Chapter 3: The Heinous Princess and Her Family

Chapter 3:
The Heinous Princess and Her Family

“NGH… WAAAAAAAH…”

Who is that? I hear someone crying.

Wails rose inside a pitch-black room. It was… It was me.

“Oh, Stale? You’re back already? That sure was quick.”

Someone was approaching. I couldn’t see much through that heavy darkness, but I knew it was a girl.

That’s right. She’s the one who ordered me to kill Mom and come back here.

Mom looked so happy, but so surprised when she first saw me. I begged her to run, but she didn’t understand. She just stood there and died on my knife.

“Stale… Why?”

Her voice still rang in my ears. She sank to the floor, bleeding profusely, tears shining in her eyes.

I turned away, unable to look at her, and left her there on the floor. Then I…then I…then I…then I…!

“You came right back so you wouldn’t be spotted, just as I ordered. What a good boy you are.”

Her hands stroking through my hair left me nauseated. The mirth in her voice ignited a surge of murderous rage inside me. I howled like an animal, scooping up the knife I’d stabbed Mom with and swinging it straight at the girl.

She didn’t even have time to move out of the way before my blade reached her throat…and stopped. I had no hesitance, no reluctance about killing the wretched creature, yet my body was frozen and out of my control.

“Ah ha ha! How stupid can you be? You can’t kill your master once you’ve signed a fealty contract,” she said.

Just hearing her voice makes me want to puke.

“Why?!” I asked. “Why did you make me kill Mom?! What did I… What did Mom ever do to you?!”

She merely shrugged, unmoved by my shouting. “Nothing, of course. I did it because it’s just so entertaining. Ahhh, Stale, my adorable little slave. Thanks to you, I’m having the time of my life lately.” She looked like a mere child, but that laugh held a cruelty that clashed with her innocent image.

“Then kill me,” I said. “If making me suffer is so much fun, then why don’t you just kill me?!” At this point, death would be a mercy. How could I go on living in this world without Mom?

“What’re you talking about? I thought you said you’d kill me when you signed the fealty contract, no? But now you want to die? You want to be with your dead mom?!”

My hands trembled around the knife. If I could just move it even a little, I could kill her. It would be so very easy to drag the blade across her throat.

“Okay, then here’s an order for you,” she said. “From here out, you can never take your own life. You can never tell anyone about what you did today or about this new promise either.”

“What…?”

She wouldn’t even let me die.

“Oh, yes, that’s the look,” she said. “Why don’t you keep that look on your face for a while? Goodnight, Stale. Be sure to clean off all that woman’s disgusting commoner blood before the birthday celebration tomorrow.” She turned on her heel, nearly skipping out of the room.

I collapsed right where I stood, falling to the ground and slamming my fists against the floor. I lay there raging like a wounded beast, nearly incoherent, howling with all my might. I longed to plunge that horrible knife into my own chest and end my pain.

Unfortunately, all I could do was curl in on myself and go on weeping. Anger and sadness and grief clenched around my heart. My breathing turned ragged, small sips of air squeezing into lungs crushed by agony.

This is the end. I don’t want to live anymore. Nothing good will ever happen to me again in this life. Mom was gone and, with her, my entire world. Plus, the contract chained me to the girl who’d forced me to kill her. I had no one left, no one but the person responsible for Mom’s death.

If only I was never born with this power, then I’d get to be with Mom forever. Why did I have to be born with teleportation? I can’t take it anymore. I want to die, I want to die, I want to die, I want to die, I want to die, I can’t take it, I can’t take it, I can’t take it, I can’t take it, I can’t take it anymore! There’s nothing left for me in this life. Nothing. Nothing at all, because…

Because I’ll be alone for the rest of my life.

If I could just die, I might get to be with Mom and Dad. Yet my orders forced me to keep on living.

“Mom… I’m s-sorry… I just…”

I just wanted to see you. That’s all I wanted.

I hadn’t even gotten an opportunity to tell her I loved her. The moment I signed that contract, both our fates were sealed. I would never forgive that girl for what she did.

No, she wasn’t a girl. She was a demon in human skin. Whatever it took, I would get revenge for Mom’s death. I would destroy that wicked creature. That would be my only hope…

***

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

A maid drew the curtains back and light flooded into the room.

