MYCDM 07

Chapter 07

“I need several sets of clothing suitable for a thin, aristocratic girl around seventeen years old, as well as children’s letter books, storybooks, and writing tools for both Arune and Tashin.”

“Something like that is no problem.”

Elihu would probably plan not to teach Shia to read, even to emphasize the cruelty of the kidnapper, but Michael thought differently.

He was the one who had stayed by the Emperor’s side and watched over her for about fifteen years in Princess Aksa’s absence.

That Emperor, with her extraordinary love for her children, would want to see Shia looking even a little bit put together.

He had no intention of overdoing it. Just….

‘Since His Majesty the Emperor is like a mother to me as well, it would be better to give her some basic education so that her heart is less troubled.’

Thinking that perhaps he was the one who best understood the current Emperor, Esti, Michael rose.

“I also need medicine that will keep that old woman asleep for a long time so she can’t take her own life.”

“Ah….”

Dobern turned his head toward Bvinnna.

“There’s no need to sympathize just because she’s old. She’s one of the group that kidnapped and abused a member of the imperial family.”

At Michael’s words, Elihu’s eyes widened.

“Michael, are you sure?”

“Lord Elihu, didn’t you say you had captured the kidnapper that the Princess believes is her father?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“This is the one who, afterwards, took advantage of Lord Elihu’s absence to brainwash Lord Elihu’s subordinate and attempted to make contact with Princess Shia. An ordinary handmaiden would have no reason to do that.”

“Huh?”

“She’s one of them. Moreover, this old woman quit her handmaiden duties right before Princess Aksa’s disappearance, using her son’s death as an excuse.”

“…How do you know that?”

“It’s about my wife’s disappearance. For fifteen years, I’ve constantly reviewed and investigated the situation at that time. While waiting for the day I might meet her like this.”

Michael approached Bvinnna and bent down.

“Did this handmaiden’s son really die?”

“Well….”

“I saw records that this handmaiden’s son had a disability.”

Michael looked directly at Elihu.

“Don’t you know, Lord Elihu? How powerful the abilities of the imperial family are. Disabilities are nothing in the face of the imperial family.”

“!”

The late Emperor’s only son, Yusuf, had been born with a disability that left half his body unable to function properly.

Nevertheless, the Emperor had used her abilities to make Yusuf move like ordinary children.

However, Yusuf suffered from not only physical but also mental disabilities, and the mental aspect was something even the Emperor’s abilities could not perfectly cure.

Yusuf would attack anyone entering the imperial palace based purely on instinct.

It was usually Michael who restrained him, but unfortunately, during a time when Michael was away from Yusuf’s side due to a summons from the Emperor, Yusuf lunged at a newcomer to the palace.

That newcomer was one of Elihu’s newly hired subordinates, who inadvertently killed Yusuf, not knowing he was the Emperor’s child.

To be precise, he slashed Yusuf when he suddenly lunged.

That was just a month ago.

The Emperor, whose love for her children was second to none, did not forgive Elihu’s subordinate.

That subordinate was slaughtered so horribly that one couldn’t bear to watch.

Nevertheless, worried that the Emperor’s anger might not be appeased, Elihu fled to Arune to escape the Emperor’s wrath.

In any case, few knew that Yusuf had not only mental but also physical disabilities, with half his body unable to function properly.

Michael knew, and had long since hinted to Elihu, who was a candidate for the next Emperor.

So Elihu would also guess what this old handmaiden had been plotting using Princess Aksa.

“…I knew His Majesty the Emperor’s abilities were tremendous. Ha! Right. Princess Aksa, being of the imperial family, must also have similar abilities, so the purpose of the kidnapping could have been to treat her son, is that it?”

Elihu asked Michael in a hollow voice, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Yes. Princess Aksa could easily cure such disabilities.”

Michael looked at Bvinnna with an expressionless face.

Shia was now on a ship bound for Tashin.

How had it come to this?

When she woke up in the morning, Shia first looked for Michael.

Fortunately, Michael was sitting by her bed, reading a book. And he smiled and suggested breakfast.

Shia ate with Michael, and after the meal, she heard from Michael that they were going to Tashin.

*”Word has likely already been sent to His Majesty the Emperor that the Princess has been found. She longs to see you.”*

Michael said that.

