On the surface, large lotus leaves floated, and at the edge of the lake, all kinds of summer flowers were in full bloom. It was so beautiful... The scene was so splendid that it made me forget the heat in an instant. As I gazed at the scenery in a daze, a deep shadow fell on my knees.
"Your Highness. Shall we go see the meow?"
Xavier picked me up and held me in his arms. As I clung to Xavier's neck, I saw something in the distance. Lysandro, hiding behind a tree. For a moment, I felt a pang of guilt, thinking I might have been too cold to him, but I steeled my resolve.
âIf I donât do this, Oscar wonât have a place to rest, so I have no choice!â
As I glared at Lysandro with fierce eyes, he looked dejected and disappeared.
"Still the same as always, Your Highness."
When I turned my head, Xavier patted me with a smile. The dense forest was now shaded, so it wasnât as hot as by the lakeside.
Xavier looked around and walked a bit into the forest. Thatâs when it happened.
A catâs meow echoed, and the divine beast appeared.
"Your Highness. This is the meow you like. It came closer because youâre here again."
A golden-furred cat, how amazing. The divine beast approached fearlessly, as if recognizing me, and circled around Xavier.
"It seems bigger than before."
"Youâre right. Meow has grown a lot, hasnât it?"
Xavier crouched down so I could get a closer look at the divine beast. As I reached out, the cat rubbed its forehead against my hand.
So cute! It had grown bigger, but it was still about the size of a kitten, having hatched not long ago. After rubbing against me for a moment, the cat slipped away, which made me curious.
The golden-furred divine beast that hatched on the day I was born emitted a faint glow. It always appeared when I showed up, as if recognizing me. Could this be a coincidence? I wondered if it was related to the "Imperial Oracle" I had heard about briefly. But... I couldnât know anything for sure right now.
It was really too hot. I whined and buried my face in Xavierâs arms. Xavier wiped my sweat with a handkerchief and laughed awkwardly.
"Then, shall we play over there? Come, say hello to the meow. Bye-bye~."
âDo I really have to say âbye-byeâ?â
I didnât want to, but Xavier kept waiting with a gentle smile. I had no choice but to wave at the divine beast.
Xavier praised me repeatedly, making me feel a bit embarrassed.
âWhy is he praising me for such a small thing?â
I buried my head back in his arms, and Xavier chuckled. As we returned to where the blanket was laid out, I heard a voice.
Startled, I turned my head, but all I saw was the divine beast disappearing calmly.
"Why are you doing that?"
Xavier, who hadnât heard anything, smiled.
I must have been hearing things because of the heat. I quickly erased the strange voice from my mind. When would we return to the room? Glancing at the lakeside, the nanny and Larima seemed busy with a conversation. It was more like the nanny was scolding and Larima was occasionally defending herself. They didnât seem to be planning to return anytime soon. I had no choice. For the sake of the poor socialites who rarely went out, I had to sacrifice myself.
I made Xavier walk around the lakeside. It was fun to see Lysandro, who was far away, follow my movements. But it didnât last long; the tired Xavier soon collapsed. I sat beside him, who was lying flat, and stealthily put my hands on the ground.
âNo one will see, right?â
When else would I practice crawling? Just as I started, the nannyâs eagle eyes caught my movement.
"Xavier. You should keep an eye on the Highness, right?"
Xavierâs eyes met mine for a moment, but he soon closed his eyes, looking tired.
âYoung guy, tsk tsk...â
To collapse after just a walk by the lake; heâs definitely out of shape. As I tried to crawl again, something jumped out from the nearby bushes.
I peeked behind the bushes and nearly fainted.
The devil of Devlin! It was definitely the boy I saw during my first walk. More shockingly, he was covered in blood, as if he had been through something terrible. He had his eyes closed and a pained expression.
Staring at him, I saw his chest rise and fall rapidly. He was still alive, thankfully.
âWhy is he passed out here?â
He was clearly taken away by the knights last time. From the situation, it seemed he had escaped. He was probably around Oscarâs age. His face, covered in cold sweat and his eyes closed, looked young and innocent, making me feel uneasy.
âDid he undergo torture?â
The ability he showed when he sent the knights flying was formidable. But to torture a child like this... it was too much. I wanted to clean his wounds, but my situation wasnât much better. I could only crawl, after all.
âAnd I canât even speak!â
I was worried he might die from excessive bleeding. Just then,
"Xavier. What are you trying to do by picking up leaves, Your Highness?"
Xavier sighed and got up.
The dying boy in front of me and Xavier approaching from behind! If his escape was discovered, he would surely be taken back to prison and tortured again.
"Adorable Highness. You shouldnât eat leaves."
