My Sweet Deceiver

Chapter 3

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“Prince Julien. If you keep leaving carrots, you won’t be a knight who will save the Princess.”

Tehez said with a stern face. It had been a long time since she had come to Julien’s palace.

Julien was Queen Marianne’s second son and the youngest member of the royal family. Due to his weak body, Julien received the King’s affection and attention in abundance. Visiting Julien to look good to such a King and stamping his eyes was also one of the paving stones for succession to the throne.

As usual, Julien was lying on the bed with saliva flowing out of his mouth. His pale face, slender arms, and dark shadows under his eyes were proof that Julien’s health was not so good because he couldn’t see the sun regularly.

“Tehez, I am weak. Can I become a knight?”

His eyes, as he looked up at Tehez, were weeping. She read through the child.

“Of course. Denis was also said to be as small as Julien when he was young. However, he trained hard and became healthy.”

“Really?”

The boy raised his voice as if he could not believe it.

“Really.”

“But Tehez…” 

Tehez nodded her head, and the child muffled his words as he called out her name. It looked like he had something to say.

“Yes. My Prince, tell me.”

“Why doesn’t my brother come to see me these days? When we rode horses, my brother always rode with me…”

Julien couldn’t finish his sentence and muffled it at the end of his speech. The older brother the child was referring to was Fabrice. The child was close to Fabrice, who was of the same blood and was shunned by his half-brother, Denis. Of course, Denis did visit Julien’s place once a week. But it was nothing more, nothing less – to show the King.

“The courtiers are talking about him, but they won’t tell me.”

In the end, Julien, as if unfairly and sadly, burst into tears that filled his big eyes. The hand that wiped his tars looked small and tender.

Tehez reached out to Julien.

“Hey, Julien. Come this way. Tehez will give you a hug.”

She gently held the child. Despite all the good food, the child was light enough for her to lift.

Tehez gently stroked the back of the child’s head as he dug into her arms. The child’s cry grew louder. 

Julien was still behaving like a baby. The front of Tehez’s dress got wet.

Tehez tenderly comforted the child.

“My dear Julien. Stop crying.”

Saying so, she stroked the child’s head gently.

“Prince Fabrice is very busy these days. Instead, Tehez is here, right? You don’t hate riding horses with me, do you?”

“Really? Will Tehez ride a horse with me?”

Julien looked up with tears and a runny nose. She smiled softly, pulled out her handkerchief, and carefully wiped the child’s runny nose. 

“Now, blow your nose.” Then the child blew his stuffy nose obediently.

“Of course. But get well soon. Then let’s go horseback riding together.”

“Tehez is the best! Thank you very much.”

The child was smiling and still crying. Tehez wiped the water from the corners of the child’s eyes with her hand. The children outside the palace were said to have started earning money. However, the sick child still had a soft scent like the baby’s powder.

“Tehez.”

“Yes, Prince?”

“Can’t Tehez be my mother?” 

“Oh, no, Julien. Then Queen Marianne will be sad in heaven, right?”

“But…”

The child looked like he was about to cry again.

“But I don’t remember my mother. I heard people talking about her, and I heard my mother died a week after I was born. Maybe it was my fault that I was born.”

The child said, wiggling his tiny hands.

“What do you mean, Prince! You can’t say that! Queen Marianne must have been happy to give birth to Julien. It’s obvious.”

“How does Tehez know?”

“That’s…”

Tehez could not answer the child’s question, as if she were speechless for a moment.

“If it were me, I would. After giving birth to the lovely Prince Julien, I must have been so, so, so, so happy that I would have flown away…”

Tehez’s face patting the child’s back was filled with emotions that were complicated to explain.

She soothed the crying child for a while afterwards. The child fell asleep soundly, perhaps because he felt drained after a burst of crying. As she stepped outside, Mrs Emily, a nanny sitting near the door, woke up.

Tehez informed the nanny that Julien had just fallen asleep.

“Thank you for always taking care of Prince Julien.”

“No, he’s going through a lot. I’m a princess, and I am obliged to look after the royal family.”

Lady Emily had a sad expression on her face when she noticed the omission of sympathy in the words. However, the expression of unwilling sympathy could also be read. Tehez turned her back on Emily, ignoring Emily’s look.

“Miss. I’ll see you later, so take good care of him.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Mrs Emily was standing still, not knowing whether to comfort herself or pretend she didn’t know. Tehez left her behind and went out into the hallway.

The palace of the sick child was absolutely silent. It was sunny outside, but the child’s palace always had a calm and subdued atmosphere.

Tehez walked along the vast cloister. Her mood and feelings were also subdued by the words she had spit a while back. 

It was stupid. 

She spat it out even though she knew her words would make it awkward. At that moment, she couldn’t stand it without saying that. As if the other personality within her appeared and tried to play mean.

Like a fool.

She stood still and caught her breath.

She was a princess who could not have children. 

