Episode 5
“Gabi…”
Still lying down, I reached both arms toward Gabriella. She bent down and hugged me tightly.
“You take medesine…? Doctor say wha…?”
“It’s just a cold. Honestly, I didn’t *really* need to see a physician— *cough* —but knowing that Your Highness was worried about this old nanny… I was so touched. And yes, I took all the medicine like a good girl.”
I stared intently at Gabriella, who kept coughing.
“You still coughin’…?”
“It’s much better now. I’ll get well before I pass it on to Your Highnesses.”
If I had told Mother sooner, maybe she could have gotten treated earlier.
*A cold lingering until it becomes pneumonia…*
The more I thought about it, the more guilty I felt.
But Gabriella looked genuinely happy.
She gently stroked my hair.
“Shall we get ready slowly and have a meal? You mustn’t skip studying — we need to review today as well.”
Ah… that thing.
Whatever. I’ll just… kind of… wing it.
—
Gabriella closed the book with wide, astonished eyes.
“Goodness— *cough* —how did you suddenly learn to read like this?”
“Wul… Gabi teached me well.”
I answered casually. Gabriella clapped her hands, delighted.
“As expected, His Majesty’s judgment was correct. I can’t believe I failed to see how brilliant Your Highness is. I fretted for nothing.”
Gabi… Was I *that* frustrating before…?
*Sorry…*
Still, thanks to that, I know all this now.
Thank you…
Gabriella didn’t notice my bittersweet expression; she looked ready to cry from joy.
“I begged His Majesty so much, saying that Your Highness was suffering alone. He even said if it was too much, he would adjust the lesson schedule…”
…So that’s what happened?
I should’ve played dumb!
*If I want to go to the temple instead of Rosa on the oracle day, we’ll need to adjust the schedule!*
It was disappointing, but the oracle was still three years away.
I could make another chance before then.
But more than that, I was curious about Rosa — a girl I couldn’t even look in the eye right now.
*She’s probably just as dumb as any four-year-old, right?*
She isn’t secretly a genius plotting from age four to steal my role… right?
So I casually asked Gabriella:
“Gabi… um…”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“How’s sista? She study wif teacher first… she smarter? Cwever?”
Gabriella blinked in surprise.
“Oh my, what a thought to have.”
She hesitated before answering.
“Actually, no, Your Highness. Rather… *cough* …I think Lady Rosa will have a harder time now. Since it’s the same instructor, she must keep your skill levels similar.”
…So in other words, she’s still dumb.
Well then. Perfect.
“Um…”
I pretended to ponder, then opened the book again.
“I—I’ll only know up to hewe.”
“…Pardon?”
“If sista learn too much, Gabi get tired… and sista get tired too…”
“Good heavens, Your Highness…”
Gabriella suddenly stood, knelt beside me, and hugged me tightly.
“You will grow into a great person…”
Did Rosa also get praised like this whenever she pretended to care about me?
I forced a smile, holding down the corners of my lips that wanted to droop.
There were lots of compliments… delicious snacks…
But the real reward was something else.
Gabriella handed me pastel crayons, then sat at her desk and began writing a letter.
*She’s writing to my mother, right?*
Being small had its perks.
*She doesn’t care even if I wander near her desk…*
So I successfully read the letter.
> “…Smart and kindhearted as well — surely God has His reasons.”
Yes. Yes.
*Goodbye, Lyrin Rostell la Farca, who has nothing but her health.*
A kind and clever princess — chosen by God.
This time, I’ll be the one.
—
When I went to the main palace the next morning, Rosa was still fast asleep, snoring adorably.
*Now!*
It was a bit far, but if I tried my best—
As soon as Gabriella put me down on the bed, I aimed at Rosa and spit.
“Pfft!”
…Well, I *tried*.
Gabriella, who was on her way to Rosa, whipped back around with wide eyes and wiped my chin.
My spit was stuck to my own chin.
*Disgusting…*
She put her finger to her lips.
*Shh. Quiet, Your Highness.*
She didn’t speak, but I knew that’s what she meant.
I stared at Rosa. Still fast asleep.
*So peaceful, aren’t we.*
Gabriella picked Rosa up and vanished as usual.
I smacked my lips in frustration.
*Spitting is so hard.*
Why would I know how to spit properly at this age?
Maybe next time I’ll “accidentally” step on her hair.
No matter how many times I planned it, directly hurting or driving her out was impossible.
*Mother has that secret oracle.*
If there was a way to get rid of Rosa, it would be the oracle.
The oracle I’d receive at age seven.
> “She’s a healer like her mother. God chose her, so Rosa is no longer needed. She has no abilities.”
That’s what I’ll say when I return from the temple.
How satisfying would that be?
Then I’ll trap her, trick her, and send her far away—
just as she once did to me.
Sending her to the emperor would be ideal.
With determination, I stretched my arms high.
Beatrice appeared and massaged them with a bright smile.
“You’re awake? Should we do our ‘stretch-stretch’?”
Ugh. Stretch-stretch. Embarrassing.
I frowned without thinking, and Beatrice froze.
“Should I stop? Do you not like it?”
Suddenly I felt reluctant to refuse.
Her hands were… surprisingly good.
“N-no…”
Beatrice’s olive eyes formed a question mark.
“So you *do* like it?”
“…Mmh.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded.
“Oh, honestly. Acting like you don’t, when you do.”
Her hands grabbed my arms again.
“Streeetch, streeetch— grow tall, Your Highness.”
I won’t grow that tall anyway…
I grimaced again, but Beatrice simply continued.
Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains.
—
Morning schedule: greeting the king → breakfast.
I survived.
During the lesson, I pretended to know only what Rosa had already learned — as planned with Gabriella.
Not for Rosa’s sake.
*If Lady Silvia gets suspicious, I’ll be in trouble too.*
After class, I reviewed my future plans at my desk.
Then—knock knock.
Beatrice peeked through the door.
“The young master and lady of Marquis Hestia are here. They say they’ve played with Your Highness before and wish to see you.”
“N-no!!”
Instinctively, I waved frantically—then stopped.
*The Hestia siblings.*
Rosa befriended them when she was four and used them well later.
When she and I were supposedly on the same side, it wasn’t all bad.
But even then, a part of me always felt sad.
*I never had a friend I could give everything to.*
Because…
I was terrified of meeting new people.
Even the palace servants worked alternating shifts, never adjusted, never together.
*Because of the secret twin princesses.*
How could I dare make friends?
*What if they noticed even the smallest difference between Rosa and me?*
But Rosa? She happily made friends anywhere.
And her first friends were the Hestia siblings.
*So stupid… why was I the only one trembling?*
If anything happened, Mother would fix it.
In the past, I would never have gone to see them.
*I didn’t even know their names.*
I couldn’t have been shameless enough to pretend otherwise.
But now? I knew their names, personalities, even their hobbies.
*I heard about them nonstop from Rosa.*
I even pretended to be Rosa in front of them sometimes.
As I bit my lip, Beatrice sighed in relief.
“Whew. I wondered what miracle had struck for Your Highness to make friends. Then I’ll give them an excuse and send them away—”
No. I won’t let fear steal any more chances.
I swallowed hard and corrected myself.
“N-no… I go! I go pway!”
