent and was driven away by His Highness. A new, elderly and gentle ambassador turned up at Southlynd.


    After that, I often saw a glimpse of Miss Elianna¡¯s title of ¡ºBrains of Southlynd¡», and was impressed.


    The writing tool that His Highness and I use also started when Miss Elianna saw that His Highness had injured his wrist while practising the sword, and had trouble writing, so she gave him this tool.


    At first, he practised a lot because he wasn¡¯t used to writing with it, but he was a fast learner, and it soon became his favourite writing tool. I think the chamberlain, who saw him write with it, spread this writing tool.


    She also solved the previous problem with Maldura Kingdom, and when I was talking to His Highness about the military budget for the year, I suddenly wanted to ask her the same question.


    However, this young lady isn¡¯t concerned about anything else once she starts focusing on reading, and she had a unique skill of driving unconcerned things out. She doesn¡¯t even twitch when Glenn accidentally makes a blunder while dividing the tea utensils. I admire her concentration.


    I felt terrible and tried to change the subject, but His Highness called out to her, ¡°¨D¨D¨D Elianna.¡±


    Her silver eyelashes blinked quietly, and she slowly raised her ashy-blue eyes.


    Her eyes blinked as if she knew why he was calling her, but at the same time, she didn¡¯t know why. His Highness smiled gently and drew her attention, ¡°We¡¯re touching the subject of the military¡¯s budget. What would you use it for Elianna?¡±


    She continued blinking when he asked her this question and as if she still hadn¡¯t pulled out of the world of books yet.


    I can see now why they were still not mutually in love with each other and why it was counted as one of the Seven Wonders by the court ladies who accompany His Highness¡­ Your Highness, I can see that you¡¯re enjoying this. I hope your flexibility doesn¡¯t lead to a situation where you¡¯re strangled¡­


    I sighed in resignation and said, ¡°We¡¯re wondering if we should build more schools and stuff like that.¡±


    Miss Elianna closed the book she was reading and shook her head.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s important to raise the literacy rate of the people but¡­¡±


    Bernstein people will fuss about that over everything else. I thought, while feeling dubious. She was urged to continue, and she told us her ideas, ¡°For example, in poverty-stricken villages in the rural areas, even if they can read, or have books it doesn¡¯t become a dora. The most important thing in villages like that is what they can eat for the day. Being able to read won¡¯t fill their stomachs.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Southlynd is a relatively stable and affluent kingdom in the Ars continent, but of course, the disparity of wealth exists here. The difference is remarkable the further you go from the royal capital.


    I was struck with surprise when she had spoken about it as if she had seen it herself. His Highness was the same. She ducked her head a little.


    ¡°I read about it in Dan Eduard¡¯s travel journal,¡± she said.


    I recalled something a little bitter. I was interested in Mr Dan Eduard because of the incident in Weimar, and when I had actually picked up the book, I understood why his writing style wasn¡¯t popular with the general public; rather than a travel journal, he wrote it like a report. But, his abilities were hard to come by. So, I tried to persuade him to gather intelligence for us, but I was turned down.


    ¡°I¡¯m more suited for writing my travel journals as I like,¡± he said.


    So I looked him up a bit. Who was publishing his unsold travel journals? Who was funding him to travel to remote regions that weren¡¯t suited for trips?


    In other words, rather than work for the royal palace by collecting intelligence, he felt a debt of gratitude to the Bernstein House who had quickly discovered his talents and appointed him a post.


    Just how many others are like him? I recalled something that made my head hurt, and replied, ¡°Are you saying that we should support those villages with the excess budget?¡±


    Miss Elianna frowned as if it was difficult.


    ¡°I also think that¡¯s important, but¡­ We should first leave it up to the feudal lords to decide. If you¡¯re going to use the kingdom¡¯s budget, then I think you should spend it on updating health care in Krug.¡±


    ¡°In Krug?¡± His Highness asked as if he was thrust into the void.


    Krug was located at the foot of the northern mountain range. It was a fief that didn¡¯t have any specialties, was neither good nor bad and rarely cause problems.


    Miss Elianna nodded meekly.


    ¡°According to the records of the culture and geography book that Max Wiz published five years ago, ¡ºValley of Winter¡», the people of that region have always had a strong sense of indigenous belief and concepts, and the males dominate the women.¡±


    She seemed a little flustered because we were listening carefully, but continued, ¡°Krug has an overwhelmingly lower birth rate than other areas. I thought that this was probably due to the influence of their indigenous beliefs and concepts. But, not all of them are bad.


    ¨D¨D¨D I heard that giving birth is an important deed that women put their lives on the line for. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t believe that the act of nurturing and producing life should be directly linked to death¡­ I don¡¯t think it would be easy to melt the deeply rooted concepts overnight, but I still think Southlynd should show its will to its people rather than do nothing and fold their hands.¡±


    No matter their indigenous beliefs, they are Southlynd people as long as they live here, so we should lend them a helping hand if they are facing a life-threatening issue.


    All the more so if the children they birth are the future children of Southlynd.


    I was impressed inside. This part of her was what made her rare.


    While talking about ideals and sound arguments, she stares firmly at reality. How did she acquire this ability?


    ¡°Did you think about this before, Miss?¡± Glenn asked in a similarly impressed way. Miss Elianna lightly tilted her head.


    ¡°I did¡­ but I thought about it after reading Weimar¡¯s regional circulation notice.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± His Highness urged and his expression softened a little.


    ¡°I felt that the women are very robust after reading the regional circulation notices. The short columns are the same. The housewives manage their houses enthusiastically, and their children are also healthy. Their husbands do their best for their families. That¡¯s how an area becomes lively and prospers. The women were also the ones who came up with the Sami fish dishes. Some women couldn¡¯t move while they were pregnant, and their health plummeted after giving birth. I thought that supporting women would help revitalise a community¡­ and in turn, the kingdom will flourish.¡±


    ¡ºBrains of Southlynd¡»¡­ I was reminded of those words again. Unique to women. There is also an idea like that, isn¡¯t there?


    His Highness also pondered. ¡°Thank you for your opinion,¡± he said, and she went back to reading her book when she realised that the conversation was over.


    I sighed a little because I predicted that my workload would increase.


    Glenn was looking at Miss Elianna in admiration, and I couldn¡¯t deny that I also admired her.


    ¨D¨D¨D But¡­


    Can I say something? The book that she was more enthusiastic about than our conversation is called ¡ºHow to Tell Which Wild Grasses are Edible. You Can Also be Self-sufficient from Today! ¡»


    How did the daughter of a Marquis, and the fianc¨¦e of the Crown Prince, get a book on wild grasses¡­ no self-sufficient lifestyle¡­ in the first place? I wanted to rebuke at this scene. I also thought about things that gave me a headache today.

 Chapter 12 - Volume 01; Side Story 01: Part 01

    Volume 01; Side Story 01: Part 01


    Extra 01: Roma Market


    ¨D¨D¨D And they lived happily ever after.


    There was a soft woman¡¯s voice and the sound of a book being closed.


    A small child, who was looking at the woman¡¯s hands as his eyes sparkled, raised his face.


    ¡ºMother. Does ever after mean forever? Will no more sad things happen to the Prince and Princess?¡»


    The woman warmly wrapped the child¡¯s cheeks in her hands as she smiled gently.


    ¡ºWell, they might experience painful and sad things. But, they lived happily ever after.¡»


    ¡ºHow?¡»


    ¡ºThey can overcome painful and sad things if they¡¯re together.¡»


    The child pouted as if he didn¡¯t understand this.


    ¡ºBut, the Prince didn¡¯t come to rescue the Princess. The Princess also didn¡¯t try to run away. The one who saved her was the magician and animals.¡»


    ¡ºThat¡¯s true.¡»The woman laughed warmly to soothe the child¡¯s stubbornness.


    Her smile deepened, and she asked the child a question.


    ¡ºThen if you were the Princess¡¯s Prince, would you definitely go to save her? If you were the Princess in captivity, would you run away?¡»


    The child replied, bravely.


    The woman¡¯s smile became wider as she heard his answer.


    ¡ºThen, I¡¯ll teach you a secret charm.¡»


    ¡ºA secret charm?¡»


    The child¡¯s eyes twinkled even more. The woman put a finger to her mouth to tell a secret.


    ¡ºIt¡¯s a special charm I heard from your father. If you say this, then both the Prince and the Princess can be happy forever.¡»


    ¡ºTell me, mother.¡»The child demanded, and the woman told him.


    ¡ºBut, you know, this charm only works on your special someone. So you should never use it until you meet this person.¡»


    ¡ºOkay, mother.¡»


    The woman smiled to the child, who had replied innocently, and taught him the charm. Those special words stayed with the child, along with her bright and fresh smile.


    The child didn¡¯t know.


    That this was the last conversation he would have with his kind mother. That this was the last, irreplaceable moment.


    Warm smiles and expressions, the warmth of a hand and the gentle time spent together are things that will remain in the child¡¯s memory forever.


    ???????


    Under the sunlight of the blue sky, there are a lot of colourful tents and unfamiliar people.


    Foreign language is mixed in the conversations. Men and women were wearing outfits which were rare in Southlynd, and exposed a lot of their brown skin, but they looked suspicious because they had on cloaks with hoods which only revealed their eyes. The children running around were nothing new, and there was rhythmic music flowing around as if it was weaving its way through the gaps. Even the aromas floating around smelled exotic.


    They are Roma people who weren¡¯t an uncommon sight on the continent¡¯s public roads.


    But the party this year is comprised of different groups. They are a group of scholars called Thistle Star from the holy city Saulkan in the east. The group consists of researchers who have completed their academic presentation, which occurs once every three years and their followers.


    There is a theory that they were initially Roma people because they travel with Roma people instead of the continental merchants. For that reason, they are treated in the same way as the Roma people, who have been subjected to discrimination and prejudice, in the Ars continent, and they have been feared for a long time, but their knowledge and research results are the capital of academic research. The value of things increases as soon as it is recognised by the prestigious Saulkan.


    They have received invitations from academies from every nation, been invited as private tutors for nobles, and the royal familiars have reached out to them.


    Thistle Star appears once every three years with a newly published academic book, and they generously sell them in the street stalls.


    They didn¡¯t just sell new books. They also carried a wide variety of unusual books, such as rare books from the olden kingdoms, well-known and unknown foreign books.


    Is there any other sight that would make the book-loving Bernstein House want to shout in joy?


    I couldn¡¯t help but tremble in an unladylike way as my heart filled with excitement.


    And, I leapt out to an adventure on a foreign sea while suppressing my pulsing heartbeat.


    There, he smiled and gently held me firmly.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Elli.¡±


    I can¡¯t resist his sparkling smile.


    It started on a day that was the same as always.


    In the morning, I saw father and brother off as they went to the royal palace, discussed the house details with the butler and head maid, and then I got dressed and boarded a carriage to the royal palace.


    It¡¯s a bit frightening, but I have been riding a carriage with the royal family crest on it to and from the royal palace ever since I became Prince Christopher¡¯s fianc¨¦e.


    The people at my home were nervous at first, but they¡¯ve grown accustomed to this scene after four years, and they even chat with the imperial guard and coachman now.


    The carriage swayed as my maid and I rode on it, and we arrived at the exclusive entrance for the royal family while I thought about what had happened in the last few days. The different event began from here.


    I was brought to another room by the maids who accompanied His Highness and was forced to change my clothes.


    ¡°Huh? Mm, exactly what¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s His Highness¡¯s request. Miss Elianna.¡±


    Pressured by their smiles, I was forced to change into a plain dress as a question mark continued to float in my mind.


    I like how there weren¡¯t any gaudy accessories and excessive fabric on the dress, but I don¡¯t think this is appropriate for the royal palace.


    This is what His Highness wanted¡­? I questioned, and Prince Christopher showed up as if he had timed his arrival.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Are you ready, Elli?¡±


    I looked back and was speechless. Even His Highness was dressed in plain clothes similar to mine, and he looked like a knight.


    I¡¯ve only seen Prince Christopher dress as the Crown Prince, so it¡¯s like¡­ this may sound rude, but he looked like a stranger when he suddenly dressed like a junior knight, and I was perplexed.


    His Highness looked at me from the front and seriously criticised me, ¡°Hmmm. As I thought, Elli¡¯s naturalness wins and you look like a noble lady who is trying to hide her social position while sneaking out. This might be bad¡­¡±


    I had more questions when I saw that His Highness was troubled over what to do. And, Your Highness, could I say something?


    All the criticism you said to me also applies to you, Your Highness.


    Even if you dress like a knight, you can¡¯t hide the nobility and grace that oozes out of you. Your dazzling blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and your elegant, handsome features¡­ are all outstanding.


    I felt my heart throb at His Highness, who looked different from his usual self.


    Since that incident the other day, I feel restless whenever I¡¯m by his side. I want to stay by him, but I also want to run away, but I get lonely when we¡¯re not together¡­ I, ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡», felt these indescribable feelings.


