He delivered a plausible blessing prayer before all the palace attendants serving the Empress.
Those who firmly believed I was God's Resurrected One wiped away tears with emotion. And they prayed for their mistress to awaken soon.
They could not see the light of divine power. I alone could see the authority heavily veiling the Empress's two eyes.
It looked exactly as if she were wearing a blindfold.
I knew that removing those immediately would wake the Empress. However, I did not do so. Instead, I smiled faintly and spoke to Heinrich.
"Soon I will go to the Lindéa River to subdue monsters. If I display God's blessing, wicked creatures will not dare to run wild, and Her Majesty the Empress will also open her eyes."
Now that I knew I could wake the Empress, it was time to choose the appropriate timing.
For example, when the Crown Prince who had incurred God's wrath was conveniently absent, something like that.
Until then, I should appropriately search for monsters that weren't even at the Lindéa River, offer some prayers, and make visible actions.
"Do you not need soldiers? We cannot leave everything to Roam, so the Imperial Family will also cooperate as much as possible."
"That will not be necessary. I have secured everything needed."
"Everything?"
"Yes."
The smile floating on Heinrich's lips faded slightly. This was likely because I had暗示ed that I would soon settle matters with Roam as well and depart.
However, he soon shook off his bitter expression.
"Very well, that is reassuring. I will trust that you will also excellently resolve the Imperial Family's crisis before long."
"I merely go where God guides me."
As we walked exchanging insincere pleasantries mindful of the surrounding palace attendants, someone walking toward us from afar came into view.
"Duchess of Roam?"
Heinrich raised his eyebrows as if surprised and murmured. I was equally puzzled.
This was the Empress's palace, and it would not allow outsiders' visits as long as the Empress had not awakened. Mother could not have come here not knowing that.
As she approached, Mother looked at me and Heinrich with a stern face. Then she soon greeted Heinrich with an elegant gesture.
"I greet the First Imperial Prince Highness."
"Duchess of Roam. I did not expect to meet you here."
"I heard my daughter visited this place, so I came thinking perhaps Her Majesty the Empress might open her eyes through God's miracle."
To my ears, Mother's words sounded like some distant foreign language I could not understand from beginning to end. From the moment she started with the word 'daughter,' I could tell it was worthless nonsense not worth hearing.
It seemed Mother had wanted to meet me after all.
When my thoughts reached that point, I could not even laugh.
"Since the Resurrected One has offered a blessing prayer, I think there will be good news before long."
"Is that so. I could not overcome my worried heart and made a fuss. It is embarrassing."
"When Her Majesty awakens, she will be deeply moved by the Duchess's loyalty, so there is no reason to be ashamed."
Meanless formalities continued. Heinrich, who had been appropriately continuing conversation with Mother, opened his mouth with tact.
"Today's visit has come to naught, what shall we do? I would like to offer tea, but I have my next schedule soon."
"No need. Returning home together with my daughter is also a joy for a mother."
Hearing those words, I had to bite my lip painfully to hold back the sneer that almost burst out involuntarily.
While I delayed for a moment doing so, Mother, who had naturally confirmed my next schedule as returning home, offered her farewell to Heinrich.
Heinrich hesitated briefly, perhaps worried about sending me and Mother off together, but having no particular justification to stop it, he simply nodded.
"Then I will take my leave to allow time for mother and daughter."
Mother and daughter's time—that was a somewhat laughable expression.
However, I could not openly laugh, so I managed my expression while clenching my teeth.
As soon as Heinrich departed like that, the artificial smile disappeared from Mother's face. Mother turned her body quickly and spoke.
"Let us go."
What could she be angry about?
Looking at Mother's back, I enumerated the things she might be angry about. There were too many to be able to single out and confirm any one thing.
Well, there was no need to conjecture.
I moved my steps unconcerned.
Whichever it was, the fact that Mother was angry meant things were going as I wished, so it was a welcome matter.
* * *
The conversation in the carriage was unexpectedly beneficial.
Mother tried to probe me as always, and through that I obtained several pieces of information.
"First, Father has been won over by Mother, yet even so there is no justification to immediately restrict my freedom, and therefore I'm in a situation where I'm even more displeasing to them."
Muttering listlessly, I opened the window. Below the garden spread outside the window, a puppy running about was visible.
And also the figure of someone running chasing that puppy.
"……And that Seiri is very interested in my animal friends."
The puppy that had been desperately fleeing almost fell into Seiri's hands. However, it soon nimbly avoided Seiri's reach.
