The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 80: The Distance Between (I)

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Time passed quickly.

As a wizard, Heinricion was protecting the Imperial Palace along with the knight commander, so he had many things to do within the palace grounds.

Thanks to this, Eristella was able to avoid the eyes of the knights and stay by the emperor’s side.

She looked at the emperor who was still lying as if asleep.

He hasn’t woken up yet, but his complexion has noticeably improved. She was reassured by his relaxed-looking face.

Looking away from the emperor for a moment, Eristella opened the window and gazed at the full moon.

It’s past midnight now. Right when she returned to her original form and closed the window after getting some air.

Heinricion, who had been away, returned.

“Did you feel stuffy?”

“No. I just looked out for a second.”

Every night, Eristella confirmed that another day had passed by watching the shape of the moon change.

When the full moon rose, when the crescent moon sank, when the stars shone brighter than the moon, she wondered if he would wake up.

It was then.

They could see the emperor’s fingers trembling. After a while, he slowly opened his eyes.

“Uh…?”

Hopefully, this time it’s real.

His gaze, which was half-lidded and staring blankly at the ceiling, moved slowly.

It was redirected to Heinricion and Eristella, both holding their breaths.

“…W-What h-happened?”

The emperor’s voice, locked low, came out with difficulty. His movements were slow, as if trying to figure out the situation, but seeing the way he got up, they were convinced.

The emperor had completely returned to his senses.

Eristella was relieved and delighted by that fact, but at the same time, extremely nervous.

‘Did he really come back?’

‘Or is there no change at all?’

She was unable to say a word; only repeatedly parted and closed her lips.

Despite having made up her mind to smile at him, the corners of her mouth twitched; she could hardly raise it into a smile.

Every time she carefully examined the face of the emperor, the fear that existed in the corner of her mind pierced her heart.

The emperor slowly got up. His eyelids trembled, but they didn’t seem to open well.

Eventually, focus slowly entered the gaze of the emperor who barely managed to open his eyes.

Instead of blurry cloudy eyes, clear and intelligent-looking eyes slowly scanned the room before it fixed on one spot. 

“E-Eristella?”

“…….”

“Eristella, Lala… It’s my sister.”

The emperor first smiled longingly at Eristella.

“She’s in good health. Thank god.”

“…….”

‘I have to say something. I also have to tell him that I’m so happy that he woke up.’

It was painful that her voice didn’t come out as though something was stuck in her throat.

However, like he understood all of her feelings, the emperor’s words continued.

“Lala. I miss you.”

A strangely heavy silence. A slight tremor.

…Sniff.

Eristella was crying.

The sound of breathless crying turned into sobs, then into wails.

Aaaaaaa! Uwaaaa!!!

As time went by, Eristella cried even louder. It seemed the suppressed sadness was pouring out.

“Me too… I also wanted to see my brother. Really… I really missed you.”

Although she hadn’t expressed it all this while, the feelings she had embraced alone spilled out all at once.

“I thought I’d never see you again.”

She really thought she would never see this face again— the warm gaze of her brother who loved her.

Her brother, who she had almost given up on, was now back in front of her eyes. The fact was so overwhelming that her mind was not easily calmed down.

It was then. Nostalgia ended. Eristella suddenly raised her eyes, glaring at her emperor, and fired her words.

“I was very upset. I also resented Brother a lot…”

Covering her face with her hands, she wept louder and louder. Like she had completely become a child.

It was a situation that made the two men panic.

Not knowing what to do with the crying Eristella, Heinricion and the emperor remained still as if they were being punished.

It was the first time they had ever seen Eristella drop her dignity and cry like this. They couldn’t quite figure out what to do.

“You should take a look.”

“What can I do about it?”

When the emperor urged Heinricion, the latter shook his head with a troubled face.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Lala cry like this. So do something.”

“Do you think I’ve seen it before? The Eristella I know… far from crying, it’s the opposite.”

A sharp gaze from the girl who was supposedly crying landed on Heinricion.

Heinricion shoulders shrunk involuntarily and he whispered to the emperor in a lower voice.

“All things considered, aren’t you the one that she spent the most time with?”

“Are you protesting now!”

“Aren’t we having a discussion?”

When the distance between the two men reduced as they were arguing over who should check on Eristella…

A thin, long hand suddenly intervened between the two.

“……?”

Eristella held out her hand.

—Who is she giving it to?

As the two men were staring blankly, Eristella waved her outstretched hand at the emperor as if asking what’s taking him so long to hold it. 

In an attempt to make the emperor catch on quickly, Heinricion nodded at him.

“Y-Yes.”

The moment the emperor gently held Eristella’s hand, pulled her hand with all her might.

“Uh…?”

Before the emperor knew it, his weakly dragged hand was patting Eristella’s back.

“You have to soothe me like this. What are you doing, just watching me cry?”

“Sorry. This brother didn’t notice.”

It was only then that the emperor, realizing her want, stroked his sister’s back with his other hand and comforted her.

“Be a little softer.”

“Yes. Gently.”

Although flustered, the emperor carefully patted Eristella on the back.

He continued until Eristella’s tears died down.

Sniff.

After pouring out her tears to the fullest, Eristella’s heart was a little relieved, and she directed these words to her brother.

“But the resentment… I didn’t mean it.”

While she was crying her eyes out, the emperor’s heavy, guilt-ridden face bothered her.

“Just… I’m just sad. I thought you disliked me…”

What she was saying was this— It’s just a complaint, so don’t take it to heart.

It was like in the past, where little Eristella apologized after fighting with the emperor.

“I have cherished and liked you since the day you were born.”

“…You can stop now.”

After hearing it, Eristella became embarrassed.

“No. I’ll do a little more.”

The emperor’s patting continued even though Eristella asked him to stop.

The emperor fixed his eyes completely on Aristellar and tried hard to soothe her.

“I left our Lala alone. What a bad brother. From now on, I will be with you no matter what.”

It was when the emperor stroked Eristella as if to placate a five-year-old child.

Tuk!

Eristella poked her little finger out.

“Here.”

“Uh?”

“Pinky promise, here.”

“…….”

She wiggled her little finger.

“Promise me. You can’t take it out or beat it, so you have to protect it no matter what!”

Seeing the utmost seriousness on Eristella’s face, the emperor eventually let out a laugh that he had been holding back.

“Puhahaha! Then of course! I promise.”

The emperor spread his little finger wide and wrapped it tightly around Eristella’s pinky.

“Great. Then I will forgive you.”

Satisfied, Eristella smiled broadly as she hooked her finger with his.

Heinricion watched the siblings’ affectionate gestures from a distance, then quietly looked at his finger. As the thought that he was sort of envious came into his mind…

“I’m so incompetent. That is why this happened.”

The emperor brought up a serious topic after Eristella calmed down to some extent.

“No. It’s not easy to avoid brainwashing when you’re not prepared for it.”

Once again, Eristella regretted.

This situation might have been avoided if she had warned him to be careful.

And even if one was aware of the existence of the black wizard, the brainwashing was so subtle that it was not easy to avoid it.

However… After hearing Eristella’s consolation, the emperor opened his mouth, speaking with a self-deprecating smile.

“I knew.”

“……?”

Slowly, Eristella blinked. Heinricion was equally surprised.

The emperor calmly continued as if he had expected the reaction of the two.

“I have something to tell you.”

“…….”

“Lala. You’re a smart kid, so you must have noticed that it was strange, right?”

Before the emperor’s inquisitive gaze, Eristella neither denied nor affirmed.