As I read the crude lettering on the cheap paper, my mind went blank. Who could have done this?
‘Truth and lies were cleverly intertwined.’
Dad was in an illegal auction house in Tarov, but it was because of Asta.
He brought a slave, but to save him.
He tried to hide this fact, but didn’t bribe the guard.
The captain of the guard was promoted, but not because of this. He’d been in line for promotion all along.
‘It was obvious that the person who wrote this nonsense was also at Tarov’s illegal auction house, otherwise they couldn’t have mixed the facts so cleverly to frame him.
One person comes to my mind.
‘Asta. She’s at it again.’
Was it to avenge what had happened earlier? No. She must have been preparing for this for a long time. It was a plan B to overthrow the Imperial family.
When my intervention foiled the first, she used the second as a trump card to turn the tables.
The Emperor gnashed his teeth in anger.
“Someone scattered these pamphlets all over the streets and plaza. This person has an uncanny knack for spoiling my plans.”
His bloodshot eyes glared at my father, “I warned you. Then what’s this?”
Dad stared at the paper, his expression sombre, “This isn’t true.”
“You didn’t go to Tarov. Are they spreading lies?”
“No, I… did go.”
Anger flashed across the Emperor’s face.
He gritted his teeth and, barely able to contain himself, asked again, “How could you do that, clearly knowing I was trying to uproot illegal auctions? Never mind. After all, this isn’t the first time you disobeyed my words.”
His voice was devoid of any hope. Dad lowered his head without saying a word.
Fixing a broken relationship is tough, but going back to the messed-up past is a breeze.
“…….”
“At least you didn’t buy a slave. A child at that! You should know that it’s a crime punishable by immediate execution. I believe you wouldn’t do such a foolish thing.”
“I did, but…”
“What!”
The Emperor shouted, springing to his feet. His anger-distorted face was terrifying, as if he could tear the other person apart at any moment. His red eyes, dilated with rage, were like the flames of hell.
My whole body trembled with fear.
But dad stared at the Emperor with an accustomed, yet painful, grimace.
“Did the captain of the guard conceal the incident?”
“He did not reveal that I was there, but no bribes were exchanged. I suggest you call the captain of the guard and interrogate him.”
“Call the guard? If he has been bribed by you, will he testify against you?”
“Would you for once listen to me…”
“Why on Earth would you do such a thing! Why would you commit a felony punishable by execution!”, the Emperor shouted. His patience was already broken.
His reddened face flared with uncontainable anger. And yet, he shuddered because of helplessness.
“…….”
Dad pursed his lips, then let out a sigh. A flicker of crushed expectations flashed across his face, and a familiar resignation soon took its place.
Dad said with a tired tone, “It seems you don’t trust me again. I feel pathetic for briefly hoping.”
“I trust you every time only to get betrayed. You could have informed me beforehand. At least make up a believable excuse!”
“If I told His Majesty, were you going to believe my words?”
“If you don’t want to talk, go home and wait on probation! I’ll call you back after I investigate!”
“You don’t have to. AS ALWAYS.”
Putting broken pieces back together is difficult, but breaking them again was all too easy. It felt like a plate you’re trying to mend with care, getting shattered mercilessly.
The sound of the shards kept ringing in my ears.
‘How easy it must have been for Asta,’ I thought, ‘because all it took was a little nudge and they fell apart.’
It was disheartening. I sat there, feeling miserable, and watched my dad and grandfather fight.
‘Is there anything I can do for them?’
I was in an endless downward spiral. Everything I’ve done so far has been wasted before my eyes. I felt everything I would do in future might become useless.
“I hate you!”
I bit down hard on my bottom lip.
Then I jumped to my feet.
Dad and the Emperor looked at me at the same time.
“Grandfather, why won’t you listen to Dad? I hate when you make him sad. My dad is not a bad person!”
The Emperor’s eyes widened at the sound of my voice.
“Hanelope.”
Dad grabbed my hand. His face, which had tried to remain composed even when facing the Emperor, couldn’t hide the shock.
