“Irina.”
“…It seems like the child has been doing well in the palace.”
“No matter where she was, she would have done well.”
“Even the clothes she’s wearing, they’re so pretty. It looks so good on her, right? We’ve never been able to dress her like that…”
The child had never asked for such clothes. When given old lace sewn onto worn-out fabric, she would still smile brightly.
“She loves making snacks so much that His Majesty even had a kitchen made for her. She never once said she wanted to make snacks with us.”
Irina covered her mouth with her hand, her words becoming wet with tears.
“Yuriev, I’ve never regretted leaving the capital and coming here. Being with you has been enjoyable, and when the child was born, I was so happy. Even though our life wasn’t extravagant, I thought that I had given the child everything she wanted. But…”
“…”
“Asha didn’t say anything. She kept her wishes, dreams, and everything hidden inside and didn’t say a word…”
Occasionally, when she saw the child drawing pictures of snacks, she thought it was just because she wanted something sweet. And when they had some spare money, she would buy dried fruit from the market for her.
And then, the child would smile as if she was a shining jewel, and Irina and Yuriev would be happy together with her.
All three of them were happy.
No, that’s what Irina thought.
“Asha gathered paintings and held an exhibition. She became friends with the painter. She baked the cake so deliciously that there is a shop that sells cakes with the recipe that Asha made.”
“…”
Irina clenched her fist and tried to steady her breathing, but the humidity rose rapidly.
“How… Like this. She was capable of so much… We couldn’t do anything for her, yet we thought we had done everything we could. We spent ten years in this cruel delusion…”
Unable to bear it any longer, Irina closed her eyes. Tears welled up and fell beneath her closed eyelids.
Yuriev’s eyes also shook as if they were wet. He had a sense of righteousness deep within him. He believed that he had done what was right.
It was a decision that couldn’t be undone. He thought that if he wavered, it would not only affect his position in the royal succession but also unleash a storm that would cause countless lives to be lost.
So he abandoned it.
He gave up the dazzling wealth, the gazes of those who looked up to him, and even the shining talents and perhaps even dreams and desires that he could have pursued.
Irina walked that path with him. Even though he thought it was a path he had to walk alone, he couldn’t resist the hand that reached out to him at that moment. The nights they left the palace were long and quiet, but they were neither cold nor lonely.
– From now on, it’s time to find only the wrong answer.
– The right answer is for them.
Irina folded her light green eyes and smiled broadly and pointed towards the fading sun. The night still held an ethereal beauty. She believed that now, there was only happiness left for everyone.
Having strived and made efforts to live in abundance, she had given up everything out of fear that it might bring further troubles. So she knew that the time ahead wouldn’t be comfortable.
But still, she believed that she would be filled only with an unexchangeable joy and love. Yuriev had believed that until now, just like Irina did.
But now, at this moment, Yuriev realized. In this moment where his daughter, dressed in a beautiful garment woven from flower petals, smiled with rosy cheeks, embracing everything with her small hands, he finally realized.
None of it was his daughter’s choice.
Enduring a life of poverty for the sake of righteousness, eating stale and hard bread, living in a small shack with only two chairs, being born under a father who abandoned the crown prince’s seat and a mother who gave up her life as a knight – none of it was his daughter’s choice.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
Asha, who took Ivan to the bedroom and pushed him into Karnov’s room, swallowed her dry saliva.
‘What on earth are Mom and Dad thinking? Why are they acting like this?’
Suddenly, a strong, deep, and heavy current rushed in, like a high tide. Asha had never witnessed such immense sadness before.
Asha first held the letters brought by her grandparents and headed towards the fireplace in the living room where her parents were sitting. In the darkness of the room that had grown darker as night fell, only the sound of crackling firewood could be heard softly.
“Mom? Dad?”
“Oh. Our daughter, have you come? What’s wrong? Are you cold?”
Yuriev jumped up, picked up Asha and asked. This was one of Yuriev’s old habits. When his daughter woke up in the morning, he would hug her, hug her during meals, when she finished drawing a picture, when she wore a new dress, and when she finished reading a book.
But it was the first time she saw such a deep and suffocating sorrow concealed behind a smiling face.
‘Is it because it’s time to say goodbye?’
“Ah… No. It’s not because I’m cold. I have something to give you both.”
Asha first took out the bundle she had carried in her arms.
“This is Dad’s, this is Mom’s. Letters from my grandfathers! They told me to give them to you. Ta-da!”
“…”
“…”
“Well, my grandfathers are really good to me. So when I asked why they’re so mean to Mom and Dad, they wrote a letter apologizing for that.”
“…”
“And…”
Could it be that they’re worried about her not being able to adjust well in the palace? Asha briefly pondered, but dismissed the thought. There was no indication from those around them that they felt that way. And her parents were not the type to be unaware of such things.
‘Perhaps it’s because they’re bothered by the impending separation?’
“And… Oh! Have you heard the talk about a train being invented? It’s a steam-powered vehicle that can move much faster than a carriage if tracks are laid down for it. Then I can come to see my mom and dad more often, right?”
What should she say to reassure them here? Asha pondered the question and came to a conclusion.
“No, why don’t we just live here together?”
