The Emperor's Daughter

Chapter 490: The Emperor’s Daughter 490

 

Tea time ended, and so did my afternoon schedule.

Initially, nothing happened in my afternoons, but after deciding to paint, my schedule turned pretty tight.

It felt like it had been a long time since I last relaxed.

Still, the tight schedule didn’t seem burdensome; I really wanted to paint, so I was shocked at how easily I was handing myself.

Ah, the weather was so lovely.

As I walked through the path of the temple, a familiar figure entered my eyes. When I saw that, I smiled.

It was the one man who would naturally come behind me and follow me everywhere.

My one and only knight.

“Assisi.”

Assisi responded to me with a clumsy smile.

He was a knight who couldn’t even smile before. Just the thought of it made me smile wider.

The warm sunshine calling for the spring shone brightly on us. To be able to go for walks with such an outstanding knight was terrific.

I was so lucky.

That when I suddenly thought.

“Assisi, you know?”

He looked down at me as if he wanted to know what I was talking about.

He moved discretely as usual, but strangely, being with Assisi made me feel special. I smiled as I looked at him.

“If I was a little older or if Assisi was a little younger, I would have married you.”

“… huh?”

“Definitely. I am sure that I would do that.”

Assisi was visibly shocked. It was an expression that I never saw before; just seeing that made me want to talk more.

Teasing was my forte!

“Because I really, really like Assisi.”

I would have definitely married him.

It wouldn’t happen now, but oddly, I found it pleasant. To be married to Assisi. Assisi would have been in my grasp, and we would do whatever we wanted.

Yes, yes, with Assisi, everything I wanted was possible.

Right, if I weren’t reincarnated and came with my past body, I would have fallen in love with him and married him too. Of course, that would only happen if Assisi also had the same feelings for me.

“But Assisi is my knight, right?”

Assisi nodded at my words.

“Even if Assisi doesn’t get married, it wouldn’t matter to me because you would still protect me, forever.”

I like Assisi, really.

I wasn’t sure if it was compassion, affection, love, family feeling, or humanity, but I was glad to know that I liked him.

Every time I saw Assisi and knew the kind of person he was, I kept realizing my feelings for him.

I really, genuinely liked Assisi.

How could I explain that? It was a feeling much different from what I felt for my dad, but also a bit similar?

“But Assisi, I want you to have a lot more people by your side, people excluding me, Ferdel, and even Caitel. It will be tough, but let’s take it one step at a time.”

Assisi’s face went stiff.

I already knew what his next words would, which made me regret putting my thoughts in such a way.

“Hold on, princess. You can’t degrade your existence and say that!”

“… yes.”

I knew he would say something like that, sigh.

Ugh, he would have been a very dedicated athlete.

“If you are feeling any burden, tell me. I’ll help you.”

“Yes.”

Although I didn’t want it, I didn’t refute him. It felt like a good sign, so I just smiled.

I didn’t necessarily want to create a family for Assisi. I just hoped that Assisi’s world would be a little wider than what it was now, so his wounds would heal one day.

I knew how difficult it would be; I knew it might not even work out, but if he slowly comes out, then one fine day, all his burden could be shaken off!

“Ah, right. I am learning painting these days.”

“From the painter you called in from Sherto?”

“Yes. I am painting, but I guess I’m not that good at it. It’s quite difficult.”

I wasn’t sure what ‘that’ painting would be, but I was still far from making it perfect. Nevertheless, I took up learning the arts for two to three hours a day, and I was a lot better than when I started. I was getting used to painting straight lines, and I could get my paintings, which Deg helped frame.

In my words, Assisi’s face was slightly hardened.

“I heard that handmaidens hate the hobby of painting.”

“Hmm, what about you, Assisi? Hate it?”

“I mean, it is something the princess does.”

Right, why would he say anything else?

Still, I felt glad. I mean, it was a great hobby.

“Hm. I felt the same way… I knew that painting would be useful. Do you know what I’m painting these days?”

“Your Majesty?”

“Wrong!”

“Then, what?”

As I looked at Assisi ask for the answer right away, I pouted.

“What?! Are you just giving up right away and expect me to answer?”

