Chapter 51
Chapter 51: Storm
***
tap tap tap——
There was applause, the sound of more than one pair of hands.
I turned my head and found that Madam had already been standing at the door without my noticing. She was still wearing a white apron, her face flushed with excitement as she kept clapping.
“You played so beautifully… oh, why are you crying?”
Madam’s beaming smile froze on her face the moment I turned around.
…Crying? Was I crying?
Confused, I raised my hand to my cheek, feeling wetness on the delicate skin.
Then, emotions surged up in an instant.
Cold, numbness, pain, despair.
A strong desire to live.
My breathing stopped for a moment, and the complex emotions made my heart suddenly tighten. I clutched my chest tightly, taking deep, heavy breaths.
“Ha——, Ha——…”
crash
My body went limp, falling from the piano bench, kneeling on the carpet.
“What’s wrong! Are you alright?!”
Duke suddenly stood up, showing a worried expression, and just as he was about to step forward, Madam had already rushed to my side ahead of him.
“What’s wrong, what happened so suddenly? Are you feeling unwell somewhere, is your chest hurting? Can’t breathe? Doctor! Doctor…”
Her tone was flustered, her movements frantic, clearly having lost her composure.
I hurriedly waved my hand to indicate I was fine, wanting to speak to her, but when I opened my mouth, no sound came out.
My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my throat.
“I’ll go call for a doctor…”
Madam was about to stand up, but I grabbed her.
“What is it! My dear girl, why are you pulling me?”
“…No, no need…”
Deep breath… deep breath… I’m fine… I’m still alive… I’m still living well…
Gritting my teeth.
“Madam, Uncle Duke. I’m fine… I…”
“This child, saying you’re fine when you’re clearly like this——”
After forcing myself to take several deep breaths, I felt a bit better, and I looked up at them.
“I really am fine. I just… I remembered, some things.”
At my words, their eyes suddenly widened.
“You…”
The Duke raised his hand toward me but hesitated, and Madam continued the unfinished words.
“…You… you remembered…”
Her voice trembled slightly.
She reached out to my face, gently caressing it. The touch was soft and warm, the same as the little girl in my memories.
My heartbeat slowed down.
“You… you are Peipei…”
I looked into her eyes, which showed hopeful joy, yet also anxiety about the possibility of disappointment.
This question was now easy to answer.
Whether with or without memories, this body contained Peylo’s soul.
Or rather, it once had.
Even if it had now vanished for some reason, but I think…
“I think, I am.”
Madam smiled, but her lips were trembling.
“You are Peipei… I can’t be wrong… you are Peipei… even if the age doesn’t match… I can’t be wrong…”
Already not knowing what to say, the Duke came over and gently patted her shoulder.
“There, there, this is something we confirmed long ago, and the answer is as expected. You should be happy at a time like this, why are you acting like a child… Peipei, how are you feeling, better now?”
“Mm, much better.”
Madam gave him a sidelong glance, wiping her eyes.
“Then you, tell… mommy, what did you remember, why did you suddenly become like that?”
“I remembered… that night, many soldiers, were chasing me, I fell off a cliff… it was cold… my body hurt… hurt so much… I was so scared… no one saved me…”
I recounted the events of that night to them from beginning to end, in fragments.
That suffocating despair still lingered in my heart, unwilling to disperse.
Large teardrops welled up uncontrollably, falling from my eyes, rolling down my cheeks onto the carpet.
One drop, two drops…
Uncontrollable, because this was unrelated to my emotions.
It felt as if this body was instinctively venting something.
At some point, Madam had already embraced me tightly, her gentle hands stroking my back, her voice choked.
“Don’t be afraid… don’t be afraid… we failed to protect you… I’m sorry…”
I saw the Duke clench his fists.
“What about after that?”
I shook my head.
“I don’t remember… but, I remember, the person in charge. His name was Edward, black hair and black eyes.”
At this name, the Duke’s eyes became bloodshot.
“…It was… Edward? How could it be Edward!” Madam’s voice suddenly rose, her eyes wide with disbelief, “How could he do such a thing… how dare he do such a thing!”
“It seems, it was because of… Lafayette, that he tricked me to go out… who is he.”
“Edward Bradley Wintermoon, the Crown Prince of the Valen Empire, first in line for the imperial throne, and also… your cousin. His father, the Emperor of the Valen Empire, is your father’s elder brother.”
“…In recent years, your elder brother Lafayette may have been acting somewhat aggressively, and their relationship hasn’t been very harmonious… among all the heirs, he feared your elder brother the most.”
…I see.
So that’s why that day he lured Peylo… lured me out, wanting to use me to negotiate certain conditions with Lafayette… no, judging by the number of soldiers in my memory, they probably had murderous intentions.
I must have sensed Edward’s malicious intent at the time, and to prevent him from succeeding, that’s why I desperately tried to escape, ultimately falling off the cliff by accident.
A victim of power struggles for the throne…
“……”
The Duke remained silent for a long while, seemingly trying hard to suppress something, his expression becoming quite terrible.
I lay in Madam’s embrace, feeling her pleasant softness, unconsciously wrapping my arms around her waist, closing my eyes.
My mood gradually became peaceful, and suddenly I felt a bit drowsy.
I wonder if it was because of that intense emotion earlier that made me want to sleep even before lunch.
After a while, I heard the Duke’s loud laughter.
“Hahahahaha——!”
His laughter was hoarse, sounding like an injured beast.
“Ed—ward——! Brother, you’ve raised your son well! Hahaha!”
“I, Scalliger! All my life I’ve worked diligently, all for the lasting prosperity of the Valen Empire! How much have I given, how much has Shanter Castle given!”
“I focused on my work, never thinking about competing with anyone. When the workshop grew big, you wanted control rights, I gave them to you! Except for Holy Church matters, I could stay out of everything! You planted your own people in the Shanter military, I turned a blind eye and let you do it…”
“You still weren’t satisfied, you had to kill my daughter… kill my daughter… you know this is my bottom line…”
Bang——
The sound of something shattering.
“You fear me, don’t you! Hahahahaha! You fear me, don’t you!… Very well, then I’ll make you fear me to your bones.”
“…Edward has been suppressed by Lafayette these years, he was too impatient. This matter, His Majesty Caines probably didn’t know about it…”
“Didn’t know? Without knowing Edward dared to mobilize the city guards! Intercepted my daughter, and wanted to use this to threaten my son. If Lafayette had gone to the appointment back then, what do you think would have happened? Hmph, I probably would have lost both my son and daughter!”
“…For that bit of power, did things have to come to this? Peipei is his sister… that bastard…”
“Human hearts are fickle… It seems brother has grown old and a bit senile, it’s time for him to abdicate the throne.”
“!! You mean to…”
“They’re afraid, aren’t they, afraid I have too much in my hands, afraid Lafayette’s achievements will overshadow the throne, taking Edward’s position as first heir? Want to use my daughter to threaten my son, very well, well done. Originally I had no such intentions, but now, let me lend Lafayette a helping hand.”
“Scalliger, what are you planning to do… calm down first.”
“I am calm. In all my years of life, I’ve never been calmer than I am now.”
In my hazy state, a rough and strong hand stroked my head.
“Peipei, my dear Princess. Father has let you suffer… don’t worry, those who dared to hurt you, no matter who they are, father won’t let any of them go. I will make you the Princess of Wintermoon, and no one will ever dare to bully you again… sleep now.”