The Princess' Bedroom Doll

Raha really liked this gift. When she went back again alone, it seemed that the story had already spread that Raha liked Spencer’s gift a lot.

Duke Esther was still far away.

Raha went back to her original position. The Duke of Winston, who was talking with the nobles, cleared his throat.

“The Princess was quite attentive to Spencer. But still, it’s a fruit, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

The old aristocrat was a little peeved. But the Duke of Winston did not even move his eyes.

“Even Winston would have to air freight all the seasonal fruit from Hildes to Delo.”

“It will be difficult.”

“Why would it be difficult? It is not difficult as long as you have enough preservation magic.”

Jamela, who had just arrived, rolled her eyes and tapped the Duke of Winston on the sleeve. The Duke seemed to see the nobles who were now trying to buy Raha’s good side with impunity like a swarm of bad ants jumping on their share.

Jamela abandoned her father, who was secretly engaged in a war of nerves with Count Spencer, and shifted her gaze to Raha.

And indeed. …. she could see why her father was mumbling. Because the imperial princess, who had been looking so distressed when she brought her all kinds of precious jewels and silks, was smiling.

How long it had been since she had seen her like something so much out of the many gifts she had received.

She thought the Princess would be happy if she was going to Hildes.

It was obvious that the Princess had grown to love her fiancé. After walking on thin ice for a very long time, the Princess was finally on the verge of happiness.

After greeting Count Spencer once more, Jamela could not take her eyes off of Raha’s back as she left the hall.

* * *

“Lord Severo! I found what you mentioned…. ….”

The deputy’s report made Severo, who had not slept for a week, sit up. Both eyes were red and bloodshot as he checked the thick documents the deputy had brought and the relics enclosed with them.

“……?”

Severo’s face frowned more and more as he read the report. As he flipped through the last document, he let out the breath he had been holding still.

“All the guards are to go back to normal positions and do not tell anyone. Never speak of it.”

“Yes, sir. They wouldn’t dare to disobey.”

“Good.”

Severo bit his lip.

“Don’t even mention it to His Majesty. I will tell him myself.”

“Yes, sir.”

Severo looked at himself in the mirror. His face was a mess, probably because he had not slept for a while. He could not go to see the Princess with such a face. After he burned the papers, he stuffed his belongings into his clothes.

Then he opened a drawer and found a sleeping pill, which he shoved into his mouth. In order to go see the Princess, he had to force himself to sleep and somehow make a clean face.

“Arrange a meeting with the Princess. Tell her I want to see her quietly.”

* * *

“No, my God! It’s been a long time since I’ve had a summer night.”

Branden’s eyes widened as he looked at the fruit brought by Raha’s servants. It was summer night fruit that he hadn’t had any since he left Hildes.

He was not one to enjoy sweet fruits, but it made him happy to know that they were a specialty of his hometown that he had not had for so long.

“Look at this, Oliver. This is a much-loved fruit in Hildes. It is also very hard to find.”

“Really?”

Shed was not here. The nobles had come to visit him, saying that they wanted to discuss the issue of the delegation to be sent to Hildes. It was obvious that they were trying to make all possible preparations since this was the most important marriage between the imperial princess and a royal lord next to the national wedding of the emperor, and also because Hildes suddenly became Delo’s most preferred friendly country during the last war.

“How about Shed?”

So for the first time in a long time, Raha had to look around the bedroom for Shed. Branden jumped up as soon as Raha entered.

“Princess!”

“Sit.”

“Yes.”

Raha asked the maid who was following her.

“When is the royal lord coming back?”

“It has been about two hours since he left…… I think he will be back in a little while.”

“I see. When he comes, please bring him here.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Raha took a seat in the upper seat. Oliver was still smiling at Raha. The well-sculpted, chestnut-haired boy palace doctor was one of the few very rare people who could make Raha feel better for very long.

It would have suited him well, though, if Oliver had not given up his position as the wise men’s apprentice and become a wise man. She had always had the impression that he would be a good one. Raha did not dare to say. In any case, Oliver was firm in his will for learning.

She asked as she looked at Branden, who was getting more and more enthusiastic every time she saw him.

“How do you eat this fruit?”

“Oh, do you mind if I take care of it?”

