Chapter 3

***

There were two libraries in the palace. One on the east side, and another one on the west side.

The one on the east side was fabulous.

You could see everything from rare luxurious books to exotic translations from beyond the borders, and dedicated shelves for new books which were always full.

The west library, on the other hand... was more like a storage room.

While there was some furniture thrown in there as a minimal attempt to make it look like a library, its contents were second tier at best.

So, it was extremely rare to find anyone visiting the west library.

It was the west library where Rayton stayed all day and Sez borrowed books from.

While on her way to the west library, Sez thought about how she could get close to Rayton. She didn’t know much about him, even in her previous life.

But still, she had to find a way.

She would gladly storm out of the palace and never look back if she could, but according to the rules you had to be at least 17 years of age to leave the palace.

For a 12-year-old girl, it would be impossible to live outside the palace alone, let alone the fact that she didn’t even know how to live outside the palace.

‘First, I should gain favor with him, and I’ll have to stop my mother from killing Lisette. That was the trigger. I’ve still got a few years left... so it might not be entirely impossible.’

As Sez walked, lost in thought, she found herself standing in front of the library.

She entered the chamber nervously.

Walking through the smell of old books, she looked left and right trying to find Rayton.

‘Maybe he’s near a window like before.’

Her eyes search ended at the deepest corner of the library, next to a window seat.

Rayton wasn’t there, much to her disappointment; there were half a dozen of books piled up there instead.

One was flipped open.

She thought he might have been here a moment ago.

‘These are probably the books he’s been reading.’

Sez and Rayton were the only ones who visited this library, anyway. Sez decided to sit and wait for him.

However, Rayton didn’t come.

While she was anxious, Sez thought it would be even stranger to go visit his place.

So, she chose to stay there like a sitting duck, blinking her big eyes.

...But what kind of books was he reading? Sez’s sight locked on the book that was flipped open.

<On War>

Striking red letters were stamped across the blackish leather.

It was rather curious. The cursed prince would never need these.

He was the farthest prince in the palace from being involved in a power struggle. Why would he be reading these, years and years before his coup?

Something didn’t feel right.

After hesitating for a little while, Sez eventually began to check the titles of the other books piled up one by one.

<Basics of Artillery>

<On War>

<War Leadership>

<Understanding of Military Strategy>

<Weapon Systems Handbook>

Sez felt cold sweat running down her spine. The very last book surprised her the most.

<Monarchism>

‘W-why is he reading these? Isn’t it a bit too early…?’

“…”

Sez, who’d been standing there in a daze, flinched at the sudden coldness that crept in on her.

She turned her head to the side stiffly… only to directly meet Rayton’s gaze.

“KYAAA!”

Startled, Sez let out a scream without realizing it, but Rayton didn’t even flinch.

He was just gazing at Sez.

His ruby eyes glowed through his long fringe, reflecting in the sunlight. They reminded her of the color of blood. Sez had never seen Rayton this close up before, except the time he decapitated her...

It was the same face.

She could almost feel the sword cutting deep into her neck again. Panicked, the young, blonde girl took a step back.

“I-I…”

“….”

“I mean... I was just curious... about what kind of books you read...”

He said nothing in return but kept his cold gaze on her. Sez bit her tongue to pull herself together.

‘No, no! Don’t be scared, you can’t be scared right now.’

“It was lonely... to read alone... I mean...”

“...”

“Would you kindly... let me sit next to you?”

“...”

“B-Brother?”

She almost wanted to praise herself for scraping together this amount of courage. Especially to say the brother part. Rayton, on the other hand, didn’t seem too impressed. He simply spat two words out, glaring at her.

“Piss off.”

His response was rather abrupt and clear-cut.

A moment of realization struck Sez hard - that her plan to win his favor had a very low chance of succeeding.

***

And so, Sez eventually pissed off.

“...”

Sitting in front of her dressing table, Sez's face was dark and gloomy. He said ‘piss off’ to his own sister. Half-sister, but his sister nonetheless.

Sez tried her best to attract his attention, but Rayton didn't bother to spare her a glance. She had expected this to some extent, but not this much. She let out a sigh.

Would there be any way to open up his mind? Maybe she could find out his favorite book or something like that. She couldn’t come up with anything else no matter how hard she tried.

Come to think of it, she didn't really know anything about her half-brother. Sez realized that fact belatedly, and it cut deep.

She remembered a line from a book she once read, it went something like this: know the enemy and know yourself. In a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.

‘Maybe that’s why I lost’, Sez thought, blankly.

"I'll comb your hair for you, your Royal Highness." Runa arrived with a comb in her hand. She started combing the princess’s radiant blonde hair tenderly. Sitting absentmindedly, Sez looked at Runa’s reflection in the mirror.

‘She would at least know more about Rayton than I do’.

Sez carefully opened her lips, overcome by the thought. "Runa, can I ask you something?"

