Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

[The 5^th day of the month of Habermia]

I woke up in the morning 6 days before I was going to die.

“Your Highness, I brought your favourite strawberry shortcake.”

“…Yeah, I know.”

I could tell my nanny was worried from her crumpled face.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

I shook my head before biting into the cake. How will I explain? Now, even if I see just a bit of red, I’ll feel as if I had hives all over me.

Because that’s what my blood will look like when it flows out of me as I die.

“Shall I call one of the clerics? You don’t look very good.”

My nanny couldn’t stop worrying and stayed by my side. I like my nanny a lot but there was nothing I could do to ease her worries.

“Nanny. What does it mean to be living?”

“What? Your Highness… Today.”

“Why don’t we postpone my classes for today? I’m fine.”

“But.”

“I’m fine. I’m not feeling unwell at all.”

I thought I could make my nanny understand. I didn’t have the energy to act like I wasn’t worrying. So, I decided that I should just relax. I’m too tired to do anything else.

After a while, one of the maids brought me porridge made from glutinous rice.

‘Haa. I’m not sick but I don’t feel like eating anything.’

I raised my head and tried to eat well.

Deng.

The temple bell rings at 10 every morning. The morning sun shone through the windows with birds chirping merrily in the background.

‘I couldn’t sleep a wink.’

How could I sleep peacefully when I knew that I was going to die in a few days? I was kept up by my thoughts last night.

A sigh left my body.

It’s obvious what I had to do next. I had to solve the question.

A fire was burning in the fireplace but the surrounding air still felt chilly. Even though I was wearing a shawl, I was still cold.

Eventually, I could only spew curses quietly on the inside as I placed my spoon down.

This cold, that was sending chills down my spine, was coming from inside the room.

“Then, Hannah.”

I usually take a nap after I eat my breakfast. If not, I would have had nothing to do for the entire morning.

“Take care of me please.”

“Yes! I have already notified the nanny of Your Highness’ nap.”

I then sneaked out of my room and opened the door to the kitchen. The place was filled with savoury aromas. The 6 women who had been washing the dishes looked my way when I entered. I smiled at the only face I recognised.

“Hello, Maria.”

“No, wait… Your Highness, what brings you here?”

While the others rushed to straighten their skirts or to adjust their hair, Maria only scratched the back of her neck and asked “Does Bessie know that Your Highness is here?”. Bessie is my nanny’s nickname.

“There’s someone I want to meet here. Is there a girl named Anna here?”

I smirked.

“Your Highness… What business do you have with her?”

Being tactless was something I was very good at.

“I don’t have any friends of my age.”

I pretended I couldn’t hear their whispers and didn’t bother to acknowledge them.

That was how I could survive to work as an intern working under a boss who liked to prey on 20-year-old interns.

So, it wasn’t that difficult to act like an ignorant child. Anyone who worked in this palace cares deeply for me. I wanted to make friends. I just needed to say a few sad words before the kitchen maids willingly handed the girl named Anna over.

I looked at the red-haired girl.

“Will you follow me?”

Maria told Anna that she didn’t need to work today before giving her long break.

“How’s this any good for me…”

“What?”

I barely got to say what I wanted to say before seeing Anna’s frightened expression. I burst out into laughter.

“No, it’s nothing. Did you say you were called Anna?”

“Yes. I mean, yes! My apologies. I’m only a commoner so I don’t have a surname.”

Her eyes looked as if they were going to pop out. Her shoulders were hunched up like a cornered rat. And her hands were trembling. She looked like a job seeker in her final round of interviews.

Should I try to reassure this girl who probably feels like she had been taken in as a prisoner and was being sent to the guillotine? After choosing my words carefully, I crossed my arms.

“Where’s your room? We’ll go there first.”

Anna, whose shoulders looked much less tense, hesitated before turning to one side.

“Is this your room? It’s small.”

“T-that’s because I’m only a probationary maid…”

“I know. I’m not trying to suggest anything so don’t mind it.”

‘Wow’ was what I really wanted to say. Just like how the second generation of a conglomerate will act in a drama. Good. My acting skills were not bad. But it felt like I was wearing clothes that didn’t fit me. How funny.

I sat comfortably on her bed with a big smile. I was an immature princess. An immature princess…

“By the way.”

When I looked up, I happen to meet her gaze. Flustered, Anna lost her footing. Instantly, Anna tripped over herself and fell.

“Does that not hurt?”

“I-I’m alright!”

No, I don’t think your behind is alright though? As I watched Anna fall, I realised the answer. When a person of superior status sits down, the subordinate shouldn’t be looking down at her superior.

“Sit.”

Anna hesitated a little before adjusting herself so that she was sitting on her butt.

“Which part of the countryside are you from?”

“Yes? Ah, I’m from Eturia in the south.”

“Eturia! The famous port town in the south. Is it considered a city? Can you tell me more?”

I smiled gently at her. I didn’t want to look like a senseless boss.

“T-there are a lot of ships and there’s a really big market. The mayor is named Stus a-and that’s also the name of the street I lived in. We sold fresh fish every day on quite a large cart that came with seats.”

“Hmm, I see. Did you live there with your family?”

“Yes! I lived there with my mother and my 2 younger siblings. I also raised a small dog. My father had passed away…”

Anna, who looked like she was having a bad day, smiled through it and said cheerfully.

“I can now send a lot of money back home now since I’ve become a maid for the Imperial Palace.”

She was a girl who was born with a lot of love.