“Good morning,” I said, groggy and disoriented.

Sunlight poured in through the window. I nestled deeper under the blankets and rubbed at my eyes. What was that just now? I think I had some kind of dream.

I tried to dredge up the details, but all I got were hazy snatches.

“You were groaning in your sleep. Are you feeling well?” the maid said, but I couldn’t even remember if it was a good dream or a bad one. When I rubbed at my eyes, however, I found faint traces of tears.

I don’t think I’ve ever once cried in my sleep since I came here. I was still wondering at the dampness around my eyes when I dragged myself out of bed. Well, I’d definitely cried at things other than dreams.

My face grew hot when I thought back on what had happened with Pride a few days earlier. The more I remembered, the more embarrassed I became, yet something softer and warmer filled my chest at the same time. I tried to shake it off as the maids helped me dress and go over the day’s schedule.

Oh, that’s right. Today is…

“We’ll also be making the final preparations for Princess Tiara’s birthday party tomorrow,” the maid said.

Princess Tiara, Pride’s younger sister. I hadn’t even managed to meet her yet. I’d get my introduction at the same time as the rest of the kingdom.

“Thank you very much,” I said. “Elder Sister is looking forward to it, and so am I.”

Tiara Royal Ivy was the second-born princess. I’d heard she was sickly. Even as Mother, Father, Pride, and the rest of Freesia celebrated her birthday, I resolved to look out for the girl.

Although…

I finished my morning preparations and left the room. I was still musing over who Tiara was and what this party would be like as I hurried down the hall and came to a staircase.

“Good morning, Stale,” a voice called up the stairs.

I gazed down at the girl destined to be queen, the girl who already meant so much to me, the girl who might change this whole kingdom someday.

“Good morning, Pride.”

Even if I wanted to protect Tiara, my first priority would always be Pride. It was her happiness and success that I truly needed to cherish and bolster.

Tomorrow was Princess Tiara’s birthday party. It would also be my first time meeting Mother since I was adopted into the family, and Pride’s first time seeing Mother since she became the official successor. Both of those things far eclipsed Tiara for me.

After all, everything I did, I did for Pride.

***

In the days since Stale joined the family, he proved himself a shockingly fast learner. He was developing a keen interest in reading books, so we spent less time playing in the gardens and more time studying in the library. Even collapsing during that game of tag didn’t staunch his voracious appetite for more knowledge.

When I asked him about it, he simply said, “There are more things than ever that I want to learn.”

But I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Stale was different ever since he got over his cold. He was calmer, cooler, as though there was something lurking under the surface. In fact, he felt just like the scheming boy I remembered from his route in the otome game. Just the other day, when I asked him what he wanted to do when he became the seneschal, a sinister smile curled his mouth as he said, “I’m excited to do a full rework of all the palace workers and officials.”

I wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but something about it left me uneasy. Well, it wasn’t like Stale ever smiled at anyone in the game either. In ORL, he reserved his smiles for scheming—or Tiara. He was a mysterious, cool kind of character. While the Stale I knew here certainly had his mysteries, he was far friendlier than in the game. He was already getting pretty popular with the rest of the castle.

I opened a history book, determined not to lose to Stale in wits even as I studied right there beside him. The Pride of ORL was a fast learner. Though evil, her wicked plans involved intricate, intelligent strategies. If I couldn’t be as clever as Stale, the most intellectual love interest, perhaps I could at least be as clever as the Pride of the game. The memories from my past life were helping me with that, imparting knowledge I didn’t have to relearn here. That was fine for the academic subjects, but what about things like empathy? I’d already failed at picking up on the feelings of the people around me to a frankly embarrassing extent. I’d need those kinds of skills too if I was going to succeed.

I spent day after day studying with Stale, trying to keep up with him, trying to improve myself to avert the disaster barreling toward me. But I had to admit it felt strange doing my lessons right next to the boy who might kill me in ten years, if things went the way they did in the game.

“Ugh…”

How depressing. I sighed to myself. These thoughts plagued me day and night, even when I wasn’t sitting right next to Stale in the library. I just couldn’t stop wondering how all this would play out now.

“Is something the matter, Your Highness? Are you feeling worried about today’s birthday party?” Lotte asked while helping me dress.