I let go of his hand dejectedly.
“I was happy that Dad and Grandfather were getting along… It’s so disappointing. I hate you all!”
With the words spilling out in sobs, I ran outside.
“Hanelope!”
I heard Dad and the Emperor call out, but I didn’t look back.
I ran out of the room and ducked under a decorative shelf at the end of the corridor.
Then I called out in a low voice, “Maxim!”
Maxim, who had been guarding dad, came out of his hiding. He must have seen me run out and kept an eye on me.
“Why did you call for me, Princess?”
I pressed my index finger to my lips and whispered, “I need your help.”
“Yes? Why did the Princess run away suddenly and ask for help?”
I could hear my dad’s and the Emperor’s footsteps getting closer and closer.
I quickly tugged at the hem of Maxim’s robe. Maxim leaned down. I whispered in his ear.
“This is the only way.”
***
“Where could that tiny being have gone?”
“I couldn’t find her this side either!”
The Emperor, who had been frantically searching his surroundings, despaired at Hart’s panting words.
“We came right after Hanelope. Why isn’t she here?”
“Perhaps the High Priest’s minions took her away.”
The two men’s faces darkened at Hart’s speculation.
Professor Munich approached them with a confused expression.
“What is the matter? Why is His Majesty outside?”
“Hanelope has disappeared”, the Emperor said grimly.
“What? The Princess?”
“There was some friction between me and His Majesty, and when she saw it, she ran away scared.”
“Did you fight in front of the Princess?”, Professor Munich asked incredulously.
The Emperor and Hart looked up in shame.
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have fought in front of her. She must have been so shocked that she ran out crying.”
Hart shook his head at the Emperor’s self-reproach.
“It’s all my fault. I acted imprudently and…”
“No. It’s because of me.”
Professor Munich looked at the two remorseful men with a puzzled look.
‘Just a moment ago, they were fighting, and now they’re blaming themselves and reflecting on their mistakes.’
It was something unimaginable before.
Arguments between the two had always led to greater resentment.
‘Moreover, they seem to be sticking together even after the fight. They probably have to join forces for the same reason.’
In any case, we have to find Hanelope now.
Professor Munich said, “We shouldn’t waste time. We should send the knights to find the Princess.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty. I’ll send the guards of the order… What’s this?”
Hart picked something up off the floor in surprise.
The Emperor frowned, “An old pendant.”
He muttered as if questioning why he was looking at trash in such an urgent situation.
But Hart couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
‘This is the pendant Asta tried to buy at an illegal auction. The one she showed the picture of and told the importance.’
But it was an item she couldn’t eventually acquire. Why is it here on the ground?
I had an ominous premonition.
“This is not just any pendant. It’s….”
“This belongs to the Princess.”
The three men turned at the sound of the husky voice.
Maxim, Hart’s seldom-seen escort, strode stiffly toward them.
“This is Hanelope’s?”, Hart asked in disbelief.
Maxim nodded vigorously in affirmation.
“Yes. She was flaunting the pendant after receiving it a few days ago…”
Maxim hadn’t even finished speaking. The pendant suddenly slipped out of Hart’s hand and began to float through the air.
Maxim shouted urgently, “That pendant has a tracking spell on it!”
“A tracking spell?”
“Yes. It’s to make sure it comes back to the owner even if it’s lost!”
That means if we follow that pendant, we’ll find Hanelope.
The four of them ran after the pendant without a care.
***
“Huff! It’s too far.”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
‘Or does it feel far because my legs are short?’
Suddenly, I felt downcast.
‘Well.. I’m finally at the small square!’
This was the resting place for guard knights. Under a tent on the side there were sofas, tables, and snacks and drinks.
The guards were either resting or checking out the drill in the town square.
“Where is he?”
My eyes lit up as I trudged into the centre of the square.
There was a child I came to meet here. Of course, I didn’t run away just for that.
I had deliberately caused an accident to keep my father and the Emperor together.