Her aunt who became the concubine of some nobleman had requested him to allow her to work in the palace as a maid. She may have been satisfied with her pay but she wanted to become an official maid. Then, she would have enough money to support her younger siblings as well. When I thought I heard enough, I cut her off.

“I see, so that’s how it was! Then, you only have 2 more years on probation, right Anna?”

“Yes! If I wait for 2 more years, I can become an official maid.”

I felt admiration for her. The child continued passionately. The room was then filled with warm conversations. But this was so that I could force this naïve girl to confess.

“I heard that when a maid is on probation, she’s sent to different palaces to work?”

“Yes! That’s right!”

The girl doesn’t know but I was trying to push her to tell me about her experiences here as a new maid. Just as I expected, Anna poured out everything.

“Since you’re a kitchen maid, you must have been to other palaces other than Terena! Where else have you been?”

“The Terret Palace and the Tesseda Palace.”

Those were the palaces belonging to the 4^th and 5^th Prince respectively.

The 4^th and 5^th Prince. That was a little far off from my goal. No, the 4^th Prince was one of the supporting characters. Isn’t it worth it then?

“Then, have you ever seen my brothers in person?”

It’s too early to be disappointed just yet. I asked her with a smile.

“Ah, I have once. I’ve brought the 4^th Prince’s meal to him once. I have no idea why they sent me instead of any of my seniors…”

“Is that so? You were saying.”

After taking a short breath, I gave her a bright smile.

“I’ve never seen my brothers before. You’re amazing, Anna. I’m stuck in this palace all day. Other than Dane and Fleon, I have never seen any of my other brothers.”

“Gasp (sfx), then you’ve never met the 4^th Prince before? “

Anna weakened her guard, wagging her tail like a puppy waiting for her master. Ah, my conscience. I had a hard time collecting my broken conscience.

The conversation started for real now.

“Yeah. So, I’ve always been curious about my other brothers. Though they might not want to see me…”

“T-that’s not true!”

“Really? No, I feel like they don’t like me. As you can see, my face is now like this…”

“Huh?”

“I’m talking about my scar. It’s ugly.”

Anna flinched at the sight of me resting my chin on my knees.

“That’s not possible!”

Soon, Anna stood upright and shook her hands before putting them on my knees.

“I always write letters to my younger siblings, saying how much I missed them. My younger siblings write back too. They always write about how they wanted to run over to me because they missed me so much. That’s how siblings are like, you know? So, I’m sure the Princes feel the same about you, Princess!”

No. There’s something different about them. I nodded, thinking about Fleon.

“Is that so?”

A servant must not touch her master’s body without permission. Anna, unable to grab my hand, nodded her head.

“Because they’re your brothers, you know?”

I looked at Anna slyly.

“Will they really welcome me?”

I deliberately swept my cheeks with my hands.

“Of course! A-and the Princess is very l-lovey. She’s a very nice child who’s also nice to me. The senior maids in the kitchen are all full of praises for you!”

“For me?”

“Yes!”

Anna, who has completely relaxed now, smiled.

“I’ve only met the 4^th Prince but he was very kind as well. He thanked me for bringing him his food… Usually, no such high-ranking person has ever said thank you to their subordinates. Although the people in the Terret Palace’s kitchen did not say anything about the 4^th Prince but I heard that he likes books and is generally quiet. There was no one who complained about him.”

After listening to Anna’s every word, I asked her a question.

“Huh? But Anna. You said the people in the kitchen didn’t say anything about the Prince.”

“That’s right!”

“Then how did you know that he liked books and was generally quiet?”

“Ack. Because that’s something I didn’t hear from the kitchen. The maids usually gossip when we do laundry!”

“Laundry?”

Amy replied with a smile.

“Yes! It’s a public space used by maids from every Palace. I heard it when I was helping out the maids who were doing laundry.”

“That’s it!”

For a moment, I forgot about my act.

“Huh?”

Anna looked at me surprised.

“It’s nothing, I was just amazed.”

Immediately, I put on a happy face.

“Thanks, Anna!”

I jumped up and placed my hand over Anna’s shoulders.

“For talking to me!”

Anna blushed. Anna whose ears also turned red looked as lovely as a baby animal.

It was nice to see such cuteness because the only children around me were Dane, who matured early, and Fleon who was just a brat pretending to be mature.

“To be honest…”

I was a little guilty for using such a young and naïve girl. But I had no time to be apologetic. My life’s at stake.

“I actually wanted to know more about another Prince…”

“A Prince?”

“Yup. I’m very curious about him.”

I smiled weakly.

“I’m curious about my brothers but no one tells me anything. So, I wasn’t sure if I could ask. Yesterday, I tried to ask the people from Terena’s Palace but they didn’t tell me anything. They said that it was exclusive information. So, no one knew anything…”

“Your Highness…”

Anna’s pale face looked sympathetic.

“Sob (sfx), Anna… We don’t live together, but I keep thinking of them. They are also thinking about me, right? My brothers c-care… care about me… right?”

“Gasp (sfx), of course. Our poor Princess…”

Anna’s light brown eyes began to tear up.

“I saw it in a book that families will love each other even if they were far apart from each other.”

“O-of course!”

“I want to hear more about my brothers…”

I wiped my hands on my knees, as if I was wiping off my tears.

“How they’re doing? Were they healthy? I just need to know…”

Now’s the time. Tears! Come to me! Work, my tear ducts! When I pressed my thumbs to my eyes, I forced my tears to well up in my eyes.

“Sob (sfx)… But I know that I was asking for too much.”

I blinked my eyes. Tears flowed down like streams.