"My pleasure, Your Highness."

"About my brother Rayton..."

The lady-in-waiting’s hands flinched. "Prince Rayton, you mean?”

“Yes, I went to the library earlier and he was there, so...“

“My goodness! Did you go to the library alone? I would have taken you there if you had asked me!" Runa responded, clearly panicking.

Sez knew instinctively that it wasn’t about Sez going out on her own accord. It was about her going to where Rayton was, alone.

Sez understood instinctively.

It was that Runa was worried about her simply wandering around alone, but rather because she was going to a library that Rayton frequented alone.

"Please don't do that from now on. No, just write me a list of books you want to read. Then I'll bring them here, your royal-

"Because of Rayton?”

Runa bit her lip.

“Runa, are you afraid of him?”

“It would be a lie if I say that I’m not.”

“No surprise,” Sez murmured.

Sez once thought it was stupid to believe such a legend. How can someone ‘ruin everything’ on the emperor’s watch?

That was until her neck was cut off.

He murdered his sister’s mother and killed his sister too.

Probably the emperor as well, judging by his words. So, was the legend really true?

Suddenly, an image of one of the books next to the window flashed in her mind. Monarchism. She shook her head to erase the image. Whether the legend was true or not, she knew she would have to struggle. Or she’ll meet the blade of his sword once again five years later.

"What kind of person is he, Runa?”

"I just... heard that His Royal Highness was quiet. And that he never cries no matter how much he is bullied.”

‘At least he could say two words fluently: piss off...’ Sez tilted her head.

"Your Royal Highness, about Prince Rayton... please stay away from him."

"What?"

"Everyone does. It's for the same reason they both bully and avoid him."

"That legend?"

"Yes, but it's more than..." Runa blurted out the sentence.

“Is there anything else I don't know?”

“I've seen him back and forth a few times in the palace. Sometimes our eyes met, and I'm sorry to say but his eyes were... terrifying.” Runa shuddered as if she was horrified by the thought of it.

It suddenly reminded Sez of his blood-like eyes, which made a striking contrast to Sez and the other royals. She couldn’t recall any warmness, despite the color, they were chill and cold.

“Other royals don’t get close to him. You should also...”

“...Am I different?”

“...Your Royal Highness?”

“I’m asking you if I am different. To me, we seem the same, him and I...”

The words fell from her lips. Because that was the truth. What was so different between nobody and nothing?

Well, technically he was a bit more miserable than her. Sez, at least, hadn’t experienced being thrown into the lake.

It was clear that Runa, however, was surprised by Sez’s words. She looked like she had no idea what to say, an inch away from shedding tears.

Sez realized that she was acting too cynical for a 12-year-old. Runa spoke first before Sez could correct herself.

"But Your Royal Highness, His Majesty always sends you gifts on your birthday, doesn’t he?"

"Well… that’s right…’

‘Those gifts that are all useless, right…?’

Sez’s lips curled up into a weak smile.

She knew that the gifts didn’t stem from the emperor’s love for her, and he only sent them because Yerna, Sez’s biological mother, made such a fuss about it.

It was the emperor who had sent her a jeweled rattle for her tenth birthday.

She wasn’t very fond of the present, but she kept it just only because it would help her when escaping from the palace in the future.

Sez suddenly became curious. What had her brother gotten? A rattle like the one she’d received?

"What kind of gifts did my brother receive?”

"Nothing."

"What?"

"He’s never sent him anything, not even once. Lisette is the only one who does anything for Rayton’s birthday, and even then, it's just eating dinner together in her quarters."

‘He is a bit more miserable than me. I’ll give him that.’

Sez nodded.

“Likewise, His Imperial Majesty didn’t even send his regards even though tomorrow is his birthday-‘

“Tomorrow?”

“...Your Royal Highness?”

“Tomorrow is Rayton’s birthday?” Sez stood up immediately. Runa’s surprise was the least of her concerns at the moment.

She needed an excuse, regardless. It was obvious that Rayton would ignore her even if she visited the library again. Congratulating him on his birthday seemed to be a good excuse to break down his guard.

"You said he'd have dinner at Lisette’s chamber, right?"

“You’re not thinking of going there, right?” Runa asked desperately. “No, Your Highness, you’d be poking a hornet’s nest! The royal mistress wouldn’t appreciate it either...”

‘Poking a hornet’s nest, you say.’ Sez thought.

‘Well, getting a few stings is certainly better than having my head cut off 5 years later.’

“I’ll just pay a visit to him, Runa. It’s not a big deal. My mother doesn’t appreciate whatever I do.”

“Y-Your Royal Highness…”

“Anyway. I need to pick out some presents. It’s too late to call a merchant... right, let’s see if there’s anything suitable among my valuables.”

Sez took out her jewelry box and placed it on the dressing table. Runa's face was pale as white snow as she watched the princess hand-pick out the most expensive-looking jewel.