I must have been sighing more than usual, but I tried to downplay it. “It’s nothing like that. I’m excited to meet Mother and my sister. I guess I’m just a little nervous.”

It wasn’t a lie. I really was excited to see Tiara and Mother. However, burdened with my past life’s memories and the knowledge of where this was all leading, it was hard to be very happy about this. Tiara was yet another victim of Pride’s torment.

In the game, after Father died, Mother began to deteriorate. Pride played the role of a kind older sister around their mother, but turned harsh and cold the moment she was alone with Tiara. Day after day, she hurled insults at her younger sister, calling her a useless stain on the monarchy, and wore down Tiara’s self-confidence. Once Pride inherited the throne, she forced Tiara to live in a faraway tower, but even there Tiara retained her compassionate nature and lived a noble life. She timidly addressed Pride as “Queen Pride” or “Your Majesty” due to all the bullying, but by the end of the game, after Pride died for her crimes, Tiara murmured “Elder Sister” in every single route. Even after so many years of torment, Tiara mourned Pride and the relationship they never had.

Knowing all that, I promised I’d try my very best not to let any of it happen. I didn’t want to upset or hurt Tiara. But how much could I do when I was destined to become the villain, the monstrous final boss? In ten years, Tiara would stop my rampage and heal the land in the process.

My sister was the only ray of hope for the love interests, and for the entirety of the kingdom as well.

***

The whole kingdom came out to celebrate Tiara’s birthday. From inns and taverns to large public squares, the Freesian people emerged in droves, abuzz with excitement over the new princess.

Naturally, the castle would host the most extravagant party of all. Visiting monarchs from neighboring lands, our own nobility, even some members of the middle class all filled the castle to bursting. Music drifted through every hall. Lavish food spreads awaited guests at every turn.

Yet the only members of the actual royal family present at that point were me and Mother, whom I hadn’t seen yet thanks to having to adjust my makeup, accessories, and gown. When we actually went out to greet people, I would go first, followed by Stale. Tiara would arrive last, accompanied by Father.

I stood at the bottom of the staircase that led to the grand hall and gulped. I was used to these kinds of celebrations, between royal birthdays and national events, but this time my heart hammered against my ribs.

“Elder Sister.”

I turned to find Stale standing behind me with a pleasant smile on his face. This was his first such event, yet he looked utterly cool and calm, unlike me.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be right here with you,” he said.

“Thank you, Stale. That’s good to hear,” I told him.

I couldn’t help but return his reassuring smile. My heart rate slowed just a touch, knowing he was by my side. But almost the moment I smiled back at him, Stale turned away.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, but he waved away my question, still refusing to look at me. The red tinge to his ears made me think that perhaps he was just as nervous as me.

“Um, I…didn’t say this earlier, but…” He turned back toward me with an effort, a strange flush heating his face. “Y-you look very…lovely.”

“Oh!” I blinked. “Hee hee. Thank you, Stale. You look very handsome too.”

I put my hand over my mouth like a proper lady, but I still couldn’t hold in my laughter. Thanks to the memories of my past life, I’d mastered a dignified giggle in no time.

In his formal attire, black hair neatly styled and gallant features on full display, Stale really was handsome. He was only a child, but I knew that as one of the romanceable characters in the game, he’d grow into a dashing man. Plus, he had such a kind heart. He must have been nervous, yet he’d come here and tried to calm my nerves as well. As I admired his looks in silence, Stale stood there, flustered.

The maids and guards around us were smiling to themselves as they overheard our conversation.

“While it may be Princess Tiara’s debut today, it’s also the debut of Princess Pride as the new heir to the throne. You mustn’t hesitate in holding your head up high today,” one of them offered.

They were right. Tiara wasn’t the only reason for this party—I had a leading role to play too. Stale cleared his throat and stood up straighter and I followed his lead, facing forward again and trying to get my racing heartbeat under control. Soon, the guards shouted a command and horns blared out a fanfare that rang through the hall.

With a gasp, I corrected my posture. The clamoring crowd fell to a hush as one loud, clear voice rose above the din to announce “Pride Royal Ivy.” It was time.

Slowly but gracefully, I proceeded down the long carpet. Applause enveloped me on all sides, as the crowd parted so I could continue along my route.