    I put aside my feelings while worrying, and Sir Glenn, who was dressed like His Highness and looked like a friendly merchant¡¯s guard, stopped His Highness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cancel it if you think it¡¯s bad. Ok? We can still make it. I can picture Alex being angry with a vein popping out of his head.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already cleared the urgent matters. It¡¯s not like there will be a political situation that would waver just because I¡¯m away from government affairs for a day.¡±


    I could hear him bragging about his abilities. ¡°I don¡¯t remember conducting such brittle affairs,¡± he seemed to say.


    ¡°Even if you say that¡­¡± Sir Glenn still seemed reluctant.


    ¡°You just argued about the budget with Alex yesterday, didn¡¯t you? Baron Moseley is persistently asking for a meeting because of the usual problem.¡±


    ¡°The government affairs will be stagnated if I have to go along with all their worthless statements. His budget application was rejected for a good reason. What good does it do him to bring it up to me? I could only think that he¡¯s making light of politics.¡±


    I peeked at the stern expression His Highness showed in his office. ¡°But¡­¡± Sir Glenn argued, and His Highness smiled at him indifferently.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know when to give up even though we¡¯ve already changed, Glenn. If you¡¯re going to keep complaining, then I¡¯ll let you listen to Alex¡¯s lecture alone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a terrible threat¡­¡±


    I also understood what was going on at this point. Apparently, His Highness wants to go incognito. And he wants to take me with him.


    ¡°¡­ Your Highness. Mm¡­¡±


    Is it alright for you to do something like this? Fortunately, I don¡¯t have any plans, but my position cannot compare to yours.


    His Highness, who had returned his gaze to me, had a surprisingly gentle smile.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Thistle Star.¡±


    I gulped in surprise. I know that that group is currently in Southlynd. But¡­


    ¡°Elli, you said you wanted to see and pick their books for yourself even if it¡¯s just once, right? If you miss your chance today, then you¡¯ll have to wait another three years. So, let¡¯s go together?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Your Highness, but¡­¡± I objected like Sir Glenn. I¡¯m interested in Thistle Star. But there is a problem.


    His Highness took my hand as I began to talk and put the other hand gently on my chin. His thumb traced my lips, and a sweet aura was floating about just like his eyes, which were tempting me.


    ¡°You¡¯re banned from calling me Your Highness today. We¡¯ve changed into different clothes today¡­ I mean, stop it. I want you to call my name in public. Elli.¡±


    My cheeks turned red like a ripe fruit when he looked at me. I didn¡¯t need a mirror to tell that my cheeks were getting hot like when I have a fever. His Highness captured my eyes with his sweet gaze.


    ¡°Today, I am just your knight¡­ Miss Elianna, I will protect you. Would you come out with me?¡±


    Why is the situation the exact opposite even though he was being theatrical and asking me gently?


    I kept breathing even though I couldn¡¯t speak clearly, and His Highness was smiling sweetly. Sir Glenn sighed and turned away from both of us.


    I would like you to help me and not pretend that you can¡¯t see us¡­


    I was cornered by His Highness, who was shortening our distance¡­ and a fearful and faint voice called out to us.


    ¡°Mm¡­ I¡¯m aware that this is rude¡­¡± The maid, who accompanied me from the Bernstein House, said as if her breath was being taken away. I have two maids, but the older one had gone out on an errand, so the one who is with me today is a young maid named Annie, who serves me in the royal capital mansion.


    ¡°Master firmly stated that the Young Miss cannot associate with the group called Thistle Star. He also said that she can¡¯t approach Roma people¡­¡±


    This is not limited to Southlynd, it is a phrase that wealthy ladies are told from an early age. Roma people have been avoided since long ago because they have a different religion from any of the gods worshipped in the Ars continent, and they haven¡¯t taken root in any particular kingdom and have built their own culture. Even though this has eased because of the worth of Thistle Star, the fact that they are avoided doesn¡¯t change.


    All the more so for noble girls who would get bad impressions of someone if they were gossiped about just for being involved with that person. Annie¡¯s concern is justifiable.


    His Highness smiled in return.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be with her. I promise that Elli¡¯s reputation won¡¯t be damaged at all. And, I thought about this a long time ago when I heard it, but the Marquis only said she couldn¡¯t associate with them but didn¡¯t tell you the reason, did he? The Bernstein House doesn¡¯t care about public appearance, do they¡­? Or do you know the reason for this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Annie couldn¡¯t come up with the answer. His Highness nodded.


    ¡°Well then, Elli will be left with regrets forever.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    I felt my heart throb even more.


    As His Highness said, I¡¯ve always wanted to visit the market ever since I heard about the existence of Thistle Star and that they carry books to the market once every three years. However, everyone in my family, including father, was stubborn and wouldn¡¯t give me permission to go, so a servant from our house would go to purchase the books every time.


    And Thistle Star only traverses across the main roads, so the only opportunity I have to meet them is when they are in the royal capital.


    He probably knew my desire since I had probably told him about this when we met when we were younger.


    I can¡¯t remember any of that, so I felt terrible, and it is one of the reasons why I am lost in thought, but I was happy, and my chest became warm when I found out that His Highness hadn¡¯t forgotten about this and was trying to grant my wish now.


    I¡¯m sorry, but the guilt from breaking father¡¯s command faded in front of those thoughts.


    His Highness smiled and blocked my way so that I had nowhere to escape.


    ¡°So, Elli. You¡¯ll practice how to call my name until we get to the market.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°How about I punish you every time you say, Your Highness? Of course, I¡¯ll decide on the punishment. Well, it¡¯s simple, isn¡¯t it? All you have to do is call my name.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I asked again. His Highness smiled and didn¡¯t give me the chance to agree or refuse as he took me out of the royal palace.


    Sir Glenn sighed as if he was giving up, and Annie had no way of resisting His Highness despite her frustration and could only follow after us while looking troubled.


    I was stuck with being punished by His Highness in the carriage until we arrived at the market where the Roma people were opening their stalls outside of the royal capital.


    His Highness seemed thrilled, and it somehow made me really angry, but I could only respond to his punishments since I couldn¡¯t get my head around the situation.

 Chapter 13 - Volume 01; Side Story 01: Part 02

    Volume 01; Side Story 01: Part 02


    And, here we are.


    Like our appearance, we changed into an inconspicuous carriage, and I was excited by the sight where we arrived.


    I¡¯ve always been interested in this place. I couldn¡¯t stop when I saw their books and felt curious and interested. However, I couldn¡¯t approach them because of father¡¯s order. I couldn¡¯t say something selfish when father and brother were restraining themselves¡­ So, I pictured this place for a long time.


    That¡¯s ¨D¨D¨D.


    I can finally see it for myself for the first time ever. There are new books which I can immediately touch if I just reach my hands out. I can smell them and touch them directly. I can also speak with the people from Thistle Star.


    More importantly, unlike the bookstores in town, there is no other market that centres their products on books. This only happens once every three years.


    Has there been any event in my life that brings me this much delight?


    I don¡¯t think I was wrong for wanting to fly off to where the books were. His Highness smiled wryly at me, who couldn¡¯t hold in my excitement.


    ¡°Elli. I¡¯ve said this a lot, but don¡¯t let go off my hand today. If you can¡¯t do this, then I¡¯ll take you back right now. Okay?¡±


    It¡¯s like His Highness is my guardian. I was dissatisfied with being treated like a kid, but the sight before me was one I saw in my dreams.


    I replied with a wide smile.


    ¡°Okay! Prince Chris!¡±


    His Highness¡¯s handsome face froze. I grabbed His Highness¡¯s hand as he remained frozen for some reason, and dragged him around.


    I was so excited that I didn¡¯t know Sir Glenn and the three guards were smiling wryly in amazement a little distance away from us. I also didn¡¯t notice that Annie, who had stayed behind with the coachman, desperately yelled, ¡°Miss! You can¡¯t follow strangers even if they tell you that they¡¯re going to give you a rare book!¡±


    I plunged into the foreign sea with His Highness, and we were surrounded by a lively bustle. Even the music I¡¯ve never heard before was making my heartbeat.


    It wasn¡¯t enough, no matter how many eyes I had. I didn¡¯t know which street stall I should start with because I was too excited.


    Ah, better yet, can I just not buy everything?


    I can hear His Highness laughing after he regained his composure next to me while I was excited. He softly squeezed the hand which I was holding.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Elli. Calm down.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± I swallowed the words that I was about to say. I have to call him by his name today, he made me deeply understand this even though I didn¡¯t like it¡­ But, it wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t actually like it.


    I wasn¡¯t confident that I could do this while I was excited, and was conflicted. His Highness laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We have time. I¡¯ll bring you back if you¡¯re distracted by the books. Definitely,¡± he said in a confident and robust voice while looking at me gently, and I don¡¯t know how many times my heart jumped today.


    Then, a kind and teasing voice called out to us, ¡°¨D¨D¨D The two innocent people over there. Why don¡¯t you look at our goods if you¡¯re here to buy books? How about a romance novel that suits both of you?¡±


    I looked over and saw a cheerful shopkeeper with brown skin openly recommend us a book.


    The shopkeeper was friendly even though it is evident that we were dressed like this to hide our social status, but our appearances probably weren¡¯t a rare sight in this market that happened once every three years.


    I pulled His Highness¡¯s hand¡­ and my cheeks were dyed pink from realising this fact now as I peeked at the stall.


    Under the blue sky, there were also some worn-out books arranged tightly in his stall. I couldn¡¯t read the covers of some books because they had been burnt in the sun.


    His Highness also looked over the books in front of me, who was a little sad.


    ¡°This shop mainly specialised in speciality books until last year, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, the handsome man knows his stuff. You¡¯ll have to go to the centre plaza if you want new books. But, you might find a bargain here. Take your time to look around.¡±


    ¡°Do you have ¡ºEarth Document¡»written by Dr Lezzi three years ago?¡±


    ¡°Dr Lezzi¡¯s books are popular, so there¡¯s not many of them. If we do have them, they sell straight away.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You never change.¡± I picked up a nearby book next to His Highness, who was muttering something. The shopkeeper noticed and spoke, ¡°¡ºStar Travellers¡»? It¡¯s a children¡¯s fairy-tale, but adults enjoy it too. I think you¡¯ll like it too, Miss.¡±


    I gently took my hands away from His Highness¡¯s without seeming rude, and turn the pages of the book.


    As the shopkeeper had said, it was a fairy-tale written for children by an anonymous author a long time ago, but there were few illustrations, and it was a dull book about star children travelling all around the place. Unfortunately, this book wasn¡¯t popular in Southlynd because people here preferred to read about the adventures of the Hero King.


    But, I remember this fairy-tale.


    ¡°Elli, do you like it?¡± His Highness sounded as if he would buy it straight away, and I replied normally, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°This is the Saulkan version, isn¡¯t it? If possible, I want a book written in old Lacan¡­ or something written in the Kai Erg era? The one I want the most is the Fire Thorn version, do you have this?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s handsome face looked flabbergasted. The shopkeeper blinked his eyes as if he¡¯d just heard a foreign language and repeated what I had said in irritation, and His Highness gently rephrased what I had just said, ¡°Shopkeeper. Do you have any other copies of ¡ºStar Travellers¡»? If possible, we want copies which aren¡¯t written in Saulkan.¡±


    ¡°Ah, oh¡­¡±


    I watched as the shopkeeper walked to the back of the stall with a bewildered look on his face, and tilted my head. Did I say something odd?


    His Highness, who was smiling wryly, told me the reason, ¡°Even if this is a market for books, not everyone is familiar with books. It only happens once every three years¡­ So, people who work in the bookstores at the royal capital might be more knowledgeable about books. That¡¯s why people might not be able to understand some of the terminologies.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    This market is opened by Roma people who migrate with Thistle Star, so I was under the impression that they would know a lot about books. However, when I look at the books which had been burnt by the sun, I realised that this wasn¡¯t the rule.


    Even so, I¡¯m surprised that His Highness is really knowledgeable. He suppressed his usual presence, and his ability to act like a knight is splendid, but judging by how friendly he was with the shopkeeper, perhaps, this isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s done this?


    ¡°But¡­ I didn¡¯t know that¡ºStar Travellers¡»was written in a lot of languages. Well, if it¡¯s being sold in different kingdoms, then the picture books and fairy-tales will be written in the language of said kingdom.¡±


    He peeked at the book in my hand without constraint, and I was startled.


    ¡°¡ºStar Travellers¡»changes a little bit. When it is written in ancient languages, it is used to teach classics, but the children¡¯s journeys vary a little depending on the period and kingdom where it is reprinted.¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± His Highness seemed interested. ¡°That¡¯s strange even though it was written anonymously. I wonder if they changed the translators.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Father gathered them in his study, so I know there are different versions. I always thought that he collected them because it was mother¡¯s favourite book, but I may be wrong.¡±


    ¡°It really is mysterious. I think I¡¯ll reread it.¡±


    I replied in surprise, ¡°Your Highness, you read fairy-tales?¡±


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Elli.¡±


    I suddenly held my hands to my mouth, but I couldn¡¯t take back the words that I had already said. His Highness was smiling, and his eyes looked like a hunter who¡¯d just caught his prey.


