◇006 The Royal Family
The Baron of Einzatz, my grandfather, suddenly appeared and, upon seeing me, immediately knelt down and began apologizing.
Three years ago, the direct cause of my abduction was the maid employed at my grandfather's place.
The maid, who had been napping, woke me up when I was alone and tricked me into going to the garden, saying my mother was calling for me. She then guided her lover into the garden and abducted me.
It seems that the mansion was thrown into a panic when I went missing. Eventually, the maid’s suspicious behavior while trying to flee became apparent to the other servants. After being interrogated, she confessed everything.
From there, it went as Tanya had explained before. The man who was the perpetrator was already dead, and my whereabouts had been completely lost.
My grandfather searched the territory using the clues he had—my name, hair color (which, in this world, is somewhat common), and the bruise on my arm—but he couldn’t find me.
Well, by then, I was already in a foreign country…
"It must have been hard... it must have been painful…! If you’re going to hold a grudge, then hold it against me. I couldn’t go to your aid, I’m truly sorry!"
"Um, fortunately or unfortunately, I didn’t have memories from before I was three, so it wasn’t that painful or hard for me. I’m sorry, but I don’t even remember you, so I can’t hold a grudge…"
Half of that was a lie.
I don’t remember my grandfather at all, and since the maid was the one to blame, holding a grudge against him would be unjust. That’s the truth.
But saying it wasn’t painful or hard was a lie. When my memories of modern-day Japan resurfaced, the environment in the slums was incredibly tough for me. It took about a year to adjust, but it wasn’t easy.
"In any case, if you feel sorry, please stand up. If you keep doing this, I’ll end up feeling sad instead."
"Hmm… I see…"
Finally, my grandfather lifted his face and stood up.
He had white hair and a matching white mustache and beard. He appeared to be in his early fifties. His facial expression was more intimidating and stern.
Despite his age, his physique was muscular. He was taller than my father, in fact. He exuded the aura of a "warrior," but that image was completely ruined by his tear-streaked face.
"Father, here."
"Ah, sorry."
My mother handed my grandfather a towel. He wiped his face with it, but his eyes remained red.
"I don’t hold a grudge against you, Grandpa, and even if you apologize, I’m not troubled by it. So, I won’t accept any more apologies on this matter."
"Hmm… if you say that…"
"Father-in-law, Sakuraile is saying the same thing. Please stop blaming yourself."
My father spoke gently to my grandfather, who still seemed reluctant.
He was clearly feeling guilty, but just as my father said, I really want him to stop blaming himself. It’s exhausting for me.
"I see… yes, you’re right. Oh, and of course, I’ve already informed His Majesty about Sakuraile."
"Of course. We’ve both been busy, so we haven’t gone to the castle yet, but I plan to take my daughter there tomorrow to greet him."
"Wait!? We're going to meet the king!?"
I was on the verge of panicking inside at my father's words.
I had no problem meeting the king. The issue was with his son.
Elliot Li Symphonia, the crown prince of the Symphonia Empire, where we live, is a character from the game Starlight Symphony.
In the game, he was my fiancé. Elliot had no real interest in me and simply accepted our engagement out of inertia, since it had been arranged. Then the heroine appears, their relationship deepens, and eventually, they fall in true love... or at least, that's the general plot.
His personality isn’t bad. He’s kind to both men and women, and he’s top-class in both academics and sports. But as crown prince, he also feels suffocated by his position. He wants to live more freely, but he always puts his royal duties first. He’s probably the reason he didn’t annul his engagement to Sakuraile for such a long time.
If I played normally, I’d likely end up in the Elliot route. From there, there are various endings, like true, good, or bad, but all of them result in Sakuraile’s downfall. The best ending would probably be her being exiled from the country.
In any case, if the heroine follows the Elliot route, there wouldn’t be any conflict with the heroine as long as I wasn’t the fiancée… or at least, that’s what I thought.
Once you’re engaged, it’s hard to annul the engagement when you’re from a noble family like mine. It would be too shameful. So, the only option would be to refuse from the beginning. Of course, they can’t force an engagement through sheer power without causing a scandal.
So, above all, I absolutely had to avoid becoming his fiancée.
"Since Prince Elliot, the king’s son, is the same age as you, Sakuraile, I’m sure you two will get along well."
"Ah… Mother? I’m not really interested in someone my age. Don’t you think older men are more attractive? They’re more dependable, after all."
"Oh my, that’s quite a harsh opinion. But you never know until you meet him, right?"
I knew it, Mother. Prince Elliot is not my type. I really do prefer older men.
He’s not a complete failure, but with the impending doom flag looming, I don’t want to get too close to him.
"Hmm. Actually, I’ll be going to the castle tomorrow too. I have to have a newly ennobled baron meet the king."
"Oh, right, the vacant territory left from the corruption scandal..."
Since my grandfather and father began discussing something complicated, I decided to have a snack with my mother, consisting of some traditional sweets.
My mother had gotten quite used to the items from the “Store Summoning” and had clear preferences by now.