Shia completely melted at the words ‘She longs to see you.’

‘Anyway, Father isn’t coming for me. And if I truly am the Princess… I want to see my mother. She says she wants to see me too.’

She also wanted to see the country where her mother ruled as Emperor.

The fact that Oper wasn’t looking for her also made her think that her father had chosen his new wife over her.

*”Yes, let’s go. I want to meet my mother.”*

When those words came out of Shia’s mouth, Michael smiled. Shia smiled back at Michael’s gentle smile.

Was this what it would have felt like to have an older brother?

Michael had black hair and black eyes, and was very handsome. He didn’t resemble Shia in the slightest, but his kindness was just like that of any family member.

Oper also looked young for his age, so people around him often said he seemed more like an older brother than a father.

Once Shia agreed to head to Tashin, as if everything had been prepared, the entire party moved to the pier.

Before boarding the ship, Shia had her arm wound examined again by an Arune doctor, and she wore clothes fit for an Arune noblewoman, unlike anything she had ever worn before.

And Michael tidied her hair.

Shia’s long silver hair had been pulled out while fleeing from the assassins, and torn by branches. It was also dry, perhaps due to her health condition.

Michael neatly cut Shia’s hair. So it wouldn’t touch her shoulders.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Shia felt a little choked up, remembering when Oper used to comb her hair. But she held back her tears.

The girl in the mirror was thin and wearing luxurious clothes that didn’t suit her.

But at the thought that she might get to meet her mother, Shia tried to lift the corners of her mouth.

An awkward smile formed on her lips.

“Princess Shia, if you feel seasick or unwell, you must tell me.”

“Yes.”

Remarkably, throughout the entire ship journey, Shia wasn’t very sick. Even on the swaying ship, she only felt a little nauseous, but there was no splitting headache.

On the ship, with nothing to do, Michael read books to her. They were children’s storybooks, written in Tashin script.

“Um, I’d like to learn Tashin script.”

Shia said cautiously, and Michael smiled as if he had heard wonderful news and replied.

“Yes. Since you may be living in Tashin for a long time, I thought it would be good for you to study the script.”

Michael actively helped Shia with her studies. As if he had prepared in advance, he even placed writing tools in Shia’s cabin.

Shia learned the script mainly by reading Tashin children’s storybooks.

“It’s fortunate that Arune and Tashin languages aren’t that different.”

Since the sounds were similar, it was easy to learn.

“Yes. There are times when a few proverbs or idioms differ, but for the most part, the same language is used.”

Sharing such conversations with Michael, she headed toward Tashin with a mix of excitement and anxiety.

—

The ship arrived at the Tashin coastal city of Fthia in two days.

Before disembarking, Michael informed Shia in advance.

“Princess Shia, there will likely be someone outside the ship who has come to escort you.”

“For me?”

“It is Lord Luke Volonte, the First Imperial Consort and your father.”

“Excuse me?”

Shia was surprised by Michael’s words.

“My father is….”

Even though Oper hadn’t come looking for her, as if he had forgotten her, to Shia alone, Oper was undeniably her father.

“Those who are husbands of His Majesty the Emperor are called Imperial Consorts, and His Majesty currently has seven Imperial Consorts. There were twelve, but excluding those who have passed away, that is the number.”

“Seven?”

“Yes. He is currently legally Princess Aksa’s father. Lord Luke is the First among the Imperial Consorts and effectively His Majesty’s closest husband.”

“Ah.”

There were so many things she couldn’t get used to.

Even in Arune, she had never seen a woman with multiple husbands, so Michael’s words felt very foreign to Shia.

“Also, Lord Luke believes that Shia is his own child, and for fifteen years he has traveled all over Tashin searching for you.”

“Excuse me? I resemble Oper—my father. In silver hair and violet eyes as well.”

“…Lord Luke has violet eyes. And silver hair as well.”

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, confusion washed over her.

She had never once thought that Oper might not be her father.

Not only because Oper had been especially good to Shia, but also because their hair and eye colors were similar, so there was no reason to suspect otherwise.

Oper, who hadn’t come to find her after she was nearly assassinated.

And a person who might be her biological father, who had traveled across the entire country searching for her for fifteen years.

“….”

Shia’s hand trembled slightly.