“Pardon?”
Even though the princess had heard the painting wizards call me ‘Shay’, she still calls me ‘Titania’. In other words, she has no intention of abandoning my identity as Titania Oberon.
I picked up the bell and shook it slightly without any intention to it. It seemed like princess-unnie wanted me to ‘actually’ try using the bells on her.
“Lacius is a descendant of the Sun God, so it won’t work on him. But I’m curious if it would be able to restrain me.”
“Hmm.”
Oh, is that it? From the imperial family’s point of view, this might be considered a dangerous object.
There is no way someone like me who simply likes to eat well and live quietly would commit treason, but the Imperial family may think differently. In that case, if I tried it now and the spell actually worked on her, it could be locked away in the royal vault.
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Everyone’s eyes were focused on me, perhaps out of curiosity.
I cleared my throat slightly and shook the bell of restraint. In fact, it actually rattles every time you shake it, so the sound just became louder. However, it felt silly, like shaking a baby rattle, and doing it under everyone’s watchful eyes made it feel twice as awkward.
“Did it work?”
To my surprise, the red mist did not reach princess-unnie. It seemed as if the mist itself had avoided her.
“I don’t think it worked.”
“Really?”
“Yes, when I shake this bell, a red mist comes out, but it avoids you, your highness.”
Why is that? I tried again, but the result was the same. It was perplexing.
“Hmm, as expected. So, it won’t work for me, but will it work on the prince?”
Please, princess-unnie. I don’t want to know that much… It feels like my life would be at stake if this went on. The thought of her asking me to try it on the emperor next gave me a chilling feeling.
I smiled vaguely and put the bell back down. The chief of Kun looked at it with greedy eyes and then changed the subject.
“Speaking of which, your younger brother.”
“… … ?”
“I heard he was going around with that plant woman.”
“Ah, are you referring to Lady Crisiona?”
Plant woman. It really is the perfect nickname. It was so typical of a male protagonist not to remember the names of other women that I shook my head inwardly.
Yes, very fitting for a man who stands by Daphne’s side.
“At this rate, you might not be the one to ascend the throne.”
But then, the chief of Kun made a serious joke, raising his glass again. At that moment, I naturally looked at the princess. That seemed like a dangerous statement… … !
But my sister didn’t scoff or show any emotion. She didn’t joke back, nor did she pass it off as a joke. A second that felt like eternity passed, and what lingered on her face was an expression that I couldn’t decipher.
“That kid… does he even have the capacity for that?”
Eventually, a surprisingly gentle tone flowed from her open mouth, and it was hard to think of her as someone who usually ignored the prince so much.
“If that were the case, I would have handed it over already. That kid is too delicate to bear the weight of the crown.”
“True. It’s hard to imagine Terran without you. During the time you’ve been growing, Terran has become synonymous with you.”
“So, you do understand.”
“Even if a miracle occurs where the prince ascends to the throne thanks to Crisiona, it will be difficult for them to gain recognition from neighbouring countries.”
“The desert wouldn’t acknowledge it either?”
“Hmph, a Terran without you? Know that I will eat that up right away.”
The chief of Kun snorted briefly. While he was shaking his head, the desire for conquest planted deep within his intense eyes flashed. The chief of Kun is planning to start a real war if princess-unnie does not ascend to the throne. There was no way the frail prince could hold off the desert army.
“That would be fine too. Terran becomes a vassal of the desert. I like it.”
The chief of Kun laughed as he downed the ice-filled drink in one go.
At that moment, there was the sound of footsteps. They weren’t heavy, suggesting they belonged to a woman or perhaps…
Startled, I quickly looked at Lacius. However, he was completely unfazed. The same was true for everyone else. It meant they were already aware of who was approaching. Lacius gently took my hand and patted the back of it.
“It’s just a warning.”
“Ah, then the person outside just now was…”
“Ýes. This is a consideration for him to listen to this conversation and wake up now. It’s up to the prince to decide what to do afterward.”
Wow. What kind of graceful consideration is this?
If it were your incompetent, weak-minded sibling, just looking at him would make anyone’s blood boil, but to give such a warning in this manner instead of outright scolding is truly considerate. To be honest, if he were my brother, I would have already grabbed him by the collar and given him a good beating by now. However, Her Highness still cares a lot about him.
‘No, no. If it were me, I would have slapped him as soon as I saw him hanging out with Crisiona. Ugh.’
It’s just that princess-unnie is exceptionally magnanimous. There’s no inherent reason to care for and love someone just because they happen to be family. Because I am not a parent. To be fair, a sibling is just a relationship that you were forced into without any choice.
‘Well, maybe it’s because I’m an only child that I think this way.’
I’ll never understand what it feels like to have an older sibling. Even being reincarnated, I still don’t have any siblings.
“We’ll leave for Terran in two days.”
“Do as you wish.”
“You’ve contributed a lot of effort to this matter, so we’ll gift your side fifty gold lamps, thirty camels, and eighty glass crafts.”
“That sounds nice, but what are you hoping to gain in return for such generosity?”
“Gain? Just keep the roads open. We will need to pass through the desert later.”
Is it really okay to say so openly that you intend to conquer another country?
I looked up at the distant sky while listening to the conversation between the princess and the chief of Kun. The night sky, studded with thousands of stars, sparkled faintly.
‘My remaining lifespan is exactly 112 years.’
As soon as we return to Terran, I should take care of some business and then run away with Lacius.
“When we return, it will be autumn in Terran.”
Lacius, who was stroking my head, whispered softly. It’s hot here, but it’ll be cool on Terran. Thinking of that made me eager to return. I have to give a gift to Ziontin. I miss Juliet so much. Theobalt and Maynard, too. Even Grandma Tabby.
Autumn is the time when social trends change again, and I hope Madame is keeping up with them. When I see His Majesty again, this time I will teach him how to play Yutnori*. And also…
*(Yutnori (Korean: 윷놀이), also known as yut, nyout and yoot, is a traditional board game played in Korea, especially during Korean New Year.)
‘I’ll probably have another exhausting confrontation with that annoying Peridot.’
Until now, we have been acting indirectly behind the scenes, but there will definitely be a time when we clash head-on. I have a feeling about it.
“Still, I thought planting plants in the desert would succeed this time, but I’m disappointed that it failed.”
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