From the day of Chevelyn’s baptism, Hilane received visitors every single day without fail.
As expected, Chevelyn receiving the name of the Imperial Founder as her baptismal name drew significant attention.
A busy month flew by in this manner.
One day, after meeting with Chevelyn and Glazè, a thought struck Hilane.
‘Why does she not speak to anyone but me?’
Lately, Chevelyn had become particularly shy around others.
During her time with Glazè, she remained silent. It didn’t seem like she was merely tired.
‘I can talk freely in front of Mom… but because it wasn’t Mom, I couldn’t speak and got upset and cried.’
That sudden realization hit her hard. This wasn’t the first time Chevelyn had acted this way.
“Mom? Why aren’t you coming?”
Chevelyn, who had been running ahead, urged Hilane.
‘There’s no major problem with her health, is there…?’
“Coming, right now.”
Hilane pushed aside her worries, dismissing them as unnecessary, and followed Chevelyn.
* * *
Watching Chevelyn enjoy her strawberry cake, Hilane continued to worry.
Unable to shake her growing unease, she summoned the royal physician.
“I greet Her Highness, the fourth princess and the shining star of Pezetain. I heard you called for me.”
The royal physician, upon arriving at Largon Palace, greeted Hilane respectfully.
“I think there might be something wrong with the princess.”
“The princess?”
“I thought she was simply shy, but she says she can’t speak to anyone but me.”
“Considering she speaks to Your Highness, it doesn’t seem to be mutism… I’ll conduct a few tests first.”
At Hilane’s words, the royal physician immediately began speaking to Chevelyn.
“Princess, how are you feeling?”
“…”
“Could you draw this animal for me here?”
He also had her draw something on a sketchbook.
After completing all the tests, Hilane heard a result she could hardly believe.
“It seems the princess has selective mutism.”
“Selective… mutism?”
Hilane raised an eyebrow, demanding a precise explanation. There was no room for pleasantries.
“It’s a condition where one cannot speak in certain situations.”
“…”
“For the princess, it appears that the specific situation is being with anyone other than Your Highness.”
As Hilane’s face filled with shock, the royal physician quickly added.
“To clarify, it’s not autism. The princess’s learning ability is above average for her age.”
Hilane rubbed her face with a dry hand and let out a deep sigh.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. The root cause of the symptoms isn’t an inability to use language or a lack of knowledge.”
Hilane staggered, feeling dizzy.
She never imagined this.
She thought it was merely a bit odd.
She regretted not taking it more seriously, thinking she was simply adjusting to a new environment.
It was shameful to even consider herself a fit mother. Above all, she felt deeply sorry for not realizing it sooner.
Seeing Chevelyn smiling brightly while eating her snack only made her heart ache more.
“Could it be because I fell down the stairs with her? Or… the divorce with her father?”
Hilane asked the royal physician, recalling every detail meticulously.
“The divorce may have had an impact, but there seems to be a more direct cause.”
“What do you mean?”
Hilane frowned at the idea that it wasn’t due to the divorce.
“Selective mutism often manifests as a self-protective response to something heard.”
Self-protection. Hilane was speechless at the thought.
Perhaps it was because of something Revan said.
The royal physician gently comforted her as she stood there frozen.
“Still, it’s fortunate to this extent.”
“…”
“In some cases, children do not speak even to their parents. It signifies the strong bond between Your Highness and the princess.”
“Then, what should we do? Will she… never recover?”
Hilane’s voice trembled with anxiety.
“Of course not. Since the princess was diagnosed early, she will improve with counseling therapy.”
The royal physician’s positive response brought Hilane some relief.
‘It’s a relief she can be cured.’
Although still troubled, she was thankful there was hope for improvement.
“My friend specializes in child psychology, but…”
The royal physician, looking hesitant, turned away with an unsure tone.
“My friend cannot come to Peztain due to personal circumstances.”
“Where is your friend now?”
“Last I heard, he was in the Requier Empire. That was a few days ago, so he should still be there.”
It wasn’t feasible to take Chevelyn to the Requier Empire immediately.
“I will contact my friend first.”
“Alright, you may go now.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After dismissing the royal physician, Hilane approached Chevelyn with a strained smile as she ate her snack.
“Sweetie, are you enjoying your…?”
Hilane stopped mid-sentence. The fork in Chevelyn’s hand had turned black.
“Chevelyn-!”
“…Mommy.”
Tears welled up in Chevelyn’s eyes as she held the blackened fork.
“Mommy, my tongue hurts.”
“…”
Chevelyn stuck out her sore tongue, fanning it with her hand.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes!”
“You didn’t eat this strawberry?”
Hilane pointed to the strawberry with trembling fingers.
“I saved it to eat later.”
“Thank goodness…”
Relief washed over Hilane as her tense body relaxed.
“Mom?”
Chevelyn’s innocent, round eyes crinkled adorably.