Xavierâs voice grew closer. I closed my eyes tightly.
I quickly gathered some leaves and threw them at the boyâs face. It was a kind gesture to cover him, but...
Red eyes stared at me blankly. Blood-red eyes that seemed to pull me in.
ă I snapped out of it, realizing I needed to leave before Xavier found the boy. I crawled out of the bushes as quickly as I could and headed toward Xavier.
"Ah, youâre covered in dirt. Did you have fun?"
Despite the nagging feeling at the back of my mind, I clung to Xavier.
I tried to push the worry about his injuries out of my mind. ***
I had a dream. A long, forgotten dream. I always felt like I was floating in darkness. Whenever I lost control of my body, I would slaughter anyone and everyone without mercy. There was no will of my own in those acts; I was a killing machine, born to kill. Occasionally, I would regain consciousness. Realizing I was bound by a magical seal in some prison, I would immediately try to escape. The excessive bleeding didnât matter; my regenerative abilities were beyond human. I easily knocked out the pursuing soldiers and deduced where I was.
"Is this the capital of Ermanno?"
Suddenly, my last memory came back. When I was brought to the capital of Ermanno, I attacked the knights trying to control my rampage. Then, I suddenly regained my senses. Opening my eyes in shock, I saw...
A small baby with light blue eyes. The chubby cheeks were flushed like ripe fruit. Seeing this, I was startled, and my memory cut off. I must have fainted.
âIt felt like all the restraints on me were suddenly released.â
What was that? After barely evading the pursuit, I hid behind some bushes. I was dizzy from blood loss, but the wounds werenât serious. I closed my eyes and waited for my body to heal. A faint rustling approached, but I kept my eyes closed.
It was too small to be a threat. It wouldnât leave, though, which was strange.
âThe smell of blood must be strong.â
As I considered chasing it away, something suddenly splashed on my face. Opening my eyes reflexively, I saw a face through the leaves. Chubby cheeks, soft pink hair, and light blue eyes that seemed startled.
The moment I recognized the baby, my mind, which had always been foggy, cleared. It was a new sensation.
âThe restraints, they loosened.â
While I was surprised, the baby was taken away by a servant. I watched the servantâs retreating figure through the bushes.
âWho is this baby...â
"Itâs getting hotter, letâs head back."
Following the nannyâs words, we prepared to return to the palace. I was exhausted and clung to Xavier.
I greeted the divine beast and hid the injured boy. For a baby, I did quite a lot. Just as we were almost done packing, the sky darkened.
Before I could lift my head, heavy rain started pouring.
Larima and the nanny screamed.
âWhatâs this? It was clear just a moment ago!â
The rain soaked me helplessly.
"Huh. Your Highness, please bear with it for a moment!"
Xavier protected me with his body and ran, but I still got wet. I thought to myself, itâs just a shower, no need to make such a fuss. Itâs summer, I wonât catch a cold. After rushing back to the room, I took a bath and changed into new clothes. I thought it was just a bit hotter than usual because we had been outside. The problem arose that evening. Despite the temperature control magic, my body felt hot, and my eyes felt heavy.
The nanny gasped, placing her hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes tightly and sneezed.
...It seems I caught a summer cold. ***
"You have... caught a cold."
The doctorâs solemn voice made the atmosphere heavy, as if it were a death announcement. Madame LupĂŠ, Xavier, and Larima, who had taken Mabel for a walk, couldnât lift their heads, afraid to face the angry emperor. Esteban looked at Mabel with a complex expression. Her small body, breathing heavily in sleep, made his heart ache.
It must be hard for her to endure even a cold. If he could, he would take her illness. Esteban held Mabelâs hand. Even in sleep, her small hand opened slightly and then clenched into a fist. The doctor, who had organized the medicine, told him,
"Her fever will go down after taking the medicine, Your Majesty."
"Yes? Yes... With the fever reducer..."
If looks could kill, the doctor would be dead. Oscar, the first prince, who stood quietly beside him, saved the terrified doctor.
"Father. As the doctor said, Mabel will be fine after taking the medicine. In fact, having so many people watching might hinder her recovery."
Estebanâs gaze shifted from Mabel to Oscar.
Everyone in the room watched the father and son carefully, fearing a conflict. But it didnât happen. In the silence, Gustav, the advisor, rushed in.
"Your Majesty, urgent report-!"
Gustav quickly covered his mouth under the emperorâs cold gaze. He realized he was in the princessâs bedroom, and Mabel was asleep.
âI almost lost my life.â
Gustav bowed deeply to save his life.
"I apologize. It was an urgent matter, and I didnât consider the location."
Esteban nodded, and Gustav approached and whispered,
"The devil of Devlin has successfully escaped."