“Well…”

Assisi went quiet. Meanwhile, I was enjoying his flustered appearance.

That older man was so cute; what was going on?!

Right, I decided to give up.

“I’m painting Assisi.”

“Huh?”

Assisi seemed surprised at my words.

“Of course, since there was no model, I decided to refer to your image.”

A low sigh and a relieved face, an expression Assisi never showed.

He was always quick to change his expression back to normal.

As he was looking at me, I stared right back at him.

We were making prolonged eye contact. I was trying for a way to avoid it.

“Please feel free to call for me if needed.”

“No. No need~”

Taking a step close to him, I pulled Assisi’s hand.

Although I was quite attracted to Assisi, I tried not to miss even a single detail of him.

His rabbit-like cute ears.

“Because I want to draw you since you always follow me around. My precious knight, Assisi. Of course, I’m not doing it alone. Technically I’m a beginner, so I am getting a lot of help from Deg.”

Technically, that was true, but it was my responsibility to fill in the white canvas.

I started it to pass the time, but I liked it once I began to do it. No one would forget it, and something put down on paper can never be forgotten.

If we could have pictures, I would really want to take this moment and frame it.

“Since I’m painting, I need to look at you more carefully. What your face looks like up close or between your eyes, something like that. I want to know even the most trivial things, like how your eyebrows move when you frown, or bite your lips, or seal them away. I mean, there are a lot of things I never noticed generally.”

I knew it. However, there were things I couldn’t observe. As I tried to draw, I kept checking and thinking, so this was how my Assisi was.

“So trivial but so important. I mean, that is why I feel a little happy these days.”

When I smile, so does Assisi. Man, I really had it bad for his gentle smile.

“One after the other, I will draw all the precious people in my life.”

“That is a nice thought.”

“Right?”

Assisi nodded in approval. I smiled with pride.

“I have been thinking about it, but I don’t think I will be able to live my life here forever.”

“Princess.”

Assisi called out with concern in his voice.

I held onto Assisi’s hand. The warmth of mine softened his expression.

“Assisi, dad, and Ferdel, you are all getting old. As time goes, you will get older. I wonder if there will come a day when you will have to leave; that is all.”

Maybe it was a bit uncomfortable for Assisi, for he frowned.

I touched his forehead with my finger and smiled.

‘Smile for me, Mister.’

“That was why I want to remember my dear ones and those I loved. I want to put down the precious memories in my head onto paper with my own hands. Later, people would say, ‘oh, the princess had such great people around her.'”

Hehe.

My voice flowed and vanished with the wind.

Assisi smiled wider. There were so many things I wanted to paint, but if someone asked me why I chose Assisi as the first one, there was an answer.

I just thought of Assisi.

“Assisi is the first person that came to my head. What do you think of that? Glorious?”

“Yes.”

Assisi answered with his eyes closed. Seeing that, I decided to play around.

“Uh? Are you about to cry?”

“… no.”

“I don’t think so. I can see tears forming in your eyes.”

As I made fun of him, Assisi avoided my gaze.

“Something flew into my eyes.”

“What flew in your eyes? There is no wind around.”

Assisi shushed.

I smiled after seeing this. Ah, I had a great time playing with him, but I stopped. If I made fun of him anymore, he would have really cried!

“Assisi is my first. It will take a long time for me to paint Assisi, Ferdel, Sil, Serria, Elene, Valer, Sanse, Evelyn, Haka, Cito, Libby, and so many others. I’ll paint everyone and, of course, my dad.”

“That seems like a long time project.”

“Right?”

Before I die, I wish to do that. Would I be able to complete it by then?

I was worried that I was taking the project too quickly, but Assisi grabbed me by my waist, which almost made me fall.

I was on the wrong foot.

Fortunately, it wasn’t sprained; Assisi seemed worried, but I shook my head, trying to say that I was okay.

“But these days, something doesn’t seem right. Right? I’m too happy these days. I feel so grateful, and I just feel happy enough to be alive and breathe every day. Isn’t that funny?”

“No.”

No?

Since I seemed shocked, Assisi nodded. His intense gaze shocked me.

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“It’s a good thing.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Is it really acceptable to think like that?