Episode 56
Callisteon looked at me with regretful eyes before reluctantly turning away.
“This way.”
I followed Callisteon, along with Ren and Phoebe, up to the highest floor.
“Here it is.”
When Callisteon finally opened the door to the room, I couldn’t help but gasp.
“…Cal.”
“How is it? Similar, right? I thought it would be better than an unfamiliar environment, so I prepared it.”
The room he had prepared was astonishingly similar to my room in the Imperial Palace’s separate palace.
Not only the position of the bed and the direction of the window, but even the height of the somewhat low-hanging chandelier and the carpet pattern were nearly identical.
I was genuinely touched and said:
“You must have put a lot of effort into preparing this. Thank you…”
Ren, paying no attention to our conversation, was stretching a fine net of light, sweeping through the entire room.
But even his interference couldn’t diminish how deeply moved I was.
Callisteon drew the partially draped curtain and opened the window.
“Wow…”
True to its reputation as a lakeside city, Lake Edessa sparkled under the afternoon sun.
“Take a look later when the sunset falls. It’s quite a sight.”
Callisteon said in a somewhat proud voice, then pointed to a small door.
“Would you like to see inside this too?”
I followed him in without much thought, but I realized immediately.
‘…It’s a nursery.’
Unlike my room decorated in pink, the small room had two walls painted black and the other two painted white.
And in the middle of the room was a small, round, curved bed.
I was choked up and couldn’t say anything. Callisteon explained:
“I heard that when a baby is born, they can’t distinguish colors at first. They say black is easier to see, so I prepared black walls.”
Wasn’t this completely modern knowledge?
“…How did you know that?”
I asked, curious. Callisteon answered nonchalantly.
“I studied. I tend to learn quickly if it’s necessary.”
Perhaps this man might not be the baby’s father.
‘I have two other excellent potential fathers for the baby, and this one is the richest among them, so he’s just splurging money as he pleases.’
I wanted to downplay this touching gesture, even if Ren couldn’t, but it was impossible.
“…Cal.”
Finally, as I called his name and lightly grasped his fingertips, the sound of rough, delinquent-like footsteps echoed.
“What is this place? Did that bastard Erni agree to you decorating the nursery as you please?”
Callisteon gently set down my hand, which had just touched his, and retorted to Ren.
“Why would that Crown Prince bastard need to agree to me decorating ‘our’ nursery as I see fit?”
Just then, Ernst appeared.
“Stop it, Ren.”
It seemed he had arrived late after deploying the Imperial guards I brought to various parts of the hotel.
“I’m the one who ordered and brought the bed. To your untrained eye, that bed might look like it was whipped up overnight, but I actually ordered it four months ago.”
I stepped forward before Ren could explode.
“Thank you all for cooperating in decorating ‘my’ nursery. Ren, what will you do?”
“…Huh?”
It seemed the genius Magic Tower Lord was too heated, his mental processing a bit slow.
So, I suggested first:
“Hang star and moon-shaped lights for me. The kind with soft light that can be left on even at night.”
The room was empty except for the bed.
If he had wanted to, he could have filled it completely. Leaving it empty like this was probably Callisteon’s consideration.
“Won’t you do it, Ren?”
Ren let out a sigh and said.
“I’ll do it. Just in case, I’ll add a concealment function to the bedding and bed curtains too. And something like a self-playing organ.”
Ernst smiled at me as if to say ‘well done’.
I looked at each of the three in turn and smiled, pretending to be very satisfied.
“As soon as ‘my’ baby is born, they’ll be the least bored baby in this Empire.”
Everyone looked like they desperately wanted to insist on it being ‘our’ baby, but after gauging my reaction, they simply closed their mouths.
‘It’s true that all three potential fathers are appealing.’
But dealing with all three at once is something I should definitely avoid in the future.
Feeling utterly drained, I resolved myself accordingly.
“Tsk, tsk…”
That same night, the former Magic Tower Lord, Moghold, secretly infiltrated the Imperial Palace with Helena.
It had been seven years since his resolution, made upon stepping down as Magic Tower Lord, to never set foot in the Imperial Palace again.
“Oh dear, I think we’re too late.”
Helena, having teleported for the first time in her life using magic stone powder, felt dazed and about to collapse.
Forcing her eyes open and looking around, she found herself in a lavishly decorated room she had never seen before.
“Where is this…?”
Moghold chuckled.
“This is Her Highness the Youngest Princess’s room. Don’t be alarmed; it’s not like we’ve broken in without Her Highness’s knowledge.”
But Helena couldn’t stop a hiccup from bursting out.
She never dreamed something like coming to the Imperial Palace would happen, let alone teleporting directly into the empty room of Her Highness the Princess.
“Ugh…”
Even seeing Helena on the verge of fainting from surprise, the wizard remained unperturbed.
“It seems my disciple omitted a very important piece of information.”
In fact, ever since receiving Princess Louise’s letter the previous day, a communication orb emitting a brilliant light had been ringing from Moghold’s pocket.
A fierce voice, not unfamiliar to Helena, came from the orb, saying:
“Old man, could you just pop into the Imperial Palace in a few days? You can use the fireplace in Louise’s room. Moreover, it’s noisy due to construction lately, so they might have lowered their guard.”
Moghold had answered him half-hearted and turned off the communication orb.
“You said ‘disciple’… Then, as expected…”
“That guy. The Magic Tower Lord.”
To think that the old wizard, who dared to propose a transaction using news of the Imperial family, was the teacher of that formidable Magic Tower Lord.
Helena was now on the verge of fainting, but Moghold made a very difficult request of her.
“I’ll look around and be back soon, so could you wait here?”
“H-here? But Her Highness isn’t even here?”
The Magic Tower Lord grinned.
“Isn’t it more convenient precisely because she’s not? If anyone comes asking, show them the letter and say you’re Her Highness’s guest. Oh, and if you find yourself in a predicament and feel like dropping a wizard’s name, sell out that Ren guy rather than this old man. His name is more effective than mine these days.”
Moghold winked one eye and then vanished.
So, Helena was left alone, stamping her feet anxiously, guarding the splendid Princess’s room by herself.
The more unfortunate thing was that Moghold did not return even after a considerable amount of time had passed.
Afraid that someone might come, Helena crouched down by the wall where the bed was.
The bed, with its red silk swaying, was beautiful enough to be seen only in dreams, but she didn’t even have the leisure to admire it.
‘Where has Her Highness gone? Is that why I can’t see her?’
She took out the letter she had hidden in her bosom and looked at it again.
‘She said she had something she must tell me…’
Now that she thought about it, if the letter was left at the monastery, it must have been from two months ago.
‘I guess I’m too late…’
No, actually, even arriving now was considered early thanks to Moghold’s help.
If she had come to the Imperial Palace on her own two feet, it would have taken over a month.
“Sigh…”
All she could do was sit quietly and wait for the former Magic Tower Lord.
Too afraid of being interrogated by guards about how she got in, she couldn’t even bring herself to open the door.
But then, the very thing she feared so much became reality.
—Creeak.
Suddenly, the door made a sound, and a shadow of a person appeared.
Helena held her breath, praying it was Moghold returning, but just from the silhouette, it was absolutely not the old wizard.
He was too tall, with broad shoulders…
“…Who’s there?”
He was also very perceptive of presences.
