𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟒: 𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬
“Of course, I don’t mind.”
ㅤ
The queen smiled and nodded.
ㅤ
“I was thinking of meeting you anyway. It’s fortunate that you came to the Margrave’s territory.”
“Let’s go to a room where we can be alone. Come along, Charte.”
“Ah. . . . . .”
ㅤ
I am confused by this sudden development. I can’t read the Crown Prince’s intentions at all.
Does he know that I’m Charlene?
Does he want to talk to me because I’m Charlene’s Envoy?
Does he want to talk to me because I’m a suspicious 8-year-old who got close to the queen?
―Or is he trying to get rid of me?
ㅤ
“Um, excuse me. . . . . .”
“Hm? What’s the matter, Charte?”
ㅤ
While being careful not to be disrespectful, I have Kami-sama speak for me.
ㅤ
[Your Highness, I beg your pardon. Charte is still young and may be impolite. May I accompany her as her husband?]
ㅤ
To lend credibility to Kami-sama’s proposal, I touch Kami-sama’s arm like a spoiled child, and I look up at him and ask,
ㅤ
“Your Highness. . . . . .Whenever I am on duty as Charlene’s Envoy, I am always with my husband. . . . . . Can’t we be together. . . . . .?”
ㅤ
The prince is taken aback by my words.
Husband. He repeats silently to himself.
ㅤ
“Husband. . . . . .? Did you say husband? You are. . . . . .with this man?”
“Yes.”
ㅤ
I nod strongly.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .”
ㅤ
After staring at me so hard I feel like I might bore a hole in me, the prince looks at his mother, the queen.
ㅤ
“I’m sorry, but I’m a bit confused. . . . . .Isn’t it not allowed for saints to be married?”
“Although Charte is called a husband, she’s only 8. We consider him an equivalent to a fiancé because of her age.”
“I see. . . . . . Apparently it’s more convenient to settle down and find a job in the form of marriage when living among the commoners. Is that what it is?”
ㅤ
(Kami-sama, don’t say it’s different! It’s going to be troublesome in various ways! Just keep quiet!)
ㅤ
“. . . . . .”
ㅤ
In response to my desperate plea from within, Kami-sama frowns and nods.
The prince smiles and says clearly to Kami-sama,
ㅤ
“I want to talk to her. When there are adults, children will inevitably have to gauge the adults’ mood. Especially if it’s a doting husband. . . Is that alright? Okaa-sama.”
“That’s right. Talk together. It’s not a time for Charte to be timid. If she’s going to be a saints in the royal capital, she can’t always be with her husband.”
ㅤ
The queen’s words are true.
ㅤ
“Yes. . . . . .I understand.”
ㅤ
While lowering my head solemnly, I ask Kami-sama,
ㅤ
([Kami-sama. What do you think of the prince? Is he suspicious?])
(At least his soul is definitely from this country. I don’t sense any other gods)
([Oh, I see])
(. . .Furthermore, even though he’s overly friendly with Charlene, I don’t think he’s an enemy.)
([Why?])
ㅤ
While inwardly chuckling at Kami-sama’s way of referring to the crown prince, I ask.
Kami-sama said clearly,
ㅤ
(On the way here, he prayed to me. For atonement for not being able to protect Charlene. . .The sound of sincere prayers nearby, I can hear them)
ㅤ
I involuntarily looked at the prince’s face.
The prince was staring at Charte with a serious look.
ㅤ
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
ㅤ
After a while, I arranged to meet with His Highness in the garden, in time for afternoon tea.
ㅤ
In the end, I was alone, with the snake of Kami-sama intertwined in my dress instead of accompanying me.
As I feel ticklish, I nervously pretend to be an innocent 8-year-old in front of His Highness.
ㅤ
“Hello. Think of me just as an older brother and feel free to relax. I love flowers. Let’s head to the gazebo slowly, admiring the flowers along the way.”
“Yes.”
ㅤ
I think people wouldn’t call themselves “just an older brother.” Anyway, the Crown Prince’s stride is light.
ㅤ
(Has he got over a bit than before? He seems to have regained his energy)
ㅤ
The Crown Prince in my memory was always gloomy and neurotic, a melancholic prince. He wasn’t the type to vent his negative emotions, but he would keep them to himself. As a leading saint Charlene, his fiancee, it was my impression that it was okay as long as I dealt with him blandly.
