Adan sighed and looked at Ludeon.

　　“Her Highness is your younger sister, Ludeon. Even if I told you not to, you ought to take care of her. Forget about Liliana and just look at your sister.”

　　Only then did Ludeon look down at Luana trembling in his arms. She was so small and so light.

　　Then Ludeon noticed just how threadbare Luana’s clothes were. Her wrists were so thin they looked as though they might snap at the slightest touch. He finally understood why Adan had made a point of placing Luana in his arms.

　　Now that he was holding her himself, Ludeon could see the injuries her clothes had hidden from view.

　　“What in the world…?”

　　Adan had no words either.

　　Ludeon finally let out a sigh.

　　“She’s eight years old, isn’t she?”

　　“Today is her eighth birthday party, so she must be.”

　　Of course Ludeon knew that. He’d only asked because he couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing.

　　They were both Liliana’s children, yet one was given a lavish birthday celebration while the other was abused. The difference in how she treated them was impossible to understand.

　　Ludeon adjusted his hold on Luana. Perhaps drawn to his warmth, she instinctively burrowed deeper into his chest.

　　Luana looked even worse than before, and both men tensed.

　　“I’ll lay her down in my room for now, so go bring him quickly.”

　　“Right. Just in case, be careful when you hold her…”

　　Adan trailed off when he saw that Ludeon was already cradling Luana with care.

　　“I’ll handle things here. Go get Medique.”

　　Reassured, Adan hurried off to fetch the doctor.

　　Conflicted, Ludeon glanced down at Luana and started walking carefully.

　　The Second Prince he had seen before had red hair and red eyes just like Liliana’s, so Ludeon had never really thought of him as a brother. But Luana genuinely felt like his sister.

　　Unlike the Second Prince, who reminded him of Liliana, Luana somehow reminded Ludeon of his own mother, the Empress.

　　It must be the coloring.

　　Ludeon pushed his tangled thoughts aside, tucked Luana securely against his chest, and headed toward his palace.

　　Luana barely clung to consciousness. Through her wavering vision, she could feel Ludeon’s warmth around her.

　　It was strange. She could not understand why he was holding her like this. But even that faint awareness was slipping away.

　　Luana’s vision faded into total darkness.

* * *

　　“Goodness… Who did you say she was?”

　　“She is the Princess. Again, she is Liliana’s daughter.”

　　While waiting for Medique and Adan, Ludeon was growing thoroughly sick of Maria asking the exact same question over and over.

　　No sooner had Ludeon laid Luana on his bed than Maria came rushing in. Her eyes widened at the sight of the girl, then began to sparkle.

　　“You two are awfully forgiving.”

　　“Pardon?”

　　“No, I just meant you and Adan are alike.”

　　“What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”

　　“Adan acted as though it were nothing, just like you.”

　　At Ludeon’s words, Maria blinked for a moment before offering a soft smile.

　　“Why doesn’t it bother you?”

　　“Well…”

　　Looking down at Luana, whose eyes remained closed, Maria gently smoothed back her hair.

　　“Because we aren’t young enough to vent our anger on someone entirely innocent.”

　　Ludeon fell silent. Maria could not possibly know what he had done to Luana, yet her words felt as if she were reprimanding him.

　　“I see.”

　　Ludeon’s eyes darkened. He had no idea what to say. He had felt guilty enough just letting Luana face the two of them. Yet instead of blaming her, they had both taken her side.

　　Feeling thoroughly pathetic, Ludeon closed his eyes.

* * *

　　“It seems she suffered some kind of shock… What on earth happened? There are so many wounds on her body as well…”

　　Adan had dragged Medique here without giving him any explanation. Before he could even figure out what was going on, his instincts as a doctor took over. He treated Luana first, then shot Adan a glare and sighed.

He still had no idea who the child lying in the Crown Prince’s bed was.

　　“Setting that aside, please give me an explanation. Who on earth is this child…?”

　　Only when he caught his breath did Medique finally notice Luana’s hair and blink. Though her eyes were closed, the color alone was enough to make him wonder.

　　Medique looked back and forth between Luana and Ludeon several times. Hard as it was to believe, their hair was exactly the same shade.

　　Ludeon’s brow furrowed as he watched Medique. Seeing him look strangely displeased, Medique’s mind began to race.

　　Could it be…?

　　Had His Highness the Crown Prince caused trouble? Was Medique about to get dragged into this for no reason?

　　Medique swallowed hard and took a subtle step back.

　　“What’s with that look?”

　　Irritated by Medique’s demeanor, Ludeon glared at him. Medique offered an awkward smile as he quickly sorted through the facts in his head.

　　One, he had rushed over at the Crown Prince’s urgent summons. Two, His Highness was standing before him perfectly fine, while a little girl he didn’t know occupied his bed.

