Chapter 52
“Your Majesty, I have a request.”
Adrian spoke up before Cocoa had even finished following along.
“If this is Count Russell’s request, I shall grant it as much as I can.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, don’t get all formal on me.”
I scolded Adrian for the odd, sinking mood, and he laughed. He didn’t seem like someone who smiled much before, but these days he smiles a lot. I guess he must have many good things happening.
“Would you let me accompany you to the victory celebration ball?”
“What? No way! Partners go as pairs. Why are you inserting yourself between me and my father?”
“If I go alone, you’ll have to stay with me anyway.”
“How funny. Who would want to be with you?”
“Don’t you know they’ll be crowning the Crown Princess at that event? They only hand over the imperial edict separately. In that case, the person who will act as her official attendant should be beside her.”
Actually, I had been thinking about that part. I’d only been putting off giving an answer because I couldn’t decide.
“But Father, I want to be partners with you only—just the two of us.”
“Hahaha.”
Stop laughing and restrain Adrian a little!
“Count Russell does have a point. If the person who’s to be named in the edict goes alone, won’t it look odd?”
“Why don’t you just say you’re sick and skip it?”
“You’ve been getting more spoiled lately.”
“It’s not spoiling—I just don’t want to.”
“Fine, have at it.”
He smiled like a victor, then moved the strawberry from the cake in front of him over to me. Who said I liked strawberries? It’s delicious!
“I should start a strawberry farm.”
“Hahaha. Count Russell, your gaze has softened a great deal.”
“Thanks to Gracie.”
“Oh?”
Adrian looked displeased, but strawberries are innocent. I picked another up with my fork and it melted sweetly in my mouth. The creaminess and sweetness made me feel a bit better—dangerous, since I ought to be harder on Adrian.
“By the way, Adrian said he thinks Father will trust him.”
“That’s right. Count Russell is trustworthy.”
“You promised to ask me in bed, that’s cheap.”
Adrian whispered that, and I answered in a whisper too.
“What are you saying? When did you say you’d ask in bed? You just dawdled and didn’t teach me!”
My cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“Didn’t you see that day? The scar on my chest.”
“I—did. But so what?”
“That scar has a vow bound to it, unbreakable, Gracie.”
The emperor answered. Even though I was flustered, that helped me pull myself together a little. It felt unfair that the shame belonged to me alone.
“What is that?”
“If Count Russell betrays you, it’s a vow that makes the heart stop.”
Gasp!
I choked on my cocoa in shock.
“Are you alright?”
“G—get the royal physician!”
“Ah, no, uh, th-this is, hic, that’s not necessary—!”
Adrian patted my back; he seemed a bit embarrassed. The emperor looked truly startled, but Adrian beat him to it with the pat, so the emperor fumbled in the air for a moment.
“Ugh…”
“Are you better now?”
“Um…”
It took a little while to calm down, but the tickle in my chest that made me want to cough remained.
“Why would you take such a vow?” I managed, my voice rough as if I’d swallowed a black dragon.
“When you confessed to me that day, I knew your sincerity. My heart moved.”
“Huh. Was love that easy?”
“Even if it began easily, it would stay heavy, so it’s fine. And it wasn’t easy. You risked your life to confess.”
“Right, Gracie. I was very surprised then, too.”
Why me? I didn’t do anything—yet I felt the shame! This is maddening!
Then what about the prologue? In it, hadn’t he come to me because he loved my sister?
Also, didn’t I say I wasn’t the rightful player? Could I really derail the whole prologue?
If so, then Francis is sincere to me, and Joshua is gradually listening to me too.
Then, maybe Clayton as well…
“If possible, I want us to have a child before the edict is issued. Once I’m enthroned, Gracie will be busy.”
“Why are you deciding that?”
“I’m considering you. I and the wet nurse will take care of the parenting, but having a child will be hard on you. It’s better to have the child while things are relatively calm—better for your health and for the child.”
“Who said I— I would—give birth with you!?”
I screamed in shock, and Francis, who was farther away, caught my eye. From his expression, it looked like he’d heard everything.
