Chapter 54

Chapter 54

"...His eldest son chose to preserve his honor. However, his second son disappeared while studying abroad, and we haven't been able to find him."

"Studying abroad...?"

"Apparently, he'd already been studying abroad for several months. His whereabouts became unknown after the incident."

"Could someone be hiding him?"

"Most likely. But I can't imagine who would be willing to do that."

That was true.

There really didn't seem to be anyone who would help him.

If Riena had to name the most likely candidate, perhaps Marquis Hutlen?

But hadn't the Marquis been voluntarily confining himself to his residence ever since that incident?

"Besides, unless the Marquis has been reborn as an entirely different person, there's no way he would help Shilton's second son without a reason."

"That's right. Unless Shilton's second son has some way of weakening Imperial authority."

But there was no way that could be the case.

Shilton's second son was probably around Riena's age at most.

Their conversation came to a halt, and both fell into thought.

Even their twitching brows and golden eyes looked remarkably alike.

"There's one thing I'm curious about, though!"

"Go ahead."

"Mother, aren't you planning to take an Imperial Consort?"

The Emperor turned her head and stared at Riena.

Chernuier rarely showed much change in her expression.

But now she looked as shocked as someone who had suddenly lost the ground beneath her feet.

"...?"

Riena tilted her head with a perfectly innocent expression.

If there was an Emperor, shouldn't there also be an Imperial Consort?

Even if an heir had already been chosen, the Emperor's responsibilities and those of the Imperial Consort were clearly different.

Chernuier struggled to regain control of her expression before answering gently.

"I understand what you're worried about, but I have no intention of taking an Imperial Consort."

"Because of those talkative nobles, right?"

"There's no one I trust enough to entrust with the position, and I don't want to waste my time arguing with the nobles over it."

Even now, those hyenas were waiting beneath the trees for the right moment to attack.

She could do a hundred things right, but the moment she made one mistake, they would seize upon it and tear her apart.

In circumstances as unusual as hers, she needed to be even more careful.

"But there's too much work for you to handle alone...."

"I can manage perfectly well for now. Still, do grow up quickly. That way, I can finally rest without worrying, can't I?"

Chernuier gently stroked Riena's hair and smiled affectionately.

Seeing how relaxed she looked put Riena's mind at ease.

"I'll only push myself until the day my Crown Princess becomes Emperor."

"...Yes, Mother...."

Emotion surged through Riena's chest.

It was a mixture of affection and reverence for Chernuier.

"I'll be going first, then."

"Take care, Mother."

With a light nod, Chernuier immediately headed back toward her office.

Riena watched her mother's retreating figure for a long time before finally turning away.

"!"

Then her eyes met Kanter's as he approached from a distance, making her shoulders jump.

"Why are you coming from over there?"

"...I had something I wanted to tell Your Highness, so I was waiting."

"Why does your voice sound so weak?"

Instead of answering, Kanter merely offered her a pleasant smile.

He must have been dealing with complicated emotions.

Even Riena herself didn't feel entirely comfortable.

How much worse must it be for him?

But it had been a necessary process.

Without going through something like this, they couldn't hope for an outcome different from their previous lives.

"Your Highness, are you... perhaps feeling uncomfortable?"

"Do you think I'm more uncomfortable than you?"

Kanter's eyes widened in surprise.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely unhappy.... Because of what happened, I finally realized that everything wasn't my fault."

Riena nodded enthusiastically, looking proud of him.

"And I learned how many precious people I have around me. There are so many people who worry about me. All of this is...."

Riena reached out her small white hand toward Kanter's.

He was admirable.

And she couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

"!!"

Kanter's pale cheeks turned red as he looked at Riena's hand resting over his.

"You worked hard. I'm proud of you."

"......"

He couldn't say a word.

No.

He simply couldn't bring himself to speak.

Not knowing where to look, he stared at his own hand, which Riena was holding.

"Kanter, take care of your health and live happily in the Heyrun territory. Learn everything you want to learn, and do everything you want to do. Let the people who serve you treat you with the respect you deserve. You have every right to all of that."

Hot tears fell endlessly onto the back of Riena's hand.

What Kanter had done in her previous life had felt like a betrayal, even if it hadn't truly been one, and remembering it still made her furious.

But at least there had been no lies in his words or his feelings.

His love for Riena had been genuine.

Even if the way he expressed it had been terribly, terribly wrong.

I really hope you live a happy life, Kanter.

Riena's nose began to sting again.

She hurriedly patted Kanter's shoulder and stood.

"...Your Highness!"

Her steps toward the Crown Princess's Palace came to an abrupt halt.

"I'll return proudly as the lord of the Cartes territory!"

His small, delicate fist was clenched so tightly that it trembled.

"All right. I'll look forward to it."

Kanter's lips curved into a faint smile as he watched Riena walk away.

When that day comes, I'll protect Your Highness by your side with my own strength.

He placed a hand over his pounding heart.

Kanter didn't move until Riena had completely disappeared from sight.

Riena stopped on her way back to the Crown Princess's Palace and looked up at the sky for no particular reason.

Perhaps it was because of the strange mixture of relief and sadness in her heart.

I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?

It was a meaningless question.

But the wind played with her hair as though offering an answer.

