Chapter 22

When he called her name, Noah turned to Claudia.

"Princess, are you hurt or dirty?"

"I'm fine. More importantly, Noah, you're covered in mud."

"I'll be fine no matter what. ...More importantly,"

Noah turned his gaze back to the girl standing in front of him. The girl with fluffy red hair was dressed in a finer dress than any of the other girls present.

However, in her hands, she held clumps of mud.

"...Did you miss? Hmm, how boring."

"O-oi, Emilia...!"

The name 'Emilia' that Wilhelm called out was one Claudia had heard beforehand.

(This is my sister.)

Emilia was glaring straight at Claudia.

(...And the only child of the queen.)

Before visiting the capital, Karlheinz had told Claudia various things in the tower where she lived.

Karlheinz did not know that Claudia's true identity was Adelheid.

However, he had noticed that she was not an ordinary girl and had started to speak more openly to her.

"Prince Wilhelm, Prince Erenfried's mother is the King's second wife, Lady Cassandra. Although she is often ill, she is the most favored among the princesses."

"Then, what about the queen?"

"...As for the Queen, I cannot speak of her."

When Karlheinz bowed his head and mumbled, Claudia grasped the general situation. It was likely that the King had no affection for the queen, and she was treated as such within the castle.

"Where did the queen come from?"

"She was born a princess of the great nation of Magnonia, which has a long-standing alliance with our country, Abiania."

"Hmm..."

Karlheinz, who had knelt, raised his head again.

"The Queen also has a child, Princess Emilia. She is the same age as Prince Erenfried, eight years old, and is Princess Claudia's older sister."

"Does she also have a lot of magic power?"

"Probably the most of any princess in history. ...Of course, except for Princess Claudia."

The red-haired princess Emilia standing in front of her narrowed her eyes and looked at Claudia with a cold expression. Then, she spoke.

"Why did a lowborn child come to this castle now?"

"Hey, Emilia! That's not right. Where did you get that mud from...?"

"That's right. Throwing it suddenly like that."

"Shut up. Brothers, be quiet."

"Ugh..."

Emilia's calm words made her two brothers fall silent. Emilia's amethyst-colored eyes burned with quiet anger.

"Let me make it clear, everyone here hates you. Without any magic power, such a filthy existence suits being covered in mud."

"..."

Claudia looked up at Emilia from behind Noah. Emilia's expression grew even colder.

"What? Are you going to argue with me? Or are you so scared that you want to run away?"

"..."

Emilia seemed to think that the six-year-old Claudia would cower and cry. However, after staring at Emilia for a while, Claudia turned her face away and ignored her.

"Wh-what...?"

"Noah, Noah, does it hurt?"

"Princess."

Claudia tugged on Noah's jacket, turning him to face her.

"Your suit is all wet. Poor thing..."

"It's no problem. This can be washed off easily."

"Then, let's do the laundry! Come on, Noah, hurry!"

Taking Noah's hand, she pulled him along, and Emilia began to tremble, her expression blank.

"...Ignoring me. Ignoring me, a lowborn girl?"

"Noah, be careful here. Don't fall."

Claudia's gaze told Noah that she had no intention of engaging with Emilia.

(Different from her two brothers, her hatred towards me is deep-rooted. I'll be back in the tower tomorrow anyway. It's too much trouble to deal with such malice.)

She explained this quietly, so that no one else could hear.

Noah followed without hesitation, walking in a position that protected Claudia. Just as Claudia and Noah were about to go to the other side of the garden, which was separated by a hedge, Emilia raised her hand, holding mud, as she had done before.

However, this time, Noah did not move. It was clear that the mud would not hit Claudia.

Instead, the clump of mud hit a man who appeared from the other side of the hedge.

"――――!!"

At that moment, the children's faces turned pale.

The man was wearing a white outfit with gold embroidery. The mud clump, which had splattered at his knees, stained the fine fabric.

(Oh no. It hit this person.)

The man looked down at his feet.

As he bowed his head, his short golden hair swayed. His garnet-red eyes narrowed, and he wore a cold, displeased expression.

His features were strikingly beautiful, with a somewhat androgynous air.

"A..."

Emilia's voice trembled, and even Claudia, who was standing a bit away, could hear it clearly.

"Sorry..."

(This man. Folkhardt Markus Brightkreutz.)

It was the name she had heard from Karlheinz.

(—The king of this country, my father.)

Under the intensely cold gaze of King Folkhardt, Claudia smiled.