Chapter 44: The Forgotten Princess

“So, you’re saying you sent the child to Elysion?”

Marquis Fabian’s voice was quiet, but rang with firmness.

The Empress’s bedchamber, adorned with gold thread.

Emilia nodded as she sat on the bed.

“Yes. I did.”

She still hadn’t fully recovered, so she had decided to stay bedridden for a while.

“What’s the name?”

“……I don’t know yet.”

Emilia spoke, gazing at the table in the center of the bedchamber.

“I received it from the imperial name-giver early this morning. The name is probably in that envelope over there.”

She looked noticeably haggard in just a day.

“Hm.”

The marquis picked up the golden envelope from the table.

The luxurious envelope was sealed with a wax stamp.

He tore it open and checked its contents.

“Noah. The child’s name is Noah.”

“……I don’t care if I never know that name. It’s not as if I’ll ever call her anyway.”

At Emilia’s words, completely without attachment, the marquis raised one eyebrow.

“Still, she’s my granddaughter. It’s a bit of a shame I haven’t seen her even once.”

“It’s better you don’t. The body that gave birth to her feels alien to me. Just thinking about it makes me miserable.”

Emilia shuddered, hugging herself with both arms.

Seeing his daughter, the marquis clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Enough. There’ll be a day you see her, sooner or later. Didn’t I tell you over and over to take care of yourself?”

“……”

He lit his pipe and asked,

“And His Majesty?”

“I told him the child was unwell and would be sent to the monastery. He said to do as I wish. He didn’t even ask to see her once, so I just sent her off last night.”

At Emilia’s words, the marquis chuckled lightly.

“You did the same with your child—you sent him away the moment he was born.”

“……At least I looked at his face first, Father.”

Her reply was more and more shameless.

“Right. She’s just a girl and was born with problems, so His Majesty will actually be pleased. He’s never liked you from the start.”

A stream of smoke slipped from the marquis’s lips.

This was the state of the imperial family.

The birth of an imperial child—whether a son or a daughter—was the line that decided the family’s attention, splitting it to extremes.

And if the child was born with a defect?

That was a blow to the pride of the imperial bloodline.

Of course, Marquis Fabian was no exception to this way of thinking.

“Don’t bother bringing that child into the Imperial Palace. Once she’s over fifteen, I’ll find a suitable political match for her.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Tsk. How did you manage your body, really.”

“……”

Just then—

The door creaked open and Elliot poked his head in hesitantly.

“Mother……? Grandfather?”

Before the marquis could turn, Emilia’s voice rang out, sharp and cold.

“Who told you to come in!”

“S-sorry…….”

His small shoulders flinched.

Elliot bowed his head as if he were a criminal.

But Marquis Fabian put down his pipe and called to him.

“It’s all right, Your Highness. Come here.”

“……Yes.”

The boy approached cautiously.

Quietly, he came to stand beside the marquis and, summoning his courage, spoke up.

“Um…… Where’s my little sister, Grandfather?”

“It seems His Highness came all this way looking for his little sister.”

The marquis’s gaze dropped.

In Elliot’s small hands was a cute bunny doll, held tight.

Elliot had treasured it for months, intending to give it to his soon-to-be-born sibling.

“Your Highness. Listen carefully to what Grandfather says.”

The marquis bent his knees to meet Elliot at eye level.

“Your sister, Princess Noah, is very ill. So, she’s been sent away for treatment.”

“What? My sister’s sick? H-how badly?”

Elliot’s eyes looked ready to spill tears at any moment.

“Not too badly…… But you won’t be able to see her for a while. I know how you feel, but please try to be patient.”

Smiling kindly, he gently took the bunny doll from Elliot.

“I’ll give this to Her Highness for you. How’s that?”

“……Okay, that’s fine.”

Elliot nodded, holding back his tears.

“And one more thing.”

The marquis’s expression hardened slightly.

“Showing emotion in the palace is no different from exposing your weakness. Especially for you, Your Highness.”

“……Grandfather.”

“Tears are for shedding alone in your bed at night. Understood?”

“Yes…….”

Elliot hurriedly wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Now, off you go. Her Majesty needs her rest.”

At the marquis’s words, Elliot turned his head.

There was Emilia, looking even more gaunt.

“Elliot. As you can see, Mother isn’t feeling well. Don’t you have riding lessons today? Go on, don’t be late.”

“Yes, yes, I understand, Mother. I’ll go now. Please get better…….”

Elliot bowed deeply and left Emilia’s chamber.

“I’ll have to accelerate Elliot’s education.”

“Even more than now? Father, even now Elliot……”

“Yes. Even now, he’s handling an absurd amount of study for his age. But the situation’s different now.”

The marquis fixed Emilia with a stern gaze.

“The age requirement for succession is an obstacle, but not an unbreakable one.”

