Chapter 39
The Crown Prince’s Palace.
There was a subtle tension in the palace that had been absent for over four days now.
“So.”
Every morning, a man stopped by the palace.
“Is His Highness still there?”
It was all because of this man.
The head of the Imperial Academy, the crown prince’s education officer.
Pacello Grattate Haflagen.
Hailing from a prestigious family of educators, the patriarch of Haflagen, and the crown prince’s professor of manners.
“Yes, His Highness is still…”
The gleam in his eyes behind his glasses caused the members of the Crown Prince’s court to avoid eye contact.
“Hoo hoo. He’s been absent for five days already.”
A dark aura emanated from the body of Lord Pacello, who was known as the Professor of Hell in the Academy.
The courtiers shuddered and desperately pretended not to see it.
“I must see the Empress.”
The request for an audience had been going on for days.
It was the crown prince’s insistence, so I let it go, but shouldn’t there be a ‘degree’?
Today is the day to settle the score.
Halbern, Nabal, and he were ready to storm in and drag the crown prince out when Sir Pacello stood up.
“Sir Pacello, the Empress has asked for you.”
“You mean me?”
“Princess Arellin has awakened, and she has informed me that Lord Pacello need no longer put up with him.”
“…!”
“She says she will leave her future apprenticeship to you.”
Clenching his fists, Pasello’s eyes glittered.
“I will follow the Empress’s orders.”
***
Pession was dragged away.
“I’ll be back, wait for me, Arellin!”
It was just dawn.
A scary man came out of the palace and took Pession away without a second thought.
Pession spent five days in Halbern Manor, but she never forgot the look on his face as he turned white.
‘I was scared…’
“Who was he?”
“The head of the Imperial Academy, and the man in charge of the current crown prince’s education. You probably won’t run into him, young lady.”
“Ah.”
Inwardly, she wished Pession well.
“The crown prince will be fine, he’s a true educator, even if he looks like one.”
“Really?”
“He’s going to have a hard time.”
“…”
Really, is that a good thing?
She could feel Mehen’s gaze searching her intently as she stood there wordlessly predicting Pession’s future.
The priests, healers, and doctors have all said she’s fine, but is he really that worried?
She laugh, and Mehen’s expression relaxes.
“I was very worried.”
The words were blunt, but sincere.
Mehen’s eyes were incredibly sweet, even though his face was stiff, as if he felt awkward showing his emotions.
“Mehen.”
The emotion in his eyes was so unfamiliar, so unwanted, that her heart sank.
“Yes, Young Lady.”
“Mehen is my mum.”
She couldn’t say that to anyone else, but she couldn’t stop herself from saying it to Mehen.
Shouldn’t she be more greedy than this? She’s still a child.
Can she ask for this much? Shouldn’t she accept this much? Such absurd greed.
“Don’t be a child.”
Maybe it’s because she grew up being repressed. Her mum was hard on her.
“How have you been putting up with this foolishness all these years?”
“I didn’t.”
“But?”
“Everyone loved it when I acted like a grown-up.”
She buried her face in Mehen’s chest arm and rubbed it. The scent of old, dry wood was comforting.
“I was afraid you’d think I was a nuisance, crying, fussing, stubborn.”
“…”
“I was afraid you’d never see me again.”
Speechless, Mehen swiped at his face with his free hand. His jaw, set through clenched teeth, caught her eye.
“…Aah.”
“No.”
“Arel.”
“Yes.”
Mehen’s mood sank. There was something quite different about seeing a handsome man, so washed out, looking at her with pained eyes.
His deeply lashed eyelashes fluttered.
“I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“Just everything.”
His chartreuse eyes, which looked like gold in the morning light, looked at her mournfully.
“For leaving you alone, for not knowing, for making you feel bad, for everything.”
Slender fingers, white and bony, hesitated, then held her still.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Her mood turned strange as she watched Mehen squirm with guilt.
“Don’t look like that, it’s really okay.”
