Volume 5 Chapter 7 (1/2)

Note: The first part of this chapter is an excerpt from a romance story

“…The ht, she heard the sound of a horse’s hoofs from somewhere

[Julianna!] cried out the man atop horse as he saw Julianna He is so man whom she is secretly attracted to

However, she learned it in the parade soo

The young oes out [He and I are not suited for each other] The parade she was looking forward to turned out like that, she could not look at it any longer and ran away

She wandered aiht then She was found by the Prince she wants to see the least, and Julianna’s cheeks became ith tears

The youngglare and then shouted [Do not touch her!]

He gallantly descended from his horse and pulled out a sword from the scabbard on his waist, the thieves were knocked doith nificent move ure and thought, ‘As expected, he is different from my shabby self’

The prince sheated his sword after rendering all the thieves unconscious, then held out a hand to Julianna who is still sitting on the ground

[I a silent about it My true name is Julius I am a prince of this country I wanted you to see the real me so I never told you Come, let’s return]

[So like that… where in the world e return to? Someone of my status does not suit you!]

[Our social position is irrelevant Julianna, I’ve alanted you to hear this I want you to ive you my word that I will never take any concubine, either You are the only one I love]

[Julius…!] Julianna wiped her tears and took the hand of the prince

Later, Julianna and Julius’ wedding were held The whole nation gave their blessing when they saw that both of the close beside Julius as a kind queen…”

After reading the book in a e, Shenryl pushed the book away

“This is also useless Why are all their contents the same?”

A lot of romance books are lined up in the bookshelves As the country develops, the literacy rate of Aloes up, too A lot of stories that are popular ae quantity of these books about roathered in Shenryl’s room

“The prince is cool, brave and the strongest in the country – they are all lies Aren’t all the things written in the picture books all wrong? Besides, it would not go so easy with that kind of distinction in social status Even if the citizens give their blessing, the aristocrats will invariably oppose it If he does not take a concubine, he cannot produce a child easily The country will surely be in disorder”

Back when she was still a child, she looked at picture books many times over She believed that her Prince in a white horse will come sometime

However, this dream was easily destroyed by adults

It was the first time she was taken to the I for Shenryl The third prince of this country, her younger fiance She does not have any particular objections to her e partner That is the duty of a fe that they accept as inevitability

“But he’s not like the prince I expected!”

In the room without maids, she raised her voice

The King did not expect Third Prince Tim to succeed the throne as there is still the Second Prince That is why they decided his fiancee early… or so it seems A female with a social position that is suitable for soht to the throne – the West Vern House’s eldest daughter was chosen as she is the closest in age

At present, Shenryl and Tim’s relationshi+p is that of close childhood friends They had no opportunities to play with friends of the saether (playing) Shenryl is ignorant about the intentions of the adults’ who live in the royal palace, since she spends ti with Tim in a different location inside the palace He played in the sand and becaht — Shenryl’s prince on a white horse rapidly disappeared

“Nevertheless, Onii-sama, Matthias-oniisama is the only different…!”

Just like that, Shenryl admired her second older brother, Matthias She spent her time in the main residence until she entered the academy, so she never saw him However, she heard the stories from maids and butlers

Matthias-saer than the royal family

The story about hiend

When Matthias caet the first ti happy even if he rarely showed himself

Are you busy? You hardly come back home and only drop by unexpectedly when I am busy

It was clear that Matthias stays somewhere away from the mansion, but Shenryl never heard about his job froht her Onii-saood prospects for the future, will surely be involved in sorand

And yet…

Shenryl looked outside theNoon passed, and the warmest time in the cold season is about to end She handed over an order to the ht be a new servant If would be easier if it’s a s in the house, but a newwill be convenient for today’s circumstances

The maid went out of the room Shenryl stood up and let the laces and cloths on her lap fall down to the place she was sitting before She went towards the roo winter clothes were lined up Shenryl looked a today

Hersection of this country She entered the acadean to lay e

Nevertheless, her mother was not satisfied in the dainty embroidery alone that is aristocrats’ taste She decided to ns were rejected no matter whom she showed it to But her mother liked it Therefore, she decided to wear the dress she made on tea parties

Fe in their spare tie, Shenryl often went in and out of places where there are a lot of adults She never did it, but there are wo but a the greater part of the time on unfounded rumors and slander I am sure that mother was also criticized behind her back at that time, too

Her mother showed Shenryl the first dress she wore outside in old times She was so attached that she never parted with it Is it because it’s a weapon?

Yet, a wo the dress with overwhelan to attract aristocrats’ attention, and then gradually left others far behind the forefront of fashi+on

Furtherave birth to her Cashbar-niisanized small clothes of adults so far She received the words of His Majesty, expressing his good luck in starting a new industry in the country Nowadays, the business had expanded and opened stores across the continent

“Rather than working hard because the King gave his co it so it’s only natural”

Shenryl muttered alone in the roo her ribbons in knots The heat from the fireplace that warmed the room disappeared slowly the moment the door was closed She walked down the hallway in small steps with a click It arm in her room but the cold drifted a little here Shenryl reached the roo anyone

She placed her hand on her chest in front of the door to quiet down her heart that started to race Bathump, bathump, her heart sent out blood She closed her eyes and calmed herself down She placed her hand on the doorknob

“Excuse ood time…?”

