Chapter 3
The Emperor’s Death and a Small Crush
The emperor had been assassinated.
The news spread through the newspapers and even reached the small village at the edge of the country where the Cecil family lived.
My father was dead.
I couldn’t bring myself to accept it.
“I heard that the emperor passed away, and his younger brother took over as acting emperor to deal with the coup, but apparently there are still remnants of resistance in the country.”
“It’s reassuring that the acting emperor was established quickly, but what will happen from here?”
I overheard this gossip while eating in my uncle and aunt’s diner, and I dropped my spoon.
In the palace, a manners teacher would have scolded me, but Cecil never got angry over something like that. He washed the spoon and handed it back to me.
“It must be scary for you too, Gane, with the country being unstable.”
“Yeah…”
I still didn’t fully feel the reality of my father’s death, and being so young, I didn’t really understand what death meant. But knowing I would never see him again made my appetite vanish.
Seeing that I couldn’t eat any more, Cecil took some leftover bread, sandwiched it with side dishes, wrapped it in cloth, and gave it to me so I could eat whenever I wanted.
A six-year-old’s stomach is small and gets hungry quickly.
When I wasn’t around, Cecil waited until the diner closed at night and ate dinner with my uncle and aunt. But since I got hungry so quickly, he would bring food home from the diner so I could eat with him earlier.
There were many servers and a manners teacher, but at the palace, the only one sitting at the table and eating was me. Compared to that, having Cecil always by my side made me very happy.
“Tomorrow, father and mother are going to the town to shop. You’ll come along too, won’t you, Gane?”
“B-but…”
I was invited to go to town, but even at six, I knew it was dangerous.
My father had blonde hair, but the same crimson eyes as me. My mother had silver hair, and I inherited her hair color and my father’s eyes.
Cecil, my uncle, and my aunt all had black hair, and most of the villagers had dark hair as well. I stood out too much.
As I fiddled with my hair and looked down, Cecil put a hat on my head.
It was a cloth hat he had made, and I always wore it when going outside.
“If you wear the hat, your hair won’t stand out.”
“Really?”
“If you pull it down deep, the shadow will hide your eyes too, I think.”
Hearing that, I finally decided to go to town.
The next day, we took a shared carriage and spent half a day traveling to town—me, Cecil, my uncle, and my aunt.
The carriage was cramped and uncomfortable, but since Cecil sat next to me, I could bear it.
My uncle and aunt went to buy plates and supplies for the diner and checked the market for food and seasonings. Recently, Cecil had been selling embroidered fabrics and cloth items, and I went along with him.
Seeing me, a shopkeeper called out to Cecil.
“Little miss, are you with your little brother today?”
“Yes. He’s been weak and hasn’t gone outside much, but he’s getting better, so I brought him along.”
“I see. What a cute boy. Here, take this.”
The shopkeeper handed me a small bottle filled with colorful round things. Unsure if I could take them, I looked at Cecil, and he nodded.
“Gane, you should say thank you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome.”
Were they glass marbles?
They seemed like toys, but I didn’t know how to use them. Cecil opened the bottle for me. Taking one out, it didn’t feel like a glass marble. Curious, I looked at him, and he explained.
“Try putting it in your mouth. It’s sweet.”
“You can eat this?”
“Yes.”
I hesitated but put it in my mouth, and the sweet taste of sugar spread across my tongue. My eyes widened in surprise, and Cecil chuckled.
“It’s sweet… and tasty.”
“Is this your first time having candy?”
“Yes. I thought it was a glass marble.”
So this was candy. At six years old, it was my first time knowing about candy.
I had eaten sweets during tea time—cakes, baked goods, puddings, tarts—but never candy. I had thought it was a glass marble, but it was sweet and delicious. Wanting to share my happiness, I offered the bottle to Cecil.
“Here, you can have some too.”
“Thank you.”
We ate the candy together while waiting for the shopkeeper to price and pay for the items Cecil had sold.
Once he got the payment, we left the store.
Once outside, I suddenly felt sad.
Cecil had called me his little brother.
I was not his brother.
“I’m not a little brother.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not your little brother.”
When I said it, Cecil explained.
“We say he’s your little brother so that no one finds out who you really are.”
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry you, so I’m not your little brother.”
“Oh, Gane…”
Saying it aloud, I was surprised by my own words. That’s right—I liked Cecil. I wanted to marry him when I grew up. Being with him every day was peaceful and happy, and I wanted him to always stay by my side. This was what it meant to want someone to marry you.
My eyes welled up with tears from speaking so earnestly, and Cecil laughed.
“When you’re grown up, I’ll be an old lady, you know?”
“That’s not true. You’ll still be my big sister.”
“I’m ten years older than you, Gane.”
“I don’t care about ten years. I like you.”
Tears of sadness welled because he didn’t take me seriously, but Cecil didn’t change his mind.
“Let’s decide on something so important when you’re older.”
“When I grow up, will you be my bride?”
“If your feelings haven’t changed when you’re older.”
Even when I grow up, my feelings will not change. That was certain.
Wiping my tears, I smiled at Cecil, and he smiled back.
On the way home in the carriage, my uncle and aunt spoke very little.
At home, I overheard them talking.
“Gane might be the child of a noble targeted in the coup.”
“Perhaps his parents sent him here so he could be safe.”
“I heard the capital’s security has worsened.”
“Will someone come for Gane eventually?”
They seemed to think I was a noble child sent away from the capital.
The reason we suddenly went to town was probably because, after hearing about the emperor’s assassination and the coup handled by the acting emperor uncle, they were checking for information on my parents.
In truth, I am the emperor’s son, the crown prince.
I cannot tell anyone. If I did, it would endanger my life—and the lives of Cecil, my uncle, and my aunt.
I wanted to stay a little longer in this peaceful life.
I was still six years old, and I didn’t fully understand my father’s death.
I didn’t know what death truly meant.
But even without understanding, the one thing I knew was that I would never see my father again.
At night, in bed, I clung to Cecil and cried.
Cecil stroked my hair.
“Did you have a scary dream?”
Not exactly, but I couldn’t think of another excuse, so I nodded slightly.
Cecil wrapped me in his arms, pushed my bangs aside, and kissed my forehead.
“You won’t have scary dreams.”
“Big sister…”
“I’m here, so it’s okay.”
“Stay by my side forever.”
I never wanted to lose Cecil.
I wanted him to stay with me, always.
That was my wish.
