Chapter 21
“How is my sister’s condition?”
At Julius’s urging, Oberok came to his senses and opened his mouth.
“Ah, Her Highness the Princess seems to be better now after a short sleep.
She should be able to speak with His Majesty. But she must not be subjected to too great a shock.”
“I see. What about this color? My sister seems to like red.”
“…They all suit you well. No matter what attire you wear, Her Highness will like it.”
“Right? My sister will like me no matter what I look like.”
Julius disliked calling lincia “Your Grace the Grand Duchess.”
Whenever Julius and Oberok were alone, Oberok always had to call lincia “Her Highness the Princess.”
People said Julius hated lincia, but to Oberok, that wasn’t true.
In fact, it was the opposite.
“,I’ll repeat it, Her Highness needs stability.”
Honestly, Oberok did not want lincia to be alone together. It was the unease of someonLinciahad committed a sin that must never be discovered.
“Yes, yes. I understand. I’ll be careful.
What if the child is lost?
I want a child who resembles my sister, but I cannot give her a child.”
Julius seemed to like lincia very much.
Though the direction of that affection was somewhat dangerous.
Once dressed, Julius even put on his outer garment.
Watching him adjust every detail in the mirror with meticulous care, Oberok let out a sigh.
“…Will you go alone?”
“My sister, who must rest absolutely, cannot be disturbed by bringing you along. Anything else to say?”
At Julius’s question, Oberok finally remembered something he had forgotten.
“Ah, the medicine for Your Highness failed.”
Of course, Julius would not scold him over this failure, but Oberok still felt tense.
Julius stared fixedly at Oberok’s face. Then he burst into loud laughter.
“Pff, hahaha! You really tried to give her contraceptives?”
“…Yes? Yes.”
Even though Julius said it lightly, Oberok could not judge his true thoughts. But seeing the man laugh uncontrollably, Oberok’s face burned with shame.
“Your loyalty is admirable. Amusing, truly. Well then, it’s time to see my sister.”
“…Yes.”
“Stay here. Wait for me.”
With light steps, Julius walked toward lincia’s chambers.
***
“Your Highness, His Majesty has come to see you. You seemed to be sleeping soundly, so I didn’t want to wake you… but he said there’s something urgent to discuss.”
Late at night, lincia was awakened by Anna’s cautious voice.
It seemed she had dozed off while chatting with Anna about recent matters. She could not even remember how she had fallen asleep.
“What should I do?”
Anna carefully asked lincia’s opinion.
“Let him in. And Anna, would you leave us?”
She did not want to talk in front of Anna, who still believed she and Julius were on good terms. She knew she would not be able to control her expression.
“Yes, of course!”
Anna quickly lit the lamp on the table, then helped lincia sit up and handed her a shawl.
“I’ll stand guard outside your room. Call me if you need anything.”
Saying so, Anna left the chamber.
Before long, Julius entered.
“Sister.”
Though even the stars were hidden in the dark night, the soft moonlight and the lit lamp on the desk made Julius clearly visible.
Even at this late hour, Julius wore a splendid red ceremonial robe.
lincia clutched her shawl tightly around her shoulders.
“…Why are you visiting at this hour?”
Unable to hide her displeasure, lincia asked, and Julius’s expression hardened.
“Is my sister not glad to see me? I longed to see you so much… Did I disturb your sweet sleep?”
Hearing his friendly tone, lincia felt the weight of unresolved memories.
The times when her life had been held hostage, dragged about by his whims.
“We got along quite well when we were young, didn’t we?
Has my sister forgotten me because I grew into something grotesque?”
Seated on the sofa, Julius tapped the table in a steady rhythm.
Tap, tap. With each sound, the lamp flame flickered.
“…I lived quietly, did nothing.”
“Yes, you didn’t even meet me. I sent you letters so earnestly, yet you never came.”
lincia remembered those letters Julius had sent.
[Sister, will you attend the upcoming scholarly festival?
I want to see you.
This time, the painter Perniold, whom you like, will be there.
I wish you would grace the occasion with your presence.]
Anyone could tell the tone was hardly one of true welcome.
Especially given Julius’s personality.
That was why she had refused. She never believed Julius sincerely invited her. She thought he was merely testing her.
Using things she liked as bait, just to see if she could endure.
And now he dared to reproach her.
“…”
“I know my sister is cautious by nature. But since I came all the way to the North to see you… Will you see me now?”
Julius reached out his hand toward lincia. Instinctively, she pushed it away.
“How could I see you while staying at the Grand Duke’s estate…?”
Her trembling voice made Julius tilt his head.
“Why not? What does being in the North have to do with meeting me?”
And yet, wasn’t he the one who forged letters to cause trouble for Harvich?
Every time Julius acted like this toward the Grand Duchy, lincia, as a fellow royal, was put in a painfully difficult position.
But Julius behaved as if he knew nothing. Or perhaps, simply did not care.
“I thought my sister was imprisoned in the Grand Duke’s castle. I never imagined you didn’t meet me because you were being considerate of the North.”
As lincia’s refusals piled up, Julius’s voice grew low. Uneasy, lincia quickly added more words.
“…Because you told me not to do anything. I thought that included social meetings, even with you.”
The answer, barely squeezed out, seemed to satisfy Julius. His tone suddenly brightened.
“Right? So it wasn’t because you disliked me, or because you liked the North more than me?”
“…Yes.”
“Then when will you come to the Imperial Palace? Since you’re pregnant now, perhaps it’s difficult to travel there yourself.”
lincia’s lips trembled.
…Why?
She had married, and now even carried a child.
What more did he want for her life’s price?
“Ah, I was thoughtless. I can come to the North instead.”
Julius rose from his seat.
“My sister, pregnant. Incredible. That means I’ll have a niec or nephew?”
By instinct, lincia placed her hand over her flat stomach.
Did he dislike that she was with child? She felt uneasy, unable to discern his intent.
“…You pressured me to have a child. Through Oberok.”
At her words, Julius blinked, then curved his lips in a smile.
“You had a child because I told you to?”
That wasn’t it, but…
In truth, the pregnancy was an accident, and lincia had no desire to give Julius what he wanted.
But if she denied it, would he harm the child? She could only nod.
“…Leave now. I just want to rest.”
“Ah, right.
You weren’t well today.
I’m really looking forward to my nephew or niece, so I hope you give birth safely.”
With words whose sincerity was uncertain, Julius slowly walked toward the door.
“Sweet dreams, sister.”
“…You too.”
