Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Along with his anger, a thick sense of humiliation rose inside Duke Cartes, enough to sober him completely.

"We've finished checking the nearby homes too, so let's return to the Imperial Palace!"

The attendants who had come from the palace with Riena lowered their heads.

"Nanny, you come with us too. Imagine how frightened this little boy would be if he woke up and found no one beside him."

"Th-thank you! Thank you, Your Highness!"

A few of those watching almost shuddered at the sight of the Imperial Princess.

She was both compassionate and commanding.

To think a six-year-old could already carry herself with this much authority.

It was enough to make them afraid of what she would become in the future.

Sir Antonio, captain of the knights, stared at Riena without even seeming to breathe.

Can those words and actions really belong to a six-year-old child...?

The Imperial Palace was thrown into an uproar.

Young Lord Kanter of House Cartes had returned with the Imperial Princess as a patient.

"Are you certain this child is the Duke's son?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The sight was horrific.

Only a few weeks ago, Kanter had still been an adorable little boy.

Now the child lying before the Emperor looked closer to a skeleton.

"Abuse?"

When the aide hesitated to answer, the Emperor dismissed every other attendant from the room.

"There are rumors that the Duke is unable to father children...."

The Emperor furrowed his brows and stared into space.

Now that he thought about it, Duke Cartes changed women as often as he changed clothes.

Yet strangely enough, Kanter was the only child ever rumored to be his illegitimate son.

"Furthermore, there are strong suspicions that this young lord may not actually be the Duke's biological son."

"But those are only rumors, aren't they? It would be far easier if we had actual proof...."

"Considering how badly the Duke has treated the boy...."

In other words, they had plenty of suspicion but no solid evidence.

Even so, they couldn't simply keep Kanter in the Imperial Palace forever.

"If we send him back to the ducal residence, won't he end up like this again? Honestly, why is it so difficult for everyone to just live quietly?"

Knock, knock.

"Her Highness the Imperial Princess has arrived."

At the Emperor's glance, the door slid open.

"I greet Your Majesty the Emperor."

"Riena, you saved this child's life. Sir Antonio has been praising you endlessly!"

"See? It was a good thing you let me go on the inspection, wasn't it?"

"Indeed! Hahahaha!"

A large hand slowly stroked Riena's head.

"But... we can't raise this young lord in the Imperial Palace. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Of course."

"Exactly... Hm?"

The Emperor had expected her to argue that the boy was pitiful and insist on keeping him in the palace.

Her answer caught him completely off guard.

He narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Then?"

"No matter how badly he was abused, this young lord is still the only eldest son of House Cartes. However...."

The Emperor fell silent, watching Riena with growing interest.

"Since he came to the Imperial Palace as a victim of the heavy snowfall, perhaps after his treatment is finished, we could assign him a guardian?"

"...A guardian?"

Riena tried to make her expression as childish as possible.

"Maybe he could even be sent to live with another family until he comes of age... something like that?"

She added an awkward smile.

The words and sentence were far too mature for a six-year-old.

Riena herself realized it and immediately became nervous.

"Ha...."

Francio let out a breath of pure amazement and shook his head.

Then again, even hearing the word guardian from a six-year-old was enough to leave anyone speechless.

Still, she was an Imperial Princess!

Not just any ordinary child, but an Imperial Princess.

Surely people could simply call her a genius or a prodigy and accept it.

Probably...?

Anxious about sounding too mature for her age, Riena hurriedly added an explanation.

"Of course, since the Duke is still alive, we can't simply do that.... But he was also the one who abused the young lord, so surely he should take responsibility for what happened...."

"That's right.... That's absolutely right! Hahahaha!"

The Emperor laughed so loudly that even the sleeping Kanter furrowed his brows.

"Riena, then who do you think would make a suitable guardian for this child?"

"I was thinking...."

Riena leaned close and whispered something into Emperor Francio's ear.

His eyes widened.

"Ahahahaha!"

The Emperor laughed so hard that he had to clutch his stomach.

Only then did Riena let out a small breath of relief.

It made sense that he would be irritated by Duke Cartes, a member of the Emperor's faction, causing such a scandal.

But if he handled things the way Riena suggested, the Emperor wouldn't lose anything.

If anything, people would praise him as a merciful and benevolent ruler.

After laughing for a long while, the Emperor wiped the corner of his eye and asked warmly,

"Why did you choose that person as the boy's guardian?"

"I heard at the last banquet that all of his sons and daughters have recently married and left home, and he was complaining that the house had become very, very lonely."

"Hahahaha! He's a warmhearted man, so I'm sure he'll do well. Very well, let's do that!"

Clearly satisfied, Emperor Francio stroked Riena's hair.

