Akatsuki Translations

Beatrice, a member of the royal family of Dalmor and former queen consort of Laurier, along with her daughter Nicolette, received special treatment even within the monastery. They each had their own private rooms, in addition to a shared study room. Beatrice and Nicolette had separate private rooms, but they shared the study room. 

Nicolette had gotten involved in baking biscuits, so Beatrice secluded herself in this study room alone. 

Beatrice, more inclined towards creating things rather than conducting research through reading, had a preference for hands-on activities. On the other hand, Nicolette enjoyed reading books and pondering over theoretical matters. 

As a result, Beatrice’s desk was cluttered with tools and various components, while Nicolette’s desk was surrounded by piles of books. 

Beatrice was currently repairing a wall clock that had been left on her desk. Though there were now clockmakers, it was said that the first clockmakers were monks, and clocks still held a special significance within the monastery. Beatrice enjoyed tinkering with intricate mechanical devices, much to the dismay of her parents. 

Having repaired the latest wall clock and set the time, Beatrice nodded in satisfaction. Yes, it was perfect. 

Smiling and nodding to herself, Beatrice then began dismantling a gun she had instructed Nicolette to shoot. She had obtained the latest model of the gun and was making her own modifications. 

The firearms available at present had strong recoil and were difficult for women to handle. However, Beatrice aimed to develop a high-accuracy gun that could be easily used by women, by making improvements. 

Nicolette, confined within the monastery, had faced several attempts on her life by Laurier, the king who took the prophecy seriously, and his followers. Of course, Nicolette was unaware of these threats. Nonetheless, she needed the strength to protect herself. That’s when Beatrice came up with the idea of using guns. 

Beatrice’s father was a military genius. Just being his daughter was enough for Beatrice to be feared. However, it didn’t mean that Beatrice held any resentment towards her father. 

Her father had also taught Beatrice self-defense techniques and passed them on to Nicolette as well. But Beatrice wanted to give Nicolette even more power. Considering the possibility of being targeted, it was important for her to possess decisive strength. 

Nicolette, naturally, wasn’t particularly strong. Therefore, they needed a way to catch others off guard aside from relying on physical strength. As a means to that end, Beatrice chose guns. 

Indeed, as expected of Beatrice’s child, Nicolette showed interest in guns. It seemed that she was intrigued by their mechanisms and had encountered situations where she couldn’t put them back together after dismantling them. 

Even for Beatrice, improving guns was a challenging task. She wondered how long she had spent facing them when Nicolette entered with a tray. 

“Mother, welcome back!” -Nicolette 

Smiling at her daughter’s cheerful entrance, Beatrice tilted her head. 

“Don’t you have work to do?” -Beatrice 

“I took a little break. I’ll be back later.” -Nicolette 

Saying that, Nicolette placed a plate in front of Beatrice and placed a warm glass of milk. It was a luxury for the monastery. The special treatment for Beatrice was evident even in this regard. Though Beatrice would be fine with any food, as long as she could eat. 

Nicolette sat down in front of Beatrice and began sipping the warmed milk. It seemed she had come to take a break and check on Beatrice’s well-being. 

“Nicola, are you being helpful?” -Beatrice 

“Well, I think I’m more helpful than Mother.” -Nicolette 

Nonchalantly uttering such words, Nicolette was swiftly struck on the head by Beatrice’s hand. As her head was hit, Nicolette gently rubbed it while laughing. 

“Well, it’s just a matter of following the pattern. I’m not allowed to make it from scratch. It piques my interest a little, though.” -Nicolette 

While saying so, the daughter tossed a deformed biscuit into her mouth. If it were anyone else’s daughter, she would be considered an odd child. After all, these confections were meant to be sold, not touched by Nicolette, even if she herself was unaware of such conventions. She was, after all, a princess. 

“Hey, Mother, can I conduct a chemistry experiment next time?” -Nicolette 

“What kind of experiment are you planning to do?” -Beatrice 

“Mixing substances with different compositions and heating them up.” -Nicolette 

“…That’s clearly a dangerous experiment.” -Beatrice 

“I don’t want to hear that from you, Mother.” -Nicolette 

Nicolette pouted, showing a typical gesture of a thirteen-year-old girl, but her words were far from childish. 

For the time being, Beatrice decided that she would accompany Nicolette during the experiment and asked her about the preparations for the harvest festival. 

“Everyone is working hard. I’m being dragged into it as well. Louise and the others are looking forward to it.” -Nicolette 

Daughters who entered the monastery could not leave unless it was a festival day like this. Many of them came from outside, so it was natural for them to yearn for the outside world. Even Beatrice herself had such thoughts. What about the young girl in front of her who knew nothing about the outside world? 

“Would you like to go to the harvest festival, Nicolette?” -Beatrice 

“Well, I’m interested, but I’ve known from the beginning that I can’t go.” -Nicolette 

“…I see.” -Beatrice 

Beatrice nodded and closed her eyes. Being overly understanding could be a cause for concern. 

Nicolette knew that she couldn’t leave the monastery. She avoided listening to the conversations of the other novices about the outside world because it made her envious. However, she would gladly listen to Beatrice’s stories about a world she couldn’t reach. 

“…I wonder if my prophecy is real.” -Nicolette 

Nicolette murmured to herself. When she was ten years old, Beatrice told her the reason why she was imprisoned. The astute girl understood it effortlessly, perhaps too easily. Life in the monastery had matured Nicolette beyond her years. 

“Well, who knows? But my father… your grandfather. His prophecy is said to have come true.” -Beatrice 

Beatrice’s father, Crown Prince Nicholas of Dalmor, had a prophecy that said, “This child will herald a new era in the world.” And indeed, Crown Prince Nicholas had truly changed the world. 

