I held my breath and turned the doorknob. Then I opened the door and went inside. Mother was sitting in front of the big mirror like last time.
“Didn’t you sleep?”
“There’s a big deal early in the morning.”
My mother still greeted me with her strange way of speaking.
“I have something to tell you.”
“This early?”
“…Yes. I don’t think it should be any later.”
My mother turned around and looked at me.
“Say it.”
I have to tell her before it’s too late. This time was the only chance.
“Mother… I want you to stop.”
After I spoke, mother and I just looked at each other without saying anything for about a minute. I never looked straight at her all the time, but this time I looked her straight in the eyes. Despite all those years, I didn’t feel any fear. What was I afraid of? Did I really think she was going to kill me?
“What?” Soon mother’s red lips opened.
The memory of one day I tried to find a resemblance to my mother one by one was still fresh.
“What Mother is doing now. I wish Mother would stop taking revenge.”
Then mother burst into laughter, “Ha,” which seems like arsenic. “You came early in the morning with a serious expression on your face to say such a silly thing? Did you have a nightmare last night?”
Mother dismissed it as nonsense and stood up. I blocked her, who was trying to get past me like that.
“What’s really wrong with you today?”
“…Mother, let’s stop. I want Mother to stop.”
“Stop talking nonsense and get out of the way.”
I didn’t budge at her words. “I have no intention of defending them. I just want to stop Mother.”
“…Get out of the way.”
“I can’t get out of the way.”
“Why? Did you change your mind after imprinting? You didn’t even get imprinted on your heart. Are you going to keep acting like an idiot?”
“…I just want to live a happy life. If my mother is doing something wrong, can I really live like that? Will Mother be happy if your plan is successful? I only thought about that every time.”
I held on to mother for a while and persuaded her.
“Let’s stop now. Even if you destroy everything, would it really be the end?”
More desperately than I had told Sir Shubart, I persuaded my mother. I held mother for over an hour like that. At first, my mother asked if I had lost my mind, but she became quiet at some point. And finally, she started to listen to me.
Even if I was merely a tool, there was no way she couldn’t get attached to me. Otherwise, mother wouldn’t have to always put food on my plate, and she wouldn’t have brought bitter medicine every time I caught a cold.
Despite her feeling of betrayal, I still believed in my mother. Even if she didn’t believe it herself, I knew she could do it. Mother even paused for a moment when I conveyed my conversation with the empress. I also emphasized that I would stop mother even without the empress’s permission. For the last, I told her that I wanted to leave after all of this ended.
We didn’t say anything to each other for another hour or so. Mother, who had heard everything, stared only at the window where the curtains were drawn.
“I see.”
“…Mother?”
“I don’t think it’s bad to do as you say.”
I waited a long time, but I couldn’t hide my surprise at her gentle words. “…Really?”
My mother’s eyes were on me. “As you said, I do think it might be pointless.”
“…”
“And as you said, I will never be able to escape from hell. Even if I end everything.”
My mother’s voice was so lonely, which also made me lonely. “Could you give me some time to think?”
I was a little overjoyed. It seemed that the rock, which I thought wouldn’t budge at all, began to move.
“Sure, as much as you want.”
Mother asked me to give her space to think. It was also hard for me to be here any longer, so I said goodbye to her and left. With that, I decided to return to the mansion and prepare one by one.
* * *
After the unexpected visit of the crown prince late at night, Duke Rudbihi was in deep thought.
“Duke, please choose wisely.”
“There’s no brain in his head.” Acting arrogantly just because he had risen to the position of the crown prince.
Duke Rudbihi didn’t expect to find out that he was being spied on by Lucellai’s child rat. How many times did he try to bring her child and lock her up, but he repeatedly failed because of the crown prince?
The crown prince even threatened that he wouldn’t ignore it anymore if Duke Rudbihi touched her. Duke Rudbihi knew they were meeting each other. It was because he was frantic to find out what Lucellai was doing with every move. Anyway, the crown prince acted like a brat to someone who saved his life.
Duke Rudbihi ordered a man to do errands. It was a letter containing the story that the emperor and empress ordered him to their child with the power of the Rudbihi family. The letter alone showed that Duke Rudbihi was just a powerless noble.
“Send it to the crown prince.”
If that arrogant figure saw this, he would beg him to keep it a secret. Then it was just a matter of pretending not to know. Still, he had already recorded what had happened in the past. Duke Rudbihi was sure this way would work for the crown prince, just like what he did to the emperor.
* * *
It was the next day. The coral beach where we came back was still beautiful. I heard that when you see something really beautiful, it makes you cry. I could relate with that words.
“I like it here.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
After becoming crown prince, Valery became much busier. No, he must have been insanely busy before then. I felt sorry but grateful for him, who put his promise with me first despite his hectic schedule.
We walked along the beach, holding each other’s hands for quite a while. On the road where the sea and the beach meet in a round shape, and the road behind it connected to the forest, I turned toward the villa.
Looking at Valery’s face, I suddenly raised my hand to his face, which looked more tired than usual. He leaned over to me with a smile. With that, I gently rubbed his eyes.
“You’ll be busier in the future.”
“I’m okay because you’re going to be by my side.”
“I can’t help you. I can’t do your work. Ah, well, if it’s filling your paperwork… I can help.”
Then he burst into laughter. I pouted because I meant it.
“I really meant it.”
Then he hugged me tightly. Valery looked like a large dog being trapped in my arms. He smelled good. I liked his scent and leaned my forehead against his chest.
“It was because you were cute.” His voice echoed through my touching forehead.
I looked up at Valery again. “Ah, on the day of your crowning ceremony, I met the first prince, and he seemed very relieved. He got his freedom.”
His voice rang through his touching forehead. I looked up at him again.
“Ever since he was young, he had been a professional at entrusting work. So don’t be close to him,” Valery said with a stiff face.
I laughed because it was obvious that he didn’t mean what he said. “He is a good person, easy-going, and sweet.”
“Still, I don’t like it.”
I asked, frowning at the words that I could feel his resoluteness. “You’re not jealous, aren’t you?”
“If I do, will you only look at me?”
I burst out laughing in amazement.
“Alright. Shall we go now? I think we walked a lot. My legs hurt a little.”
“Do you want me to carry you?”
“Huh? No, actually… Ah!”
He asked, bent down, then put his hand behind my knees and lifted me up. I felt his arms suddenly and looked at him with an absurd face.
“I’m heavy! I can walk by myself.”
“You’re not heavy at all. You said your legs hurt.”
“Uh, I was just saying let’s go back. I feel embarrassed, really.”
“No one’s watching.”
He strode to the villa whether I said put me down or not. Several times I said that I was heavy, but he only snorted.
After carrying me all the way into the villa, he put me down on the sofa, then bent his knees in front of me. With a delicate touch, Valery took off my shoes one by one, put them aside, brushed off any sand that might have come too, and even helped me wear slippers.
“Your feet are small too.”
“They’re dirty.”
“No, they are cute.”
He must have seen wrong. When his hand touched my feet, it tickled beyond imagination. I turned my head to the side as I felt my feet were getting better.
“…I’m not a playing doll.”
I never knew he had done this before. It was comfortable, but I felt like my face was red and feverish. Unlike me, Valery’s expression just looked happy.
“Are you having fun?”
