Etern took a moment to choose her words. She couldn’t bluff her way through this like she did with Dora.
‘Hmm, being honest might actually be much better.’
After all, finding a way to wake her mother was something that needed to be discussed with her father.
No matter how much knowledge she possessed, there were still many things she couldn’t accomplish as a young princess.
‘If it’s something he’ll learn eventually, it’s better for him to know now. I don’t have time to hesitate.’
Having made up her mind, Etern straightened her posture and looked directly at Wintier.
“To tell you the truth, Father… I can read the words written in this book.”
But Wintier let out a soft laugh before her words had even fully settled.
He could understand a child’s desire to grab their parent’s attention, but this method was far too outlandish.
“What did you just say?”
“I read a book in the library about how to interpret the Empire’s ancient language. That’s how I learned.”
They say lies should always contain a grain of truth.
When reading magic books, even a single misread letter could be disastrous. To verify her knowledge, Etern had already skimmed through an old textbook on ancient languages.
However, Wintier still didn’t believe her. Crossing his arms with a faintly bitter smile, he spoke.
“It seems I’ll need to replace all the attendants in the princess’s palace.”
Etern visibly panicked. What was he talking about?
“Why? Why would you do that?”
“Why do you think? They must have taught you how to lie, so I’ll have to dismiss them.”
“I’m not lying!”
Etern’s eyes widened as she shouted in protest, making Wintier’s expression darken further.
“If what you’re saying is true…”
Speaking in a reprimanding tone, Wintier pulled a heavy magic book toward him and flipped it open. He randomly pointed to a section.
“Read this sentence.”
Standing on tiptoe and gripping the tall desk for support, Etern carefully examined the passage before reading aloud.
“Behold, you who thirst for truth. You are no different from a starving wolf. Yet a fattened deer will never lie quietly at your feet.”
When she finished, Etern looked up at Wintier.
“See? I’m not lying to you, Dad.”
But Wintier was so astonished that he couldn’t even respond. He was so shocked that he wondered for a moment if he was seeing things.
The Empire’s ancient language was complex in its lettering and completely different in sentence structure from modern scripts.
Even for adults with a good education, it was a difficult subject that required years of study. It was hard to believe that his eight-year-old daughter had read through a sentence that would stump most adults without any difficulty.
“Did you really learn this on your own? For what reason?”
Exactly. Etern’s eyes sparkled. Now she needed to choose her words carefully.
Very carefully.
“Well, you see, I started reading these books while thinking about why Mother hasn’t woken up.”
“Magic books?”
Etern nodded her small head up and down.
“Dad, when someone is bedridden for a long time, their body gets weaker and weaker, right?”
“That’s right.”
“But Mother isn’t getting weaker. She’s just sleeping.”
Etern’s remark shocked Wintier once again. She had struck a nerve.
The fact that Empress Meikellen showed no symptoms and was merely asleep was the very thing that gnawed at Wintier’s sanity every day.
If it were a disease, he would search the entire world for a cure. But every doctor who examined the Empress concluded that it wasn’t an illness.
That left only two possibilities: magic or a curse. Wintier’s reasoning aligned perfectly with Etern’s.
“Keep talking.”
There was a hint of urgency in Wintier’s voice, though neither Etern nor Wintier himself noticed it as they were both engrossed in their thoughts.
“There’s no illness in the world that makes someone sleep for years. If they aren’t in pain or injured, how could that happen?”
Etern paused briefly, frowning with a thoughtful expression.
“I think Mother’s condition isn’t a physical problem but something else entirely.”
“You thought of this? On your own?”
Etern nodded.
“Yes. I thought maybe the magic within Mother… caused some kind of issue. But the sentences are too difficult for me to understand.”
Etern, who had rested her cheek against Wintier’s knee in a sulking manner, suddenly bit her lip in alarm.
‘Oops… I got too carried away! That doesn’t sound like something an eight-year-old would say.’
Getting away with the ancient language was one thing, but maybe she had gone too far this time?
Etern cautiously looked up. Wintier appeared deep in thought. She wanted to read his thoughts again, but she refrained, not wanting to act suspicious.
At that moment, a voice interrupted them.
“Your Majesty.”
It was Wintier’s secretary, Glych. He entered the room cautiously, glancing at Wintier’s expression.
“What is it?”
Wintier’s voice carried a note of irritation, likely because his thoughts had been interrupted.
Despite already breaking into a cold sweat, Glych persevered and bowed before speaking.
“Your Majesty, a messenger has just arrived from the border.”
“What?”
Both Wintier and Etern’s expressions grew serious.
Why would a messenger from the border come to the imperial palace?
‘Could it be war? No, that can’t be…’
Glych continued.
“The messenger reported that a young boy rode in alone, asking to be allowed to cross the Empire’s border.”
“A young boy?”
Etern raised an eyebrow in surprise, her expression mirroring Wintier’s.
“A young boy, you say?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. And the boy delivered something while requesting to cross the border. It’s… this.”
Bowing his head, Glych pulled something out of his coat and handed it over. As Wintier took it, Etern instinctively craned her neck toward her father.
‘What’s that? A letter, perhaps…?’
The crinkling sound of paper echoed as it was unfolded, revealing its crumpled state. Wintier let out a sharp, bitter laugh, his eyes narrowing.
“Are you telling me this nonsense warranted reporting to me?”
“B-But, Your Majesty, we investigated thoroughly. It doesn’t appear to be a crude forgery. The seal undeniably belongs to Grand Duke Randster.”
At that moment, Etern almost screamed.
“What did you just say? The Grand Duchy of Randster?!”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”
Glych, clearly flustered, hesitated and glanced nervously between the two. Wintier furrowed his brow and smoothed out the crumpled paper again.
“A Grand Duke’s seal and a young boy? How absurd. Is he claiming to be the Grand Duke’s son himself?
“That’s what the messenger reported.”
Glych’s response deepened the coldness in Wintier’s expression. Just then, Etern leaped onto his lap and grabbed his shoulders.
“Etern, what on earth are you doing…!”
“Dad, send him back immediately!”
Wintier was startled by the sudden pallor on his daughter’s face. As for Glych, he looked on the verge of fainting.
“Dad, hurry! Tell the messenger to send him back. Do not let him come here!”
“Why are you acting like this? It’s highly unlikely this is real.”
“But what if it is?!”
“Even if it is, and the Grand Duke Randster’s son truly is coming, what’s the problem? As far as I know, the Grand Duke’s eldest son is only eight years old—just like you.”
That’s exactly why it’s a problem!
Etern barely restrained herself from throwing a tantrum right there on the table. Or should she just go ahead and roll around wailing?
‘No, no, I can’t! Why is that man showing up now? And coming to the Empire alone—what is going on?!’
