T/N: From now I´ll use Lady Asta instead of Duchess Asta
Episode 35
After the Asta brothers’ suspension was lifted, Elonia finally enjoyed a peaceful routine.
Or so she thought.
“…What is this, Father?”
Elonia arrived at the back garden of the Imperial Princess’s Palace for breakfast with Artius.
But what greeted her was a garden extravagantly decorated with pink flowers and ribbons.
Her meticulously designed summer garden had been ruined!
Elonia’s face hardened as Artius stammered out an excuse.
“…I heard children like these sorts of things.”
“…”
Seriously?
After four years, he should at least know his own daughter’s taste.
Even Sarah, who was always by Elonia’s side, looked like she was thinking, ‘Oh, this is a bit much…’
“You ruined my garden based on such a ridiculous assumption?”
“I’ll have it restored immediately.”
Artius hastily ordered the servants to fix the garden.
Thanks to their swift work, Elonia’s garden was soon restored to its original, elegant state.
Artius, looking like a guilty puppy, pulled out a chair for her.
“If you’re planning on doing something in the future, I suggest you familiarize yourself with my preferences.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Artius began the meal with an apology, as usual.
Elonia, having picked up his habit, wrinkled her nose and sat down with a grumpy expression.
To appease the little princess whose mood had been soured so early in the morning, the servants quickly served breakfast.
Elonia had become the true power behind the throne.
Before Artius could even take his seat, Elonia grabbed a fork, stabbed a perfectly cooked sausage, and took a large bite.
‘Well, at least after that warning, he won’t try anything stupid again.’
Elonia thought, chewing on her sausage.
But she was wrong.
After that day, Artius started annoying her in a different way.
Before every meal, he would present Elonia with a gift.
“Elonia, the seasons have changed, so I thought you might need new clothes.”
He would suddenly bring her several new dresses, or
“Elonia, I came across some delicious fruits and thought of you.”
He would present her with a selection of her favorite fruits, or
“Elonia, I brought you some books I thought you might enjoy.”
He would bring her new releases of her favorite novels, even those that weren’t even officially released yet, instead of her usual study materials, or
“Elonia, I acquired a beautiful gem and thought of you.”
He would shower her with a bouquet of purple diamonds, the exact color of her eyes.
Elonia, holding the pile of gifts with a puzzled expression, asked, “…What’s with the sudden gifts?”
“Don’t you like them?”
Artius asked, his eyebrows drooping.
To be honest, she did.
He had clearly put a lot of effort into choosing them after her previous complaint.
The clothes were all comfortable and breathable, perfect for the summer weather, including loose-fitting indoor clothes and outfits suitable for swordsmanship practice.
He had also handpicked her favorite fruits, like peaches, watermelon, and mangoes, which were difficult to find.
She was especially happy about the books, as she had been waiting for those new releases.
And those purple diamonds, the rarest of all diamonds, presented like a bouquet…
‘You can never have too many jewels.’
They would come in handy later.
Elonia already had a decent collection of jewels in her jewelry box, but compared to what Artius had brought, they were a mere pittance.
She had never owned this much wealth before, and the sheer abundance of it filled her with a sense of satisfaction.
‘How much are these even worth?’
All the spoils of war had gone to Vermon, not Chelon, so this was the first time she had received a gift from her father.
She also felt a strange sense of shyness.
She had never received anything from her biological father other than deployment orders in her entire life.
Receiving gifts from her father was surprisingly pleasant, so Elonia grumbled, trying to hide her embarrassment.
“…I like them, but…”
“I’m glad.”
Artius sighed in relief, as if he had just received a passing grade from a judge.
She may have been trying to judge him, but being on the receiving end of such lavish gifts was surprisingly heartwarming.
All these gifts were for her, and her alone.
‘Was this how Olivia felt?’
Vermon might have been a terrible person, but he doted on his legitimate children.
Especially Olivia, his only daughter, who was his pride and joy.
Elonia wasn’t jealous of her younger sister.
But compared to Vermon’s other children – Felix, Dolce, Olivia, and Simon – she had always felt inadequate, neglected, and even ashamed of her unkempt appearance and the scent of blood and iron that clung to her.
‘…So, I guess this isn’t so bad.’
But she wasn’t going to show him how happy she was just yet.
Elonia brushed past him coldly and sat down at the table.
“Let’s eat,” she said.
In the past, she would have grabbed her fork and started eating without waiting for him, regardless of whether he ate or not.
But perhaps her patience had paid off. Elonia waited for Artius to join her.
“Alright, Elonia.”
Artius smiled softly, pleased by her gesture.
He sat down across from her at the round table.
***
As summer settled in, bringing with it scorching heat,
“Your Highness, you seem to be in a good mood these days.”
“Really?”
Sarah commented as she brought Elonia a peach iced tea.
Elonia, engrossed in one of the new novels Artius had given her, looked up from her book, nestled comfortably on the sofa.
She took a large gulp of the iced tea and tilted her head, prompting Sarah to chuckle and nod.
“Yes. You used to only smile when the Asta young masters visited, but these days, you always have a gentle expression.”