A baby-less princess. 

It was the most significant title she had ever received. It’s been five years since they married, and she has never had a child with Denis.

There was no big problem in the relationship because of Denis, who was looking for her through his insomnia. Still, it was unbelievable. At one time, she was rumoured to be possessed by an evil spirit.

Tehez didn’t care what other people thought. As she became a princess, she never felt free from the evaluation of others.

However, the most important thing for her was Denis’ inner thoughts. Denis had never mentioned the issue of not having a baby. 

Does that mean it’s okay to stay like this, or does that mean it doesn’t matter if they have a baby, or does that mean he doesn’t even care about it that much…?

Suddenly, Tehez wanted to ask Denis about child problems but was afraid of the answer that would come back from him. When she would hear his sincerity, she feared that she would fall apart. If he asked why she needed something like a child with an indifferent look, she wouldn’t be able to bear it. 

So while she was in a rush, time passed by. Five years have already passed without being able to do anything.

As it is, if there was no news of a child, she would be divorced.

There was no need for a princess who couldn’t bear children. When her fears came upon her, Tehez became unbearably restless and anxious. Most of the problems that caused her to toss and turn in her bed were child-related.

Of course, during work time, she couldn’t afford to think about anything other than work. Because she was constantly busy. So, she didn’t even think about child-related issues.

‘But why? Why did I do that today?’

Her anxiety and fear enveloped her. 

It may be because of the child’s innocent question of how she knows. 

The child’s question seemed to reproach her. 

How do you know that when you are a woman who has never given birth?

Of course, the child did not ask this. She felt sorry because she felt like she had vented her anger on Mrs Emily.

‘I have to be careful, though. I’m a princess.’

Tehez clenched her fists until her nails dug into them. Then she took a deep breath. She quickly covered her mind with other things and had to forget about it. Otherwise, she would be engulfed by negative emotions forever.

“Are you here?”

To Daniel, who was waiting in her office, Tehez handed him a handkerchief soaked with tears and runny nose fluid.

“Take this away.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Tehez sighed as she looked at the front of her dress, messed up with tears and runny nose fluid. Knowing that she will always be like this when she meets Julien. Tehez blamed herself for being tight on time for the appointment.

“I can’t go to meet that guy Jacques like this. Isn’t it?”

Daniel also didn’t say much with a frown, perhaps because he knew Jacques’s temper well. He was a filthy picky and sensitive guy, but he was sure to get the job done.

“Push the appointment by two hours. I’ll change my dress and go.”

“Okay.”

★★★

“This is the data you requested last time on trends in other countries.”

“Is this all?”

Tehez sat down by the table and drank coffee from her cup.

“I’m telling you, I barely got this!”

When Tehez ignored his hard work, Jacques, who remembered the hardships he had suffered in the past, grunted. However, she didn’t bat an eyelid as if she was used to Jacques’ bluff.

“It was a lot of work.”

With a single word, she dismissed Jacques’ hard work. Jacques, who was about to protest, noticed her concentration and bit his mouth.

Tehez was sitting in his office, located deep in Hamam, an exotic public bathhouse. Hamam has been a popular social centre in Valloise lately.

On the first floor, there was a central bath, and under the colourful ceiling paintings, pillars made of white and fine marble stood out. And between the pillars, there were soft cushions so that you could sit and have a conversation.

Unlike Hamam’s interior, Tehez sat down in a simple space without decorations and read the documents. No one knew this office except for Jacques and her. 

Because it was a separate place from the entrance when Hamam was built.

Tehez looked up as she read the information hidden behind a simple fact, between the lines. It was because of the numbness in the back of her neck. In her eyes, the ceiling painting of the central bath came into view. Exotic ceiling paintings using abundant blue pigments looked supremely luxurious.

“You seem to have a lot of customers these days.”

At Tehez’s words, Jacques replied with a smile.

“Of course, there’s a rumour going around that there’s a lot of valuable information out there. Every morning, the aristocrats line up to get in here.”

Born to be a merchant, Jacques recited what kind of big names had come recently.

Such big-name nobles also appeared in Hamam with their faces covered. That’s why Tehez also decided to meet Jacques here. A place that looks natural even if you cover your face.

However, no matter how well she disguised herself, there were bound to be people who recognized the Princess. The fact that her face was widely known to the public made her movements a constraint.

It was said that she had political intentions in the teacups she served at the tea party, and her life was analyzed on the front page of the newspaper the next day. Nevertheless, she had no choice but to move. It was because the business had been slowing down since Remy Avery was cut off last time.

She needed to quickly find a replacement soon.

With that in mind, Tehez asked Jacques.

“What is the behaviour of the Marquis of Ingeliger?”

“There is nothing special about him. He is negotiating an armistice with Honun state at the border of Valloise.”

That was a well-informed story.

“Are there any problems with the negotiations?”

“Awai Island is the issue.”

(To be continued in the next episode)