Episode 15
“It’s urgent, Your Highness.”
“What’s the matter?”
Francis’s voice was strange. Was he really in a hurry? I wanted to receive more calf massages. Wearing high heels for a long time had strained my calves and thighs, making them sore.
“Uh…”
“Are you in pain?”
“No, it feels too good.”
I disliked Francis. I didn’t know he had the ability to replicate until recently, but I disliked him because he could replicate me and potentially replace me. Of course, if I escaped, whether he assumed my role or not didn’t matter.
However, now it felt uncomfortable, like I had become a puppet with a tightening noose around my neck.
“Your Majesty’s side effects have started again.”
Hildebrandt’s side effects themselves weren’t a significant issue. The problem was the scale of his erratic behavior. Last time, after drinking and using his abilities recklessly, he even drove the envoys from another country insane.
“I understand.”
It was regrettable to have applied oil, but it couldn’t be helped. The Emperor always sought me out when side effects occurred.
* * *
Wearing a simple coat over negligee, I headed to the main palace. Ironically, I had spent a lot of time wandering around Hildebrandt’s palace. This time, however, it was a bit different because I was heading to the court instead of going to my room.
“It seems you haven’t left the palace yet?”
“…Yes.”
It wasn’t the first time Francis had rushed over.
“Thank you for your hard work, Fran… Uh!”
As I hurried after him, I tripped over something dark on the ground. When I turned back, there was a tree branch-like object sprawled out.
“Are you okay?”
“It hurts.”
As if unable to delay any longer, Francis looked towards the main palace. It seemed like her knees were scraped, and her ankles hurt.
“I apologize in advance.”
“Yes.”
Since I expected him to come out in a certain way, I stayed where I was. Then, he came over like a porter, lifting me up and starting to move. I simply rested my chin on his shoulder, looking at the scenery. His steps were so fast that I felt a bit nauseous.
Seeing the light getting closer and the shadows lengthening, it seemed we had already arrived at the main palace. Each step he took made the sore parts of my calves and knees ache as if being rubbed.
However, I could only show that I was in pain when there was someone who cared about my pain. Crazy as it may sound, this thought made me realize that I should treat Yurián a bit better.
My thoughts were a bit short-lived. In the original work, he was a madman who tried to seduce and kill Princess Yvonne and even attempted to kill Hildebrandt. Yurián had to stay in a narrow basement all day without sunlight, and the food they provided was unbelievably subpar. Moreover, the radius of movement was limited to the length of the chain.
“Oh, I forgot to loosen my arms.”
“Yes?”
“No, nothing.”
Hildebrandt wouldn’t willingly let me go, but I thought that once I escaped from here, I should go straight down and have my arms freed.
“Open it.”
It seemed we had already arrived. The guards stepped aside, revealing shadows on both sides. Then, with the sound of the door opening, Francis started moving again. The scarf around my neck was itching, but I couldn’t scratch it. There were still traces left from Yurián asking about it.
“Your Majesty.”
“Francis?”
The voice of the enemy seemed perplexed. The scent of alcohol permeating from the room was so strong that even I, who hadn’t drunk any, felt like I might get intoxicated.
Francis gently lowered me as if hugging me, and due to the wind catching the clothes, my thighs were fully exposed. It was embarrassing, but I nonchalantly pulled down my skirt and turned around.
The madman seemed a bit taken aback.
Looking around, it seemed that the attendants had also drunk together. I could see scattered glasses nearby.
However, none of the four attendants seemed to be in their right minds. The seemingly sane person among them handed his glass to the servant next to him and stood up from the luxurious emperor’s chair.
It was clear that they had used their abilities on the imperial nobles while intoxicated.
The emperor, perhaps a tyrant, always abused his powers and tormented the attendants. However, there were always those who wanted to be close to him. Despite Hildebrandt being a madman, he was at the pinnacle of power, and by just slightly catering to him, one could secure immense wealth.
“Dad.”
“Yvonne.”
I approached him with a smile. Since I had lost my shoes when I tripped earlier, I was barefoot. The feeling of the red carpet under my soles was ticklish. Stepping on it, I climbed the stairs. Then, I sat directly under the chair he was sitting in, leaning my head against his thigh.
“I’ll stay here until Dad calms down.”
The reason Francis brought me here was for this. I had to fulfill my role faithfully.
