“Ollie? Are you listening to mommy?”

Christelle jumped out of her thoughts.

Her blank stare out the window returned to look at her mother who was seated across from her.

It was Lady Isabelle de Sarnez.

“I’m sorry. My thoughts drifted away for a moment.”

“It’s okay.”

Isabelle’s black eyes curled up as she responded.

She looked quite happy being out on a date with her beloved daughter for the first time in a long while.

The dress and accessories she had were some of the most expensive ones in the Empire and her elegantly twisted up light green hair sparkled like green leaves under the sunlight.

Christelle did her best to smile back and brought the teacup to her lips as she did not want to make her mother worry.

Her mind was in such a mess that she could not even tell if it was tea or coffee but she at least pretended to drink it.

“Something is wrong, isn’t it?”

Her mother lowered her voice and asked. Christelle was silent.

Only the white noise of the fancy tea shop could be heard between the mother and daughter for a bit.

The guests chatting, the employee serving the afternoon tea, and the sound of horse hooves from outside…

“Umm, it’s not much.”

“It’s fine even if it isn’t much. Mommy is curious about everything.”

These were such warm words.

This was the reason Christelle found it difficult to be close to Isabelle.

Her mother was such a good person but she was not her real daughter.

She could not close the distance between the two of them thinking about the disappointment and sadness that would be on Isabelle’s face if she ever learned the truth.

She did not want to hurt her.

At the same time, Ham Ga-in was extremely weak against women who were around her older sister’s age.

That was why it was not surprising that Christelle ended up putting up this awkward but gentle daughter act.

She thought about it for a bit before starting to speak. She wanted to vent to someone anyway.

“I think I wronged his highness.”

“Prince Jesse?”

Isabelle tilted her head. Christelle nodded her head and continued.

“Last night, his highness accepted his Royal Highness and me as his official partners.”

“Oh my! There was quite the joyous occasion at the Imperial Palace. Why didn’t you tell me this morning?”

Isabelle smiled brightly and was extremely happy as if it was something that happened to her.

She knew that Christelle had wanted the prince to be her partner for a long time.

Isabelle also had a lot of good feelings toward the prince.

He was a precious person who had forgiven her ill manners and received her confession even in a complicated situation.

She had wanted to treat him to a grand feast at their Lord’s Castle when he had safely returned from the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts with her daughter.

Of course, it could not happen because he was a diplomatic hostage.

“……But it wasn’t something his highness did voluntarily.”

“Hmm?”

“He had no choice but to accept it because of the situation. It was to save someone else and to save himself. I don’t think he truly likes his Royal Highness or me enough to accept on his own accord.”

Christelle’s tone grew dark.

Isabelle finally understood why her daughter had such a look on her face since yesterday night.

She took off her mesh gloves and gently grabbed her daughter’s hand.

Her daughter’s temperature had been cold ever since she awakened as a Holy Knight. It upset her so much.

“That was why I was angry. It wasn’t because he saw us for who we were. I feel like he just used us as pawns for his desires. I know he isn’t that kind of person but it still made me upset.”

“……”

“But then I was on the bed underneath my blanket and…… I realized that I had done the same until not too long ago.”

Isabelle fixed some of her daughter’s hair that was sticking out. Christelle continued to speak.

“I approached his highness because I liked his ether. He is a good person and it is nice to be around him but at first, I did not take his highness into consideration at all.”

“I see.”

“I acted like a child. I acted that way even though his highness is not a toy.”

Christelle mumbled almost in a sigh.

She recalled the conversation she had with Cardinal Boutier at the dinner.

‘Your highness, you don’t need to make your decision on a whim……’

‘Christelle, give the little prince some time to think it over.’

She had not understood what the Cardinal had meant at the time.

She had said what she said in order to give the prince some time to think things over as well after all.

However, thinking back at her actions made it feel as if she had never given him any room to think things over.

She simply stood in front of him, busy appealing to him for what she wanted.

Maybe the Cardinal was pointing that out.

Isabelle silently caressed her daughter’s hand.

“Thinking about that made me feel like I had no right to say anything. Even if he doesn’t feel that way these days, he might have been disappointed in the beginning.”

“……”

“Honestly, I can understand why his highness acted that way. He can’t help but be even more desperate because he is a diplomatic hostage. But I wasn’t in such a situation.”

It frustrated her. Sir Geens had explained that being a Holy Knight was an extremely lonely job.

