I hurriedly grabbed the hem of the Emperor's clothes. He looked down at me with a gentle smile, as if he had never worn a cold expression before.
"Why are you doing this, Mabel?"
"Oscar? Yes, it's been a long time since I've seen that boy."
I thought he would understand if I said this much, but he didn't. I shook the collar I was holding and shouted.
"Otsuka ga bage itte!" (Oscar is outside!)
"Yes, he must be training right now."
I felt like I was going to explode with frustration. I grabbed my forehead and took a few deep breaths.
The Emperor seemed to have no idea that Oscar had gone outside the palace. Instead, he was thoroughly checking my body to see if I had any scratches.
'Of course, he won't really ban the prince from entering, but the talk about not discriminating by family is worrying.'
If the strict soldiers really blocked Oscar, it was a serious matter. I had to say it again.
"Otsuka. Kōsei bage-." (Oscar. Outside the palace-.)
Just then, Gustav appeared.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor."
"Ah, is it that time already?"
The Emperor put me down on the floor, brushed off the dust from my clothes, and immediately turned around.
"Jyo, jyo gi!" (Hey, hey!)
I called out hurriedly, but he was already a distant dot, disappearing quickly. Left alone, I scratched my cheek.
"Ochiji..." (What should I do...)
*** Finally, the meeting with Duke Donovan was over.
Oscar sighed and unbuttoned his shirt. He finally felt a bit more relaxed.
Thinking of his chubby-faced brother, a smile naturally appeared on his face. The servants of the duke's family, who rarely saw the prince smile, flinched and hurriedly pretended not to notice. Oscar immediately found the carriage waiting for him.
"Let's go to the palace."
"Are you not stopping anywhere?"
As soon as he got in the carriage, the driver quickly urged the horses on. Oscar leaned his head against the wall and fell into thought. The meeting disguised as a dinner with his mother came to mind.
"How is your training going?"
"......I'm working hard."
"Working hard isn't enough. Since you've decided to become the Emperor's knight instead of inheriting the throne, you must always be perfect."
It was an uncomfortable meal, to the point where he didn't know where the food was going. Oscar had never felt maternal affection from his mother, Pacifica Donovan. She had raised him as a 'successor' until the matter of making Mabel the emperor was decided. To him, his mother was a 'strict teacher.' When his kind uncle Lisandro took over his education, Oscar lost his place to breathe.
'Maybe if I wasn't the successor, her attitude would change.'
However, Duke Donovan's attitude remained the same. The only difference was that the rigorous training and lessons that filled his days had been drastically reduced.
"Your Highness, we are approaching the palace."
Oscar was snapped out of his thoughts by the voice.
'Mabel. I hope she's not crying.'
Sometimes when Lisandro got close, Mabel would burst into tears. He was anxious that Lisandro might have approached Mabel while he was away. Oscar quickly straightened his clothes and prepared to get out. The carriage finally stopped right in front of the palace gate.
After waiting for quite a while, the carriage didn't move. It seemed noisy outside. Unable to wait any longer, Oscar got out of the carriage. He saw the driver arguing with the guards.
The guards quickly bowed upon recognizing the prince. Oscar briefly nodded in acknowledgment.
"Why are you blocking the carriage?"
"We are not blocking it. We are carrying out the Emperor's orders."
"Did my father order me to be banned from entering the palace?"
Oscar's mind was filled with questions. What reason could there be to block his entry? He couldn't figure it out. Then another guard stepped forward.
"The Emperor has ordered that all boys aged 5 to 15 are not allowed to enter the palace, regardless of their family."
He understood the situation. He had heard rumors that nobles from various families had been entering the palace and causing trouble for Mabel. This must have led to this situation.
The guards looked at Oscar with stern faces, showing no flexibility.
Oscar sighed deeply. He was more bewildered than angry. Ultimately, the cause was-.
"Is it because our Mabel is too cute?"
The driver and the guards looked at each other, tilting their heads in confusion. Oscar didn't care. He was determined to see Mabel as soon as possible. Now that he understood the situation, it was time to solve it. It wasn't a difficult problem.
"I understand the order. Send someone to inform the Emperor that I have returned."
One of the guards turned towards the palace gate. As Oscar was about to return to the carriage to avoid the crowd, he suddenly stopped.
He turned his head at the familiar voice. There was Mabel.
Mabel, with a pout, was waddling towards him. Mabel coming to meet him was an impossible thing. For a moment, Oscar thought it was a dream and pinched his cheek.
Behind Mabel, Lisandro was smiling broadly. Mabel and Lisandro, an impossible combination.
Mabel's shout snapped Oscar back to reality.
Because there were many people watching, Oscar bowed to Mabel.
Murmurs arose. People who were seeing the Emperor for the first time widened their eyes. Not only the guards but also the other nobles entering the palace were surprised. The Emperor, with her light pink hair tied in two braids and wearing a cute dress! She was cute, as rumored, but...
'She's even cuter than I thought!'
Thinking the rumors were exaggerated, but they were not. They were seriously understated. Mabel took small steps and came to stand in front of Oscar.
"Mabel. The Emperor shouldn't come out of the palace. It's dangerous."
"Daegu, ppanni wa!" (Forget it, come quickly!)
Mabel, with Oscar following behind, tried to pass through the palace gate again. She looked up at the guard blocking her way.
"Muoshiya." (What is it?)
"I will report to the Emperor. Please wait a moment-."
"I am the Emperor. My order takes precedence over the Emperor's order."
Mabel, looking down on the guard who only repeated "Yes?" and didn't understand, simply ignored him and walked into the palace. Tap, tap. Thud, thud. And one silent step. Oscar glanced at Lisandro, who was following closely behind, and quickly caught up with Mabel.
"By the way, Mabel. Where did you hear that?"
"Ung? Chageul eseo ilgeotda." (Huh? I read it in a book.)
"Zabiega ilgeo jootta." (Xavier read it to me.)
Of course, Oscar never thought Mabel could read, so he let it go. But he was curious about more than just that.
Before he could finish, Mabel glared at Lisandro, who was following her. Then her cheeks gradually turned red, and she made a pout like when he first saw her.
"Honja ga kuguya." (I'll go alone.)
Mabel walked with a pout, but it looked more like she was stomping, and she didn't seem to realize it.
Lisandro was now holding his stomach and laughing. Oscar alternated his gaze between the very angry Mabel and the ten times more excited Lisandro than usual.
*** About an hour earlier. In the place where Esteban had banned the nobles from entering the palace, Lisandro was also there. After the Emperor and his advisor left, he continued to guard Mabel closely. Then, Mabel said something unbelievable.
But Mabel called him again.
"Risanduro. Nara ba." (Lisandro. Come here.)
Her clear, light blue eyes looked at him. Lisandro tried hard not to show his excitement at seeing Mabel up close for the first time in months. Mabel hummed and thought. She didn't want to ask for help from others, but she couldn't leave the area near the imperial palace. Her range of movement was limited under the pretext of safety.
"Putagi itte." (I have a favor to ask.)
"Turero ju kkooya?" (Will you listen?)
Lisandro almost nodded wildly but managed to hold back. If the Emperor wished, he could bring the enemy's head.
'I don't want to be an easy man.'