WSP 07

Chapter : 07

The Imperial Palace in Turmoil

The night at the Imperial Palace, where usually only moonlight was permitted, was different today. Specifically, in front of the Emperor’s bedchamber, magic lamps had been lit everywhere, illuminating the area as bright as midday.

“…….”

The Royal Guards and knights knelt, their eyes squeezed shut in despair. They were brave men who had never flinched even before a great war that would soak the entire continent in blood, but this situation was beyond comparison.

“What on earth is happening in the middle of the night! Do you know how shocked I was to receive the word…!”

“……I am sorry, Brother.”

Tenon, the Captain of the Guard and the 4th Prince, wiped his weary face as the 2nd Prince, Kirel, rushed onto the scene. Personally, Kirel was his older brother, but as the man responsible for the palace’s security, Tenon had no excuses to offer.

“How do you plan to handle this when His Majesty finds out—?”

Thud!

Before he could finish his sentence, the massive doors swung open, and someone emerged. Though the palace was grander and more luxurious than any other place, the person appearing from within overwhelmed it all.

“…….”

As he removed his silver helmet, brilliant platinum-blonde hair—brighter than the moonlight—fluttered in the night wind. His jawline was as sharp as his sculpted nose. However, what captured everyone’s gaze more than anything else were his eyes.

The symbol of the Rohan Imperial Family and the mark of a true successor.

The red eyes revealed briefly in the breeze perfectly announced his presence. His cold gaze, reminiscent of a god of war, showed exactly who the ruler of this massive palace was.

“……I heard an interesting story on my way back.”

Step, step.

With every disciplined stride, the noble and chilling aura of Rashid, the Emperor of Rohan, spread through the air. Even his blood brothers couldn’t dare to look him in the eye and instinctively lowered their heads.

“Your—Your Majesty.”

“In this palace overflowing with useless brothers, I heard the only Princess has disappeared?”

“…….”

Clang.

The sword he wore at his waist rolled onto the floor. Whether it belonged to an animal or a human, the silver blade—still wet with blood—glinted as coldly as its master’s eyes.

“It seems I’m the only one finding this amusing. Is that not so?”

“…….”

The faint smile on his lips was indifferent. He hadn’t changed clothes yet; his solid upper body revealed through his loosened armor made the onlookers even more terrified.

“……We have committed a sin deserving of death.”

“Good that you know.”

His emotionless brows finally twitched into a frown. It was a very slight change, but since he rarely showed emotion, everyone knew just how twisted his mood was right now.

“Report. Every single detail.”

“…….”

At Rashid’s voice, which was low enough to send shivers down the spine, the pale 4th Prince Tenon bowed his head first.

“She disappeared yesterday afternoon after Roam visited Haniel’s palace. He reportedly told the wet nurses and maids to leave them alone for a while, and now no one knows her whereabouts……”

“I don’t believe I appointed you as the Captain of the Guard just so you could let people dismiss their posts whenever they pleased.”

“…….”

Rashid’s blood-red eyes swept over his brother more coldly than ever. Even if they were kin, he was merciless to those who forgot their duty. His face flushed as if burned, Tenon swallowed a deep sigh.

“Th-that is true, but Brother—I mean, Your Majesty, you know how it is. Haniel is so young and timid that she bursts into tears just by looking at armed knights……”

“So, you’re telling me the Captain of the Guard dismissed the security just because of a child’s crying?”

“……Please calm yourself. Fortunately, there was no reaction from the Pearl Stone in Haniel’s room.”

The 2nd Prince and Grand Duke, Kirel, pulled something from his sleeve before things got worse. A silver spherical bead was emitting a faint, steady light as always.

“If something had happened to Haniel, this would have turned black. Our late mother had this custom-made by our maternal uncle, so you can trust it.”

“You’re gambling a child’s life on a mere rock?”

“…….”

“Pathetic wretches.”

At Rashid’s sneer, both brothers’ mouths clamped shut. Whether it was a magic tool crafted with effort by a Great Mage or not, he was a man who trusted no one’s word unless he saw it with his own eyes.

“When did Roam leave?”

“Isn’t he a fellow who’s impossible to pin down? He returned without a word this time as well… He said he’d just stop by to see Haniel and then leave, but he vanished without a trace before we knew it.”

“……Damn it.”

