The child could not understand the scene that suddenly unfolded before her eyes, having just returned from a visit to the concubine quarters.

Fortunately, the child had entered quietly and no other servants had witnessed this scene.

However, the child’s eyes trembled slightly at the sight of the girl clinging to Aeli, which anyone could see.

“What… what is this?”

−……

As Aeli blinked, unable to find a suitable answer.

The girl awkwardly got up from her seat and cleared her throat. After briefly checking again to see if there were any servants around, the girl spoke to the child.

“Actually… I can see Your Highness’s mother.”

−……

“Ah, no… I see.”

“…… Eh?”

The child blinked rapidly at the girl’s words and looked up at Aeli.

It was a different reaction from when Lutis was able to see Aeli before.

The child asked.

“Then what do you have that allows you to see her, lady?”

“…… Huh?”

“Ah, elder brother said woo woo! Woo woo?”

Aeli quickly reached out to stop the child from saying what Lutis had told her, that she could see Aeli through an object that Aeli had cherished during her lifetime.

As Aeli suddenly covered the child’s mouth, the child tapped the back of Aeli’s hand that was covering her mouth.

Seeing this, the girl asked with wide eyes in surprise.

“…… Can you two touch each other?”

−…… Princess.

“Ah, oops. …… Touch?”

At the girl’s words, the child once again looked up at Aeli with round eyes.

Aeli was also confused, but she stopped the child, thinking it would be better if the story Lutis had told them didn’t leak out to outsiders as much as possible.

Aeli calmly organized the information she had grasped so far in her head.

The child, who could see Aeli from the beginning and later became able to touch her, although it is unknown if Rocket is the ‘medium’.

Lutis, who became able to see Aeli through the ‘medium’ of flower petals and broken vase pieces.

The girl who can see Aeli even without either of those.

There is no commonality between the three, but for now, it seemed true that the child fit both cases.

If there is a commonality between the girl and the child, it would be the divine power, as expected yesterday.

After sighing for a while, Aeli asked the girl.

−Princess, have you been intentionally hiding your divine power until now?

“…… Yes.”

−Why did you do that? If it had been known that you could use divine power, you wouldn’t have had to grow up with such difficulty.

“…….”

−The level you just showed me, Princess, seems to be at least that of a high-ranking priest, so I think it would have been possible to rely on the temple.

“But…….”

−……

“But they know that person.”

She didn’t specify who ‘that person’ was, but both Aeli and the girl knew who it was.

The girl continued.

“Even if I stood out and went to the temple, it didn’t seem like the situation would be much different from here.”

−……

“Moreover, they already see me as a thorn in their side, so if it becomes known that I have divine power, I might be tied to the temple for life.”

There was nothing wrong with what the girl said.

Judging from the situation, it seemed that the Empress wanted the girl to slowly wither away on her own without directly laying a hand on her.

Perhaps she didn’t know that the girl had the ability to heal herself with divine power, so it ended with neglect.

If she had known that the girl could use divine power, there was a high probability that she would have taken direct action. So this was probably the safest choice the girl, who had no one to rely on, could make.

The girl spoke with a straightforward gaze.

“I… if I can’t resolve my own safety, I at least want to rely on someone I can trust by my own choice.”

Realizing that they had become that choice, Aeli bent her knees slightly to meet the princess’s eye level.

−Princess. As I said before, this is not something I can promise alone.

“…….”

−…… So, the next time we meet, let’s have my husband and child come together.

It won’t take long. Aeli said.

Knock knock.

“Princess, I’ve been told that Duke Ratcliffe has finished his audience with His Majesty.”

With the timely knock on the door, the girl moved her lips regretfully and then smiled faintly.

That expression didn’t look at all like that of a child who had just entered her mid-teens, making Aeli solemn. Just from that, one could predict to some extent what kind of life she had lived.

The girl put on her mask again and opened her mouth.

“Is that so, Your Highness. Have you had enough dessert? I think it’s time for us to return now.”

“Uh…… y-yes…….”

The child was awkward about that gap.

Aeli said to the child, as if asking what he was looking at now.

−Adi, shall we go to Daddy now?

The child nodded with a reluctant face.

Eventually, when the child and Aeli were about to leave the Princess Palace and return under the guidance of a court lady.

“Ah.”

The girl opened her mouth slightly as if she had just remembered, and ordered the court lady.

It was a face with a unique dignity that was felt when first seen.

“I heard earlier that the young master seemed to like the flowers that he had newly succeeded in improving the variety, so give him a few as a gift when he returns.”

“…… Yes, Your Highness.”

With that, the girl seemed to have said everything she had to say and smiled.

Aeli followed the court lady back, but occasionally kept looking back.

Needless to say, the girl was still standing there, watching them until the last time Aeli looked back.

In the carriage on the way back to the mansion, the child asked.

“M-mother.”

−Yes, Adi, what is it?

“By, by any chance, is there a baby in the p-palace?”

−…… Baby?

“Yes. I saw it earlier, next to…….”

Aeli furrowed her brow and shook her head, thinking deeply.

If it was a child around Adi’s age, she knew one, but she didn’t know of any babies.

