Chapter 5
Perhaps it was because his voice had sounded like something no human being should have been capable of producing.
It had been the voice of a monster.
A monster consumed by madness that had been building inside him for years.
When did it all begin...?
As the memory of his voice grew clearer, even Riena's eyelids began to tremble.
No, was he always like that? Or did he become a monster along the way?
Had the label that had followed him relentlessly, almost as though it were trying to kill him, finally destroyed the person he once was and given birth to a monster in his place?
The illegitimate son of a ducal family.
Duke Cartes had practically encouraged the scandal surrounding Kanter, his only son and heir, by doing absolutely nothing to stop it.
And that was hardly the worst of it.
"It was that day. The day my father beat my nanny, who had been like a mother to me, to death."
"My goodness...."
"It was my fault. Because I was such a worthless son.... I suppose he wanted to kill me, even if he had to starve me to death."
Because Riena had lost her sight, she hadn't been able to see his expression when he told her those things.
But she hadn't needed her eyes to understand.
There had been countless scars hidden beneath his uniform.
And then there were those occasional bitter laughs he let out with such empty eyes.
"It was a day when the snow was falling heavily. That day, I was born again. I really did come back from the brink of death, after all."
Had that been when everything started?
Was that when you began nurturing the monster inside you, Kanter?
The memory of his faint smile surfaced in her mind, and Riena squeezed her eyes shut.
Her chest ached.
"...Please help me prepare for the banquet. I'd like to attend early this year."
The lavishly decorated banquet hall glittered so brilliantly that it almost hurt to look at it.
Tributes sent by neighboring kingdoms on the same continent added to the splendor of the celebration.
And standing in the middle of it all was Riena, who had arrived earlier than usual.
"How adorable...!"
"Your Highness! You're truly the angel of the Empire!"
Her ivory-colored hair flowed gracefully down to her waist, while her golden princess dress gave her an air of elegance.
Everyone who crossed her path seemed eager to approach her and exchange a few words.
"Your Highness, you look absolutely beautiful today!"
"Thank you! You look wonderful today, too, my lord."
Her answer was so adorable that the nobleman staggered, clutching his chest.
And he wasn't the only one.
With reactions like that, it was only natural that more and more nobles began gathering around Riena.
"I would love to capture Your Highness's elegance in a painting. How can someone so young possess such remarkable grace?"
"Even if we searched every country on the continent, we wouldn't find anyone as adorable as our princess."
"Your Highness, please look this way!"
As the compliments came pouring in, Riena even struck a few adorable poses, effortlessly capturing everyone's attention.
The people watching her either clutched their chests or covered their mouths as they burst into laughter.
Her cuteness was simply too much for their hearts to handle.
"I hope we all get along for the rest of the year, too! Well, I'll be going now."
Taking advantage of a brief opening, Riena quickly brought the conversation to an end.
She had just spotted Trinia entering the banquet hall.
"Oh my, Lady Trinia looks beautiful today, too!"
Trinia wore a dress made from pure white fabric adorned with blue gemstones.
Its gently swaying skirts made her look even more attractive.
Beside her was a moderately luxurious baby carriage.
Trinia really is a woman who knows exactly how much is enough.
Concealing a bitter smile, Riena approached her with a few quick steps.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
"Hello! Is the baby sleeping?"
"Would you like to see him?"
Without even waiting for an answer, Trinia lifted the prince from his carriage and lovingly cradled him in her arms, making sure everyone could see him.
Countless eyes immediately turned toward them.
This was the first time the son of the Emperor's mistress had appeared at an official gathering, so it was only natural that he would attract attention.
However, a strangely uncomfortable silence settled over the hall.
The lively banquet hall suddenly seemed to have been covered by a thin layer of ice.
Trinia's gaze began to waver uneasily.
"S-shouldn't someone stop this?"
"Lower your voice."
A servant standing nearby whispered something into her ear, but Trinia simply pressed her lips together.
"Wow! He's so tiny! He's still just a little baby, isn't he? Hello, baby!"
Trinia wanted nothing more than to drive away the princess, who was making such a fuss without seeming to notice the atmosphere.
But with so many people watching, there was no way she could do that.
Just then, Countess Sertua turned toward Trinia.
"Lady Trinia, this is not a pattern that just anyone is permitted to use."
"Pardon? Ah... is that so? I wasn't aware of that."
"This pattern is reserved exclusively for direct members of the Imperial Family. Please be more careful."
At Countess Sertua's firm warning, Trinia bit her lower lip with an innocent, wounded expression.
The two baby blankets the Imperial Princess had given her were identical in every respect except for their embroidery.
That single difference determined whether the child using the blanket was officially recognized as a direct member of the Imperial Family.
It was no trivial matter.
But Trinia saw things differently.
The prince has the Emperor's blood running through his veins anyway! Those damned hyenas. Just wait until I get my hands on them.
Keeping a perfectly natural smile on her face, she spoke calmly.
"I simply didn't know. I only thought that because Her Highness the Imperial Princess had given me...."
