Fake Cinderella

38. Bottom of the Night

I know I'm helpless.

Even when I lived as Asae Wazumi, and since I woke up as Altilier.

The present, being an altilier, may more often bite the feeling of powerlessness.

Everyone, Princess Wang, would be jealous of herself. Being on the high ground, it's actually in a birdcage of embarrassment, and it's even annoying to see her husband when she wants to see him, who's been married for twelve years.

"How long have you been aware of this?"

It was a quiet quiet voice.

I guess the lights blink because I came out of the dark. Do your hand on your forehead and narrow your eyes.

You look calm, but you look like a completely different person from when I saw you back here.

No, I guess this is another side of this one. People have different looks.

Depending on the person you are pointing at, it can change from time to time.

"Come on... since when, then, I don't remember, but I think it's been a long time now. I wasn't sure until I got back here..."

Answer as you choose the words.

There are many meanings there.

Altirier probably knew.

I don't remember who I am now, but I knew it somehow.

This is the one who is at the heart of the complicated matter.

There are several events, from which new events derive, and they affect each other as if they were ripples that overlap, and there are now.

(It's like the surface of a garden pond on a dusty rainy day...)

No one now knows what color that pond was in.

I do my gaze at the one in front of me.

It was a simple outfit that was different from the usual luxury.

There is little embroidery or decoration. A black cloak with a white shirt and black leather pants backed with fur on black boots like soldier's provisions...... you wouldn't realize that this is the one unless you're just normally dressed like this.

(If you say it in a deductive novel style, it's a mastermind...)

Though I had expected it, but I still can't think well through the surprise that I'm confirming it straight in front of me like this and confronting it like this.

(Honestly, there's nothing I can do)

If there is no law to judge this one, and sin is upon all those involved, then there is no one who can punish, and I do not know what to punish.

(It's just... I just want to know)

I don't know what it was meant to be, but it was the resulting loneliness and despair that made it the blade that pierced Altirier in that winter lake.

(So here I am...)

I think about it, always, my consciousness is going to suck in somewhere...... strange comfort.

"That's not what I meant. No, I don't mind if that's what you mean..."

Stare at me and respond straight to that gaze.

I was strangely calm.

Calm, or my emotions were so flat. I don't feel like I can move no matter what they say right now.

"… that His Majesty is here, in the middle of a conversation with Her Royal Highness."

"I was going to stop showing signs."

I didn't know they'd noticed. And leaks the crush.

I slowly stood up and thanked His Majesty.

If you are a regular cathedral seat of worship, you cannot thank me on the spot because there is little space between the arranged chairs, but this is the Cathedral of the Crown Prince's Palace, and this seat, which is considered the seat of the Crown Prince and his Queen, is a special seat. Although not in fashion today, the once liturgical gown is domed as much as you wish in the bannier, and the space is relaxed so that even in that case it's okay. So, thank you on this occasion right now. There is no freedom at all.

"Don't you think the etiquette on this occasion is hilarious, Thie?"

It sounds soggy and sweet somewhere to be admired by its name Tea 'er.

Every time I heard it, for some reason my spine sifted and I always felt terribly restless.

(That's because this is the one who calls it that...)

And maybe because Altirier knew what this person thought of the name.

"Yes, Your Majesty. But there's no reason not to thank me."

"You don't need to thank me. Take it easy."

To that word, I give a face.

Although I understand that the culprits of all the incidents are on this side of the spectrum, I didn't think you were so scared when you were alone in this confrontation. I wasn't even trembling.

But the truth is, that may be paralyzing.

"Why did you realize I was here?

"I heard that this cathedral is Nay's architecture up to this seat and two more rows of seats... and I know a lot about Nay's teasing."

There is a hidden passage entrance and exit in this cathedral. To be specific, the back of the altar. Your Majesty must have used it there.

Perhaps you also knew under Zion that mouthpiece. I was impressed just now because you knew such details that even those who serve the West Palace did not.

