Chapter 64
“Are you certain you want to call me that? You’ll need Elena, after all.”
Of course. Elena was a figure created by Alisa. The magic Alyssa Amortan used best was cosmetic magic — magic that maintained youth and prevented aging. Moreover, just looking at my mother, she didn’t even need much magic help to look far younger than her age.
Still, I never imagined she could disguise herself well enough to pass as her daughter.
‘If a royal was unmarried, marriage proposals would have come from everywhere.’
What Alyssa hadn’t anticipated, however, was that the royals who barely maintained the throne would only strengthen ties among themselves and had no need for exiled royals who had abandoned their responsibilities and fled to foreign lands.
As I sighed, Alyssa spoke.
“Now, let’s not tire ourselves out with all this. We need to make an empress from Staedt, don’t we?”
“So that’s what you believe, showing such a low and petty ambition. You didn’t know, did you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Staedt doesn’t really need to send a crown princess to become empress.”
Alyssa’s lips twisted in a sneer. She chuckled dismissively, as if to say, Don’t be so foolish with those empty threats.
“Don’t be so proud — think carefully. Who else but me could bring glory to Staedt and get into the royal family? I’ll forgive your servants’ rudeness. Will you offer someone more obedient instead?”
Alyssa’s eyes swept over Lily as she spoke like that.
For now, I lifted the broken door.
“Come out here, Daisy. It looks like we’ll have to move Auntie’s room.”
I called Daisy, who was still standing cautiously in front of Alyssa, and had her stand behind me. Then I tilted the lifted door and wedged it into the doorframe. With a creaking sound, the wooden door settled crookedly into the frame. No ordinary woman could have pulled it out again.
The door was made of very sturdy, high-quality wood. Moreover, it had been cleverly jammed so tightly that even if someone tried to bash it with a chair, it wouldn’t come loose, meaning Alyssa would never be able to open it by force.
Through the crack, I heard Alyssa’s flustered voice.
“What are you doing!? How am I supposed to get out!”
Alyssa knocked on the door, but it sounded dull, like hitting a wall.
“Really, Staedt doesn’t mind if they don’t have a family member in the royal palace. You, however, have information on questions I want answered, so you’ll have to stay here until I can resolve them.”
“Questions? How dare you treat me like this and expect me to answer willingly!”
“Fine. You don’t have to answer.”
“What?”
“Do as you please. It’s not like I’m the one who’s locked in.”
I gave Alyssa a dismissive look through the crack in the door as she tried to peek out.
“Y-you’re joking, right? What? What do you want to know?”
“Well, I wonder. What could I possibly be curious about?”
With that, I turned my back.
“Hey, where are you going! You have to let me out! I’ll answer! I swear I’ll answer!”
Noisy sounds echoed behind me. The servants and butlers who were cleaning had been watching the situation, but as soon as I left, they lost all interest in Alyssa.
“Come back! Belienne!”
I asked the butler who had seen everything:
“Can you clear out a well-secured storage room for me?”
“Certainly, my lady.”
“I want to talk with Dad. Where is he?”
“He’s in his study.”
I sent the maidservants ahead to the office and then met with Dad alone.
“Dad, you knew, didn’t you?”
“Are you talking about Alyssa?”
“Of course. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Weren’t you trying to bring someone into the family to be the next crown princess?”
“Yes.”
“That’s why.”
What does he mean by ‘that’s why’? Is he saying that my aunt, who’s more than twice Carnelian’s age, was the one he wants as the crown princess?
“She’s someone who abandoned the country and even made up a daughter, all because she’s greedy for power. Just thinking about what kind of mess the royal family would be if someone like her got in makes me very happy.”
“…Are you serious?”
Dad smiled slyly like a villain. When I was little, I thought Dad was very just and wise. But the more I got to know him, the more I realized he was stubborn and grumpy.
“If you don’t plan to send Alyssa as the crown princess, then kick her out of the mansion.”
“She might come in handy later.”
I was thinking of learning more about Mom’s homeland, Amortan.
‘It’s already been five years since the Demon King died. But Mom still shows no sign of recovery.’
Sean said there was nothing wrong with Mom’s throat. Sean is a high priest who can even heal souls, but even he couldn’t cure her.
“It must be a matter of the heart.”
Sean said that. Amortan was destroyed. It disappeared long before the Demon King died. But Mom was still called a princess of Amortan.
‘Maybe Mom’s responsibility isn’t over yet?’
While I was lost in thought, Dad watched me carefully and said:
“Hmm… So you’re thinking of bringing her in as a concubine after the young crown prince ascends. I approve.”
“……”
Poor Carnelian.
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