Chapter 21
“Not Alone?”:
Damn it, I’m screwed!
Alec Roitz, the Crown Prince Mikhail’s personal guard, tightly closed his eyes at the sound of the Empress’s voice behind him, then slowly turned around.
“Y-Your Majesty… Empress…”
“As expected, it’s Sir Roitz. But… why are you here…?”
Charlotte, who had been speaking, suddenly sharpened her gaze.
Cold sweat ran down Alec’s spine.
Charlotte Liberty Alkan, Empress of the Alkan Empire, was usually calm and gentle. Yet, like any mother raising children, she could grow intensely anxious and, when angry, possessed a temperament that even the Emperor dared not try to quell.
How did he know? …He really didn’t want to know.
“Could it be… again? No, it can’t be…”
Charlotte’s tone, almost certain of the Crown Prince’s misbehavior, made Alec lower his head, thinking she was about to scold him.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I was searching for the Crown Prince because he went missing. But no matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find him…”
Oh no, he hadn’t needed to explain so thoroughly.
Charlotte’s face turned bright red, unable to recover before Anette and the Empress. She hadn’t asked too many questions before because she was standing in front of them.
Lately, she had been secretly worried because Mikhail kept skipping lessons and wandering off somewhere.
She couldn’t understand why her usually responsible son was acting this way.
Even when she spoke to her husband Lucius, who was always lenient with Mikhail, he only told her to trust and wait.
Frustrated, she had tried to talk directly to Mikhail, but he kept his lips sealed, avoiding answers.
Then Anette arrived in the empire, and yesterday she accidentally discovered where Mikhail had been spending his time.
“The guards searched everywhere but couldn’t find him…”
Of course, he had been hiding in the Secret Garden.
A sigh escaped Charlotte at her son’s mischievous, reckless behavior, which was either clever or annoyingly cunning.
Both her husband and she were diligent and proper—how had he learned to trouble his own guards like this?
Suddenly, Charlotte thought of Kardin, whom Mikhail adored.
‘Could it be that Kardin spoiled him too much?’
It was a reasonable suspicion; Kardin had always doted on his only nephew.
Since Kardin was in the capital, it seemed she would have to speak with him along with Mikhail.
“Very well. Let’s check if he’s inside the garden.”
Charlotte looked awkwardly at the Empress and Anette.
It was highly probable Mikhail was inside. She planned to enter first and bring only her son out.
However…
“Good, if Mikhail is inside, we can go in. Let’s move.”
“Your Majesty…?”
“I was about to call him anyway. A walk before tea would be nice.”
The Empress, eager to retrieve her beloved grandson without causing him distress, moved ahead. Even if he got a scolding later, at least they could buy some time.
“Perhaps it would be good to formally introduce ourselves while we’re inside,” Anette said.
“Yes, I felt uneasy yesterday because I didn’t properly introduce myself to His Highness.”
Watching silently until now, Anette quickly added her thoughts.
Charlotte sighed lightly and nodded.
In truth, Charlotte wasn’t truly angry—she was more embarrassed in front of the Empress and Anette and had decided to stay calm for the moment.
‘They say children are mature these days; maybe this isn’t such a thoughtless concern.’
Just as she was about to follow the Empress into the garden to calm Mikhail, Alec spoke up.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“What is it, Sir?”
“Well…”
Alec hesitated.
It wasn’t just the Crown Prince who had gone missing; the Marquess Melin’s young daughter, the Captain of the Royal Guard’s goddaughter, was also gone.
Although their meetings had become less frequent, no one in the palace was unaware that they had been childhood friends and were close.
Knowing that the young Marquessian lady had arrived at the palace today, Alec had immediately checked after Mikhail disappeared and realized she was missing from her expected location as well.
‘Judging from the circumstances, they’re probably together…’
Even so, the Crown Prince knew the Secret Garden was only accessible to royalty, so Alec couldn’t be certain.
“It’s nothing,” he said, stepping back.
There was no need to worry the Empress with uncertainty.
He wasn’t hoping for trouble, nor did he want revenge on the Crown Prince for causing him to dash around the palace every day. Losing his charge was already a serious failure, and he didn’t want things to escalate further. But…
‘If His Highness really brought the Marquess’s daughter into the garden… then he’ll deserve a scolding.’
It was only natural to hope that this would stop the Crown Prince’s wandering.
While Alec imagined the young master being thoroughly scolded, Anette quietly followed the Empress and Charlotte into the garden.
Walking along the narrow path through tall trees and thick undergrowth, she was once again struck by the sheer scale of the palace grounds.
Yesterday, her mind had been preoccupied, so she hadn’t observed the surroundings carefully. Today, the garden felt strangely unusual.
The sky was clear and the breeze cool, yet no birdsong could be heard. Even the faint noises she thought she had sensed from Mikhail yesterday were absent.
It was as if space and time were separated.
Indeed, the Secret Garden was sealed with powerful restoration magic, soundproofing, and barrier wards, so Anette’s suspicions weren’t far off.
She walked cautiously, sensing the surroundings, and her eyes widened.
She wasn’t surprised to detect Mikhail’s presence, but…
‘He’s not alone?’
Someone else, a child about Mikhail’s age, was with him.
Anette, skilled at sensing hidden presences like magical beasts, could clearly detect not just adults but even children’s lively movements.
Sure enough, the farther they went inside, a faint high-pitched voice, characteristic of children chattering, reached them.
Charlotte stopped in surprise as the sound became clearer.
She hadn’t expected Mikhail to bring someone else into the garden.
‘What on earth was he thinking…!’
This was different from skipping lessons and tricking the guards.
Even as the young Crown Prince, he had already been officially appointed—he shouldn’t be breaking protocol like this.
Charlotte felt ashamed in front of the Empress and Anette and a surge of anger at her son.
She clenched her fists, determined to give him a proper scolding, just as…
“…!”
The Empress quickly held Charlotte back, raising a hand to her lips and shaking her head.
She had already grasped the situation and understood Charlotte’s feelings. But they were just children. She could kindly understand that they simply wanted to share a secret with a friend.
Charlotte thought the Empress was too lenient with children, yet she nodded in agreement.
If the adults suddenly appeared, both Mikhail and the child with him—likely the Marquess’s daughter—would be startled.
Since Mikhail had likely invited them, there was no reason to scold the frail young lady unnecessarily.
As Charlotte’s tension eased, the Empress led them along a path aside from the main entrance, through dense foliage.
Charlotte realized this was a spot where one could hear the children clearly but not see them.
She looked at the Empress with a questioning gaze; the Empress subtly avoided her eyes.
Charlotte stifled a laugh, covering her mouth.
Though secretly eavesdropping on children’s conversation seemed funny and slightly improper, she was more curious about what Mikhail wanted to discuss here.
Feeling relieved that there were no servants around, Charlotte perked up her ears like she was peeking into her son’s diary.
Anette, following the Empress and hiding as well, felt her heart race at the thrill of witnessing a secret between children.
Then, a voice rang out.
“Audrey…”
Even after hearing the name just once, it was deeply familiar.