He had changed the way wars were fought, the way countries existed, and the way people lived. In his short life of forty years, he accomplished great things that would go down in history. 

Perhaps Nicolette would follow a similar path. 

“Mother, are you teaching me to use a gun so that I can fulfill the prophecy?” -Nicolette 

“No, that’s not it.” -Beatrice 

Beatrice smiled wryly at the unfounded suspicion. At the same time, she couldn’t blame Nicolette for thinking that way. Nicolette’s prophecy was also known as the “father-killer” prophecy. The most straightforward realization of the prophecy would be for Nicolette to kill her father, King Laurier. 

However, if that were to happen, the prophecy would indeed be about “killing her father.” But since it was about “destroying” rather than killing, it didn’t necessarily mean that Nicolette would be the one to kill King Laurier. At least, that’s how Beatrice saw it. 

“Even if I’m not around, I want to give you the strength to protect yourself.” 

When Beatrice honestly answered, Nicolette tilted her head and said, “Hmm.” 

“Why does Mother worry so much about me?” 

Beatrice couldn’t help but smile wryly at this question. Nicolette may not fully understand the concept of family since she had no other examples around her. 

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Because I’m your mother.” 

△ 

Nicolette’s room was adjacent to Beatrice’s room. The key to that room was gently turned, and the door began to open. 

“What are you doing?” -Beatrice 

Caught off guard by the sudden voice, Louise, who had her hand on the doorknob of Nicolette’s room, reflexively turned to face her. Beatrice, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, had a smile on her face. However, her eyes didn’t share the same amusement. 

“Do you need something from my daughter?” -Louise 

“… ” -Louise 

Louise remained silent. Beatrice shrugged her shoulders and began to draw her own conclusions. 

“It’s been half a year since you came to the monastery. I assume you were sent here because we are close in age.” -Beatrice 

“What are you talking about?” -Louise 

After finally speaking, Louise was greeted with a raised corner of Beatrice’s mouth. 

“Who is the client? Is it King Laurier, or someone from the faction that learned about Nicolette’s prophecy? Well, it doesn’t matter who it is.” -Beatrice 

“!” -Louise 

Pointing the gun she held toward Louise, Beatrice startled her, causing her to step back. 

“…Even if you kill me, another assassin will come.” -Louise 

“Oh, so you admit that you are an assassin. I see. I understand. Throughout history, prophecies have always been feared. Even if you’re gone, another assassin will be sent… and each time, I will do the same until Nicola gains enough power to protect herself.” – 

That was what Beatrice believed her role to be. Parents must protect their children. It was only natural. Since Nicolette practically had no father figure, Beatrice had to do her best. 

“Because Nicola likes you, I’ll spare you this time. But there won’t be a next time.” -Beatrice 

“…” -Louise 

Looking at Beatrice’s narrowed eyes and smiling face, Louise concluded that if she said she would do something, she would indeed follow through. She resembled Crown Prince Nicholas, her father, in this regard. 

After seeing Louise off, Beatrice peered into the room where her daughter should have been sleeping. As if oblivious to everything, Nicolette peacefully breathed in her sleep. Such a resilient daughter… 

“…Sleep well.” -Beatrice 

With a smile and those words, Beatrice closed the door and returned to her own room to sleep. 

△ 

The next day, the Harvest Festival took place in the town. As usual, Nicolette couldn’t leave the grounds of the monastery, and Beatrice, accompanying her, also didn’t attend the festival. Nicolette and Beatrice spent the day as they always did, and a nun returned from the monastery with a rare flower as a souvenir. Beatrice chuckled, but Nicolette’s eyes sparkled. 

“Oh, a purple rose. I wonder if it can be propagated.” -Nicolette 

A purple rose, symbolizing the “throne.” It seemed oddly fitting for Nicolette, perhaps because she had purple eyes. In response to Nicolette’s joy, the abbess got carried away and had the purple roses brought in. Under the pretense of research, the monastery could gather as many plants as they wanted. While the abbess served as the supervisor for Beatrice and Nicolette, she was sympathetic towards the two. 

After some time, Louise was transferred to another monastery. Nicolette felt lonely, but Louise left. In the end, they never found out who was behind the attempted murder or abduction of Nicolette. However, Beatrice firmly believed that it was King Laurier himself. 

Nicolette was unaware that she might be killed. Beatrice thought it was for the best. As long as she was with Nicolette, she only needed to protect her like a daughter. 

“Hey, Nicola.” -Beatrice 

“What?” -Nicolette 

Nicolette, who was reading a book, looked up. Beatrice also stopped fiddling with her watch. Then, Beatrice asked a rather inconsequential question. 

“If you could go outside, what would you want to do?” -Beatrice 

“Well? It’s pointless to think about it since I can’t go out anyway…” -Nicolette 

“Don’t say that. Is there something you want to do?” -Beatrice 

Beatrice had never heard Nicolette talk about her dreams. That’s why she simply wanted to ask. When Beatrice was around Nicolette’s age, she had wanted to see the latest technology from all over the world… Thinking back, she realized she had held rather unbecoming dreams herself. 

“Um… If I could go outside, I think I’d like to try delicious food from all over the world.” -Nicolette 

“…That sounds nice.” -Beatrice 

Receiving a more adorable response than she expected, Beatrice felt relieved deep down. 

It had been approximately a year since that conversation took place. Beatrice, known as Beatrice of Dalmor, who had been whispered to be invincible even if killed, passed away from influenza. Her end came unexpectedly. Perhaps being accompanied by her daughter in her final moments was a consolation. 

Until the very end, King Laurier, her husband, never made contact with Beatrice. 

Five years later, Beatrice’s daughter, Nicolette, would marry the infamous “Cruel Emperor” of the Heinzel Empire.