Chapter 29.
As I stepped outside, my eyes immediately met Elsa’s.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, but since I had nothing to hide(?), I smiled nonchalantly and greeted her.
“Good morning, Elsa.”
“Did you sleep well, Your Highness?”
As I headed back to my bedroom, I asked,
“Is Prince Friedrich asleep?”
“Why don’t you go see for yourself?”
“Well, I mean…”
“He came to Your Highness’s bedroom last night.”
I widened my eyes and asked,
“When?”
“Hmm, around 11:30 at night? Something like that. When he heard you weren’t there, he had this look like he’d figured it out.”
“What kind of look is ‘figured it out’?”
“Like he’d lost the world?”
At that, I stared at her with a dumbfounded expression, and she shrugged as she explained.
“Well, from the prince’s perspective, Your Highness is his entire world right now, and before the wedding even happens, you’ve taken a lover and gone to his bed.”
“…Are you criticizing me?”
“How could I dare? I’m merely pointing out the facts.”
Ugh, fine. Anyway, it seemed like I needed to go and soothe him.
Telling him nothing happened would be too much TMI, so I’d skip that.
When I opened the door to Friedrich’s room and stepped inside, I saw him lying there with his back to the door.
Thinking he might be asleep, I tried to tiptoe in, but at that moment, he bolted upright and turned around.
I smiled awkwardly and greeted him.
“Good morning.”
This was strange. It was the exact same situation as before, so why did I feel less justified(?) this time?
Friedrich gazed at me steadily, then smiled weakly.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Yes, I did too…”
“Liar.”
I cut him off and perched on the edge of the bed. Up close, his face looked even more haggard, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“You didn’t sleep a wink.”
“…”
Friedrich blinked, then weakly dropped his gaze.
I cupped his cheek with one hand and lifted his face to meet mine. I locked eyes with his sorrowful gaze.
Whoa, looking into those eyes made me feel guilty even though I hadn’t done anything wrong…
“Are you mad?”
“…How could I dare.”
Friedrich muttered in a voice that dismissed the very idea.
“I wouldn’t harbor such feelings.”
“But emotions aren’t something I can control.”
I asked soothingly.
“Tell me. Are you mad?”
Friedrich shook his head. I narrowed my eyes and cupped his other cheek with my free hand.
Then, it felt like the skin under my palms grew even hotter than before.
Thinking it was just my imagination, I held his gaze, but Friedrich’s eyes wavered, and he slowly brought his hand to his chest.
“It’s just…”
Friedrich’s lips trembled.
“I’m merely ashamed that I can’t fulfill my duties as Your Highness’s… husband properly.”
“Huh?”
What was he talking about? Does he think handsome faces like his, pleasing their wives every day, are common?
I stared at him with a blank expression, and his eyes wavered even more.
“…You must have pitied me and hidden it, but I know. Because of my curse, any affection you felt for me must have vanished.”
“No, what are you saying…”
“That you might…”
Before I knew it, Friedrich’s eyes brimmed with tears. Wait, are you… crying?
“Abandon me… I’m afraid of that.”
As he looked at me with eyes on the verge of spilling tears and said those words, the urge to shout ‘Stop talking nonsense!’ rose to my throat, but I decided to hold back for the sake of imperial dignity.
But inevitably, a single tear fell from beneath his jewel-like eyes.
“Oh dear.”
I sighed and pulled him into an embrace. My baby, my baby. At my murmured words, Friedrich’s voice grew even more plaintive.
“It’s not midnight now…”
“Don’t misunderstand. I mean you’re like a child, even though your body’s all grown up.”
Of course, his body is quite grown…
‘Fifteen is still a kid. And since he was imprisoned from then on, he probably has some emotional instability.’
I patted Friedrich’s shoulder and let out a sigh.
I meant it as sympathy, but he must have misinterpreted it somehow, because his body tensed up.
“…Don’t abandon me.”
His voice, thick with emotion, practically begged. Cautiously, full of hesitation as he gauged my reaction.