    ¡°Do you want me to punish you that much?¡±


    His Highness removed the hand, which was covering my mouth, and I became flustered. I recalled what had happened inside the carriage and felt my cheeks getting hot.


    His Highness put his hand on my jaw, and his blue eyes laughed sweetly, then I heard the voice of salvation, ¡°You two¡­ If you want to flirt, can you do it somewhere else?¡±


    It was the shopkeeper who had returned with books. I was relieved, and apologised, ¡°We¡¯ll be careful,¡± before slipping out of His Highness¡¯s arms. I didn¡¯t hear His Highness click his tongue. Yup.


    I took some books from the shopkeeper, and couldn¡¯t help my curiosity towards other rare foreign books. I thought that they would stock different books depending on the street stall, but there were picture books without letters next to strict academic books, plant encyclopaedias, ore encyclopaedias, encyclopaedias for theology, books depicting imaginary creatures, songs from other kingdoms, and papers on ancient inscriptions that I¡¯ve never seen before¡­ I felt like I didn¡¯t have enough eyes and time to look at them all.


    Still, I was able to visit several stalls because His Highness would call my name and pull my hand if I started reading on the spot. He bought the books I read straight away.


    Suddenly, Sir Glenn and the people who were supposed to be our guards started to carry the bags. By the way, I didn¡¯t have any cash on me, so His Highness paid for everything.


    His Highness happily paid for some reason while I was feeling ashamed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate to tell me if there¡¯s anything you want, Elli.¡±


    ¡­ Your Highness, I¡¯m worried about the future of this kingdom if you like splurging.


    But, I was confused about whether I should be candid when I saw Sir Glenn and the knights carrying heavy books. However, there are some books I haven¡¯t purchased yet.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Theories on the Plammer ruins?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Prince Theodore was looking for it.¡±


    ¡°Elli,¡± he suddenly called my name in a low voice, and I was surprised. His Highness took the book from my hands, and his eyes weren¡¯t smiling.


    ¡°Uncle has time and money. He can always come here and buy it himself.¡±


    ¡°Eh, but¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve already found it. I thought, and His Highness put his index finger over my lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re prohibited from saying the names of other men today.¡±


    It¡¯s a day with a lot of random prohibited things.


    I blinked in confusion and His Highness laughed at me, and his eyes looked at me invitingly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll punish you if you say another man¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡±


    Mm? His blue eyes flashed and sharpened. My eyes were swimming as I gulped.


    ¡°Th-there¡¯s a snail.¡± I pointed off into the distance to cover what I was about to say, and I suddenly heard a laugh from the side.


    I looked that way in surprise, and saw a young man dressed like a Roma dancer, trying to hold back his laughter. At once, His Highness¡¯s mood dropped, and he said, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°No, well, I can¡¯t miss such an interesting show, now could I?¡±


    His Highness¡¯s smile was somewhat ghastly and scary. He said one word, ¡°Return.¡±


    The Roma youth looked boyish and had honey-brown hair, which was rare for Roma people. I tilted my head.


    ¡°Do you know him? You¡­ Prince Chris.¡±


    His Highness looked at me, blinked a little and smiled.


    ¡°No, not at all. He¡¯s a stranger. There are a lot of different people in this kind of market. You have to be vigilant if a stranger speaks to you, Elli.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not a child,¡± I stated my dissatisfaction. His Highness replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m worried because Elli¡¯s cute,¡± he said.


    ¡­ What should I say? Should I say that he doesn¡¯t have enough restraints on him since the other day whenever he interacts with me? Or should I say that the binding on his restraints has been released¡­? I guess it was also one of the reasons why I become red.


    A sweet aura filled the air again, and the young man, who had been excluded to the side, rushed in and interrupted the mood.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that horrible? I finally got some interesting information, so I went to look for you two.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never brought any interesting information before. Whatever, go back. I¡¯m on holiday (of my own free will) today,¡± His Highness cruelly declared, and he pulled my hand to leave. ¡°Eh,¡± the young man spoke as he remained cheerful with an innocent teasing tone.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s about Miss Elianna?¡±


    Even I knew that His Highness¡¯s attitude had changed entirely.


    His Highness turned around and opened his mouth, then a sudden riot occurred at the same time as the nearby people started pushing and shoving each other.


    The angry yells of adults, accompanied by screams and the sounds of people scattering.


    I looked towards the noise in surprise and saw several children running from the commotion. But, when I saw this, I was surrounded by Sir Glenn and the guards, and His Highness was standing in front of me to protect me.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D They¡¯re thieves! Catch them!¡±


    The children slipped between the noisy crowds of people as if they were fish swimming in the water. However, the smallest child fell under the weight of the books he was holding, and several books scattered from his hands.


    In front of the stunned me, ¡°Rene!¡± a big child came back. The child tried to help the fallen child get up, and they were caught by the adults who were chasing after them.


    Then, the young man from before spoke to His Highness, ¡°Prince Chris. You¡¯d better protect those children.¡±


    His Highness looked at the man suspiciously, but he put off his questions and left me to Sir Glenn before stepping forward.


    The men who had surrounded the children looked like violent bodyguards. Are there also Roma people who make a living from fighting? I could understand the demand since quarrels probably happened in a market like this.


    ¡°Shameless brats. How can you steal from Roma people when you¡¯re Roma yourself?¡±


    ¡°Seriously. What happened to your parents? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll get anything from stealing books.¡±


    ¡°Were you going to take them to the bookstores in the royal capital? If a kid like you brings books in, then you¡¯ll be driven away.¡±


    His Highness forced his way through and timed his appearance, and a boy who looked around ten, raised his face after he was pushed roughly.


    The child¡¯s words completely changed the mood, ¡°You¡¯re wrong! The noble ordered us to do it. He said go steal the books! There¡¯s no need to pay Romas, he said. ¨D¨D¨D He¡¯s a noble named Bernstein!¡±


    Excuse me¡­?


    I can see the mood around me had changed as I blinked my eyes. The violent men were seething with anger.


    ¡°Bernstein, you say¡­?¡±


    ¡°Did he finally show up this year? I still owe him for that time!¡±


    ¡°Me too! I¡¯ll beat him next time!¡±


    ¡°The head said to bring him no matter what the next time he shows up.¡±


    I continued to blink as the violent men continued to speak.


    Are my family, perhaps, connected to the Roma people? Was that why father insisted that I not come here?


    However, my family has nothing to do with violent because we love books¡­ to be clear, there¡¯s no need to see the results if we get into a brawl. I don¡¯t think we have many chances to interact with people who fight for a living¡­


    And, I¡¯m surprised to see that these people hold such a grudge against us that they were burning for revenge. Next to me, Sir Glenn spoke to the young man, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Did you want to stop this because you knew this would happen?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m surprised because I hadn¡¯t expected them to react like this. The Bernsteins are popular with the Roma people, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    In a sense, this was popular? Their reactions certainly seemed like they were overreacting to the Bernstein name instead of resenting nobles for looking down on them.


    ¡°Hey¡­ Brats. Where is the noble who ordered you to do this?¡±


    The two children shrugged at the men who were approaching them. To be precise, the older of the two was protecting the smaller one. Are they siblings? I can¡¯t see them clearly, but they don¡¯t look alike.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Can I interrupt?¡± His Highness quietly forced his way through. Everyone¡¯s gazes focused on him as if they were intended to reveal his hidden presence.


    His Highness didn¡¯t seem agitated by their gazes and took his time to smile. He spoke calmly and interrupted from an unexpected place.


    When the child, who looked to be around six or seven, raised his face, his vivid blue eyes shone, and he flew at His Highness.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Dad!¡± He yelled.

 Volume 01 Side Story 02 - Side Story 02 Her Worries

    Volume 01; Side Story 02  Her Worries


    ¡°¡­ Mm, so in short¡­¡±


    We moved away from the commotion and sat down in the corner of a street stall at lunchtime.


    Unlike the well-maintained area of the town around the castle, the Roma market looked clustered: there were stalls with food and drinks near the vendors who were selling books, a group dancing nearby and even fortune-tellers.


    Sir Glenn was the one who asked information from the children while we were having food and drinks at a food stall.


    The violent men pulled back when His Highness told them something.


    At first, they had approached His Highness while saying, ¡°Are you his dad?¡± and ¡°Are you involved with the Bernsteins?¡± But he pressured the men with a sparkling smile that made even me feel fear and the men reluctantly withdrew after he¡¯d said a few words. I don¡¯t know what he had said.


    Sir Glenn looked dejected as he confirmed with the boys who were greedily devouring their food, ¡°The mother of this child, Rene, is sick, but they don¡¯t have enough money to see a doctor. So, you obeyed the orders of the noble who had spoken to you. He promised that he would let her see a doctor if you steal books from the market. The other children and you all pitched in to help this child, Rene.¡±


    The boy, who was around 10, named Paolo, nodded while being engrossed in eating.


    ¡°Rene¡¯s my bro, you know. He¡¯s the smallest and weakest out of all of us. That¡¯s why we helped him,¡± the boy named Paolo looked somewhat proud. Sir Glenn was already tired, and he asked, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re like his older brother. But, why does this boy, Rene, think that Chris is his father?¡±


    The boy, Paolo, finally raised his face up. His blank expression was childish and appropriate for his age.


    I compared the dark pupils of the Roma people with the friend, who he treated as a younger brother, seated on His Highness¡¯s legs.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t think that¡­ That person is Rene¡¯s dad, right?¡±


    Sir Glenn rubbed his head as if he had a headache¡­ I think that¡¯s Lord Alexei¡¯s special move.


    But I was worried about His Highness, who has had that smile on his face since the beginning.


    It¡¯s been on his face ever since the boy, Rene, called him, ¡°Dad.¡± His blue eyes, which were similar to His Highness¡¯s, teared up when His Highness stopped smiling a little, so His Highness granted this to him.


    His Highness heard Paolo¡¯s words and turned to me with his unchanging smile ¡°¨D¨D¨D Elli. I¡¯m not shady at all.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard that many times, Your Highness.


    Paolo turned to me again and looked between His Highness and me.


    ¡°Erm¡­ You¡¯re Rene¡¯s dad, right? Isn¡¯t that why you helped us?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything like that?¡±


    His Highness smiled wider, and Paolo shivered and froze. Sir Glenn said something I couldn¡¯t understand very well, ¡°Don¡¯t get serious with a child.¡±


    Then, a voice called out from His Highness¡¯s knees, ¡°Dad¡¯s a knight!¡±


    It was the boy, Rene. His sky-blue eyes that weren¡¯t cloudy at all appealed to the adults around us.


    ¡°Mum said so. Dad¡¯s a splendid knight with the same blue eyes like me. He¡¯s going to pick us up one day, she said. He¡¯s my dad!¡± He said as he clung tightly to His Highness. This would be an impossible sight in the royal palace. He could be punished for disrespect even if he is a child.


    In fact, the other guards other than Sir Glenn was frowning in displeasure. At first, they had tried to remove the child, but Sir Glenn stopped them.


    ¡°Ah, so?¡±


    Sir Glenn confirmed with the older boy, Paolo, ¡°You and this child, Rene, have never met your fathers before, right? Rene only decided that his father is Christ because of the features his mother told him, right?¡±


    Paolo replied puzzlingly, ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡±


    ¡°Rene¡¯s d¡­ Erm, that brother over there said Thistle Star¡¯s name to make everyone withdraw when he said he would take care of us earlier, didn¡¯t he? He knows Thistle Star, doesn¡¯t he? Rene¡¯s mum¡­ Marissa is a dancer, but her family is part of Thistle Star. Southlynd knights know Thistle Star because they are their lover¡¯s family, right?¡±


    ¡­ Eh. Is that so?


    ¡°Elli¡­ What is with those eyes?¡±


    No, nothing. Your Highness.


    I heard that Thistle Star are the most sought out people out of the Romas, and strangers needed to have a lot of connections to become acquainted with them. Just having a noble name won¡¯t satisfy Thistle Star, on the contrary, they spread infamy around the continent on the name of those who they are displeased with¡­ Somehow, I feel like I¡¯ve heard something similar lately.


    Well, Thistle Star is recognised in the famous holy city Saulkan. A lot of people want to get close to them, but there are a lot of eccentrics among them probably because they were scholars, and there are people who visit them for years asking to be taught by them. His Highness, who had connections with them, was mistaken for a relative.


    Sir Glenn shook his head as if he was troubled, and His Highness¡­ still had a cold smile on his face. A cheerful voice interrupted, ¡°¨D¨D¨D There¡¯s a play about a dancer and a knight falling in love, and it¡¯s famous in romance novels. It was popular around five or six years ago, but I didn¡¯t know that Rene was the real child of those two and that Chris was that knight.¡±


    The honey-coloured haired young man, who had disappeared somewhere, showed up with a steamed bun that is famous in eastern kingdoms. He sat down next to me with ease. I don¡¯t know if he knew that His Highness looked cold right now or not.