(Do you know because he was a prince, or because he's a cardinal...)

I was taught by His Highness Nadir. Your Highness, the owner of the palace, would naturally have known. In the first place, His Highness is probably more familiar with this royal palace site because he is also a researcher.

I felt like I would be smiling raw if I spoke about it, pretending I didn't know much about it in front of Theon, but I know so much about Nai.

(Mostly because of His Highness...)

What we talked about during the morning tea was the exhaustion of luck.

Maybe the sun will go down when we talk about it.

Briefly, the basement of Dardinia's royal palace is a labyrinth. And it is a relic of the Unified Empire era.

This royal palace is not just said to be built on the ruins, but there are several schemes that incorporate the ruins as well, although the whole is not yet obvious. They say it's a rare and unparalleled building on the continent.

Arsey Nay, for some reason, was also familiar with the ruins. Rather than the ruins themselves, they were very familiar with the technology used for the ruins.

Since Nay, lost Imperial technology is said to have been mourned again.

"Plus, it smelled like a roll of your choice."

The distinctive sweet and sweet fragrance is the scent of cigarette tobacco of His Majesty's choice.

It is an original blend that is often a gift because it is not so expensive and can be easily lowered as a reward.

Think of it, even then I woke up as me, feeling faintly smelling like this.

It wasn't like there was a scent left on the spot. However, I think the impression that I smelled just before was burning hard.

(... probably because the killer was making that scent)

So since I woke up, every time I noticed this fragrance, my body would shudder... I never felt threatened by a sense of irritability for no reason.

This is one of the things I've come to understand every time I find out a little bit about Altirier, even though I didn't know exactly why at first.

Though I do not believe that Your Majesty himself has laid down his hand.

"It wouldn't be strange to be enjoying it if it wasn't for the rest of us."

His Majesty says with a slightly strange look.

"Yeah. If you're in the main palace, it won't be hard to get in and of itself. But I didn't think I would light anything His Majesty gave me in a place like this."

I will not hide what His Majesty gave me in the darkness of the cathedral. Besides, it has a distinctive scent.

(In the first place, this is a cathedral, and I was in a hidden passage)

If it's normal, keep it safe and smoke it when it's something special.

"So you think I'm here?

"Yes."

I nod.

Only His Majesty, the original owner, can suck unconstitutionally like that.

"Why not?

"What is it?

"It's not weird to kill time with tobacco. Besides, being a nobleman is also one of your hobbies. Even though it was given to me, it's simply my preferred formula, and it doesn't mean that there is anything more expensive than this, and that the flavor is exceptional... where is the reason why it is difficult to have it"

His Majesty doesn't know why.

"It was given to His Majesty the King."

In that respect, it becomes something special.

That was the case with Sakai's grandfather, who retired a police officer who used to live in the neighborhood.

Cigarettes with daisy crests were one of the royal gifts when words such as quitting smoking and the health hazards of smoking hadn't made them that wide yet. Grandpa, who was a police officer, said he had guarded His Majesty's fortune only once, and that's when he got a box of cigarettes.

I don't know how old I was when I guarded that. But cigarettes were still more than half there when my grandfather retired a long time ago.

It was placed with a desiccant full of sesame seeds in a can of sesame seeds and has always been on the shrine.

The first time I opened it was when your daughter got married, and then one bottle at a time was consumed dearly on a special day for Grandpa, such as when her grandson was born or on her anniversary.

"... the rest, even though you say you're just a king of fame?

The smoke of cigarettes in my memory shakes in the white breath that is exhaled in the night.

Now that's a terrible long way off.

"Your Majesty says strange things"

You say it's just a name, but His Majesty the King is nothing but His Majesty the King.

"It's true, isn't it?

"Your Majesty is His Majesty the King.... Your Highness Nadir said. The King's duty is not ours."