“……Father, you can’t mean—”

“As long as Elliot does well, the requirements can always be changed.”

He tapped the end of his pipe lightly.

In the ashtray, the bunny doll that Elliot had brought was crumpled.

“In this world, law and order are decided by power, in the end. Even the rules—if you want to change them, you just do.”

A cold smile spread across his lips.


---


“We’ve arrived, Your Highness.”

At the coachman’s shout, the carriage came to a stop.

The scenery beyond the window caught Rohan’s gaze.

To the south of Shurium, deep within the forest, stood the Monastery Elysion.

This mysterious forest, shrouded in mist all year round, was a private space unknown to the public.

On the surface, it looked no different from any other monastery, but once inside, it was clear this was a very different kind of place.

“So this is the famous Elysion.”

William was the first to alight from the carriage, letting out a low whistle.

Rohan stepped down as well, the chill air carrying a faint scent of herbs.

“They say it’s a retreat for nobles, but it looks pretty ordinary from the outside.”

“What do you think it’s like inside?”

At Rohan’s question, William shrugged.

“……Who knows. I’ve heard they call it a paradise on earth……”

Rohan didn’t answer.

He’d find out soon enough.

Just then—

At the monastery gate, a woman in a silver-gray habit and black cloak approached.

Her dress, adorned with silver trimmings, was half-shrouded in a black veil.

“Greetings to Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

She bowed deeply.

“How did you know I was the Crown Prince?”

“Deep navy hair, a face in his mid-teens, arriving in an imperial carriage—who else but Your Highness?”

At her words, Rohan merely twitched his eyebrow, offering no reply.

“Forgive me, but may I ask what brings you to Elysion?”

“I’ve come to see my sister.”

“……!”

The woman’s face turned noticeably pale.

“I already know everything. Don’t bother making excuses.”

At Rohan’s chilling warning, the nun bowed her head.

“I’ll show you in right away.”

She immediately turned and led the way into the monastery.

“Your Highness? Your sister? Did Lady Amanda give birth to another child…?”

“……?”

“No, of course not. That can’t be it. But then…”

He lowered his voice, whispering,

“Don’t tell me—the princess born to Empress Emilia is here?”

A child less than a day old.

The idea that such a baby was in a monastery, not her mother’s arms, was absurd.

‘No way. It can’t be. It mustn’t be.’

No matter how ruthless Marquis Fabian’s family was said to be, surely they wouldn’t abandon their own blood like this.

But William soon realized that was nothing more than an ordinary moral standard.

“That’s right. The empire’s second princess is here.”

“……!”

At Rohan’s answer, William sucked in a breath.

His face went white, and he couldn’t speak at all as they made their way deeper into the monastery.

‘Unbelievable.’

He’d heard the rumors.

That the princess had been born very unwell.

But all the more reason, shouldn’t she be in the palace?

The further in they went, the more luxurious the interiors became, but William barely noticed.

“This way, Your Highness.”

At last, the woman stopped in front of a door and bowed her head.

“Her Highness the Princess is in a deep sleep.”

“Noted.”

Rohan looked at William.

“Wait here a moment.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

Click.

With that, Rohan quietly entered the room.

Gentle sunlight streamed in through the slightly open window, and the room was silent.

The air inside seemed to breathe, thin and light.

His gaze turned to the bed.

And at that moment, a slow tightness coiled deep in his chest as Rohan approached.

Now he could see.

A baby, wrapped carefully in white cloth.

So still and quiet that her breath could barely be heard, this tiny life squirmed faintly, as only a newborn would.

The dark bruise covering half her face stung Rohan’s heart.

The little girl who always played alone at the edge of the imperial gardens.

Those small eyes that used to look at him quietly, he remembered them clearly even now.

The unfortunate princess, forgotten by all, like an unused corner of the palace.

Ssh.

Rohan quietly sat in a chair.

Perhaps she’d just been fed—Noah slept soundly, her face peaceful.

“Was she always this small…?”

She was only a day old.

Her body was curled up, her tiny fingers gently curled, and her little belly rose and fell with each faint breath.

The little heart that first met the warmth of the world beat slowly and weakly.

“……I’m sorry.”

Why hadn’t he listened to her back then?


—Your Majesty, you know…—


The day Noah had clung to his sleeve, if only he hadn’t brushed her off, claiming to be busy.

No. If only he’d paid a little more attention to her in the garden.

“If I had… could I have protected you?”

Noah’s existence was an unhealed wound to Rohan.

Late apologies and regrets.

In the end, they meant nothing—but still.

“This time, I’ll protect you.”

It was different now.

He wouldn’t let this child be alone and lonely as before.

Rohan would never let that happen again.

Clack.

Stepping out of the room, Rohan spoke to the waiting woman.

“Where is Director Collin right now?”