    ¡°Oh? Miss Elianna, you not eating? Ah, are you wary against dishes you¡¯ve never eaten before?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ When I read the ¡ºEastern Information Document¡»before, I asked the chefs at my house to make these dishes.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sure the Bernstein chefs are remarkable and know a lot of diverse recipes,¡± the young man muttered thoughtfully, and I shook my head. Does he know my family? Then, his boyishly handsome face looked sad, and he looked as if he was going to cry.


    ¡°I just greeted you the other day, but you still don¡¯t realise who I am¡­ Just what is my existence¡­ It¡¯s Alan.¡±


    ¡°Oh my. Lord Alan, you¡¯re a Roma?¡±


    It was His Highness who sighed this time, ¡°Elli,¡± he prompted as if pulling himself together.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s eat before it gets cold. You too. You can¡¯t eat if you keep facing me.¡± His Highness spoke to the boy, Rene, with a smile, and he looked up anxiously at His Highness when he heard those reserved words. His Highness gently directed the child to the table. I widened my eyes when I saw His Highness pull the plate closer and put a wooden spoon into the boy¡¯s hand.


    Does His Highness like children? Or¡­


    Lord Alan changed from his bitter expression and said teasingly ¡°¨D¨D Alan. Just call me Alan~¡± His Highness, who wasn¡¯t smiling anymore, turned his eyes as cold as Lord Alexei¡¯s towards Lord Alan.


    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your report over there. Glenn, come.¡±


    His Highness moved the boy from his lap to the chair and stroked his head when the boy looked up at him anxiously. He left two guards with us as he moved to the wall with Sir Glenn and Lord Alan.


    Paolo spoke to Rene who watched as they walked off, ¡°Rene. It¡¯s fine, so eat. We rarely get free food.¡±


    I looked at the meddlesome boy and decided to concentrate on my meal as well for now. Rene also became engrossed in his food as if he¡¯d just suddenly remembered his hunger. Then, Paolo spoke, ¡°Say, tiny sister.¡±


    Is he talking to me?


    I stopped my hands and looked at him and saw him looking at me with animosity.


    ¡°Are you a Bernstein noble?¡±


    I was surprised. I had forgotten about this because of the things that kept happening, but these boys were ordered by a Bernstein noble to steal books. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for my relatives to order something so barbaric, but the boys won¡¯t understand.


    Paolo must have heard what Lord Alan had said. I nodded honestly at him, who couldn¡¯t be deceived.


    ¡°Yes. My name is Elianna Bernstein.¡±


    Paolo frowned.


    ¡°Are you the mole¡¯s relative?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°The mole noble. He looks arrogant and lords over people. I could tell that he was looking down on us. But, he said that he would get a doctor to see Rene¡¯s mum¡­¡±


    Paolo bit his lips in annoyance. Doctors are valuable people. Few people have their knowledge and experience, and nobles also monopolise them. That has faded quite a lot nowadays, but there are still few doctors in town. Low-income people can¡¯t see doctors easily, even if they become sick. It¡¯s even more difficult for Roma people to see doctors because they are faced with discrimination and prejudice.


    As I fall into silence, Paolo raised his sharp eyes at me.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like nobles who watch their steps and lord over people.¡±


    ¡°I do as well,¡± I looked into Paolo¡¯s eyes and said seriously.


    ¡°I also don¡¯t like people who bully the weak. In¡ºStar Travellers¡», a traveller who was bullied by a crow he¡¯d met in the wildness, said this, ¡ºI¡¯m very sad that you¡¯re bullying me. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t bully the other crows that I¡¯ll meet¡»¡­ Roma people are proud of their lives even if they¡¯re looked down upon by nobles and other people. I think that¡¯s very admirable.¡±


    Paolo¡¯s eyes began to water as if he was wincing at my words.


    ¡°Even if you say such flattering words now, it¡¯s true that you¡¯re a noble and a Bernstein.¡±


    That¡¯s true.


    Someone had probably ordered the boys using the Bernstein name, but I have no proof. And it¡¯s also true that my house is infamous with Roma people.


    Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t help but say for my family¡¯s honour, ¡°Mr Paolo.¡±


    ¡°Mr Paolo¡­?¡± I looked sincerely at the boy who repeated this absentmindedly as if he was speaking a foreign language.


    ¡°My family never steals books. If we have to get a book we really want to read¡­¡±


    ¡°If you have to..?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll read it even if we have to beg or drug that person!¡±


    We can rewrite those books if we read and remember them.


    Paolo looked at me dumbfounded because I had said that a bit too forcefully. ¡°Isn¡¯t drugging someone worse?¡± I could hear the two nearby guards desperately hold back their voices.


    A thoughtful voice sounded from opposite me, ¡°I¡­ know about ¡ºStar Travellers¡».¡±


    It was Rene who had blue eyes which resembled His Highness¡¯s. Dark brown hair is a characteristic of Roma people, but I¡¯ve seen people with light skin and eye colours among them.


    ¡°Mum read it to me. She said¡ºStar Travellers¡»is a guide for our Roma people.¡±


    I smiled back at him.


    ¡°My mother also read it to me when I was younger. It¡¯s her favourite book.¡±


    Rene smiled at me, timidly, and I also smiled as my heart warmed.


    Only his eyes were similar to His Highness¡¯s, but children always fear me because I am the¡ºGhost of the Library¡», so children who smile at me are precious.


    ¡°You¡¯re like¡­ a strange noble. Sister,¡± Paolo muttered while being puzzled by my actions as I wiped Rene¡¯s mouth with a handkerchief. ¡°Are you really the mole¡¯s relative?¡±


    I thought of father and brother¡¯s appearances and tilted my head. Both of them don¡¯t look like moles at all. But, I had a silly thought that they might look like underground moles when they seclude themselves in their study to read.


    Rene, who was stuffed, slowly started nodding off, and I rubbed his head like mother used to do to me a long time ago. Then, I felt the weight of a child lean on me as if he was at ease. I was loved unconditionally, and he leaned against my chest.


    ¡°¡­ Say, tiny sister,¡± Paolo whispered as if he didn¡¯t want the guards to hear him. He looked at the sleepy Rene as if he was worried about him and glanced at His Highness and the others who were still talking.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re different from the other nobles. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking this. What is your relationship with that brother?¡±


    I blinked and looked at Paolo. What does he mean?


    Paolo continued as if he was annoyed, ¡°So, I¡¯m asking you if you two are lovers.¡±


    When I heard that word, I felt heat going up to my ears. I was speechless.


    I¡¯ve had the fianc¨¦e title since four years ago, and I¡¯ve come to realise that this title wasn¡¯t for show since that incident the other day. So, I don¡¯t have to be embarrassed at being called his fianc¨¦e, although my heart is throbbing. However, I have no resistance against the word ¡®lover¡¯, but that was also one of the thoughts I had the other day.


    I realised that His Highness is a special person¡­ an irreplaceable person of the opposite sex to me.


    When he returned my feelings and treated me with affection, I was filled with indescribable happiness.


    Therefore, I wanted to remember my encounter with him.


    The reason why I am here by his side now is that he cherishes our encounter from long ago, and he cares about me. Without that moment, it might be impossible for me to be like this.


    Therefore, I also felt that I was obliged to remember, but most importantly, I want to regain my memories with His Highness.


    But, I still can¡¯t remember at all. I¡¯ve never felt more pitiful than now since my memory is biased towards books.


    His Highness took me to this place that I¡¯ve longed to visit because of his memories from when we were little.


    When I thought about that, I felt an unspeakable uneasiness at the corner of my heart.


    The other day, His Highness smiled sweetly at me and shortened our distance. He had probably done that because he treated me as a lover before he treats me as a fianc¨¦e.


    But, am I worthy of receiving this?


    I can¡¯t remember my encounter with His Highness, and I¡¯m not sure if I can behave appropriately as his lover.


    ¡°Rather than lovers¡­¡±


    Those words didn¡¯t fit me. At the very least, I might be more confident as his lover if I could recall our encounter.


    My feelings and eyes dropped, and I heard Paolo say in amazement, ¡°What the¡­ You¡¯re not sure? Men won¡¯t be satisfied with you if you act like that.¡±


    I was shocked.


    His Highness hasn¡¯t shown this, but is he unhappy with me since I¡¯m always flustered? What I¡¯m anxious about what His Highness thinks.


    ¨D¨D¨D Isn¡¯t His Highness disappointed since I can¡¯t remember our meeting at all?


    ¡°Is it really like that after all¡­?¡± I asked a boy who was at a tender age. ¡°Hah?¡± Paolo didn¡¯t hide his amazement.


    ¡°The heck, don¡¯t go crazy. I can¡¯t ask you if you act like that.¡±


    Hmm? I tilted my head. Paolo asked me even though he was confused, ¡°I heard what you guys were talking about, and I somehow know that that brother isn¡¯t Rene¡¯s dad. But, you know, Rene has always wanted a dad. So please. Just today is fine. So lend that brother to me so he can be Rene¡¯s dad.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡± A cold voice was suddenly heard from behind me, who had frozen.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Why don¡¯t you get approval from the person himself?¡±


    It was Prince Christopher. I wonder if they¡¯ve finished their talk.


    Only a little time had passed, but Sir Glenn seemed tired. His Highness pulled Rene away from me with a sound, and Alan looked at him and laughed.


    ¡°Elli. Alan asked around, but he can¡¯t seem to find the connection between the Bernsteins and the Roma people. I have no choice but to go meet the people from Thistle Star.¡±


    ¡°Do you know people from Thistle Star?¡±


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s easier to ask the Roma people if they¡¯re there. There¡¯s also something I want to confirm¡­ I don¡¯t really want to meet that person, but it can¡¯t be helped,¡± His Highness muttered reluctantly, and I felt awful. I can¡¯t believe that he¡¯s putting so much effort into something that is happening in my family.


    ¡°That¡­ the noble who ordered that child to steal?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± His Highness answered easily. His smile was sparkling and captivated those around him, but I felt a shiver run through me for some reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m aware of who they are. They interrupted my (our) long-awaited holiday. I have to thank them well.¡±


    ¡­ I can¡¯t sympathise with those who use human weakness as a shield, and make children commit crimes. However, His Highness¡¯s beautiful smile made me want to advise them, ¡°Please run away,¡± for some reason.

 Volume 01 Side Story 03 - Side Story 03: Part 01

    Volume 01; Side Story 03: Part 01


    Side Story 03: The Prince¡¯s Worry


    (Prince¡¯s Perspective)


    Jeez. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve clicked my tongue and kept it in my mind.


    I had to since the child in my arms would get frightened every time I showed that I was in a bad mood.


    Why do I, who was called Prince Christopher and heir to the throne of Southlynd, have to protect these children? To begin with, I had freed both my hands just for Ellie today, but why does it have to be occupied by an unknown child?


    I really didn¡¯t understand this at all.


    The start went well. Elli used to sadly say, ¡ºI want to go, but father and people in my family said I can¡¯t¡»about the book market that occurred once every three years. I decided a long time ago to invite her here. I could do this now because our relationship had progressed.


    Elli was hesitant to break the order she¡¯d been given, but her eyes shone happily because I had invited her, and she was cute when she couldn¡¯t hide her excitement at the market and showed an innocent smile. If possible, I wanted to lock her up and spend the day off with her alone.


    When I tried to deepen our relationship with Elli the other day, her eyes showed confusion ¨D¨D¨D and uneasiness.


    I thought that she wasn¡¯t used to the touches of a lover yet but the misunderstanding between Miss Irene and I should have been resolved. Therefore, I was going to dispel her anxieties today by letting her feel how lovers act so that she wouldn¡¯t feel uneasy anymore.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Ah, Miss Elianna. Look there. It¡¯s the Rainbow Prelude. It¡¯s difficult to dance to this song.¡±


    ¡°Well. The dress is pretty long. Can you dance to that?¡±


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t you know about dance? Roma dancers show the rainbow to the audience with this song.¡±


    Her eyes widened in surprise, and her ashy-blue eyes were curiously staring at a corner of the market where a group of dancers were putting on a musical performance.


    It was an irritating scene.


    By all rights, I should be the one pulling her hand and standing next to her while explaining the market as she looked up at me in respect.


    Why does my position have to be taken by Alan and an unknown kid? I couldn¡¯t understand it at all. It was impossible to hold back the urge of wanting to click my tongue.


    Earlier, when I held the child with one hand and tried to hold her hand with the other, she refused and put herself between the two guards. I¡¯m sure her attitude is because the boy, Paolo, had said something. Even though she didn¡¯t need to hold back on anything.


    Picturing the future by having a boy of the same eye colour as me and Elli by my side¡­ it wasn¡¯t like I was thinking about something trivial like that. Honestly.


