Anita cast her gaze outside, looking through the window, then shrugged her shoulders. The gesture was somewhat affected, so Cesia redoubled her vigilance, making sure it didn’t appear on her face.
Outside, the sun was beginning to climb in the sky—Anita was worried about the time.
“This country is so free,” Anita remarked.
“Huh?”
“You’re an orphan, but you’re beautiful, and you can use magic. All your life, you haven’t had to work all that hard, have you?”
Cesia was unsure what to think. Her family had been poor when her parents had been alive, but they had been happy. Even after she had lost her parents and entered the custody of the Dianes, there were times when she had nothing to eat, but she always had a roof over her head and somewhere to sleep. She didn’t know whether that upbringing was supposed to be a lucky one or not. However, Anita only knew Cesia’s public records, which led her to assume that Cesia had been treated as a normal servant in the Diane household. There was an inconsistency between each of their understandings, and while it was unquestionable that Cesia had struggled quite hard while growing up, there was no third party to point that out.
“Don’t try to delay this. Where is Juliette?” Cesia asked.
“You’re also smart and brave. I can understand why His Royal Highness likes you and why Lady Juliette is wary of you.”
“Don’t change the subject. And stop stalling for time.”
“This country really is free. It’s a wonderful place,” Anita repeated, and Cesia frowned. “I was born to a prostitute, and my father was an Emeroadian count who hired her during a stay in Gwyllt.”
She’s stalling; don’t listen to her, Cesia warned herself, but when she thought she might get an answer to the mystery of why Anita was helping Juliette, she was reluctant to stop her.
“My mother was a prostitute…and she was incredibly beautiful. The count became obsessed with her, and he promised to look after her even after he returned to Emeroade,” Anita continued, narrating her memories in fragmentary bursts. Hers was a common experience for many. “The only Emeroadian man my mother had been with was that count, so when I was born with exceedingly Emeroadian features, there was no doubt that he was my father. He continued supporting us after I was born, and when he came to Gwyllt for his job, we peacefully spent our time together, the three of us as parents and child. Thinking back, those are my only happy memories.”
Anita looked at Cesia and smiled again. “The count, worried for his wife, couldn’t be with my mother publicly. Still, when I saw my parents getting along, I assumed I was happy… But when my mother passed away from a plague, the situation turned on its head.” Anita’s voice became grim. “After my mother passed away, I was abused because I was an illegitimate child. Did you know? In Gwyllt, exclusively male inheritance is common, and anyone with a foreign parent is seen as an outsider, a non-citizen. When my mother was alive, she ran herself ragged, protecting me from harm.”
“I…” Cesia’s voice trailed off. It was a world she couldn’t even imagine, having been born and raised in Emeroade. In recent years, it had become common for women to inherit titles and estates, and the nationality of one’s parents was seen as holding no special meaning; she couldn’t understand why someone would be concerned about it. Cesia supposed that that was the big difference between Emeroade, which had frequent cultural exchanges with other countries, and the insular Gwyllt.
“I tried asking my father for help, but at the same time, he, too, was being ravaged by disease, and his support for us came to an end,” Anita continued.
The room outside the door was becoming noisy. Something’s happening. Should I cut this short? I still can’t decide. But I want to know what’s next.
“Those were hellish days. Then Lady Juliette found me. She said that it wasn’t my fault that I was dirty, and she selected me to be one of her servants.” Anita absentmindedly chuckled. Her smile was completely different. She looked as if she had been possessed.
Cesia knew—Juliette’s sweet words had come from the mouth of a devil, but because Anita had been in hell, they had sounded like the words of an angel. Besides, Juliette said that Anita was dirty. She’s dirty just because of her birth or how she grew up? As if!
“Do you know just how happy I was then?” Anita asked.
Cesia, with a start, had a sudden realization. “I do,” she said, staring directly at Anita. Fiery red and sparkling jade green flashed through her mind. “More than anyone, I do.” Anita smiled kindly at Cesia’s sincere response. It was a smile Cesia knew well, and she looked like the woman she had once admired. “I get why you serve Juliette. I know that I’d do anything for Prince Marcus. If he asked me to, I’d give up anything and everything for him… But, Anita, this is different. This is wrong,” she said. Her words were awkward, and she knew that whatever she said couldn’t compare to the significance of Anita’s time with Juliette. Her only option was to appeal to Anita’s wisdom, kindness, and love.
