The Royal Banquet (2)
"I'm Halley Fulhert Lemaitre, the daughter of Marquess Lemaitre. It's a pleasure to meet you," she introduced herself, lowering her head with her two hands on her dress.
I don't know what to do in this kind of situation so I just imitate her. "I'm Brielle. It's nice to meet you."
"So soft!" Halley said, pinching my cheeks.
"Hey, what are you doing with my daughter?"
"I-I—I'm,'' Halley stuttered.
"Don't glare at her. She's my friend."
"You're Brielle's friend?" Halley nodded while hiding behind me. "I didn't know you have a friend who likes peeping on the knights."
"How did you know?!" Halley blurted.
"You're too focused on spying on the knights that you forgot you're hiding," said Papa.
Ah! Papa caught Halley before I headed towards the bushes. So, Papa knew all along what I'm up to. No wonder he was so relaxed to let me go. I held Halley's hand and said, "Papa, don't tell anyone her hobby. Okay?"
"All right, as long as it's not you."
"Everything is alright, Halley. So, let's go there. I'm going to introduce you to them."
I introduced Halley to all the Imperial knights and Max, and surprisingly they knew her. They mentioned that her mother is the cousin of Empress Helena, and their family owned the biggest dress boutique in the capital of Ronian Empire; no wonder she is wearing a beautiful dress. The knights, and Max were very friendly to Halley however I didn't expect her to be this shy. I thought that she would be so noisy as Max but it doesn't. But, looking to at Halley she looked happy. In the midst of the conversation of knights and Max to Halley, I whispered something to Papa.
"Absolutely not. I forbid you to heal anyone. I only let slip when you heal Max's mother."
"Papa please. My power is useless if I don't use it," I pleaded.
"No. If many people know what you're capable of, they would start to rely on you. And that will only cause trouble."
"That's why I have this idea." I whispered to Papa and told him my plan. And, as I finished explaining it to him, he analyzed it and agreed.
"Be quick."
"Yes, Papa." I went to where Emil is, and poke him to gain his attention.
"Brielle! Why are you here? Do you need something?"
I raised my both hands to gesture that I wanted him to carry me, and without even a second, he carried me. "So, what do you want with this old man?"
"I want to thank Emil for the cookies." I searched for the blue flower patch in my pocket that I got in my closet a while ago. "Take it. You could attach it to your eye patch. Like this." I placed the flower patch on Emil's eye patch gently but it was just a cover. For the moment I touched his eye patch, I started to transfer my mana to his eye for him to be healed. Well, it would take hours before his eye regained its sight because I just indirectly healed it so it means he would not suspect me.
"Emil is carrying Brielle," shouted Luke.
"I want too," said Joseph, also one of the knights.
"I'm Brielle's friend so she is playing with me," claimed Halley.
"I'm her best friend so I should be playing with her," objected Max.
The situation became complicated but it's good that I'm done with Emil. "Emil, could you put it down?"
"…" He was deep in thought.
"Emil?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Emil replied, putting me down. Perhaps, he was thinking about something. Before I could think about something else, Max and Halley were holding my opposite hands, and started to argue who I'm going to play with.
"Brielle will play with me!" exclaimed Max.
"She's mine," yelled Halley.
Sigh, these two really! Papa help me! Don't just watch there!
"Hey, Emil, why are you dazing?"
"I felt something familiar. Back then when we escorted the dead princess."
"I would act like I didn't hear you. Mentioning what happened eight years ago is forbidden by the emperor. It's a rule to hide the dirt of the Empire. The day we all sinned."