“Asha…”
“Initially, Grandfather did suggest that I stay in the palace… but now, I wouldn’t be surprised if he allows Mom and Dad to live here with me if we ask. I could request…”
“No! Asha, our princess. Your mother and I don’t desire such a thing.”
Yuriev denied Asha’s words by cutting them quickly. Asha opened her eyes wide.
In truth, there were still separate issues regarding Karnov and Alexei’s spirit problems, as well as Valery and Ivan’s Prasti problems. From Asha’s perspective, it would be much more convenient to resolve those issues within the city.
But it seemed that being with her parents here, baking cookies and occasionally visiting the city might be preferable. The minor inconvenience seemed better than seeing these two people so deeply sad.
“We’ve caused worry for our princess. How can parting ways with you be pleasant? But it’s all right.”
Irina said, closing her eyes and smiling. Asha noticed that Irina’s eye color had become more intense with moisture.
“Mom?”
“It seems like you’ve found things you can do and want to do in the city, so I’m relieved. And your grandfather and the others seem to be doing well.”
“Yeah. Since it’s turned out like this, I might as well ask your grandfathers and uncles for everything our princess needs or wants.”
Asha widened her eyes and tilted her head.
“I already have everything I want and need… Mom and Dad have already given me everything.”
Despite the amount of effort it took, Yuriev sold his favorite lapis lazuli paint for smooth fabric and delicate lace to make Asha a carefully sewn nightgown.
And just before selling the paint, Yuriev drew a picture book exclusively for Asha. It was a book with sparkling blue ponds.
Irina always took care of Asha’s leather shoes to ensure her feet wouldn’t hurt when walking, and she spared no expense in buying notebooks for Asha to record her cookie recipes.
The best bread available to the bakery always went into Asha’s mouth, and the few pieces of meat in the stew were also for Asha. The two had not even allowed Asha to weed the garden behind the cottage.
Anything pretty and sweet was meant only for Asha.
“So, I… Ah, Dad?”
Asha stopped mid-sentence, unsure of what to say. Yuriev’s teary blue eyes had prompted her reaction.
Out of nowhere, her father started crying loudly, sobbing uncontrollably. With red eyes, her mother tried to push him out of the mansion. Asha blinked, holding letters from her grandfathers tightly in her hands.
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
The morning dawned on Asha’s return to the Imperial Palace.
“Dad… Are you okay?”
Yuriev’s swollen eyes looked at her. The servants loading the carriage subtly glanced in their direction. Irina let out a dry cough.
Yuriev, still crying, sniffled and said that it would be better for Asha to go to the palace. Irina felt the same way.
– There will even be a railway, so it’s really fortunate. If we miss you, you can come back anytime.
It was their hope that Asha would be able to do everything she could to the fullest in a place where there were more opportunities.
Asha wanted to assure them that she would be fine. But if she stayed here, it seemed that Yuriev and Irina would feel burdened, putting aside the other immediate issues that needed to be dealt with. In that case, there would be no point in staying.
Irina and Yuriev both reached the same conclusion and proceeded to read the letters from their fathers, laughing and grimacing as they wrote their replies. They asked Asha to take these replies back to the palace.
“Today… To be precise, the moments from last night will be the happiest memories of my life.”
It was a little blue, but warm light was wafting behind Yuriev’s back. Irina was the same.
“Asha, do whatever you want and pursue your dreams, but if there’s anything that makes you sad, don’t hesitate to contact us. Okay?”
Asha nodded, burying her head into Irina’s embrace. As Asha bid farewell, the colorful-eyed Anne and Bethelnic greeted Yuriev and Irina before hopping onto the carriage.
“Ah ha. Arten, were you surprised?”
“Very surprised!…”
The sound of the harp didn’t cease throughout Asha’s stay. Arten wiped his chest again at Asha’s words with a smile.
“After hearing this from my colleagues that day, I…”
“Ahaha. You can still be the most brilliant harpist in the empire!”
Asha laughed and Arten’s face flushed as she clapped her hands. Although he occasionally performed at royal gatherings, he confessed that he wasn’t the best harpist, justifying his hesitation.
“For me, Arten is the best.”
“…That’s because you, no, Asha, have been listening to my music since you were young.”
“Even if I listen to other people’s performances at the palace, I can still confidently say that you’re the best harpist. After all, for example, you have called the imperial family by their childhood nickname.”
Arten’s eyes reddened at Asha’s words, and as he opened his arms, he hugged her briefly before letting go.
Finally, when Karnov politely greeted Asha’s parents, the two also bowed to Karnov. Karnov seemed slightly surprised by their greetings and hesitated. Yuriev looked at Karnov with a suppressed expression on his face.
“I heard that you were single-handedly relied on in the northern war. Although it didn’t go well… everyone in the empire owes you a debt.”
“You don’t have to say that.”
Karnov shook his head calmly. Despite his discord with his father, Duke Sedvoyer, he was recognized as the next duke and was able to participate in the battlefield because of the power that everyone thought was the power of death. And it was because of his military achievements that he was recognized as a close aide to Prince Alexei.
And because he was a close aide to Alexei…
Karnov stopped his thoughts there and reassured them that he was okay before getting into the carriage with Asha.
Yuriev and Irina waved their hands until Asha’s carriage disappeared from their sight, and they continued waving even after it was gone.
