Chapter 27
“Yes. So I thought it was amazing how those coincidences overlapped.”
I said it with a light laugh, but Lionel didn’t smile at all.
As usual—no, even more persistently than usual—he looked at me with that unreadable gaze before finally speaking.
“By any chance…”
“By any chance?”
What was he trying to say that required such hesitation?
I tilted my head, and Lionel let out a short sigh and shook his head.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing? Are you really going to leave me curious like that?”
“It truly wasn’t anything important. I just…”
With his eyes lowered, Lionel fell into thought—and that was the end of it.
Instead of explaining further, he silently led me outside. Before I could ask anything more, he saw me off, and I climbed back into the carriage.
On the way home, Eunice asked anxiously,
“My lady, how did it go? Were you able to retrieve the magic tool?”
“I couldn’t.”
“…Pardon?”
“Honestly, I don’t even know what’s going on myself.”
Why on earth had Lionel said something about monitoring me every day in case I brought a woman into my bedroom?
After a bit of thought, I came up with a plausible answer.
“I guess the magic tool I made looks exactly like the bluebird he raised when he was little. When I said I was going to dismantle it and analyze the circuits, he told me not to and took it himself.”
“…What? Even knowing it functions as a video communication device?”
“Surprising, right? I was surprised too.”
“That’s… truly surprising. He must have cherished that bird a lot…”
Eunice kept asking if that was really the reason—if perhaps Lionel had taken the magic tool as evidence, like he was preserving proof of something.
To be honest, I was a little confused myself. But if that had been his intention, he would have said so openly. That was the kind of person he was.
“It’s a relief it looked just like the bird His Highness raised as a child.”
“Right? That’s what I thought too.”
“But I’ve never seen a bird that looks like that before. Where did you see it, my lady?”
“Huh? I’ve never seen one either.”
“You’ve never seen one? Then how did you create the illusion spell?”
“It just… came naturally to mind.”
Now that I thought about it, it was strange.
Where did I even see that bluebird?
I had no memory of seeing one in this lifetime. Or had I seen it in my previous life?
I pondered the question the entire ride home, but in the end, I couldn’t find a clear answer.
After he began gradually taking on the Emperor’s duties as the Crown Prince-to-be, Lionel’s mealtimes transformed into opportunities for socializing with nobles or holding work meetings with aides.
If there were no such engagements scheduled, he usually ate alone. Very occasionally, however, he would be summoned by the Empress and forced to attend dinner as an unwelcome guest.
Tonight was one of those occasions.
“I heard the young lady of House Rohaim came looking for you early this morning?”
No sooner had she signaled for the attendants to begin serving than the Empress spoke, her voice heavy with reproach.
“And I also heard the Second Prince’s palace was quite noisy yesterday. What in the world did you do to upset such a commendable child?”
If Cecilia had been present, she would have widened her eyes at the phrase commendable child coming from the Empress’s mouth.
But unaware that the Empress privately dismissed Cecilia as sour grapes, Lionel replied calmly,
“There was a small misunderstanding, but we resolved it through conversation.”
“What misunderstanding?”
After a brief pause, Lionel answered,
“She was worried I might take a mistress.”
“What? Ha! Don’t tell me you’ve already started chasing after other women? And the young lady of Rohaim caught you in the act?”
“No. It was truly a misunderstanding.”
“Ha! And you gave her no cause whatsoever to misunderstand?”
“…Perhaps I did. But we cleared it up today, so it won’t happen again.”
“You speak so smoothly. I shall be watching. If you, a prince, disrupt the decorum of the imperial palace, you will be severely punished.”
The Empress’s sharp gaze swept over Lionel from head to toe.
There wasn’t a trace of maternal affection in her eyes—only disgust and deep-seated weariness. Yet Lionel sat there impassively.
It was the attendants serving the meal who looked as though they might suffocate, carefully pouring water into his glass and placing dishes before him.
Please let this time pass quickly…
Contrary to their wishes, the Empress spoke again mid-meal.
“I see you haven’t even asked about your elder brother. Aren’t you curious how Kai is doing?”
“I am.”
“Ha! Curious? If you truly were, you would have asked about him already. Or gone to visit him yourself!”
“….”
Watching Lionel lower his head as though ashamed, the others couldn’t help but feel pity.
Her Majesty goes too far.
She overturned the table just earlier when someone asked if the First Prince was unwell again, accusing them of cursing him…
Why did the Empress discriminate so harshly between her two sons?
In truth, considering the circumstances surrounding their births, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
Eighteen years ago, the Empress nearly died giving birth to the First Prince.
But because of his frail condition and an ominous prophecy, the ministers judged him unsuitable to become the next emperor and urged that another heir be produced as soon as possible. The Emperor accepted their advice.
With powerful nobles and the Emperor himself pressuring her, how could the Empress possibly resist?
She endured an unwanted pregnancy in order to produce a healthy successor, suffering multiple miscarriages along the way.
After going through all that—and nearly dying during a brutal labor—it was almost understandable that she couldn’t bear the sight of the child she had barely survived delivering.
But none of that is the Second Prince’s fault…
“If Her Majesty permits it, I would like to visit my brother.”
“And if I do not permit it? Would you live your whole life without seeing him again?”
“No.”
“No indeed!”
No matter what he said, she found fault with it. What more could Lionel possibly add?
In the end, he merely repeated his apologies. Apparently dissatisfied, the Empress rose abruptly from her seat, bringing the dinner to an end.
Or rather—it wasn’t quite over.
Lionel stood and bowed as she left the dining hall. Once she had completely exited, he calmly sat back down and resumed eating.
In the heavy silence, he maintained a straight posture and followed every intricate rule of imperial dining etiquette until he finished his meal.
His Highness is truly… formidable.
Anyone else would have suffered indigestion eating in such an atmosphere, yet he even finished his dessert. He was certainly destined for greatness.
Ignoring the attendants’ silent astonishment, Lionel proceeded to the training grounds and carried out his scheduled practice as usual.
Afterward, he returned to his room, washed up, and sat at his desk to整理 the day’s events. Since he had been informed that tomorrow’s lessons were canceled again, he considered how best to use the time.
That was when it happened.
“Peep!”
The bluebird—taken from his pocket earlier and placed on the desk before he washed—suddenly spread its wings and let out a cute chirp.
Then, as if stretching its stiff body, it stood upright on both feet and extended its wings up and out to the sides.
Unlike yesterday, its movements felt astonishingly natural—like those of a living creature.
Lionel watched in surprise before cautiously speaking.
“Cecil? Is that you?”
The bluebird tilted its head. The lace ribbon tied to its long tail fluttered along with the motion.
A moment later, its eyes sparkled.
At the same time, Lionel felt as though he had locked gazes with the bird.
More precisely—with Cecil’s eyes, watching him through the bluebird.