Chapter 24
‘She has a fever…’
Now that I saw it, Agatha’s face was completely red.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Agatha, dear!”
Agatha, who had been babbling incoherently, eventually lowered her head and fainted.
Brillint quickly called for the servants.
Those nearby rushed over immediately.
“Quickly, take her to her room! Call the physician too!”
“Yes, milady!”
Just as the servants lifted Agatha to carry her away—
‘Huh…?’
Brillint couldn’t believe her eyes.
For a moment, Agatha’s lifted skirt had revealed her calf.
‘That mark…’
“Wait!”
Brillint tried to stop them, but the servants were already gone.
She stood still, uneasily staring in that direction.
‘Did I see it wrong…?’
But she was sure there was a mark there.
‘The same mark on my own calf… and my mother’s.’
Brillint shook her head vigorously.
She could confirm it later, when Agatha woke up.
‘No need to rush.’
But Brillint’s assumption was quickly proven wrong.
Not long after Agatha fainted, Govad barged into Neroli’s palace.
And before Brillint could stop him, he took the unconscious Agatha away.
*
While I had been with Ebwa, Marin filled me in on everything that had happened in my palace.
I read over the report, quietly curling my lips.
‘Modway really went out of their way to fulfill my request.’
They must’ve been busy watching Hist, so I’ll be sure to shower them with praise when they return.
And…
“So, Agatha fainted, huh.”
My eyes were badly swollen from the prolonged crying act.
Brillint, seeing me like that, quickly applied an ice pack to help with the swelling.
As I quietly received her care, I asked,
“How is Agatha doing?”
“The physician said she collapsed from acute stress. Other than the high fever, there are no other symptoms.”
“That’s a relief.”
I murmured to myself.
“At least His Highness waited until after the physician checked her before taking her away.”
“……”
“For His Highness to act like this… they must really have something between them.”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I couldn’t stop him. He arrived so suddenly…”
“It’s not your fault, Brillint.”
As I said this, Brillint hesitated, then spoke cautiously.
“This is all my fault. Actually… I’d heard rumors about Agatha. But I didn’t want to upset you with baseless gossip from high society, so I didn’t tell you.”
“You had?”
I’d expected it. My palace was oddly quiet—almost like someone had silenced the maids.
‘After all, I was the one who started those rumors.’
With a calm face, I spoke warmly to her.
“But you kept it from me to protect me, right? Thank you, Brillint.”
“Princess Neroli…”
“But now I’m worried.”
I slumped back into the sofa and let out a sigh.
“Even the rumors about Agatha reached the Bobonshire household… And now His Highness has caused a whole scene by taking her away.”
“…What’s going to happen to Agatha now?”
Her voice sounded different than usual.
As if she was worried about Agatha…
I subtly twitched my leg.
‘Has Brillint started to suspect something?’
Perfect timing.
Feigning thought, I paused before muttering,
“Hmm, maybe His Highness is going to hide her away somewhere only he knows. And then one day, she’ll appear as his empress!”
“……”
“But I’m not sure Agatha would accept that. She’s a devout follower of Dalia, after all.”
“Is she?”
“Yup! …Ah, right!”
I suddenly straightened up.
Brillint, who had been holding the ice pack next to me, looked surprised.
“Your Highness?”
“Brillint!”
As if I’d just remembered something important, I raised my voice.
“I have something to tell you!”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Have you ever seen that girl’s calf?”
Brillint’s pink eyes widened slightly at my question.
I went on excitedly.
“I only noticed when it was just the two of us in the greenhouse—but she has the exact same birthmark as you!”
“!”
“It’s like a star-shaped mark! In the same spot, just like yours!”
“Is… is that true?”
I nodded quickly.
“I saw it! With my own eyes! I was going to double-check before telling you, but His Highness took her away… What do you think, Brillint?”
“……”
“This might sound like I’m jumping the gun, but…”
I glanced at Brillint’s expression as I added,
“Her eye color, too. And that mark. Plus, didn’t Agatha say her father was her adoptive father?”
“Ah…”
I knew roughly about the Sandrine ducal family’s history and looked at Brillint with excitement.
“Isn’t this enough to notify Duke Sandrine?”
