Episode 11
When I stepped outside, it was raining. Normally, I rarely left my palace for anywhere other than the imperial palace where the Emperor resided.
I disliked getting wet in the rain, and the sticky feeling, coupled with the current early summer temperatures, made it far from pleasant. Getting wet in this state wouldn’t be refreshing at all.
However, being in a position where I needed to impress the Emperor, I couldn’t act based on such considerations.
Emperor Hildebrandt is said to be nearby. So, it would be best to find him quickly and present my face for inspection.
“Daddy!”
T/N: Imma Judge this man’s taste now:
With sparkling hair that glittered in the light and blue eyes that were difficult to ignore even from a distance. Inside the palace, various plants were planted along with buildings, making the silver hair truly stand out among the greens.
“Yvonne?”
Despite my strong dislike for getting wet in the rain, I ran towards her as if nothing was wrong. Then, I blocked her way, speaking as if she were the only daughter there.
“I heard Daddy was nearby!”
“You got all wet.”
She got wet in the rain, so she probably won’t let me pat her. That’s really fortunate.
He occasionally treated me like a pet dog, patting me while taking care of me, not because I was pretty, but more like showing interest in someone submissive. I didn’t like it much. However, when he seemed to be in a bad mood, patting my head made me feel a bit relieved.
“Our daughter. Did you run over because you missed Daddy?”
“Yes.”
I looked directly into his eyes while smiling, pretending that it was a lie. His lips curved upward.
“Our daughter looks adorable even in the rain.”
“It’s because she takes after Daddy.”
For some reason, he stroked my wet hair on my head. In the original work, he hated everything unclean, so he hated everything wet from the rain. He was the type of person who wouldn’t leave the palace on rainy days because he also hated getting wet.
Actually, he had a reason for disliking rain. His former fiancée left him on a day when the rain was pouring mercilessly, and she left him heartlessly.
Even if he denied it, it was clear that trauma remained from that incident. It wasn’t a scar left from love, but more due to a wounded pride.
In the first place, it was impossible for a person like Hildebrandt to love anyone. What did such a conceited and uncouth person know about love?
“Wear something thin so your insides won’t be visible.”
“Why?”
“Because everything shows through when it’s wet.”
In a moment, I glanced at my clothes and indeed, it was true. The white dress was soaked in rain, revealing the inside. Although it was embarrassing, I didn’t want to show any signs of discomfort, so I stayed quiet. Then, he looked at me with a strange expression and took off his outerwear, putting it over my shoulders.
Not stopping there, he buttoned it up, and due to his wind, my arms got stuck inside the clothes, making it awkward. Moreover, my hair was stuck to my back, making it very uncomfortable.
“Was it uncomfortable for you to see?”
“Yeah. There’s someone else behind you.”
At the Emperor’s words, I looked at the people behind me. Following me were my maid Yvonne and two knights. Just to be sure, I looked at the person behind the Emperor, and there were Francis and several knights.
Nevertheless, it seemed too precious to show myself to others as I was still being treated like a cherished doll.
“Don’t mind them.”
“Sure.”
Hildebrandt smiled and patted my shoulder before grabbing it tightly. Thus, I had no choice but to go with him to the main palace.
***
T/N: im gonna change dad’s name
The place the Emperor brought me to was where the prophets with prophecy abilities were sleeping.
Although it seemed that the number of prophets was very small, it was not the case. Generally, since an entire family was usually composed of prophets, the number was quite large. However, having many prophets was not always a good thing, as their abilities varied depending on their ranks.
For example, Hildebrandt’s hypnosis ability was among the top-tier prophets who could create illusions through hypnosis to the point where it was difficult to distinguish reality from illusion.
However, this place was where only high-ranking prophecy prophets gathered.
“Why did you come here?”
I asked with an uneasy feeling, and he closed his eyes, smiling and pointed to the prophets with a chin gesture.
In response to his answer, I tried to pull my arms out to be ready to move my body well in case of anything unexpected. However, due to the firmly buttoned buttons, I couldn’t help but struggle and end up awkwardly wedging my arms into the place where they originally were.
“I present to you the strongest sword of the Bricesys Empire.”
It felt cringeworthy no matter how I heard it. The strongest sword? More like the strongest villain.
“Okay, wake them up.”
“…Yes.”
The prophets continuously slept, consuming an enormous amount of energy during prophecy, except when they were awake.
Quite literally, they slept during mealtime, slept during their free time, and even slept when it was time to use the restroom. In a sense, it was like the saying that they slept when it was time to eat, slept when it was time to talk, and slept when it was time to use the restroom. If left undisturbed for a certain period, they would die.
