The kingdom had a tour program for children.
It was mainly for the children of nobles, though it occasionally gave the chance to commoner children who had earned outstanding grades at Ecole School.
For reference, Ecole School was run by the kingdom for children from eight to fourteen years old.
It’s a school riddled with every kind of corruption, but it’s also among the few things His Majesty has done that count for something.
Both the founding of educational institutions and the palace tour program had helped greatly in raising loyalty to the royal family and in promoting the royal family.
At any rate, I was a noble, so I could apply for the palace tour program without ever attending that school.
“Apply for the tour program for me.”
“You’re really going? All right, my lady.”
Janice had worried at first and told me not to go, but when I explained how I could enter the palace in a proper way, she accepted my stubborn insistence on suddenly visiting the palace.
After she went out to apply for the tour program, I stood in front of the mirror. The me in the mirror still felt unfamiliar.
On the outside, an ordinary, cute thirteen-year-old child, but on the inside, a me full of an adult’s venom.
It seemed it would take some time to get used to.
Can I really do this?
Count Kolkos and Dayson came naturally to mind.
My thoughts drifted on and on until they stopped at Cassion, who used to hunch his head and shoulders up tight in front of Dayson. A bitter taste filled my mouth.
What if I marry His Highness Cassion and he dies?
And even if he survives, what if Cassion disappears?
In the past, Cassion had vanished from the palace in the winter of his fifteenth year.
Having believed that a cure existed somewhere in the world, he had received a final declaration in the winter of his fourteenth year that he could not be cured, and a year later he had slipped out of the palace in secret.
When he sneaked out, he happened to run into me, and I had given him the jewels I was carrying as if handing out charity.
He must have gone outside and found a cure… but if he marries me, wouldn’t it be impossible for him to leave?
The future would change because of me. An ominous thought struck me: what if his future changed too?
No! He will live. He’ll become healthy, just like when he appeared before me just before I died!
The Cassion I had met again had been so tall and sturdy that his mere presence made the air feel as though it were pressing down.
For now, I decided not to be greedy. It was enough if he lived until I came of age. And if that was difficult, I would just make it easy.
I would block Dayson’s threat and cure his illness.
Considering that he had grown healthy and come to save me before I died, it meant there was a way somewhere in this world to heal him.
First, find a cure quickly and get him well.
Once the thoughts started, they would not stop. I spent the entire afternoon thinking about Cassion.
Just as I was thinking how much I wanted to see Cassion soon, Janice came with welcome news.
“My lady, permission for the palace tour has come through. Luckily, they say one spot opens up tomorrow!”
“Great!”
I firmed up my resolve to make Cassion my husband and save him without fail.
A little later, Janice sat me down in front of the mirror and began brushing my hair.
In the mirror was a cute, lovable child.
Fine-textured blond hair rippled like a golden field in the sunlight, and green eyes sparkled, holding the freshness of a green forest.
Skin so pale and translucent that people might ask whether I ever saw the sun, with delicate features in harmony, so lovely they would make any onlooker marvel.
Wow, even I think I’m really pretty.
That was why I was confident.
Confident that I could make Cassion my husband!
“Kla Zero, Cida Pear, and Diana Viola Irenber… Irenber?”
I had finished getting ready early at dawn and joined the palace tour program.
A low-ranking noble in charge of the tour was calling the names of the children huddled together.
He tilted his head, saying my name.
Until a year ago, the Irenber house had been able to come and go at the palace with ease, without any procedure. It seemed strange to him that such a house had applied for a palace tour.
I raised my hand high. He met my eyes, came over to me, and greeted me politely.
“Lady Irenber? What brings you to a palace tour, my lady…?”
A murmur rose around us. No child, however young, could fail to know the Irenber house.
Even if they were from minor houses, they were children of nobles, and would have heard it often in their parents’ conversations, and the children of that school learned about our house in the very first hour of the kingdom’s history class.
“A pleasure to meet you, Sir Paulaner of the Chamberlain’s Office.”
I glanced at the name pinned to his chest.
From my experience of living a long time in the palace, low-ranking palace staff were not called by their names but by things like “Hey, you there” or “You, sir.”
That was why they liked having their names spoken, and easily took a liking to anyone who did.
Sure enough, Paulaner’s face brightened.
“Yes, my lady. You must have been to the palace often, so is there a reason you applied for a separate tour?”
It seemed that buying a little goodwill had bought his curiosity along with it. Paulaner spoke to me with excessive friendliness.
“Well… the palace rose garden is beautiful this time of year. I really wanted to see it, but as you know, my parents a year ago…”
“Ah! I’m so sorry, my lady.”
I deliberately let my words trail off. It was to stir his sympathy.
