TPOP 113

Chapter 113

***

The Queen did not seem particularly surprised. She simply asked quietly, “Why?”

“It would benefit neither of us. If rumors spread that a Spirit Master is protecting Ormance, it’s highly likely to backfire. We’ll be lucky if we avoid drawing the Empire’s scrutiny. The Crown Prince has long known my true identity and worth, so he might try to take me back by force.”

On the day she realized she was being followed, Diana’s suspicions turned into near certainty.

Felix had absolutely no intention of letting her go.

The Queen spoke in a voice heavy with worry.

“I’ve been closely watching the recent fratricidal conflict in Karman. It’s just a rumor, but the new Emperor of Karman certainly doesn’t strike me as the stuff of a wise ruler. I hear that even after the coronation, the fear among his subjects hasn’t subsided.”

Coronation. Diana murmured the unfamiliar word to herself.

So that man had become emperor.

The Queen stroked her chin and spoke as if to herself.

“I hear he unusually skipped the procession through the capital and simply hung his portrait in the Hall of Glory. Street artists are copying that portrait and selling them. If we wait just a little longer, the Emperor’s face will surely make its way even to Ormance.”

Prince Elliot muttered from beside her.

“Was it a face that could be captured on canvas….”

“Come to think of it, you’re the only one here who knows the Emperor’s face, Elliot.”

“I saw it at the birthday banquet for the late Emperor of Karman. No one could fail to admire it.”

Recalling the man’s features she had read with her fingertips, Diana quietly bit her lip. Even just the contours she had traced were extraordinary; the portrait of him would surely spread beyond the empire to neighboring countries. She might even stumble upon it by chance someday.

‘If I ever get the chance to see that portrait… I’ll etch it into my memory. As a man I must avoid at all costs.’

She had considered it a blessing not to know the man’s face, but if she was to endure the Empire’s pursuit from now on, it would be better to know exactly what he looked like. There were limits to what she could infer from the features she had read with her fingertips.

The Queen closely observed Diana’s somber expression.

“Well, the Emperor’s face is none of my concern. Let’s get back to the main point, Diana. It hasn’t even been twenty years since Karman made the blunder of invading Dortes. Do you think the Crown Prince is the sort to repeat his father’s mistake?”

“The man I know…”

Diana’s dry lips parted slightly. Memories of the time she’d spent by the Crown Prince’s side flashed through her mind.

The first thing that came to mind was, as always, the smell of death—a mixture of blood and paint.

“It seems you still haven’t grasped your place. You only escaped death because of this single drop of paint.”

The slick sensation of the paint that had been poured over her head was still vivid. A weary voice rasped through her throat.

“The Crown Prince I knew was cruel by nature.”

“Do you think I’d keep something useless in my palace?”

“He doesn’t know how to respect people, nor does he have any intention of doing so. And…”

The next thing that came to mind was the cloying scent of passion, the heat of his body, and the dampness of sweat. His ragged breathing fell against her ear.

“You’re mine.”

“Because his obsession with what he perceives as his property… is quite intense.”

Diana’s hands, neatly folded on her lap, trembled slightly. It felt as though he were right behind her, whispering in her ear.

“Don’t let go. Hold me tighter.”

“Always be like this, Diana. As lovely as you were just now.”

“Sometimes he throws incomprehensible tantrums, and does things that make no sense at all….”

“You’re my maid. Soon you’ll be my wife. Soon you’ll be the most noble woman in this country.”

“…Because he has the power to push through and make it happen…”

Her words came out with difficulty, as if a knife were pressed against her throat.

“If he perceives that something of his has been taken away, he’s the kind of person who’ll attack anyone. I won’t let my guard down, and Ormance must do the same. ”

Until she was completely free from her status as a fugitive, that man’s voice would continue to torment her. In fact, he could track her down at any moment and storm in without warning.

If this was a bitter fate she couldn’t sever as easily as a strand of hair, she needed to stand firm on her own two feet rather than hide behind someone else. She had to fully regain the power of the spirit and build her own forces. So that she could face misfortune head-on at any time.

