And the corsage had just barely been able to convey the memory of people surrounding the wreckage, talking in loud voices… “Finally, the baron and his wife are dead! That’s two obstacles out of the way.” “It was such a pain taking down their business, too.” “Now we can give the daughter to the king.”
“My family’s suspicious sudden bankruptcy, my parents’ deaths…it was all because of you! Making me Hermine’s substitute because I look like her… You raised me to be a lamb for slaughter! I was a nice little insurance policy if anything were to happen to her, wasn’t I?!”
“That’s absurd!” the king shouted at once. “Why would you even suggest such a thing?”
But his tone of voice and facial expression conveyed his inner thoughts—How did she find out?
The king’s plan had been foolproof. As long as his underlings never said a word, the truth would almost certainly have never been revealed. In fact, no one had revealed the truth.
…But the corsage that Sara’s mother wore had witnessed everything.
Then it fell into the hands of the queen mother, who learned what happened through her rare powers. And then she told Sara.
“You’re wrong! Your parents ruined their own business, and their deaths were their own fault!” the king babbled on shamelessly. “Hermine pitied you, made you her maid, and—g-gaughh!!!”
Richard had transformed into the beast in the blink of an eye and had lunged at King Saleilles like a gust of black wind. The king shrieked as Richard plunged his claws into the king’s chest.
Blood gushed from the wounds. Richard seemed to have avoided the king’s heart, but if he didn’t let up, the king would likely die from blood loss.
“Guh…ugh… Help…”
No one spoke.
“Augh… I-It’s…not my fault! I only—did it for—Hermine! If they had—given you up earlier—I wouldn’t have—killed them! So, there—I admit it—so call off—your beast…”
Right… Tension drained from Sara’s shoulders. Queen Mother…it was really true.
Sara had wondered if the queen mother might have misread the corsage’s memories. She had half hoped that the corsage had simply misremembered…but it was true.
Her parents’ deaths were fated the moment the king had set his eyes on her. And the business troubles that had led to their bankruptcy had been the king’s doing, too…
But they still wouldn’t give up their daughter.
And because Sara had been born the second cousin of Hermine—because they looked alike—her parents had…
Father… Mother…!
Richard growled and jerked his claws out of the king.
Without the sharp talons acting as a plug, blood spurt from the wounds. But Richard gave this no attention, rushing over to nestle into Sara, who had sunk to the floor.
As the mutant soldiers crowded around the king to try to stem the profuse bleeding, Richard put one of his large forepaws on Sara’s lap and made a mournful noise.
“Your Highness…”
“Sa…ra…”
It was Richard’s human voice.
“What?!”
“H-Hold on, Your Highness!” one of the soldiers cried.
Sara had closed her eyes, but now she opened them in disbelief and saw the Ferrier soldiers in a panic around them, taking off their own cloaks and jackets and draping them over Richard.
“Your Highness! I understand that you want to comfort the princess, but…please don’t change back here!”
“…Huh?”
“Oh! I’m sorry, Princess… I didn’t mean to interrupt, but… Oh, Your Highness!”
Sara looked on with a stunned expression. Richard emerged from under the mountain of outerwear. He seemed to have quickly thrown on someone’s coat and wrapped a cloak around himself—a temporary outfit to keep Sara from shrieking in embarrassment.
Richard’s face and hair were coated in sticky dried blood. Even his hands, as they adjusted the cloak around his shoulders, were glistening in fresh red blood.
“Sara…”
When he called out her name, she caught a glimpse of his canine teeth inside his mouth. They were also red. Sara couldn’t resist anymore—she threw her arms around him.
“Your Highness…!”
“I heard about what happened to your parents…,” Richard whispered, snaking his arms around her back. “I had no idea you went through something like that…”
Sara squeezed her eyes shut and nodded over and over, clinging to his neck.
“Th-The queen mother read the corsage’s memories and told me… But I still couldn’t believe it…”
“I see… Sara…”
Richard waited until she looked him in the eye.
“Your parents—they never, ever resented you or regretted having you.”
She jumped at his whispered words. A breeze seemed to blow through her chest, which had been hollowed by the king’s admission.
That’s…exactly what I had been thinking.
