The Abandoned Princess’ Secret Bedroom - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 

 

***

***

 

 

At his words, Llewelyn looked at Tristan for a long time. Wouldn’t it be best if he took it back? He responded as if he had read her mind.

 

“Instead of being ferocious in nature, it is a very clever bird. It has a good sense of smell, so it can not only deliver letters, but also hunt. They’re very precious.”

 

“…”

 

“The owner also needs to take good care of it.”

 

“…”

 

Llewelyn’s expression did not change.

 

“It hatched after its mother died.”

 

“… Oh?”

 

“All the other eggs died, but this one held on to the end.”

 

Llewelyn looked at the bad-tempered bird. The bird made a chirping sound, as if asking ‘What are you looking at?’ Compared to its fierce eyes, its chirp was weak. Llewelyn felt something strange looking at the bird. She had always been weak to animals.

 

“Can you really give this to me? It’s precious.”

 

“Didn’t you say you like animals?”

 

It was the same reason over and over again. ‘She likes animals, so I’ll give it to her.’ Did Tristan not know that this was strange behavior? If it was precious then he should have used it himself. Why did he give it to her?

 

Watching the weakly chirping bird, Llewelyn fiddled with the cage.

 

It wasn’t that she didn’t love animals. She loved them all. Birds, dogs, cats. But because all the animals she had raised in the past were slaughtered by her father, she was hesitant. However, her father was no more.

 

“Does it live long?”

 

“Yes. Fifty years.”

 

“Fifty years… that’s long for a bird.”

 

It was still a baby. But fifty years… it would be with her all that time. Even if she went to the monastery, she would not be lonely if she was with the bird.

 

“Thank you, I’ll take it.”

 

“…”

 

“I’m not going to neglect it, and I’m going to raise it properly…”

 

Llewelyn decided to keep the bird. However, this bird was usually trained by the Zakat tribe.

 

“Um, so…”

 

Llewelyn said in a voice the size of a mosquito. “Sir, please help me.”

 

Unlike before, she was cowardly in asking for help. Llewelyn’s ears were dyed red. As she bowed her head and tapped the cage, the bird tilted its head and nudged its beak into Llewelyn’s finger. The gesture was lovely.

 

Llewelyn lifted her head to tell Tristan to take a look. Tristan remained expressionless. Why? Shouldn’t he be excited that she liked the bird?

 

Llewelyn didn’t notice that Tristan’s cheeks were red. His dark skin hid the flush on his face. Tristan’s neck moved quickly. He swallowed hard.

 

“Of course I will help.”

 

“…”

 

“Even if you don’t ask for it, of course.”

 

Llewelyn smiled brightly. She didn’t know that Tristan’s ears had also turned red.

 

“Princess.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Take this too.”

 

Tristan held out a medicine box in his large hand.

 

“The scratch on your cheek, be sure to put some medicine on it.”

 

“Thank you.” Llewelyn nodded meekly.

 

*

 

Llewelyn wore an apricot-colored dress. As expected, the dress Pamela threw at her was great. Compared to Pamela, who had a voluptuous body, Llewelyn was very skinny. So Llewelyn had to have her maids cinch the waist with a ribbon.

 

Llewelyn tied her long hair with a matching ribbon, and did not wear any accessories, save the aquamarine necklace that contrasted nicely with the dress.

 

Llewelyn was about to give up accessorising her outfit, but she put consideration into how she looked for her escorts. What would the knights think and feel, holding the hand of a shabby princess at the king’s birthday banquet? When Llewelyn went outside, Paulo was standing there.

 

He blinked.

 

“Huh?”

 

“… Uh… Nothing.”

 

“Where’s Sir Tristan?”

 

“He’s investigating the infiltration case.”

 

“…”

 

“Princess, am I not enough?” At Paulo’s sarcastic remarks, Llewelyn looped her arm around Paulo’s and started walking. It was a very funny reaction. Paulo couldn’t stop staring at Llewelyn and she clicked her tongue.

