Chapter 25

“Maybe the permission was granted a long time ago.”

“…Pardon?”

“All the people keeping me from leaving the private palace are from the private palace staff, right?”

And this private palace was attached to the Imperial Princess’s palace. That meant they were under her authority. Ever since he entered the Empire.

But.

“Officially, it was the Emperor who invited me.”

“That’s… right? Huh?”

At that realization, Petricks let out a gasp. The rumor that the Imperial Princess was living with a woman. If the Prince, staying in the private palace, was used to quell that deadly rumor, they would understand better than anyone. Then it made sense that they’d invited him but never bothered to see him.

The Emperor would feel he’d done his duty by granting permission… and would have left the rest to the ‘fiancée’, the Imperial Princess, whether she met him or not. And he knew the Kingdom, always playing the underdog before the Empire, couldn’t object. Especially if the Prince they sent was the one surrounded by rumors.

“I did think the approval came strangely fast. I guess it’s because the person who invited me and the one hosting me were different.”

Dieldo’s well-manicured fingertip traced circles along the rim of the teacup.

“The one assigned to host me doesn’t even want to meet me. Looks like they’ll just keep me locked up until the clueless Prince finally leaves on his own.”

“But at least you’re not clueless. That’s a real relief.”

“And I’m unlucky to have a servant as clueless as you.”

Dieldo brushed off Petricks’s sulky comment and pulled out the quill resting on the table. Ink, parchment—everything he needed was ready.

“Are you going to write a letter?”

“Yes.”

“To the Kingdom? …No, that can’t be. Or, don’t tell me, to the Emperor?”

“At least to someone whose interests align with mine.”

“The Emperor?”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course not. I was joking.”

If not the Emperor, then who else but the Imperial Princess? The one who’d locked him away, refusing to meet. It was a somewhat baffling idea, but Dieldo gave a small, affirmative laugh.

“The Imperial Princess dislikes me, and I dislike her.”

“Is that what people usually call a shared interest?”

‘…Isn’t that just mutual hatred?’

“Whatever.”

Under Petricks’s bewildered gaze, Dieldo’s smile only deepened. From Dieldo’s perspective, there was no better guarantee. Besides, as the one who’d spread this d*mn rumor, it was also a kind of instinct toward a fellow troublemaker. He might have been an incompetent fool with no political base, but there was one thing he was good at.

Not s*x, not causing trouble. But recognizing and luring in his own kind.

That afternoon, he sent a letter to the Imperial Princess. Petricks glanced at the elegant, neat handwriting and asked, “What if there’s no reply?” Dieldo answered, “I’ll think about that when the time comes,” but he was sure it wouldn’t happen. Even so, he was glad he’d learned the Imperial language.

To his surprise, the reply came the very next day. If a face-to-face meeting in the drawing room could be called a reply, that is.

* * *

Though they were officially ‘engaged’, there was no trace of such an atmosphere between the man and woman sitting across from each other. Bleak, bleak, and bleak again…

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Do you have nothing to say?”

It was Dieldo who broke the silence. The Imperial Princess retorted as if she’d been waiting for it.

“That’s what I’d like to ask you, Prince.”

The Imperial Princess held out a letter.

“After sending such a letter, how can you just sit in silence?”

At that moment, Dieldo was looking at the hand in the white silk glove holding out the letter, thinking that all heirs to the throne must have this kind of disposition. Even down to the smallest details, she was a carbon copy of the Crown Prince… Not to mention the perfectly neat attire and the ‘strictly business’ look on her face.

“Your Highness, you are also sitting in silence after reading such a letter.”

Dieldo smiled with his eyes. He meant, don’t try to claim the upper hand when you’re doing the same thing.

“Hm. You speak the Imperial language well.”

The Imperial Princess cleared her throat. From the start, she’d said, “That’s what I’d like to ask you, Prince,” and “After sending such a letter, how can you just sit in silence?” in Imperial language… Her sudden surprise was almost deceitful. Even in a great power, it wasn’t the official language. If he hadn’t known the Imperial tongue, wouldn’t he have seemed like a complete fool? Of course, now he was a fool with solid basics, so he responded calmly.

“It’s education. Just as you can speak the Kingdom’s language, Princess.”

“Seems you’re quite proficient.”

“Makes it unnecessary to have someone interpret.” 