    However, things that aren¡¯t amusing aren¡¯t amusing. It should have been my role as a knight to protect Elli. Glenn had desperately screamed, ¡°The guys in my squad are all young. They still have a long way to go. Please don¡¯t order their death today!¡± That has nothing to do with me.


    Once the books are set aside, her interest and curiosity knows no bounds. Her eyes sparkled with interest at the foreign tapestries and magic masks. ¡°This is a counterfeit that resembles the one from the Empire era,¡± she said at the multi-coloured jewellery hanging at the back of the street stall, and the customers, who were negotiating the price with the owner, turned pale. She revealed the sleight of hand trick used by the so-called descendants of a magician and made their legs go weak. When she was asked to sample sweets, she hinted, ¡°Lara Tuta means spider¡¯s tail in old Lacan, right?¡± and the sales boy was speechless.


    ¡­ I felt like I¡¯d finally grasped the connection between the Bernsteins and the Roma people.


    While eating the spider¡¯s tail, the boy named Rene was entranced by the musical performance, I let out an inner sigh, and a grizzled voice asked, ¡°¨D¨D¨D Do you want to switch?¡±


    My childhood friend, who was three years older than me, could guess why I pardoned this child, so he put up with it.


    Alan teased me at the meeting before, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Prince Chris had a hidden child,¡± but he should stop it with the jokes. Does this child have to be my hidden child just because his blue eyes are similar to mine? When I sullenly said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he be uncle¡¯s hidden child because of his age?¡± and Alan nonchalantly replied, ¡°Eh, Prince Theodore would definitely say ¡ºI won¡¯t make such a blunder¡».¡± It¡¯s really annoying.


    ¡°It¡¯s because uncle¡¯s a show-off.¡±


    I wish he would expose this in front of Elli.


    Alan and Glenn exchanged glances when I said that. What¡¯s with that? If you have something to say, then say it.


    ¡°Blood relatives¡­¡± Alan said as if he¡¯d given up, and then he asked about the plan, and I frowned in thought.


    I understand the importance of Alan searching for me to report. They might be sabotaging the policy that had just started. They were only minor characters, and it was easy to drive them into a corner. They used Roma children on purpose so that people would doubt the credibility even if they were pulled out to testify, and to make the Roma people distrustful and suspicious.


    ¡°We can¡¯t trust nobles after all,¡± ¨D¨D¨D The Romas would say.


    And, this might succeed if the mastermind is a noble. In the first place, Roma people weren¡¯t popular with royalty and titled nobles. But, this opinion was like nothing because this is the Bernstein family.


    Alan said that the Roma people don¡¯t need to see to believe that the Bernstein would do something foolish as to steal books. They were even famous here for their reputation for loving books. However, when asked about their connection, the Roma people would shut their mouth and look disgusted.


    We were currently heading towards Thistle Star to find the connection between the Bernstein family and the Roma people¨D¨D¨D.


    I noticed the blue-eyed child staring at me anxiously when he heard what Glenn had said, and I was brought back from my thoughts. I wonder if I always made this face when I was his age too.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D I¡¯ll tell you an old story.¡±


    It¡¯s cute when children tilt their head in confusion. There¡¯s no need to say this if Elli was the one in my arms.


    ¡°¡­ Once upon a time, there was a little boy with blue eyes. The little boy was uneasy every day because his mother was seriously ill, and they couldn¡¯t see each other.¡±


    The child blinked his eyes. He was interested in a story that sounded as if it was about him but wasn¡¯t. Looking at his blue eyes, it felt as if it was about himself.


    ¡°The boy¡¯s mother was moved to a distant place to cure her disease, and the boy was separated from his mother. And they couldn¡¯t meet each other for a long time. The boy wrote many letters to his mother and prayed every day. Mother¡­ I hope that mother will get better soon, he prayed. When the boy was 12, his mother beat her disease and returned to the boy. But¡­¡±


    I made a serious face at the boy, Rene, who was listening carefully.


    ¡°His mother had turned into a completely different person. She wasn¡¯t the gentle mother she was before she got sick. She had turned strict and cold, and she didn¡¯t smile at the boy anymore. The boy was very hurt and he might have cried a little. Then, the boy thought, I¡¯m sure mother was cursed by a bad magician.¡±


    ¡°Roma shamans won¡¯t do that,¡± the boy said, and I nodded and laughed. I could tell that even such a small child seemed sensitive to prejudice.


    ¡°The boy studied hard every day to dispel his mother¡¯s curse. But, he didn¡¯t know how to dispel it and was a little annoyed. Then, a Princess, who dispelled the curse, appeared.¡±


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    I laughed at his sparkling blue eyes as if to convey my excitement at that time. Nearby, Glenn muttered, ¡°That¡¯s a really abridged version.¡± Shut up.


    ¡°The Princess was a library fairy. She knew a lot of things from books. But that wasn¡¯t all. The Princess read a lot of books and tried to understand the feelings of the people who wrote them. Then, she taught the boy how to dispel his mother¡¯s curse.¡±


    I continued as the boy stared at me. I tried to imitate her at that time.


    ¡°The important things are invisible¡­ She¡¯d said.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from¡ºStar Travellers¡».¡± I nodded at his excited voice.


    At that time, I was able to see a lot of things when I calmly observed. Mother had been ill. I was the only direct descendant of the royal family. The pressure my mother was facing probably wasn¡¯t normal. She had to be strict on me. Don¡¯t be inferior as the son of the King, who will lead the kingdom in the future. ¨D¨D¨D Don¡¯t let anyone attack you as if it¡¯s your fault.


    ¡°The boy also realised that he had overlooked important things like in ¡ºStar Traveller¡». He learnt that the letters he¡¯d sent to his strict mother were important to her, and she treated them like treasure¡­ So, the boy was fine with it even when his mother was strict on him. And he was very grateful to the Princess.¡±


    I laughed at the sparkling blue eyes. ¡°However,¡± I continued in a whisper.


    ¡°There is a hindrance which is trying to hide the Princess now.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    ¡°You might have seen it since you¡¯re Roma. In a kingdom to the far east, there are two-legged animal figurines made of pottery. They look very gentle¡­ and don¡¯t really seem like they could be bad, they look like nonchalant clowns. But like pottery, they¡¯re tough to deal with, and are very troublesome.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You.¡±


    I told you to shut up, Glenn.


    ¡°What happened to the boy and the Princess?¡±


    I smiled gently when he showed me an uneasy look.


    ¡°The boy desperately tried to go meet the Princess. But, annoying people always get in his way. Moreover, the Princess had been subjected to magic that made her forget about the boy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very convenient interpretation.¡±


    Glenn, I¡¯ll forcefully shut your mouth.


    I smiled widely at the boy who looked like he was going to cry.


    ¡°But it¡¯s okay. The boy never gave up on the Princess and took her back from the annoying people. The Princess also loved the boy more than she did in the past, and decided to stay by his side.¡±


    *CHEW* Glenn turned sideways and pressed his lips together, so I casually stepped on his foot. I stared back at the boy named Rene.


    This child probably realises that I¡¯m not his father. He might have thought so at first, but I gradually realised that his eyes were shining with wisdom.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Rene. Important things are always invisible. You must not lose sight of your important things.¡±


    The small boy was sincerely trying to perceive something from my eyes. Then a shy voice spoke to me, ¡°You¡­ Prince Chris.¡±


    It was the Princess with a small bag of sweets.


    ¡°I got it again even though I didn¡¯t pay¡­ Mm, I thought Rene would like same.¡±


    Elli is often recommended sweets because of her appearance even though she doesn¡¯t like them, and she would often hear about struggles at tea parties. The boy, Paolo, reached for the sweets without reservation, and Elli and Rene looked at me questioningly. I smiled and nodded.


    I felt anxious as Elli¡¯s eyes softened when Rene reached out to her. She didn¡¯t need to ask me permission for anything concerning Rene¡­ I really hope she doesn¡¯t believe that he¡¯s my son. I broke out in cold sweat behind my smile.


    Since this is Elli, she just looked surprised because a lot of things had happened, but sometimes her thoughts piece together in an unexpected way.


    She nonchalantly said, ¡°Is Your Highness his father?¡± and I couldn¡¯t regain my footing. I pressed her to deny her bad idea.


    ¡°Elli.¡±


    Her dreamy ashy eyes looked up. I felt impressed every time I saw how clear they are. She turned back when I called her long ago, but it took a great deal of effort.


    ¡°Can I get one?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, yes.¡±


    Elli presented me the bag, and I showed her that both my hands were occupied. Her ashy-blue eyes shone in confusion. I urged her with my eyes, and her cheeks turned red as if she had guessed what I wanted her to do. This reaction is also something that she has only recently started to show me and is precious.


    Elli was hesitant, and her eyes loitered around, but she timidly picked up a baked sweet and gave it to me.


    I put her fingers along with the sweet in my mouth. I tasted her fingers more than the sweet, and she became flustered like I had expected her to.


    ¡°M-m-m-my fingers aren¡¯t food!¡± She protested. I licked her thin fingers and bit it playfully before letting go. Elli became red and stiff, and I teased her, ¡°Really? It¡¯s so sweet and delicious.¡±


    I was satisfied that she had become speechless. With this, she probably wouldn¡¯t think anything strange, and actually say it out loud.


    Nearby, Glenn and the boy, Paolo, said, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t feel like eating sweets anymore.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it. This is an everyday occurrence for us.¡± ¡°Ah, the saltiness from your meals is doing its work lately, Glenn.¡± But, I¡¯ll repeat this.


    That has nothing to do with me.


    We left, gradually moved away from the market and entered the residential area for the Roma people. They had strict regulations against strangers, and men were blocking our way. Rene and Paolo are Roma children, but they were excluded as foreign people since they were evidently with Southlynd people.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± The man said threateningly, and I said a name I wasn¡¯t willing to state, ¡°¨D¨D¨D Could you tell Dr Nicola Lezzi that I¡¯m here to get him to return the favour from six years ago?¡±


    The man repeated suspiciously, ¡°A favour from six years ago?¡± but he seemed to realise that it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to quarrel with us after he¡¯d glanced at our outfits. ¡°You¡¯re not lying, right?¡± he had said even though he caved in. Then, he pulled an old man out from behind a covered wagon.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D A blonde knight, you say? What? I don¡¯t remember getting acquainted with someone like that in my life. If it¡¯s a debt from them buying me alcohol, then I owe as many people as there are stars.¡±


    ¡°Gahaha,¡± appearing with a thick, vulgar laugh was a thin man who looked to be in his 60s. Just like his remarks, he stunk of alcohol, his face was red, and he was swinging an alcohol bottle in one hand. He stared at me with intense eyes, and Elli¡¯s eyes widened furtherer in surprise.


    It was hard not to sigh.


    ¡°You¡¯re the same as always. Old Drunkard Lezzi.¡±


    His eyes looked at me suspiciously, and then he said in amusement, ¡°Oh, what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the na?ve boy from a while ago. Did you come to study life again? And when did you produce a Roma child? Was it the time when you were a na?ve boy?¡±


    I felt my temples twitch. This is why I tried my best to avoid meeting this old man.


    And Elli. Why are you distancing yourself from me while looking at me with such cold eyes?

 Volume 01 Side Story 03 - Side Story 03: Part 02

    Volume 01; Side Story 03: Part 02


    I met Dr Nicola Lezzi when I was 15.


    At that time, it was decided that I would be formally installed as the Crown Prince, and a lot of troublesome problems occurred with it.


    It was the problem of my fianc¨¦e.


    Until then, many prominent noble ladies in the kingdom were nominated as candidates, but I evaded them well and crushed them secretly before they became big sprouts. However, when I was formally installed as the Crown Prince, the fact that I had no fianc¨¦e was seen as a problem, and this time, a candidate arose who was challenging to crush even for me.


    She was the first Princess of the southwest maritime nation, Miseral; the birthplace of my maternal grandmother.


    I had met her, my distant relative, at ceremonies where both kingdoms attended. She is a beautiful princess; the Miseral¡¯s national pride and was also known as the Pearl Princess. She is graceful and elegant. She thought fast and gave the man all the credit. She is the ideal Princess.


    ¡°She¡¯s also different from you in a way. Why are you not satisfied with her?¡± People around me hounded, but I couldn¡¯t think of a rebuttal.


    It would create friction in the surrounding nations if we continue to deepen our blood relationship with one nation continuing from mother. ¨D¨D¨D I evaded them under this pretence.


    I was always frustrated at that time. I was always irritated with no place to take refuge.


    I was refused whenever I wanted to meet Elli, who had returned to her fief, and if I wrote her a letter, the delivery person would return with it still sealed, ¡ºA private message from the royal family is frightening¡». Still, I didn¡¯t give up and got information from the subordinates I had slipped into the Bernstein House. The underwater battle between old man Bernstein, Marquis Bernstein and I was like a fierce swan that swam elegantly on the surface of the water.


