« Il mange bien ? »
« Oui. Il a dit qu'il ne refuserait plus, maintenant que la Princesse est partie. »
Quelques jours passèrent.
Heureusement, Sian semblait recevoir des soins sans le moindre problème.
« Mais la chose étrange, c'est qu'il demande combien il mange de chaque aliment. »
« … Vraiment ? »
« Il a dû subir un traumatisme à cet âge. Après tout, l'abus de pouvoir du vicomte Shrek doit être la cause, non ? »
Lisa serra les poings et ouvra grands ses yeux triangulaires.
Il me semblait que Sian se faisait marcher sur les pieds parce qu'il avait mon âge.
Grimaceㅡ
Je tressaillis légèrement face à son esprit sanguinaire et me tournai vers l'autre côté.
« C'est ça ! Le vicomte Shrek est méchant ! »
On dirait que je suis devenue, sans le vouloir, la pourvoyeuse de son traumatisme.
Pourtant, dans cette situation, je ne pouvais rien faire.
« Parce que si je ne faisais rien, Sian s'effondrerait sur-le-champ. »
Depuis qu'il était enfermé au cachot souterrain, son corps était en piteux état.
Il peinait à respirer.
Mais comme il avait même été battu, il devait s'estimer heureux de ne pas être mort.
« Si tu t'inquiètes, on fait un tour par sa chambre une minute ? »
Alors que Lisa, me tenant la main, me le proposait en avançant dans le couloir, je secouai la tête.
« Pas encore. »
Bien sûr, j'avais envie d'y aller.
Cependant, Sian, qui avait l'air confus, semblait avoir besoin de temps seul à présent.
« … À penser que tu te soucies des sentiments de l'autre. Billishia, une femme comme toi. »
Bat-tementㅡ
U. Ne. Gen. Til. Fem. Me.
Touchée par ma propre bonté et ma générosité, je me retins de sourire.
[Alors, toi, Billishia… De toutes choses… Ça veut dire que tu es la Princesse.]
Mais la nuit dernière.
La réaction de Sian fut étrange.
D'après mon expérience, il était normal que l'autre baisse la tête en réalisant que j'étais une noble.
Pourtant, il ne le fit pas.
Les yeux noirs qui ondulaient m'emmêlaient avec une persistance dérangeante.
« J'ai l'impression que son expression s'est durcie parce que je suis des Vallois… »
Bien sûr, c'était très probablement une illusion.
Du point de vue de Sian, il était logique de détester la famille Eillian plus que les Vallois.
Peut-être parce que son traumatisme de la noblesse est profond ?
Roulement !
Ce fut à cet instant.
Les fenêtres du long couloir s'éclairèrent puis s'assombrirent.
Soudain, un lourd silence s'abattit tandis que la foudre déchirait le ciel.
Alors que Lisa, légèrement surprise, me saisissait la main, le bruit de la pluie qui patterait contre la vitre remplit le couloir.
« … Notre Bébé Princesse, elle a peuu… peur ? »
« ? »
« Parce que Bébé Princesse a peur, est-ce que Lisa doit te faire un câlin ? »
J'étais debout, pourtant mes jambes qui soutenaient le sol flottèrent dans les airs et je sentis un étreinte chaleureuse.
Assouvissant ses propres désirs égoïstes sous prétexte de tonnerre, Lisa marcha le long du couloir, la bouche collée à mon oreille.
« Il n'y a plus beaucoup de dégâts. »
Résister est inutile.
Avec une tête de renard du Tibet, j'appuyai docilement ma joue contre sa poitrine.
« Notre Bébé Princesse, parce que tu as peur, tu veux bwoire du cacao avec Lisa ? »
Je secouai la tête comme un automate et ignurai Lisa.
« C'est l'heure. »
Mais Lisa n'était pas celle dont je devais me soucier en ce moment.
À l'heure prévue, je levai discrètement les yeux.
C'était pareil dans ma vie précédente.
Il pleuvait comme ça et le tonnerre gronda.
