The Crown Prince made his way to my chambers, as soon as he had heard the rumours surrounding myself and a messenger bird that usually happens late at night. Reprimanding me for my decisions as it seems like I'm doing an affair behind his back.
"!"
"Your Highness, what brought you here so early in the morning?" I said calmly As I looked at him, quite sceptical at his arrival as he never comes to visit me in the morning. As I only ever see him when We greet The Emperor and Empress.
"..."
Leonardo's gaze hardened as he looked at me before he then said, with an authoritative tone in his voice.
"I'm sure you are aware of why I'm here - Those Rumours… Elisabeth"
"Rumours?"
"What rumours have you ever heard"
"It's quite preposterous!" I protested as I glared At The Crown Prince, who narrowed his eyes as he looked at me.
I wondered how this word about the letters I sent via Yeowang back to its master even reached his ears… Why was he so unhappy and unpleasant with me for doing something on my own accord?
In the end, I could not tolerate it anymore and spoke my mind. Leonardo stared at me in amazement. My eyes were hot with unshed tears, but I bit my tongue to hold them back. The Crown Princess should not cry as a matter of pride. My pride? What I hold myself for.. it's dear to me even in this timeline.
"... Your Truly unreasonable, Elisabeth"
"They said they heard rumours, not that I said them. Are you blaming me for rumours for which you don't know the source that they have come from, Wife?"
"No matter how much I think about it, there isn't anyone else but you who could benefit from it."
"From these outrageous rumours that aren't True!"
"Your Highness! You should believe Your own wife… You should trust me enough!" I shouted with anger and frustration in my voice as I fought back my own pride to not let a tear Shed.
I couldn't show such vulnerability, not when I wanted to escape from this Marriage.. I wanted to survive in this Timeline.
"Trust? Do you really think it can trust you?"
"Elisabeth Valois…"
"..."
"Trust is earned, it's not just freely given because you hold the honourable title of being my wife or the Crown Princess of Rodwine"
"Elisabeth? No matter how much I think about the rumour and that bird that was mentioned? I can't help but think about how much this would affect your reputation.. If words got out about it"
The Crown prince then took a moment to stop What he was speaking, as he let the impact of my own foolishness sink in.
"You're lucky that it's just some palace gossip… That could easily change if someone Has enough evidence against that 'Blatant' rumour"
"No matter how much I think about it"
"There isn't any person who would gain from that rumour apart from yourself"
"What would I gain?"
"Rosette is like a romantic rival to you, is she not?"
"!"
"Leon! Was it not you who told me you just wanted myself to act as your wife in public? You care more for that woman than you for your own wife by law!"
I paused for a moment as I slightly steadied my breathing, getting myself this angry wouldn't do any good for My pride or reputation.
"Rosette?"
"Your Highness, Your concubine is not any rival of mine"
"What?" Leonardo said With a puzzled expression as he continued glaring at me with the same narrowed eyes like before.
"You are not my lover, so how can she be a threat to me?"
The Crown Prince's expression wavered. I straightened my back and gave him a smile practised hundreds of times in front of a mirror.
"The concubine is precious to you, while I am just like everyone else. I am tired of this, so let me say it again, Your Highness – Please! Don't get me involved with you and your concubine."
I whirled around and saw myself through the door. The finance minister was nervously pacing down the hallway who probably came to warn me about the spending issues that had started since The Crown prince's Concubine entered The Imperial Palace,, and he turned his head in my direction. His eyes widened when his gaze fell upon me.
— It was obvious that I couldn't manage my facial expressions.
I smiled at him, then quickly left the hallway and made it to the western grounds. I ran to my secluded chair where there were no ladies-in-waiting and buried myself inside. I hugged my body, and stifled my sobs as best I could. The Crown Princess does not cry. She does not cry in front of others. In my head, Leonardo and his concubine were so small and unimportant that they could not shake me. But in my heart, there was a hole, that hole?