    Father, who was supposed to use his authority and power for his son, was panicking with the Prime Minister at first, but he gradually began watching amusingly as the matter progressed. In the end, he¡¯d said, ¡°If the day comes when you can outsmart the¡ºBrains of Southlynd¡»then my retirement won¡¯t be far off,¡± and looked as if he was reflecting on the basis of his son¡¯s innocent affection.


    ¡­ My distrust of adults, which was common at that age, increased further.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s childish¡­?!¡± All my complaints at that time went to Uncle Theodore. Alexei, who was three years older than me, was studying abroad to learn diplomacy, Glenn was a local soldier who was training from the bottom, and I hadn¡¯t met Alan yet¡­ my surroundings seemed to just be a gathering of people who were obsessed with the power of the next King.


    My only comfort was my thoughts of Elianna, who was separated from me three years ago.


    But even that had a relentless obstacle, and I was unable to reach her. Elianna was 12. She hadn¡¯t appeared in high society yet, but that doesn¡¯t mean our ages didn¡¯t go well together. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems for her to be the fianc¨¦e of I, the Prince.


    And yet¡­


    When I tried to visit the fief next to the Bernstein fief, they heard about it somehow and pulled some strings, and I ended up visiting a fief that was exactly opposite from where I wanted to go. My engagement with the Princess of Miseral was only supposed to be discussed between the senior vassals, but for some reason, it was the main topic amongst lower-ranked government officials.


    The other day, a nonchalant old fox said, ¡°Congratulations on your engagement, Your Highness.¡± It goes without saying that I was sharpening a blade to cut up this fox underneath my twitching smile.


    When I came to complain in Uncle¡¯s private room at the royal palace archives, he had stifled a laugh at first, but then he turned serious, ¡°Chris, aren¡¯t you taking it too seriously?¡± he said.


    I was certainly aware of that. Aren¡¯t I stubborn because there are obstacles? I thought that the Bernstein family was childish, but desiring her to be close to the royal family was the same as depriving her of her potential and future. Therefore, I knew that Marquis Bernstein and the old man were trying to pull us apart while they still can.


    Young love fades as time passes.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you think there¡¯s a problem with Princess of Miseral, right? Isn¡¯t it about time you move forward from your young attachments?¡±


    I know. I knew that I couldn¡¯t run away from political marriages as long as I was born into the royal family. The Princess of Miseral will solidify my standing as the Prince, and we could probably establish a relationship made from respect.


    I was only selfishly obsessing over Elli. But, even so¡­


    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t give her the feelings I have towards Elli.¡±


    She unravelled the discord between mother and I. Was I drawn to her because she thought differently from me?


    ¨D¨D¨D I can probably make up many reasons.


    Still, my feelings towards Elli were different from the feelings I had for other people.


    Uncle looked at my youthfulness and smiled wryly as if he was troubled.


    I shook off my guards because I was so annoyed with them, and went on a ride with my old chamberlain. Then, I reminiscence about Elli when I saw the Roma market.


    At that time, I really wanted to know her and tried this and that. I also found out at that time that she didn¡¯t like sweets. I had the childish idea of scaring her with a frog, but that stopped one day when I saw a grasshopper jump in from somewhere, and she picked it up to take it outside.


    ¡º¨D¨D¨D Elianna, is there somewhere you¡¯d like to go?¡»


    I was desperate because I wanted her to turn my way more than she turned towards books. And, I just wanted to bring her out somewhere that wasn¡¯t the library.


    Then, little Elli unusually spoke of her desire, ¡ºI would like to go to the book market¡», she¡¯d said.


    Once every three years, Thistle Star opens a book market. ¡°I want to just go there once,¡± she said.


    ¡ºLet¡¯s go. Go with me, Elianna.¡»I invited her enthusiastically and Elli shook her head sadly. ¡°Father and people at my house said I can¡¯t go,¡± she said.


    ¡°Last time brother sneaked out, and he was strictly told that he wasn¡¯t allowed. You can¡¯t get close to the Roma people, father had said.¡±


    Even though I asked her why she didn¡¯t know the reason. I was only made to realise at that time that I didn¡¯t have the incentive to break her father¡¯s order.


    I looked at the market in curiosity. I looked back at the chamberlain, who didn¡¯t look happy, as I left the horse to him and walked through the market. Then, I met old drunkard Lezzi. I intervened when he was quarrelling with a noble, and for some reason, he brought me, a minor, to the tavern and started drinking.


    At first, I never imagined that this old drunkard man was part of Thistle Star. But, when I talked to him, I realised he knew a lot of things that a simple drunkard wouldn¡¯t know. I was surprised when I heard his name.


    Because he had the same name as the author of the books I use to study with.


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    I was stunned, and old Lezzi laughed scornfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re a na?ve boy, aren¡¯t you? Your world is still tiny. You¡¯re trapped by fixed notions. That¡¯s why that girl¡¯s dad, the fox, is playing with you.¡±


    This was true, so I stifled my frustration.


    ¡°¡­ How can I win?¡±


    ¡°How would I know? What¡¯re you going to do if you can¡¯t get a girl or two with our own power? You¡¯re just a cowardly chick.¡±


    He had been saying as he liked in front of me, the Prince. Of course, I didn¡¯t reveal my identity, so it was only natural, and it wasn¡¯t like I wanted this old man to respect me.


    The old man snorted again when I grinded my teeth and uttered words that Roma people would say, ¡°There¡¯s something called the circling of stars. One day, your star and the girl¡¯s star will come together¡­ Well, I wouldn¡¯t know since I¡¯m not an astrologer. But shouldn¡¯t you as a na?ve boy improve your abilities for that time?¡±


    I got a better opinion of this old man. Didn¡¯t he just say something that sounded like advice to a worried young man?


    At the same time, I felt my irritation smooth a little. Everyone said that my feelings towards Elli was young love. They said that it was a childish attachment that would become a memory.


    And while I was being swept away by that, I was also struggling with my feelings that wouldn¡¯t fade.


    It was the first time I had been told that I didn¡¯t have to give up, and the irritating whirl within me quietened down. Finally, I was able to calmly think about what I needed then.


    I couldn¡¯t beat the old foxes who had hidden names as I was. So, I decided to gain power that I would need for that time.


    So that we wouldn¡¯t be separated the next time we meet. ¨D¨D¨D This time, I will definitely catch her.


    When I decided that, I cut off my engagement with the Princess of Miseral, and put up with the old foxes so that they wouldn¡¯t be more wary of me than necessary. ¨D¨D¨D Of course, I gained information on Elli behind the scenes.


    Two years passed, and I was ready for her debut. I had laid out every possible trap¡­ *Cough*. I made the necessary arrangements and succeeded in making Elli my fianc¨¦e.


    The stubborn old foxes gave me conditions, but I thought it wouldn¡¯t be a problem because I had already begun to build up my strength¡­ At that time, I never imagined that Elli would have forgotten about me.


    By the way, Nicola Lezzi had said that he had taught me a lesson on life and took all the money I had on hand for his alcohol expenses. Apparently, he had brought me to the tavern because he judged that he would be able to take money from me from my clothing.


    I re-learnt it again on that day.


    ¨D¨D¨D I can¡¯t trust adults.

 Volume 01 Side Story 04 - Side Story 04: Angry Princess

    Volume 01 Side Story 04: Angry Princess


    Life study? I tilted my head in confusion, and Dr Lezzi stared at me with his distinctive eyes.


    ¡°Hmm, are you the girl who the chick-like boy was desperately trying to get back from the fox? Do you want to hear an old story from the boy? If you pay for my drinks, then I¡¯ll tell you half-truths about the boy.¡±


    Half-truths? Fox? I blinked at those strange words and His Highness forced his way in front of me.


    ¡°They¡¯re both none of your business, old man Lezzi. Don¡¯t extort Elli.¡±


    ¡°What? Your body grows a little big, and so does your attitude. Or is it that? Are you trying to show off because you don¡¯t want the girl you love to know about half-truths?¡±


    ¡°You only want to brag!¡±


    Your Highness, your words are getting jumbled¡­


    The old man laughed dryly at His Highness, who seemed aggravated, and Lord Alan whispered, ¡°He has something in common with Prince Theodore.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ Are you a part of Thistle Star? My name is Elianna¡­¡± I hesitated to say my surname. Paolo might not know about this, but most adults should know that I¡¯m the fianc¨¦e of the Crown Prince of Southlynd. I thought that revealing my identity would be the same as revealing His Highness¡¯s.


    The old man stared at me with a different kind of interest. ¡°Miss, have I seen¡­¡± His Highness drew the old man¡¯s attention when he started whispering. ¡°Anyway, I have something I want to say to you. Old man Lezzi, take me to the chief of the Roma people.¡±


    ¡°The chief? What? Are the knights of Southlynd going to raid the Roma¡¯s chief?¡±


    At that moment, I could tell that the Roma men were seething with anger. The two guards quickly readied themselves and placed their hands on their sword handle, and Sir Glenn restrained them.


    His Highness sighed.


    ¡°I have something I want to talk to him about. I also have something I want to ask him. I want to talk to him because now is a good chance. Introduce me to him. Think of it as a service to someone who paid for your alcohol.¡±


    ¡°I only remember you paying for my alcohol once. It¡¯s not worth it,¡± the old man grumbled. His Highness put Rene down, patted his head, and said, ¡°Rene. Go to your mother first. We¡¯ll go there later.¡±


    The boy¡¯s blue eyes swayed in anxiety, but he nodded back firmly. Invisible bonds seemed to have formed between His Highness and Rene in this short time.


    I felt a haze over my mind and asked His Highness, ¡°You¡­ Prince Christ, you know people from Thistle Star?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Well, no. A long time ago.¡± His words were prevaricated, and he smiled. Is it something he can¡¯t tell me?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Elli,¡± he tried to hold my hand, but I quickly avoided him.


    ¡°Elli?¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ I¡¯ll go with¡­ Rene. You¡­ Prince Chris, please finish your business.¡±


    I should deal with my house¡¯s problems, but I was trapped by a strange obstinate thought.


    I lightly curtsied, took Rene¡¯s hand and turned away. A surprised voice called out to me, but I couldn¡¯t stay by His Highness¡¯s side right now for some reason.


    Since coming to the Roma market, I have been surprised by the sides of His Highness that I haven¡¯t seen before, and I felt an indescribable anxiety when I caught a glimpse of his unknown past.


    You can¡¯t know all about a person who is different from you. His Highness and I were raised in different environments. I think my hazy feelings are a bit different from feelings of wanting to know all about His Highness.


    But I do think¡­ that there are a lot of things that I don¡¯t know about him.


    The root of my anxiety is because of my lack of confidence for not being able to remember our interactions from when we were younger.


    His Highness sighed and looked at me as if it was no use. Two guards followed after me.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Miss Elianna.¡± Alan approached.


    ¡°I have to leave you for an errand, but you can¡¯t leave your guards.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Alan said with a wryly smile, ¡°Miss Elianna. Don¡¯t worry by yourself, it¡¯s better to tell Prince Christ about your frustrations and fears. If not, then he¡¯ll take it out on Glenn, and his hair will get thinner.¡±


    Alan teased, then he said something to Paolo, and both of them left. Rene spoke to me as I saw them off, ¡°Sister.¡±


    He opened his little mouth as if he was hesitating, and a new voice spoke, ¡°Rene. ¨D¨D¨D Rene.¡±


    Several children beckoned at Rene with a serious face from the shadows of the thicket. Rene approached them with his hands still in mine, and the children kept their guard up and looked as if they were going to flee, so I asked the two guards to keep their distance.


    They looked grim, but the children seemed relieved when the guards distanced themselves.


    ¡°Rene, weren¡¯t you caught?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Paolo? Weren¡¯t you with him?¡±


    The children, who continued to question Rene, looked around the same age as Paolo. Apparently, they were the children who helped Rene and Paolo steal books. Rene replied in a slightly cheerful voice, ¡°We were helped, so it¡¯s alright now. They also said they¡¯ll help with mum.¡±


    That was what His Highness had promised Rene before we left the dining area. ¡°I¡¯ll help your sick mother,¡± he¡¯d promised.


    The complexion of the children changed, and they looked at each other.


    ¡°Rene¡­ Listen to us calmly. We saw that you got caught by someone who looked like a noble. So, we waited for the mole noble to come, then we told him that we won¡¯t listen to what he says anymore because you guys were caught. And then¡­¡± the children looked awkwardly at the younger Rene.


    ¡°The mole noble suddenly panicked when he found out that you guys weren¡¯t caught by Roma people. He said, I¡¯m a Bernstein, tell them not to say anything unnecessary¡­ He locked up your mum, who he was supposed to get a doctor to see.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda bad, right? He also said to get rid of the evidence, so they¡¯re getting ready to burn the books. We thought about consulting with the chief, so we came back.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Rene. We couldn¡¯t protect mum Marissa¡­¡±


    Rene turned pale, and I also shivered when I heard inexcusable words.


