As the seasons transitioned from spring to summer, I found myself drawn back to the palace, compelled to gather information about the enigmatic “Maiden of Destiny” that had been nagging at me for some time. When Baroness Heronia brazenly declared to Bertia, “I am the ‘Maiden of Destiny’!” it sounded as if the title itself held significant meaning, as though those words alone could justify why I would choose her.
Furthermore, events related to the “otome game” that Bertia often mentioned typically included explanations of some kind. This led me to wonder whether this “Maiden of Destiny” truly existed in our world and might significantly influence my future. Eager to uncover more, I scoured the royal archives, but to my surprise, I found too many relevant texts, making it impossible to select the most pertinent information. Although there was no document explicitly titled “Maiden of Destiny,” numerous similar stories seemed to abound.
Therefore, I decided to shift my perspective slightly. I began to explore matters related to myself—or rather, more accurately, into the traditions and legends concerning the royal family. If the “Maiden of Destiny” was truly meant to affect me, there must be a reason I was chosen, likely connected to my royal lineage. Traditions regarding the royal family often included stories passed down from one king to the next. To confirm this, I planned to visit my father.
As a gesture, I prepared some of my mother’s favorite pastries from a renowned bakery along with essential documents for my father’s administrative duties. These documents included information he had been eagerly seeking. My father, the king, was extremely busy; however, when I mentioned that I had something to cheer up my mother and important information to aid in his governance, he was pleased and promptly arranged to meet with me.
When I visited my father’s office, I immediately presented the gifts. As he took them, his face lit up with joy, especially appreciating the treats intended for my mother and quickly passed them to his chief steward.
“Father, do you know anything about something called the Maiden of Destiny?” I brought up the subject directly, prompting him to look at me in surprise.
“The Maiden of Destiny? It’s rare for you to show interest in something so romantic.”
“It’s a term that emerged during a personal research project, but I’m struggling to grasp its true meaning,” I explained.
“You’re having trouble? That’s unusual. Didn’t you check the archives?” he asked with a hint of curiosity.
I smiled. “I did, but I couldn’t find it. To be precise, there were too many texts with similar phrases, and I couldn’t determine which ones matched.”
“Why, then, do you come to me with this?”
“It seems connected to the royal family. If it were important to the royal house, I assumed you would know,” I replied, keeping my smile as my father raised an eyebrow skeptically.
In truth, I was uncertain whether this issue concerned the royal family or me personally. Instead, I wanted to clarify this by talking it over with my father. However, I chose to refer to it as “related to the royal family” intentionally.
If my father knew something that was confidential regarding the royal family, he would determine whether it was better to inform me as a king rather than as a father. Thus, framing it this way was crucial; otherwise, he might cleverly steer the conversation in another direction and end it.
Silently, we exchanged glances, each of us trying to assess the other’s intentions. My father narrowed his eyes slightly, attempting to discern my true purpose.
Meanwhile, I maintained my expression unchanged. It was my father who relented first.
“Although you’re my son, your smile is impenetrable. I considered probing why you asked, but it seems impossible to extract any information from you when you don’t even change your expression,” he remarked.
In response to my father’s comment, I chose to share some background information that led me to this inquiry.
“In fact, I received a somewhat delusional prophecy from an individual who claimed to be the ‘Maiden of Destiny’ and stated that her powers could influence me. That piqued my curiosity, so I decided to look into it.”
“Is that true?”
“It is… So, do you have any idea what it could be about?”
My father then gazed into the distance as if searching through his memories, and let out a contemplative hum.
“I’m sorry, but nothing specific comes to mind. Our country has a rich and important history, and there are many prophecies and legends surrounding the royal family—tales of destined monarchs, legends of saints, and warrior maidens. However, I can’t recall anything that aligns perfectly with this ‘Maiden of Destiny’ you mention.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
This time, it was my turn to narrow my eyes a little, casting a scrutinizing glance at my father.
He met my gaze with a direct expression, as if to imply that there was nothing secretive or urgent.
I kept observing him—every twitch of his cheek muscles, his breathing, the movement of his eyes—ensuring that I didn’t miss even a minute detail… Finally, I eased my gaze a little.
My father probably wasn’t lying.
“I understand. If you don’t know either, it must be some unfounded lie or fabrication.”
“You give up rather easily,” he noted.
“Since I can see that you aren’t lying, Father, if you’re unaware of it, then it must be either trivial or nonexistent… After all, there’s no way something crucial to the royal family would be unknown to you, the King.” —Or perhaps, it’s a matter unrelated to the royal family entirely.
As I shrugged my shoulders, Father chuckled wryly, and said, “It seems it was rather overrated.”