“Right, usually you have this grumpy— look on your face.”
“You’re definitely brighter than when I first met you, Your Highness.”
The two knights, who had been observing them quietly, chimed in, echoing Sarah’s sentiments.
“…Stop staring at me.”
Embarrassed by their scrutiny, Elonia hid her blushing face behind her book.
Her adorable reaction made Sarah and the knights chuckle.
“I said stop staring!”
“Heehee, alright, Your Highness. We won’t stare anymore.”
“Whatever. I’m going to change.”
Elonia, flustered, decided to get ready for her appointment a little early.
She was meeting with Lady Asta for tea today.
Sarah helped her choose an outfit, her voice laced with amusement.
“Are you angry, Your Highness?”
“No, I’m not. I’m not petty like Father.”
“Right, right~ Our princess is kind and forgiving, unlike some people~”
“T-that’s right.”
Ethan, unable to openly criticize her former master, the Emperor, meekly agreed.
But Elonia shooed them all away, declaring that she needed privacy to change.
***
“Your Highness, you look much better.”
Lady Asta greeted Elonia with a relieved smile.
Elonia, wondering if it was that obvious, touched her face self-consciously, trying to regain her usual stoic expression. Lady Asta chuckled softly at her efforts.
Embarrassed, Elonia felt her cheeks burning.
She hid her face behind her oversized teacup, peeking at Lady Asta with only her eyes visible.
“…Sarah said the same thing. Do you think so too, Lady Asta?”
“Yes, it’s quite noticeable.”
It was true that she had been feeling much more at ease ever since she killed Dolce and vowed to find happiness.
‘But I still can’t think of Artius as family.’
She had spent more time as his enemy than his daughter, so it was understandable.
Artius was still clumsy as a father, and Elonia wasn’t exactly a warm and affectionate daughter.
But it was still a huge improvement in the eyes of others.
It felt like just yesterday that they had been exchanging icy glares.
Lady Asta smiled warmly, remembering those days.
“I heard His Majesty brings you gifts every day.”
“How did you… ?”
“It’s no secret that you’re the true power in the Imperial Palace these days.”
Oh, that was nice to hear.
It was always satisfying to outmaneuver her former rivals.
Lady Asta continued, her voice laced with amusement, “How have you been spending your days?”
“Well, I’ve been taking it easy. I study when I feel like it, read books when I get bored… And when Alberich and Llewellyn visit, we play together.”
Artius had told her she didn’t have to study anymore, but Elonia didn’t dislike studying, so she continued to do it in her spare time.
She wanted to enroll in the academy as soon as possible, and good grades were a prerequisite.
“Oh, and I’m learning swordsmanship.”
“Swordsmanship?”
Lady Asta’s eyes widened in surprise.
It was understandable.
Even Alberich hadn’t started learning swordsmanship until he was eight years old.
Elonia, noticing her worried expression, quickly clarified.
“I begged Father to let me learn!”
Reassured, Lady Asta’s face softened, returning to the gentle expression she only ever showed Elonia.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“And Sarah brings me snacks, and I take naps. Sometimes, when Father visits, we have meals together.”
“Oh?”
“Well, not always. Sometimes he’s busy, so he just drops off gifts and has tea with me.”
Artius was still trying to make up for his four years of neglect, so he couldn’t always have meals with Elonia.
But he made sure to visit the Imperial Princess’s Palace at least once a day, inquiring about her day or simply having tea with her.
In the past, she would have cursed him for being a tyrant with too much time on his hands. But these days, she didn’t mind spending time with him.
It was actually quite fun to tease him verbally.
“I’m surprised, though. I didn’t know you were interested in swordsmanship.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But the Asta family has a long history of knights, so I’m sure you have a natural aptitude for it.”
Elonia felt a pang of guilt.
She wasn’t really interested in swordsmanship. She just wanted a legitimate reason to carry a sword.
But Lady Asta’s words were so flattering…
‘…Come to think of it, I died right before reaching the Sword Master realm in my past life.’
It was a little disappointing, actually.
Then, an idea struck her.
“Yes, it’s fun, even though I’m just swinging a wooden sword.”
“You sound a little dissatisfied… Is something bothering you?”
Lady Asta had taken the bait.
Elonia lowered her head, feigning dejection.
“Oh dear… Please tell me what’s wrong, Your Highness. I’ll help in any way I can.”
Lady Asta, wanting to comfort her, gently took Elonia’s small hand in hers.
Elonia looked up at her, her eyebrows drooping.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Lady Asta nodded brightly.
Elonia spoke in her most pitiful voice.
“…The truth is, I wanted to learn swordsmanship from you, Lady Asta.”
“Your Highness…!”
Lady Asta’s heart skipped a beat at Elonia’s shy confession.
“It would be an honor to teach you, Your Highness.”
“Really!?”
“Of course.”
Wow, maybe I have a talent for acting?
Elonia thought, looking at Lady Asta’s expression.
She looked like she was ready to become Elonia’s teacher on the spot.
But…
‘Your persuasion skills are still lacking.’
In truth, Lady Asta was simply charmed by her niece’s clumsy attempt to manipulate her.