Volume 5 Chapter 94 (1/2)
Chapter 94 - Lyss' thoughts 3
The victory party, which I left halfway through, ended smoothly.
I returned to my room at once, and with the help of my guard maid s.h.i.+a, I changed my clothes, from the party dress into something that I usually wore every day.
I may be meeting my honored father, but as a lady, I needed to tidy myself up to some degree.
After I finished my preparations, I went to father’s private room with s.h.i.+a.
On entering the private room, I first took a glance at the imperial guards and the maids in charge.
“Announce me to father.”
“Certainly. Please wait a moment.”
One of the maids opened the door and went inside.
After three minutes, she returned.
“Lyss-sama is to come alone.”
“Understood. s.h.i.+a, please wait here.”
“Affirmative.”
Leaving s.h.i.+a in the waiting room, I walked through the door, escorted by the maid.
We continued through the pa.s.sages, ending in front of a great door.
The maid knocked, waiting for permission to enter the room.
“Enter.”
“Excuse us.”
I made the maid open the door and entered the private room of my honored father.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Father.”
“I don’t mind. Rather, I’m the one who should apologize for summoning you immediately after the party has ended. I’m sorry.”
Father sat down on a chair.
I was prompted to have a seat, too.
A maid entered again, and placed cups of scented tea before us.
“Disperse. Also, keep everyone away from the room until I signal.”
“Certainly.”
The maid bowed, then left the room without a sound.
When was the last time father and I had a private talk like this, I wonder?
Silence filled the s.p.a.ce between us.
Didn’t he summon me because there was some talk or business he wanted to mention?
Father grimaced as he looked at me.
I had a strong feeling that this wasn’t the face of a king worrying about his country’s future, but the face of a worried parent.
“Lyss.”
“Yes. What is it, father?”
“Do you……love Lute-dono?”
“Wha――！？”
I stood up as if I had reflexively kicked my seat upon receiving an unexpected question.
However, having come to my senses about my actions unbefitting for a lady, I cleared my throat and sat down once again.
“F-father, please stop saying something like that out of the blue. Not just to me, but aren’t you also being rude to Lute-sama?”
“……Good grief, you are still as bad as ever at lying.”
“Uu.”
The other party was my father.
It was hard to lie to the person who had been serving as my parent for hundreds of years.
Father leaked a deep sigh.
“Do you want to join them?”
“……I don’t. I am the next queen of Enol. I have resolved myself to abandon such desires.”
Since I realized that it was useless to lie any more, I gave my own opinion.
“The next queen, huh. Let’s say that there is a successor other than you, what would you do?”
“Another successor? I don’t want to deprive Luna…… my younger sister’s freedom for my own selfishness.”
My tone became slightly rough, as I felt that my resolution had been belittled.
Even though he was my father, in my heart I repented for acting inappropriately to the king of a country.
Without paying attention to my actions, father left his seat.
He took a letter out of his desk.
He put the letter in front of me, and then returned to his seat again.
“Uhm, this is……?”
“You may read it.”
Upon receiving permission, I reached out for the letter.
The sender was ―― Lala Enol Meméa!
A letter addressed to father, from Onee-sama!?
“That girl disappeared, then you found the record book, right after that I found it in between the pages.”
If it was my sister, the『Prophetic dreamer』, this would not be difficult for her.
I opened the letter with my trembling fingertips.
As for the written contents ――it started from an apology to my father and making her whereabouts unknown. As for why she disappeared, it wasn’t written here.
Maybe, not wanting us to get involved in something, she hid it intentionally. With the possibility that my elder sister was still alive, I wanted to rejoice, honestly.
However, there was more to read.
About my mother’s worsening condition, it was not of sickness, but of pregnancy.
Moreover, it was a boy, something that their hearts had desired.
In the future, he would succeed Enol splendidly. That was why, she wanted father to let me ―― Lyss, do whatever she liked, or so it was written.
There was still more to the letter.
The end of the latter half was addressed to me.
If I were to chase after and get together with Lute-san, we sisters would surely try to kill each other in the future.
If I had the resolution for that, then I should push my way toward the future I wanted.
What was my elder sister talking about? I didn’t understand at all.