The Princess' Bedroom Doll

10. The end of winter.

The best time to move about in the Imperial Palace, away from the public eye, was not at midnight, but at noon on even-numbered days of the week, in the middle of the Council meeting.

This was a fact that anyone who paid attention enough at the Imperial Palace knew.

And Severo Crassus, one of those who had rolled enough at the Palace, looked up at the beautiful garden from the front of the Imperial Palace.

It was already midday, and there were times when the wind was quite warm. Spring was coming. The summer days were dry like in the desert. There were very often times when people missed the cold of Delo.

Severo turned to look out over the idyllic and beautiful garden of the lush and verdant Palace of the Princess.

Raha’s maid was approaching.

“This way.”

Severo walked with a nonchalant expression on his face. The relics were in his pocket, but his expression didn’t change. As usual before going to see the Princess, he was excited and thrilled like a suitor trying to devise how to win her heart.

“Please come in.”

The maid led Severo to a more intimate reception room today. The word was reception room, but it was structured like the audience chamber in Karzen’s palace. A carpet laid long from the gate.

Raha was sitting on the top seat at the far end, reading a book.

“Greetings, Your Imperial Highness.”

Raha took her eyes off the book and raised her head.

“You’re dismissed.”

The maid bowed her head and retreated. When the door was completely closed, Raha asked.

“Why did you ask to see me secretly? Severo.”

“Princess.”

Severo said, looking at Raha intently.

“May I come a little closer?”

“Yes.”

Severo approached Raha slowly. It was half the distance narrower than normal nobles would stand. And he didn’t miss a single thing, even the way she covered the book she was reading and put it to the side.

Raha lifted her gaze, then smiled and said.

“You’re too close, Severo.”

“I wanted to be this close at least once.”

“You always say things like that. So what can I do for you?”

“Princess.”

Severo stopped in front of Raha’s view and slowly opened his mouth.

“Only once.”

“…….”

“May I be disrespectful just once?”

“You mean to talk about His Majesty?”

“No.”

Severo continued speaking.

“It’s what I’ve wanted for a long time.”

“You shall.”

Raha continued.

“I am curious as to what it is you want.”

Severo bent down. He leaned forward into Raha, his hands gripping the armrests.

It was too close. Severo had never been this close to the Princess. Blue eyes opened wide, and Raha stared at Severo.

Severo’s gaze slowly descended from Raha’s cute forehead along the straight line of her nose to her coral colored lips.

“Princess.”

Severo asked in a whispered tone.

“May I kiss you on the lips?”

“You would do well every night if you were my bedroom slave, Severo.”

 Her voice was a sweet honey.

“The royal lord has a generous nature.”

Raha tilted her chin slightly as she spoke in a gentle tone. When Severo bent over a little more, just a little more, stopping just far enough away to reach her lips, she asked.

“Severo?”

“…….”

“Should you leave His Majesty and come to my bed?”

Severo did not answer. He just looked at Raha’s face once more. If there was anything different from before, it was that he just couldn’t look away from the eyes of the heir.

It was a symbol of a legend that had lasted for nearly a thousand years. It symbolized all the authority and credentials of Delo and was a sign that it had been passed down from generation to generation to the most deserving.

Why couldn’t his master (Karzen) have this?

“My Princess, I’ll be frank with you.”

Severo said to Raha.

“I have always considered the presence of the Princess to be a threat to His Majesty.”

“Is that so?”

Raha asked slowly.

“But?”

“If you didn’t have the eyes of the heir……I would have insisted on having you killed.”

Not very surprising words. But if Raha was the least surprised it was that Severo dared to speak those words out loud.

“What reaction would you like me to give you now?”

“My Princess. Do you know the name Ernest?”

At that moment, Raha’s breath hardened slightly. Severo smiled softly.

“He used to be your doctor. Harsel.”

“…….”

Severo took the small glass he kept deep in his pocket. Raha’s gaze drifted slowly there. If her pupils could be choked, her eyes would have lost its breath.