ㅤ
As soon as we were alone, His Highness immediately started questioning my ability as [Charlene’s Envoy].
ㅤ
“I heard that you can hear Charlene’s voice. . . Since when have you been able to hear it?”
“Yes. Since the time when Charlene-sama [Returned to the other world].”
“. . . . . .I see. Return to the other world, huh?”
ㅤ
His Highness repeats his words as if to chew on them.
I think about the information His Highness has.
ㅤ
Does His Highness know about the time I was nearly killed?
That I am still alive here?
I have to nod carefully––thinking so, I decide to test him a little.
ㅤ
“Charlene-sama definitely. . . . . .returned to the other world. . . . . .right?”
ㅤ
As I mull over the words, His Highness catches on, furrowing his eyebrows.
ㅤ
“What do you mean?. . . . . .Did Charlene say something different to you, her envoy? That she went somewhere else than the other world. . . . . .or else.”
ㅤ
As he approaches me with a serious face, I hastily shake my head.
ㅤ
“No, no. . . . . .I was also asked by the Queen, [Is the voice you hear from the other world?]. . . . . .So. . . . . .”
“Oh, I see.”
ㅤ
His Highness’s expression relaxes, as if relieved.
ㅤ
“It’s natural to wonder if you’re asked the same thing. . . . . .But it doesn’t mean anything.”
ㅤ
And again, he walks ahead in a good mood.
It’s hard to read what he’s thinking.
ㅤ
(. . . . . .His Highness doesn’t intend to reveal anything about Charlene to me. Her background, whether she’s dead or not)
ㅤ
His Highness knows Charlene’s identity, unlike the Queen.
––But why doesn’t he disclose Charlene’s real identity to Charte?
ㅤ
(Is he trying to ascertain whether Charte is the real [Charlene’s Envoy]. . . . . .?)
ㅤ
As I follow him with a puzzled look, he starts a conversation saying, “By the way.”
ㅤ
“Do you like flowers? I used to meet Charlene in the greenhouse often.”
ㅤ
While looking at the flowers and walking ahead, His Highness talks to me.
ㅤ
“Yes. . . . . .I like them too.”
ㅤ
I suddenly fix my gaze on a flower that passed by in the corner of my vision. It’s a marigold.
ㅤ
“Yeah, I like this flower too. Because it matches the color of her eyes.”
ㅤ
His Highness is staring at me with his eyes wide open.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .Your Highness?”
“You are. . . . . .”
ㅤ
His Highness makes a face as if he’s about to cry and quickly turns away.
While His Highness is turning his back on me, surprised, he groans.
ㅤ
“You resemble Charlene.”
“D, Do I?”
ㅤ
I get a chill––for the time being, it seems my true identity has not been revealed yet.
ㅤ
“I wish. . . . . .I had talked more with Charlene.”
ㅤ
His Highness’s shoulders are trembling.
ㅤ
“You know we were engaged, right?”
“Yes.”
“I. . . . . .was not close to Charlene.”
ㅤ
As he comes close to me, he gently touches the marigold, and in a confessing voice, he starts to pour out his thoughts.
ㅤ
“I thought of Charlene only as a partner in a political marriage until the very end. I should have made an effort to understand her better, to become closer to her. It’s not my place to say, but I shouldn’t have hurled those cruel words about breaking off the engagement at her. . . . . .”
“So, something like this happened.”
“. . . . . .I was a puppet, in body and mind. I did not think for myself.”
ㅤ
As if he does not expect a response from me, His Highness continues speaking. His profile greatly resembled a penitent with his head bowed in a confessional.
ㅤ
“Without trying to truly understand, I couldn’t know who Charlene really was. Without any proper conversations, I judged her superficially, underestimated her, focused only on the negative. . . . . . I parted from her in such an unpleasant way.”
“. . . . . .Your Highness. . . . . .”
ㅤ
I was bewildered by his words.
Whether as Charlene or Charte, I didn’t know how to take them.
ㅤ
Yes, he did unilaterally declare our breakup, but after all, I was the one who deceived him, even if it was very unwillingly and was about being the [Saint from another world] that was arbitrarily decided for me.
And His Highness was just swayed by the manipulations of people like Lulumia and the High Priest.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .Your Highness, are you crying. . . . . .?”