Civilians and even priests could not understand a Holy Knight’s instinctual desires and pain.

Holy Knights desire ether until their dying breath but other Holy Knights were the only ones who could truly understand them.

That was why asking for the prince to recognize her needs was perhaps selfish and stupid.

Her head knew that was the case but her actions did not follow.

“I heard that Holy Knights are always desiring ether. They said that Holy Knights chase after ether up to the moment where their souls become settled.

Christelle looked up. Warm black eyes were looking at her.

“It was compared to being thirsty even after drinking water and hungry despite eating. Unlike priests who receive the love of the Almighty God, Holy Knights might even wonder at times if they are hated.”

“Where did you-”

“I exchanged a few letters with Sir Johann Geens.”

Christelle’s blue-gray eyes opened wide. Isabelle smiled brightly as she added on.

“It weighed heavily on my heart that I had never had a proper audience with my daughter’s instructor. I sent him a letter as a greeting and he responded. That was why I asked him all sorts of things. My child doesn’t tell me the difficult and negative things.”

“……”

“It’s fine to slowly push forward, Ollie. Whether that is apologizing or becoming true partners with his highness… One day you will be able to understand each other.

Mommy will work hard too.”

Isabelle added on.

Christelle became emotional and bit her lips.

She looked down to see her mother’s hand that was smaller and thinner than her own.

“You said that you acted childish but you are still a child. It is okay for children to make mistakes.”

“Hahaha.”

She laughed after hearing that. She was not a child and not at an age where mistakes were acceptable.

‘I thought that I was pretty skilled in human relationships.’

Was that simply the result of getting used to living with a mask over her face?

Ham Ga-in had taken the mask off and shown her bare face only after borrowing someone else’s body and that bare face allowed her to realize that she was still a child.

“Go talk to his highness about it.”

“Yes, mother.”

“He seemed like a warm-hearted person. I’m sure that he has not taken those things to heart.”

That was true. The prince that she knew was magnanimous about other people’s mistakes and affectionate.

‘Plus, we are friends.’

Her lips stopped frowning. It was at that moment.

“Yes, my wife received a message yesterday! The crown princess is basically at the portal now!”

“I heard that she was brave and beautiful like a lion.”

“Please don’t remind me about it. His Royal Highness will have to be a bit nervous.”

“I heard that she will reach the Imperial Capital by early tomorrow morning?”

A couple of people who looked like members of the Pair de Riester were talking loudly at the table by the window on the other side.

Christelle quietly thought about tomorrow’s schedule.

She would enter the Imperial Palace again and stand by the Imperial family and the prince’s side to greet crown princess Elise Venetiaan.

‘What kind of person will she be? How strong is she?

Will she help his highness and Sir Geens?’

*

“The preparations have been completed, your Royal Highness. The crown princess will have an audience with her Majesty in the Empress Palace as soon as she arrives before coming to the Strauder Palace afterward.

“……”

Cédric silently walked the rear garden of Strauder Palace. David followed behind him.

This was the largest palace they opened to host visitors to the Imperial Palace.

It was also where the grand Spring Ball had taken place.

The fact that crown princess Elise was coming as a Cardinal to judge the Imperial Prince and young lady Sarnez was something that made both the Beau Monde and the commoners excited.

The Imperial Palace had been busy for the past eight days determining the protocols for her visit and preparing for her arrival.

David, the head attendant of Romero Palace, was one of the busiest people.

It was because his master, the Imperial Prince, was the member of the Imperial Family responsible for hosting this guest.

“How about returning to get some rest for the night, your Royal Highness? The gardeners of the Empress Palace personally came over and prepped the rear garden so it should be fine even if you don’t check it……”

The middle-aged man spoke in a concerned voice. It was close to midnight.

The Imperial Prince already had a busy schedule and he had a lot on his plate recently with the upcoming Imperial Crown Prince succession confirmation ceremony and the issue of Prince Jesse’s confinement.

David was under the impression that the feast went well yesterday but the Imperial Prince’s handsome face had looked grim all day.

David looked at the Imperial Prince and cautiously asked.

“Is there an issue with the balcony, your Royal Highness? Should I call a royal servant?”

The Imperial Prince was glaring at the balcony on the far left side of the Strauder Palace.

It was the far right side when looking at it from the front of the palace but the left when looking from behind.

There was nothing and nobody there except a magic light to give light in the darkness.

His orange eyes sank low.

He had considered that the prince would offer the priest partner position as a component for a deal.