    ¡°Burn the books¡­?¡±


    By locking up Rene¡¯s mother, he could use her as a hostage so that they wouldn¡¯t say anything that would inconvenience him. And I can¡¯t even call him human anymore since he¡¯s using such barbaric methods such as burning books to get rid of the evidence. An animal¡­ no, that¡¯s something a fiend would do.


    ¡°Where is he?! Where is that noble!?¡±


    The boys winched as if they were frightened by my threatening attitude. ¡°I¡¯ll guide you!¡± Rene said as he pulled my hand. I followed him without looking back.


    ¡°Miss Elianna¡­?¡± The two guards¡¯ surprised voices overlapped with the boys¡¯ voices.


    The guards tried to rush after me, but I could hear that the boys were getting in their way because they were on guard against adults who weren¡¯t Roma.


    They probably considered me a friend because I was holding Rene¡¯s hand. I wanted to explain a lot of things, but I couldn¡¯t afford to think about other things because I had to stop the barbaric act of burning books as soon as possible.


    In the forest where the Roma¡¯s residence was, we took a few steps and then an abandoned mansion appeared. It looked as if it used to be a noble¡¯s residence, and it looked desolate, even though it maintained its large structure.


    Several men were gathered at the corner of the garden, and a large pile of books were laid at their feet. I trembled because it looked like they would light the books up at any moment.


    I stepped into the garden with my breath ragged because I had been running.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Wait!¡±


    The men turned back in surprise when I suddenly barged in. I know one of them; a man dressed like a noble.


    I said his name in anger, ¡°Why are you doing such an outrageous thing?! Baron Mole!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Moseley!¡± The man corrected me. I remembered his face even though I didn¡¯t appear in social circles much because when I did, he would stick to His Highness. But, I don¡¯t care about his name now.


    ¡°You¡¯re less than an animal for burning books. It¡¯s unforgivable. You¡¯re lower than trash! Shame on you!¡±


    ¡°T-Trash¡­¡±


    He has probably never been subjected to verbal abuse. The Baron staggered, but I didn¡¯t take back my words.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear that you used the Roma children to steal books and deceived them with my family name. Admit your guilt, and hand over Rene¡¯s mother. You can still plead extenuating circumstances right now.¡±


    The Baron¡¯s face twitched, and he argued, ¡°I was wondering what you would say since you suddenly appeared here¡­ As for you, Miss Elianna, this might sound rude, but did you have a bad dream? Or do you truly accept the words of rootless people like the Roma children? Oh dear! I can¡¯t believe the Crown Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e would get involved with Roma people and be deceived by their words. This is a big problem, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Gradually, he began to grin, and his smile was repulsive. I replied firmly, ¡°Then, how do you explain the books over there?¡±


    ¡°These are books I bought. I can use these books however I want. You have no reason to order me even if you called the ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡».¡±


    Rene spoke, ¡°No! He¡¯s the one who ordered us to steal the books. He said that he was a Bernstein noble!¡±


    The Baron smiled at shrugged.


    ¡°What noble listens to things that rootless people say? Much less children. What they say isn¡¯t reliable at all as testimonies. If you accuse me because of what that child says, then you¡¯ll only undermine your reputation. On a different note¡­¡± The Baron¡¯s disgusting eyes fixed on me.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you make a deal with me, Miss Elianna?¡±


    Deal? I frowned, and the Baron proposed as if it was a good idea, ¡°I will keep it a secret that you, the Crown Prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e, are involved with filthy people like the Romas. In exchange, I want you to stop the stupid policy that has just started. I can¡¯t believe that the budget is being used for something like that and the deal with Berth Company has gone to waste. The Berth Company are about to manufacture new weapons right now.¡±


    The Baron leaned forward in excitement.


    ¡°We should monopolise it in our kingdom before it gets passed to another. This is for the future of our kingdom. Miss Elianna. I want you to think of the future of this kingdom rather than try to curry favour with the lower class.¡±


    Excuse me¡­?


    None of what Mole¡­ Baron Moseley said made any sense to me. But, I understood one thing.


    ¡°Baron Moseley. If I were to think of the future of this kingdom, then I would assign the budget to books rather than weapons, and research on how to cure diseases instead of developing weapons that can kill people¡­ Our predecessors said that burning books is like burning human history. Even I understand that we shouldn¡¯t be a kingdom like that. I can¡¯t accept your deal.¡±


    The mole¡¯s face flared up in anger.


    ¡°How impertinent of someone just borrowing the authority of His Highness! Then, I have no choice but to force you.¡±


    The Baron signalled men who looked like private soldiers, and they pulled out their swords. I quickly pulled Rene to me and put myself on guard.


    It was when the private soldiers faced their swords towards us, and I was stepping back.


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D That¡¯s as far as you go,¡± a dignified voice said.


    I understood this place was under control the moment he showed up. The Baron opened his mouth stupidly, and the private soldiers froze as if they were pinned by his stare.


    His Highness calmly appeared with Sir Glenn and the guards. I can also see the children who guided them here.


    ¡°Yo-your Highness Christopher¡­ Why are you here?¡±


    His Highness showed his cold smile to the Baron, who looked flustered.


    ¡°Outrageous. I wouldn¡¯t let Elli face danger alone. Baron Molesey.¡±


    ¡°I, I haven¡¯t done anything! Your Highness, please don¡¯t listen to what the Roma children say. They are dirty people who wander without a kingdom, they might take revenge on Southlynd someday. Your Highness, you are intelligent, so you can tell who is more trustworthy. Me, a noble who is loyal to the kingdom, or them.¡±


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Setting aside what you have to say¡­¡± His Highness¡¯s voice was chilly. His bright blue eyes stared at the men relentlessly.


    ¡°You pointed your swords at my fianc¨¦e. I think this current situation is more problematic than anything else.¡±


    The Baron panicked, and His Highness cornered him further, ¡°And you seem to despise the Roma people, but I have acquaintances in Thistle Star. I listened to what they had to say fairly.¡±


    His Highness signalled, and the Baron and the private soldiers were captured by Sir Glenn and the guards. The Baron shouted in vain, ¡°You¡¯re na?ve, Your Highness Christopher! Don¡¯t you know what this kingdom needs?!¡±


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D I forgot to say something, Baron Molesey.¡±


    His Highness directed his sparkling smile at the Baron.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the Berth Company¡¯s manufactured weapons that you¡¯ve been raving about¡­ You¡¯ve been scammed horribly. The old man, said to be the best among weapon developers, took part in the designing and drawing of the weapon¡¯s blueprints; but the completed produced ended up being unviable as a weapon. Berth Company mass-produced this weapon because they hadn¡¯t noticed, and now they¡¯re going bankrupt. And the old man who designed the blueprints took a large sum of money for alcohol and ran away¡­ There are good-for-nothing old men in this world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­¡±


    That was like a finishing blow to the Baron; he was no longer shouting and was dumbfounded and dejected.


    ¡°Huh?¡± A carefree voice said. It was Lord Alan and Paolo who was with the royal capital guards.


    ¡°What? You¡¯ve already captured them? I don¡¯t get a turn?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± His Highness rejected him with two words, and Lord Alan grumbled, ¡°I rushed, you know.¡±


    ¡°¨D¨D¨D Elli.¡±


    I stared at His Highness as he walked up to me and pulled back in surprise. I thought that he might be disappointed or angry because I acted selfishly even though they warned me a lot.


    ¡°Jeez,¡± His Highness sighed. He pulled me towards him and hugged me. I can feel his heartbeat and body temperature and my heartbeat instantly jumped.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t take my eyes off you. There aren¡¯t any Princesses who would march up to the bad guys without waiting for the Prince,¡± he said and laughed strangely. ¡°You really don¡¯t change,¡± he said.


    ¡°¡­ Mm, are you angry?¡± I asked timidly, and His Highness raised his eyebrow. ¡°Do I look angry?¡± He replied.


    His blue eyes looked at me seriously, and I knew that he wasn¡¯t angry. I tried to apologise, but Paolo spoke, ¡°Rene.¡± He called Rene, who was also being held by His Highness.


    ¡°They said mum Marissa is in this house. Let¡¯s go. If you don¡¯t show your face, then mum Marissa will be worried.¡±


    Seeing the children rush off, His Highness took my hand and followed after them.

 Volume 01 Side Story 05 - Side Story 5 Important Things are Invisible

    Volume 01 Side Story 5: Important Things are Invisible


    There was a simple bed in a room, Rene recognised the woman lying on top and rushed over to her.


    ¡°Mum¡­!¡±


    It was a Roma woman who looked worn out, and even the inexperienced me could recognise that she was ill. She raised her eyes when she heard the child¡¯s voice and tried to smile to reassure him.


    It was a sight that even touched the heartstrings of my memories.


    Rene looked at his mother and did his best not to cry. Then, he began to speak, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°I met a Southlynd knight. He has the same blue eyes as me and it a handsome knight. I thought he was my dad.¡±


    ¡°Rene¡­¡±


    ¡°The knight told me an old story. It was a story about a boy with blue eyes and a Princess. The Princess taught the boy a spell to dispel the curse his mum was under. He said ¡ºImportant things are invisible¡».¡±


    He¡¯s talking about ¡ºStar Travellers¡». Mother also read that to me when I was little but was it about a blue-eyed boy and a Princess?


    The story somehow tinkles my memories. I feel like I had this conversation with someone a long time ago¡­


    Rene wiped the tears in his eyes with his sleeves once and eagerly smiled at his mother.


    ¡°Mum, you told me the story about the dancer and the Southlynd knight because I always ask about dad, right? ¡­ I actually know. Dad is¡­ he actually isn¡¯t anywhere anymore.¡±


    His mother worried about him as his eyes shook, and Rene tightly grasped his mother¡¯s hand with his small one.


    ¡°The knight said that I can¡¯t lose sight of my precious things. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t run away from the truth like in ¡ºStar Travellers¡». Because I¡¯m a Roma with the blood of Thistle Star who continue to pursue the truth.¡±


    Oh my, I feel like I¡¯ve reached the answer to the question I¡¯ve had for a long time.


    Rene¡¯s mother hugged him lovingly. I also remembered my mother, who had passed away, and my chest grew warm.


    His Highness gently called, ¡°Rene,¡± and smiled warmly at the mother and child who had turned around.


    ¡°A new policy was passed about 10 days ago in Southlynd. It¡¯s a free medical institution with doctors and pharmacists for low-income people. It¡¯s operated by the kingdom, so their techniques and skills are guaranteed. It was set up so people like you Romas could use it freely without any problems.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­!?¡± Rene asked as his eyes sparkled, and Paolo looked surprised. His Highness nodded firmly, and I was surprised and filled with joy.


    His Highness continued to say something outrageous, ¡°It¡¯s run by the kingdom, but the name of the person in charge is Elianna Bernstein. You might still be suspicious because you were threatened by a noble, but can you believe in Elli?¡±


    Excuse me?


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ Mm, what the heck are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Mm, about the hospital.¡±


    No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking.


    His Highness grinned at the puzzled me.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the one who proposed the idea. You don¡¯t have to do anything at the hospital, but please remember that you¡¯re the person in charge. When I talked to the Roma chief before, Thistle Star also seemed interested in the hospital, so I hope they will use their wisdom to work on medical research.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to ask and just kept on opening and closing my mouth. His Highness smiled and told me that we talked about this a long time ago.


    I continued to read books at the library, and one day His Highness asked a question. ¡ºWhy do you like books that much, Elianna?¡»


    I broke out in a cold sweat because I didn¡¯t know what would happen if I answered because of my bloodline or because there¡¯s a book over there. I raised my face from the book, thought a little and moved my sight to the bookshelves.


    ¡ºI¡¯m looking for mother,¡»I said.


    ¡º¡­ Your mother?¡»


    ¡ºYes¡­ My mother passed away three years ago. I have few memories of her. So, I read books that mother loved, and think about what parts mother liked. And¡­ for example, if I read a book about war, I can wonder about what mother thought and what the person who wrote this thought of this book. And, I believe that the people who die in war are unfortunate when I read war books. I think it hurts to get hurt. I wouldn¡¯t want it to happen to me. That¡¯s how I talk to the person who wrote the book and mother.¡»I said as I gently stroked the cover of the book I was reading.


    ¡ºAnd at that time, I searched, wondering if there really wasn¡¯t a way to cure mother¡¯s illness. So, just like how there is a library for books, I wish there is a library for doctor¡¯s.¡»


    ¡ºDoctor¡¯s library?¡»His Highness asked in surprise, and I turned my eyes back to my book.


    ¡ºI heard that the knowledge and skills of doctors and pharmacies are very precious. But, apparently, books were also precious a long time ago. I¡¯m sure the people of that time couldn¡¯t believe that there would be libraries one day¡­ In the same way, if you have a library of valuable doctors, then they might be able to find cures for difficult diseases, and like my house, there might be less people who would have to grieve about losing their mothers¡­ That¡¯s what I think.¡»


    His Highness was surprised at me again because my thoughts were completely different from his.


