My Sweet Deceiver - Chapter 67

The snow that started to scatter at dawn turned into thick snowflakes as the day dawned.

 

It was Lubern’s first snow.

 

Early mourning for the Third Prince’s death took place in the royal castle.

 

When Julien’s obituary was announced in an official royal statement, people lined up to visit the royal castle and lay flowers.

 

The freezing weather and snowfall didn’t seem to be a problem for those with tears in their eyes.

 

Each newspaper published Julien’s obituary in unison. Lorraine, a reporter for the Le Monde newspaper, published an obituary commentary saying, “A flower that had not bloomed yet, died.”

 

All the radical newspapers, which usually published articles critical of the royal family, mourned Julien’s death.

 

The whole of Lubern was shocked and saddened.

 

Julien’s funeral was conducted with a state director, and all funeral procedures were held in Julien’s palace.

 

The snow that fell from the beginning of the funeral was in a lull, and then it fell again when the deceased’s coffin was moved to the temple.

 

Big snowflakes…

 

Soldiers from the capital’s defence force, mobilized for the procession, swept the road from the capital to the central temple, but snow piled up again on it as soon as they were swept.

 

Even the wind was blowing hard.

 

It was a rule to move from the palace to the temple by foot, except for the carriage carrying the deceased.

 

However, it was concluded that moving on foot was impossible due to heavy snow and wind. Accordingly, members of the royal family rode a carriage to the temple.

 

Due to the sudden change, the inside of the wagon, which had not prepared a stove in advance, was cold.

 

As if the citizens were watching the procession, weeping and praying for the deceased came over into the carriage.

 

Dennis was staring out his window with his mouth shut, and Tehez held her gloved hands tightly together, fixing her gaze on it.

 

Both seemed deep in thought.

 

The carriage started moving, and they arrived at the temple.

 

A cold wind brushed through his hair as Tehez got out of the carriage.

 

They saw Fabrice and Giselle getting out of the carriage behind them as they got off.

 

When all members of the royal family got off the carriage, the coffin came down from the carriage.

 

When the coffin was moved to the temple, royal knights lined up on both sides and fired their cannons.

 

After a brief moment of silence, standing in the middle of the steps leading up to the temple, the coffin was moved.

 

It was a tiny coffin.

 

As if to show the coffin of a child.

 

Tehez could hear people sniffing and crying.

 

As the knights opened the temple’s large doors on both sides, a solemn dirge from the pipe organ flowed out.

 

As the coffin reached the central altar, the dirge gradually slowed down and stopped.

 

The knights placed the coffin on the altar and wrapped it in a black velvet curtain embroidered with gold thread.

 

The bishop of the central temple came out and conducted the funeral service.

 

The service was held in a solemn atmosphere, attended only by members of the royal family.

 

The King was moved to tears as the bishop read the scriptures and prayed, “Nate will take care of the little child’s soul.”

 

Eventually, the King ended up weeping until his handkerchief was all wet. People who saw the King’s state also wiped their tears with a handkerchief.

 

After the service.

 

The doors of the central temple were opened, and in turn, people paid tribute to the deceased.

 

Along with flowers, people offered sweets and candies that children usually like on the altar.

 

A child of Julien’s age with a gloomy face placed a small toy with flowers on the altar.

 

When all procedures were over, Julien’s body was buried in the cemetery.

 

After receiving condolences from the general public for a while, his body would be moved to the royal family cemetery.

 

In the meantime, several hours had passed.

 

The bishop took the King to his room to comfort the heartbroken King. Still, the King could not erase all his sorrow.

 

Tehez quietly waited for time to pass in the other prayer room in the temple.

 

Dennis was away, saying he had someone to meet for a while.

 

Tea and refreshments prepared by the temple were served.

 

It must have meant that they had to wait several hours, so they had to do something about it.

 

However, Tehez did not think to put something in her mouth. She sat alone with everyone around her.

 

She just wanted to sit still and organize her thoughts. It was because Julien’s death was rarely realized.

 

Just a few weeks ago, Julien and Tehez had agreed to go horseback riding next spring.

 

The child held out his slender hand and told her that it was a promise.

 

Now, it was a promise she couldn’t keep.

 

That fact hit her hard.

 

Never again will she hold the child’s hand.

 

Never again will she even smell the smell of milk when she held the child in her arms.

 

Never will she get to see the child go to the academy, nor will she see his coming-of-age ceremony.

 

In her, Julien will remain a little prince, no more than 10 years old, lying in bed.

 

It had already been five years since she started spending time with Julien.

 

It all started when she married Dennis and took care of Julien.

 

Tehez remembered only the things she had done wrong to Julien.

 

That she couldn’t see the child when she was busy.

