Chapter 40

Romalis was exploring the dusty corridor alone, as usual.

The palace where Romalis lived was vast, with small rooms, large rooms, and wide corridors, offering many places to explore.

None of the four maids liked Romalis. He had given them nicknames in his mind: Chubby, Proud, Skinny, and Freckles.

They often said they had drawn the short straw. They claimed they had suffered because of Sezon's ambition.

Though he didn't fully understand what they meant, he knew they were saying bad things about him, so he pretended not to notice.

Even if they said harsh words, they never raised a hand against him.

However, if he disobeyed them or threw a tantrum, they would claim it was for his discipline and withhold his meals. Romalis didn't like being hungry, so he tried not to disobey them.

Skinny seemed to be a tutor, teaching Romalis how to read and write and instilling manners.

But sometimes it didn't make sense. Skinny had taught Romalis that he was a prince. However, in stories, princes were always cherished.

They had loving parents, kind nurses, and were treated well by everyone. That was what princes in stories were like.

So, Romalis wondered if Skinny was lying.

Since no one wanted to play with the five-year-old Romalis, he always explored the palace alone.

The palace was dirty and dilapidated, with curtains that were falling off and windows with closed shutters, making it seem like a haunted house. Some of the paintings on the walls had been torn off.

According to Proud, a man named Sezon had once been depicted in one of those paintings.

As Romalis ran around the castle as usual and reached the corridor, he suddenly noticed that something was different about this place.

Looking around slowly, he saw that a large frame with a painting of water lilies had been moved slightly.

There should have been a plain wall between the large oak display cabinet and the frame, but the frame had shifted to the side and was now pressed against the cabinet.

Wondering why the frame had moved on its own, Romalis approached it and noticed a narrow gap in the wall that the frame usually covered.

It was a vertical slit just wide enough for Romalis's small head to fit through.

If the frame had moved a bit more to the side, even an adult could have easily passed through.

"What is this?"

As he muttered, a voice came from inside the gap.

"Is someone there?"

It was a weak voice.

Romalis flinched but decided not to run away because the voice sounded too weak to do anything harmful.

Romalis cautiously peered inside. It was dim, and he could vaguely see a white face and a green dress.

"Why are you in there?"

"I can't move," the "voice" replied.

"I've been trapped. Can you call someone for me?"

Romalis shook his head.

"I can't. No one listens to me. If I say I'm cold or hot, they just say, 'Oh, really?' in a bored tone.

I'm a nuisance. They act as if it would be better if I weren't here."

The "voice" fell silent in surprise. After a moment, it asked,

"What is your name?"

"Romalis."

The "voice" seemed to catch its breath.

Romalis thought it was like Proud and Skinny, who also treated him as a nuisance.

"You think you drew the short straw, don't you?"

Romalis spoke to the gap. He rarely talked to people because they always treated him as a nuisance when he did.

But the "voice" wouldn't run away, as it had said it couldn't move.

"I don't think so."

"Then this is the Ruby Palace, isn't it?"

"Ruby Palace?"

"Yes, the name of the palace where you live. You live here, don't you?"

The "voice" seemed to be thinking.

Feeling a reluctance to leave, Romalis squatted down by the gap.

"You must have been lonely."

Romalis was taken aback by the sudden words.

"I'm not lonely."

"No one listens to you, do they? They act as if it would be better if you weren't here. That's what loneliness is."

The "voice" sounded very sad, and Romalis was surprised as he peered into the gap.

"Why do you sound so sad?"

"Because you are very lonely."

The "voice" replied.

"You haven't done anything wrong."

It was the first time someone had spoken kindly to him, and Romalis didn't know how to respond.

"You are my younger brother."

After a while, the "voice" said.

"Brother? Are you my older sister?"

There was a sound like gloves being removed, and a hand reached through the gap. It was a beautiful, slender white hand, very different from those of Skinny and the others.

"Can I touch you?"

"Sure."

Not knowing what to do, he answered, and the hand gently took Romalis's hand and then reached up to stroke his head.

It was a new experience for Romalis.

"Sister."

His heart felt warm and ticklish, and he called out.

"What is it?"

"...I just wanted to call you."

Romalis's sister seemed to laugh. Then she stroked his head multiple times and whispered, "Good boy."

"Romalis, I have a favor to ask."

"Okay. What is it?"

"I want you to deliver this to the Emperor."

What was handed to him was a broken hairpin.

"It's very important. Please deliver it to the Emperor from your hands."

"I can't meet him."

Romalis felt sad as he answered. He wanted to do as she asked, but he knew it was impossible. No one would listen to him.

"You are a prince. Go to the guards of the Ruby Palace and say, 'I am Prince Romalis.'"

"Should I say, 'I am Prince Romalis'?"

"Yes," his sister replied.

"If your voice reaches him, the Emperor will surely meet you. Then, give him this hairpin.

...Don't give it to anyone else."

"Okay."

Romalis gripped the small hairpin in his palm.

The "voice" was weak and sounded very frail.

Romalis suddenly remembered a small white kitten that had died in his arms. He had found the kitten crouched like a rag in the rain and secretly brought it back to his room.

He had dried the kitten's wet body and given it water. He wanted to share his food, but the kitten wouldn't eat.

The kitten had mewed softly, but it gradually became quiet, and its body grew cold.

"Sister."

The sister, who had been leaning against the wall, moved away and smiled slightly.

"I will definitely deliver it. Please wait."

Romalis thought that if he hesitated, his sister would die. He gripped the hairpin with his small hand and ran toward the palace entrance.

Via watched the small figure disappear into the distance.

Leaning against the wall became too painful, and she collapsed onto the stone floor. The floor should have been cold, but she felt nothing.

Romalis had said that no one would listen to him. So, no matter how much Romalis shouted, she didn't know how many people would listen to him.

If no one listened to Romalis, she would die.

But it couldn't be helped. It was they who had put Romalis in this position.

"I didn't realize."

Via whispered in the dim light.

"You were growing up, but I had forgotten about your existence. I'm sorry."

A small brother who had lived quietly in the Ruby Palace.

A child who was lonelier than the Emperor or Caelitus.

Even the maids who served him treated him like a nuisance. How lonely must he have been?

Still, Via thought she had been able to stroke his head once.

Even if she were to die, at least she had been able to stroke her little brother's head, which might be a good end.

The light seeping through the gap was the last comfort for Via. Feeling the soft light in her eyes, Via smiled slightly.

Eventually, a peaceful drowsiness took away Via's last consciousness.