It yearned for something more, for something that could cherish and love it the same as it would give.
Eventually, it turned dark. I stayed cocooned in my chair for a long time. I was sure that my ladies-in-waiting were searching for me, and I slowly unfolded my body. After sitting curled in one position for hours, my arms and legs were as stiff as a wooden doll.
"A wooden doll" I murmured under my breath as I thought of the one that my father, The Grand Duke had gifted me for one of my birthdays. I missed it? I missed the place I called home…
Caw! Can! CAW!
Then, there was a piercing shriek from afar. I looked up from my chair, and saw a large bird coming down from the sky.
"Ah!"
It was the handsome bird, the one that brought the note from the drunken foreigner. It headed for me again, then landed in my lap and peered at me up close.
I got quite a fright however. It looked so adorable that I bursted into giggles, and the bird blinked its large eyes and tilted its head.
"You came to see me."
"Yeowang" I gently called as I slightly patted the bird on its head gently, not wanting to cause harm to it.
I looked into its bright eyes, and almost believed that it understood me for a moment.
No, that was a foolish thought...but intelligent birds could understand people, right? It surely was a messenger bird? It had to have some level of intelligence in that cute head. I hesitated for a moment, looked around, cautiously.
I then hugged the bird and whispered to its feathery head.
"This...is my secret place."
The bird shifted and gave me a blank look. I petted the bird's back, and continued again awkwardly.
"There's nowhere I can cry. But here I can cry to my heart's content. It's a secret, so don't tell anyone else."
I glanced at the bird, before I then switched my tone of voice as I looked at it lovingly, "Does your Master have another letter?"
"..."
kaw! Kaw!
"You're probably quite tired aren't you, Yeowang?"
I chuckled slightly as I stroked The top of the bird with my hand as I gently felt the soft Ruffle of its father's, beneath my fingertips
I kissed its head in gratitude, and the bird made a funny squawking noise and glanced at the note that Was on its talons.
"Does your master want me to reply?" I said as I let out a low chuckle as I unwrapped the ribbon that contained the Note, as I read it to myself.
"Shall I make an acquaintance at the Ball that The Great Empire of Rodwine is throwing…
I'd so love to accompany My Lady
Heine"
When I finished writing a new note, I looked up to see the bird staring at my writing as if it could read the letters. The bird tapped the word "Yeowang" with a large claw.
"That's your name. If you could give this to your master."
"Please, Yeowang…"
I tied the note to the bird's leg, then gently hugged it again, before I then threw It up into the air as gently as I could.
I drew my breath, kissed the bird's head again, and let it fly into the sky. The bird seemed unwilling to part with me for a moment and circled once over my head, but it finally turned away and flew far away, going into the clouds as it looked like it flew across the mountains and the vast sky.
The Crown Princess. Yes...no matter what happened, I was the Crown Princess, The future Empress of this empire if I lived that long to see my coronation.. No matter what Leonardo said, the concubine was the concubine and the Crown Princess was the Crown Princess who would be the future Empress .
I pulled out a handkerchief, patted the swollen area around my eyes, and took a breath. Remember what my father said — I shouldn't get involved with them, My father knew the dangers of agreeing to that marriage… however the threat of civil unrest was too much for him to bear.
I had no choice but to accept this twisted fate with open arms when I knew how it ended in my last life… My own death.
"People don't expect me to be a Crown Princessthat is loved by the Crown Prince "
— !
"My goal in life?"
"Hah, Ellie? What are you thinking?"
"You know what Your goal is — to survive and make it to your coronations as the Empress of Rodwine, this great empire"
I had learned and lived to be the most perfect Princess, I was prepared for this role even in my 1st life…. I was human, and I would be hurt, but I couldn't sink into despair. I already had enough pity for myself as I kept living the same situations over and over, getting Sick and tired both physically and mentally… Now I had to get up.
I practised my smile once more.
I then returned to the grounds of The Imperial Palace..