They called Stale’s name next. Even though he was the eldest prince, Stale was also my steward, so he followed behind me like my attendant. The guests around us let out cries of awe as they laid eyes on him for the very first time. I imagined they were struck by the beauty and aura he possessed, one so unlike any ordinary commoner. Besides, they’d seen me and Mother and Father before. Stale and Tiara would draw their attention today.

Slowly, I closed the distance between me and Mother.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Pride? My dear daughter,” she said.

Rosa Royal Ivy smiled down at me, framed by the soft waves of her blonde hair. She sat upon her throne with elegance, watching me with placid eyes. She was like a white rose perched upon a dais—regal, beautiful, and graceful, commanding the adoration of everyone around her.

“Yes, Mother. It’s been a long time since we last met. I’m glad to see you looking well.” I did my best to imitate her elegant smile.

“So this is the new member of our family, hmm?” she said, turning her gaze toward Stale.

“Yes, this is Stale Royal Ivy, my younger brother-in-law,” I said. “We’ve entered into a subordination contract, so he’ll be assisting me for the rest of my life.”

Stale was already kneeling when I turned around, waiting for Mother’s response just as he’d been taught. When Mother asked him to raise his head and introduce himself, Stale’s responses were flawless. Everyone around us must have been just as impressed as me with how he handled himself before the queen.

We finished our official introductions and took our seats off to the side. The next round of fanfare echoed through the hall, announcing my father and Tiara. Tiara emerged with Father leading her by the hand as applause filled the hall.

With her fluffy blonde hair and pale skin, she looked so much like Mother. She regarded the large assembly with calm, gentle eyes.

“What a beautiful girl,” someone said.

“Why, she looks just like Her Majesty,” another onlooker added.

Uh-oh. I’m getting a little annoyed…

In my past life, I never thought twice about other children getting more attention than me. But something about being Pride sent a stab of jealousy right into my heart. Tiara was just so cute, so charming. Everyone kept remarking how much she looked like Mother. I wished they’d say the same about me, but no one ever compared me to my parents here, despite my sharp eyes and bright red hair.

No! I won’t bully her. I definitely, definitely won’t bully her! I focused all my attention on keeping a smile on my face and squashing down that petty voice inside me.

Meanwhile, Tiara stepped carefully down the carpet, struggling to walk in the kind of gown she’d never worn before. She and Father greeted Mother once they reached the throne, then turned toward Stale and me.

“Pride, Stale,” Father said, “this girl is your younger sister, Tiara. Tiara, this is your big sister, Pride, and your big brother, Stale.”

Tiara blinked her large, golden eyes at us in a rapid flutter. Stale and I rose, approaching Tiara to greet her. I went first, being her older sister and all.

“Tiara, I’m Pride Royal Ivy. Let’s take good care of each other, my dear sister.”

Perhaps her secluded life had made her shy, but when she responded, her voice hardly rose above a whisper, and she wore a timid smile. “I’m Tiara Royal Ivy. I’m so glad to meet you…Elder Sister.”

Aaaah! So cute! No wonder everyone loved ORL’s protagonist. “She’s the most likable heroine in the whole series,” people used to say. “What an angel!” Despite being the protagonist of the very first game, Tiara’s popularity persisted among fans.

That nasty voice in my head quieted when confronted with such a cute, shy girl. Stale, as the only love interest who got to see her this way, had to be luckiest of all the romanceable characters. Tiara looked like a tiny version of Mother, perfect and cute in every way.

Stale stepped forward to greet her next. At this point in the game’s plotline, Stale was basically emotionless, having just killed his mother the night before. “My name is Stale Royal Ivy. It’s an honor to meet you, Princess Tiara. I look forward to seeing more of you,” was all he said in the game.

When Tiara saw him like that, she reached down to take the kneeling boy’s hands, smiled at him, and addressed him as “my brother.” To Stale, who’d lost all other relatives, it was the first warmth or familial kindness he’d received in some time. Tiara always referred to Stale as her brother after that day, and Stale looked after her more than anyone else. Even after Tiara was locked inside her isolated tower, Stale made regular trips to visit her, completely unbeknownst to Pride.

