Chapter 23
It would be best to find her a suitably obedient partner. Yes, that would be better. It would be troublesome if she ended up with a man harboring unnecessary ambitions, trying to wield her influence and meddle in state affairs.
With his tacit permission, Diana ran wild, and as a result, etiquette-minded individuals endlessly grumbled about her lack of royal qualities. Yet even they would fall into a dazed stupor when faced with her radiant smile, muttering in awe: Her Highness Princess Diana… she’s just like a fairy from the legends…
A significant factor influencing that perception was undoubtedly her lovely appearance. Viern agreed with them. Her hair that shone like platinum, her two pupils resembling verdant greenery, and her expression—somewhat sharp when impassive, but when she broke into a bright, beaming smile… at times, even he would stop what he was doing to look at her.
There were plenty of young men utterly captivated by the Princess. Some even dared to approach her improperly, but his clever Princess never gave those fools a second glance. Did she know just how much that fact pleased him?
‘Our Princess is as clever as she is spirited.’
He didn’t deny that he had raised her with immense care. Initially, he brought her out of the tower simply because she was the current king’s bloodline. For him, who had planned to annihilate the Crown Prince and his brothers, Diana was a useful piece to continue the royal line and placate the people’s resentment.
But at some point, he’d grown fond of her, the way she followed him around like a loyal puppy. Whether this was a master’s affection for a fragile beast, or a brother’s instinct to protect a younger sister, he often found himself confused. Yet, he couldn’t bear to hand over the Princess he’d raised so attentively to just anyone. That’s why he hadn’t found her a match to this day.
So, of course, seeing her injured and sitting on her bed like this put him in a very foul mood.
Tap, tap.
He deliberately made his footsteps audible. She looked up. Instead of greeting him with a bright smile and a “Viern!”, she just blinked, staring at him. Though her demeanor was different from usual, he didn’t find it particularly strange. Given their clash by the lake just days ago, it was only natural.
Viern slowly lowered himself by her bed. He first examined her ankle. Seeing how swollen it was, looking painful at a glance, he unconsciously frowned. Just as he was about to carefully grasp her ankle to check—
Jerk!
Diana flinched and yanked her ankle back. Unlike her usual compliance, this act of withdrawal made Viern raise an eyebrow.
“I need to examine the injury. Please relax your leg.”
“Mm…”
Diana nodded stiffly and let the tension leave her ankle. She seems to know she’s in the wrong, he thought, seeing her obedience. He observed her ankle carefully. Fortunately, it didn’t seem the bone was injured, but as he’d heard, she wouldn’t be walking for a while.
“Your Highness simply refuses to heed warnings, doesn’t she?”
His scolding began.
“I told you to stop seeking my attention in dangerous ways like climbing high places. Our agreement was made less than a month ago. And after you just fell into the lake and haven’t fully recovered…”
Then, he suddenly noticed something was off about the Princess’s state. She wasn’t talking back or reacting. It seemed a little different from simply being crestfallen…
“Your Highness. Are you listening to me right now?”
“H-Huh?”
Startled by his pressing question, Diana reacted awkwardly, her eyes darting about before she cast her gaze downward.
“Uh… yeah.”
She even nodded cautiously while gauging his reaction. Diana avoiding my gaze? Viern was bewildered. Could this be some new form of protest?
“But, why?”
Thud.
He cupped her chin with one hand and lifted it, forcing her eyes to meet his. Her face, so unlike her, filled with nervous uncertainty, had been needling his nerves for a while now.
“Do I give the impression that you’re not listening to a single word I’m saying?”
“It’s…”
As he stared directly into her wavering green eyes and was about to speak again, Diana cautiously parted her lips and asked,
“Uh, so… who are you…?”
“……?”
The sudden question caused a slight crease around Viern’s eyes.
“Who am I?”
“Yeah…”
Instead of answering, Diana just rolled her eyes awkwardly with an uneasy expression.
“What kind of awful prank is this now? If this is meant to be a protest against me…”
Viern’s voice, which had been asking with a faint frown, gradually faded. His reason, having sensed something amiss about her condition for a while, was now sending him ominous signals.
“……Stop with this nonsense, Your Highness.”
“Huh… huh?”
“……”
“……”
“Do you truly not know me?”
“Th-That’s…”
Pressed for an answer, her face crumpled like a child who’d done something wrong. A feeling as if all the blood in his body drained away in an instant washed over him, and his expression slowly vanished.
Viern stared at the face he was holding, speaking in a stiff voice.
“Look at me.”
“……”
“Look at me, Your Highness.”
Diana slowly rolled her eyes to look at him. It wasn’t the gaze that usually sparkled when looking at him, but a look filled with clear discomfort, a desire to evade, and uncertainty.
This… was not the Diana he knew.
Realizing something was gravely wrong, Viern urgently called for the doctor waiting outside. Moments later, after examining Diana thoroughly, the doctor delivered an unexpected diagnosis.
“Her Highness the Princess has lost her memory!”
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