Just then, the door made a small rattling sound. Turning around to look, Cesia saw Mavis standing in the doorway. Behind the princess, the members of the Second Division were busily moving around, and no one spared a second thought to her actions.
“Lady May,” Anita said.
“Your Royal Highness,” Cesia said.
Mavis raised her face. Her eyes were wet with tears, but she wasn’t yet crying. “Anita. My head maid… It made me sad to hear that you handed over the information you said you gathered for my sake to a foreign country in an effort to harm this one.” Mavis clenched her fist. Anita squinted slightly. “Even so, I…when I was afraid at night, and I couldn’t sleep, you were there the entire time, gently stroking my back… I don’t think that was a lie.” Mavis breathed in, and the tears she had held back poured from her jade-green eyes. Her lips trembling, she stared fervently at Anita. Quietly, she shed tears for Anita. “I know how kind you are… Weren’t you torn between your obligations to Lady Juliette and your duty to Emeroade? Maybe if I had noticed sooner, none of this would have happened,” Mavis said, frustrated. Tears stained her cheeks, and her eyes were turning red. “I’m sorry, Anita. I couldn’t protect you. I’m sorry.”
Cesia bit her lip. Mavis was too sincere. Cesia remembered when Mavis had insisted on apologizing when she knew she was in the wrong. However, she hadn’t been wrong here. No one had noticed Anita’s true intentions or distress.
Still, the princess’s words appeared to have reached Anita, and she, too, was quietly crying. If anything could compete with the time she had spent in Gwyllt after Juliette had saved her, it was the time she had spent with Mavis. Cesia could see how much Anita cared for Mavis. What was she thinking when she learned that Mavis would be kidnapped and used as a decoy? How did it feel to stroke her back when she was afraid and couldn’t sleep when it was because of that kidnapping? Mavis had said that the truth would save Anita—this was what she must have meant.
“I’m sorry, Lady Mavis… I was betraying you the entire time,” Anita confessed.
Still crying, Mavis shook her head. “I… I won’t forgive myself for still loving you.”
“Please…don’t forgive me.”
That, too, was another bond between them.
“Cesia,” Anita quietly addressed Cesia, and Cesia looked at her. “Lady Juliette is on a Gwylltian ship in the port. Probably along with Prince Ronald and Prince Marcus.”
“Prince Marcus?” Cesia felt cold sweat run down her back.
Just then, Felix burst into the room. “Cesia! We can’t establish contact with His Royal Highness!”
Normally, Marcus never replied late. He used himself as a decoy again, Cesia thought. “That…brat!” she said, rudely clicking her tongue in frustration. She rushed out, leaving Felix to deal with the division chief’s office, and, seeing Layne and Keith discussing something, she shouted, “Layne! Juliette is on a boat in the port! His Royal Highness is probably there too!”
“Got it. I’ll send soldiers there right away. And Cesia, don’t go off alone!” he warned.
Cesia nodded. “I won’t. But please, let me go too!”
Layne yelled back, “What did I—”
Keith smiled and patted Layne’s shoulder, consoling him. “There, there, Layne. We’ll be going anyway, so all that means is we’ll be getting there a bit earlier.”
Cesia’s gaze grew more intense.
Layne sighed deeply. “I’ll take this as a sign that you’ve improved, Cesia. It’s better than running off alone.”
After that, everyone quickly carried out their duties. They escorted Mavis back to her quarters and sent Anita to jail. The head maid meekly obeyed, and there, in a reversal from her earlier silence, she unhesitatingly answered all of the questions someone from the Security Bureau asked her.
The members of the Second Division headed to the port, and with the approval of parliament that Marcus had gotten, they were easily able to take some knights and soldiers with them.
“Now, let’s go meet His Royal Highness,” Layne ordered.
Cesia silently nodded.