‘The poison must have only been applied to the strawberries on the cake.’
Hilane quickly took the cake plate and lifted it away.
“Mommy! My cake!”
Chevelyn jumped off the chair, reaching with her short arms.
She sighed as Chevelyn, who had been pouting, finally took a deep breath.
“Mommy, are you trying to say Chevelyn shouldn’t eat two cakes?”
“Because you need to eat dinner later.”
“That’s true, but…”
Hilane hid the blackened fork in her sleeve while Chevelyn was distracted.
It was clear that the baptismal name ‘Esther’ had sparked this. Someone had attempted to poison Chevelyn.
Was it the chef who made the cake, the maid who brought it, or someone who switched it midway? She couldn’t know.
Hilane bit her nails in anxiety, her mind racing.
“Mommy, don’t bite your nails.”
“Can I… protect you?”
Hilane muttered, stroking Chevelyn’s cheek.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
The thought of what could have happened if she had been a bit late was too horrifying to consider.
“Your Highness.”
A gentle voice called from outside the door.
When she stepped out, Countess Kin was waiting demurely.
“Countess Kin?”
“Her Highness the Crown Princess has invited you to the greenhouse. She wishes to continue the conversation from before.”
“The greenhouse?”
The greenhouse, tended by the Crown Princess’s late fiancé, was a place for intimate discussions.
“You must have received a report from the royal physician already.”
Countess Kin only nodded slightly in response.
‘I should hear what she has to say about Chevelyn’s condition.’
Hilane felt uneasy about leaving Chevelyn alone.
“Her Highness also wishes to show the greenhouse to the princess.”
“Let’s go.”
Noticing this, Countess Kin spoke first, and Hilane took Chevelyn’s hand and headed to the greenhouse.
***
The greenhouse was a new experience for Chevelyn, who was busy admiring the various flowers.
Glazé, who had been smiling at Chevelyn playing with a butterfly, was the first to speak.
“I heard Chevelyn has selective mutism.”
“…Yes.”
At Hilane’s affirmation, Glazé rubbed her forehead.
“I heard the royal physician might be able to cure it. It should be alright.”
It was necessary to discern whether her concern for Chevelyn was genuine.
“I have something to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Do you care for Chevelyn?”
Glazé tilted her head, as if unsure why Hilane would ask such a question.
“Of course. Chevelyn might become the heir to the throne after me.”
“The heir to the throne…?”
Glazé took a sip of her tea.
“I have no children, do I? Rather than choosing someone from a collateral branch, it would be better to have a nephew with more of my blood.”
It was clear that this wasn’t just empty talk.
Glazé had been without a child for quite a long time, and after her fiancé died, she kept her concubines at a distance.
It felt more like she valued Chevelyn’s existence rather than genuinely caring for her.
‘In any case, the person who tried to poison Chevelyn isn’t the princess.’
Therefore, it was right to create a means to protect Chevelyn.
Hilane pulled out a fork from her sleeve and placed it in front of Glazé.
“Chevelyn was nearly poisoned.”
“…What?”
Glazé jumped up, startled.
“It was my… oversight. I was busy selecting servants to send to Largon Palace and wasn’t careful enough.”
Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Glazé sat back down and admitted her mistake.
“I fear there may come a time when I can’t protect my daughter.”
Tears from Hilane’s bowed head dripped onto her lap.
“…It’s the first time I’ve seen you cry.”
“……”
“What do you want me to do?”
Hilane composed herself before more tears could fall.
“Please send Chevelyn and me to another country…”
Glazé tapped her fingers as she considered.
Hilane understood why she didn’t immediately agree.
“I’m not asking for asylum. Just until Chevelyn grows a bit…!”
“You know the senate will oppose it, right?”
Since Chevelyn received the name of Esther, the senate had been monitoring her.
As Glazé said, they would undoubtedly obstruct any plans.
“There is one way you could go to another country without causing a stir.”
“What is that?”
“Remarrying the Grand Duke of Belzette.”
“……”
“As you know, Belzette is in the north.”
The suggestion was so unexpected that Hilane couldn’t immediately respond.
“Hilane, become the Grand Duchess of Belzette.”
It didn’t sound like a joke. Glazé wasn’t the type to joke.
“What benefit would this bring to Your Highness the Princess?”
Glazè smiled, seemingly impressed.
“…You are indeed clever.”
“I know there would be no reason for you to suggest this purely for unity.”
There were likely numerous collateral royals she wanted to send off by making them Grand Duchess of Belzette.
“I’ll tell you once you accept the remarriage.”
Hilane looked at Chevelyn.
How could she consider remarriage so soon after her divorce?
Seeing Chevelyn running around with a bright smile made it hard to respond.
“Please… give me some time to think. It’s too soon after my divorce to be hasty.”
“Understood.”
Glazè responded leisurely, as if she already knew what Hilane’s answer would be.
♡♡♡
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