Chapter Ten

He couldn’t sleep. Leonhardt tossed and turned a few times on his wide bed before he finally sat up. No one was around because they didn’t want to disturb the Crown Prince’s naptime.

It was a bit strange to have his room so quiet without anyone around. Leonhardt crossed his arms. Why was I so indifferent towards the empress all that time?

It was the question that had been on the back of his mind for a few days. He tried to think back on how many times he had met her before their wedding day.

Once as each other’s betrothed when they were small, then one more time in the church for our engagement ceremony after we grew up a little more, then another time on the day we got married and she became the Crown Princess after we both came of age.

And the only time he met her outside of the imperial court was when he held the ceremony to crown her as an empress after he became the emperor.

Then Leonhardt remembered the impression he got from Elizabeth whenever he met her.

She was… that’s right… she was just like a well-crafted doll.

He remembered feeling creeped out at the sight of her doing anything, everything perfectly with a beautiful smile on her face no matter what people asked of her. She was the Crown Prince’s fiancée, the Crown Princess, and the empress.

A doll that was too well-made left people feeling repulsed, creeped out. That was exactly how she made him feel. Whenever he got to meet her, the faint but gruesome feeling of her being a well-crafted doll became more obvious and distinct.

He kept feeling uncomfortable with her even after coming of age precisely because of that. As a result, even as an empress, he would ignore… Wait, isn’t that just an excuse?

Instead of drawing a conclusion, Leonhardt began slamming his head against the soft pillow. Slamming his head against the wall instead of a pillow wouldn’t even be enough to pay for what he did. But if he did, he might not be able to do the sword training tomorrow morning.

That wouldn’t be good if that happened.

Even a clock’s spring wouldn’t move if it weren’t winded, yet he wouldn’t take care of her just because he thought that she could do everything by herself. Moreover, even though he wondered how she became so perfect at what she did, he didn’t even ask her family about it and just treated her as repulsive and ignored her?

Leonhardt once again slammed his head against the pillow, then picked it up and started smacking his little head with the pillow. He decided that his body, soul, and whole life would be dedicated only to Elizabeth’s happiness.

First of all, he wanted to separate Elizabeth from the high-heels and corset. He wanted her to grow up to be a child who could run around the flower garden as much as she wanted just like any other eight-year-old girl. He wanted her to be loved by everyone, and be able to freely, generously give love to even a small sprout.

The duke of Elysium…

The ducal family was a house with a deep history, dating to the first page of the imperial family’s genealogy as the house origin of the very first empress. It was also rumored that they descended from angels.

Maybe it was due to a side effect from turning back time, but the duke of Elysium was slightly different from what Leonhardt remembered. Still, the duke seemed like someone who was hungry for power and blinded by self-interest.

He needed his daughter to be the perfect empress, to live a doll-like existence and still be able to do her job as an empress—in silence. Even if she was ignored and treated as nonexistent, she did as she had been trained, and he could use her as a tool to get himself whatever he wanted.

That can never happen! Leonhardt clenched his fists. At that moment, he devised a plan that had the highest probability a ten-year-old Crown Prince could succeed in.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth tilted her head at the letter that arrived that late evening with her name on it. There were so many difficult words. She could even see some misspellings here and there.

“Mother, what do these mean?”

[ fhysically and mantally healthy ]

[ with all my affaction ]

The duchess of Elysium pressed her forehead with her hand. “‘Fhysically and mantally’ and ‘affaction,’ it seems like His Highness misspelled ‘physically and mentally’ and ‘affection!’ ‘Physically and mentally healthy’ is a polite way to ask for the other person’s wellbeing, so you should keep it in mind.” The duchess sighed as she continued, “Isolde, it seems like His Highness is holding you very dear. However, don’t let it get to your head! There are as many beautiful women as there are flowers, and you just happen to be the prettiest flower among them. Just like how flowers will wilt once they get plucked, it wouldn’t even be weird for His Highness to find another flower one day. That’s why, even if he’s doting on you right now, you must prevent it from getting to your head and keep a low profile!”

“I shall keep it in mind.”

The duchess raised her voice, forgetting that the relationship between men and women is still hard to understand for her daughter.

Elizabeth just nodded. “Should I write a reply?”