I hoped that, just like in the game, Tiara could provide such comfort and warmth to this Stale too. Nervously, I observed their first interaction. Stale knelt on the floor and took Tiara’s hand.

“I’m Stale Royal Ivy, and I’m very honored to be your big brother, Tiara,” he said.

Wait, what?

Stale had only ever called her “Princess Tiara” around me and the people of the castle. But now, all of a sudden, he addressed her without her title, and during their very first meeting at that. I’d expected him to be much more formal.

For a moment, I wondered if Mother, Father, or the palace nobility would be bothered by this, but no one reacted as far as I could tell. In fact, everyone looked impressed by Stale’s refined manner and dignified introduction.

I was sure that Stale called her “Princess Tiara” in this scene in the game, though. I supposed things were different here, however. For one thing, in the game, Stale actually got to meet and confide in Tiara. For another, by this point in ORL, he’d already murdered his mother. This Stale, free of the burden of matricide, was able to greet his adorable younger sister with amicable charm.

“Pride, the firstborn princess and your older sister, is just as wonderful as Mother and Father,” Stale was saying, still holding Tiara’s hand. “Let’s do everything we can to be of help to her, okay?”

Tiara’s smile broadened and she squeezed Stale’s hand in hers. “Yes, Big Brother.”

All I could do was watch in utter shock.

Stale had certainly opened up to me more here than in the game, but I never imagined he’d say something like that in public. Though he spoke directly to Tiara, the entire assembly hung on his every word. Effectively, Stale had just declared to the people of the castle—no, to the people of the kingdom—that we were more than just siblings, and voiced his approval of me as the future queen in the process.

I bit the inside of my cheek as the implications hit me, holding back the tears that threatened to well up. Tiara turned her gaze to me. Stale was next, but soon Mother, Father, and everyone else watching the proceedings all focused on me. I gulped and took a shaky step forward to address Tiara.

“Thank you, Stale, and you too, Tiara,” I said. “I’m so happy to have such reliable siblings.” I set a hand on each of their heads.

This is it. This is where I have to say those words. But… I knew what I had to do, the right words to say, yet some nasty, ugly piece of myself, the part of me that was still Pride, fought against me. I dragged in a breath, gathering my courage.

“May the three of us, as siblings, protect this kingdom and its people forever.”

Instantly, a chorus of cheers erupted in the room. Voices rose among the ruckus, shouting, “Long live Princess Pride!” and “Her Highness, the crown princess!”

I’ve never heard such cheers in all my life.

Stale wore a satisfied smile. Tiara reached up and squeezed my hand on her head, giving me a small nod. Father clapped right along with the audience. As for Mother, she smiled, glanced over at Father…then applauded with everyone else.

I could hardly breathe. My mouth hung open as I took in this roar of approval. The memories from my past life made it almost impossible to believe what I was seeing. I well knew all the gossip about Pride, having heard it from a young age. “She’s so selfish.” “She’s just a spoiled princess.” “She’s not fit to be royalty.” No one ever showed such intense enthusiasm for me, not even at my own birthday parties or events.

Mother rose from her throne for the first time and stood before me. I gaped up at her, tall and beautiful and striking. Mother hardly showed her age at all. When she spoke, her voice rose above the crowd, though she did not shout.

“The people here are expecting great things from you,” she told me. “I want you to make sure you never forget this moment.”

Of course. There’s no way I’d ever forget.

Mother faced the audience next. The moment she raised her hands, silence rushed to replace the ruckus. When she spoke, her voice boomed from her slender frame.

“One month ago,” she said, “Pride, the firstborn princess, developed the precognition that serves as proof of her right to the throne. She will continue my legacy and serve as queen when her time comes. I hereby recognize Pride Royal Ivy as the crown princess of this kingdom!”

In that moment, I officially became Mother’s successor and inherited the power that came with that title. Stale and Tiara, as members of the royal family, would serve as well and earn the love of the people. I could not hope for a similar fate. As Pride, I’d eventually fail in my mission of “protecting the land and its people.” But I still had ten years before then and I swore I would use that time to do everything I could to help Freesia and its people.

Even if my dear siblings would despise me in the end.

***

I endured a gamut of guests and introductions and polite conversations before the ceremony finally ended and I got a break.

