Answer Me, My Prince

Dear Miss Cordelia Grey,

Is he alive?

On the third morning of the moon, Arch Albert.

P.S. You know that? Now it's a code between us.

* * *

Dear Prince Arch Albert William,

Yes, it's alive.

7.30.

Cordelia Gray

P.S. Every password has an exact meaning. Please explain more because I wonder if the meaning I understand and what you mean is the same.

* * *

To my friend Coco who loves accuracy.

Well, 'Are you alive?' is a five-letter abbreviation of a very long and complicated mind.

If I could explain it to you...

'It's only been a day since your letter stopped. I know I have to wait a little longer, but I can't stand this day. Don't you feel sorry for me for thinking only about you all day? If you thought of me even half of what I thought, you would have sent me hundreds of letters already. Still, waiting without sending it first is because I don't want to put pressure on you. So please give me a reply. If you don't reply within 10 minutes, I'll just pretend I'm dead. You'll feel more comfortable with it. No, I can't do that. I'll just ask first. Cordelia, are you alive?

the last five letters of... have been taken from me. What do you think, do you share the same meaning with me? Your answer to being alive can be interpreted as understanding and accepting all these emotions.

The fourth day of the month, July 31.

With love, obsession, and some longing, Arch Albert.

P.S. How long does your July last? It's time to pick some blueberries.

* * *

Dear Prince Arch.

The fruit of the moon was blueberry. I thought that the summer there would end quickly, thinking about apples, persimmons, and pears that would open beautifully in every tree. Thank you for telling me that Windsorton's Fruit Moon will be decorated with picking blueberries that will be glued together. Thanks to that, I can draw the scenery of the monastery in more detail. As you asked, I only have one day left in July. It's sad that summer is coming to an end.

P.S. Thank you for interpreting the exact meaning of 'Are you alive?' I almost misunderstood. I'm just saying, 'I have a lot to say, but it hurts my pride to talk first, so I'm writing to you first. Ask me what happened to me as soon as possible.'

* * *

Dear Cordelia.

Oh, that's true, too. Please ask me quickly. What happened?

I even prepared a present for you.

P.S. Let's not say pride. If you had that, would you be begging for attention, asking for your life and death? You'll be snapping blueberries on Liam's pretty lips.

* * *

Dear Prince Arch.

You look very happy today to see your neat handwriting fly away like never before. You seem to have a lot to say.

Okay, I'll ask as much as you want.

What happened, did you send me an excited letter even before the day passed, checking my life and death or death?

7.30. Dinner.

Unlike someone like Mark, Cordelia Gray, who can ask first.

P.S. There's no reason to put blueberries on Liam's lips. He seems very busy and nervous these days. All you have to do is get a manuscript from Anne Celine, and it must be very difficult to get one. Well, maybe I should go to Windsorton. (By the way, is Princess Edwina alive? Why don't you ask Flynn?

* * *

To Cordelia who is more interested in blueberries than in my jealousy and obsession.

There was something today that you might be as interested in as much as blueberries.

Lady Josephine visited the Lete monastery today.

My sister, Cecilia, came here to solve the problem of broken ties, and the monastery was as crowded as ever.

Even though he's already busy visiting guests, Cecil can't be happy to come on a day like this. But I politely asked her how I was, as the second prince in charge of the propriety of Windsorton.

"Why are you here?"

Cecil replaced his answer by showing his personality that puts his fist before his horse.

So, by the time I was still struggling with my ragged shoulders and being hit by Cecil, I heard Lady Josephine arrive. As expected, the noble helps me even when I arrive.

By the way, as soon as Lady Josephine got out of the carriage, she came to Cecil, not me or Flynn, to express her gladness.

"Sessil...? Princess Cecilia! That's right!"

"Lady Josephine, long time no see."

And what about Cecil's expression? How can you say hello so obediently? My sister, who was a changeback and was playing hard in front of other high-ranking officials.

"Do you know Lady Josephine?"

When I asked him that, Cecil erased a welcome look from his face and returned with his usual curt expression and replied:

"Do you think there's anything you don't know that I don't know?”

"No, I just met him a few days ago. at Daphne's wedding But I don't know why she's saying hello so warmly. Have you met him before?”

I've heard that the Yelling married the Bonaparte and sent their sister there, but Lady Josephine was never a frequent visitor to the palace.

For me, Lady Josephine's name and the fact that Daphne had such an aunt were all vague stories, so it was surprising to me that Cecil welcomed her so much. But Cecil shook his head without elaborating.

"That's why I'm calling you pathetic.”

"What's the matter with you?"

"What do you know? What about you? Is your shoulder still like that?"

After saying that, Cecil pressed my shoulder for no reason.