Sara thought that if her face had been the reason her parents had died…then it would’ve been better if she hadn’t been born at all. At the very least, she should have been born a man.
But these thoughts desecrated her parent’s memory… Even when her family fell into strange financial difficulties, they never gave Sara up. Even when her parents went hungry, they always made sure Sara, at least, was able to eat until she was full. No matter how busy they were, they made sure to carve out time for them to bond as a family. They got Sara whatever she needed so she could study, they listened to her prattle on every day…
Even that fateful day when her parents left her behind and went off in that carriage…didn’t they tell her that they had found a good job a long way away, but if things went well, they’d give her all sorts of yummy food to eat?
Despite this, I…
“You were raised by parents who loved you so much. I’m envious of you for that… I think you’re wonderful.”
Sara started, overwhelmed with emotion.
“The one at fault here is the man who entangled your family in his own selfishness… You’ve worked as hard as you possibly could—made every effort—exhausted yourself for the sake of someone else… So, please, don’t blame yourself.”
“Oh, Richard!”
This time, as tears spilled down Sara’s face, Richard reached out a hand and tenderly wiped them away.
Before, Sara had helped free Richard from the curse his mother had put on his mind, but now, he was helping her come to terms with the reality of her parents’ deaths. The queen mother had told her these truths with a pained look on her face. But she had probably decided she ought to give Sara the chance to confirm it for herself, rather than having the king killed without Sara knowing the truth.
And Sara was sure…even if she resented her own birth, Richard would always be there to take her hand and help her to her feet.
Thank you… Richard… Queen Mother…
Sara clung once more to Richard before standing.
Her eyes landed on the king, who was taking shallow breaths, gasping for air.
He probably wouldn’t hold out for much longer. A soldier had used their ability to close up his wounds, but Richard’s claws had almost certainly hit his lungs. Sooner or later, he would die from blood loss or lack of oxygen.
And when he does…this kingdom will change. With His Majesty Edouard’s kind heart, hopefully this kingdom will become a much better place than when I lived here—
The solemn silence of the room was shattered by a sudden, high-pitched scream.
“Father! Oh no, oh my god…!”
Sara could immediately identify that voice without needing to turn around. Every hair on Sara’s body stood on end.
Wh-Why now, of all times?! Why is she here?!
“Herm—”
“Father! Oh, Father!”
Hermine shoved past Sara, paying no notice of anyone, and rushed up to her father, who lay on the ground covered in blood. Hermine started to wail loudly.
The pale green dress she wore was the exact same dress Firmin had once given Sara.
The one wearing this dress, screaming and addressing the king as “father”…
“I-I’m so sorry, Your Highnesses! She barged in going on about being the princess and demanding to see the king…,” said a young soldier who had finally caught up to them.
Richard blinked in confusion.
“…Is this really Princess Hermine?” Richard muttered to himself, looking back and forth between Sara and the back of Hermine, his eyebrows furrowing. “Surely the only thing they have in common is their hair color?”
“Y-You think so?” asked Sara.
“What? That voice… Wait, Sara?!”
Hermine turned back, finally realizing Sara was there. The moment their eyes met, Hermine’s lovely face contorted with rage, and she slammed her hands against the floor.
“I heard what you did! You little… What a terrible thing to do! Saleilles was your home! My father saved your life!”
“Saleilles was my home, but this has nothing to do with that. Also…that man is no benefactor of mine.”
Even as Sara stood before her former master, whom she hadn’t seen in quite some time, her heart was totally unmoved. She simply vaguely thought…
Right, that’s what her face looks like… And that’s what her voice sounds like… And that’s the way she would talk to me…
“You don’t know about this, but your father killed my parents,” Sara explained. “He planned to use me as your body double from the very beginning, so he took me in to—”
“What? How do you know that?!” Hermine asked, her voice going up in pitch.
“What?!”
This time, it was Sara’s turn to be shocked.
She knew? She knew, and she still interacted with me that way?
Hermine had offered her hand to Sara, knowing her own father had caused the death of Sara’s parents. She had pretended to be her savior.
Hermine had made Sara her substitute, knowing her own father was the reason Sara was all alone.
Even as she knew why Sara had no family in her life, Hermine had stolen Sara’s boyfriend, Firmin, and then had the gall to ask her, “We’ll always be friends…right?”