She seemed to enjoy ice cream, chocolates, and castella cakes a lot. On the other hand, she didn’t care for gum, sour squid, or other snack-type foods much.
"By the way, should I bring some of these sweets to His Majesty? These..."
"Well, I’m not sure about the king, but I’m sure both the queen and the empress dowager will love them. You could even serve them at a tea party. You’re taking them to the empress dowager, right? She’s your grandmother, after all."
I had forgotten about that. That’s right, that would be the case. If my father is the king’s brother, then the empress Dowager would be my grandmother.
Anastasia La Symphonia, the empress Dowager. She’s also the grandmother of Prince Elliot and me.
She hasn’t appeared in the game, but I’ve heard she’s a warm and kind person. She was really worried when I was kidnapped. I feel bad about that…
If I hadn’t escaped from the kidnappers back then, the criminals would have been caught quickly, and Sakuraile would have been rescued within a day or two.
Now that I think about it, Sakuraile in the game had a bit of an elitist mindset, looking down on commoners. Was her personality warped after that kidnapping incident?
It’s hard to believe, but with parents like these, I wonder how she grew into such a spiteful villainess. There’s also the theory that she was overly spoiled and became selfish. Maybe after the kidnapping, her parents couldn’t be strict with her?
While I absentmindedly munched on the sweets, my father was offering some soda to my grandfather. Oh, Grandpa took a sip and was really surprised. My father has a bit of a mischievous streak.
Should I bring some soda to the castle? Soda’s fine, but cola might be a bit too dark and might be avoided.
As I thought about what gifts to bring to the castle, I drank the cola that had been poured into my cup.
◇ ◇ ◇
It was huge. Even from a distance, I thought it looked large, but up close, it was even bigger.
After passing through the castle gates in the carriage, I stepped out and looked up at the enormous white castle, almost feeling like a fool for how massive it seemed.
Well, compared to super high-rise buildings, it's not that tall. Still, it definitely has a commanding presence.
Stepping out of the carriage, I followed my father and mother along the plush red carpet.
Along with us, as escorts, Tanya and Ewan, the knight duo, were accompanying us. Did we really need escorts at the castle? I thought, but apparently it was just a precaution. After all, I do have a history of being kidnapped from my grandfather’s estate…
However, there were all sorts of expensive-looking vases and paintings displayed around the castle. I made a mental note to be careful not to break anything by touching them.
"The King and others are waiting in the garden. Please follow me."
We followed the well-dressed elderly man who had come to guide us. I had assumed we’d meet in some kind of "audience chamber."
When I muttered that thought aloud, my father chuckled and responded.
"This isn’t a formal event, so it’s more of a family gathering. No need to be too stiff."
Family. That made sense. It was indeed a family affair.
We exited from a hallway into a courtyard-like space, and as we walked through the lush greenery, we soon came to an open area.
In the center of the garden, filled with blooming flowers, stood a large gazebo, where three adults and one child were seated, enjoying tea.
Two of them were familiar to me. Wyndham Li Symphonia, the Emperor of the Symphonia Empire, and his son, Elliot Li Symphonia, the crown prince, though he appeared as a child.
Elliot, who was a target in the game Starlight Symphony, and the Emperor, Wyndham, make occasional appearances in the game, even though they are only briefly shown. In the scene where my engagement is broken off, the Emperor appears and orders my exile. I can’t believe he would do that to his niece. Maybe it was because I was his niece that he couldn’t forgive me, but still…
The remaining two were likely the Empress Dowager and the Queen. The Empress Dowager, who was my grandmother, looked as though she was nearly forty. She appeared much younger than her real age.
"It’s been a while, my brother. My sister-in-law, mother, you all look well. I’m glad to see you, Elliot."
"Oh, we’ve been waiting for you. So, this is… Sakuraile? You’ve grown."
The Emperor quickly turned his gaze from greeting my father to me. Like my father, he had golden hair and jade-colored eyes.
He looked to be in his thirties, maybe younger? His mustache made him appear slightly older.
Except for Prince Elliot, the Emperor and the others were already informed of the situation. Officially, I had just returned from a period of convalescence. I performed the curtsy I had just learned and gave a polite bow to the Emperor.
"It’s been a long time (though I don’t remember at all), Your Majesty. I, Sakauraile La Philharmonie, have returned to the capital once again. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
"Ah, no need for such formality. No need to be so stiff, just relax."
Emperor Wyndham smiled and waved his hand. He seemed like a rather friendly king. I hadn’t really gotten a sense of his personality in the game, after all.
When I lifted my head, the Empress Dowager… my grandmother, stood up suddenly and approached me, pulling me into a tight hug. Oh?
"I’m so glad you’ve returned, Sakuraile … Ah, thank the gods…"
My grandmother was shaking slightly. Was she crying? It’s understandable. It must be overwhelming for her to have her missing granddaughter, who had been kidnapped, finally return.
I smiled reassuringly at her, as if to say it was no big deal.
"Grandmother, I’ve brought some souvenirs. Shall we enjoy them together?"
"Yes, yes. I’m looking forward to it."
With tear-filled eyes, my grandmother smiled at me in the same way.
--
TFTC
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