It was Lady Josephine who explained about your relationship with Cecil, preventing the beginning of a friendly meeting from turning into a place of blasphemy and violence against me.

"Prince Archibald, I and Princess Cecilia have known each other for a long time. Princess Edwina and Queen Adelaide were my friends Ann and Adele.”

Cordelia, did you read it correctly?

Yes, Lady Josephine said Anne and Adele.

"Anne?"

"Yes, Prince Archibald. Princess Cecilia. I'm sure you all know the long name of the royal family of Windsorton. Princess Edwina liked the shortest name of her own, Ann."

"You must have been very close to what you called it."

"We called each other's names when no one saw them. It was a good time without any worries. After that time, when I was a little older to call my name, I saw Princess Cecil.”

"I would still have been born."

"in the womb of Queen Adelaide. My Princess Cecilia was a wonderful little lady back then. I can see that you came to us and frowned and said your dress was stuffy, but you're still there."

"Did I?"

Cecil acted as if he was a person who knew how to ride that he was shy.

"I can't believe Cecil is a dress."

When I said that and shook my head, too much violence to happen between siblings almost bloodied the monastery. Lady Josephine seemed surprisingly tender with cruelty, and she smiled at the blade Cecil pulled out. Flynn, who's sitting next to me, is excited and smiles.

Anyway, thanks to those smiles, the atmosphere got a little better.

Lady Josephine continued, looking far away, as if she were reminiscing about her past.

"Yes, Princess Cecil. Do you remember that time? No, Princess Edwina told you. Beat your father, leave your mother behind, and be the king, whether you're a boy or a girl. I have eyes to grow up to be king.”

Cecil must be tired of pretending to be shy now, so he nodded brazenly.

"Yes, I remember."

Lady Josephine's dark face smiled once again. With a small smile, I could imagine how nice he was and how beautiful he was when he was young. So Lady Josephine spent a long time catching up with Cecil and talking about the past. Cecil, how old do you remember that? He kept his head in his mouth.

Now that I think about it, it's kind of weird.

My mother and father were married after Princess Edwina disappeared looking for the knight Arthur Gillan. Cecil was born more than a year after he was born.

Yes, it can't happen that Princess Edwina meets the four-year-old Cecil and tells such a story. Maybe Lady Josephine was mistaken for something. My sister was mature enough to kiss those words.

But I didn't even think about it yesterday. The conversation went by so fast.

Flynn and I quietly walked along the two and heard the old story of Lady Josephine releasing. Princess Edwina met little Cecil, recognized his ambition from a small age, and admired that he would be king.

So, by the time the conversation was ripe, the smell of baking began to vibrate across the monastery.

It is a monastery that considers innocence a virtue, so it is hard to taste any meat dishes, but since this year's farming in a nearby village was a good harvest, there was plenty of molasses and ground grains. There was a lot of sugar beet growing in the backyard of the monastery, and honey was easy to get because it was close to the capital, so there was no condition like this to make sweet and savory bread.

It was our Noel who came to the front of the courtyard with rolled roll bread.

Lady Josephine looked at this little kid, wondering if he was cute carrying a huge pile of bread.

"Aiya, what's your name?

"Noelle."

"Noelle, who gave you that name?”

"Prince. It was Christmas when I came here. That's why it's Noel."

Lady Josephine reached out a dry hand and stroked Noel's messy hair.

"You're a winter kid. My child disappeared in winter, too. A girl with black eyes and black hair like you. I'm sure he's a lot taller than you now, but it looks like I've met him."

His voice was somewhat desolate, so I and Cecil couldn't add much to it and looked at it. Little Noel felt something strange, but instead of being shy as usual, he let Lady Josephine sweep her hair as she pleases.

If it wasn't for the book you gave me, I would have been sitting there without saying much. But now I know. You can't share a piece of sorrow that others have, but sometimes sharing bread is a little helpful.

"Try some bread. Ma'am, it's delicious when it's warm."

When I said that, Flynn quickly helped me.

"That's right, ma'am. I saw earlier that Noel accidentally poured sugar into it."

"...what?"

Next to me, Noel quickly intercepted the horse.

"So it's going to be really delicious. The more sugar there is in it, the better!"

I think it was the first time that Lady Josephine laughed out loud.

"Okay, okay. Honey, let's see how delicious it is.”

So we sat in the shade of the garden in front of the monastery, eating bread in the cool summer breeze. The bread that was ripped out of the grain was a little tough, but the more I chewed it, the softer it was and the sweeter it was here and there. Thanks to our Noel.

The maid who followed Lady Josephine was surprised and said:

"Madam, you shouldn't eat so much at once. If you skip every meal and eat bread all of a sudden..."

Lady Josephine, who was so skinny that she could understand the words, smiled and waved to the maid.

