Chapter 05
Andrea came to see me the following morning.
“Chloe!”
Without even waiting for my permission, he flung the door open and strode into my quarters.
Later than I expected. I thought he’d come the moment the party ended.
This was the first time I had seen Andrea since returning from death.
A mixture of tension and fury twisted inside me as I watched him approach.
Then, unexpectedly, I found myself surprised.
…What?
Something felt off.
He always looked so elegant and refined that I couldn’t help shrinking in front of him. But now… he just looks strange.
In my memories, Andrea had always seemed mature, impressive, and larger than life.
But now that I had returned to the past and was standing before him again, he didn’t seem nearly as remarkable as I remembered.
His dirty-blond hair, long enough to cover his neck, had been painstakingly styled. His oversized ruffled collar billowed around his neck, and he wore extravagantly colorful clothes.
Every inch of him, from head to toe, was excessively dressed up.
Instead of looking noble, he looked ridiculous.
Like a clown.
I had thought that seeing Andrea again would fill me with uncontrollable rage.
I had wondered whether I could possibly stay sane while facing the man who murdered my mother, deceived me, and condemned me to such a miserable life.
Yet, contrary to all my fears, I was unexpectedly calm.
Why was I ever so afraid of someone like him?
He had once seemed so great, so untouchable, that I thought the world would end if he ever hated me.
I believed he was the only shelter protecting me.
But now I knew the truth.
He had never been my shelter.
He was the one who had pushed me into hell.
And no matter what I did, he would never truly love me.
Perhaps that was why he no longer frightened me.
There was no reason to impress him anymore.
No reason to cower before him.
He was just another person.
No—
Just a ridiculous clown.
Besides… after seeing Callius, Andrea looks… rather unimpressive.
Was he always this small?
The shock of meeting Callius the previous night was still vivid in my mind.
He was enormous.
Like a man forged from steel.
And those eyes…
Looking into them had felt like coming face to face with a wild wolf.
I could still remember the chill that had run down my spine.
Whether it was because of my changed perspective or because of Callius, Andrea no longer looked intimidating.
Still, so he wouldn’t become suspicious, I hunched my shoulders and cautiously watched his expression, just as I always had.
“B-Brother…”
“What the hell was that yesterday? I heard you showed up at the party wearing your nightclothes! Are you out of your mind? What’s gotten into you lately? What were you thinking? Have you gone crazy like your mother?”
The audacity.
He actually dared to bring up my mother.
Perhaps my feelings had shown on my face, because Andrea let out a heavy sigh.
“Your expression doesn’t look very good. You’re not upset because your brother is worried about you, are you? You know what the physicians said—that mental illness runs in your mother’s family.”
I had intended to play the part of my usual timid self.
But the moment he claimed he was “worried about me”…
I couldn’t hold it in.
“Haha… hahahaha!”
“…?”
“Ahahahaha!”
“What? What’s so funny?”
When something is absurd enough…
You laugh instead of getting angry.
Andrea’s face twisted.
Seeing that only made me laugh harder.
“Worried. That’s right. You are worried about me.”
Worried that I’ll ruin your smooth path to the throne.
So merely attending the party was enough to make you rush over in a panic.
You’re that desperate to become emperor before I can stand in your way.
That was why he disguised manipulation as concern.
Why he smeared my mother’s family in the process.
…Ah.
Watching his distorted expression, I finally understood.
The one who was afraid… was Andrea.
A quiet chuckle escaped me again.
Andrea snapped.
“What is wrong with you?! Have you really gone insane?”
“Maybe.”
“What?”
“Maybe I have.”
His eyes widened.
Apparently, he hadn’t expected me to agree.
“Tell me everything, Chloe. You know you can tell your brother anything.”
His voice suddenly turned gentle.
His gaze became warm.
Once upon a time, that kindness had fooled me countless times.
Now I knew it was nothing more than a mask.
I wanted to tear it off.
After a brief thought, I answered calmly.
“Yesterday… I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to go to the party. So I went.”
“That’s all?”
“Mm-hmm. Disobeying your orders is supposed to be madness, isn’t it? I just happened to want to do something crazy.”
Andrea sighed as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Why all of a sudden? Chloe, you’re not like this.”
“I suddenly wondered… If I wanted to attend the party, couldn’t I simply go? You never ask for my permission before doing what you want. So why should I ask for yours for everything? Isn’t that the truly pathetic thing?”
“…What?”
“I wanted to lighten your burden. You’ve worked so hard taking care of me all this time. I can’t keep making you suffer forever.”