She muttered, tapping the letter with her finger as if to change the subject.

“…So you came to the Empire to meet someone, not for the royal marriage?”

“That’s right.”

Her expression softened a bit. The Imperial Princess let go of the letter and said,

“I thought you’d come to marry me.”

“What a funny misunderstanding.”

For a moment, the collision of ‘How dare someone like you covet my place?’ and ‘You worried pointlessly without knowing your place’ passed, then they got to the point. The Imperial Princess laced her fingers and asked,

“So who is it you’re looking for?”

“That person is…”

This was the only question he could answer with confidence. Or so he thought… But he hesitated, suddenly wondering, what are we to each other?

“If you can’t answer, is it a lover? A passionate affair? Did you come to find a runaway lover?”

At that, Dieldo gave a short laugh. A runaway lover? No, were they ever lovers in the first place? If he recalled the conversation at the train station, they almost became lovers… But since they never met again, it was more of a missed chance.

Then, a master-servant relationship? That was closer to the truth. But to say the Prince’s master was a human, given the d*ldo situation, sounded far too strange.

Housemate? That was also ambiguous, since he hadn’t been living as a human but as a d*ldo. He didn’t want to call her a friend either. So what bound them together? Were they even bound?

Dieldo couldn’t be sure. Maybe that bond was broken the moment his true identity was revealed. Maybe that’s why Amber and her grandmother both disappeared. Because they didn’t want to be entangled anymore.

…His throat felt dry for no reason. Dieldo sipped his tea and replied.

“Just… The person who saved me.”

“Ah. A lifesaver?”

Since she’d given meaning to a Prince who was nothing but an empty shell, that wasn’t wrong. To track down such a person was surely ungrateful… But what could he do? He was just that selfish. Instead of saying yes or no, Dieldo said,

“Just once is enough. I want to meet that person.”

“That person is an Imperial citizen?”

“Let’s just say I want to meet the palace research team.”

“If it’s the Hesington Research Institute team, I’m interested in them too.”

“…”

If Petricks had seen his supervisor’s face, which seemed to say, ‘So what…?’, he would have been shocked.

“Your expression says you don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Glad you noticed.”

Thank goodness the Imperial Princess had some sense. He didn’t want to talk about this topic any further. For now, he just wanted to see Amber from afar, to know if she was doing well. So he had no intention of burdening her with the label of ‘the one the Prince is searching for’ due to his one-sided feelings.

As if reading his mind, the Imperial Princess muttered,

“I heard you were a scoundrel.”

“That’s not wrong.”

At his candid admission, the Imperial Princess pressed on.

“Debauched, never turns away a woman, has a penchant for drugs.”

“I used to be.”

“Ran away from home, too, I heard.”

“Technically, I disappeared.”

“And when you returned, you were half insane… So I was surprised when you suddenly came to the Empire.”

“You know everything perfectly.”

Half sincere, half sarcastic, Dieldo replied, and for the first time, a smile bloomed on the Imperial Princess’s previously stiff face. Instead of returning the smile, Dieldo drank his tea without emotion, and the Imperial Princess propped her chin on her hand and pointed out,

“By the way, you’ve been speaking informally for a while now.”

“Because you did first.”

Dieldo set down his cup, acting as if there was no problem.

“Did you forget that the Kingdom is receiving help from the Empire?”

“Why should I care?”

“You need my help, too.”

“Do you want to marry me?”

“Ha! If you’re provoking me on purpose, you should know there’s nothing to gain from it. You ought to think of your country, Prince.”

“I hope you also understand that I don’t care what happens, Your Imperial Highness.”

“How amusing.”

A royal who doesn’t care what happens to his own country. Soon, the Imperial Princess burned the letter with a candle and spoke.

“Fine. Then, should I arrange an official introduction for you, Prince? As a member of the ‘Kingdom’s’ royal family, you’ll be recognized, and I’ll call the royal research team to help you adapt to this unfamiliar environment.”

“I appreciate your assistance, Your Imperial Highness.”

Only after fulfilling his purpose did Dieldo smile gently. A guest, especially a foreigner, couldn’t just wander around the Imperial Palace as he pleased. So this was his excuse. He had to make the most of the opportunity the Imperial Princess provided. He absolutely had to meet Amber that day.

The Imperial Princess stood up and said,

“I hope you find the person you’re looking for.”