21. Not Alone?
Damn it. I’m screwed!
Alex Reutz, the crown prince Mikhail’s escort knight, clenched his eyes shut at the sound of the Empress’s voice coming from behind him. Then he slowly turned around.
“Y-Your Majesty the Empress…”
“As I thought, it’s you, Sir Reutz. But why are you here…”
Empress Charlotte trailed off, her eyes suddenly sharpening.
A cold sweat trickled down Alex’s back.
Charlotte Liberty Alcan, Empress of the Alcan Empire, was normally calm and gentle. But she was also a typical mother who constantly worried over her child, and once angered, her wrath was so intense even the Emperor couldn’t stop her.
How did he know this? …He wished he didn’t.
“Don’t tell me he’s at it again… is he?”
Clearly suspecting another one of the crown prince’s escapades, the Empress seemed to be questioning him just to rebuke him. Alex lowered his head.
“I apologize. His Highness the Crown Prince has disappeared, so I was searching for him. But no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find him…”
Damn it. He hadn’t meant to explain in so much detail.
Charlotte’s face flushed before she could stop it. She hadn’t asked for specifics in front of Anette and the Dowager Empress, but truth be told, she’d been secretly worrying.
Lately, Mikhail had been skipping his lessons and spending time in unknown places. She couldn’t understand why her son, once so responsible as the crown prince, was suddenly acting out.
She had spoken to her husband Lucius, but the ever-lenient father had only said to trust and wait.
Frustrated, she tried to talk to Mikhail herself, but he kept his lips tightly shut and dodged the conversation.
Then Anette had arrived at the capital, and by chance, Charlotte discovered yesterday where her son had been disappearing to.
‘No wonder the knights couldn’t find him anywhere…’
She never imagined he’d been hiding in the Secret Garden.
Was he clever or just brazen? Her son’s thoughtless behavior left her sighing.
She and her husband were both considered reliable and principled—where had he picked up this habit of tormenting his escort?
Suddenly, she thought of Mikhail’s beloved uncle, Cardin.
‘Could it be that Cardin’s spoiled him too much?’
A reasonable suspicion. Cardin had been doting on his one and only nephew for years.
Now that Cardin was in the capital, it seemed time to summon both of them and have a serious talk.
“Very well. I’ll go check whether he’s in the garden.”
Charlotte turned to the Dowager Empress and Anette with a slightly awkward expression.
There was a high chance Mikhail was inside. She planned to enter first and bring him out alone.
But—
“Mikhail might be in there? How fortunate. Let’s go in right away.”
“Your Majesty…”
“I was just about to summon him. A stroll before tea would be perfect.”
The Dowager Empress, eager to see her beloved grandson, stepped forward.
Charlotte had hoped to buy herself time, even if it meant Mikhail would be scolded later.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to make formal introductions inside, would it?”
“Yes, actually, I’ve felt guilty ever since I wasn’t able to properly introduce myself to His Highness yesterday.”
Anette, quick to catch on, chimed in.
Charlotte let out a soft sigh and nodded.
Honestly, she wasn’t so much angry as she was embarrassed in front of the Dowager Empress and Anette. So, she decided to calm herself first.
‘Kids these days mature fast. Maybe it’s not as childish as it seems.’
She took a step back, planning to gently coax her son.
Just as she approached the entrance of the garden—
“Um, Your Majesty the Empress!”
“What is it, Sir Reutz?”
“Well…”
Alex hesitated.
In truth, it wasn’t only the crown prince who had vanished. The daughter of Marquis Melin, the commander of the Imperial Knights, was missing too.
Though their recent meetings had been fewer, everyone in the palace knew the two were childhood friends.
As soon as Alex realized Mikhail was gone, he’d dispatched someone to check—and confirmed that the marquis’s daughter wasn’t where she should be either.
‘I’m almost certain they’re together, but…’
Since the Secret Garden was off-limits except to royalty, Mikhail should know better. So, Alex couldn’t be sure.
“It’s nothing.”
There was no need to unnecessarily upset the Empress with an unconfirmed hunch.
Alex stepped back.
It wasn’t because he feared the blowback or wanted revenge on the crown prince who had him running around the palace all the time.
No matter what, losing track of his charge was a grave failure on his part, and he didn’t want to make things worse. Still…
‘If His Highness really brought the marquis’s daughter into the garden… then he deserves a good scolding.’
It was only human to hope this might be the end of Mikhail’s rebellious phase.
While one escort knight imagined his young master getting thoroughly chewed out, Anette followed the Empress and Dowager Empress into the garden.
Walking down a path between tall trees and thick greenery, she was again struck by the sheer scale of the palace.
Yesterday, her mood had been too unsettled to notice. But today, she found the garden’s atmosphere a little strange.
The sky was clear and the breeze cool, yet there were no birds chirping. And unlike yesterday, there were no sounds of small animals scurrying about.
As if separated from time and space.
In truth, the Secret Garden was protected by powerful restoration magic, soundproofing, and barrier spells. So Anette wasn’t wrong.
Unaware of this, Anette cautiously observed her surroundings—and her eyes widened.
She’d already assumed Mikhail would be inside, so the approaching presence wasn’t surprising. But—
‘He’s not alone?’
And the other presence felt like a child around Mikhail’s age.
Anette had a good sense for detecting the presence of magical beasts, so she could definitely pick up the noisy energy of a child.
Sure enough, as they moved deeper in, she could hear the high-pitched chatter of a child.
When the voice became clearer, Charlotte stopped in her tracks.
She had expected Mikhail to be hiding alone. She never imagined he would bring someone with him.
‘What on earth was he thinking…!’
Skipping lessons and evading escorts was one thing. This was another matter entirely.
He may be young, but he was still the crown prince, officially invested.
Charlotte lowered her gaze, embarrassed to face the Dowager Empress and Anette. Her cheeks burned with both shame and frustration toward her son.
She clenched her fist. This time, he’s really going to get it.
Just as she was about to march forward—
“…!”
The Dowager Empress quickly grabbed her arm and raised a finger to her lips, shaking her head.
She had already grasped the situation and understood Charlotte’s feelings. But these were just children. Wanting a secret conversation with a friend wasn’t so bad.
Charlotte thought the Dowager was too soft on the kids, but she nodded in agreement.
If the adults all showed up at once, Mikhail—and the marquis’s daughter, who was likely with him—would be frightened.
Since it was surely Mikhail who had brought her, there was no reason to scold the frail marquis’s daughter.
As Charlotte calmed down, the Dowager gently pulled her arm.
“I can go on my own. Why is she pulling me—” she thought, only to pause.
The Dowager wasn’t heading for the main entrance, but toward a cluster of shrubs to the side.
Baffled, Charlotte followed her to a large tree and realized—this was a spot where the children’s voices were clear, but their forms couldn’t be seen.
“….”
Charlotte gave the Dowager a look that clearly asked, Seriously?
The Dowager quickly averted her gaze.
Charlotte let out a short, stifled laugh and covered her mouth with her hand.
Eavesdropping on her child like this was ridiculous—and undignified for an Empress. But she was far more curious about what Mikhail was discussing so secretly.
With only family nearby, she felt less burdened and pricked up her ears, like she was sneaking a look at her son’s diary.
Beside her, Anette followed suit and crouched with a fluttering heart. Just doing something secret like this made her excited.
Then it happened.
“…Audrey…”
Even though it was only said once, the name struck deep—sharp and familiar.
Anette froze.