Perhaps annoyed because the puppy wouldn't be caught easily, Seiri ordered something to her servants.
And after a while, several servants drove the puppy toward Seiri like a rabbit hunt. Seiri instantly snatched the puppy running into her embrace.
[It is hurting.]
Turning my gaze along the subdued voice, Mori appeared with his head sticking out of the pocket.
Mori was looking down at the puppy outside the window.
[That puppy is too young. That human does not consider that at all.]
I recalled Mori who had been at a loss wanting to soothe the puppy when one had run into my room previously.
[If treated like that every day, surely the puppy will not last long.]
"Every day?"
[Yes. Every day she drives the puppy like that.]
Ah, so Seiri had seen Minte or Zigor coming and going from my room.
Because they were playing in the garden near the room where I stayed.
I looked down at the garden with subtle eyes. Seiri was seen releasing the puppy she had held in her arms.
Then when some distance opened up, she started chasing again like before.
Was it my imagination? The puppy was moving more sluggishly than before.
[Why does she do such things?]
"Because she is timid."
At my indifferent answer, Mori looked up at me with puzzled eyes.
"That one is so timid she cannot go to hunting grounds with peers. But she probably wants to vent her feelings, so she mimics like that."
My guess was probably correct. Seiri had done so before.
Lilia had clapped her hands saying Seiri 'plays well with small animals' while watching her. I remembered scoffing at that foolish sentimental evaluation.
The reason Seiri had closely observed animals coming and going from my room was probably also connected to that bizarre play.
Because such play is hard for young animals to endure for long. To事先 spot the next animal.
Mori asked.
[Then is that, hunting?]
"Yes. She picks a weak and small animal she can catch, releases it, and catches it."
She doesn't have the courage to kill, so she does it with her hands like that.
I don't know if such a thing gives satisfaction enough to substitute for real hunting. In the first place, is chasing a beast like that while sweating even fun?
As I let out a sneer looking down at Seiri, Seiri suddenly raised her head and looked my way.
Did she feel my gaze?
'No, perhaps she's trying to see the animals coming to my room.'
Not thinking I might be looking at her, Seiri was seen greatly surprised and trembling.
Since she had apparently rambled on to Mother about the animals in my room, how startled must she have been.
Whish.
Seiri, frightened in advance, turned as if fleeing. Even so, she did not forget to have her servants take the puppy.
Mori did not take his eyes off the puppy being carried away by the servant.
'Even after getting hit on the back of the head by Rusalka just a while ago…….'
Perhaps because of the time she was betrayed after showing premature pity, Mori afterward tried not to reveal the emotions he felt before me.
However, his nature could not change overnight, so he was probably at a loss worried about the puppy.
"Shall I free that puppy?"
[Pardon?]
"If it bothers you."
My words seemed unexpected. Mori only looked up at me with widened eyes and did not answer anything.
I glanced down at such Mori and turned my body sharply.
"Minte."
[Yes, Captain.]
"Do you know which room the puppy is in?"
Minte had walked all over the mansion recording conversations of servants badmouthing me for a while. Since she had navigated the Imperial Palace so well, she would have quickly grasped this mansion interior too.
[Yes, I know.]
As expected, the answer came immediately. I said with a satisfied smile.
"Guide me."
[I, it's fine!]
Mori urgently stopped me, but instead of answering, I gently pushed Mori's head and put him into the pocket.
Actually, I couldn't say I was moving strictly for Mori right now. I was in a state where Seiri's action of leaking useless words to Mother was very displeasing to me.
That I could also comfort the soft-hearted Durahan in such a situation—there was no reason to refuse such killing two birds with one stone.
The place Minte guided was near Seiri's room.
When I who normally had no occasion to pass this way suddenly appeared, the servants startled and watched my eyes.
Let them, I moved my steps following Minte running quickly.
Minte stopped in front of a small room door and licked her front paw. I gave a slight smile to her behaving innocently like a real cat, then threw the door open and entered.
"Who…… huh?"
The first thing seen was Seiri standing awkwardly. Upon seeing me, Seiri stepped back with a pale face.
Thanks to her moving aside on her own before I even spoke, I could see the iron cage behind Seiri.
The iron cage sparkled as if polished daily, shining like new.
[My goodness.]
I heard Minte's low sigh from my feet.
She too had seen the puppy only breathing heavily from exhaustion.
"H-how did Sister come here……."
Seiri who timidly opened her mouth let out a strange scream and shrank her shoulders the moment our eyes met.