It was a small, sharp metal glass, about the length of an adult’s index finger. It was now faded with age, but it was surely a glass that was made of sterling silver and at times sparkled beautifully under the light of a chandelier.

It was also a glass that Raha knew well.

“Harsel was the Princess’s doctor, the amazing doctor who had rescued the Princess from her alcohol addiction.”

“I see.”

The crack in her expression that was visible for a while quickly hid. Raha’s voice was sweet again. There was no point splitting the ocean. If Severo was someone who was less than the second in command, he certainly had a smooth enough complexion to lose his will to fight.

Severo placed the metal glass on the small table beside Raha’s armrest. Raha’s unwavering gaze drifted there, then back to look at Severo.

“Did you know, Princess?

Severo spoke again.

“I have been away for a long time. In fact, I went to the desert. I went to the desert to search for a holy relic.”

“A holy relic?”

”It’s a holy relic that can protect the insignia of Delo’s national treasure and the s eyes of the heir.

His Majesty is trying to gather the power in the Princess’ eyes.”

”Why?”

Raha’s long eyelashes fluttered gently.

“These eyes protect not only me, but also Karzen.”

“Because, Princess.”

Severo’s voice is as soft as ever.

“Because His Majesty knows.”

“What does Karzen know?”

“That one, Your Imperial Highness, the fear of death every time he touches you.”

For the first time, Raha’s mouth dropped open.

It was never a reaction that would be shown by someone who was surprised when their hidden emotions were revealed. Because this imperial princess had paved the way for even the smallest of reactions to be thoroughly calculated and put out. That was why that reaction was just the reaction of an honest and innocent princess who didn’t seem to understand Severo’s words.

It was a strangely perfect look in her eyes. What was she thinking in that pretty little head?

She was surprised alright. How nice it would be to have a conversation with that lovely princess with his hand on her chest. At least she couldn’t hide her irratic beating heart.

“His Majesty knows how much the Princess loathes his touch.”

Raha’s breathing had never been this disturbed.

”You must have believed that His Majesty was completely fooled. In fact, he mentioned it once. If it wasn’t for the blue eyes, and if it wasn’t for that terrifying rejection, His Majesty would have been completely fooled as well.”

“Severo.”

A cool elegance voice made of ice caught Severo’s gaze.

“Why are you telling me this?”

No more surprises, no more hiding. The extremely perceptive princess now knew. She knew that there was no lie of any kind in what Severo was saying now.

So….

The main argument she was interested in was this. Why would Severo, the Emperor’s right hand man, tell what Raha was not allowed to know?

“Is it because you really want to be taken under my wing?”

”That feeling is the only thing that I will not change, Princess.”

Severo smiled for a while as continued the conversation.

“Do you know why I chose His Majesty Karzen?”

“How would I know?”

“That man has been walking around the battlefield since he was the Crown Prince. He did not hesitate to fight impossible wars. In fact, many nobles thought that His Majesty Karzen would die early or injured in some way. Anyway, it’s the Imperial Princess with the blue eyes that would “perfectly” protect him.”

”But?”

”I was wrong. I thought that His Majesty Karzen would definitely survive. I thought that in order to consolidate imperial authority, a certain amount of brutality was an essential element. So I put everything I had into trying to be His Majesty’s most faithful servant. I really wanted to succeed. I wanted to take a different path than my master.”

Why was he suddenly talking about a master that she never heard of?

Raha was a quick thinker. The moment a question popped up, the appropriate answer flowed along with it.

”Do you know why there is no personal doctor amongst His Majesty’s subordinates? Your Imperial Highness?”

“…….”

“Because I have studied medicine very deeply. Princess. Just like Oliver, the Princess’s doctor. My master studied and became a doctor. I am the opposite.”

”Harsel.”

Raha slowly spoke.

“Was he your master?”

“Yes.”

“How do I believe your words alone?”

“I have evidence to show you.”

“What else is there besides the seal that you can’t manipulate?”

“Princess.”

Severo asked.

“How do you think Harsel was able to occupy the position of the Princess’s doctor so easily with his status?”