Comforted by its gentle response, Riena entered the Crown Princess's Palace with light steps.

Only her footsteps and those of Ruth and the attendants following her echoed through the vast Imperial corridors.

Even though it was early evening, the palace was quieter than usual.

There was an odd tension in the air.

"Melance has been awfully quiet."

"Shall I ask Young Lord Melance to come to your office?"

"Mm. There are some things I want to discuss with him."

The moment she finished speaking, one of the attendants hurried toward Melance's room.

Ruth continued walking calmly beside Riena.

Things to discuss....

He couldn't help wondering whether she could discuss those things with him instead.

"I greet Your Highness the Crown Princess."

"Sorry for calling you so late."

"It's perfectly fine."

Melance entered the office gracefully and gently closed the door behind him.

The atmosphere was more businesslike than in the Crown Princess's room.

It almost seemed to create a greater distance between him and Riena.

"I'm thinking of holding our lessons in the office from now on. Is that all right?"

"Whatever is most convenient for Your Highness."

"Oh, did you say goodbye to Kanter?"

Melance's hand stopped as he reached for the backrest of an antique chair nearby.

"So that's why he had that expression earlier this afternoon."

Without the slightest change in his expression, he sat down and continued indifferently.

"He went on about how I should look after my health, work hard, and take good care of Your Highness. Then he gave me an excessively polite farewell and left my room."

"He didn't tell you he was leaving tomorrow?"

Melance nodded lightly and gave an arrogant little scoff.

"No."

If Kanter had gone to all that trouble to say goodbye, Melance could at least have called him back and asked about it.

But that was Melance for you.

"Still, he didn't look as timid as he used to, so it wasn't an unpleasant sight."

Not an unpleasant sight.

Riena chuckled at the very Melance-like choice of words and nodded.

"Anyway, things have been so hectic that I'm only asking now. Sorry. It's been on my mind this whole time...."

Melance raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

"I'm talking about the Grand Duchess's health."

"......"

Melance slowly lifted the teacup that had been prepared for him and pressed his lips together.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

The relaxed expression he'd worn only moments earlier gave way to a mixture of anxiety and unease.

It clearly reflected what he was feeling.

Then he quietly spoke of something he'd been thinking about for a long time.

"A greenhouse...."

Riena lifted her gaze and listened intently to his soft voice.

"Please give her a greenhouse. The northern climate is harsh, so I'd like to give my mother a warm greenhouse, like the ones in her homeland."

Before he'd even finished speaking, Riena was nodding vigorously.

"I'll send the greenhouse plans and some Imperial Palace mages. You'll need people to move the flowers and plants inside, after all."

"Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me. Not between us. I should've thought to take care of it sooner...."

Riena carefully lifted her cup of cocoa with both small hands.

She pursed her lips and gently blew on the drink.

Melance stared at her blankly.

Between us.

A smile appeared on his lips.

It was a clear, genuine smile, unmistakably that of a young boy.

When Riena happened to see it, she nearly dropped her cocoa.

...He's surprisingly handsome when he smiles like that.

She almost felt grateful for the chance to see such a smile.

Completely unaware that she herself was the reason behind it.

The marshmallow balanced precariously on the end of the skewer had turned golden brown.

Kanter pulled it away from the heat and blew on it.

"Oh my, Young Lord! It's almost lunchtime. What are you going to do if you fill up on snacks first~?"

"It's fine. These days, I finish all my meals even when I eat snacks."

"Well, if that's the case.... But what are all these books?"

"Mm. I've finished reading them, so I'm going to donate them."

The moment he finished speaking, the servants listening nearby clasped their hands over their chests and began praising him.

"What a kind heart you have!"

The servants of House Heyrun were thoroughly enjoying the unexpected experience of raising a child.

The head chef declared that cooking had become a pleasure and worked hard to delight Kanter's taste buds at every meal.

His tutors were equally enthusiastic, saying it was a joy to teach him and constantly showering him with praise.

Unlike the servants at the Cartes residence, the people here were moved by every little thing Kanter did.

They shared his happiness and celebrated his achievements.

Surrounded by them, Kanter's wounded heart gradually began to heal.

"Young Lord! That's enough marshmallows. Try this instead!"

On the silver tray a servant brought over sat lemon cake served with sweet jam and a glass of rich milk.

"Wow...."

The golden-brown lemon cake was called a cake, but it was oval-shaped, almost like a soft cookie.

Before long, Kanter had stuffed the delicious-looking treat into his small mouth and was happily chewing.

Its soft texture and sweet-and-sour flavor were exceptional.

"Does it taste good?"

"Mm!"

His cheeks turned pink with delight as he nodded enthusiastically.

To think there was another food this delicious in the world!

Since coming to the Heyrun residence, he'd thought he'd already eaten every delicious dish imaginable.

Yet no matter how much he ate, the number of new foods to try never seemed to decrease.

"Have some warm milk with it too. From now on, I'll prepare some light snacks for you before your meals."

His nanny attended to him with practiced ease, brushing the cookie crumbs from around his mouth.

"Thank you."

The nanny gave him the most peaceful smile in the world.

"Um, Young Lord, some letters have arrived for you."

"!"

Kanter's green eyes widened as he stared at the envelopes in the servant's hands.