“Yes.”

The maid had already brought a tray, fruit knife, bowls and forks. Branden washed his hands with hot water, then took the fruit knife and peeled the fruit. He was the head of the Kingsguard at Hildes, and his form of handling the sword looked very familiar.

Branden peeled the skin except for the bottom part of the fruit, and the attendants picked them up one by one with tongs. He cut them into bite-sized pieces and placed them neatly on a gold-rimmed ivory-colored plate, just as they were usually done in the royal family.

“My Princess.”

Raha picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. Oliver chewed and swallowed a piece, then his eyes went wide.

“It’s very sweet.”

“Yes. It’s a fruit that kids love. The royal lord liked it too.”

Raha, who was slowly tasting the fruit, asked.

“He likes sweet?”

“When he was a child.”

Raha thought he would be very beautiful when he was a child. He was such a beautiful man even when he was a man, so he must have looked like a doll when he was a child. In fact, Karzen often said that she also looked like a doll when she was a child.

When she thought of the young Shed with such a beautiful face, putting a piece of fruit so sweet that it made his tongue tingle and chewing it gingerly in his mouth, her smile widened uncontrollably. Raha asked Branden, who looked at her with wide eyes.

“Sir Branden.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Does the royal lord still like this?”

“Oh, I’m not sure right now. He doesn’t really like sweets. …”

“Then what does he like?”

“Huh? Oh. ……”

Branden frowned as he thought it over.

“I’m not sure. He hasn’t had a particular favorite in the last few years.”

“Why?”

Raha asked as she inserted her fork into a new piece of fruit.

“Why is there nothing in particular these days?”

“Huh? Let’s see……”

“Has there been any change in his family?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“No?”

Raha said, looking down at the fruit.

It’s strange. Why did he lose interest in his favorite things over the years?”

“Oh……”

“It seems as if the lord went through something very difficult over the years, doesn’t it?”

Branden swallowed dry spit at the continuous questions. Why did the conversation end up this direction?

“Sir Branden.”

Raha asked.

“Is it something you have to hide from me?”

For a moment, tension tensed his spine. But Raha’s face was still calm. Branden’s head began to spin. In fact, the words were said without meaning anything at first, but in retrospect, the point at which the likes and dislikes that Shed still had began to disappear completely…. ….

It was after the baby, Shed’s nephew and the only prince of the Hildes royal family, had been killed by Emperor Delo’s blade.

A horrible death of the little prince under Shed’s protection….

How could he tell the Princess that?

He couldn’t.

Fortunately, Branden had also spent a lot of time as head of the royal Kingsguard, so he could school his expression. But…

He couldn’t think of a suitable lie.

In fact, Branden thought the Princess was very difficult. It was not simply because of her high status. She was always gentle in her tone, and Oliver was very fond of her, but she was basically difficult to approach.

“How long has this been the case?”

“About three years to my recollection… I think it started about four years ago.”

Raha smiled faintly.

“I heard that he didn’t have a particular tea that he liked, so I asked him.”

“Oh, really?”

Branden, sighing with relief in his heart, took the opportunity to broach a different subject.

“By the way, it’s the same with our King (Shed’s mute brother). It’s my personal opinion, but it seems to be a characteristic of the Hildes royal family……”

Branden was a knight who lived his life holding a sword. In a good way, it was straightforward and in a bad way, he meant to deceive the Princess who lightly reigned over all the heads of society.

“Sir Branden.”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness?”

“Did the lord have a lady he liked in Hildes?”

“Ah…”

Branden was puzzled in a different way than before. It would have been the same for anyone. 

‘Is she jealous?’

Didn’t it sound as if the Princess was jealous? In fact, the maid who was taking care of Raha’s tea went stiff.

“No. He had no one.”

“Really…?”

That was surprising. Raha blinked and asked.

“So you are saying that he had never escorted any ladies ever since he became a knight?”

“That ……”

Not really. It sounded too awkward to lie. Branden decided to tell the truth this time, since he had deliberately mixed in a lie above anyway.

“The royal lord was assigned to guard the deceased prince for a while. After the prince died, he was no longer assigned to escort others.”

Instead, he had disappeared from the royal palace.