Chapter 6

The next several minutes turned out to be extremely irksome. Every time I picked up my glass of water, he would do the same. If I started to cut my steak, he would hurriedly pick up his own knife and follow suit.

“Nadrika,” I said.

“Y...yes, Your Highness.”

“Why are you copying me?”

“...”

At least just don’t do it so obviously. He might have thought he was acting naturally, but to my eyes it was stupidly obvious. This couldn’t have been his first time dining. So why was he following my every move like a newborn duckling?

“Don’t copy me,” I said.

“Yes... Your Highness.” He stabbed at the salad with his fork, now noticeably sullen. When I sighed exasperatedly at his crestfallen expression, his shoulders flinched in response. I placed my chin on my hand and observed him. Though his shirt was buttoned all the way up to his chin, I could see a red bruise behind the collar.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” I asked.

“Pardon, Your Highness?”

Seeing the plates were mostly empty now, I put down my fork. Nadrika cast a furtive look my way, then placed down his own cutlery.

“Did I beat you before?” I asked.

“...”

“Did I prevent you from getting treatment?”

I had been planning not to care. I was trying my best to act as the princess would, so that those who knew her wouldn’t get suspicious. But that was proving to be harder than I thought.

“That bruise on your neck. I’m asking if I did that to you,” I said.

Nadrika nodded ever so slightly.

“Have you been treated?” I asked.

“Yes...”

“Don’t ever lie to me. No matter what,” I said.

“I’m telling the truth! I’ve... been treating it. And I would never, ever lie to you, Your—”

I summoned a servant with my bell.

“Who is this man’s physician?” I asked.

“Pardon?”

“Your Highness,” Nadrika interjected, looking troubled. “I... I treat myself.”

“Why?”

It was my lady-in-waiting who answered. “Per palace customs, property of the imperial family is not to be handled by anyone else, Your Highness.”

Property? Handled? I barely managed to stifle the anger surging in me. Nadrika was looking at me timidly, trying to gauge my reaction.

“I see. I had misunderstood,” I finally said. “Bring me some ointment.”

“Your Highness?”

“What? Am I forbidden from touching him too?” I asked, barely masking the annoyance in my voice.

“N...no, of course not, Your Highness! I’ll bring it right away.” The lady-in-waiting dropped to the floor in a deep bow, then hurried out of the chamber. I didn’t say anything until she returned with the medicine kit.

A few servants came in and deftly cleared the dining table before setting the medicine out. From their stiff and disciplined movements, I could tell they were terrified of the princess. Indeed, sometimes fear was power’s greatest tool. But it was also like a sandcastle. It wouldn’t stand strong forever, just like this “princess” seemed to be on the brink of collapsing.

In a calmer tone, I ordered everyone to leave.

“What is it?” I asked Nadrika, who was fidgeting nervously in front of me. “Do you not want to be treated?”

“That’s not it, Your Highness.”

“Then what’s with that face?”

He forced a smile but still looked uneasy. “It’s just... because of my troubles you’re taking time away from yourself for me,” he admitted reluctantly.

“...”

“I just... I feel bad...”

When I wordlessly took his wrist and pulled him toward me, he followed obediently.

“I talked to you about this before,” I said.

“Your Highness?”

“You shouldn’t act like this. For anyone,” I continued.

“But I...”

Nadrika clenched his fists. My hand was still around his wrist, and I could feel that his entire body was trembling.

“I want to, Your Highness,” he said.

“What?” I asked.

“I want to be like this... for you. Can’t I?”

“...”

I knew very well that it wasn’t me he was addressing. He was deceived by my appearance, which was nothing but a shell. To him, I was the imperial princess bestowing an unfathomable act of kindness. That was why he was behaving this way. I had to make sure I remembered this at all times.

I released my grip on his wrist.

“No,” I said.

“...”

Nadrika gave a small smile, like someone used to pain and rejection. Then he raised his hands and began to unbutton his shirt. I knew that I would have to see his bare skin if I wanted to take a look at his wounds. But to see him so close to me, undressing like that...

I took half a step back instinctively, then found a good excuse to turn away by rummaging through the medicine kit. I heard the rustle of his shirt as it dropped to the floor. Keeping my expression neutral, I picked up something that looked like ointment.

“Is this it?” I asked.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

His skin, soft and pale like it had never seen sunlight, was covered in long scratches and bruises. I hadn’t been able to take a proper look last time, but now I could see that some wounds were even layered, one over the other. Clearly he had been struck in the same place more than once, mostly on his back and neck.

Nadrika turned around and got down on his knees so I could reach better. I scooped up some ointment with my finger and began to apply it to his skin. Each time the cold formula touched a wound, he flinched. Neither of us said anything.

“All done,” I finally said.

“...”

Nadrika slowly turned back to me.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Don’t mention it,” I replied.

“...”

It was the first time I’d seen a more genuine smile on him, but for some reason his face seemed to be cast in shadow as he looked down.

“Your Highness...”

“What?”

“There’s more below,” Nadrika said. He slowly brought his hands to the buckle on his pants. “Should I take off everything?”

