“The third prince is quite late.”
“Hoo, the parade is about to start soon. Where could he possibly be…?”
“Exactly. It’s troubling that the most important person, the winner of the defense battle, hasn’t shown up…”
In front of the main gate of the imperial palace, the gathered nobles, waiting to assist with the founding festival parade, muttered anxiously. Among them was the emperor.
“…How can not a single one of them can do things properly?” He frowned deeply, rubbing his forehead.
The centerpiece of the founding festival parade was the winner of the defense battle. Every year, people were eager to see who had performed the best. So, if the parade went ahead without the winner, it could become a subject of ridicule.
“How much time do we have left?”
“Ten minutes.”
The emperor sighed at the chamberlain’s words. At this point, they would have to quickly bring someone else to stand in the parade.
Rebecca was currently under house arrest, but as a former defense battle winner, she was familiar with the proceedings. This year’s winner was Kayden, but if he chose not to participate in the parade, his victory would be meaningless. After all, rights come with responsibilities.
“…Summon the First Princess.” The emperor finally commanded reluctantly.
Just as the chamberlain was about to relay the command to the servant, a voice interrupted.
“My apologies for being late.”
Kayden appeared, holding Diana’s hand, slightly out of breath. At the start of their run, Diana had led, but as time passed, her stamina quickly waned, and now it seemed like Kayden was leading. She was practically leaning on him, bending over and panting heavily.
The nobles rushed toward Kayden, their voices filled with surprise.
“Your Highness!”
“Where have you been all this time?”
“There were some circumstances. My clothes got torn, so I had to change… I apologize for the concern, Your Majesty.”
Kayden offered a plausible excuse and bowed deeply to the emperor. Now was not the time to reveal the situation with the second concubine.
The emperor glared at him disapprovingly before turning away sharply. “…I’ll hear the full story after the parade.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
Kayden replied obediently. The emperor glanced at him once more before mounting his horse.
Before mounting his horse, Kayden turned to Diana. Thanks to her quick adjustments to his attire, he looked presentable, if not as polished as in the morning.
“Diana.”
“Gasp, yes?”
“You asked what happened earlier. If it’s okay, I’ll explain after the parade… Sorry.” Kayden hesitated as he tucked her hair behind her ear, helping her straighten up.
Diana smiled and shook her head. “Don’t apologize. Just promise me you’ll come back safely after the parade.”
“…Okay. Thank you.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
For some reason, those words choked him up. Kayden squeezed her hand tightly before letting go and mounting his horse.
“One minute left!”
Diana stepped back a few paces. At the chamberlain’s call, the knights of the Fourth Order also mounted their horses.
Finally, bwooo— A long horn sounded, marking the start of the parade. Cheers erupted, shaking the imperial palace.
“Hyah!” The emperor lightly whipped his reins and moved forward.
Just before following him, Kayden turned his head instinctively. Diana, noticing his gaze, lightly patted the horse’s side and whispered, “Go.”
The horse, responding to her touch, trotted forward with a clatter. Kayden kept his eyes on Diana until they passed through the palace gates, then he turned forward.
“Woooow!”
“Long live Emperor Ricardo Logan Bluebell!”
“Glory to Valhanas forever!”
“Long live Prince Kayden Seirik Bluebell!”
The crowd’s cheers filled the air as colorful confetti fluttered against the clear sky. People lined the streets, shouting incessantly, and children scattered confetti from baskets on the second-floor windows.
“Smile.” The emperor, waving to the crowd with a smiling face, advised quietly.
Kayden, feeling a bit overwhelmed, looked around before raising his hand with a faint smile. The cheers grew even louder.
…It suits him.
Meanwhile, Diana watched Kayden from a few steps behind the palace gates, clapping along with the crowd yet feeling somewhat dazed.
“Glory to Valhanas!”
“Long live Prince Kayden!”
Kayden stood amidst the overwhelming cheers and light. His hair shimmered like black pearls under the sunlight, and his smile had the power to uplift spirits. He seemed like someone who was born to be in that position. Paradoxically, that realization brought a tinge of bitterness to Diana.
Even without me, Kayden would have managed somehow. Just like he managed to suppress his seizures and stood up to Rebecca in my previous life.
Kayden was literally shining brightly under the sunlight. In contrast, Diana stood in the shadow of the imperial palace wall. The line of her shadow felt like it separated them. It felt as if he could be perfectly happy without her.
Diana watched his distant figure with a slightly aching heart, feeling out of place.
* * *
“The second concubine has passed away.”
After the founding festival parade and speech, there was a brief break before the commemorative ball. Kayden, having returned to the imperial palace after completing his duties, explained to the emperor that the second concubine had attacked him using Carlotta and had died in the ensuing battle.
“…I knew this would happen someday.” The emperor, who initially seemed a bit surprised, soon furrowed his brows and clicked his tongue.
Carlotta was a woman who had dared to deceive him and infiltrate the imperial palace for Roxanne’s sake. Sooner or later, she would have attempted to kill Kayden, even at the cost of her own life.
The emperor sighed and instructed Kayden to take some knights to search the area and arrest Carlotta. Kayden, accompanied by the knights, headed to the secret room where the second concubine had lured him.
Will they still be there? Kayden felt a mix of tension and curiosity as he made his way through the bushes into the forest. Given that the owl mask had saved him and brought him to safety, it seemed unlikely that they were an enemy. However, he remained cautious. Half hoping, half fearing the owl mask would still be there, Kayden continued forward.
“Huh? Over there…”
“Isn’t that Princess Carlotta?’
As they neared the entrance to the secret room, the knights pointed and spoke in surprised tones. Looking in the direction they pointed, Kayden saw Carlotta, bound and sitting among the bushes beside the broken entrance.
“Mmmpf!” Carlotta struggled and mumbled through her gag, clearly asking to be freed.
“…You all, search inside first. Retrieve the bodies.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After some thought, Kayden sent the knights into the room and knelt in front of Carlotta. He reached out and removed the cloth that was gagging her. As soon as it was removed, she coughed harshly.
“Cough, cough! Why did you take so long…”
“Older Sister.”
As soon as Kayden spoke softly, Carlotta, who had been grumbling out of habit, closed her mouth with a gasp. It was because Kayden looked at her coldly.
“The one who broke the entrance, the person wearing an owl mask. Where did they go?”
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