At Aeli’s answer, the child tilted his head and then affirmed that he understood.

In his arms, the red bouquet gifted by the girl was glowing softly.

[This is the timeline separator]

“…… I see. She gave away the roses I raised as she pleased.”

“Yes.”

The woman, who had been sitting at an outdoor terrace, sipping tea and gazing at the sunset garden, put her teacup down on the tea table and spoke elegantly.

“Lock her up.”

“…….”

“His Majesty only called the child out briefly this time because of this incident, so he won’t say anything even if we send her back.”

I guess they never learned that a mother and child as a pair shouldn’t touch other people’s things.

Step step.

As the woman gestured quietly at the sound of footsteps, the court lady attending her prepared another teacup on the opposite side of the woman. She also took out a few sugar cubes.

“Mother, have you had a good afternoon?”

“Yes. How did the princess spend her day today?”

When the woman spoke with a faint smile, the owner of the small footsteps, a little child, naturally sat across from her and opened her mouth.

“I had a pleasant day. Today, the history teacher suggested having a simple test on what we’ve learned so far, and I got everything right.”

“You’ve been diligent in your studies. It makes your mother very happy that the princess is working so hard. If you continue like this, you will surely become a good monarch.”

“…… It wasn’t a very difficult subject, you’re giving me too much praise.”

Even as she said that, the child’s cheeks flushed red at the compliment.

Her long silver hair that reached down to her waist and her golden eyes, as if molten gold, further highlighted the child’s lovely appearance.

Glancing at the sunset garden, the child opened her mouth gently.

“Actually, I came to ask if you would be willing to join me for dinner tonight, if it’s alright with you. I apologize for the sudden visit.”

“Not at all. The princess is still young, so that much is fine.”

At the woman’s answer, the child’s face brightened and she smiled.

The child continued.

“Also, to be honest, on my way back from horseback riding lessons today, I saw my elder sister with the young master from afar.”

“…….”

“My elder sister really resembles Father, His Majesty. Not only in appearance but also in her blue eyes, just like His Majesty. Although she is older than me, she is still young but dignified…….”

“…….”

“She was incredibly beautiful.”

I wonder if I can become someone like my elder sister when I grow up more? The child prattled on, fixing her gaze on the teacup as if embarrassed.

Because of that, she failed to notice the startled court lady and the gradually stiffening face of the woman.

“…… I had no idea I had an elder sister. The other young ladies I play with all said they have elder sisters, elder brothers, or younger siblings, but I’m alone…….”

“…….”

“If I have a chance next time, I would really like to have tea time with my elder sister.”

“…….”

“W-well, of course, she must be very busy, so it would be difficult for her to take time to play with me.”

But later, much later, if she has even a little time…… As the child was about to continue, the woman quietly put down the teacup she was holding and said to the child.

“Princess, I’m sorry, but would it be alright to cancel the dinner plans we had for tonight?”

“Oh, what? Could it be…… that I put you in a difficult position, Mother?”

“Not at all. I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”

Actually, perhaps because the weather has turned chilly, a horsefly flew into the palace during the day and I had a really hard time. The woman said.

At that, the child was startled, eyes wide open, and stood up from her seat.

“That must have been very tiring for you. You’re afraid of flying insects, Mother.”

“…….”

“Then I’ll take my leave for now. I hope you get plenty of rest.”

“…… Yes, have a delicious dinner.”

“You too, Mother.”

With those words, the child turned her back.

She had no idea that there was a tiny crack at the bottom of the teacup the woman was holding.

[This is the timeline separator]

It was a pitch-black night with not a single ray of moonlight.

The girl stared blankly at the adult dress neatly placed on the old bed, clearly not fitting her body.

It was an old garment with obvious signs of having been mended several times.

“…….”

The girl gently placed her hand on the dress. Perhaps because it was now an ownerless garment, she couldn’t feel any warmth at all.

It would be nice if there was even a faint warmth left, as her mother had said in her last breath. Now, there was only one voice of her mother clearly left in the girl’s mind.

[It’s okay to be thin and weak. But don’t go out. Live tenaciously, like a candle that comes back to life even in a strong wind, my child.]

The girl slowly opened her mouth.

“…… Mother, then I will knock over the candle and leave this cold palace.”

In this huge imperial palace, with a presence so faint, she will swallow up the desolate forest in a remote castle.

The palace grounds in front where nothing but weeds thrive.

The palace where a concubine lives, who became infertile after giving birth to a child and went mad out of fear of dying, deliberately choosing miscarriage.

Their pain, agony, envy, resentment, and jealousy.

She will embrace all those memories, swallow them up, and burn them.

And eventually, with that inflated body……

“…… I will put the imperial family under my feet.”

I will definitely do that, Mom.

She said she would no longer bow her head. There was someone who told her she didn’t have to.

The girl murmured like that and knelt in front of the bed, burying her face in the garment.

But she did not shed tears.

…… Because that was an emotion to be saved for the future.

[This is the timeline separator]

And the next morning.

Aeli woke up in the coffin in the basement.

“…… Huh?”

She was no longer translucent.