/
‘Found it.’
After seeing the contents of the envelope, Siervian peeked up from the Emperor’s arms, forgetting that she was shivering just now.
She looked like a baby bird taking a peek out of her nest for the first time. Everyone looked at her secretly, paying close attention to her cuteness.
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Favorability: +100
Favorability: +100
Thoughts: I’m worried about bringing you outside because you’re so cute even though you’re so scared. I’m proud that you’re not being shy to me.
And with the envelope, a sack that came with it was wide open now, its contents thrown to the ground. In front of the Emperor, Ahim, who was quivering terribly, was on the floor, prostrating.
“Wait… This doesn’t look like food waste.”
The Emperor spoke indifferently, and it was true—even from a distance, the food looked quite normal. It would be strange for anyone to collect all of these in a sack like its garbage.
“And this is not the place for food waste to be dealt with,” Hex added. “There’s a separate area for that.”
Siervian wasn’t aware of this fact. She thought that this was just a place where things that were to be sent out were gathered.
“It’s strange.”
“Perhaps he’s stealing food.”
The Emperor’s gaze was trained on the stableman bowing down with a blue face.
[ Ahim ]
Mood: Extremely terrified
Thoughts: I’m dead now!
Just as Hex speculated, the man might have been stealing food. The Princess’ Palace food waste incident might have been a conspiracy that started out with different intentions.
However, Siervian couldn’t take her eyes off Ahim’s thoughts on the status window. Stealing food was a crime, but it wasn’t an offense grave enough that he would be executed.
‘I can’t put my finger on it.’
She looked anxiously at the stableman’s thoughts. However, perhaps because he was greatly frightened, the status window didn’t change. He just kept thinking that he feared for his life.
Siervian thought that this wasn’t just simple food theft.
“Let’s find out more about it. This is too suspicious.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Fortunately, the Emperor noticed that something was amiss, so he ordered an investigation.
“Go back for today.”
He spoke to her in a cold tone again, to the point that the previous Siervian would have thought that she was being kicked out because she’s useless in this situation.
However, because she could see her father’s thoughts, she knew that he was just worried about her, even before they entered the stable.
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Thoughts: You must be surprised to see the knights. I need to let you rest.
So Siervian nodded carefully and let go of her father’s thoughts, knowing that she shouldn’t disturb him.
Was her father always worried about her like this?
* * *
—The next afternoon.
“Here, Your Majesty.”
At the Emperor’s Palace, Emperor Alderuan sat lost in thought. He looked at Hex indifferently as he approached the Emperor with a dark expression, handing him a piece of cloth.
“How did you get your hands on this?”
It was a carriage flag embroidered with the unique insignia of the Princess’ Palace.
“Tell me. Why have you brought a flag with the Imperial Princess’ insignia?”
“While interrogating the stableman yesterday, this was found.”
“…What?”
Alderuan rose from his throne.
The case was regarded as a simple theft. If the Princess hadn’t been interested in that place, he wouldn’t have ordered the investigation.
“It was found hidden in that man’s residence. I believe it’s connected to a matter within the Princess’ Palace.”
“What do you mean?”
His child clung onto the hem of his clothes the moment she saw the knights. This was a trivial situation, so he didn’t want her to be swept up in it.
“It’s…”
For a while, Hex could feel sweat trickling down as he saw Alderuan’s temper rising little by little. Alderuan, who was the subject of the continent’s terror at only the age of 15 twenty years ago, would be a very difficult man to deal with when he’s both determined and livid.
However, Hex needed to say the right thing to the Emperor.
“Strange circumstances have been detected in the food budget at the Princess’ Palace.”
As he listened to Hex, Alderuan’s brows crumpled.
The Erveldote family held the most power and wealth in the continent. The Chancellor wouldn’t have said that lightly just because the Princess’ Palace had thrown away some food.
It must mean that the scale was enormous.
“Let’s go.”
“Where…”
Alderuan moved without any delay.
“To the Princess’ Palace.”
Following him reflexively, Hex could only gulp.
* * *
“Princess, look at this! There’s so many macarons!”
“Uwah!”
There were a lot of leftovers from yesterday’s picnic. Ellie, who had been agonizing about the princess’ food, finally succeeded with getting these macarons. This was because she wanted to feed the princess well, when usually she would only eat small portions.
“Yummy!”
Last night, she mentioned that she could only eat one chocolate macaron yesterday, so Ellie kept thinking about this while she slept. She didn’t know that Ellie would bring these macarons soon.
At the unexpected situation, Siervian was in a good mood.
“Eri, come! Come here, eat!”
“I’m fine, Princess.”
[ Ellie ]
Thoughts: It’s a relief that there’s a lot of snacks this time that the Princess likes.
Siervian was in an even better mood because she prevented the food waste incident yesterday.
No matter how much she thought about it, it’s clear that the stableman wasn’t just stealing food.
Her father himself ordered an investigation, so if it really was a misunderstanding, it would be resolved soon.
“You look so happy today, Princess. Do you like macarons that much?”
“No! I like Eri a loooot more!”