She can’t put her finger on exactly when, but it’s really okay now.
“You’re not going to do that anymore, are you?”
“Yeah.”
Mehen bites his lip and adds in a small voice.
“Because I’m your… mum, you know.”
Wow.
Her mouth dropped open.
Is this the Mehen she knows?
The worldly, sensitive man, unable to make eye contact for fear of embarrassment, but saying “mum” anyway, gave her an inexplicable tingle.
Wow, can this really be good?
“Mum-!”
“Ugh.”
She clung to Mehen’s arms. Mehen was overwhelmed, but he held her tightly. Though she still couldn’t hide her reddened ears.
“By the way, that thing is back there.”
“Huh?”
“When you were here, you said you were like a mum to me…”
“Oh, that? I didn’t want to get in trouble.”
“Trouble, yes.”
“Well, Mehen has a social standing, too.”
Mehen raised an eyebrow.
“Where else did you learn that?”
“Everywhere?”
Mehen gave her a look of disbelief, but she laughed because she didn’t know what else to say.
“That was the first time you went out with me, and it didn’t end well, did it?”
“Mmm.”
“It was fun, though.”
That one word broke Mehren’s stony expression. And here I thought he was a scary guy who didn’t know what he was doing.
“You’ll take me again, won’t you?”
“Whenever you wish, Young Lady.”
Now that was too easy.
“Were you scared when you were locked up alone?”
“I was in a daze, so I was fine.”
“Did anything else happen?”
“Huh?”
“Did you see anything? Did anything weird happen?”
Mehen’s demeanor is cautious as he looks at her, uncomfortable, but asking something that needs to be clarified.
‘Who told you to ask me this?’
The face of an unknown man flashed through her mind.
A man who looked more dangerous than the dangerous aura she could sense all around her.
‘Of course.’
She doesn’t think she should say it.
“I don’t remember anything.”
Mehen’s eyes narrowed at her smirk.
“I don’t remember anything, really.”
“I see.”
Mehen looked unconvinced, but he didn’t probe further.
“That’s good.”
“Fortunate?”
“Because you need to eat breakfast.”
“Yes!”
While Mehen went to get breakfast, she looked down at the back of her hand.
‘No, where’s the emblem and why is this glowing on the back of my hand?’
The emblem of a falling star glowed faintly.
“Other people don’t seem to see this…”
If he could see it, he would have asked what it was.
She scratched the back of her hand. It didn’t disappear, but the back of her hand was red. She feels like she has been bitten by something weird, and it hurts.
“It must be that weird guy, right?”
She shuddered, remembering the golden eyes staring down at her.
“What was he?”
Pondering didn’t help her figure it out.
There was no such person in the novel, anyway.
What worried her more now was.
“Pession, is he going to be okay?”
***
Pession was scolded.
“But, Lord Pacello. The Empress said it was okay…”
“The Empress may be lenient, but I, whose mission is to teach His Highness manners and discipline, cannot.”
Empress Ageni please we’re having little effect.
Pession grew impatient.
He didn’t even get to say a few words to Arellin when she woke up.
He wanted to be there for her more!
“Lord Pacello, enough with the lectures…”
Graham interrupted, seeing the darkening expression on Pession’s face.
“Lord Graham, sometimes it is the role of a duke to correct His Highness’s indulgences.”
“…”
Defeated at once.
‘I apologize, Your Highness, but I think I’ve had enough.’
‘Graham, come back!’
Despite his rank, position, and status, both Graham and the Crown Prince cowered before the title of ‘the crown prince’s tutor’.
“Where are you going? I’m sure Lord Graham needs to hear this.”
“…Ah, yes.”
The admonition began.
“I think you’ve both understood, so I’ll end the lecture now.”
The two men nodded dazedly, their souls stripped away.
‘I suppose we’re done now?’
Sir Pacello declared.
“Then I will double your lesson time for the next week to make up for the five days.”
“…?!”
Sir Pacello, you cruel man!
Does he not have a heart?
