Chapter 52

It has been five days since the incident in the hall, and so far, peaceful days have continued.

Even so, my daily life is a self-imposed hermitage.

"Why is the master not properly evaluated?"

"It's because of bias, and you're biased too."

"I suggest an improvement."

"I reject it. I want to be a harmless prince who quietly devotes himself to alchemy."

"It's a futile effort since it's already a mess."

"Hey, Sefira Sephiroth, show a little more consideration for people's feelings."

Since then, Sefira Sephiroth has been noisy.

She's quiet when handling toxic minerals, but she gets noisy when distilling familiar alcohol.

Just as I was thinking this, she suddenly became quiet, which made me wonder, and then she suddenly made another bombshell statement.

"More than ten people are climbing the stairs."

"It's not the Strateg Marquis, is it? Princess Asha, this way."

Ikt, who had been watching our conversation, moved upon receiving Sefira's warning.

We stopped the dangerous experimental equipment and headed for the blue room where Helkoff and Wearrel were on standby.

"Oh, Ikt heard it too?"

Helkoff turned his head, moving his bear ears, while Wearrel also perked up his triangular ears.

"It's Sefira Sephiroth who detected it. Who do you think it could be with more than ten people?"

"I thought it might be the palace guards because I heard the sound of swords being sheathed."

Wearrel looked at Ikt, but he shook his head.

"Considering Princess Asha's special nature, if they are visiting, only two people can stand outside, and only the Strateg Marquis and Reven can enter the interior."

When did this arrangement happen?

Anyway, it seems there are more people than usual for the Strateg Marquis.

"Wearrel, you go to the gold room with the princess. We'll—"

Just as Helkoff was speaking, there was a knock on the door.

The voice from outside belonged to a flat-top, one of my father's aides, which had never happened before.

With my permission, Helkoff opened the door.

"The Emperor and the Empress are coming."

"Why?"

I couldn't help but ask, and he frowned.

I hadn't seen that expression in a long time.

Anyway, it's a sudden visit.

Following the flat-top's instructions, we moved the chairs and table from the salon to the wide waiting room in the gold room.

We were already moving the furniture when they arrived.

I thought we could buy some time, but the flat-top just frowned and stood by the wall.

"Sorry for the suddenness, Asha."

"No, this is part of the Emperor's possessions. There's no need to be formal."

Usually, I would be carried in a cradle, but today, with the Empress's stern face, both my father and I are responding formally.

"Ah, what were you doing?"

"Alchemical experiments. I apologize for my casual attire."

With the Empress present, our conversation was stiffer than usual.

Also, I didn't have time to change, so I was in my usual clothes.

Moreover, since I had been doing alchemy, I had taken off my apron but was still wearing a shirt that could get dirty and a hastily put on jacket.

"Alchemical experiments, are you making gold?"

"No, I was discussing the cultivation of the mind and the conclusion of the soul."

I didn't mention Sefira Sephiroth, and I couldn't say I was making alcohol.

What I said wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either, so my answer was vague.

This led to an awkward atmosphere, a subtle silence, and the Empress sighed.

"It takes too long to prepare tea. Whose maids are you using?"

As soon as she said this, I stiffened, and the aides widened their eyes.

The flat-top also held his breath.

That's right, no one is preparing tea.

But it's not right to have no hospitality when the Emperor and Empress visit.

"I apologize for the lack of preparation. Since I don't usually invite guests, I will make the tea myself."

"Can you do that, Asha?"

"Yes, I have some good coffee."

It's actually for making alcohol.

Molly said it tasted better when I tried it with Kahlua milk, so she sent me higher-grade beans.

"That's fine."

But the Empress rejected it and gave me a challenging look.

"Names of the maids will suffice."

"Um………"

I can't answer with any names, so I can only remain silent.

Then my father seemed to realize something and fell into thought.

Ah, it's only a matter of time before he realizes.

"There are none."

"What?"

"There are no maids under me."

Servants and maids are different.

Simply put, the degree of involvement with the master determines the role.

There are servants who maintain the residence, and they are distributed throughout this left wing.

But a maid is a special position that takes care of me personally, and I don't have one.

Harti used to do that job, but after the wet nurse left, I did it myself.

"Could it be that only Harti? Was there no handover, oh, the wet nurse, that's why?"

Father realized that there were no maids prepared from the beginning.

I reported the wet nurse's resignation due to remarriage, and I heard that he blessed her personally and gave her a gift and a letter.

Father probably thought a replacement for Harti, who took care of me, would come.

But the person who should have prepared it was the Nistaf Marquis family.

Harti, as a personal request, couldn't get a family of high enough status to enter the palace, and the Marquis family had no intention of preparing one.

Of course, as a prince who is supposed to be in seclusion, I have no connections to noble young ladies who could serve as maids.

"That's impossible. Then, who is taking care of the First Prince?"

The Empress was flustered and suspected that I was lying.

"I can do it myself."

"Changing clothes? Serving meals? Preparing baths? Do you think you can fool us by saying you can do it yourself?"

"I change clothes myself. For meals and baths……no, there are people who help, so don't worry."

Oops, Father's face is not good.

I didn't want to worry him, but I answered due to the Empress's pressure.

"Asha"

"……Yes"

Father called me with an unusually serious voice, so after some hesitation, I resigned myself and responded.

"Answer truthfully, no lies, no evasion. Who takes care of you?"

"There are none."

"Besides Wearrel, Helkoff, and Ikt, is there anyone else who takes care of you?"

"……There are none."

I thought of the Strateg Marquis and Reven for a moment, but it would be unfair to involve them in this issue.

The fault lies with the Nistaf Marquis, who was supposed to provide a guardian but abandoned the responsibility.

And Father is taking damage from what he's hearing.

Yeah, if he didn't know about the current situation, it would be like this.

Yeah, as a parent, that's how it should be.

If he finds out his child can't live properly, he should react this way.

……Somehow, I feel a little happy.

In my previous life, my parents didn't care if I was eating, and when I had anemia from overworking, they said I was pitiful and got angry.

Compared to that, the father in front of me is ashamed and regretful of his lack of awareness.

That's why I kept quiet, and because of my experience living alone as a commoner in my previous life, it wasn't that hard for me.

"……Asha"

"Yes"

"Show me your room."

"Huh?"

That's a problem.

I said it out loud without thinking.

Immediately, Father put on his stern emperor face and ordered me again.

"No evasion."

"……Yes"

By the wall, Wearrel was pressing his forehead, Helkoff was looking up at the ceiling, and Ikt was covering his mouth to suppress a sigh.

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