The Princess' Bedroom Doll

You can’t do that.

You mustn’t do that.

Sitting with his hands clasped together, Severo Crassus stared into the air with a cold, hard look on his face.

They only had to wait one more year. There was nothing wrong with the plan Karzen had. To keep Raha from losing her sight, to keep the imperial sanctuary that protected the Delharsa bloodline intact. It was for this reason that he had set himself off to the distant desert.

But….

The choice of the wise men hit them in the back of the head.

Raha is still beautiful even if she can’t see.

Severo gritted his teeth. No, no, no. What a Princess if she couldn’t see?

It would be too great a stain on the reign of Karzen. History would record it as the worst disgrace, and perhaps the master would not even be able to defend his throne.

“Consider the method. Severo Crassus.”

Blake Duke also spoke seriously. His expression was hard as he too recognized the seriousness of the situation.

“Isn’t it a top priority to take steps to find a way not to send the Imperial Princess to Hildes?”

Methods? There were many ways. After the wedding, it would have been enough to have a secret shadow disguised as an armed robber sent to abduct the imperial princess on the way to Hildes. Therefore, he could hide her deep inside the imperial palace, as Karzen wanted, and make Raha his property.

“We wouldn’t be able to keep her long if we kidnapped her.”

“Why?”

“The royal lord.”

“…….”

The problem was the damned fiancé of the Princess, who was obviously head over heels for her.

Severo had the sickening certainty that wherever they hid Raha, he would find her eventually.

Severo took a long breath.

The abducted imperial princess was found deep within the imperial palace. It did not matter that these facts would be revealed later. It could be sorted out along its own lines. Because Severo had always wanted Raha. Because he loved her and never properly concealed his desire to strip and eat her.

He would testify that he believed in the emperor’s credibility and manipulated his shadow to abduct the imperial princess and try to have her give birth to his own child without his permission. He would be tortured and beheaded, but was able to help the problem.

But…

If the Princess became blind………. How on earth should that be resolved? It was something that could not be solved with one’s life, or anyone else’s.

Would the wise men allow the eyes of the heir to finally lose their light?

Would the nobles of Delo tolerate it?

The priests of the Holy Land?

The nobles? The commoners below?

Who would allow it? No one would understand. Even Severo was not confident that he had any excuse at all for Karzen’s act.

The fact was that the emperor’s obsession for his twin. Desire or love?

He was so drowned in emotions that he could not reveal them openly that he acted in such a horribly dichotomous way. Severo was speechless. He would rather….

“……..”

Severo stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“Sitting around isn’t going to solve this. You should leave. I’m guarding the perimeter of the Imperial Palace.”

Severo walked around with an expressionless face and called for the deputy under his command.

“Master Severo.”

“Take your hands off everything you’re doing right now.”

“…… eh? Yes.”

Severo studied the dozens of papers spread across the large desk with a cold, somber gaze.

Shed. Slaves. High Priests. Holy Land. The Western Kingdom. Oliver. The Wise Men.

Something or someone that would shake the icy Imperial Princess’s heart.

Severo picked one out of a dozen different classifications and lifted it up. One by one, the papers were piled up.

“Have them all put into the survey here.”

“Understood.”

“Make sure they are policed so that there are no rumors. Don’t let them flow to Blake Duke either.”

“Yes, sir.”

The second-in-command replied with enthusiasm. Severo took a slow, deep breath. He walked over and sat down on his chair. He was in desperate need of a drink, but he had stopped drinking after constantly pouring alcohol into the imperial princess’s mouth.

* * *

“Princess, are you staying at the main palace again today?”

At the office of the main palace. Raha shifted her gaze. Jamela fluttered her eyelashes lightly.

“You look tired.”

“Is my face a mess?”

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that you’ve been working for almost a week without a break, so I think you need some rest.”

Actually, Jamela was right. Raha had been working from morning to night at the main palace for the past week, preparing for the national wedding.

“I’ll leave early today.”