I’d only just extracted myself from another conversation full of congratulations when Prime Minister Gilbert approached me. I let my shoulders relax. He was a shy man and my father’s assistant as well; I didn’t need to remain on my guard. Even Tiara seemed relaxed around him. She must have met him before.

I greeted him with a nod and thanked him for organizing the whole party.

“There’s no need to thank me, Your Highness,” he said. “It is I who am grateful to see each and every member of the royal family here in the same room today.”

His easy smile still held the perfect poise expected of the prime minister. His constant flattery made me slightly suspicious, but how could I hate the man keeping the secret of those letters between Stale and his mom?

What’s this? Father and even Stale look kind of scary all of a sudden… I couldn’t figure out what their sudden shift meant.

“Princess Tiara, when I watched you today, I could hardly believe that this was your first public appearance,” Prime Minister Gilbert went on. “But it’s unfortunate, is it not? You would make as fine a queen as Princess Pride, if only you possessed her precognition for yourse—”

“I beg your pardon. What exactly do you mean by ‘unfortunate,’ Prime Minister Gilbert?” Stale cut in.

Stale?!

Before Father could even step in or correct him, Stale moved in front of Prime Minister Gilbert and met him with a glare.

“Ah, my sincerest apologies, Prince Stale,” Gilbert said. “I only meant that Princess Tiara displayed the utmost elegance today, but it appears I was quite rude in my wording.”

The Prime Minister offered a charming smile and changed the subject, ignoring Stale’s obvious anger.

“Why, I hardly recognized you earlier, Prince Stale,” he said. “In just the few days since I last saw you, you’ve become the very picture of royalty. I would love nothing more than to have a chance to converse with you sometime. I’d like to hear about your hometown and yes, even your previous family, or the kinds of special powers you’ve encountered among the townsfolk in your life.”

“Thank you, Prime Minister Gilbert. I only made it this far with the support of the wonderful Princess Pride,” Stale replied. “I’ll do everything in my power to help her. I hope you’ll support me as the eldest prince as well. Can I count on that, Prime Minister Gilbert?” Stale leaned into every title, making them heavy with authority and setting a challenge before Gilbert.

What’s going on? He’s being really, really scary!

Though Stale and Gilbert both smiled, something far darker lurked just beneath the surface of their pleasant expressions. Stale seemed to threaten the prime minister with every word, as though to say, “My rank is higher than yours. Don’t you dare look down on me.” Could he already be this protective over his younger sister?

“Yes, of course, Prince Stale,” Gilbert responded in a voice tight and tense with malice.

This wasn’t going anywhere good. Tiara cocked her head in confusion, and I led her a few steps away, lest their conflict boil over right there and then.

“Ah, pardon me,” Gilbert said. “Princess Pride, your conduct in particular stole the heart of everyone who laid eyes on you. By the way, I have a humble request of you, now that you’re the heir to the throne. Might I hear your thoughts on the politics of this kingdom? For example, the topic of those who possess special pow—”

Thwack!

Prime Minister Gilbert reeled and rubbed his head, but it wasn’t Stale who struck him. Father got there first and dragged the prime minister away by the collar.

“Are you all right, Elder Sister? I’m sorry, I said too much just now,” Stale said to me.

“N-no, I appreciated what you said, Stale, thank you. I just…”

I hugged Tiara’s shoulders, as if she were a stuffed animal I could squeeze for comfort during a storm.

“You just what?” Stale said.

“Stale…you’ve changed since you first came to the castle,” I admitted. “You remind me of Prime Minister Gilbert now.”

“What?!” he choked. His eyes flew wide, color draining out of his face. “Wh-what makes you say that?”

I’d never seen Stale so flustered before. His mouth hung open as though he couldn’t summon the words to express his bewilderment.

“Well… Like…the way you…smile?”

“I-I’ve always been bad with…showing my emotions and such,” Stale said. “Or rather…I can’t do it properly…”

“What? Is that so? I’m sorry, I never noticed that,” I said. I tried to encourage him to brush it off, but his shoulders slumped and he said, “No, I know that it’s something I need to master.”