He was a diplomatic hostage and even the commoners of the Empire had more freedom than he did.

Trying to rescue someone being charged for attempted murder of the Imperial family while in such a situation would have had no choice but to use his own abilities as a strategic hand.

Looking just at the results, the Imperial Prince thought that it was beneficial for him as well.

He now had the justification to receive the prince’s ether whenever he wanted.

However, he was still upset. Seeing the prince actually act that way made him angry.

He knew it was childish but had ended up sending the code over anyway. Why had he done that?

“……The Imperial Palace’s temple is scheduled to open again early tomorrow morning, your Royal Highness.”

David changed the topic.

He was used to the Imperial Prince not answering him and would thoroughly complete his duties as an attendant.

The Imperial Prince slowly moved his gaze after hearing that.

The young man’s gaze now looked at the temple across the street in the darkness.

“We have finished cleaning it up as we expect the crown princess and the Cardinal from the Vatican to seek out the temple.”

“Good.”

“Yes, your Royal Highness. The decorative string in the Confessional as well as the areas that have been lacking repairs have all been touched up-”

“Keep the temple closed.”

He did not use many words to give the order. David was shocked.

“Your Royal Highness. Then the temple for our two guests to use…”

“They can visit the Central Temple in the Imperial Capital.”

The Imperial Prince slightly frowned.

David did not try to convince him otherwise and nodded his head as this was a firm expression of his will.

Cédric thought that this was the right thing to do.

This temple was a place that was only opened for the prince in his duties as the Confessional Priest of the Imperial Palace.

Furthermore, having other religious figures come and using it before him when the repairs had just finished……

An enlightenment flashed in his mind at that moment.

“……”

He was ranked lower than Johann Geens in this ‘deal.’

He was not in first place. This was the first time he had experienced something like this since he was born.

The prince had dared to use his relationship with the Imperial Prince to save the Geens father and son duo.

A clear feeling of unpleasantness made the back of his neck burn.

However, wasn’t he the one who let the prince be despite knowing that was the case?

“Your Royal Highness?”

David pulled him out of the swamp of his thoughts.

Cédric headed toward the carriage without saying anything. The middle-aged man was correct.

It seemed as if it would be better to go get some sleep.

*

The day of the decisive battle arrived without my being able to see Christelle or the Imperial Prince again.

‘Ah, is this not the decisive battle? Maybe just a thirty second teaser for it?’

“How do I look?”

“You are always handsome but you are so handsome today that the surface of the Empire might tilt at your beauty, your highness.”

“Umm…… Thanks. How do you think I will look to my family members? Do I look like someone who hasn’t been fed properly during my stay?”

“No! Your complexion is good since you have been eating well again for the past two days, your highness.”

Ganael smiled brightly and pulled taunt some wrinkles on my formal attire. ‘That’s a relief.’

I could see Benjamin outside the window chatting with Vice Captain Élisabeth.

I also saw the Imperial family’s carriage and the Imperial Guard members who were going to escort me to the Empress Palace.

This was finally my first trip out after ten days of confinement.

And that first trip was to go greet the crown princess and her envoy. I was shaking even more than the day I took the College Scholastic Ability Test.

‘At least I think I am shaking more than that day. That was ten years ago so my mind is a bit fuzzy on the details.’

“Big bro will be back later. Be good while you play.”

– Whimper

I hugged each of the red pandas before walking out with Percy.

The fresh air felt wonderful. Dozens of workers were running around the area.

Vice Captain Élisabeth greeted me energetically and opened the carriage door.

“Hello, Vice Captain Élisabeth. Thank you for your help a few days ago.”

“It was nothing, your highness. Although the Captain did nag me a bit about it.”

My mind was dizzy with excitement and chaos even as the Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard smiled bitterly.

‘Your highness should be easier to say than big sister. (TL: So… Normally, members of the royal family would be ‘your royal highness’ whereas members of the Imperial family are your Imperial highness. The author uses Royal highness for both (which is why I have been using your highness for Jesse vs Royal Highness for Cedric. As a result, anybody from the Imperial family will be Royal Highness whereas royal families such as the Veneetians will just be highness. This is different from how the author has it, but it will make it easier to distinguish as has been the case with Jesse and Cedric until now. Thanks for understanding!) Let’s be formal and say your highness.

It should be fine since it’ll feel like I am being respectful as so many people are watching us, right?

But are the two of them really angry?’

—
Translator’s Comments

Ganael’s compliments pffft.

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