Episode 32
I carefully held the earplugs in my hand. I bid Louis farewell one last time and turned to go back to my room.
Just then, Arenz spoke from behind me,
“You knew my name.”
I stopped in my tracks.
‘…Wait. Did I ever hear Arenz’s name before? Hmm. No, I didn’t. Everyone just called him Sir Karlas.’
I spoke as calmly as possible,
“The maids at the palace told me. Since you’re the knight who brought me here, I was curious…”
I fabricated a reason and smiled. Arenz replied,
“Is that so? It’s an honor that you’re interested in me, Lady. I also felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if I had met you somewhere before, so I was curious as well.”
“…Perhaps. I have a common face.”
I avoided answering directly and turned my head.
‘It’s probably because he saw me when I was a bird.’
I nervously glanced at Arenz, but fortunately, he didn’t seem to notice anything strange.
Just as I thought he would leave, Arenz approached me.
“Then you should go back to sleep. For your protection.”
“Pardon…?”
“I can’t tell you the details, but the Imperial Palace is quite turbulent right now. So I would appreciate it if you could quietly finish your task.”
“…I won’t be poisoned, will I?”
“Since you’re someone entrusted to me by the Tower Master, I’ll do my best to prevent that.”
‘So there’s a chance I might be poisoned. This cursed Imperial Palace, rife with courtly intrigue.’
Thinking I needed to get out of here, I went back to my room. But the noise penetrating even the earplugs kept me awake all night.
The scratching sound of a quill filled the Crown Prince’s office early in the morning, close to dawn.
Creak. The door opened, and the person who entered bowed respectfully. The Crown Prince, who had been working on official duties, asked,
“How was that woman, Valerie, last night? Anything suspicious?”
“Nothing suspicious. However, she tried to leave her room when I was away for a moment. It seemed to be because of the noise. I noticed someone from the Second Prince’s faction watching her.”
The Crown Prince tapped his quill.
“They’re quick. Did they get wind of something?”
“What do you intend to do?”
“Leave them be for now. I haven’t figured out anything about that woman yet; what could they possibly know? They’re just testing the waters.”
As he spoke, the Crown Prince glanced at Arenz, feeling a strange sense of unease. Arenz’s usually stiff reporting tone sounded unusually bright, and it bothered him.
“…You seem suspicious.”
“Why do I seem suspicious?”
Seeing him grumbling at him as usual as soon as the report was over, he seemed no different than usual.
“Did nothing really happen?”
“Nothing happened. However… She seems like an interesting person, so it’s enjoyable.”
“Enjoyable?”
“Yes. I know I should be wary, but strangely, I feel drawn to her. I can’t bring myself to dislike her. It’s a strange feeling.”
She was easily embarrassed, like a small bird, and even when she got angry, she would quickly become lost in thought. Her reactions were immediate, and she felt strangely familiar, as if they had met somewhere before.
So he felt strangely protective and apologetic. He was, in essence, a watchdog assigned by the Crown Prince.
A mysterious woman entrusted by the Tower Master. And she might even be connected to the Duke, the head of the noble faction. Despite knowing all this, his heart had softened strangely.
“That’s unusual. It’s been a while since you haven’t been wary of someone.”
“Perhaps it’s because things have been so eventful since I’ve been by Your Highness’s side.”
He had endured many hardships, his mother, the Empress, dying early and having to deal with the Empress, who wielded the Emperor’s favor. Although the Emperor had given him the position of Crown Prince, he had granted the authority to manage ‘Petri’, the heart of the Empire, to the Second Prince at the Empress’s request.
In such a situation, the Second Prince was slyly expanding his power, skilled at betrayal, manipulation, and controlling people’s hearts.
That’s why the Crown Prince’s aides were always wary of others, and even he, the Crown Prince, never showed his back, even to his closest confidants.
“Indeed. I have work to do. You’re dismissed.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Arenz bowed his head and left the Crown Prince’s office. After he left, the Crown Prince was lost in thought.
He had never heard the name “Valerie” before, no matter how hard he tried to remember. He had never seen her at any gatherings of prominent figures from various countries.
He had ordered a secret investigation into her identity since the Tower Master refused to tell him, but he didn’t expect any information to surface, even if he searched the entire Empire.
‘It was suspicious from the moment the Tower Master entrusted her to me, and the Duke might also be interested in her.’
The fact that she had spat tea on him, the Crown Prince, meant she wasn’t an ordinary woman. He was certain of that.