“Therefore, I will not seek exile anywhere. However, since I need time to recover my sight and find a new place to stay, I ask that I be allowed to remain within the territory of Ormance for the time being.”

Diana spoke each word with conviction.

“If pressure comes from Karman using the whereabouts of the Spirit Master as a pretext, you may reveal my location at any time. I ask for no more kindness from Ormance than that.”

Perhaps because her answer was unexpected, the Queen did not reply immediately.

The Queen gazed deeply into Diana’s eyes and slowly nodded in agreement.

“I understand exactly what you mean, so there’s no need to draw such a line, young fairy.”

Diana’s eyelashes, which had been cast downward the entire time, fluttered. Her heart fluttered as if she could hear her father’s voice calling her “my little fairy” overlapping with the queen’s words.

“I tried not to speculate on what your life has been like since leaving your homeland, but now I can’t help but understand. I fully understand Diana’s intentions.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Even so, my offer still stands. I still urge you, Diana, to seek asylum in my country—whether for political reasons or because old ties weigh on your heart.”

“……”

“The reason you went out of your way to come all the way to the Royal Palace of Ormance to see me in person and deliver a message you could have simply sent to Elliott must be similar, isn’t it, Diana?”

“…I wanted to thank you…”

Diana murmured in a dry voice.

“Because… no one has ever told me stories about my parents before.”

“In that case, the temporary refuge Ormance offers you must certainly be somewhere close to the royal palace. So that you can hear stories from me whenever you wish.”

“……”

“In any case, I hope you’ll become a close friend of Ormance once I believe you’ve completely broken free from the Emperor of Karman. Until you make up your mind, we’ll keep persuading and coaxing you. You’re welcome to change sides and join us at any time.”

Though she couldn’t see the Queen’s expression, Diana somehow felt that she must be wearing a kind smile.

She tried to smile back in response to the kind offer, but for some reason, the corners of her mouth wouldn’t move. It was as if she had forgotten how to smile.

Diana nodded dryly.

***

The sky was unusually high on the day they set out for the new residence the Queen had prepared.

The Queen had returned to the royal palace that very dawn after meeting with Diana. Prince Elliot planned to take Diana to her destination and then head to the capital.

“A patient riding a horse alone! Absolutely not. Not until your eyesight has fully returned!”

Because Zoe was making such a fuss, they decided to take a carriage to the new residence. Prince Elliot gently reassured Diana, who was worried that the schedule might be delayed.

“I’m embarrassed to say, but I’m not yet proficient at horseback riding either. I think a carriage will be more comfortable for both of us.”

“If Your Highness says so, then that’s a relief…”

Diana couldn’t take her eyes off the prince’s shadow flickering around her. About a week had passed since she first opened her eyes, and she could now clearly distinguish human silhouettes.

“Excuse me, Your Highness. If I may ask, how old are you?”

“Ah.”

Elliot replied solemnly.

“I turned eleven this spring.”

Eleven years old…

Diana decided not to dwell on the embarrassing behavior she must have displayed in front of the child while she was unconscious.

‘No wonder. He seemed much too young to be sixteen or seventeen. And his voice is really cute, too.’

She had heard that Ormance once had a grown crown prince, but he had passed away in an unexpected accident a few years ago. Because of that, Elliott, the second and youngest son, had become the sole heir to the throne. 

Zoe, who had briefly explained the royal family’s circumstances, had casually mentioned, “The brothers were very close, so the youngest prince was deeply grieved.”

That must be why he seemed so mature for his age.

The spirits that had been circling around Diana began to hover near Prince Elliot, showing interest in him. They had never shown any interest in other humans before, but since he was still a child, their curiosity seemed to be piqued.

Diana quickly called the spirits back to her side.

“Come here. You mustn’t trust him just because he’s a child.”

She mustn’t trust anyone.

Even if they were the benefactors to whom she owed her life, even if they were the queen and prince of a nation, no human remains unchanged. There was no such thing as a foreign land where one could rest easy. Diana pulled her cloak tighter around herself.

She kept feeling as if someone’s piercing gaze were stabbing her in the back.