Rashid’s seething curse dissolved into the night wind. Roam, the fifth prince of the Empire, had inherited his maternal family’s bloodline and boasted exceptional mana since childhood. Ultimately, he had disappeared years ago, defying the order to accept his title under the pretext of training.

He had shown his face every now and then, but to think he would cause such a mess. Kirel grit his teeth.

“I have no idea what he’s thinking, taking that young child. He’s the type to erase all his traces because he finds them bothersome, so I don’t know what to do.”

“Have you contacted the Magic Tower?”

“Of course. I’ve also sent a carrier pigeon to our maternal uncle, so if he’s headed that way, we’ll be notified immediately.”

“……Deploy the palace mages at once to track Roam’s scent. Hurry before the traces of mana scatter!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

As Rashid frowned and raised a hand, the knights who had been prostrating themselves scrambled to their feet and formed ranks. Feeling that wasn’t enough, he glared intensely at the 4th Prince, Tenon.

“I will hold you accountable later. Send secret pigeons to every border outpost. He couldn’t have crossed the border yet with a small child.”

“I will do so. However, since she has never even stepped outside, there are very few people who know Haniel’s appearance……”

“Sigh, what use are all these brothers!”

Rashid snapped his head around, his chilling eyes narrowing. His voice dropped like shards of ice onto his dejected brothers.

“She is of Imperial blood and the only Princess of Rohan! A girl with platinum-blonde hair and red eyes, and her age is……”

His cold, irritated red eyes faltered for the first time.

“……How old was she again?”

Part 2: The Swan and the “Mama”

「Mommy! You’re my mommy, right?」

Gulp.

My throat went dry at the sight I couldn’t believe. The baby swan, speaking so clearly in such a fragile yet adorable voice, was incredibly jarring.

「……Who on earth are you?」

She must be a real person. At this point, there was no need for further confirmation; she was definitely a human under a curse.

A wave of futility, disappointment, and an overriding anger hit me all at once.

「Did Rania do this to you too? Seriously! What did this little thing ever do wrong!」

「Huh? Rania?」

「I mean Rania. Lady Rania. That wench—I mean, that woman—is the one who made you like this, right?」

「……Eh?」

The baby swan’s head tilted sharply from left to right. It looked like she was trying to search her memory, but considering how little she’d lived, she was clearly just pretending to think.

「It’s fine if you don’t remember. But was it really not Rania?」

「……I, I don’t know.」

When my voice unintentionally grew louder, the baby swan shrunk back. Seeing her looking dejected as if she were being scolded, I quickly let her know that wasn’t the case.

「No, no. I’m not mad at you…… Ah, this won’t do. Where are your parents?」

「Parents?」

「Yeah. Mommy and Daddy. Even if you were cursed, you wouldn’t have been cursed alone…… Did your father’s business go bankrupt? Or did he oppose the Lady? Or maybe…… forget it.」

What am I even asking you? I shook my beak as I went through the usual list of reasons why newcomers ended up at the lake. Even if such a thing had happened, there was no way this tiny baby would know.

In fact, I doubted she even knew her own age.

「Sweetie, how old are you? Your age.」

「……How old? One, two……」

「No, no. Forget that too.」

What did I expect from a swan? I stared at her with maximum concentration before losing all my energy. I didn’t give up this time just because she was an oblivious baby.

A three or four-year-old child would at least fold their fingers to show their age…… but the baby swan had no fingers to fold. No matter how much she flicked her black webbed feet, she wouldn’t understand how to tell me her age.

‘Ah…… what is this.’

My heart, which had been puffed up with the dream of having a family for a moment, sank to the very bottom. Then again, what did I expect? Having lived as an orphan until now, maybe I was being too greedy.

「Two, four……」

「……」

You should have been a little less cute. Then I wouldn’t have been so greedy.

I laughed hollowly as I watched the swan still tapping and stomping her black feet. Finding her biological parents had to be the priority. Whether they were qualified to be this adorable baby’s parents was something I could judge later.

「Do you know where Mommy and Daddy are? Their names?」

「Yes. Daddy…… Daddy isn’t here.」

「Huh?」

「They said Daddy is in Heaben.」

The baby swan, who had been fascinated by her own moving feet, suddenly let her feathers settle calmly.

I froze for a moment, feeling solemn, then moved closer to her.

「I…… I see.」

「You know Heaben? The country with lots of stars. There’s a sunny and a moony too.」

「……Yeah.」

One thing was for sure: this child had no idea where that actually was.

End Of Chapter : 07