« Et au moment du tonnerre. »
« Bébé Princesse, tu ignores Lisa et tu ronfles ? »
Au moment où Lisa traversa le couloir en fredonnant une chansonㅡ
« ! »
Alors que le tonnerre faisait rage, une silhouette noire traversa l'entrebâillement de la porte ouverte.
Une silhouette sombre au dos assez large épiait secrètement des documents.
« Comme prévu, c'est pareil que dans ma vie précédente. »
La véritable identité de la silhouette noire était Agasa.
Je fermai les yeux très fort.
« Lisa. »
« Oui, Princesse. »
« … C'est vraiment Agasa. »
Le fredonnement de Lisa s'arrêta net à mes mots.
« Maintenant, agis selon le plan. »
« … Oui, Princesse. »
Les yeux de Lisa brillèrent d'une lueur morne alors qu'elle détournait la tête.
***
Early in the morning of that dayㅡ
[2 o'clock in the morning, isn't it? I'll be waiting in advance, Princess.]
With my trustworthy entourage behind me, my plan was progressing steadily.
That is, if I don't sleep until 2 o'clock in the morning.
"Yawn."
I forcibly lifted my eyelids with my maple leaf fingers.
"I'm sleepy. Yaawn."
Normally, I would have gone to sleep saying, "Ah, I don't know."
There was a reason why I clenched my teeth and endured this.
'Because I don't want to be executed!'
The present that couldn't prevent Cassis from going to the Tundra islands.
At this rate, the Vallois family would be 100% executed along with the extinction.
Realizing there was nowhere to retreat, my purple eyes cooled.
'I can't fail this time.'
If I couldn't stop Dad, I had to stop what was happening in my family.
'And Agasa is at the center of future disasters.'
Flutter, flutterㅡ
I put my chin on my hand and suddenly lowered my head.
A thin, transparent thread moved under the small shoes I had been wearing beforehand.
The mouse-shaped paper attached to the thread swayed from side to side.
"It started."
The mouse moving means that Agasa finished his shift and went back.
It was Lisa's signal that had been put together in advance.
Ta-ta-ta-ta-taㅡ
It was fortunate that it was still raining.
If the sound of rain hides my footsteps, he won't hear it.
I sneaked up to the 7th floor.
Hurrily.
Then I hid behind a wall and fled near the office.
[After shaking the rat, I'll be right back. If you run into Sir Agasa while wandering around, your plans may be disrupted.]
As expected of Lisa.
Using the ability of the shadow that stalked me like this, she couldn't help but to be a coveted talent.
'If things go well, I'll have to share the pocket money from my direct maintenance cost.'
Having made up my mind to praise her as much as I could as a five-year-old, I took a step forward.
Clackㅡ
I pulled the doorknob of the office with my tiptoe, and a room covered with shadows appeared.
Antique walnut desk.
Uninterpretable ancient books and old but good quality leather sofas.
The moonlight lightly descended on it, sparkled as it drew a line.
'I'll have to finish it quickly.'
Without hesitation, I opened the second compartment of the desk drawer and lifted a stack of papers.
"…Ouch!"
I was just trying to pull out a piece.
Dozens of papers accidentally spilled onto the floor.
'Well, what can I do? Agasa will clean it up.'
It was unfortunate that Agasa's chores increased, but our family is more important.
I pushed the paper one by one and checked it carefully.
Documents written in a unique style stood out.
"This is it…"
I grabbed a piece of paper with both hands.
Looking at the agenda, I felt strange as if I had gone back to the past.
'A bill to cut off Law Kingdom's funds.'
Normally, Agasa was in charge of regular meetings of Vallois on behalf of Cassis.
And around this time.
Among Vallois collaterals and vassals, there is an opinion to cut off the funds of the Law Kingdom.
'Of course. Right now, the kingdom is cutting off communication with us.'
Starting from 2 years ago.
A war broke out between the Law Kingdom and the Rolls Empire.
The two factions that were usually in contact with the border area.