I was struck speechless, but just then, with uncanny timing, someone knocked on my door.

“Your Highness,” called out a deep male voice.

I cleared my throat.

“What is it?” I answered.

“I’ve been sent by His Majesty the Emperor. May I enter?”

“No!”

“As you wish, Your Highness. His Majesty wishes to speak with you for a moment at lunch today,” the man said.

I caught Nadrika’s eyes.

“Later,” I said to him.

“...”

“We’ll do your legs later.”

Only once I said it did I realize I was actually a bit bummed. Nadrika gently took my hand and lightly kissed the back. I watched in a trance as his eyes slid softly shut, my heart racing in my chest.

“Yes, Your Highness,” he said, his expression meek and docile. Then he stepped back and slowly began to button up his shirt again. Keeping my eyes on the smooth curves of his back and waist, I called out to the messenger standing outside.

“All right, I’ll get ready soon. Wait for me.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” came the answer.

I turned away from Nadrika, feeling flushed from head to toe, reconsidering my relationship with him. Well, Nadrika’s my concubine, so technically I can do whatever I want with him... No, what am I saying? I’m not the real princess… Maybe I could just throw myself at him? Clearly it didn’t take long for my lust to overtake my reason.

Ding!

[Knight of the Frontier - 9]

Éclat Paesus, the princess’s second concubine, will arrive at the palace in 10 days. You have been corresponding with him by letter for quite some time, so he will attempt to find you. Become the princess’s personal lady-in-waiting before then and stage a chance encounter with him.

- Required affection levels: 80 (Current affection levels: Unknown)

[Current Progress]

Promotion to personal lady-in-waiting 0/1

Chance encounter 0/1

Time left: 9 days, 23:59:09

I felt my blood grow cold. I’d nearly forgotten that I was a fake and that I’d die if I were ever caught. I might even die even if I’m not caught. Now was not the time to be distracted by men. These were all the princess’s people, not mine. And another concubine was about to return.

* * *

And now, this... This was a scene I’d only seen in movies.

“Is the food to your liking?”

“Oh, yes,” I replied.

I was sitting at the end of a table that looked to be at least 20 feet long. And seated at the other end was the emperor.

“Wonderful!” he said. “I asked for you because it’s been so long since we shared a meal together.”

Did this even count as “together”?

“I suppose so,” I said.

“It’s lovely to see your face again.”

He had hair like an autumn leaf, red with hints of yellow, and a thin face with eyes that glittered especially brightly. His long hair rested just above his black cape pinned with golden insignia, and his eyes were a clear blue, just like the princess’s. His deep-set eyes and piercing gaze were what resembled his sister the most. I wondered whether that look was a common historical characteristic of those in power.

That being said, I found it bizarre how his overall impression was so different from the gaze he had. Every time we made eye contact, the emperor would grin like a fool. He looked like someone who had nearly lost his marbles. But he was the only blood relative of the princess, wasn’t he? I couldn’t imagine how he might react if he ever figured out someone else was occupying his sister’s body.

“I ordered this feast especially for you!” he cried. “I see my efforts have paid off.”

But with this kind of conversation, it didn’t seem like he’d figure it out any time soon.

“Thank... you,” I answered.

“I always worried you were too picky with your food. Isn’t it nice to have a good appetite?”

He watched me eat, looking pleased, not even noticing anything out of the ordinary. Though I guess it wouldn’t be a surprise if he didn’t notice, considering how little they apparently saw each other despite sharing a palace.

“Oh, I know!” he suddenly said. “I’ll send the chef to your kitchen quarters. If you’re happy with his service, of course you should take him.”

“No, you don’t need to—”

“I shall entrust all your meals to him starting today,” he declared.

Did he even hear me? I’d been wondering about this from the start, especially with a dining table as long as this one. But whether he heard or not, the emperor was all smiles, not phased in the least.

“Ah, and I hear your knight is returning.” He spoke casually, as though he were discussing the weather, but I could tell right away that he was finally arriving at the real reason he wanted to speak with me.

“He has made superb contributions to the war, so I’m considering hosting a grand celebration to honor his return,” he said. “What do you think?”

He was talking about him. The second concubine. Éclat Paesus. A man that even the emperor took an interest in, apparently.

“Well, I don’t know...” I said. “I suppose he does deserve a reward to match his contributions.”

“Of course!” the emperor roared, slamming his palm excitedly on the table. Good god that startled me.

“I thought you might have forgotten, since you didn’t mention anything,” he said.

“How could I forget?”

“True, since you were the one who drove him into that war.”

Well, naturally, since he was my concubine... Wait, what?

“You know, this war never would have started if you two hadn’t fallen out,” the emperor continued. “Though I must say, nobody predicted his victory when he left. It was truly a long and difficult road.”

“...”

My jaw dropped before I could stop it, and hastily closed it again. As if destroying a country just to have a prince who rejected her wasn’t enough, had this princess actually sent her concubine off to a non-existent war over mere relationship problems?

And now, it seemed, he was about to make a victorious, celebrated return.