“Oh my!”
[ Ellie ]
Favorability: +50
The macaron was slightly soggy compared to yesterday, but it was still very delicious.
Of course, there were certainly still questions to be resolved.
Why was the Princess’ Palace pulled into it? The sacks of food waste were found under carriages that were commonly used, and not exclusively from the Princess’ Palace.
‘And apart from that, how did the rumor spread so quickly?’
Siervian, who had been mulling over it for a while, soon gave up. In the end, everything she could remember was just from what she heard from other people in the past.
Then, she heard a commotion going on outside.”
“What’s going on…”
“Huh?”
Ellie rose from her seat with a worried expression.
“I’ll be back after checking what’s going on, Princess.”
However before she could even take a step, the Emperor suddenly entered the room.
“Y-Your Majesty…!”
[ Ellie ]
Thoughts: Why has His Majesty suddenly…!
With a stiff expression on his face, the Emperor’s gaze searched for Siervian first. Then, he saw the macarons she was eating.
“Y-Your Majwesty.”
“Siervian.”
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Thoughts: Did the food waste really come from the Princess’ Palace?
Siervian, who was hurriedly jumping out of her seat, froze where she was. Why was there a misunderstanding again?
“I have a question, Siervian.”
This was a familiar scene.
She looked up at her father who didn’t even say hello. She wouldn’t give the same answer that she gave in her past life, but she was still so scared.
She was afraid that the same thing would happen again this time.
“Be honest.”
Her hands were trembling, and it felt like her tongue was leaden.
Siervian bowed her head again. She couldn’t read her father’s thoughts.
Because if he was thinking about cruel thoughts, she didn’t want to see.
“Siervian, have you thrown away any food?”
“Hiic…”
She tried not to cry, but it wasn’t easy. Her heart kept pounding so heavily that it was suffocating.
‘No, no, it’s not my fault…’
“…But what are you eating right now? That’s definitely…”
At that time, the Emperor looked closely at the snacks.
Siervian was terrified. It was also not right to have taken the food that the Emperor’s servants brought yesterday at the picnic.
When the Emperor showed interest in the macarons, Ellie, who was next to Siervian, immediately knelt down.
“Your Majesty, I have made a grave sin worthy of death.”
[ Ellie ]
Thoughts: I have to protect the Princess.
As she read Ellie’s thoughts, Siervian burst into tears even louder.
“I-I took, hiiic, I took some snacks, hiic hiic, from yestewday, hiiic…”
“…Are those the ones you ate yesterday?”
“I-I’m sowwy…”
She couldn’t see her father’s thoughts well because her tears made her vision blurry. All she could see was the slightly awkward expression on his face.
‘I’m scared. I don’t want to be misunderstood again like in the past.’
She wanted to change it. She tried so hard, but in the end, she only disappointed her father again.
With Ellie face down on the ground as she knelt, she breathed heavily, as if determined to do something.
“Your Majesty, please forgive me, but there is hardly any budget coming into the Princess’ Palace.”
“Nonsense. I did not command for this to happen.”
“I am the only maid in charge of the palace, sire.”
The Emperor frowned at what she said. Afraid that Ellie might be punished, Siervian barely raised her head.
At that time, a servant from the Emperor’s Palace rushed to the Emperor’s side.
“Your Majesty!”
“Did you check?”
“Well, it’s…”
Glancing awkwardly at the princess and the maid at her side, the attendant opened his mouth to speak.
“There was strangely no food in the kitchen… And for some reason, there are no maids…”
“What are you saying? Does that mean all the food had already been thrown away?”
At the Emperor’s tenacious interrogation, the attendant cowered and bowed forward, as though what he was about to say was a sin in itself.
“It’s not that. There are not even enough ingredients for today’s meals.”
“What nonsense…”
At this, Ellie herself spoke so that she could steer the conversation.
“Ever since I became head maid, the Princess’ Palace has not received any proper support or budget. That’s why the food waste that was found in those sacks couldn’t have possibly come from here, Your Majesty.”
“……”
“I also brought leftovers from yesterday because I wanted to give the Princess some proper food. The maids of Your Majesty’s Palace pitied me and gave them to me because they thought that I, and not Her Highness, would be eating it. Please have mercy…”
Ellie poured out everything she wanted to say, to the point that it was strange how she’d been able to endure not saying it all until now. With every word she uttered, Siervian was overcome with the urge to hug the maid.
‘I hate this.’
Siervian no longer wanted to keep trembling in fear.
“Nooo…”
“…Siervian.”
“I, I didn’t thwow anything…”
‘I’m not a bad child.’
‘So please, believe me.’
She looked up at her father earnestly, just as she did countless times in her previous life.
“I believe you.”
Blue eyes, just like Siervian’s, met with hers as he said that he believed her.
For the first time.
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Thoughts: I’ll believe you no matter what, Siervian.
And when she caught a glimpse of his heart, she felt a wave of relief.
However, after the Emperor calmly believed her words, he suddenly asked again with a stiff voice.
“Then, what have you been eating so far?”