“It’s a letter from the imperial family, so you know what to write, don’t you?”

“Yes, mother.”

The duchess stood up and quickly left the room, closing the door the door behind her as if she were fleeing.

Elizabeth spent the entire night agonizing over how to reply. She fell asleep before she could even write.

***

Elizabeth would match her routine with the imperial family’s when she started the day. When the emperor opened his eyes in the morning, so would she. During the time the current empress got herself dressed, so would she tighten a corset on and put a dress on. She would eat breakfast alone while the ducal couple continued to sleep soundly in their bed.

But today was a bit different. Just as she had finished dressing herself, a carriage arrived from the imperial palace.

The head of the family, the duke, was still asleep at this time. Since they couldn’t just leave guests from the imperial family to fend for themselves, Elizabeth reluctantly had to step up as the young lady of the house and buy some time so her parents could get ready to greet the guests.

What to do…?

When she opened the heavy door made of stone like the ones in the temples, she could see the guests from the imperial family. The guests had their backs against the sun, so she couldn’t see their faces in the shadows.

For now, Elizabeth decided to follow the etiquette and curtsied to greet them. Even if the guests were merely servants and not from the imperial family, as the young lady of the house, she was obliged to treat them accordingly. “Greetings from Elizabeth Isolde von Elysium, the eldest daughter of the Elysium family. I bid you good morning.”

“…Where is the duke?”

It was a low and thick voice she had never heard before. The tone was a sharp voice like from a beast that just woke up from hibernation. It frightened Elizabeth so much that she took a step back.

“You’re scaring our daughter-in-law!” The lady standing next to him lightly told him off. Although what she said was not very elegant, she had a beautiful and elegant voice in every pronunciation and breath.

“Lizzie, did you get a good night’s sleep?”

The last voice that she heard surprised Elizabeth so much she almost fell to her back. Leonhardt. It was the voice of Leon, whom she pined for in her dreams every night.

“Y-Your… Your… Your Majesty!”

She could hear a shrilling thin voice from behind. Has father ever been that surprised?

When Elizabeth turned around, she slipped on her high heels and spun around in place one time like she was dancing. What stopped her from falling was the arm with scent clearer than the flowing water and warmth like the sun.

“Sweetie, are you all right?”

“Your Majesty the Empress!” Father was going down the stairs in such a hurry that he didn’t even notice his cravat was slanted. Behind him was mother, who came out with a sloppy updo. Elizabeth’s eyes widened even more.

For mother, who always had a perfect, prim, and graceful appearance of a lady like a glass doll, to be able to look like that! Then when Elizabeth suddenly realized what his father and mother just said and why Leonhardt was here, her face turned pale.

“Lizzie… Lizzie? Elizabeth!”

Elizabeth fainted in the presence of the emperor and empress of the Esphedor Empire, who were her future in-laws.

***

The emperor of Esphedor, Isidore von Esphedor, was woken up by a servant calling for his name urgently. Just like any other day, he answered the servant with “Five more minutes…” before pulling the empress, Freyja Ivanna von Esphedor, into his embrace.

“Your Majesty! His Highness the Crown Prince, he…!” the servant called from outside the door.

“What’s with that boy…”

“Your Majesty, doing this since morning is trouble—Ah! Mm…”

“His Highness has requested an audience!”

“Tell him I’m busy making a younger sibling for him. Freyja, come here, will you?”

The servant’s face burned up as he waited outside for the two Majesties to come out. They were always like this every morning, but today was different. The Crown Prince, who had rushed to the main palace from dawn, had requested an audience with the emperor and was now standing right in front of their chamber.

No matter how, the servant needed to prevent him from listening to the sounds inappropriate for children that were coming from inside.

“Umm, so, Your Highness. The thing is—”

“Mmngh… Your Majesty…”

“Freyja, my love. Please?”

“Open the door,” Leonhardt said.

“Pardon?”

“I said, open the door. There won’t be another child born out of those two anyway, so just open the door!” Leonhardt snapped. He had involuntarily witnessed the scene of his father and mother’s conjugal activities a few times before, so… Damn it, why are they fleeing to the garden and making a fuss by themselves during their son’s birthday party? He didn’t feel awkward or embarrassed at all.

