Chapter 45
My tear-reddened eyes softened as I spoke.
“Because the book’s title is written in the secret code only my mother and I shared.”
“Hm? Hahaha! That’s right, I’d forgotten that you two had your own secret code written right there on the title!”
The Emperor roared with laughter.
Watching him laugh, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
For now, it’s safe.
Thankfully, the Emperor could not read the original novel.
No—he couldn’t even understand it.
Once more, my gaze fell on the book in his hand.
The Flower That Blooms Beside Death.
The title wasn’t written in the Empire’s common tongue.
The secret code Mother taught me…
It appeared in her diaries as well—the letters of the world she had come from.
Hangul!
I had never felt so grateful for it before.
That’s right, come to think of it, this book was something Mother read before she transmigrated here.
If I’d been a little more careful in my reasoning, I might have predicted that the original text would be written in the language of that other world.
But in this continent, where the dominant tongue of the Roronode Empire reigned as the common language, the existence of other languages had faded into obscurity.
That’s why I never considered the possibility.
Honestly, when Mother taught me the code, I found it a little tedious.
But who would have thought it would come in handy like this?
I glanced at the Emperor, feeling a flicker of relief.
Now that my nerves had settled a bit, I could guess how he had ended up looking through the original in the first place.
He must have gone into the storage before me and browsed through Mother’s books.
And then that particular novel must have caught his eye.
If it had pricked his monstrous instincts, of course he would’ve opened it without hesitation.
But it was a wasted effort.
No matter how brilliant he was as Roronode’s Emperor, there was no way he could read a language he’d never learned.
I regained my composure quickly and, feigning ignorance, asked,
“Your Majesty, do you also know Mother’s secret code?”
I wanted to test him—see if he might know even a little of the language.
Instead, he asked me in return,
“And what makes you think that?”
“Well, just now, it looked as though you were reading that book.”
At that, the Emperor set the book on the table and smirked.
“I’ve no interest in the secret codes you two shared. So no, I cannot read Tilia’s books.”
With that, he lifted his teacup with calm elegance.
“But I do know every book Tilia ever wrote.”
“…All of them?”
“Why? Does it sound absurd? Like I’m boasting about things I can’t even read?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant!”
“Ha, I know. You wouldn’t think such a thing. No need to be flustered—it was just a jest.”
He sipped his tea and went on.
“I don’t know the content, but I recognize every cover. I even know which ones you loved most when you were a child.”
“!”
At that, my heart dropped. Relief had come too soon.
As though piercing through my unease, the Emperor’s crimson eyes glinted.
“That reminds me, Neroli.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
He gave a subtle glance to the side.
I followed his gaze and clenched my fists where no one could see.
“You once asked to keep the books Tilia wrote for you. For the memories. So I gathered the ones you seemed to favor most…”
That was a mistake.
“…Yet is it my imagination, or are you only delighted by this one? I don’t recall ever seeing you read a book with such a cover.”
Where he gestured lay the stack of books Mother had written.
When Gobard and I had entered the secret storage, they had all been neatly on the shelves.
So when had he moved them?
I clicked my tongue inwardly, recalling the excuse I had given him.
—Ah… it’s nothing special. Mother used to write books just for me. There were a few of them in her study as well, so I wanted to keep those…
That’s what I had said.
And yet, distracted by panic over him finding the original, I had revealed my interest in this particular book.
I had betrayed myself.
And now I knew for certain.
This situation was no coincidence.
I underestimated him.
The Emperor, who always fell for my performances—
I had forgotten how cunning he truly was.
From the start, this was a trap laid to test me.
He was more wary than anyone.
When he had found the book among Mother’s belongings—written in an indecipherable code—how it must have irked him.
And when I, whose birth he doubted, asked for that very book…
Was he merely suspicious?
No. I still remembered vividly—
The day Mother was buried, the rage and hostility he had shown me as he wept.
Now, he buried those feelings deep, wearing a mask of benevolence.
But I wouldn’t be deceived.
Had I not been useful as a substitute for my mother, he might have disposed of me already.
So… has he already confirmed it? That I am not of his blood? That I am not Roronode?
What exactly had happened in the month before Mother’s death, that he had hounded her so relentlessly?
And why had he covered up what was clearly her murder?
Did he already know who killed her?
Or could it be…
Questions swirled heavy and sharp in my mind, but I shoved them aside.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was escaping the trap he had set for me.
I should have been more cautious. I was too distracted by the original novel.
A quick glance showed me distrust budding in his eyes.
I could not allow that sprout to grow.
Modway! Use it, now!
I urgently ordered Modway in my mind.
Luckily, sharing thoughts with me, Modway needed no explanation.
[Got it, Master! Just wait!]
He darted off at once.
Meanwhile, I stammered as though terrified by the Emperor’s quiet malice.
“F-forgive me. I just… I only worried that Your Majesty might feel hurt.”
At my trembling response, something shifted in his gaze.
“Neroli, do you truly think you can keep secrets from me?”
“Sob… I’m sorry…”
I lowered my eyes, unable to meet his, voice breaking with tears.
At that, his sharp stare softened a little.
For now, my frightened act had worked.
“Then tell me. What is it you’re hiding?”
“T-that…”
“Don’t be afraid. This father is only curious, nothing more.”
And then—Modway’s voice rang in my ears.
[Huff… Master! I did it!]
Hearing that, I wasted no time.
I reached out and pulled the book toward me.
The Emperor did not stop me, merely watching.
Then—
“Here it is! Just as I thought!”
“…What is that?”
“It’s a bookmark. Mother made it herself, Your Majesty.”
From deep in the book’s back pages, I drew out a pressed-flower bookmark.
The Emperor frowned slightly.
“Hm. I didn’t see that when I looked.”
“It must not have stood out. The book is thick, and the bookmark is very thin.”
Indeed, when one skims a book, it’s easy to overlook a slender mark tucked deep within.
The Emperor seemed to recall this and nodded.
“So your goal wasn’t the book, but the bookmark?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I stroked it gently as I explained.
“This flower—I raised it myself. When I gifted them to Mother, she said it was a shame to throw them away, so she dried them and turned them into bookmarks.”
My voice turned soft and wistful on its own.
“This one was the very first she made. That’s why I wanted to find it.”
“Then why didn’t you say so from the start? Why worry about my being offended?”
At that, I blushed as though embarrassed.
“Because Your Majesty never cared much for flowers. I always gifted them to Mother instead… I feared you might be upset to know that.”
As soon as I finished, the Emperor burst out laughing.
“Hahaha!”
After laughing heartily, he stroked his chin and said,
“So you worried I’d be angry over something so trivial? You make me sound like a petty man.”
“Ah, I didn’t mean it like that, Your Majesty!”
“Haha, relax. That too was a jest.”
He eased back slightly in his seat.
I scrutinized every flicker of his expression.
The predatory sharpness had ebbed, though there was still a calculating glint in his eyes.
But his gaze toward me had returned to its usual gentleness.
I’ve managed to get past it.
Though I’d exposed a gap just now, I was no stranger to reading the Emperor’s moods.
So it wasn’t hard to discern what lay beneath.
For now, I’m still safe—as the naive princess he can use.
