/
“And that’s not because you think of those two people together?”
“……”
Lania’s gaze sharpened towards Ronin, who had pinpointed her intentions precisely. But soon, she furrowed her eyebrows, as if that made no sense.
Out of question.
He was a man who rarely even spoke to other women from when he’d been the Crown Prince. Since his thoughts were always written on his face, she had no need to think of other reasons.
Inconvenience and indifference.
To him, a woman meant nothing except for those two things. That would be obvious even if you only saw the passing look in his eyes from afar.
Others found that look frightening and would be petrified by it, but she had found it to be much more fortunate, since it meant that she could gain more time while keeping that much of a distance.
“Don’t make me laugh. That woman is so good at doing crazy things that he must’ve found her incredulous.”
“Of course. She is a crazy witch after all.”
“…..”
Even when Ronin spoke words of agreement, Lania’s expression did not loosen at all.
No, it actually became more twisted.
Because she knew best that the woman was not a crazy witch at all.
“Anyways, I was trying to say there hasn’t been much going on while you were gone. She knew her place and didn’t cross the line.”
“That she did. And so my lady did not impose anything special on her.”
“But I don’t know what wind caught her fancy and is making her do this. Daring to stand up against me, then even thinking of escaping.”
“…..Escape, you say?”
“What have you been listening to until now? You can’t trick my eyes. She was definitely intending to escape.”
A picnic, that was nonsense.
Up until the moment the Emperor had arrived, she had been positioning to kneel before her, even.
Though she wasn’t sure why she would have fish jerky in her basket….
“Aaaack! That witch, I’ll just!”
“Please calm down, my lady. If that is the truth, then shouldn’t you be thinking of it in a different manner?”
“What different manner. You said His Majesty cut down the wire fence himself! The land there is technically under the royal villa’s possession. If I put up a new wire fence there, what am I to do if he directs his rage towards me?”
“Oh my, so in things like this, even you are reduced to becoming a mere lady.”
“If you have something to say, say it!”
“I only meant that you are logical in all else, but lose your intelligence when it has to do with His Majesty.”
There was nothing more jarring than Ronin making an expression of pity. That discord was what brought Lania back into focus.
“I’ve already said this to Rebecca, but that woman has never been like this up until now. She has always been more cunning than anyone else in survival. She knows that nothing awaits her but death outside of this, so how would I know the reason she’s acting like this now?”
“That’s correct. As the one who cursed her, I know very well that she feared death more than anyone.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Master, think about it. If a woman who is neither crazy and has nothing to lose risks death in order to absolutely leave….”
After calling her the title she currently liked most to catch her attention, Ronin rolled words off his snake-like tongue.
“That would mean something more important to her than survival must have appeared.”
***
“Haniel, Haniel. Our princess!”
I hugged my dear princess while even singing her a tune, but she remained sulky.
The shock she’d gotten from her brother’s appearance was formidable, but the three-year-old baby’s worries did not stop there.
[Not hea! It’sh not hea!]
“What do you mean, your mom isn’t here. I’m right here.”
[Ribbon ish gone! Sob.]
In my arms, Haniel lifted her two wings up towards her head, though she couldn’t reach it no matter how much she tried.
I had to give it to her—the brother that shouldn’t have appeared had appeared, and the ribbon that should be there had disappeared. To her three years of experience, this was the biggest double shock she’d received, and it rapidly knocked her down onto the ground.