 

Things that she seemed to have forgotten what the child had asked for.

 

It seemed she had given her affection to the youngest Prince, who was sick, without realizing it.

 

She obviously thought she hated children.

 

She just thought he was one of the paving stones for the throne…

 

Tehez could not believe that she would never see Julien again.

 

The tea, from which the steam rose, was cooling down.

 

As Tehez was just staring blankly at the teacup, the door slammed open without any notice or knock.

 

It was Giselle.

 

“Princess, you are here.”

 

Tehez was bewildered by the appearance of an unexpected figure.

 

Giselle closed the door and sat down in front of Tehez. It was an infinitely natural attitude as if this was her place.

 

Then Giselle put a cookie prepared by the temple into her mouth, broke it in half, and chewed it.

 

She then poured the tea from the kettle into the cup and drank it with a slurping sound.

 

It was a very disrespectful act.

 

Tehez had the right to be respected as a Princess wherever she went.

 

Even if it was the special circumstances of the funeral.

 

Even if it was a waiting room in a temple, not in her palace.

 

It was polite to ask for her permission if someone wanted to invade the place where Tehez was staying.

 

And if you put something in your mouth, it was basic manners not to make a sound.

 

Giselle, however, deliberately ignored her as if she aimed to upset Tehez.

 

Tehez raised her voice and said.

 

“Miss Giselle, how disrespectful is this? It’s quite unpleasant.”

 

However, Gisele responded by chewing on the cookie, not paying attention to Tehez’s firm tone.

 

“Sorry, Princess. Because I couldn’t eat today.”

 

The expression on Giselle’s face when she said that was not at all apologetic.

 

If she genuinely felt sorry for Tehez, she wouldn’t have chewed on something in response.

 

Meanwhile, Giselle mumbled and said, putting the half cookie back in her mouth.

 

“Do you know why the Third Prince suddenly died?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Tehez frowned at Giselle’s words and actions, which showed no sign of mourning for Julien.

 

“I heard something,” Giselle whispered near Tehez’s ear in a low voice as if telling a secret.

 

“It was because of the execution of the Duke of Briem.”

 

“…”

 

“He was the only remaining maternal lineage, and it must have been quite heartbreaking to see such a duke executed. He didn’t die of illness but a public execution for his heretic beliefs. Could there be a more inglorious death than this?”

 

Giselle looked at Tehez as she sipped her tea aloud. It was as if she was waiting for her reply.

 

However, Tehez did not answer and ignored Giselle’s gaze.

 

Giselle looked at Tehez for a moment and then continued with her tone of pity.

 

“Isn’t that too cruel for a kid under 10 to know? Because the Prince was usually sick. That’s why His Highness the King ordered that the Third Prince never know the news of Duke Briem. But if I tell you not to, you want to say more, right? There is no eternal secret, especially in the palace.”

 

Giselle’s voice whispered about the eternal secrets, and it sounded like a witch’s voice.

 

“But the problem is that the Duke of Briem often visited and met the Third Prince. Maybe once or twice a month? However, even after several months, the Third Prince must have thought it strange when there was no contact from his maternal grandfather. Even when he asked where his maternal grandfather had gone or when he would be back, the courtiers did not answer properly, and the Prince became suspicious when he evaded the answer.”

 

“…What?”

 

Tehez barely opened her mouth. Then Giselle rejoiced and answered.

 

“It made him wonder where his maternal grandfather had gone! Then I heard the courtiers passing by talking. The youngest Prince, who learned the cruel truth, was greatly shocked and suffered, and eventually… That’s how it happened. It’s really unfortunate, isn’t it?”

 

Giselle pretended to be sad.

 

Giselle’s words left Tehez speechless. Giselle asked her again as if driving a wedge into her.

 

“You didn’t know anything about this, did you?”

 

“…”

 

As always, Tehez couldn’t even give an appropriately made-up answer. It was because her whole body was shaking all the time.

 

The one who killed Julien was Tehez.

 

It was Tehez who turned the Duke of Briem into a heretic and reported him to the temple.

 

Giselle spoke to her as if she hadn’t noticed the complicated look on Tehez’s face.

 

“I’m tired after standing for a long time.”

 

Even though Tehez didn’t respond, Giselle added, caressing her leg.

 

“You only know about it, Princess. It’s a secret, but I’ll be given the palace after the New Year’s banquet.”

 

It was a pleasant tone.

 

Tehez forcibly opened her mouth and replied.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Yes. Next year, the baby will be born, and they need to prepare for the birth. I cannot stay at my place forever.”

 

Giselle raised her hand and caressed her stomach as if something was precious in there.

 

Tehez felt that Giselle’s words continued to make her lose her mind.

 

(To be continued in the next episode)