William clutched his chest the moment the head butler left.
'Damn it.'
I'd tried to get rid of him as gently as I could.
'Filthy old man...'
Yet he kept playing games at the worst possible time.
The heat that had begun the moment Alfred entered remained slightly above normal, slowly rising in an unsettling way.
His breathing was no longer as steady as before.
Without wasting another second, he headed for the bathroom.
He immediately turned on the cold water.
He quickly climbed onto the stool, but his leg failed to respond the way it should.
He slipped.
His small body fell into the bathtub.
His head struck the edge.
He didn't get up right away.
He remained motionless for several seconds, his breathing uneven, the heat still crawling beneath his skin without pause.
The cold water gradually soaked him, but it did nothing to ease the sensation burning inside.
He tried to sit up.
He moved slowly, every muscle responding a moment too late.
As he raised an arm, the soaked fabric slid away from his skin.
Old scars appeared on his arm first.
Faint scars stretched from his wrist to his upper arm.
A deeper scar crossed his shoulder.
As he shifted slightly in the water, more scars came into view across his chest, crisscrossed and uneven.
He raised a hand to his forehead.
A faint smear of blood stained his fingertips.
He remembered what had happened the last time.
'Maybe he sensed something.'
His breathing remained heavy, though steadier than it had been immediately after the fall.
He sat in the bathtub, silently staring at the water around him for several seconds.
Then he slowly moved again.
'It's fine. He won't realize anything anyway.'
He stood up without rushing.
Water streamed from his body as he stepped out of the tub.
He walked over to the wardrobe.
Without hesitation, he picked out a change of clothes.
He dressed himself slowly, covering every inch of his body and fastening every button all the way to the top.
Before the people the head butler had mentioned arrived.
---
Elsewhere...
Chaos filled Estralin Palace, the palace reserved for the Empress.
"Bring me that one."
"Hurry. Today is important."
The voices of maids overlapped amid the constant bustle.
Before the mirror sat a woman who looked as though she had stepped out of a legend.
Her sky-blue hair fell just past her knees, while sharp gray eyes contrasted with the gentleness she outwardly displayed.
A faint smile rested on her lips as she watched her reflection.
One of the maids gently touched her hair, unable to hide her admiration.
"Your Majesty, would you prefer it tied up or left loose?"
"Do whatever you think is best. I doubt I know more about it than you do."
Her voice was gentle and soft in a way that flustered the maid more than it reassured her.
The girl's cheeks flushed red, and her excitement only grew.
"I'll make you the most beautiful woman here!"
The smile on the woman's face gradually faded, replaced by a trace of quiet concern.
The maid noticed immediately.
"Did I say something to upset you, Your Majesty?"
"No... It's just that I don't believe that's entirely right. We're still in mourning for the late Empress, and..."
She turned her eyes back to her reflection, weariness passing over her face for just a moment.
"I asked His Majesty to postpone it, but..."
The maids exchanged glances before one of them hurriedly spoke.
"Your Majesty, you've done nothing wrong. This is your day. You're simply too kind... It was His Majesty the Emperor who insisted on moving everything forward."
The others quickly chimed in.
"Yes, His Majesty loves you."
"He truly cares about you."
"There's nothing to worry about."
The maid brushing her hair smiled once more.
"See? Everyone knows it."
"I see."
"You're beautiful and strong."
"Wasn't the former Empress beautiful as well?"
A brief silence settled over the room.
Then the maid lowered her voice.
"She was... but she was harsh and rather eccentric. That's what everyone says, so there's no need to feel guilty."
The woman tilted her head slightly, as though pondering something.
"Um... I have a question."
"What is it? I'll answer anything!"
"I'm a little worried about the princes... I'm not interested in this position nearly as much as I'm worried about them."
"My goodness... You're truly a kind and beautiful fairy."
"What has the Crown Princess been doing these past few days?"
"The Crown Princess?"
The maid rested a finger beneath her chin.
"Nothing unusual. She's simply been training with the Chief of Staff as usual."
"Thank you. It may seem like a small thing, but it eases some of my worries."
Feeling compelled to add more after receiving such praise, the maid continued,
"As for Prince Edward, he hasn't left his room at all. I heard from my friends that he hasn't allowed a single servant inside."
"And what about William?"
"The youngest?"
She hesitated for a moment.
"Now that I think about it... there have been quite a few rumors about him lately, haven't there?"
The maid puffed out her cheeks.
"Wasn't it something about his appearance changing after he was kidnapped?... And then the Empress took her own life immediately afterward..."
The sentence lingered in the air, heavier than it should have.
One of the other maids suddenly spoke up.
"There are quiet rumors circulating among the aristocracy... They say the youngest prince is the reason the Empress took her own life."
The atmosphere froze for a moment before the Empress's gentle voice broke the silence.
"That poor child... He's only four."
"Yes... High society can be cruel."
"Marissa."
She called softly.
Among the maids, a woman who appeared calmer and more dignified than the rest stepped forward.
"Have you done what I asked?"
Marissa lowered her head.
"Yes. I sent Even along with several maids."
Once she was satisfied that everything was proceeding as planned, she let out a quiet breath.
It felt less like genuine relief and more like carefully measured composure.
Her gentle smile returned.
"Good."
In a moment when no one was paying attention...
Something faint glimmered within her gray eyes.
The corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
Everything has to go exactly the way I want.