With that, he turned away. I could hear him quietly mumbling things like, “Right… My face has to be…so that I can…” and “But why Gilbert of all people…”

I didn’t really understand any of it. I hadn’t realized that Stale struggled so much to express himself even before Pride gravely wounded his heart. Sure, he had trouble with that in the game and remained a stoic character even in his happiest ending with Tiara, but none of that trauma had occurred here. Perhaps I’d misread him, then, and he truly was just offering the prime minister a friendly smile.

My guilt weighing me down, I released Tiara and whispered, “Go cheer him up.”

She walked up to him and tugged on his shirt. “Big brother,” she said. With his shoulders still slumped, he patted her head. It was an adorable sight, unlike any scenes I ever saw in the game. How could I not root for them to eventually find happiness together?

“Princess Pride.”

I turned when someone called my name, only to find…

“Oh, Commander.”

A large man awaited me wearing armor and white knight’s coat. I knew him from previous events. He was the commander of the royal order. Behind him stood two more knights, one of whom had to be the vice commander.

“I was incredibly moved by your earlier speech,” he said. “I would like to congratulate you on your new title of crown princess and wish a happy birthday to Princess Tiara as well.”

The commander bowed his head as he spoke. It was all a bit much to take in. He’d never offered more than a basic greeting before, and certainly never praise.

“Why, thank you,” I replied. “I’m very glad to hear it.”

His smile was as handsome as the rest of him. “The Unwounded Knight” had bright blue eyes and short-cropped silver hair. As his nickname implied, he didn’t bear a single scar thanks to his exceptional prowess in battle. It was easy to see why as I took in his muscular frame. In my previous life, I might have even labeled him a “hunk.”

“Truly, you’ve grown into a wonderful young lady since we last met,” he said, ever the charmer.

My head swirled with déjà vu as I tried to figure out where I remembered this man from. It could have been the game itself, but there was no way a man his age was one of the love interests. He and Prime Minister Gilbert, both in their twenties or thirties…something just felt off about them.

“I hope that my son might one day have an audience with you as well, Your Highness,” the commander added.

Yeah, I knew it. He might be too old to be a love interest in an otome game, but his son wasn’t.

“Is your son a knight as well?” I asked.

“I…wish that were the case,” he said with a laugh and scratched his head.

Uh-oh.

A bit taken aback, I smiled and replied, “I look forward to the day when you can introduce us.”

Even as I offered the pleasantry, something in my gut told me things were more complicated than they appeared.

***

“Albert…I’ve been thinking.”

I, Rosa, the queen of Freesia, was worn out from my day of official business at Tiara’s birthday party. My husband, Albert Royal Ivy, joined me in my bedroom that evening.

“I just can’t believe how much Pride has changed since I last saw her,” I said.

Perhaps it’d simply been too long since I’d had time to see Pride. I knew my work had kept me away for quite a while now. But both Albert and I knew well that when Pride wasn’t around us, she was an incredibly selfish and arrogant child. Her reputation around the castle had reached our ears long ago.

“I’ve been telling you, haven’t I? Ever since her powers awakened, she’s been different,” Albert said.

“Pride would never have been able to become queen before. It was Tiara who was supposed to inherit the throne…until now.”

“You’ve had a change of heart. Is it because of your precognition? Or is it…”

“My judgment as the queen, and as her mother, is what’s changed my mind, of course. That’s why I never visited Pride in person. I believed it was Tiara, the second-born princess, who was destined to become the true queen. But Pride is still my daughter, and I love her very much, which only made it harder to see her and know she wasn’t fit to be queen. Especially after having Tiara. If Tiara ever developed precognition, I would have had to tell Pride that she wasn’t the heir.”

Albert insisted over and over that I should visit Pride more and show her a mother’s love, but I couldn’t bring myself to fill her with false hope about inheriting the crown. I sent him instead and he showered her with enough love for the both of us. Albert kept me up to date on what Pride was doing, but as soon as I gave birth to Tiara, I knew Pride would never become my successor.

“I was sixteen when I had my first premonition.”

“That’s just around the time we first met,” Albert said. I hadn’t noticed him move nearer, near enough to murmur into my ear and send a prickle of heat down my spine.

Precognition. I’d used that power to foresee many things. Long before I was even pregnant with Pride or Tiara, I saw both of them in my visions.