 

The White Knights descended from high-ranking noble families, but most of the Red Knights were from low-ranking nobles or commoners. They realized just how childish the violence inflicted on Llewelyn was, and how harsh it was to be childish. Therefore, the hostility that the Red Knights had toward Llewelyn was lost and forgotten.

 

But mostly, it was because she got along with Tristan better than they thought. 

 

Seeing the scar on her cheek that had barely been covered with makeup, Paulo clicked his tongue. He thought she was an annoying personality, but the environment made her that way. She was a very strange princess. The servants and maids were always disrespectful to her, but she never punished them.

 

Was it to humble herself and live as if she were dead?

 

Or was she indifferent?

 

Don’t eccentric bosses usually argue with their subordinates? There were rumors that this was the case with the Princess, but in reality, it never happened. Where did the rumor come from that all of the princess’s maids died because of her? Llewelyn didn’t even get annoyed with the knights once.

 

“I don’t know what you are thinking!”

 

Paulo sighed. He had a habit of saying his thoughts out loud. He looked towards Llewelyn, and Llewelyn looked at Paulo. Her pale amber eyes seemed to stare right through him.

 

“Sorry. I’m sorry.”

 

She simply averted her gaze without a word. If his commander found out about his outburst, it would have been a death sentence. Still, Paulo thought that the princess wouldn’t bother telling the commander about this.

 

He examined the apricot-colored dress Llewelyn was wearing. He knew the embellishment of the dress wounded the princess’s face. But she wore such clothes because the queen had ordered it.

 

He came to a simple conclusion.

 

This princess had no desire to protect herself.

 

It was just a helpless surrender to violence. Did the commander know about it? Paulo looked at the princess once more. His face looked dangerous.

 

*

“Happy birthday, Brother.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Llewelyn hesitated. When it came time to give him a gift, she felt burdened. Unfortunately, she was the poorest royal in the world.

 

“Unfortunately, I could only bring myself.”

 

“No, Llewellyn. I am glad that you are present.” Bastian smiled brightly. A rather warm picture was drawn between the siblings, but Pamela brutally broke it.

 

“Every time, you don’t prepare gifts for him.”

 

“Sorry, Mother.”

 

She told her not to bring a gift, but when she obeyed, they bullied her like this. The nobles clicked their tongues and rebuked her. Llewelyn bowed her head.

 

“Is it because in the past, this mother accidentally broke a gift?”

 

After her mother’s death, Pamela became queen. Bastian also went from a b*stard to the crown prince. On Bastian’s birthday, Llewelyn sold off all of her scarce belongings and bought a golden raven carved out of crystal. The gift was her acknowledgement of his legitimacy.

 

Pamela had broken it without hesitation.

 

“No.”

 

“Then, are you protesting about the king giving the princess a small amount of money?”

 

“… Mother, please stop.”

 

At Bastian’s words, Pamela looked at him coldly. The nobles pointed their fingers and started laughing at the princess. Llewellyn remained unfazed.

 

“Well, you look beautiful in your dress, so I’ll let it slide today.”

 

“…”

 

“Mother really likes that dress.”

 

Pamela smiled bewitchingly as she stared at Llewelyn’s wound covered with make-up. Was she happy that she wore her dress? Llewelyn ridiculed herself, who didn’t even feel humiliated. It was time to hear what Pamela had left to say.

 

“I congratulate the Queen and His Majesty!”

 

Then, a woman’s voice was heard. Pamela was startled.

 

“Already? Now is not the time…!”

 

Llewelyn looked puzzled at Pamela’s murmur. She heard commotion.

 

Someone was kneeling behind Llewelyn. A woman in a pale green dress was hunched over.

 

Soon, Llewelyn’s eyes widened. The nobles seemed to have noticed the same thing. It was a baby in her arms.

 

“What is this fuss about?!” Pamela exclaimed. Llewelyn was confused about the situation.

 

“I would like to take this opportunity to reveal the truth. This child is His Majesty’s bloodline!”