“Come in”

While saying the words that she prepared beforehand, she laid her eyes to the El, looking at hi out, held a coat in hand, and is sitting on the chair No matter how she looked at hio out any moment soon

Shenryl was instinctively wide-eyed because of the unforeseen situation, she cannot say anything But she continued talking to conceal it

“I’ to ask of El-sama”

“Yes, I do not mind What is it you request?”

She cannot read theof El’s actions froed herself not to be overwhelmed by El who listlessly fiddled with his coat

“This”

She held out a basket ht from her room

“I would like to pick some flowers for Onii-sama in the forest Would you lend me your assistance?”

“For Matthias?”

He asked again with a mystified tone “How barefaced,” she almost put that into words He reacted as if he did not expected that, but he waited with going-out clothes as if he knew her business

“It is freezing outside today Still, I believe that coat arh Well then, I ait for you at the entrance”

It seems like he will really read her intentions if they are in the same room She quickly told him what she wanted to say and left the room

“It’s alright He doesn’t know my plan I told no one about it”

Onii-sa Shenryl walked quickly as she pondered

nobody was in the hallway

“I am older than you but you really converse well”

“This much is natural”

Did he like speaking contrary to his appearance? El continued talking while walking into the forest She invited him and he followed nonchalantly, he

Though she doesn’t knohat his origins are, hethat he is really under the custody of West Vern House He hts as he lives So underneath hi manner

Shenryl caht

There is no need to reflect about it fro about it… because I already decided to drive him out

The flower she always saw caht

“The one I want is that flower”

“This red flower?”

“Yes A basket full of these”

He raised the basket in his hand a little and looked at it

They were absorbed in gathering the flowers so there was little conversation Let’s take a break for a ed a feords

However, the ti every moment then

When the day started being cast by shadows, Shenryl stopped her hands’ lanced at El beside her

El diligently gathered floithout noticing Shenryl’s gaze Though the act did not ant appearance, that iood for some reason

So as not to let her footsteps sound, Shenryl quietly left El’s side Slowly at first, then, as soon as she caan to run

“I did it! He will never notice”

In a sufficiently remote place, she finally stopped The sound of her heart beating inside her body echoed loudly Then the strain in her body disappeared and started running immediately Suddenly, the thicket near her feet rustled Tension ran in Shenryl’s body She ju away to a different direction right at that moment

She thought it was a beast, or soan to notice that her feet beca, so she stopped

“There are no marks…!”

Shenryl, who considered the forest as a playground, walked while ed tool and they can be considered old according to one’s viewpoint Yet, she cannot find the signs on any tree around her

She usually doesn’t get lost Now that it happened to her… it abruptly ca of her walk, Shenryl still have physical strength to spare and thought about such things She began to walk aimlessly in the forest

A soon as it became dark, the forest became colder and Shenryl stopped at last She sat as she lost all her strength, leaned her body on the tree trunk and es Even if that position is warot cold

“I want to go home… Mother, Onii-sama… it’s cold…”

Shenryl let out those words in a weak voice that isto El

The beloved forest where she can play alone to her heart’s content is now very frightening

They may noticed I am not in the mansion But will they come here? Shenryl’s mind suddenly became full of anxiety

“…Maybe, nobody will come look for me”

She pushed her face against her knees, closed her eyes and remembered what her father told her when she was still a child

—- Shenryl, God knows everything we do, even the bad things we hide Your bad deed will someday come back to you

Even so, there was no other way

She was really glad when she was informed that her Onii-sama will come live in the mansion

She wants him to praise her so she studied a lot She worked hard even though taking lessons was hard

However, beside her Onii-sahtly bigger than her She understood at first glance that her Onii-sama especially minded the child

She hardly believed her eyes She intended to jump out and meet him, but she was undecided to leave her place as her heart became restless

That day, she returned to her roo

After that, she she requested a maid by implication to observe the relationshi+p of those two However, the report is enough to crush her heart

His name is El Matthias-sama calls him El-sama, and it appears that he looks after hiins are obscure, but he is believed to be a high noble of a foreign country and now under the custody of West Vern House, as explained by a butler’s report

He shows little e outside without doing anything When I considered his expressionless appearance to be scary, Matthias-sary

From what I observed, his manners towards the maids are also polite and obedient He appears to be a kind child

Shenryl was frustrated She realized that reflected in Matthias eyes is not her, but El The little sister cannot per brother to care for a child who came from nowhere

Despite this, the child talked to her without being daunted

Her Onii-saer towards El increase even arded him, he still calls out to her expressionlessly

What in the world could he be thinking? She doesn’t know, but behind that aly well-featured face, Shenryl is certain that he invaded her world Matthias-oniisa deceived

The moment her mother also became pleased with El, Shenryl decided in her heart She will treat him cruelly and drive him out of the family

Thus, the strategy ell

There was a bird’s voice from somewhere, and she stiffened in nervousness If the forest does not accept sootten rid of About this ti to the sound of popping charcoal fire

Then, Shenryl noticed so terrible

“Huh? …It’s not just…me?”

El whom she left behind is probably still in the forest, too Pale skin as though he has never played under the sun ever If he is of noble birth, he should have no tilance that El cannot return to the mansion from an unfamiliar forest She wondered if he also felt cold like her When she’s left alone, she’ll surely stop somewhere and cry

She drove El into a situation like that

Shenryl cannot shake off the worst possibilities that can happen once she ian to feel the importance of what she had done Perhaps, her punish is that no one will be able to find her now

Will I never be able to return home? Tears streamed down Shenryl’s cheeks as she considered that

“I’ain”

She heave with sobs and apologized to whoever there is