Even if most of the practice is carried out by His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, and most of that power rests with His Highness, His Highness is still not His Majesty the King.

"To yawn?

His Majesty lifts the edge of his mouth. It was a look that looked ridiculous somewhere.

What I was told was so out of the prediction, I couldn't understand it for a moment, and for a moment, I exposed myself to a pompous dumb face.

"Tee?"

"... No, Your Majesty, you do not know His Highness"

Her Royal Highness did the same thing, but I don't think Her Majesty knows anything about her own children, either.

If His Highness thought so, would it be a little easier to live?

No, when it comes to me knowing so well, it's not, but at least better than His Majesty's. I'm willing.

(I want to know about Your Highness and I want to know...)

Whispering, but great hope.

But that will come true, unless I give up.

'Cause I'm Princess Wang.

I am glad that I have the right to live close to His Highness.

So I told him to smile, knowing that the conversation was off track.

"Your Highness and Your Majesty are very similar."

His Majesty looked at me like that and made me blink again and again.

The puppet princess's fiction has already been stripped away.

I'm already used to these looks on someone's face.

"... are they similar?

"Yes. A self-derisive smiling face, a chilly, blatant tone of voice saying things... just like that"

"Just like that, or..."

"Yes."

I make myself clear.

"That's not like the rest. He's a talented kid for everything."

For a long time, I laughed bitterly at the fact that the eagle was born.

"That is His Highness's effort. If I clean it up with a word of talent, I'll be rude to Your Highness."

Praise everyone for being a 'genius' about His Highness.

But I think that's terrible.

'Genius' So whatever you can do is treated as normal... Isn't that irrational?

Maybe he did have talent.

But it is His Highness who has polished it.

When I was a child, I was often called a prodigy, but when I grew up, I was just a person.

Even now, I think that being said to be a genius is a gift of His Highness's irresistible efforts.

"That was..."

His Majesty called for something more, but swallowed the word.

"So much, am I not?

"Honestly, I doubt my eyes"

"I told Her Royal Highness, it's someone else."

I grin over and over.

His Majesty's expression deepens the degree of confusion.

"Because I didn't remember anything."

"Even if I don't remember, it doesn't change to be a tee."

"Is it?

I lean my neck.

Second, I saw my own little hand.

Just the discomfort that spills over all that.

Still, that's much smaller than before.

This is the Basilica of the King's Prince's Palace, and when you say you have His Majesty the King in front of you, for a moment, you feel like you don't know where you are.

(I wonder what you've come to...)

It's kind of active to say that I'm here, but to be precise, it's right that I was here when I realized it, and as an image, it's been flushed.

(I may have just been flushed, but it's my will to live here)

He stops being a doll and lives as a 'me' who is not left with his former memory.

I think it's like a dream, but not a dream... shaking it off with my neck small enough to feel kind of fluffy.

(I'm here)

Not in a fairy tale. Here, alive.

"Oh, yeah"

Slightly irritated and mixed with His Majesty's Word Ass.

"I think memory is an important element in shaping that person. I lost my memory in the castle of Elsevelt, and lost it made me what I am now."

I don't know if my memory will be tied in equals with the person itself as it is.

But I don't think I can be that person without it.

"... nothing, I don't know. Your Highness said to me. No matter how different I am, I am the queen of Your Highness. It doesn't change with or without memory."

The words calmed me down.

His Royal Highness Nadir affirmed the "I" who forgot to be an Altilier.

I'm sure Your Highness doesn't know how pleased I was with that.

I look straight at His Majesty and carry on the word.

"You don't have to remember. From now on, if you accumulate memories, they will be irreplaceable memories,"

His Majesty's eyes shook.

I hold my chest gently.

That thin, scratchy hand holds me back.

As the scent of sweet and bitter rolls supported Her Royal Highness Lady Euria.

"... you're a man who can say such thoughtful things, that's"

His Majesty only smiles a little.