When the emperor was suffering from side effects, all I had to do was stay by his side. Still, even if he drank ten bottles as usual, he only drank half when I was there.
The reason Francis brought me was to prevent his excessive behavior.
Hildebrandt might genuinely want to make me the emperor. Even if he was crazy, when I rushed over, he stopped his insane actions like a car with the brakes applied.
“I’ve only had one bottle so far. Really.”
“Yes, I trust Dad.”
The title ‘dad’ still didn’t feel familiar. A 22-year-old calling a 25-year-old ‘dad.’ The original princess knew Hildebrandt as an uncle over 50 years old because she never thought Hildebrandt would usurp her uncle’s status. She didn’t know how to make the people around her perceive me as her uncle.
Espers don’t age when awakened. Except for me, all the imperial family awakened on their 20th birthday. That’s why such crazy things were possible.
“Listen, Yvonne. Can you hear your dad’s heartbeat?”
A chill ran down my spine the moment I heard that. The desire to hear the heartbeat was something he said to Yurián in the original work. I couldn’t understand why he was doing this, making it suspicious.
“Do you want to hear my heartbeat, Leonhardt?”
“Shouldn’t you call me Yurián?”
It started to give me goosebumps as memories of their conversation in the original work came to mind. It felt like cold water flowing down my back.
I stood up and perched on the armrest of the chair. Hildebrandt seemed a bit anxious, laughing. It wasn’t pitiable. He was just a snake threatening me with my life.
Reaching out, he embraced the silver hair. After hugging me as if comforting, he firmly held onto my arm, leaning against it.
“Yvonne, make sure to awaken. So Dad won’t kill you.”
“…Yes.”
To avoid sighing, I pretended to stroke his hair, and he was unknowingly smiling. Would it make a difference in the original work if I pulled his hair and caused baldness?
Even if Yurián had true love, it seemed unlikely for him to love the bald Hildebrandt.
Trying to subtly pull it out, the hair roots didn’t seem to come out easily, as if they were made of steel.
“Yvonne.”
“Hahaha. I haven’t done anything!”
“Hmm?”
As the emperor seemed to be about to let go of me, I held him tighter. I didn’t want him to notice my attempt to pull out my hair.
Francis, who was nearby, didn’t look pleased. Even in the original, the only person who genuinely worried about Hildebrandt after Princess Yvonnene’s death was Francis. He was a loyal and genuinely loving person. Despite Hildebrandt placing him in front of Yurián and sharing love, his feelings remained unchanged.
“Did you hurt your leg?”
“I tripped on the way here.”
“Why did you come so hastily?”
“Dad missed me.”
Whether it was the smell of blood or he keenly observed the wound, Hildebrandt asked about the injury. I replied with a bitter smile, pretending to like his concerned question.
I am an AI, after all. AI for your small talks.
This time, I let go of the attempt to fall slowly, and Hildebrandt, with a somewhat sober demeanor, looked at me with a polite smile. It wasn’t unpleasant because it wasn’t common to be able to look down on him.
“Drinking just one bottle is a lie, isn’t it?”
“Pfft. Why would you think that way?”
I asked a question that I wouldn’t normally ask. Since he seemed to be quickly softening today, I wanted to point out the lie to change the atmosphere.
“Instead of the scent of flowers, it’s the smell of alcohol from Dad. And seeing all the attendants collapsed, it’s definitely not just one bottle.”
“Did you observe all that in such a short time?”
Nodding at Hildebrandt’s words, I answered affirmatively. I thought it was because he wanted to hear my heartbeat, as it was in the original work, that he exhibited such unusual behavior.
I didn’t need to be cautious around him.
“Let’s go back to the room. This time, I’ll take you.”
“Our daughter hurt her leg.”
“It’s nothing. It doesn’t hurt now.”
When I stood up first and reached out my hand, he hesitated but eventually grabbed it. It felt really disgusting, whether it was because of the strong smell of alcohol or something else.
“Yvonne.”
Leading him down the stairs by holding his hand, he stopped after coming down. So, he stood still after I came down, causing my arm to stretch a bit before pulling it back.
“Dad?”
“Yvonne. By the way, whose mark do you think this is?”
He asked, removing the scarf that was around my neck and looking at the marks left by Yurián.