“…I’ll have to observe her for a while.”
He wouldn’t get any answers even if he tried to pry now. It was better to observe her discreetly and assess her potential as a valuable asset. She would be staying in the Imperial Palace for a while anyway.
A woman of unknown origin, being chased by someone. That was probably why the Tower Master had requested protection. And his suspicion that the Duke was the reason was strong.
“Ha, interesting. If she’s the one the Duke is desperately searching for, wouldn’t it be even more amusing to hide her?”
The Crown Prince chuckled, thinking he should dismiss the rumors about the Duke preparing to issue a search warrant, if they surfaced. He recalled the headaches the Duke had caused him over Sylvia.
Considering what he had been through, he thought this small prank on the Duke was justified. The Duke would surely retaliate with his sharp mind, but he, the Crown Prince, held the cards.
“If the Duke is truly distracted by this, I should contact Sylvia.”
If the obstacle was removed, his relationship with Sylvia would surely progress smoothly. But he felt a sense of doubt. If the Duke was frantically searching for someone, it meant his heart was set on that person.
Having experienced a rivalry over a woman, he knew the Duke’s obsession with Sylvia better than anyone.
“Valerie…”
If all his assumptions were correct, the Duke must be obsessed with a rather troublesome person. Furthermore, the Duke, while claiming to love Sylvia, had never dropped his meticulously crafted mask. What if this time was different…?
“Interesting, regardless. And if the Duke falls into my hands because of this, it would be even better.”
The Second Prince and Duke Clovis were the same kind. So if he let those two fight amongst themselves, he, the Crown Prince, would be safe.
The Crown Prince had no idea that the Duke was frantically searching for his runaway “pet bird.”
“Lady Valerie, you can do it. Just a little further!”
“I don’t think I can…”
“No! You can do it!”
I was walking towards Pona, the maid assigned to me by the Crown Prince. And as I finally reached her, she smiled brightly.
“You did it, Lady Valerie! You’re getting better at walking!”
I smiled at her words and dropped the book on my head onto the floor.
“Ha…”
It had been a few days since I arrived at the Imperial Palace and started living as a human. And I had realized one thing.
‘I’m bad at walking. I move like a clunky robot.’
It felt strange that I had run down the hallway the other night. To think I had run around with such clumsy steps. So I specifically requested a place where few people passed by to practice walking.
I collapsed onto the chair like a melting ice cube. I wanted to lie down on the floor, but if I did, the Imperial maids would surely drag me to hell.
‘I miss being a bird. When I was a bird, I could just lie down anywhere and sleep.’
Practicing my balance and walking made me feel completely drained. I felt sleepy, and my eyes started to close.
“Lady Valerie, you mustn’t fall asleep.”
Arenz, who had been watching from behind, spoke. I blinked at his words. I really wanted to lie down, even just for a little while. I was exhausted from not being able to sleep at night.
Just then, I heard a voice.
“It seems there’s already a guest here.”
“Your Highness?”
The voice sounded similar, so I thought it was the Crown Prince. But the person standing before me was someone else.
“Unfortunately, I’m not my brother, Aronio.”
He had similar blonde hair to the Crown Prince, but a slightly duller shade. His green eyes resembled the color of a swamp. He had a similar face to the Crown Prince, but his aura was cold and slimy.
“What brings you here, Second Prince?”
Arenz stepped forward and blocked his path. I quietly observed the situation, careful not to get caught in the crossfire.
Cardian Or Ruperam, the Second Prince who, in the original novel, joined forces with Cesar and used all sorts of schemes to seize the throne. He was someone I definitely didn’t want to get involved with.
“I came because I saw an unfamiliar face. You’re as protective as my brother’s dog.”
Tension filled the air. Then, Cardian’s eyes landed on me.
“What’s your name?”
“…Valerie, Your Highness.”
“Valerie. It seems you don’t have a last name. What are you doing here? I’m curious; will you tell me?”
At the Second Prince’s question, I scratched my cheek, looking at the book that had fallen in front of me.
“…Practicing walking.”
The Second Prince faltered at my words.
“Did I mishear?”
I blushed in embarrassment. I could feel the Second Prince’s gaze on me. As if trying to defend me, Arenz spoke,
“No. You heard correctly, Second Prince. Her walking is unsteady, so she’s practicing here in the garden. And since she’s also lacking in basic common sense, she’s learning about the Empire…”
“Please be quiet.”