"Yes."

His Majesty looked at me, and then, looking far to follow something, opened his mouth.

"... I know that that is my child, but somehow, I have not had an interest in something called a child for a long time. I also wondered if it would be different if it were my son, but Prince Wang was the same for the division chief and the Cardinal than he was for the former. My daughter... Arienol was a little different, but it wasn't much of an interest either"

The name Arienol.

I feel like this is the first time your son's name has come from His Majesty's mouth.

(Aside from whether it came to your mouth because of you...)

It's a secret that he had the suspicion that he might not remember his name because he doesn't call you by too many names. That's too harsh in many ways.

"The royal place, that's how it goes. There are other humans to take care of the child. Parents have nothing to do, children grow up"

Though I think it is a mistake to grow up without being disabled in clothing and living, it is not there that is now considered a problem.

"I grew up that way for the rest of my life, but at the time, I was a little stunned when I realized I was just like my father, who I didn't think I was going to be."

It overlaps His Royal Highness's mocking look.

No matter how similar they say they are, there are still similarities.

"But I wasn't willing to do anything about it. I'm not interested, so I don't have a choice.... so I know very little about that and the other siblings left to Euria"

Though I thought it was a terribly cruel word, I guess this is also true.

I listen seriously to His Majesty speak without decorating the words.

"Still, that happened quite a bit because they still lived in the same mansion when they were young, and sometimes I remember.... I've had little connection with the twins I was born into since I became king. There's something about my child that's missing."

Your Majesty says it's like nothing, that I'm probably in a mood.

You just can't tell me it's better without recognition, no, no, that's not what I'm going to do. I go in there alone in my heart.

My chest ached jiggly as the shadow of Nadi crossed a corner of my head.

(Well, I do have a broken parent-child relationship)

Me and the Duke of Elsevelt are probably, but I think your majesty is too.

This was not the case when you were a brother, but when this becomes a parent and a child, a wall that cannot be crossed as far as possible, and a groove that is roughly deep appears.

To be honest, I don't think this is going to be a problem I can handle where I've done something. No, although I don't have the utter feeling that I'm going to do something about it.

It is my rule of thumb that delicate problems between families are caused by the wish that others enter between them.

(Will His Majesty be aware?

Since just now, my name is "I" or "I". Maybe "I" is the vegan.

(Are you relaxing...)

In the meantime, he didn't look so relaxed or fit in so well.

On the contrary, I am slightly nervous.

(All of a sudden, I heard you were angry.)

I am not familiar with it because I have never faced it, but His Majesty says it is a terrible eclampsia.

Sudden anger often occurs, and those who serve the main palace are very attentive.

It's just that His Majesty is not the kind of person who appeals to violence, so it seems that no one has ever been lifted his hand.

(Though I don't think His Majesty will do anything to me on this occasion)

But I'm far enough away to reach it.

(The truth is...)

The truth is, I want to leave it all alone and cage it in my bedroom. I don't want to hear anything bad about it, and I want to turn away.

But then, I still don't know anything. Still, I'm sure His Highness will say.

His Majesty smiled softly.

It looked fun somewhere, but something felt bad about it and I took an unexpected step back and was held back by the bench.

(Don't run away...)

I am a caged bird and His Majesty is also a prisoner of the throne. There's no chance we can talk like this without turning in the others.

The royal family is very poorly ventilated, and nothing can be done without taking painful steps. And there's something I can't do about following the steps.

(Probably...)

Running away, no one blames you. Probably no one will know about it, and there's nothing to be flaunted about.

(But Your Highness will understand)

If I turn away, if I run away here, I feel like I can't stand with my chest up next to His Highness.

So I take a deep breath and take one deep breath.

(I'm okay)

Tell yourself.

Why has Altilier been lost?

Knowing that will allow me to put on a bullet.

So I don't run away.

(Ends)

That's what I decided.

And maybe I'm the only one who can say that.