The starting point was a war of nerves over territorial rights.
And, of course, the family that oversaw the war was Vallois family, which was created based on military power.
Cassis won easily.
It is said that at the time, being crazy about Mom's whereabouts was a big factor.
As a result, now.
'The Law Kingdom sent the male lead, Peter, as a hostage to the Rolls Empire.'
It was good so far.
However, the problem is that the Law Kingdom cut off communication with the Rolls Empire after that.
'Was Peter thrown away because he was a half prince'
Even though he's a child, they threw him away like garbage and said they didn't know him.
'It's only natural that Vallois wants to cut off the fund because they can't communicate with each other anyway.'
If the Vallois family cuts off the fund, the rest of the families will cut off the fund one after another.
Although desirable for now.
In the distant future, things went wrong when the male lead, Peter, became the Emperor of the Rolls Empire.
The first purge of him who swallowed the Rolls Empire will be headed to Vallois.
'If this agenda goes through, it will never happen.'
The Law kingdom's fund-related meeting was held at the regular meeting of Vallois.
Therefore, this agenda, written in Cassis's handwriting, had to be hidden.
'If that happens, the case will be put on hold, at least until Dad returns.'
Just remove this.
The white pupils, who were glaring at the agenda as if to kill, stood bloodshot.
... Just get rid of this guy!
"What am I hiding? I'll tear it up right now... Kyaaaaaaa!"
It was the moment to save the Vallois family.
"I got you, Miss Baby."
Let's turn my head around.
Before I knew it, Agasa lifted my armpits with both hands and smiled coolly.
"To think that you're going to tear up Vallois' top secret documents."
"...Aga?"
"Yes, this is Aga. Miss Baby."
Calm blue eyes slowly descended and focused on the agenda I was holding.
"How dare you snatch the Princess from Vallois! Where are the guards!"
Damn, I underestimated Agasa.
I'm ruined.
From now on, I can lose nothing, anyway.
I screamed as I struggled with my arms and legs, and in half a second the door opened and Lisa appeared holding a double sword.
"M-Miss Billie... Ah, Sir Agasa...?"
"I caught the thief trying to steal Vallois' agenda, Miss Lisa. Our plan worked."
"Plan...?"
Plan, he said? If it's a plan, Lisa and I have planned it in advance...
"!"
I didn't understand, so I looked at Lisa.
When her eyes met mine, her gaze wavered anxiously.
No way.
Lisa betrayed me?
"...Lisa?"
It felt like I was being knocked to the floor.
To the extent that I couldn't resist Agasa and my body drooped.
"No way, Lisa? Lisa is always on my side!"
"Yes. We're always on your side. But Miss Lisa is an adult unlike Miss Baby."
Snapㅡ
Hearing the word 'adult', I, who hadn't been able to escape the teenage years for 100 lifetimes, glared at Agasa.
"Lisa is trying to be a good guardian for the baby. Are you an adult..."
"Chomp."
"Aakh."
I chewed on Agasa's finger, whose mouth was agitated, and then spat it out.
With tears in his eyes, he stared mournfully at his reddened finger.
"Lisa. Is Aga plotting a frame?"
I don't believe in rumors from cunning people.
What matters is the truth that comes out of your mouth.
"Lisa. Hit him in the head with the double sword."
"A finger bitten by Miss Baby is enough..."
"Chomp."
"Aaakh."
Suddenly losing his thumb and middle finger, Agasa finally shut his mouth.
"Lisa?"
"P-Princess..."
Let your eyes shine with a look that induces sympathy.
Lisa faltered for a moment, as if her mind had really weakened.
Butㅡ
"I-I-I apologize, Princess."
"Lisa?"
"Like Sir Agasa said, Princess is still five years old. I'm a maid of Vallois. The princess who destroys t-the 1st classified documents..."
"...Lisa."
Are you abandoning me?
"Lisaaaaa!"
Lisa, who eventually burst into tears at my cries, ran out of the room.
It was the castle of Vallois, stained by her intrigues and betrayals.