Of course, there was a place she had to stop by first. Once a week, the leading aristocrats gathered at the palace for a tea party, just as the Council regularly held its meetings.

Duke Esther, of course, was also a participant.

The return of the wise men from the desert meant the return of Duke Esther, who had been absent for some time. Since Duke Esther has the highest ceremonial rank among the dukes, it was only natural that he should appear at the imperial palace every day.

Raha looked away from the unsightly Duke Esther. He stood far away from Raha, surrounded by nobles.

It didn’t matter. The nobles of high rank were lined up beside Raha. The Duke of Winston, in particular, stood proudly by Raha’s side. A month before the national wedding of Jamela and Karzen, Duke Winston had not been feeling so well lately.

It was not a bad idea to pretend to be close to Raha in front of others. She was a princess who could paint a brilliant smile in front of the Queen and the previous emperor who were hostile to her.

“Princess. Hmmm.”

It was at that moment. A gray-haired old nobleman spoke while clearing his throat.

“I have something for you as a wedding gift.”

“What is it?”

The servant standing behind him hastily stepped forward with a box made of rosewood.

It was common courtesy to present a gift to the royal family in person. Even if it was not polite, this old nobleman wanted to show off the gift he had prepared in front of everyone.

Inside the box were several round fruits with a dark blue-green color.

“They are specialties of the Kingdom of Hildes.”

“What?”

Raha chuckled.

“A specialty of the Kingdom of Hildes?”

“Yes. In the Kingdom of Hildes, they cherish fruits named after the seasons. They are often so tender that they are hard to find outside of Hildes, but they taste really sweet.”

“If the fruit is so precious, I’m sure it was hard to get it here.”

“It’s a small gesture of sincerity from the Countof  Spencer to the soon-to-be wedded Princess.”

A faint smile was painted on Raha’s lips. She was touched with the sincerity of the Count. The old nobleman’s eyes shone when he saw Raha’s face light up.

“Hm… Princess. According to what I have obtained, it is a very valuable fruit traded in Hildes. So the royal lord would be pleased, wouldn’t he?”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Raha laughed softly as she looked at the fruit.

“I think he might like it.”

She asked, turning her attention to the fruit.

“If the fruit is named after a season, what is its name?”

“Summer Nights, I hear.”

“That’s a nice name.”

It was obvious that it was an expensive fruit that even had preservation magic on it.

The preservation magic on a single flower that Severo brought from the desert must have been amazing in price too. Even if the distance was much shorter than bringing it from a desert on another continent, still, Hildes was still a long way from Delo.

And there were several boxes. To offer a tribute to the princess on a public occasion, he had to bring at least that many boxes to stand out.

“Did you give them separately to His Majesty?”

“No, I prepared an offering of the fruits of the Southern Kingdom for His Majesty. Spencer opened new trade routes in the South a few months ago. Everyone is indebted to His Majesty the Emperor, so Spencer wishes to express our awe and gratitude.”

Raha chuckled.

“ That’s a good choice. I must tell His Majesty.”

The old nobleman’s face brightened.

“I am honored, Your Highness!”

The amount of offerings that poured into Karzen each time was unimaginable. Many of the treasures were stored in the warehouse.

If Raha praised Spencer in front of Karzen, the Spencer’s name would be honorable remembered.

‘He is smart.’

Raha thought as she turned her gaze to the dark greenish fruits. He was ambitious. He used his head instead.

It was only a few months at most. Back then, no one dared to utter her name with the word marriage. Now, people talked about Raha and her marriage at every social gathering.

Everything had become mundane and in an instant. Preparing wedding clothes, planting trees, decorating….

It was so normal that Raha forgot her reality for a moment.

After Raha gave Spencer’s  once more to the chamberlain, she stepped away. To the maid waiting outside, Raha said.

“Go ahead to the palace and summon Lord Branden. I will be with Oliver.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“And have the carriage ready for me. I will return a little later.”

“Understood.”

The maid turned to look at the boxes, and the servants standing nearby hurriedly accepted them. Raha turned away as she watched the servants move their feet.