"Riena, your father is very, very proud of you."

"It's all thanks to you, Father!"

After the polite response, Riena accepted a bundle of documents from the nearby attendant and handed them to the Emperor.

[Heavy Snowfall Damage Report]

"Y-you organized this?"

Even the Emperor's aide looked astonished.

He took off his glasses and leaned over, his eyes darting rapidly across the pages.

"My hands are slow, so I didn't write it all myself."

"Well, of course. How could you write all of this with those tiny hands? An Emperor isn't someone who runs around doing everything personally anyway. An Emperor is someone who moves those who do."

Riena looked up at him.

Did Francio just speak to her about being Emperor?

For a moment, she wondered if she'd heard him correctly.

"Grow up healthy until the time comes."

His large hand ruffled Riena's little head.

A small fireplace warmed the modest room.

It was the smallest room in the Imperial Palace.

But to Kanter, it was safer than anywhere else in the world.

Riena stood beside the bed and looked down at him with a complicated expression.

If I hadn't gone to save him, would he have died? Or would he really have survived by a miracle, just like the Kanter from my previous life said?

Kanter had once been a gentle man.

Far too gentle.

Far too kind.

So kind that Riena had often wondered why he allowed himself to live such a frustrating life.

She had assumed he simply endured everything because that was his nature.

And that alone had frustrated her.

So your heart had already rotted away while you were raising that monster inside you.

Feeling strangely sorry for him, Riena gently brushed his soft blond hair behind his ear.

She hated him so much.

And yet she couldn't hate him as much as she wanted.

How could she do nothing but hate someone who was reaching out from hell, begging to be saved?

If you're given another chance, just like I was... can you find your real self and grow up properly?

She found herself wondering.

It was already obvious that her actions in the present were affecting the future.

If so, perhaps helping Kanter a little could change his future too.

I'll give you a chance, so find out who you really are. Find out what kind of person you want to become.

Riena played gently with Kanter's fingers and watched him for a long time.

After some time passed...

"G-greetings, Your Highness the Imperial Princess."

It was Kanter's nanny.

"I heard you were the one who cared for this young lord."

The nanny couldn't even raise her head.

She remained kneeling on the floor.

Riena's voice sounded like a child's, but neither her tone nor her eyes felt childish.

"I was lacking... and because of that, the Young Master ended up like this."

Her sobbing was so miserable that anyone hearing it would feel their heart sink.

It was obvious what kind of environment the two of them had lived in.

You must have been lonely, Kanter.

A bitter smile came to Riena's lips.

I was fine because I had my nanny. If anything, Your Highness must have been far lonelier than I was. Although... from now on, I doubt you'll ever have a chance to feel lonely.

Riena couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh.

After everything he'd endured, how could he have said that she was the lonely one?

Looking down at Kanter, she spoke.

"The Duke won't be able to torment him anymore. From now on, keep doing your best to protect this child."

"Th-thank you! I don't know how I could ever repay this kindness...!"

"If you want to repay me, then value your own life too. This child thinks of you as his mother."

The nanny's eyes widened.

She covered her mouth, barely suppressing a sob.

"I'll make sure you can both stay in the Imperial Palace until the end of winter, so don't worry."

With that, Riena turned and left the room without looking back.

The door shut with a heavy thud.

Immediately afterward, Kanter's eyelids trembled faintly.

"Y-Young Master! Are you awake?"

His emerald-green eyes suddenly opened.

He slowly looked around the room.

Then his eyes began trembling violently.

Did Father really sell me? Where am I?

Tears gathered in his emerald eyes.

No matter how cruel things had been, his father was still the only family Kanter believed he had.

"...Nanny?"

The nanny nodded and looked at him.

Her expression seemed strangely peaceful.

Kanter, however, couldn't bring himself to ask the questions in his heart.

He was afraid to ask where they were.

Afraid to ask how they'd ended up there.

But his nanny seemed to understand without being told.

She smiled gently.

"We're in the Imperial Palace."

"The Imperial... Palace? How? If Father finds out... he'll be angry!"

His little hands began to tremble.

Partly from severe fear.

Partly from malnutrition.

"Her Highness the Imperial Princess saved us. Truly... if Her Highness hadn't come...."

The nanny's nose stung, and she couldn't continue.

"The Imperial Princess... saved me?"

He had thought it was only a sweet dream.

But it hadn't been a dream at all.

Kanter furrowed his brows, trying desperately to hold back his tears.

He had believed he was trapped forever in that hell and would never see her again.

But the kind Imperial Princess, like an angel descending from heaven, had saved him.

Kanter pressed a hand over his chest and finally let himself cry as much as he wanted.

I knew it.

She really was an angel....