ㅤ
He had started sobbing at some point. Tears wetted his cheeks and stained his fine clothes. The tears kept overflowing.
I was taken aback – I never knew His Highness was someone who expressed his feelings so openly.
ㅤ
“It was only after she. . . . . .set off for another world that I realized. . . . . .how insincere I had been. . . . . .even though it’s already too late, she. . . . . .”
ㅤ
His Highness collapsed onto the ground as if he couldn’t bear it anymore. I extended a handkerchief and stroked his back.
Looking up at me with his tear-streaked eyes, His Highness asked:
ㅤ
“Are you in touch with Charlene?”
“What do you mean?”
“. . . . . .The true meaning behind her journey to another world, from her.”
“That is. . . . . .the real, meaning. . . . . .”
ㅤ
He must mean the assault incident.
As Charte, I was unsure of how to respond, but His Highness quickly shook his head.
ㅤ
“It’s fine, whether you know or not. But. . . . . .what I want you to know is. . . . . .that even though I was her fiance, I couldn’t protect her. She. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Even while sobbing, he never revealed the harsh reality that would dampen the spirit of a child like Charte. His Highness could have easily relayed the truth to Charte.
ㅤ
Charlene was a superficial saint from the bottom rung of society.
She was not journeying to another world but was banished and then almost murdered.
ㅤ
But His Highness insisted that she [had journeyed to another world].
ㅤ
“Your Highness. . . . . .”
ㅤ
I was at a loss.
Am I going to keep running away in a disguise?
Am I going to lie to His Highness, who is crying for me, trying to protect the honor of the me who deceived him?
ㅤ
“I can’t lie anymore, not to Your Highness.”
ㅤ
I combed back my hair, smiling as I made up my mind.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .Charte?”
“No.”
ㅤ
His Highness widened his eyes and stared at me. In response, I showed him Charlene’s smile.
ㅤ
“It’s a waste to cry for a superficial saint like me, Your Highness.”
ㅤ
I combed my hair and straightened it with life magic.
I swept my bangs to one side to cover one eye and straightened my back.
ㅤ
“You’re. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Before I knew it, His Highness had stopped crying and was looking at me with an expression of disbelief.
I curtsied deeply.
ㅤ
“I am Charlene Hiraes. I sincerely apologize for meeting Your Highness twice under false pretenses.”
ㅤ
His Highness was frozen, his tears dried up.
Oh well, the cat’s out of the bag.
But I didn’t want to keep lying to His Highness, who was crying for my death.
Now, what should I do next?
ㅤ
As if he can’t believe it, His Highness looks me up and down.
ㅤ
“Are you really Charlene? You seem quite smaller than the Charlene I know. . .”
“Your Highness, are you aware that I was at death’s door?”
“Yeah. . .it seems you’ve gone through quite a terrible ordeal.”
“At that time. . .I was able to recover due to the miracle of the leading saint. My body has shrunk, though.”
“The alias ‘Beloved Saint of God’ is not for show, is it?”
“However, I was attacked by someone disguised as a member of the Saint’s Guard Knights after being dismissed as a saint. I couldn’t appeal to the church due to my position. . . Afterward, I was hiding here, waiting for a chance to inform the royal family about the crisis in the royal capital.”
“So, you were under my mother’s protection. I see. . .you’ve thought this through. I see. . .”
ㅤ
The prince smiled and then looked into my eyes and said,
ㅤ
“Amazing. So, you’re truly inhabited by Charlene!!!”
ㅤ
With clear eyes, the prince energetically exclaimed,
ㅤ
—Huh?
Did I say something wrong. . .?
[insert page=’4633′ display=’content’]
[insert page=’4587′ display=’content’]
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- My Inner Samurai vs. My Real-Life Chicken Heart: Why My Brain Thinks I’m Bruce Lee, But My Body Screams “Run!”
- My Gacha Gaming Habit is Bleeding My Bank Account Dry: How to Stop Before You Go Broke
- My Two Classmates Just Went Full Anime Fight Club Over… WAIFUS?!
- Sword Art Online: A Grown-Up’s Journey Through A Virtual World
- Yo, Millennials: This TikTok Dictionary Translates Gen Z So You Don’t Sound Like a Boomer
Leave a Reply