“I’ll do anything…”
“How could I abandon you?”
I sighed again and responded to his absurd words.
If I were to cast Friedrich aside, he’d be headed straight for the guillotine. As the prince of a defeated nation, that was his original fate.
‘He must be this desperate because he knows that.’
Putting aside the fact that he needs to keep me alive until his magic returns, I wasn’t heartless enough to let go of someone who’d die without me.
“You’re mine, Friedrich. I even gave up my right to the throne to keep you in my jewel box, just for me to admire.”
Instead of confronting him with harsh reality and intimidating him, I teased him playfully, and Friedrich looked at me with dazed eyes.
As our gazes met, I suddenly felt thirsty, and then Friedrich abruptly clutched my dress and buried himself in my arms.
“…Then lock me in there forever.”
Unlike his earlier sobbing, his voice was small but clear, piercing straight into my heart.
The word ‘forever’ lodged itself firmly and wouldn’t budge.
The one meant to spend forever with you was never me from the start, Friedrich.
“I’ll get along with the other jewels too.”
His words clearly referred to Joachim, and I flinched as I looked at him.
He still had his face buried in my chest as he murmured.
“If it’s something Your Highness cherishes, it’s precious to me too…”
“Friedrich, nothing happened last night.”
In the end, to prevent the misunderstanding from growing, I spilled the TMI I’d meant to keep quiet.
But the look on Friedrich’s face as he gazed at me didn’t show much belief.
I let out a short sigh, cupped his cheeks, and murmured.
“How can I make you believe me, my baby?”
“I believe you.”
Friedrich whispered softly right away. Then he burrowed back into my arms.
Actually, given our size difference, it was more accurate to say I was the one being held.
“I’ll believe you.”
But it still felt like he didn’t really believe me, making his response oddly unsatisfying, but since his mood seemed somewhat lifted, I supposed I should be content with that.
I sighed briefly and patted his shoulder.
“You need to sleep more. Earlier, your eyes were red, and your face looks rough.”
“…I couldn’t sleep.”
“Want me to sing you a lullaby?”
I’d asked jokingly, since he hadn’t seemed to like it last time, but unexpectedly, he nodded.
“But last time, you didn’t seem to like it much?”
“I like it now.”
Friedrich whispered softly.
“…I love it.”
Hmm, he really seems like a child now. Even when I responded playfully, he stayed nestled like that without much reaction.
Last night’s events must have shocked him a lot. He was clearly not his usual self, and another sigh escaped me.
“Alright, lie down.”
Friedrich obediently did so.
I gently wiped his slightly damp cheeks and sang the familiar lullaby, and soon, even breathing sounds filled the air.
He really hadn’t slept at all last night, so seeing him sleep so soundly made my heart ache.
‘I’ll wake him around lunch.’
Thinking that, I tried to get up, but suddenly, I felt a tug on my dress.
Turning my head, I saw Friedrich still holding onto the hem of my dress with his eyes closed.
“…Don’t go.”
He mumbled in his sleep.
“Don’t leave…”
“…”
In the end, I sat back down. Friedrich didn’t let go of my hand.
I held his hand gently and lay down beside him. He slowly interlaced our fingers with a languid movement.
I shifted my gaze slowly from our joined hands to Friedrich’s face and closed my eyes. Once I lay down, I didn’t feel like getting up.
***
My visit to Princess Marie happened that evening.
In the end, I woke up just before noon, spent time in the library, and since I figured she wouldn’t be napping until evening, I headed straight to Knox Palace.
“Ah, welcome, Your Highness.”
The middle-aged woman I’d seen last time greeted me with a surprised look, as if she hadn’t expected me.
She must have thought my promise to return was just polite talk, but doesn’t she know Rene isn’t in a position for empty pleasantries?
“Is the princess awake today?”
“O-Of course. This way…”
I followed her guidance to the reception room. There, I saw a woman with a frail build sitting with her back turned.
