Chapter 262: It’s Us…

While King Adom settled and until the queens reached the reception room, I held Croana and buried my face in the hair at the back of her head.

Croana kept her face forward and gently stroked my head with one hand.

The nostalgic scent brought me peace. Sharle’s hands rubbing the back of my neck felt good.

The Chancellor must have taken the hint. He folded his arms, closed his eyes, and stayed quiet.

Suddenly Sharle behind me put both hands on my shoulders, brought her mouth to one ear, and spoke.

"Lady Beige’s rescue confirmed. No wounded."

"Thank you, Sharle."

I lifted my face from Croana’s hair, turned it sideways, smiled at Sharle, and thanked her.

Done... with this, the matter was truly settled. After that only the trick of the "makeup box" remained.

The news must have reached Croana’s ear too. She tipped her body a little, turned her face to me, and smiled.

The same report must have reached Sanai-san. She turned the body that had been facing us toward King Adom and made as if to tell him something.

I looked at the Chancellor. His eyes were open. He let out a breath of relief, smiled, and nodded when our eyes met.

Haa. Hero-related events are rough. I get a little tired, from the worry...

The door opened. I looked that way and saw Queen Alyusha holding something in both hands.

Right behind her I could confirm Queen Lisha and, perhaps their two exclusive fairies, a girl with beautiful red hair.

The queens looked a little startled at King Adom’s state, then ran over from the Chancellor’s side at a short run.

We could not see King Adom because of Sanai-san, so all we could do was listen quietly.

To words checking that the queens were safe, King Adom said, "I will tell you later," with happiness hidden in his voice.

As the theory group thought, when talk of Alek’s execution came out, not only the previous king but King Adom and the Chancellor had been there.

A while after that Sanai-san moved, stepped one pace back, and King Adom showed his face with red eyes, smiling wryly.

The Chancellor stood, gave that chair to Queen Alyusha, and Queen Lisha sat beside her.

The Chancellor sat in the chair next to Queen Lisha, looked at me, let out a small breath, and started talking.

"Now then, Raide. Shall we have you open the ’makeup box’?"

"Yes... even so, it is not difficult. There are sister flowers, yes? You only press those and open the box."

"That is all... it is?"

I nodded hard at King Adom’s suspicious words, then moved my eyes to Queen Alyusha holding the box and talked with her by look.

The previous queen had originally been sickly and could not go out of her room much.

The previous king had loved the previous queen from his heart. He is said to have enjoyed tricks and devices with her, trying to find some way she could have fun.

The previous queen took to those tricks and devices greatly, and even after giving birth to King Adom they enjoyed them together.

Inside the "makeup box" a will, letters from the previous queen, were hidden. On the verge of death the queens asked how to open it and were only told, "Search for it?"

It was said with a happy smile, not as a jab, and the queens could not hear more than that.

From the side they were said to look like three sisters who got along. The previous queen and the queens.

The queens wanted somehow to read the letters inside the "makeup box."

Because near death they had hardly been able to talk with the previous queen, and a letter said to have been written with her soul in the middle of that illness was in the "makeup box." Wanting to read that no matter what was not strange.

Queen Alyusha, still doubtful, pressed the sister flowers decorating the box with both thumbs. A small, light kakon sounded. Startled, she looked at Queen Lisha, who wore the same startled face.

The "makeup box" had confirmed flowers decorating it, and there was only one pair of sister flowers.

They had probably investigated all sorts of things before I said it, but they had not known that only the sister flowers sank like buttons.

The queens nodded to each other and carefully started to open the lid. Quietly the lid of the "makeup box" opened.

At that timing I put my mouth close to Croana’s ear and murmured, "Let us go outside." Croana tilted her head with a puzzled face but nodded.

In free play there was a quest to have the "makeup box" opened. I knew what was inside.

That is why I told Croana to leave at this timing.

Inside the "makeup box" were letters.

Two letters, toward the previous king, King Adom, and the queens she had been close with.

When Croana got down from my lap I stood and spoke to the queens, who were happily taking the letters out of the box.

"When you have read the letters... no. Before you read them, please check the color of the sister flowers."

"The color...?"

"O, Onee-chan... this... us. It is us..."

Queen Lisha, usually calm and collected, hid her mouth with one hand, grabbed Queen Alyusha’s dress with the other, trembled lightly, and spoke the way a small girl calls her sister.

At Queen Lisha’s words Queen Alyusha held the four letters in both hands and hurriedly looked at the box’s decoration.

Croana and I bowed to King Adom and the Chancellor, who were tilting their heads, and started walking toward the door.

Through the gap as the reception room door closed I saw the two queens reading the letters and shedding tears.

It is no exaggeration to say those letters were packed with love.

Words of love toward her family from the previous queen, who because of illness could no longer speak properly.

Words of thanks and encouragement toward the two who had become King Adom’s wives.

Sharle led us. While walking toward the outside of the castle I smiled at Croana in my arms and spoke.

"How should I leave something behind?"

"You do not need to think of such things. I ask you. Please stop."

"...Sorry."

Croana grabbed my chest lightly and said it with a troubled face. I kissed her with only our lips touching, putting apology into it.

It had been a slightly backward thought... well, something will remain naturally.

Like the Bell House Father left.

When I said that, Croana and Sharle smiled at me happily, and I smiled back.

First I would go meet Erika, who had been waiting at the academy.

This time I had not gone too far, and I had consulted, so there should be no scolding... there will not, right?