Chapter 60 (1/2)

After getting out of the 1st Knights building, I walked here and there. I thought my father might not like the idea of me becoming a knight because of its weight and price I would have to pay, but never did I expect he, who supported my decision silently, was actually opposed to it.

It often broke my heart when I recalled that he wanted me to live freely.

Was that the reason why my father sent the old me, his only daughter, to the Imperial Palace?

“Whew!” I let out a deep sigh.

I came out to shake off my idle thoughts, but it looked like I was more distracted.

I took a deep breath and turned around because I felt I couldn’t think straight no matter how much I tried.

At that moment, I saw someone walking toward me across the street. He had blue hair fluttering in the breeze and put on a ceremonial uniform as white as snow.

He was the crown prince.

“I, Aristia La Monique, am honored to greet Your Majesty, the little sun of the empire.”

“What’s going on here?”

“I was getting some fresh air.”

“I see.” He nodded silently and told me, “Can you walk with me for a minute?”

“Sure, Your Majesty.”

I was walking a few steps behind him carefully, but he opened his mouth, breaking the silence, “Looking at your uniform, it seems that you joined the knights.”

“Ah… ”

I looked at my uniform again. My uniform had the silver badge of the 2nd Knights, my original unit, on the black background of the 1st Knights where I’m currently assigned. This was the uniform that the only one who could succeed the Monique family, namely the Captain of the 2nd Knights, could wear in the empire. Although I was not yet fully qualified, I could wear it because I was the legitimate successor of our family.

He continued to walk as if he didn’t want to hear my answer. When I walked silently behind him, I saw a maid walking from the opposite side, holding a handful of beautiful white flowers.

She was holding pure white camellia flowers.

‘It’s the same flower I saw yesterday! The flower that my mother liked most. ‘

When I was surprised by the surprise coincidence, the maid approached us and bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty, I brought you the flowers you have ordered. Shall I place them in your room like every year? ”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Bowing out deeply, the maid disappeared with the flowers. Because of the afterimage of a bouquet of white camellia in my mind that I saw last night, I opened my mouth unconsciously, “Do you like that flower, too?” I asked.

“Well…”

“What a coincidence! My mother also liked that flower. ”

“Yes, she did.”

Surprised by his unexpected reply, I looked up at him. How did he know that?

I never expected to see this flower in an unexpected place today. Is there any relationship among my father, mother and the crown prince?

“Did you know your mother well? How did you know about it?”

“Well, I heard it accidentally some time ago.”

“Then, how do you know? I understand you didn’t know when your mother passed away.”

“Well, I heard it accidentally the other day.”

“I see,” he said with a deep sigh.

He turned his eyes from me and stared into the sky. It was the first time I saw a compassionate expression on his face. He always looked expressionless or cold, but this time he made a compassionate expression as if he were longing for someone.

“Come to think of it…” He was whispering something to himself.

Strangely enough, I couldn’t feel any coldness in his voice now.

“Pardon, Your Majesty?”

“Well, you look a lot like your mother.”

Suddenly, I was speechless. I didn’t know how to answer because I had no memory of my mother. And there were only a few who told me about my mother.

A weak wind blew over us. Somehow, I smelled a camellia flower blown by the wind.

It wasn’t until dark when I got back home. My father was not there. It seemed that he went to the room where my mother’s portrait was hung.

I went up to the second floor and paced up and down the corridors. I found the room by tracing my memory, but I couldn’t enter because it was locked. I sighed somehow.

‘I wanted to see my mother’s portrait once.’

My mother who doesn’t exist at all in memory. What kind of woman was she? Do I really look like her? If I do, which part of me takes after her? My face or character?