16 – Knowing the Lie (Part 1)
(Marquette-sama… she didn’t seem well. Was that just a dream? Or… something else?)
Even after waking, I lingered on the bed, immersed in the lingering sensation of the dream.
With my hazy mind, I slowly tried to organize my thoughts.
Why had the Second Consort appeared in my dream?
We had hardly any interactions up until now. Still, seeing her in a dream that seemed to foreshadow her ill health made my heart pound with a terrible unease.
(Because I know the role she plays in the story…!)
In the story, Marquette, mother of my older brother Roland, dies during a rampant epidemic. Her death becomes a major turning point for Roland, shaping the way he lives thereafter.
In the novel, Roland carries the “loss of his mother” with him throughout his life.
He distances himself from the people in the royal palace and even comes into conflict with my older brother Luke because he was deeply hurt by the fact that, while the Queen received careful treatment during her illness, the Second Consort did not receive proper care.
The epidemic was widespread, and everything was in short supply at that time. Marquette-sama, who had been in a critical condition, was not prioritized for treatment, Roland told the heroine Adelina in the story.
Roland’s isolation in the palace and the lingering inferiority he felt toward Luke were caused by his inability to save his mother. That grief shaped his very character.
(If Marquette-sama’s death could be prevented, perhaps Roland’s future could be calmer.)
I swallowed hard.
The conflict between Roland, who had lost his mother, and Luke, my older brother—the discord between the first and second princes—was what gave rise to factions. Adelina had struggled considerably because of it.
If I could understand the root of this, maybe Roland wouldn’t be forced into that dark, gloomy future. And if he didn’t end up at odds with Luke, that would make me even happier.
(If my brothers can be happy, then that’s absolutely the best outcome!)
I clenched my fists tightly.
I know the future of this world… to some extent. Even if it isn’t my own future.
Then I can’t let it go to waste.
(First, I have to confirm it…!)
Was this dream a warning of some kind?
I decided to go to the garden where Marquette-sama appeared in my dream. Maybe there, I could find a clue!
With that resolution, I quietly got out of bed, as if guided by the dream.
The morning mist slowly cleared, and a refreshing breeze blew through the palace gardens.
I took quiet, measured breaths as I stepped forward.
—The place I saw in my dream. Maybe if I go there, I’ll understand something.
(Um, the place Marquette-sama was in…)
The western garden was relatively secluded within the palace, a place few people visited.
I, living in the annex palace, rarely came here. But in the novel, this was indeed where the Second Consort had tea with Roland.
(I hope there’s some clue…)
The dream had been unusually vivid. Even if it was just a coincidence, that would be fine—but all the more reason I needed to check for myself.
“All right… just a little further.”
If I turned this corridor, I’d be in the garden. I stepped in that direction.
—Then, it happened.
“…You’ll have to handle this better, Keith, or it will be troublesome.”
Suddenly, a low voice rang out, cold as ice.
Instinctively, I hid behind a nearby bush.
(Did he say… Keith-sama? Is he there with someone?)
I crouched behind the leaves, heart hammering in my throat, straining my ears.
Footsteps approached, soft but distinct.
I saw two sets of footsteps stop at the corner, and I quietly peered through the foliage.
(…! That person… he’s Keith-sama’s father.)
Right there stood Marquis Winterhalter.
His deep wine-red formal attire, edged with luxurious gold embroidery, stood out vividly.
His pure white gloves were intricately patterned, and his golden eyes shone sharply behind thin-framed glasses. His glossy black hair was perfectly in place, enhancing his dignity and grace.
He lifted his beautifully shaped lips slightly and looked down at Keith-sama with a cold, piercing gaze.
“I’m trying my best.”
“Your best is not enough, that’s what I’m saying.”
The low, soft voice rang with icy coldness.
Keith-sama’s expression did not change; he simply accepted the marquis’s words.
An emotionless, almost mechanical face—like a doll—that I had seen countless times before.
The marquis’s golden eyes narrowed, cold and sharp.
“Are relations with the royal family going smoothly?”
“I am still on good terms with His Highness Luke.”
“Hmph, that’s not bad… How about Princess Lilybell?”
The moment my name was mentioned, my chest tightened.
“…I maintain an appropriate distance.”
Keith-sama’s voice was strangely detached.
“I hear you’ve been playing the part of her tutor?”
“…Yes.”
“Recently, His Highness Luke seems to have taken an interest in that princess as well. The renovations of the annex palace, the complete replacement of her attendants… You’ve been involved in that too, haven’t you, Keith?”
“I have made a few suggestions. He seemed indifferent until now, but after the princess became critically ill, he appears to have changed his attitude.”
“Hmph, good. It would have been troublesome if she had died. You did well to save her.”
“….”
Hearing the conversation between the marquis and Keith-sama, my heart thumped unnaturally.
“Work your way closer to Princess Lilybell. If we aren’t in a position of advantage before the royal family acts, it’s meaningless. She may be of delicate standing, but she is useful.”
My heart chilled as if pierced by an icy blade.
Useful… work my way in…
For a moment, my mind refused to comprehend.
(Keith-sama… was he ordered to get close to me?)