    He was only relieved that his mother¡¯s illness had been cured, and his feelings were only diverted to problems right in front of him. However, I can come up with a different idea, and think of the feelings of those who are sad as well. I was also aware of how narrow my vision was.


    ¡°Such a¡­¡±


    Isn¡¯t he exaggerating? I backed away. His Highness smiled, shook his head, and gently squeezed our joined hands.


    ¡°I was captivated by Elli, who could come up with ideas I can¡¯t and sympathise with people who are hurt and sad. It took almost ten years to gather and nurture capable people with medical knowledge, but I¡¯ve finally done it. It¡¯s a doctor library, Elli.¡±


    Once again, I was so moved that I was speechless. His Highness always cherishes his memories with me. And yet, I was pathetic for not remembering our memories.


    ¡°The month before last, the medical technique revival in Krug led to the start of the project. Then, Baron Moseley swindled around using the Bernstein name. No one from Southlynd would believe that a Bernstein would steal books. However, the reputation of the hospital may fall if this is spread to the Romas because they¡¯ll start distrusting nobles¡­ But the Baron miscalculated since the Roma people are famous in a different sense.¡±


    I see. I also understood this. He wanted the hospital and medical institutions to fail by getting people to look down on the Bernstein name.


    I also remembered another mystery that hadn¡¯t been solved yet. But, Paolo stupefied voice spoke before I could mention it, ¡°What the, Sister. You said you weren¡¯t sure if you two were lovers, but you¡¯re both passionately in love no matter how you look at it.¡±


    As soon as he¡¯d said that, a sharp glance ran through His Highness¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Heh¡­ Did she say she wasn¡¯t sure?¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±


    I bent my hips and almost ran away, but I couldn¡¯t because we were still holding hands. ¡°Hmm?¡± His Highness¡¯s eyes wouldn¡¯t let me escape, and I remembered what Lord Alan had said earlier.


    ¡°Elli, say it. Why aren¡¯t you sure?¡±


    His Highness¡¯s voice was so gentle that I felt like crying even more because of how pathetic I was. I hesitated and said what was bothering me, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve always been thinking about it since the other day, but I can¡¯t seem to remember when we met.¡±


    ¡°Elli¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Your Highness, you still cherish the memories we had but¡­¡±


    Can I call myself his lover when I can¡¯t even remember?


    That thought made me want to cry, and I pursed my lips. I looked down, and His Highness laughed joyfully as he hugged me tightly.


    I was so surprised that I nearly stopped breathing. I looked up, and His Highness kissed my forehead.


    ¡°Y-y-yo-you¡­¡±


    We¡¯re in public, Your Highness!


    ¡°Elianna!¡±


    He hugged me tightly as he spun around, and I was overwhelmed by his good mood, which I had never seen before, without knowing what was happening.


    Near the doorway, Lord Alan and the other looked and each other and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s broken.¡±


    ¡°Elli. I¡¯m happy. I¡¯ve never been so happy. I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯ve been trying to remember!¡±


    ¡­ Mm, may I ask what you mean, Your Highness?


    I was flabbergasted at His Highness, who was frolicking like a child, but I felt my heart lightened because of his good mood.


    If His Highness accepts me even if I can¡¯t remember our past, then isn¡¯t it trivial to worry about it so much? And more importantly, I learned once again that it was important to voice my insecurities and dissatisfactions.


    ¡°What the, Sister.¡± Paolo interrupted again.


    ¡°Were you worried about not remembering Brother? Then you should kiss him.¡±


    Excuse me¡­?


    ¡°Because haven¡¯t people been saying it for a long time? A Princess¡¯s curse can be dispelled with a Prince¡¯s kiss,¡± Paolo teased, and he exchanged glances with His Highness, then he grinned.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. Elli. Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    I was instantly consumed by a seething feeling to the point that it seemed like steam would come out of my head, and I desperately resisted in His Highness¡¯s arms. ¡°You don¡¯t have to!¡±


    Rene¡¯s innocent voice came from where the laughing mother and child were, ¡°What¡¯s the curse?¡±


    ¡°The Princess taught the Prince how to dispel a curse, right? Shouldn¡¯t the Princess be able to dispel her own curse with her magic?¡±


    I stared at his shining blue eyes and suddenly felt a memory burst out from within me. It was really suddenly, and I widened my eyes in surprise.


    ¡°Curse¡­¡±


    I was reflected in his bright sky-blue eyes, and I suddenly recalled the boy who I had talked to back then.


    ¡°I promised you that I would tell you a secret spell next time I see you. From that time¡­¡±


    The image of his dazzling gold hair and bright blue eyes overlapped with His Highness and matched together.


    His Highness must have guessed that I remembered from his eyes, and he smiled happily, ¡°Elli.¡± I also smiled happily.


    ¡°I remember.¡±


    I felt warm from the bottom of my heart, and we put our foreheads together while smiling as we shared the memories that only the two of us had.

 Volume 01 Side Story 05 - Side Story 05 Part 02

    After that, Rene, his mother and Paolo left with Lord Alan and the guards and were going to be taken to the hospital. I promised that I would go and see them at a later date before they departed, and we returned to the Roma settlement.


    I wanted to return the books that Baron Moseley got the children to steal.


    On the way, I asked him about the connection between the Romas and my family¡­


    ¡°Fred did something nine years ago,¡± His Highness said, then he told me what he heard from the Roma chief while smiling wryly.


    Nine years ago, brother violated father¡¯s order and visited the Roma market. He saw the mountain of books and was excited. Brother wanted to buy everything like me, but he was a boy, so he had nothing. He became perplexed and rough, wicked men suggested that he gamble with them.


    I didn¡¯t know this, but apparently gambling with dice is popular among men, and even commoners frequently gamble with dice.


    The men said to brother ¡ºIf you win, we¡¯ll give you money to buy those books. But, if you lose, take off all those expensive clothes and leave them.¡»They were making fun of him. It seems that the men could tell that brother was a noble child, so they wanted to play with him and proposed gambling, but they had miscalculated. Brother had unexpected talent in gambling with dice, and he kept on winning, so he ended up winning a lot of money from the men.


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±


    I was taken aback. I didn¡¯t know that brother had a talent for gambling. His Highness stifled a smile and continued.


    In the end, even the boss who operated the gambling came out, and they had a match, but brother also won this match and brother became a celebrity among the violent men in one day. Since then, it was deeply rooted in the Roma people to be careful if someone who calls themselves a Bernstein appears, and perhaps, father knew this and ordered me not to approach Roma people.


    I¡¯m not sure how many times I became flabbergasted today. Sir Glenn, who was with His Highness when he spoke to the chief, pledged, ¡°I¡¯ll never gamble with Fred.¡±


    When we returned the books to old man Lezzi, he also brought up something surprising, ¡°¨D¨D¨D Miss, I thought I had seen you somewhere before. You look just like the noble wife who came here nearly 20 years ago.¡±


    ¡°Dear me!¡± I blinked my eyes, and he told me the story.


    He said that a certain noble man came here nearly 20 years ago and hit it off with Thistle Star. The man¡¯s knowledge wasn¡¯t inferior to those of the scholars of Thistle Star, and they immediately got lively when they compared wisdom, theories, and theses, that they even forgot about time. They passed the night talking.


    Then the next morning, his pregnant wife, who was worried about the man who had stayed out all night without saying anything, came. She started lecturing him on the spot. The topic of the man, who had knowledge that wasn¡¯t inferior to Thistle Star, being no match for his wife as he was lectured became a hot topic for those in Thistle Star.


    Old man Lezzi remembered in amusement and laughed.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see him at all since then, so we thought that his wife banned him from coming here.¡±


    ¡­ Oh my. I could only remain silent since that man reminded me of someone very much. His Highness sneered and whispered, ¡°¡­ I can get my revenge against the fox.¡± I wonder what he¡¯s talking about.


    Finally, I decided to ask Dr Lezzi a question that I had for a long time, ¡°¨D¨D¨D Did Thistle Star write¡ºStar Travellers¡»?¡±


    Feeling His Highness¡¯s gaze on me, I stared into the old man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Rene said that Thistle Star continues to pursue the truth. Are the contents of ¡ºStar Travellers¡»different depending on the period and kingdom because Thistle Star is writing down the historical facts of that era?¡±


    It was probably an inconvenient truth for those in power in those eras.


    I looked at the eyes which weren¡¯t drunk from alcohol and still retained their wisdom, and sharp eyes like the winter stars stared back at me. I felt like my existence was being measured. After a few minutes, he replied, ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯re really that man¡¯s daughter, after all. It¡¯s always that family who finds the truth of Thistle Star.¡±


    He looked at the pile of books, then stared at the sky which was changing to dusk.


    ¡°A long time ago, my people opposed those in power and refused to research how to kill people. As a result, my clan was about to be eradicated, so we abandoned the kingdom, and became wanderers. Since then, we, Thistle Star, have always opposed those in power, and have always had the mission of pursuing the truth.¡±


    His gaze turned towards His Highness, who was standing next to me.


    ¡°The influential people of Southlynd were probably also protecting people like us, so they tried to protect us, or¡­ they didn¡¯t want to let us go, so they hide us? Right, boy?¡± The voice of the old man echoed with sincerity.


    ¡°When those in power have evil ambitions or obtain powers beyond their means, it¡¯s always the ignorant citizens who become sacrifices. Even you are at risk of committing such foolishness. Don¡¯t forget that Thistle Star is always watching so that that girl doesn¡¯t get too much for you to handle or indulge in her abilities.¡±


    His Highness¡¯s vivid blue eyes and a powerful smile was glued to his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind as a drunkard¡¯s testament. I won¡¯t deny that I¡¯m losing my head over Elli herself,¡± He said as he kissed my forehead again.


    My stammer and the old man¡¯s angry scream, ¡°Who¡¯s leaving a testament?!¡± echoed through the Roma residential area.


    The return carriage was full of books I¡¯d obtained. Because of this, Annie, my maid, and the coachman couldn¡¯t ride in the same carriage¡­ I say, but it was the same when we came here. His Highness had cleared everyone out, and Annie had rode a horse with Sir Glenn.


    Annie was uneasy at first because she wasn¡¯t used to horse riding, but she was riding with Sir Glenn, who is popular with women, so she willingly rode with him.


    As for me, I was excited, and my heart wouldn¡¯t stop beating as I wondered which book I should start with, so I also ignored His Highness who was watching me and smiling wryly.


    Should I reread ¡ºStar Travellers¡»today no matter what?


    When I held the copy that I got from old man Lezzi, His Highness said, ¡°Say, Elli.¡±


    I raised my head, and His Highness reached out to touch my fluffy hair.


    ¡°Why did you want to remember the past?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ That¡¯s, mm, I¡­ wanted to remember.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± His Highness¡¯s gentle voice urged me to speak as if it was unravelling my feelings. I reflected once again and expressed my insecurities, ¡°I¡¯m by your side right now because of what happened in the past. So I thought I should remember¡­¡±


    His Highness smiled gently.


    ¡°Mm, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m thrilled that you tried to remember. Then, I¡¯ll be honest¡­ I was actually worried at first.¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± I looked back at His Highness who was blinking. His blue eyes were clouded over like how I remember them in the past.


    ¡°Elli, you may know this, but my mother became a completely different person after her illness was cured. I know that she was forced to do so because of the situation¡­. But, I was worried about that. People change. No matter how much I relied on my memories of you and thought of you, I thought you might have changed in the time we didn¡¯t meet.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    The cloud in his blue eyes suddenly disappeared, and I was reflected in them.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t change at all. You were still the same ¡ºPrincess Bibliophile¡»that I knew. Elli. I see the you that hasn¡¯t changed in the last four years, but I also see that you are a little different and have grown, and I fell in love with you again.¡±


    I instantly knew that my cheeks had turned red.


    His Highness wanted to say that the past is important, but the four years that I spent as his fianc¨¦e reminded him that nothing has changed between us.


    I also wanted to respond to his feelings and looked into his blue eyes even though it was embarrassing.


    ¡°Me too. Over these last four years, I began to think of you as more irreplaceable than books.¡±


    ¡°Elli.¡±


    His Highness smiled and touched my cheeks. I looked into his clear blue eyes and found the boy that I had met in the past.


    My past with His Highness is¡­


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve found a treasure.¡±


    I asked his blinking blue eyes.


    ¡°Can you tell me the secret spell you promised that day?¡±


    His Highness, whose smile had widened, was so close that I could feel his breath, and he quietly told me the secret spell. I went even redder, and he smiled in satisfaction, then he dropped a gentle and sweet kiss on my mouth.


    In the shade of the maze-like bookcases.


    A boy walked through it as if he was going on an adventure. His destination was the Princess, who had been caught in the forest of books.


    The Princess had fluffy hair, and she reflected brightly in his eyes, even in the darkness. So no matter how much the book forest tries to hide her, he¡¯s always able to find her.


    Today too, the boy found the Princess without any hesitation and approached her as she read. Then, he gently whispered the secret spell.


    ¨D¨D¨D You are my treasure.