　　Three, therefore, the Crown Prince and this little girl were deeply connected.

　　The more Medique thought about it, the more everything seemed to fit. Medique looked down at Luana once more.

　　It really was the most logical conclusion. This child was the Crown Prince’s daughter!

　　Her hair was brilliant gold, but its rough condition only made his theory seem more plausible. She looked like a child who had grown up in hardship without ever knowing her father.

　　He had already found it suspicious when Adan insisted on coming quietly without telling anyone nearby… Medique directed a look of faint disdain at Ludeon.

　　His Highness is eighteen years old… Good grief.

　　Medique took a deep breath. The child looked about five. Given Ludeon’s age, the math worked.

　　Always wandering around the capital at night, supposedly to keep tabs on things… Medique knew it would come to this. He clicked his tongue under his breath.

　　Ludeon still felt thoroughly annoyed, but checking on Luana’s condition came first.

　　“So, how is the child?”

　　“As I’ve said before, she has numerous wounds on her body… I’ve applied ointment for now, but it will need to be reapplied regularly. As for the rest…”

　　Medique trailed off.

　　“It appears to be malnutrition, but…”

　　Hesitating briefly under the Crown Prince’s sharp glare, Medique continued in a casual tone.

　　“Well, malnutrition is quite common, isn’t it?”

　　For children struggling to survive without parents, malnutrition was hardly unusual. As long as she was cared for properly from now on, she would be fine.

　　Medique nodded to himself, apparently convinced by his own reasoning. The other three gave him strange looks.

　　How could malnutrition be common?

　　Feeling as though they were not speaking the same language, Ludeon stared blankly at Medique.

　　For an imperial princess to suffer from malnutrition was no small matter. It made no sense.

　　“Stop talking nonsense and examine her further.”

　　“No, really, if you look at the back alleys of the capital, malnutrition is everywhere.”

　　“That is outside the Imperial Palace.”

　　“That’s true.”

　　Ludeon ended up kicking Medique. What kind of idiot compared an imperial princess to children from the back alleys?

　　When Ludeon gestured with his chin without bothering to conceal his annoyance, Medique grumbled and checked Luana once more.

　　It really is common outside the palace, though!

　　Medique had plenty to say, but he kept his mouth shut. Naturally, a father would be displeased to hear his daughter’s condition dismissed so lightly.

　　Watching Medique, Adan felt an odd sense of unease. Granted, malnutrition was not an unheard-of condition, as underfed children could be found in any city. But still…

　　“Ah…?”

　　An exclamation slipped from Adan’s lips. He had a sudden inkling of what misunderstanding Medique was laboring under.

　　“What? What is it?”

　　“Oh… Nothing.”

　　Adan gave an embarrassed smile. He wasn’t certain enough to say it aloud.

　　Giving Adan an odd look, Ludeon shifted his gaze back to Medique.

　　“Though it is malnutrition, she will recover quickly if she is fed well. Since she is still young, as long as she receives proper care from now on, there shouldn’t be any lasting problems.”

　　“Please leave that to me!”

　　Maria cut in quickly.

　　“You mean I just need to make sure she eats well, right?”

　　“Yes… though it would be best to start with light food at first. Avoid oily dishes and stick to simple porridge or soup.”

　　“Then when will we be able to give her a proper meal?”

　　At Maria’s question, Medique shrugged.

　　“If she takes after His Highness, she’ll be fine in no time. Health is the one thing he’s never lacked.”

　　“True. No one can fault His Highness’s health.”

　　“Why are you bringing me into this?” Ludeon asked, dumbfounded.

　　Medique looked at him with a strange expression.

　　“Did you intend to keep her hidden, then? When you two look this much alike? I’m not that oblivious.”

　　At Medique’s words, Ludeon’s expression turned bewildered.

　　Keep her hidden? He could not fathom what Medique was driving at.

　　“If that was your plan, Your Highness, you ought to give it up. Did you really think you could conceal a child who resembles you so perfectly?”

　　“What?”

　　Ludeon let out an incredulous laugh. What was this lunatic even thinking?

　　Under Ludeon’s stare, Medique cleared his throat uneasily. He had examined the patient. It was time to wrap things up.

　　I need to distance myself before I get blamed for any of this.

　　If Her Majesty the Empress was unaware of this, he would have to run and report it at once. Medique swallowed hard, resolved.

　　“Your Highness… Does Her Majesty know?”

　　Ludeon, who was about to demand a further explanation from Medique, closed his mouth at the mention of the Empress.

　　Ludeon hesitated. It was that time of year again. Around now, the Empress always shut herself away in her palace, grieving the daughter she’d lost long ago.