No, it would be more suitable for a ten-year-old boy to get flustered and say, “Father is bullying mother!” when he heard sounds like that. Leonhardt took pity on the servant, who was trying to explain the situation in a roundabout way to a ten-year-old child who, supposedly, knew nothing and stomped on his feet.

“Don’t you want a little sibling?” When the door was opened slightly, he could see his father wearing only a silk gown.

No one could say that they weren’t father and son. He looked just like the adult Leonhardt… No, should it be the opposite? Anyway, his handsome face looked very irritated.

“Please make one tomorrow instead. Thank you for granting me an audience, father.”

“I haven’t granted you anything. In the name of the emperor, I command you to take the Crown Prince away and go back to your job.”

“I oppose that order in the name of the empress. Leonhardt! Come here, dear.”

“Mother!”

“Freyja!”

Leonhardt dashed through the gap in between his father’s legs and threw himself into the empress’ arms. His mother was wearing a shawl on top of the silk gown. In her embrace, he could smell a sweet and warm scent that he wanted to etch deep in his heart for the rest of his life.

“What is our Crown Prince here so early for? Did you have a nightmare?”

Leonhardt shook his head and grinned.

The empress had received a report that the Crown Prince had been acting mature lately, which made her wonder if he had reached puberty early. But after seeing him act cute like this, the empress burst into laughter.

The emperor scratched his messy hair. He approached his empress and one and only son, to hear what Leonhardt had to say. He said, “That’s my place, move.”

“Don’t want to, father.”

“You little…?”

Leonhardt laughed and buried his face more into his mother’s embrace. Her hands rubbing and gently patting his back felt warm.

“So, what makes our Prince want to request an audience with His Majesty?”

Oh, right. Leonhardt was about to doze off in his mother’s arms. Remembering, he jumped up and then kneeled in front of the emperor and empress to ask them a favor.

“Please save my wife!”

The emperor and the empress looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions. Their son was usually not amiable at all. Did he eat something wrong yesterday? But after hearing the reason through the Crown Prince’s clumsy gesticulation, the ruling couple immediately jumped out of their bed and ordered everyone to get ready for them to go out.

“Where exactly are you going this early in the morning, Your Majesty? Your Majesty?”

“We’re going to the duke of Elysium’s residence. Get the carriage ready. Now!”

“Your Majesty, please stop His Majesty!”

“Prepare the most gorgeous dress and the empress’ jewelry! How dare they do that to my daughter-in-law… they’ve been teaching her that way…?”

Leonhardt grinned and carefully left to let his parents get ready. As he expected, his mother was the best.

***

“So that’s why the both of them personally came here?”

The ducal couple was in the middle of a serious conversation with the imperial couple.

Elizabeth almost fainted again when she woke up and found that Leonhardt was by her side. She got up, but when she realized she was wearing pajamas instead of high heels, tight corsets, and a heavy dress, she laid her head back down on the pillow.

Leonhardt clasped Elizabeth’s hands in worry. He asked if she was okay, if she was hurt anywhere, and he made a fuss about her poor complexion.

“Did the duchess hit you again?”

“Umm…” Elizabeth’s blue eyes couldn’t look straight at Leonhardt’s violet ones.

Leonhardt sighed as he dragged his chair closer to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth could smell the refreshing mint-like scent unique to Leonhardt when he got close all of a sudden. To her surprise, she pulled her blanket up to cover her nose.

Leonhardt didn’t know what surprised her so much. He joked around and lightly held a brushed his hand over her silver hair. Closing his eyes, he said, “I think you’ll have to be living with your in-laws.”

“Pardon?”

“Let’s go to the imperial palace. We’ll hold the engagement ceremony today, make you my official fiancée, and you’ll come live with me. Why…? Don’t you want to?”

“Um…”

“My love, I am but a humble sinner who does not deserve your love. But if you would just take a pity on me and have the heart to allow me to love you…”

“Your Highness. I apologize, but… your words are too difficult.”

Gosh. Leonhardt once again gave a deep sigh. When will I be good enough to make her happy? He tried again, “May I love you?”

They were ten and eight years old. Such words seemed out of place coming from kids who should've been more inclined to play house than feel real love.