"That's okay. I think I can eat today.”

Then he ate three in a row to make Noel and the monks proud.

Noel said he would bake more bread, so he ran towards the oven even when we tried to dissuade him. Cecil went to the other side of the monastery with a couple more bread in his mouth to check the texture. Me and Mrs. Flynnman were staying and eating the rest of the bread.

By the time the bread on the table was fading and the tea in the teacup was tepid, Mrs. Josephine started talking about herself casually.

"Not many of the people who have returned from Leitlingen are still alive. Including Sergeant Gilbert Phil and me."

"But I'm glad you look healthy.”

That's what Flynn said, but we all knew it was just saying. It didn't look good to anyone.

"My life has been full of trials for 20 years since I came back to Windsorton. I know it's visible on my face. The marriage to endure hardship failed, and thanks to your divorce laws, my husband could easily abandon me. The only child in the womb was hope."

"What happened to your child, ma'am?"

Thank you Flynn for asking that. Lady Josephine seemed to want to talk more, but I couldn't bring myself to ask her.

"My mother said it was natural for her husband to take her. My father has to give it back before he does. Like I took someone else's child."

"That's ridiculous."

Flynn added as if he was angry again. Without courage, I just listened.

"I hid my child and came back to my castle. So I was going to keep it hidden and raise it. Neither my mother nor my father was prepared to allow it.”

So what did you do?”

"I didn't lock myself up in the room. After giving birth to a baby, I couldn't take it off my body for a second. I didn't wash my hair and didn't comb my hair. But I was so afraid that one day they would come and take my child away that someone like my husband would raise my child."

Lady Josephine's hand in her teacup began to shake. If you saw that, Cordelia would have shed tears like Flynn. Without adding any more, I could guess what Lady Josephine was worried about and what the husband was like.

So what did you do?”

Now I was able to ask such questions purely without worrying that my voice would contain low curiosity. Lady Josephine answered.

"Edwina took her away."

"What?"

Flynn and I were both embarrassed and asked back. Lady Josephine had a bitter smile.

"I'm telling you. Oh, Duke Florian. So I was so happy when I met you. As a lost mother, I welcomed you with a big smile, knowing that you were Edwinna, not talking to anyone for the rest of my life and not laughing at anyone."

At Daphne's wedding, I suddenly remembered Lady Josephine staring at Flynn in surprise and asking, "Edwina?"

"So, Princess Edwina... Well, my mother took your daughter? I... I don't know."

Florian stuttered in embarrassment.

"Yes, I think so."

"So, my mother... well, I don't know. I'm sorry."

Florian tried to say something, but she dragged on for a long time like a swallow, and eventually apologized. Mrs. Josephine shook her head.

"Prince Florian. It's none of your business to apologize. I'm just talking about the old days. I believed in Ann. Ann was a trustworthy friend and king of all of us. Ann convinced me in a clear tone. It would be better for him to take him than for him. I'll raise you to be the brightest and most talkative kid in the world, and I'll return it to you someday.”

"So you left the child with Princess Edwina?”

Flynn asked me this urgently, looking for an answer.

"I was almost mad at the thought of losing my child to my husband. It's been so long since Anne came to see me, and it was like fate. ”

"So, that's how you left your child. You haven't found it yet.”

"Yes, that's all I remember. That's how I lived my life. I've been believing that for so many years that he's about as old as you are when he grows up."

Lady Josephine said that and shed tears. The last word was strange, so I had to ask him this before I could touch his sorrow.

"What do you mean, if that's your memory?"

"I've believed that for a long time. Edwina muttered to herself, "It's time for me to bring my child." Only a few years ago did my mother sigh and say. He's dead. That's not going to happen."

All of a sudden, everything I've heard has been mixed up. Flynn, sitting on the other side of the table, also had a confused face.

"Maybe everything I saw was a fantasy. Maybe she was crazy, as my mother and brother said. I don't even know when I was crazy.”

Whether it was true that Edwin or the Princess took the child, or whether it was true that the child died and saw the fantasy, it was either a terrible story.

Cecil came back to us and listened to us like he was possessed.

But neither Cecil nor I could say anything. We were foolish brothers and sisters. The way to comfort a person in this deep sorrow was not taught in Cesarean or Bride class.

Then, Noel screamed and ran over here.

"Bread, ma'am. More bread is here! It's my baked bread."

Noel's bread was so round and round that it looked like a product from the back of Sherlock's butt, so it didn't stimulate his appetite. But what can I do when Noel smiles and hands me over? I took one and ate it.

Flynn looked at the bread and said,

"Noelle, it's... "

"It's like a horse's poo."

