21. Not Alone?
 Damn it. Iâm screwed!
Alex Reutz, the crown prince Mikhailâs escort knight, clenched his eyes shut at the sound of the Empressâs voice coming from behind him. Then he slowly turned around.
âY-Your Majesty the EmpressâŚâ
âAs I thought, itâs you, Sir Reutz. But why are you hereâŚâ
Empress Charlotte trailed off, her eyes suddenly sharpening.
A cold sweat trickled down Alexâs back.
Charlotte Liberty Alcan, Empress of the Alcan Empire, was normally calm and gentle. But she was also a typical mother who constantly worried over her child, and once angered, her wrath was so intense even the Emperor couldn’t stop her.
How did he know this? âŚHe wished he didnât.
âDonât tell me heâs at it again⌠is he?â
Clearly suspecting another one of the crown princeâs escapades, the Empress seemed to be questioning him just to rebuke him. Alex lowered his head.
âI apologize. His Highness the Crown Prince has disappeared, so I was searching for him. But no matter where I looked, I couldnât find himâŚâ
Damn it. He hadnât meant to explain in so much detail.
Charlotteâs face flushed before she could stop it. She hadnât asked for specifics in front of Anette and the Dowager Empress, but truth be told, sheâd been secretly worrying.
Lately, Mikhail had been skipping his lessons and spending time in unknown places. She couldnât understand why her son, once so responsible as the crown prince, was suddenly acting out.
She had spoken to her husband Lucius, but the ever-lenient father had only said to trust and wait.
Frustrated, she tried to talk to Mikhail herself, but he kept his lips tightly shut and dodged the conversation.
Then Anette had arrived at the capital, and by chance, Charlotte discovered yesterday where her son had been disappearing to.
âNo wonder the knights couldnât find him anywhereâŚâ
She never imagined heâd been hiding in the Secret Garden.
Was he clever or just brazen? Her sonâs thoughtless behavior left her sighing.
She and her husband were both considered reliable and principledâwhere had he picked up this habit of tormenting his escort?
Suddenly, she thought of Mikhailâs beloved uncle, Cardin.
âCould it be that Cardinâs spoiled him too much?â
A reasonable suspicion. Cardin had been doting on his one and only nephew for years.
Now that Cardin was in the capital, it seemed time to summon both of them and have a serious talk.
âVery well. Iâll go check whether heâs in the garden.â
Charlotte turned to the Dowager Empress and Anette with a slightly awkward expression.
There was a high chance Mikhail was inside. She planned to enter first and bring him out alone.
Butâ
âMikhail might be in there? How fortunate. Letâs go in right away.â
âYour MajestyâŚâ
âI was just about to summon him. A stroll before tea would be perfect.â
The Dowager Empress, eager to see her beloved grandson, stepped forward.
Charlotte had hoped to buy herself time, even if it meant Mikhail would be scolded later.
âIt wouldnât be a bad idea to make formal introductions inside, would it?â
âYes, actually, Iâve felt guilty ever since I wasnât able to properly introduce myself to His Highness yesterday.â
Anette, quick to catch on, chimed in.
Charlotte let out a soft sigh and nodded.
Honestly, she wasnât so much angry as she was embarrassed in front of the Dowager Empress and Anette. So, she decided to calm herself first.
âKids these days mature fast. Maybe itâs not as childish as it seems.â
She took a step back, planning to gently coax her son.
Just as she approached the entrance of the gardenâ
âUm, Your Majesty the Empress!â
âWhat is it, Sir Reutz?â
âWellâŚâ
Alex hesitated.
In truth, it wasnât only the crown prince who had vanished. The daughter of Marquis Melin, the commander of the Imperial Knights, was missing too.
Though their recent meetings had been fewer, everyone in the palace knew the two were childhood friends.
As soon as Alex realized Mikhail was gone, heâd dispatched someone to checkâand confirmed that the marquisâs daughter wasnât where she should be either.
âIâm almost certain theyâre together, butâŚâ
Since the Secret Garden was off-limits except to royalty, Mikhail should know better. So, Alex couldnât be sure.
âItâs nothing.â
There was no need to unnecessarily upset the Empress with an unconfirmed hunch.
Alex stepped back.
It wasnât because he feared the blowback or wanted revenge on the crown prince who had him running around the palace all the time.
No matter what, losing track of his charge was a grave failure on his part, and he didnât want to make things worse. StillâŚ
âIf His Highness really brought the marquisâs daughter into the garden⌠then he deserves a good scolding.â
It was only human to hope this might be the end of Mikhailâs rebellious phase.
While one escort knight imagined his young master getting thoroughly chewed out, Anette followed the Empress and Dowager Empress into the garden.
Walking down a path between tall trees and thick greenery, she was again struck by the sheer scale of the palace.
Yesterday, her mood had been too unsettled to notice. But today, she found the gardenâs atmosphere a little strange.
The sky was clear and the breeze cool, yet there were no birds chirping. And unlike yesterday, there were no sounds of small animals scurrying about.
As if separated from time and space.
In truth, the Secret Garden was protected by powerful restoration magic, soundproofing, and barrier spells. So Anette wasnât wrong.
Unaware of this, Anette cautiously observed her surroundingsâand her eyes widened.
Sheâd already assumed Mikhail would be inside, so the approaching presence wasnât surprising. Butâ
âHeâs not alone?â
And the other presence felt like a child around Mikhailâs age.
Anette had a good sense for detecting the presence of magical beasts, so she could definitely pick up the noisy energy of a child.
Sure enough, as they moved deeper in, she could hear the high-pitched chatter of a child.
When the voice became clearer, Charlotte stopped in her tracks.
She had expected Mikhail to be hiding alone. She never imagined he would bring someone with him.
âWhat on earth was he thinkingâŚ!â
Skipping lessons and evading escorts was one thing. This was another matter entirely.
He may be young, but he was still the crown prince, officially invested.
Charlotte lowered her gaze, embarrassed to face the Dowager Empress and Anette. Her cheeks burned with both shame and frustration toward her son.
She clenched her fist. This time, heâs really going to get it.
Just as she was about to march forwardâ
ââŚ!â
The Dowager Empress quickly grabbed her arm and raised a finger to her lips, shaking her head.
She had already grasped the situation and understood Charlotteâs feelings. But these were just children. Wanting a secret conversation with a friend wasnât so bad.
Charlotte thought the Dowager was too soft on the kids, but she nodded in agreement.
If the adults all showed up at once, Mikhailâand the marquisâs daughter, who was likely with himâwould be frightened.
Since it was surely Mikhail who had brought her, there was no reason to scold the frail marquisâs daughter.
As Charlotte calmed down, the Dowager gently pulled her arm.
âI can go on my own. Why is she pulling meââ she thought, only to pause.
The Dowager wasnât heading for the main entrance, but toward a cluster of shrubs to the side.
Baffled, Charlotte followed her to a large tree and realizedâthis was a spot where the childrenâs voices were clear, but their forms couldnât be seen.
ââŚ.â
Charlotte gave the Dowager a look that clearly asked, Seriously?
The Dowager quickly averted her gaze.
Charlotte let out a short, stifled laugh and covered her mouth with her hand.
Eavesdropping on her child like this was ridiculousâand undignified for an Empress. But she was far more curious about what Mikhail was discussing so secretly.
With only family nearby, she felt less burdened and pricked up her ears, like she was sneaking a look at her sonâs diary.
Beside her, Anette followed suit and crouched with a fluttering heart. Just doing something secret like this made her excited.
Then it happened.
ââŚAudreyâŚâ
Even though it was only said once, the name struck deepâsharp and familiar.
Anette froze.
