Chapter 5: The Man Named Koshmar (2)

“Your highness, we have arranged for the moving of your fiancés into the palace in the next few days.”

Koshmar’s dark circles under his eyes kept on getting darker by each passing day. He was tired and restless. For the past couple of days and since the court forced their ideals onto him, Koshmar has been locked up in his room with count Baldwin, his tutor.

Both mentally and physically, he was reaching his limits.

Constantly compared to the princess did not make him feel jealous of her accomplishments and drive him to work harder, however it did make him start having dark thoughts in his mind.

At some point, he even had the thought of stabbing his neck with the pen he held in between his bleeding fingers.

But Count Baldwin was around the whole day. He even took his naps while sitting in front of the heir. The count was known for his persistent nature. Once he sets his eyes on a target, he makes sure he sees it through.

It was the reason why he dismissed letters coming from his own house, in order to focus on Koshmar and only him.

It did pay off of course. Koshmar, the once commoner with no prior knowledge about the empire, now knows every single word written down on the books he feared as his eyes landed on them.

Count Baldwin, fully knowing the origins of Koshmar, refused to acknowledge that he was a smart man and instead, says it was only because his brain was empty and thrived to be filled.

“I expect you to treat the noble ladies with utmost respect. Keep in mind that one of them will become the future empress of the empire and bear the future heir.”

Koshmar’s eyes flickered after such a long time. He gazed at count Baldwin with a frown on his face.

“Why… must I get married?”

The count smiled.

“To secure your place of course. Not only will your consorts get in the way of the princess but they will also aid the royal family by their reputations.”

Count Baldwin stood up from his chair and picked up another book from the shelves.

“The daughter of a knight known for his heroic contribution to the empire in the last war and the daughter of a count who donates his treasures to the poor. When they come into the picture, all supporters of princess Freya will eventually see who the empire should belong to.”

Koshmar bit down on his lip and clenched his fingers around the pen he was holding. The pain surging through his hand did not cause him to flinch. He was getting accustomed to not showing his weakness ever since the court showed their true face to him.

As someone who was once a commoner, Koshmar always believed that the royal family thought of the empire as not a significant belonging, but rather an insignificant name given to a land shared by their people.

Hearing these words come out from the count, an aristocrat of his own country, made him despise being born in this empire and before the princess.

A voice within him told him that though what he was doing was unfair towards the princess, it was the only way she can still survive despite being hated by the major decision makers in the palace.

With a last look down on the blood flowing from his fingers down the white scribbled pages, covering the writings he had already engraved in his head, he rewrote his motive the same way to cover up his weak self.

“When… shall they arrive?”

The once lit up blue eyes of his turned darker than a moonless night sky. It was as if the colors given to him at birth all slipped out of his body and vanished into thin air. If this shall become his destiny, he shall embrace it.

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“I assume they will reach the palace within two days from now. Both of their rooms will be as close to princess’s Freya’s room as possible. Which means you will not have to meet them until we schedule a dinner for you.”

The count walked up to Koshmar and grinned at him.

“I like the look in your eyes. It certainly is better than the soft expression you had when you first arrived.”

Was it the tiredness in his eyes that he loved? Or perhaps the dead expression Koshmar hated the most?

It was suffocating for him. And Koshmar did not wish for Freya, the gentle princess he deeply respects, to feel the same as he did.

So he shall become a thief if that was what they will him to.

“I will… succeed the throne.”

And Koshmar was never the same Koshmar he ever was.

…

For obvious reasons, it felt like the court were hindering me from working in jobs related to social relationships with the aristocrats. Perhaps if Lucrece was still here, I would have known exactly what they were planning but she isn’t.

Odette was a great person, but as the only daughter of duke Aillard, I am sure her father is keeping her away from issues which could result in her facing dangerous situation.

The aristocrats knew well enough of how dangerous the court can be. They also knew that the only reason why I still can stand my own ground was all thanks to the emperor who made it a rule that the court’s judgements harm me as least as possible.

Yet he was not even aware that they were trying their utmost best to defy that rule.

Currently in the palace, my only allies are my ladies in waiting and Hydra. With Lucrece who knew all gossips spread by the court away, I have no way of knowing what the court is planning and that frustrated me.

I was not allowed to even greet the claimed heir. The right side of the palace where the royal library and my late mother’s chamber are were completely shut down from me. So the heir’s room is probably on that side of the palace.

The court members are trying their best to keep me as far away from contacting him as possible, I didn’t really have to worry about crossing paths with him anyways…

That was when I stopped walking right in the middle of the corridor.

The first time I heard about the arrival of the heir.

Lady Rose told me not to leave the palace.

But how does that relate to him coming into the palace? If I leave, I wouldn’t have to face him anyways if that was what worried her.

When Lucrece and I went into the capital to bring Odette back, everyone was already gossiping about the prince in the palace. It probably came out on newspapers as well.

Which means the whole imperial capital seems to have noticed the mysterious prince’s arrival in the palace. Though they do not know he isn’t the late empress’s son, they do know he exists due to the rumors the aristocrats on the court’s side spread.

I still have not gotten my hands on the articles released, I am unsure of what story they spread exactly. The worst scenario I could think of is ‘princess Freya greets her long lost brother’. That would make it seem like I adored the brother I long awaited to see and the public would start favoring him as well.

Which means Lady Rose deliberately told me not to leave, so it would seem like I was welcoming him into the palace on that day rather than attending my scheduled meetings.

Now that I think about, she did hesitate when I gave her work related to the peace treaty and asked for them to leave my room and leave Lucrece behind.

Is my suspicion true then?

“…”

My palm reached out to my face as I gentle covered half of my expression which was slowly distorting.

What must I do if my suspicion turns out to be true?

If Lady Rose did betray me to get on the court’s good side, will that mean I would lose my mother again?

“Your highness… are you feeling sick?”

Loren, one of my ladies in waiting, accompanied me around the palace today since I asked Odette to bring me something from my mother’s room earlier this morning. She did look confused at my sudden stop right in the middle of the bustling corridor.

I huffed out a deep breath when the sensation of tears trickled in my eyes. I cannot break down now. Even if Lady Rose turns out to have joined the other side due to their upper hand, I still have to keep marching forward.

“I am alright.”

I flashed her a smile and lowered my hands from my face. Lady Loren was an innocent person who wouldn’t even dare to speak of the tasks I give her to another person, for that, I trusted her with this task.

Walking up to her and whispering in her ears low enough to not be heard by anyone nearby, she listened to me attentively.

“Go down to the capital and check whether Lady Rose attended the meetings I had yesterday. Ask the locals if she was sighted anywhere in the capital after midday. Make sure the court does not know of what you asked the locals about.”

She bowed down slightly, “how shall I keep their mouths shut, your highness?”

I knew the court’s influence on the people. They probably already have a couple spies roaming among them.”

I tapped my chin and with a straight face, said, “tell them that the princess swears on the name of the imperial family to cut off their heads if they get in contact with the court.”

Loren was surprised, she flinched slightly at my words that even I never knew could be so harsh. But this wasn’t the time to act all gentle and kind with everyone.

Before the court gets the public’s favor, I need to ensure that I have people on my side as well.

Lady Loren bowed one last time and hurried in the opposite direction. I turned back around and continued walking down my path.

Increasing my pace to reach his room quicker, I was also throwing out every single thought in my mind behind. I need to get the main source of this issue on my side.

Otherwise I am done for.

Completely.

…