“But… what if it’s not true? Then my father and I…”
Brillint trailed off, clearly having already lost hope.
I gently placed my hand on her shoulder.
“Brillint, look at me.”
“……”
“If you hesitate now and His Highness really does hide her… and we lose the chance to find out—can you live without regrets?”
In my rare serious tone, Brillint bit her lip.
I gave her more encouragement.
“Let’s just send the Duke a portrait of Agatha. We have that one drawn when she first arrived here, remember?”
“Your Highness…”
“And you’re hesitating because you feel something about Agatha, right?”
“I…”
I embraced the anxious-looking Brillint tightly.
Then whispered gently in her ear,
“Don’t be afraid of hope, Brillint. And if… if you’re disappointed again, I’ll still be here to hold you like this.”
Hearing my whisper, Brillint finally leaned her face on my shoulder.
“…Thank you, Your Highness.”
As her tears slightly dampened my shoulder, I gently patted her back in a steady rhythm.
‘According to Mother’s journal, Agatha looked just like Duke Sandrine’s late sister.’
That would make her Brillint’s aunt.
But the sister had died right before her coming-of-age ceremony, and with so few portraits of her, Brillint barely knew what she looked like.
‘But the Duke would recognize her immediately, even from that simple sketch we made of Agatha when she first arrived.’
Even if it was just a ceremonial sketch for the palace registry.
I had full faith in Duke Sandrine’s sharp eyes—and his deep longing to find his daughter.
Then, a silly memory surfaced.
A note my mother had written beside this bit of information.
Apparently, in her world, they had things like “paternity tests.” Thinking of that, she had scribbled—
“Still such a frustrating plot twist! If this empire had paternity testing, Agatha’s identity would’ve been revealed immediately!”
But no such technology should exist in this world.
‘At least, not for us, Mother.’
After all, we weren’t exactly in a position to be so righteous, were we?
While I was lost in thought, Brillint pulled away, having composed herself.
“Thanks to you, I feel brave now. I’ll write to my father immediately!”
“Good!”
“And if… if Agatha really is my sister…”
Brillint looked at me with concern.
Reading her expression, I grinned.
“Honestly, the idea of her being involved with His Highness is shocking—but I’ll be fine!”
“But you’re close with Lady Bobonshire, His Highness’s fiancée… Don’t you resent Agatha?”
“Did you forget?”
I smiled brightly.
“I’ve always been on your side, Brillint!”
At my words, Brillint looked deeply moved and teared up.
“And I… I’ll always be on your side too, Your Highness.”
She hugged me tightly once more, then quickly left the room.
She must’ve headed back to her estate to send a letter to the Duke in Sandrine.
I could already imagine how shocked he’d be when he read it.
‘Now that Brillint’s gone…’
I stood up from the sofa and tugged the silk pull cord without hesitation.
Immediately, my dedicated maids—who I’d sent out earlier—rushed inside.
“You called, Your Highness?”
‘Now… it’s time to catch a rat.’
I smiled slightly.
“Girls, I’m curious about something!”
“Ask us anything, Your Highness.”
“You’ve all heard that His Highness took Agatha away while I was gone, right?”
I spoke brightly, dropping the ice pack Brillint left onto the side table.
“But something’s strange.”
I calmly walked over to the mirror on the wall to check if the swelling in my eyes had gone down.
“How did His Highness find out she fainted before I did? It’s almost like someone tipped him off.”
Tension immediately filled the room.
My maids had been with me for years—they knew I was furious right now.
‘And they must know too.’
No matter how wide His Highness’s intel network is, he arrived way too early.
‘Foolish Govad.’
Even if you were desperate, you should’ve waited half a day.
Even if you hadn’t revealed yourself, I would’ve sniffed out the mole.
‘The mole you planted in my palace.’
Now that Brillint had gone, I turned from the mirror and looked sharply at the maids.
“I think someone in this palace isn’t one of mine. Don’t you agree?”
Understanding my meaning, the maids tensed.
Clapping my hands once, I cheerfully said,
“Go bring me Is!”
I pointed out a specific maid.
They all hesitated for a moment, then responded in unison.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
They moved in perfect formation.