“Then who are you planning to have the child with? The slave’s taking contraceptives, so that’s not possible. Francis Patella?”
“……”
“Gracie. So that’s why you brought Francis Patella in.”
“No, Father…”
It was hard to deny, considering the kiss. Damn it! And it wasn’t even my initiative… well, part of it was because of my arm, so I did make the first move in the middle! Ugh.
“One concubine is better than many, don’t you think? I won’t oppose taking more, but—”
“……um, well—”
I broke out in a cold sweat, feeling cornered. Adrian was grinning mischievously. I think his crooked smile might actually be his genuine smile.
“Francis Patella is not allowed.”
“……”
Since he knew everything, I couldn’t argue.
“I’ll handle it.”
“Alright, Gracie. Your father trusts you.”
“For a while, you’ll have to keep watching me at night then.”
“Ugh…!”
I couldn’t even say anything!
[ Quest! The Distance Between You and Me II
Adrian Russell is feeling anxious about Princess Gracie! Calm your betrothed, Adrian!
Choice 1. Spend the night together.
Choice 2. Spend the night together with Joshua as a threesome.
Choice 3. (Censored). (Auto-execute)
Choice 4. Say you’ll go to Adrian’s room in the evening. ]
Damn it. I’ll choose option 4 and slip away midway.
Four.
“Fine. I’ll come to your room tonight.”
“Okay.”
I looked at the plate; Adrian had already moved all his strawberries to my slice of cake, so there were strawberries piled on top.
When I returned to the study, Leonil Graham stood at the door, his pale sky-blue eyes shining brightly as ever. At first I thought he was a fairy and nearly went blind, but looking now, he seemed more like a devil. Maybe a nine-tailed fox that lures people with pretty looks and sucks the life out of them.
“Welcome, our little sun of the empire.”
“Ah, yes. Come in.”
I nodded and went inside; as I’d been taught, he knelt immediately. It must be humiliating, but he seemed used to it.
“You’re timely. I knew Graham was up to trickery about rebuilding the Ber River embankment. Since you’re here, he can get punished too.”
“…….”
“Azelia. You know this name?”
“……Yes.”
It looked like Clayton’s aide had sent materials to the study while I was having tea. The top of the desk had documents related to that.
“Why would he oppose rebuilding the Ber River embankment? Does the nobility make a lot of money from selling slaves?”
“Unfortunately, he didn’t approach it for that reason. We wanted to bring the talented people over to our side because we are short on skilled workers.”
Who would believe that? Oh—maybe my sister believed him?
He continued to smirk.
“I’m confident, Your Highness.”
“Confident about what? Baseless confidence?”
“No. Even if Azelia the accountant doesn’t know, I’m confident there’s no crime on his part.”
Looking at the notes, the evidence was indeed weak. But Azelia will definitely be removed. There will be a crime for failing to report embezzlement properly.
“With this, I could trouble my sister.”
“…….”
“You can say that your beloved Graham was exchanging skeptical notes about rebuilding the Ber River embankment. What do you think?”
“It was merely a friendly exchange.”
He’s a tricky one with words. No wonder my sister keeps him around.
“Then how about this? A mad princess looking for someone to vent on snags you in the plot, and you’re the one who gets caught.”
“…….”
“With even this little proof, I could run to Father and make a complaint. What would happen then?”
“……Then on the day the Empress awakes, you may not be safe.”
The leader of the aristocratic faction is the Empress—currently my sister as regent.
They said she couldn’t wake up, yet they had a plan. The emperor’s hostility toward the Empress in the prologue had seemed stranger than factional differences.
More than that, my sister and I are twins—if he disliked her before the crown prince’s investiture, that’s telling.
“Shall we make a bet? Whether I can put Graham the steward in prison within a week.”
[ Quest! Truth or Lie!
Reward: Reset the affection levels of Leonil Graham and Kiira Fletcher Gabriella Bastian and Gracie Fletcher Gabriella Bastian. ]
Well then, shall I try to sow discord between my sister and this pink fox?