It was like preparing for hibernation, waking up periodically to eat a massive amount of food, and then going back to sleep.
However, sleeping too much and falling asleep after eating excessively greatly increased the chance of death. prophets with prophecy abilities were generally short-lived.
Moreover, the environment given to them was desolate. Since they had to be asleep, imagining a soft bed was a mistake. This place was closer to a scene from an SF novel where bodies were enhanced through human experimentation.
The prophets were inside cylindrical capsules, a recent change in management by the palace to properly handle them. Except for the moments when they predicted, they remained undisturbed, perhaps due to the care provided by the healing-type espers.
Initially, I thought the lives of the prophets were pitiable.
“Oh, Your Majesty, why have you honored us with your presence today?”
“I want to hear about the future of our Yvonne.”
Especially problematic was how the Emperor treated these people as if they were merely doing trivial and consumable tarot readings.
However, I couldn’t afford to pity others in my position. My life hung by a thread as well.
“I’ll prepare right away.”
“Hurry. We’re in the middle of a council.”
Where is the Emperor who comes out during council meetings?
Of course, there was no subordinate who could mock him for that. His status was impeccable through his lineage, and Hildebrandt’s abilities were outstanding among all the espers throughout history.
Moreover, he behaved like a madman, unable to handle politics or manage the country. The problem was that he was a villain who did whatever he pleased, pushing away people around him.
“If our daughter has any questions, keep them in mind. You can ask anything.”
“Hahaha. Sure…”
Knowing it was just empty words, I laughed.
I had to follow the head of the estate, Hildebrandt Emperor, to a reception room or something similar. Judging by the interior design, I could tell how often the Emperor came here.
The walls adorned with his favorite color and sculptures by his favorite sculptor, and his favorite dishes inside the cupboard.
“Daughter, it seems your father’s side effects have lessened lately.”
“Really?”
For a moment, I had to figure out why he was saying such a thing. Well, Hildebrandt was a person who said whatever he wanted without reserve, so it was impossible to perfectly understand from the beginning.
“Yeah. He hardly drinks alcohol now. Look, you can’t even smell it on him, can you?”
“That’s true.”
As he gathered his hands as if praying, pretending it was fortunate, he smiled.
“Seems like it’s thanks to our daughter. He said he didn’t feel like drinking since he visited your room last time.”
“Thank goodness. I was worried about Dad’s health. After all, alcohol isn’t good for the body.”
“Our daughter only thinks about her father?”
“Of course not.”
Of course not. Drink ten bottles a day and just die already!
But why does he say it’s because of me? Ah, maybe it’s because he relieves stress by venting it on me, so he drinks less. Is that it?
“If I can be of help to Dad, it’s okay even if my attack-type abilities don’t manifest.”
“Why do you always say such beautiful words? Truly a masterpiece.”
Since my hair was still wet, his caresses felt very stiff. It felt like he was rubbing too hard, and if he continued, it seemed like my scalp might come off.
“Are you educating her well?”
“Yes. I’m trying to change the method, not treating her strictly but using persuasive tactics.”
“What kind?”
“Promise to give her hope that she can go out, but then make her unable to go out. It will be more despairing, won’t it?”
“How clever.”
He seemed quite satisfied. The Emperor and Yurian were almost at odds before they became lovers in the original work.
Hildebrandt was annoyed by the excessively smart and powerful Yurian. If he were to find out her true identity, it would be problematic. Moreover, he couldn’t easily kill her. Anyone would hate such an opponent.
Clever, with a sound, the door opened. Through the open door, the prophet esper who entered covered his eyes. He said he wasn’t hiding his eyes because he couldn’t see due to an eye injury.
“I present to you the strongest sword of the Bricesys Empire.”
“Enough.”
The Emperor crossed his legs with a chilly voice. Then, leaning against the sofa, his legs were really long. I sat down beside him, sticking closely to his side, trying not to tremble with frustration.
“Foresee the future of our Yvonne. Predict what will happen within the next month.”
“Why, why?”
Within a month, Hildebrandt would embark on a nationwide tour, and it would be my chance to escape. However, it would be a problem if the prophet said something and it failed.
“Because I will temporarily leave the palace. We must be cautious in various ways for our daughter’s safety, right?”
“Well, that’s great!”
Oh no!
In order not to shake my body with frustration, I looked at the prophet sitting on the floor.
He took a deep breath, took off the eye patch, and opened his eyes. His pupils were fascinating, shining with various colors like a peacock. It was clear that they changed like that only when he used his abilities.
Hiding my nervous heart and looking into the eyes of the prophet, he stared into the air and spoke.
“Princess Yvonne Freyde Bricesys will awaken within this month.”
