Chapter 56

"Alright," Claudia said with a smile, and her father smiled slightly, only at the corners of his mouth.

The attendants standing nearby turned even paler upon hearing this.

"It cannot be, Your Highness. Please, heed your father's words...!"

"Claudia, I don't want to. Everyone, including my older brothers, says I have to get along with everyone, you know?"

She placed her index finger on her lips and looked up at her father intently.

"Father, you're an adult, can't you get along with your friends?"

"Your Highness!"

"Ah, hahaha!"

In front of the flustered attendants, her father began to laugh more joyfully.

"Very well. That is what I expect from my youngest princess."

(Oh, you say that so easily. You only see your daughter as a pawn, don't you?)

Claudia smiled softly and continued her performance as a cute little girl.

"But, Claudia, I don't want to go to that country. I want to meet the prince who is skilled in magic!"

"......Hmm"

"Right, Father?"

Smiling innocently, she declared with feigned innocence.

"Claudia will have an 'arranged meeting' with that prince!"

***

"...The Kingdom of Klingenite..."

When Claudia finished speaking, Noah, with a look of understanding, murmured the name of the country.

Opposite Claudia, who was sitting on a long chair, was Karlheinz, the head magician of this country. They were in one of the rooms of the castle, Karlheinz's office, and Claudia had been carried there by Noah.

Claudia, enjoying the scent of the rose tea Noah had prepared, asked:

"Understand now, Noah? The reason I'm giving Father face."

"......No matter what, I will act as you command, Your Highness."

Despite his earlier serious expression, Noah replied with a composed face.

On the other hand, Karlheinz, who had not been told anything beforehand, looked at Claudia with a somewhat suspicious gaze.

"Your Highness, may I ask what your intention is with this 'arranged meeting'?"

"Hehe. Filial piety."

"......"

"Oh, Karlheinz. Of course, it's a joke, right?"

She took another sip of the delicious tea and placed the cup down, not on the table but floating it in front of her. It was a teacup with a rabbit pattern that Claudia loved.

While staring at it, she gently spoke.

"——In that country, there are beautiful princesses who have fallen into a deep sleep, like dolls, and never wake up."

Karlheinz gasped at her quiet words.

"Surely not..."

"For the past two years, Noah and I have been gathering information on curses scattered across various countries. You have helped us many times, haven't you, Karlheinz?"

Two years ago, a woman who was one of the queen consorts of this country orchestrated a curse using her daughter.

The woman was Claudia's stepmother, and the daughter used was her half-sister.

This incident led Claudia to hide her true identity as a princess and to eliminate events related to curses.

"Noah"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Noah nodded and explained to Karlheinz.

"The first one was eight years ago. The half-sister of the current king, a princess, suddenly collapsed during a ball."

"......This country has also heard the story. Officially, it is said that she is in a terminal illness and is under treatment."

"She hasn't woken up. Not once in eight years."

Claudia and Noah had heard this story about half a year ago.

"Her heart is still beating, and she is still breathing. ...She has continued to live like she is sleeping without eating or drinking for years."

"......"

"It's not just her. Since then, every year, one woman has collapsed and never woken up, making a total of seven women so far."

"And, Karlheinz,"

Claudia added, continuing after Noah.

"All the women who collapsed are of royal blood. They are all younger than eighteen and are exceptionally beautiful."

"......"

Karlheinz pressed his forehead and sighed quietly.

Then, as if he had come to a realization, he spoke.

"The Kingdom of Klingenite is a major power and formed an alliance with this country, Abianoria, two years ago. I was wondering what change of heart the king, who had never shown such tendencies before, had... "

"He must have been terrified. After all, a mysterious illness is spreading in the royal family. It's natural to want to ally with a country that you absolutely don't want to become an enemy, in case of an emergency."

"Do you think this 'illness' is the result of a curse?"

"It's obvious. That's why I'm going."

Claudia said with a beautiful smile.

"——I, who have royal blood, am a beautiful young girl, and possess the power to resist curses."