Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 63

“What happened?” Eirik asked.

Gella closed the door tightly and whispered quickly, “Young madam needs to be calmed down. I’ll leave you to it.”

Eirik walked quickly to the bed and saw Miesa sitting there, visibly terrified and trembling. His expression hardened at the sight.

“What happened?”

“Margravine Cladnier knows about me,” Miesa stammered.

“……”

Eirik thought for a moment before speaking calmly, “I didn’t notice anything when we spoke just now. But perhaps the reason my mother has always been so kind to you is because—”

“Margravine Cladnier, if she tells someone, what will we do?” Miesa interrupted, her usual composure gone. She was too panicked to even listen to him.

“I understand your concern, but she wouldn’t reveal it, whether intentionally or by mistake,” Eirik assured her.

He wanted to ask how his mother found out but decided against it. He didn’t want to hear another ambiguous answer that might disappoint him.

This level of interaction was enough for him. He preferred a relationship that was dry and devoid of emotion, one where he simply fulfilled his duties.

“Tell me what you want. Do you wish for my mother not to visit your bedroom?”

“I’m scared. I’m not ready to see her face,” Miesa said, her voice trembling but clear.

Eirik nodded. “I’ll explain it to her in a way that won’t hurt her feelings.”

“Thank you.”

“Is there anything else you need or that you’re lacking?” Eirik asked, glancing around the room.

He noticed the bedding was still for summer and thought it should be changed for the coming fall. He also realized Miesa had been confined to the bedroom lately.

“You can walk around the mansion as you did before,” he said, standing up. “I’ve instructed the staff to be mindful. No one will cause you any discomfort.”

“Yes…”

As he turned to leave, Miesa’s urgent voice stopped him.

“Thank you for your considerate care.”

“You’re welcome.”

Eirik acknowledged her unusual manner of speech, probably a result of reading books on rhetoric and etiquette. Deciding not to add anything more, he nodded and left the room.

Miesa hid under the blanket, trembling with fear.

What could have happened? What was the reason? She was filled with dread.

For twelve years, no one in the palace had even suspected her. But now, after Maleca, even Margravine Cladnier had noticed something. Was it a coincidence? Just a stroke of good or bad luck? Or…?

She closed her eyes tightly, pushing the thoughts away.

It wasn’t any of those. The problem was her own complacency. She should never have gotten used to walking and talking like a person.

It had been too mesmerizing to see someone meet her eyes, listen to her words, and smile at her. She had foolishly begun to think of herself as human. In the palace, she had been treated like a bothersome insect at best.

When a bug flies around, no one meets its eyes. When she lay in the palace corridors, people had only taken care to step over her to avoid getting dirt on their shoes. They would shoo her away like a fly on their food whenever she caused trouble or broke something.

Except for a few who enjoyed her reactions, most people acted as if she were invisible and inaudible. The attention and smiles she received had been too sweet, blinding her to the fact that they were slowly eating away at her.

And in the end, she had gained nothing. Her relationship with Eirik was completely ruined.

It would have been better if he had yelled or gotten angry. But he continued to care for her with a calm face, making her feel like her blood was drying up. He no longer looked at her the way he used to.

Though she still didn’t know the exact reason, she knew one thing for certain.

The deterioration of their relationship was entirely her fault. It couldn’t possibly be his. He always said the right things, while she knew nothing and only made tactless comments.

But Miesa had no idea how to fix things. She couldn’t even see a way forward.

She wasn’t even sure if she should try to fix it. From his perspective, she was probably nothing but a disaster. Maybe things were better this way for his sake.

She tried to pull herself together.

As a result, she spent more and more time confined to her room. She spoke less and less with Gella, only opening her mouth when absolutely necessary. She no longer listened when Gella read her books.

The once proud Miesa, who had boasted about deceiving everyone, gradually withered away.

***

“Young madam, won’t you have some more food?” Gella asked as she cut the lamb from the stew with a knife.

“The maids getting punished was justified, and you did nothing wrong, young madam.” Gella only knew that Miesa had become quieter because the maids had been disciplined.

“Didn’t you say you had a good talk with the young master that day? He’s been very busy, yet he comes to see you every day without fail. But you look so pale, how can this be?”

The weight Miesa had worked so hard to gain was slipping away again. For some reason, even the Margravine had stopped visiting, leaving Gella worried and alone in her concern.

“So, please open your mouth. I’ll put this in, and you need to chew it up like this.”

Gella mimed chewing with exaggerated motions, as if speaking to a child. Miesa, who had been staring blankly at her, shook her head.

“Are you sure you’re really okay?”

Miesa responded with the hand signal [No problem]. Gella’s excitement was evident as she praised Miesa’s proficiency.

“Well done. You’re really good at this.”

Gella clapped her hands in delight, while Miesa just stared at her blankly.

“Young madam, try this today.”

Every day, Gella would bring different medications.

“If you notice any changes in your body, no matter how small, you must tell me.”

In an effort to counteract the poison, Gella had tried various combinations of medicines. However, without knowing the exact nature of the poison, she had to use safe ingredients, which inevitably reduced the effectiveness.

But Gella never gave up. She brought the medicine every day, observed Miesa’s reactions, and examined her carefully.

Miesa couldn’t help but drink the bitter medicine to the last drop, knowing the dedication Gella showed by tending to her late into the night before returning to the knights’ quarters, only to come back late at night.

Miesa thought herself ridiculous. Even in this situation where she stared into the void, she still felt a sense of joy at being treated like a person.

“Are the clothes comfortable for you?” Eirik asked.

“I’m fine,” Miesa answered softly. This was the only time of day she raised her voice. She remembered that Eirik had once asked her to respond, even if only briefly.

“You look a bit thinner,” he noted.

Today, he had the chance to see her clearly for the first time in a while, thanks to the thin autumn clothes she had changed into. But his gaze remained dry, causing her to shrink even further.

“I…”

“Yes?”

She had meant to say that her digestion wasn’t great, but what came out was a garbled sound. She was flustered by how quickly her pronunciation had deteriorated after just over ten days of not speaking.

On top of that, the content of what she had meant to say seemed odd. Why was she trying to tell him about her digestion issues? Was she trying to get his attention?

“Ah… never mind.”

“It’s okay. Please, go ahead,” he encouraged.

He still had his extraordinary patience and politeness. But Miesa, with a flushed face, shook her head.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Okay. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, and if I’m delayed, inform Gella.”

“…Thank you.”

Eirik usually stood up to leave at this point, but today, he remained seated, carefully observing Miesa. His brow furrowed slightly as he scrutinized her for a long time.

He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, all that came out was a sigh.

“…Rest well.”

Then he left.