TSHF 05

Chapter 05

Was it because Derian had caused such a disturbance before leaving?

I dreamed of my childhood.

[Why did you do it?]

The Emperor would occasionally gather the empresses and their children to host tea time.

Moments like that were rare—the royal family hardly ever assembled all at once otherwise.

The first time I approached Derian was during one of those tea times.

[Neroli.]

[Why did you kill Coco?]

The gleam in Derian’s eyes hardened at my words, and he clicked his tongue sharply.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he muttered irritably.

[Tch. I was wondering why you were suddenly talking to me. Is this about that stupid cat?]

Coco wasn’t just some cat.

She was my cat.

Cute and lovable, Coco had died after being struck by an arrow Derian had shot.

[Tell me. Why did you kill her?]

I normally avoided Derian on purpose—he was always bothering me—but this time, I couldn’t back down.

Even if Coco’s death had been brushed off as a childish accident by a young prince, I knew the truth.

He had deliberately killed my cat.

When I glared at him silently, Derian curled his lips into a grin.

[Well, at least now I’m sure. I guess I have to go this far to get you to come to me.]

[What?]

[So why did you keep ignoring me?]

Derian took a step closer.

[If you’d just listened to me from the start, it wouldn’t have come to this.]

As he spoke, he pulled one hand out of his pocket and began counting on his fingers.

[Let’s see… what was it that you treasured? Your childhood friend-slash-maid who joined recently? Or your little sibling? Ah.]

The young Derian’s red eyes gleamed strangely.

[Your mother, perhaps?]

That childish provocation, meant to grab my attention at any cost, worked perfectly.

I completely snapped.

Thud—!

A sharp impact echoed through the garden.

[Hey! Are you insane?!]

Derian cried out in shock.

I didn’t stop. I swung my fist with all my strength.

Thud—thud—!

The more I hit, the more my face throbbed, a metallic taste spreading in my mouth.

[Have you lost your mind?!]

Derian quickly grabbed my wrist and held me still.

[Why are you hurting yourself?! If you’re going to hit someone, hit me!]

The moment he shouted—

I burst into loud, hysterical tears.

[Waaaah—!]

[W-What?! If you’re going to cry like that, then why—!]

[What is all this commotion?]

The Emperor and the empresses, who had been chatting at a distant table, hurried over in a group.

My mother, who had been standing beside the Emperor, turned pale when she saw the state I was in and rushed toward me.

[Oh my goodness, Neroli!]

Seeing her, I cried even louder on purpose.

[Waaah! Derian—! Derian hit me!]

The dream ended there, but reality didn’t.

What followed unfolded exactly as I’d expected.

My mother, in tears, confronted the First Empress—Derian’s mother.

—After killing Neroli’s cat, he’s now laid hands on the child herself! How can this be acceptable?!

The First Empress, flustered, urged her son to explain himself, but Derian’s attention was completely fixed on my injuries.

—Why the face of all places! It mustn’t scar—do you hear me?!

With that, Derian was dragged away.

The First Empress, her face flushed red, exited with her son in tow.

My mother gently stroked my swollen cheek and split lip, then pleaded with the Emperor.

—Derian has never left Neroli alone. Your Majesty, please protect my child.

—Hmm. This incident has indeed gone too far. No matter how reckless he may be, he knows how easily children are injured—yet he swung his fists so carelessly. From now on, Derian will be forbidden from entering Neroli’s palace and yours.

Buried in my mother’s arms, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

More than separating Derian from me, I was satisfied that he’d been cut off from my mother.

After that, until adulthood, there were only a handful of times I was ever alone with Derian.

“Welcome, Princess Neroli.”

The head maid’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I smiled softly.

“Good morning, everyone. I stopped by to collect some of Mother’s books that I didn’t manage to take earlier.”

As soon as I woke up that morning, I came straight to the Fourth Empress’s palace, just as I’d resolved the night before.

Once I secured that original text here, I planned to head directly to see the Emperor.

“Shall we go to the study?”

I’d already searched Mother’s bedroom thoroughly when I retrieved her diary.

Since I hadn’t found it then, there was a high chance the original text was stored in her study.

As I naturally headed in that direction, the head maid of the Fourth Empress’s palace bowed deeply.

“Y-Yes, Princess Neroli. About that…”

“Is there a problem?”

“Yesterday, all of the Fourth Empress’s belongings were整理—cleared out.”

“…Without my permission? My mother’s belongings?”

“Some people arrived very suddenly and said they were instructed to collect everything…”

“Who did that?”

At the flat tone of my voice, the maid visibly panicked and answered even more respectfully.

“They were… His Majesty’s people. They said His Majesty ordered that all of the Fourth Empress’s belongings be brought to him…”

Ah.

Of course. As if that Emperor would ever leave my mother’s possessions alone.

Only after seeing my mother’s study—now completely empty—did I smile brightly.

“It seems I’ll have to meet His Majesty earlier than planned.”

My carriage headed straight for the central palace where the Emperor resided.

“Neroli, the tea you blend always has such a fine aroma.”

At his words, I curved my eyes prettily.

“I carefully selected the leaves you enjoy most, Your Majesty! I was so eager to let you taste it that I came a little early!”

“Very good, very good. Come to think of it… you spent all day in the greenhouse yesterday, didn’t you?”

I paused deliberately before answering.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Tending to the flowers seems to ease the sadness a little.”

The Emperor set his teacup down and sighed.

“It seems Tilia’s absence weighs heavily on you as well. It does on me, too.”

How shameless—to bring that up first.

After covering up my mother’s death as a suicide.

Rage surged inside me, but I was every bit as skilled an actor as the Emperor.

In an instant, my eyes filled with tears, and I dabbed them away with a handkerchief.

“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be like this in front of you, Your Majesty…”

“It’s all right, Neroli. Sorting through one’s emotions isn’t easy.”

He patted my back gently.

As if encouraged by his touch, I spoke on in a small, chatty voice.

“Actually, Derian came to see me yesterday.”

“Derian?”

“Yes. Since he’s been stationed in conflict zones for years, I thought we might finally catch up, but…”

“That wretched boy bullied you again, didn’t he?”

I couldn’t bring myself to answer, only wiping away the rest of my tears.

Seeing my reaction, the Emperor clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. Derian has always been itching to make your life miserable.”

“S-So, um…”

I looked at him with eyes still glossy with tears.

“Would it be possible to order that Derian not enter my palace freely? To forbid him from coming and going?”

“Hm. It’s not impossible… but is meeting Derian really that distressing for you?”

Strictly speaking, meeting Derian was more annoying than distressing.

Especially now, when my nerves are so on edge.

Even if it was distasteful, borrowing that man’s authority was the most efficient solution for now.

—

I won’t fall for the same trick twice.

—

Derian’s parting words from yesterday suddenly surfaced in my mind.

I sneered inwardly.

If I don’t fall for it twice, what exactly are you going to do?

“Honestly… it is a bit much for me. Am I overreacting?”

“No. Derian’s nature is rather rough. It must be overwhelming for someone as gentle as you. Keeping some distance for now isn’t a bad idea. I’ll grant your request.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

With reddened eyes, I offered a small smile.

In response, the Emperor gently stroked my head this time.

As if he truly were a loving father.

Every time his hand brushed through my hair, countless thoughts collided in my mind.

How long does he intend to keep up this ridiculous act?

I’d braced myself for what I might hear today.

Yet he treated me exactly as he always had.

That unsettled me even more.

Is he waiting for the right moment to draw his blade against me?

And then—

Why did he let my mother’s death go so easily?