As I read the crude lettering on the cheap paper, my mind went blank. Who could have done this?
‘Truth and lies were cleverly intertwined.’
Dad was in an illegal auction house in Tarov, but it was because of Asta.
He brought a slave, but to save him.
He tried to hide this fact, but didn’t bribe the guard.
The captain of the guard was promoted, but not because of this. He’d been in line for promotion all along.
‘It was obvious that the person who wrote this nonsense was also at Tarov’s illegal auction house, otherwise they couldn’t have mixed the facts so cleverly to frame him.
One person comes to my mind.
‘Asta. She’s at it again.’
Was it to avenge what had happened earlier? No. She must have been preparing for this for a long time. It was a plan B to overthrow the Imperial family.
When my intervention foiled the first, she used the second as a trump card to turn the tables.
The Emperor gnashed his teeth in anger.
“Someone scattered these pamphlets all over the streets and plaza. This person has an uncanny knack for spoiling my plans.”
His bloodshot eyes glared at my father, “I warned you. Then what’s this?”
Dad stared at the paper, his expression sombre, “This isn’t true.”
“You didn’t go to Tarov. Are they spreading lies?”
“No, I… did go.”
Anger flashed across the Emperor’s face.
He gritted his teeth and, barely able to contain himself, asked again, “How could you do that, clearly knowing I was trying to uproot illegal auctions? Never mind. After all, this isn’t the first time you disobeyed my words.”
His voice was devoid of any hope. Dad lowered his head without saying a word.
Fixing a broken relationship is tough, but going back to the messed-up past is a breeze.
“…….”
“At least you didn’t buy a slave. A child at that! You should know that it’s a crime punishable by immediate execution. I believe you wouldn’t do such a foolish thing.”
“I did, but…”
“What!”
The Emperor shouted, springing to his feet. His anger-distorted face was terrifying, as if he could tear the other person apart at any moment. His red eyes, dilated with rage, were like the flames of hell.
My whole body trembled with fear.
But dad stared at the Emperor with an accustomed, yet painful, grimace.
“Did the captain of the guard conceal the incident?”
“He did not reveal that I was there, but no bribes were exchanged. I suggest you call the captain of the guard and interrogate him.”
“Call the guard? If he has been bribed by you, will he testify against you?”
“Would you for once listen to me…”
“Why on Earth would you do such a thing! Why would you commit a felony punishable by execution!”, the Emperor shouted. His patience was already broken.
His reddened face flared with uncontainable anger. And yet, he shuddered because of helplessness.
“…….”
Dad pursed his lips, then let out a sigh. A flicker of crushed expectations flashed across his face, and a familiar resignation soon took its place.
Dad said with a tired tone, “It seems you don’t trust me again. I feel pathetic for briefly hoping.”
“I trust you every time only to get betrayed. You could have informed me beforehand. At least make up a believable excuse!”
“If I told His Majesty, were you going to believe my words?”
“If you don’t want to talk, go home and wait on probation! I’ll call you back after I investigate!”
“You don’t have to. AS ALWAYS.”
Putting broken pieces back together is difficult, but breaking them again was all too easy. It felt like a plate you’re trying to mend with care, getting shattered mercilessly.
The sound of the shards kept ringing in my ears.
‘How easy it must have been for Asta,’ I thought, ‘because all it took was a little nudge and they fell apart.’
It was disheartening. I sat there, feeling miserable, and watched my dad and grandfather fight.
‘Is there anything I can do for them?’
I was in an endless downward spiral. Everything I’ve done so far has been wasted before my eyes. I felt everything I would do in future might become useless.
“I hate you!”
I bit down hard on my bottom lip.
Then I jumped to my feet.
Dad and the Emperor looked at me at the same time.
“Grandfather, why won’t you listen to Dad? I hate when you make him sad. My dad is not a bad person!”
The Emperor’s eyes widened at the sound of my voice.
“Hanelope.”
Dad grabbed my hand. His face, which had tried to remain composed even when facing the Emperor, couldn’t hide the shock.
