Shortly before the rebellion broke out, I received a letter from my homeland of Eagal. It was a secret message from my father, who was worried about me.
Since he didn’t know who might read it, the letter didn’t have my name or his written on it.
I’d read it so many times that I’d memorized it word for word.
Are you well? Have you caught a cold? I am worried. I will send someone knowledgeable about medicine, so please rely on them. Your mother and I only wish for your health and happiness.
I hated to dispose of my father’s letters, but I always burned them in my fireplace.
This was my room, but it wasn’t truly mine. I never knew who might enter while I wasn’t there. The maids cleaned thoroughly, so I couldn’t hide the message anywhere, either.
As I looked out the window, I saw the beautiful, well-maintained garden and the many guards below.
The kingdom’s military had protected me, but at the same time, they’d tried to kill me.
From the moment of my birth, it was decided that I would be the future queen of Ashbury.
I never complained about my lot. I thought this was just the way my life was supposed to be, so I never hesitated. I walked the path that was laid out for me. I lived my life without any doubts.
Fortunately, Prince Conrad was warm and compassionate and treated me with care.
Although our marriage was political, it hadn’t turned into a mere formality after I had the children, which was often the case. He was faithful and never betrayed me for other women.
“I’m happy. There’s nothing missing from my life. I should be grateful for the blessed existence I have.”
That was how I felt, but then a woman came into my world who shocked me.
She could perfectly imitate my way of walking after observing my movements only once or twice. And she could imitate my voice with uncanny accuracy after hearing a brief conversation. Even when she needed to confront me, the crown princess, she kept her eyes firmly on mine despite the fact I was glaring at her. Later on, I heard she had taken down the attacking soldiers one by one with only a dagger.
The woman had never flinched when she told me, “The kingdom has employed me, so I will report the truth to them. If you die, it would be easy for someone to kill your children, too.”
She had done everything in her power to protect me.
“I had no idea there was a woman as strong as her in this world. And her eyes are so clear and pure.”
I’d never met a woman like her before.
“I want to talk to her more about all sorts of things.”
I’d thought that many times, but it seemed she had complicated circumstances. I’d resigned myself to the thought that my wish would never come true.
After the military rebellion had settled down and peace returned to the castle, the prince asked me something unexpected one night.
“What did you think about the woman who served as your double?”
“I think she was quite…dazzling. She’s strong, intelligent, and someone I can trust.”
“I see. You must’ve really liked her, then. Do you want to see her again?”
I couldn’t help but look at the prince directly when he said that.
“Would I be able to speak with her again? I assumed that would be impossible, so I gave up on the idea!” I answered too quickly and eagerly, and the prince chuckled.
“I asked Edward for details about her. Apparently, she’s still living in hiding from her homeland’s special forces organization. Jeff would be upset if she started spending time with you again. But I’ll ask him to allow it in a way that won’t attract attention. I’m very fond of Jeff. When I become king, there will be very few people who can speak their mind to me without concern. So for the sake of this kingdom, I can’t afford to lose him. But I know I’m causing trouble for him. Do you feel the same way?”
“I wish there was someone close to me who would tell me when something right is right and when something wrong is wrong and who would look me straight in the eyes while they say it, just like she did.”
“All right. I’ll see what I can do. It might take some time, though.”
“Thank you, Your Highness! I’m so glad! I’ll wait as long as it takes.”
“You seem even happier than when I brought you back black pearls from the southern seas.”
“I was very happy then, too.”
The prince smiled and said, “Now, don’t worry about it,” before leaving the room.
Some time later, the woman was appointed as my language tutor and conversation partner.
I’m sure it was a bothersome duty for her, and I was truly sorry for that.
However, when she met with me, she would tell me about the commoners of Ashbury and also share stories about the common folk of Randall. Her tales were far more enjoyable and educational than any book I could read.
Once, I dismissed the servants and asked the woman about her past.
“How did you come to your previous position?”
“I had to join the Special Operations Force to keep my family from starving. They were very poor.”
“How old were you?”
“I was eight years old. I worked very hard, believing that if I did my best, my family would be saved.”
I felt a lump in my throat when I heard she’d been part of the realm since she was even younger than my oldest son, Oscar. Despite living in such a harsh environment, her eyes still looked very clear.
Although I didn’t know much about the world, I knew that was a very impressive feat.
That night when I was alone with the prince, I couldn’t help but say something.
“I now understand how you feel about not being able to let go of Lord Asher.”
“Is this about her?”
“Yes. I suppose you would call her one-of-a-kind.”
“I hear she’s cut all ties with her home kingdom. I called on Edward and asked him about it in detail. If he says as much, it must be true. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have allowed her to marry his brother. She took in a child from this kingdom and raised her as lovingly as her own. She must be very fond of Ashbury.”
“Oh, so she adopted her daughter? I did think they looked nothing alike. That sounds like something she would do.”
Suddenly, I remembered the story Lady Asher had told me about how to haggle elegantly in town, and I struggled to hold back my laughter.
“What’s so funny, Delphine? It’s unusual to see you laughing like that.”
“It’s just something Lady Asher said. It was so amusing, I couldn’t help but laugh.”
“What did she say?”
“It’s a secret.”
“That’s disappointing. By the way, are her language lessons really that enjoyable? Perhaps I shall take a class from her myself.”
“If you were to attend, she would get too nervous. You should give up on that idea,” I said.
I wanted to cherish Anna Victoria Asher.
And if she had complicated circumstances, I wanted to protect her from any harm that came her way.
As the crown princess and the next queen, I had to become strong enough to protect her. I found myself thinking that more and more often lately.