The Princess' Bedroom Doll

“I’m not saying this to make you cry. Raha.”

It wasn’t until she heard Shed’s voice that Raha knew she was crying. Then her senses came back in a hurry. She soon would go out, and Jamela and others were supposed to be waiting in the front room by the doorway.

The maids were fidgeting in the distance, unable to approach. Raha searched Shed’s  chest, took out a handkerchief, and pressed down on the tear marks left on his chest.

She couldn’t possibly wipe away the tears that had already soaked into the cloth, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try. Shed grabbed Raha’s hand with a groan.

Raha pressed her lips to Shed’s.

“…….”

For a moment, Shed’s body hardened lightly, even though she usually kissed him countless times. However, they had never kissed outside like this.

Raha had never treated him as a lover in public, even when Shed was here as a slave the first time.

They would strip naked in private, but never publicly showed affection.

Raha slowly lowered her chin, thinking of a stark story she had read somewhere about tyrants and slaves.

Raha removed her lips from Shed, who tried to bite her as if possessed. She wiped the marks on her lips with Shed’s handkerchief, rubbing them lightly. A red mark appeared on the handkerchief.

“I need to fix my makeup.”

Raha did not return the handkerchief to Shed. She turned around, holding the wet handkerchief in her white hands.

The attendants, who had avoided their gaze with their polite demeanor, walked in quickly and calmly. One hurriedly brought a box of cosmetics and wiped the imperial princess’s wet eyes and also mended her slightly crushed lips.

“Are you all right, Princess?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Soon Raha was once again as perfect as before. Her eyes glistened a little with tears, but her azure eyes were inherently seductive. There were no problems.

Or perhaps she would want people to know that she cried.

If someone asked about it, she would say that she cried because she was happy to go out for the first time in a long time. A grumpy smile came to mind and disappeared. It didn’t matter because Karzen gave his word that she could go out.

Going out for the first time in a long time…. 

“Let’s go, Shed.”

Raha put her hand on Shed’s arm and took a step. Sure, it was exciting……and she was buoyant.

* * *

So Raha had to make an effort not to look around too much.

Shed said she looked like a child, so she might look that way to others. It was fine in Shed’s eyes, but perhaps not good to others.

She wouldn’t want to look like that, especially to Jamela and Rosain, Jamela’s childhood friend. Her pride did not allow it.

Clock Tower Street was the closest downtown area to the Imperial Palace among the many downtown areas of the Imperial City. It was an elegant and beautiful city, exclusive to aristocrats and wealthy megalomaniacs. Located not far from the aristocratic mansions, the streets were well paved.

The pavement stones of a certain size, neatly laid on the floor, were a nice dark gray color, and the lampposts in a row were hung one by one with flower baskets, creating a sweet atmosphere.

“It is called ‘Clock Tower Street’ because of that clock tower.”

Raha pointed at the sky-blue marble turned white in the sunlight. She was telling Shed, in case he was wondering.

The smile on Raha’s face was much clearer than usual.

It really shined like a jewel as laughter and spring sunlight drifted together in her inherently beautiful blue sky eyes.

Shed couldn’t take his eyes off the excited smile that Raha didn’t show often. His chest was deeply disturbed.

It was the clock tower she wanted to show him, but it was Raha he wanted to see. If he covered that face and kissed her, she would probably be angry.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

Shed chuckled.

“Yes, it’s beautiful.”

Shed answered without taking his eyes off Raha’s face. Though Raha had no time to look at Shed as her gaze was drawn around the city. It didn’t matter because her hand was in his.

“I visited this place once when I was young.”

“Have things changed much since then?”

“Yes. The fountain stand seems to be the same, though.”

With a sparkling smile on her face, Raha looked at the fountain below the clock tower. The fountain base was adorned with delicate marble sculptures. Those were the sculptures honoring the imperial family.

The emperor, shining bright blue with sapphires in both eyes, was in the center, with nine figures circling around him, half bent. The nine figures, their heads clad in stars and brilliants, were, of course, wise men.

Eight wise men, to be exact, and the nine was Duke Esther the first. Together, there were nine in all. It was said, like a legend, that the sculptures were carved and donated by the Wise Men in honor of the Emperor of Delharsa in the distant past.