Of course, precognition was hardly a reliable power. I got visions at random. Sometimes, they were as momentous as the births of my daughters; other times, they were as trivial as tomorrow’s weather. I could neither control nor predict it. The visions simply happened, and while they did occasionally influence the future of the kingdom, few queens actually relied on them. For one thing, some of us got them constantly, whereas others experienced one maybe every ten years.

“I’ve foreseen many things since my first vision,” I said. “However, one premonition that persisted was Pride, and a future beyond saving.”

I never saw what happened after Pride took the throne. I couldn’t bear to tell Albert all the horrible details of what I knew for sure, though—that Pride grew into a wicked queen who took pleasure from others’ suffering. No amount of love or punishment would change that outcome.

“And yet, ever since you told me about Pride’s precognition, I’ve stopped having visions about her future.”

I didn’t understand how or why, but ever since Pride awoke to her own powers, her future didn’t appear for me, as though it had been diverted off course, erased, or changed in some way.

And then there was today’s birthday party.

At first, I thought Pride was just playing the part of the perfect princess, putting on a show like she always did. But when she looked at Stale, I knew for certain that something was different. I’d seen the boy three months ago, but I didn’t know who he was at the time. He simply appeared in my vision of Pride, a dead-eyed boy cradling Tiara’s hand.

That very scene played out when Stale greeted Tiara at the birthday party…except this time, Stale had changed. The boy I saw in my vision only offered Tiara the most basic, formal introduction. But the real scene played out differently, with Stale speaking earnestly and familiarly.

Then there was his stalwart show of support for Pride in front of the entire assembly. That, too, was a significant change from my visions. I couldn’t say for sure what kind of future it portended, but certainly a different one than what I’d seen before.

“Stale hasn’t even lived in this castle for an entire month, and yet he did such a thing for Pride’s sake,” I mused. “The future…it changed. She’s going to become a good queen. But how?”

At my sigh, Albert’s smile twisted into a grimace. “This troubles you?”

“Yes, it does. I always thought that Tiara would take the throne, that Pride could never be queen. That’s why I treated them both the way I did. Especially Pride… I couldn’t…”

I held my head in my hands as the words hit me. I couldn’t be a mother to her.

“Then it’s just as I said, isn’t it?” Albert said.

I peered up from between my hands to glare at him.

“Yes, sure, you were right,” I said. Only my husband could get away with embarrassing me like this. “You were the one who always said that Pride was still young, that the future wasn’t set in stone and she could still become the fine queen we always wanted her to be.”

Albert just smiled, the same kind, soft smile I’d known and loved for so long. Just then, however, it twisted the guilt already knotted in my stomach.

“I’m not fit to be a mother…or a queen…” I said. I slouched over onto a table, and Albert set his hands on my shoulders.

“The way you treated Pride… Well, as her father, I can’t say that it wasn’t sometimes harsh,” he said. “But as the prince consort, and as your husband, I just want to see you two repair your bond in the future. It isn’t too late. She’s still just a girl.”

I heaved another sigh. “But I’ve always been playing the role of ‘dignified queen’ with Pride. It would be much too embarrassing to treat her like I treat Tiara all of a sudden.”

When Pride was young, it was me, not Albert, who spoiled her. I wouldn’t even rely on the wet nurse, insisting I would care for the newborn myself. So, really, this was all my fault. Pride was doted on as a young child. She was never told no, never scolded; she received only praise and pampering. Of course she grew up into a selfish girl willing to abuse her powers and station. Even so, when I finally realized that Pride could never become queen, I abandoned all my official business and wept for three days and nights straight.

“Things will work out this time,” Albert said softly. “You’ve got me here with you, right? You don’t need to go through this alone.”

I trembled, drawing strength from those steady hands on my shoulders. “Albert…”

He knelt beside me and took my hand, pulling me into a tight embrace.

“I love you, Prince Albert,” I said. “I’d be helpless without you. I couldn’t do this without you by my side.”

“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t call me that anymore, back on that day when you officially inherited the throne,” he said. “And besides…I love you even more.”

Even after all these years together, heat flushed my face at his words. Albert helped me up. I could hardly breathe, chest clenching tight around my love for this man. Only he got to see me like this; only he knew about the queen’s softer, private side. But it only seemed to make him love me all the more.