“Chloe, that’s not—”
I smiled sweetly at him.
Exactly the way he had smiled when he first approached me years ago.
“I did it because I was thinking of you. You understand, don’t you? It was all for your sake.”
His eyes wavered.
The fact that I wasn’t trembling before him anymore…
That I was calmly expressing my own thoughts…
Clearly offended him.
He couldn’t keep his composure.
“You acting however you please only creates more trouble for me! You made a mistake.”
His anger blazed openly now.
The rage of a man whose puppet had refused to obey.
“Hah. Maybe you’ve forgotten after hiding away for so long, but members of the imperial family have a duty to maintain their dignity. You saw how people mocked Her Majesty the Empress before, didn’t you? Do you want the same thing to happen to you? I’m trying to protect you! That’s why I’m stopping you from making foolish mistakes like yesterday!”
He had never come here to hear my side.
He had come to scold me.
To make sure I would never again act without his permission.
My reasons didn’t matter to him in the slightest.
“You’re hardly in a position to worry about me. Everyone’s already concerned that you’ve inherited the Empress’s illness. One stain on the imperial family is enough. Understand? I’m worried you’ll become just like her. That’s why I’m protecting you.”
I’d heard those words so many times before.
Wrapped in concern, they were nothing more than insults aimed at my mother.
They no longer hurt me.
“Chloe, everything I say is for your own good. You know that, don’t you? Surely you understand now how foolish yesterday’s decision was.”
He desperately tried to force the answer he wanted.
That he was right.
And I was wrong.
“I was thinking of you too, Brother.”
Regardless of what he said, I answered gently before turning to a nearby maid.
“My brother must be thirsty after talking so much. Bring him some warm tea and refreshments.”
“…Do you really think food is appropriate right now?!”
I added another instruction.
“You heard me. Make sure to bring something soft for His Highness as well. Perhaps some chocolate pudding—it’ll go down easily.”
Pudding was delicious no matter when you ate it.
Andrea’s face turned crimson.
Forgetting the dignity he treasured above all else, he shouted,
“CHLOE!!”
His face was twisted into something almost grotesque.
So that’s your real face.
The maids all turned toward him in shock.
For just a moment…
The mask of the kind prince who doted on his younger sister slipped.
…That feels wonderful.
He noticed the servants staring and visibly panicked.
I deliberately looked hurt.
“Brother… did you just yell at me…? I was only worried your throat might hurt…”
“N-No! That’s not what I—”
He hurriedly softened his tone.
“I only lost my temper because I heard that Marquis Rodrian approached you at the party! Do you have any idea how worried I was? How dare someone like him approach my beloved little sister!”
He acted as though his anger had been entirely the marquis’s fault.
“To approach you while I wasn’t there! That shameless, insolent man! What exactly did he do to you?”
I feigned ignorance.
“Marquis Rodrian…? I’m not sure who that is…”
Naturally, Andrea didn’t actually care about my answer.
“Approaching a girl who’s already engaged! People don’t know the truth—they’ll accuse you of behaving indecently. They’ll say, ‘How could a princess accept gifts from another man? If an imperial princess doesn’t conduct herself properly…’ That’s exactly what they’ll say.”
Sounds more like what you want to say.
“What if Baron Pelsus calls off the marriage because of this?”
“I wonder…”
“Marquis Rodrian has a terrible reputation. You must never associate with him. That’s exactly why I forbade you from attending the party in the first place.”
“…”
“Do you finally understand how badly you’ve erred? Chloe, you know how much effort I’ve put into arranging your marriage. If it falls apart because of someone like Marquis Rodrian, I’ll be so furious I won’t be able to—”
He talks far too much.
Listening to him is exhausting.
Just as I sighed inwardly, one of the maids rushed into the room.
Instead of reporting to me—the mistress of this palace—she naturally addressed Andrea.
“Your Highness! Marquis Rodrian has come requesting an audience with Her Highness the Princess!”
Perfect!
The timing couldn’t have been better.
I almost wanted to boast to Callius, who wasn’t even here.
See? I told you Marquis Rodrian wouldn’t reject me. He’d come.
Andrea whipped his head around to glare at me.
I quickly hid my satisfied smile.
“Why is Marquis Rodrian here? Did you invite him?”
“As if I would.”
I put on the most innocent expression I could.
“That madman… Does he know where he is?”
Clapping my hands together brightly, I said,
“Then you should personally lecture Marquis Rodrian. You’ll do that for my sake, won’t you, Brother?”
“…What?”
Andrea’s eyes shook violently.