The fountain was very large and the city looked safe, but the distribution of two expensive-looking sapphires in the middle of the city… …. It was certainly something that would have been difficult to commit if not for the wise men who lived far removed from the mundane world.

Blake came out of the jewelry store while Raha couldn’t take her eyes off the place. It was the jewelry store that Raha had chosen earlier.

It wasn’t as if the Princess was making a scene in town because she was here, but it did seem that minimal checking had to be done. It would be surveillance to be exact, but Raha didn’t mind. She felt very good. … because it was good.

After looking around the city, stopping at jewelry stores, and going to some more destinations, Raha eventually stopped at Duke Esther’s salon.

The crowd was much smaller as she entered the large four-story building.

“Welcome.”

The salon was beautiful. Here and there, glossy ribbons flowed smoothly and lustrously. The chandeliers mounted on the ceiling were ornate, and the fine brass decorations on the walls had a rustic feel. Marble tables and corners were decorated with vases of flowers, and pink and white flowers provided a sense of unity.

It felt as if they had entered a lovely lady’s bedroom. It was quite different from the Imperial Palace. The palace was basically majestic. Filled with marble and crystal, the rarest of the empire, it had to be intimidating and elaborate.

Raha felt unfamiliar and strange with the fluffy, creamy atmosphere of this place.

“These days, it’s fashionable to coordinate purple rubies with pure gold.”

Before long, the men were left behind and Jamela and Raha gathered together to pick things out. Raha looked at the bracelet Jamela was pointing at.

“It looks good.”

“It does, doesn’t it? I think it would look good on you too, don’t you?”

“The young lady recommends it, but I can’t not do it. Please give me this one too.”

The staff member who had been listening attentively to Raha’s conversation cheerfully smiled and took the jewelry.

“You really do have excellent eyes, ladies.”

At the word “ladies,” Raha looked up and smiled. Her lips curved under her wide-brimmed hat.

This staff member was still unaware of the fact that the person whose eyes he was now admiring so intently was an imperial princess.

He didn’t seem to know that the salon manager had come running in a hurry to report that the Princess had paid a visit to the salon.

“Please give me this bracelet as well.”

“Oh, how can you have such a good eye? There are many new jewels today.”

Jamela had to turn her head a little to stifle a laugh. Raha could not take her eyes off the display table. Rare gems were gifted to the Palace of the Princess every day, but to select them directly like this gave her a different kind of fun.

A neatly dressed staff member passed iced tea on a tray to Raha and Jamela.

“Here you are, Your Imperial Highness.”

Jamela took a sip of the cold iced tea and said in a small voice.

“I’m glad you wore a hat.”

When she left earlier, there was no hat on Raha’s head. Jamela suggested she should wear a hat for security purposes.

“It would be a big problem if they knew that they had an audience with the Princess in the city like this.”

“Is that so?”

The maidservants had served Raha for a long time, but their experience in dressing Raha out of the palace was out of their hands.

There was no way any of the maids thought that she would have to wear a hat or have a veil draped over her face.

So Jamela took a spacious carriage that she had prepared. She brought two just in case. As soon as Jamela came to the downtown area, she realized that putting a hat on Raha was a good choice.

“Look. It’s been a while now, but everyone is eagerly stealing glances at the royal lord.”

Only then did Raha finally raise her head and look sideways.

She was too absorbed in selecting the items to look at Shed, but Jamela was right, some of the nobles were looking at Shed and whispering to each other.

Who was that beautiful prince? Which family was he from? I had never seen him before, but I think he’s a noble from the countryside. Everyone seemed to think so.

Unlike Raha, whose face and hair were obscured, Shed was barefaced.

Next to Shed, Rosain smiled politely and kept talking about something. It was like that from earlier. When Rosain talked, Shed listened without any change in expression. Meanwhile, his blue-gray eyes were fixed on Raha…. 

So sometimes along with Shed’s gaze, other nobles’ gazes would also be drawn to Raha. The kind of gaze that oozed primary-colored envy was the kind she had never imagined at a royal banquet. Raha chuckled.

“It’s great to have my fiancé around.”

Jamela’s eyes went wide. After a quick ponder, she found an answer that sounded appropriate.

“Yes…….he is beautiful.”

***