I let go of his hand dejectedly.
“I was happy that Dad and Grandfather were getting along… It’s so disappointing. I hate you all!”
With the words spilling out in sobs, I ran outside.
“Hanelope!”
I heard Dad and the Emperor call out, but I didn’t look back.
I ran out of the room and ducked under a decorative shelf at the end of the corridor.
Then I called out in a low voice, “Maxim!”
Maxim, who had been guarding dad, came out of his hiding. He must have seen me run out and kept an eye on me.
“Why did you call for me, Princess?”
I pressed my index finger to my lips and whispered, “I need your help.”
“Yes? Why did the Princess run away suddenly and ask for help?”
I could hear my dad’s and the Emperor’s footsteps getting closer and closer.
I quickly tugged at the hem of Maxim’s robe. Maxim leaned down. I whispered in his ear.
“This is the only way.”
***
“Where could that tiny being have gone?”
“I couldn’t find her this side either!”
The Emperor, who had been frantically searching his surroundings, despaired at Hart’s panting words.
“We came right after Hanelope. Why isn’t she here?”
“Perhaps the High Priest’s minions took her away.”
The two men’s faces darkened at Hart’s speculation.
Professor Munich approached them with a confused expression.
“What is the matter? Why is His Majesty outside?”
“Hanelope has disappeared”, the Emperor said grimly.
“What? The Princess?”
“There was some friction between me and His Majesty, and when she saw it, she ran away scared.”
“Did you fight in front of the Princess?”, Professor Munich asked incredulously.
The Emperor and Hart looked up in shame.
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have fought in front of her. She must have been so shocked that she ran out crying.”
Hart shook his head at the Emperor’s self-reproach.
“It’s all my fault. I acted imprudently and…”
“No. It’s because of me.”
Professor Munich looked at the two remorseful men with a puzzled look.
‘Just a moment ago, they were fighting, and now they’re blaming themselves and reflecting on their mistakes.’
It was something unimaginable before.
Arguments between the two had always led to greater resentment.
‘Moreover, they seem to be sticking together even after the fight. They probably have to join forces for the same reason.’
In any case, we have to find Hanelope now.
Professor Munich said, “We shouldn’t waste time. We should send the knights to find the Princess.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty. I’ll send the guards of the order… What’s this?”
Hart picked something up off the floor in surprise.
The Emperor frowned, “An old pendant.”
He muttered as if questioning why he was looking at trash in such an urgent situation.
But Hart couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
‘This is the pendant Asta tried to buy at an illegal auction. The one she showed the picture of and told the importance.’
But it was an item she couldn’t eventually acquire. Why is it here on the ground?
I had an ominous premonition.
“This is not just any pendant. It’s….”
“This belongs to the Princess.”
The three men turned at the sound of the husky voice.
Maxim, Hart’s seldom-seen escort, strode stiffly toward them.
“This is Hanelope’s?”, Hart asked in disbelief.
Maxim nodded vigorously in affirmation.
“Yes. She was flaunting the pendant after receiving it a few days ago…”
Maxim hadn’t even finished speaking. The pendant suddenly slipped out of Hart’s hand and began to float through the air.
Maxim shouted urgently, “That pendant has a tracking spell on it!”
“A tracking spell?”
“Yes. It’s to make sure it comes back to the owner even if it’s lost!”
That means if we follow that pendant, we’ll find Hanelope.
The four of them ran after the pendant without a care.
***
“Huff! It’s too far.”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
‘Or does it feel far because my legs are short?’
Suddenly, I felt downcast.
‘Well.. I’m finally at the small square!’
This was the resting place for guard knights. Under a tent on the side there were sofas, tables, and snacks and drinks.
The guards were either resting or checking out the drill in the town square.
“Where is he?”
My eyes lit up as I trudged into the centre of the square.
There was a child I came to meet here. Of course, I didn’t run away just for that.
I had deliberately caused an accident to keep my father and the Emperor together.