Cecil took over what Flynn could not have said. Lady Josephine started to laugh out loud. The laughter grew bigger and bigger, and later in tears, we all ate bread shaped like horse poop.

A long time later, when the laughter died down, Lady Josephine opened her mouth again.

"What do you think, is there anything else you really want to hear from this crazy lady?"

Flynn shook his head.

"No, ma'am. She's not crazy."

"Well, how do I explain it? Did my mother, father, and brother lie to me all at once?"

"That's, I don't know. By the way, ma'am. There's one thing I know. You loved your child a lot. You tried to find the best for your child. I don't know if it's true or not, but I know it must have been incredibly hard for you to leave your child with Edwin or the Princess. Everything you missed and loved is true. That's all I can tell."

Mrs. Josephine calmly listened to Flynn and nodded.

"Yes, even if my child is dead or can't see him anymore, I still love him."

"Yes, I get it. Ma'am."

"But I think it's really true, sometimes when I see such a small child, I think it's my child even though I know it's not, and it's hard to have that hope."

Then Lady Josephine looked at Noel again.

And he said, "Well, that's it.

"My dear, this looks like the happiest place for you, but if you want to wear a dress later..."

Our strong-willed Noel shook his head.

"I don't want to wear it."

"If you want to eat something incredibly delicious, like cake or bread."

"There's a lot here, too.”

Flynn stabbed Noel, but he didn't budge and stared at his wife. Lady Josephine said with a warm smile at Noel.

"Yeah, kid. Then can I come here sometimes? Is that gonna be okay?"

"Of course. I'll bake you another bread if you come.”

Mrs. Josephine smiled broadly.

It was a very tearful conversation, but seeing you smile like that at the end made me feel good.

By the time Mrs. Josephine left, Flynn was working hard on the wagon. Soon, when the carriage stopped, Flynn whispered to his wife in the window of the carriage. In the distance, I saw In-young nodding her head.

I asked. What the hell did you say? She answered with a ready hand.

"I asked for a letter.”

"What?"

"Write a letter to Edwina's daughter."

"To you? Do you know that you are a woman?"

"Can't you not know, Archy? Everyone knew from the beginning except you."

That's how he said it, and he had a mean smile that you could make.

That's what happened yesterday. This afternoon, a long letter arrived on the side of Mrs. Josephine's sender.

She read the letter to Flynn first and gave it to me. And she told me.

'Now send it to Cordelia.'

My secretive friend, Coco.

I have been fascinated by you and have not been able to get rid of my stupidity and still have no clue to it.

But one thing I noticed was that the last time you told me to gather eight monks, what you were looking for was Flynn, not anyone else.

Was it Flynn who sent you a prank letter, too?

What the hell did he say to you?

Why does she know everything before she gets a book from your world?

What's the secret you share with her?

* * *

Dear my friend Prince Archy,

It's already past midnight reading a long and warm letter.

Actually, I'm also confused about Florian.

But as you first suspected, it's clear that he has a lot of secrets.

So let's just leave him alone and watch what he's doing.

I'm pretty sure now. If you go the way Flynn guides you, maybe you and I can meet.

Just this time, Flynn said a lot of helpful things to you know?

That's true, Archie.

I have a question.

Did Lady Josephine's child really die a long time ago, as her family said?

Did Lady Josephine look like she lived in a fantasy without knowing her child was dead?

Was Princess Edwina really a fantasy she saw?

It's not like the low curiosity you're talking about.

I don't know much about Lady Josephine's grief because I've never had children, but reading your letter made me sad and sometimes sad. But I kept thinking like this. The idea that what Lady Josephine believed would be true. With lamentation, "What if it's true?"

Anyway, I'm very happy that Lady Josephine and Noel met.

Life sometimes gives us too much trouble. Sometimes it's hard to endure every day. But in my life, I really like that I meet someone who can make up for what I lost.

Like the sponsor who sent me a letter when my mom disappeared.

Like Juliet who talks to me whenever it hurts because of you.

Like a lump of sugar that fills a hole in my heart in one gulp more than the vast land of the Empire.

I hope Noel and Mrs. Josephine stay that way with each other.

7.31. Dawn.

With love and the smell of bread, your Coco.

P.S. I'm not going to let you wait for Lady Josephine's letter.

a review of one's

Dear readers.

It took me about 5 minutes to finish and read it. I hope those five minutes are like bread to replace the little trials of life that occurred during the day.

Then tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I'll be back with the story of Edwina that Mrs. Josephine tells me.

in the middle of the moon

I apologize for being late for 20 minutes every time and for being long enough.

P.S. Thank you, Sen98 and Navice, for your sponsorship coupons.

P.S. 2: Even in the hot fruit moon, you never forget to read, write, recommend, and give us warm comments! Thank you very much.