Paulaner recalled that the Head of House Irenber and his wife had died, and was terribly apologetic.
“Ahem, we shall depart.”
Not knowing how to comfort me in my gloom, he was flustered and raised his flag. It seemed he had concluded that it was best to leave me alone.
The children lined up behind Paulaner. I naturally took my place at the very end of the line.
Paulaner led us around the course set for the palace tour. At each famous spot he stopped and explained diligently, veins standing out in his neck.
The children listened closely to Paulaner’s words. Whenever a visiting child asked a strange question, the children who had come with them shot cold glances. Then the child who had asked would shrink into silence.
Their parents must have drilled them thoroughly before sending them.
One of the many reasons parents sent their children on palace tours was the hope that their child would catch the eye of the nobles who came and went in the palace and be picked as an attendant.
But sadly, that would never happen. Because the tour route itself was different from the nobles’ routes.
Can’t have the noble gentlemen inconvenienced by tours for small children.
My thoughts naturally drifted into cursing nobles.
Those people have nothing to do at the palace except play, eat, and dance.
I turned my head to look at the towering Brighting Palace.
Brighting Palace, where the music was said to never stop all day long, was a building built for the current Queen, Julia.
It was a hotbed of every kind of corruption.
Someday I’m going to blow that thing up.
“My lady, my lady?”
I had fallen behind for a moment, looking at Brighting Palace, and the diligent Paulaner called out to me. I hurried my steps and went to his side.
“Your explanation is wonderful. I’ve been to the palace a few times, but I never knew there was such a story behind it!”
When I praised his explanation enthusiastically, Paulaner grew excited and talked even more.
Stop it. Enough already.
It was all a story I already knew. But I smiled sweetly and kept chiming in.
After pretending to be fascinated and winning his favor for quite a while, we finally arrived at the rose garden.
This was the point where I had to part from the group. I tapped the back of Paulaner’s hand. Paulaner lowered his gaze and met my eyes.
“Sir Paulaner, may I spend a little time here?”
“Pardon? But…”
“This place holds memories of my father. In fact, that’s why I applied for this tour.”
Paulaner looked troubled. One of the rules of the palace tour was no straying from the group. Even if an urgent call of nature came, the rule was to move together with the guide, Paulaner.
At times like this, retreat was better than pushing. I drooped my eyebrows and said,
“If it’s difficult for you, sir, I’ll just go along.”
I could see Paulaner wrestling with himself.
“Memories of my father… I’ll just keep them in my heart.”
“W-wait a moment.”
When I started to go to the back of the line, Paulaner hurriedly caught me.
He looked at my drooping shoulders and wiped his face with his hand. In the end, he reluctantly gave permission.
“My lady, you must stay only in the rose garden. Understood?”
“Thank you, Paulaner! I’ll sit quietly on that bench over there!”
I pointed to a bench beneath a rose thicket.
Paulaner checked the bench and left with the children. As he left the rose garden, he told me that it would take about half a day to finish the tour and return.
Paulaner’s group quickly vanished from my sight. I did not move right away and waited for Janice.
Soon I saw a bored-looking Janice approaching, mingled among the group of attendants.
Even if they were minor houses, noble parents always sent one attendant along with their children, and the attendants moved at a distance while their young masters toured.
“Janice!”
“My lady, what are you doing here? Did you lose the others? If you walk quickly you can catch up, get up.”
Janice treated me like a lost child and pulled me up by the hand.
I stood and beckoned with a finger. At the signal to lend her ear, Janice bent at the waist.
“No, Janice. I decided to wait here.”
Janice’s eyes went round. Her look asked why I was here.
I looked behind her. I couldn’t say it in front of other people, so I waited for the attendants to leave.
The attendants glanced at me and Janice, but none was bold enough to talk to me out of curiosity.
When we had gotten some distance from the group of attendants, I snatched Janice’s wrist and walked deeper into the rose garden.
“My lady, do you want to play hide and seek?”
“No, there’s somewhere I have to go.”
“Where? More to the point, can we even get out of here?”
Genuine worry showed in Janice’s voice. Her worry had a reason.
The rose garden had been built to protect the king in case of war, and it was a maze so complex that it required its own map.
I wondered what foolish soldiers would walk into the rose garden when there was a wide-open road straight to the palace, but I agreed that anyone who entered was bound to get lost.
But for me it was meaningless. I knew the rose garden very well. Because I had often hidden there after fighting with Dayson.
It wasn’t fighting, it was being one-sidedly run over.
I smiled bitterly and quickened my pace.
“My lady, where on earth are you going? And where is this?”
Janice, following behind, kept chattering.
At last the destination came into view. I decided to answer Janice now.
“Janice, this place is… the Third Prince’s Palace.”
