Suddenly I Became a Princess Volume 1 Chapter 1

Translated: reireiss, MTLs-nim 

Edited: reireiss, Grammarly ssi 

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Translator Note:

It's been a long time since I finished translating this novel. I finished it because there was a paid request (Indonesian Project) from Lady P.

I heard that this novel is getting a Donghua which will be broadcast this year, I'm quite excited to wait for the Donghua. But I saw on NU that the translation of this novel was no longer updated, so I decided to upload this novel (I want to read this novel again while waiting for the Donghua to be broadcast ^ ^).

However, as I said, I translated this novel because of a paid request. So, to respect Lady P, I will not upload the entire novel (I will not upload extra chapters from each Volume and Volume 6 which contains Side Stories). But at least you and I can enjoy the main story of this novel on this blog^ ^

If someone feels objections to my actions, you can leave a comment on the blog or contact me at reireiss.dollars@gmail.com

Thank You!

***

Chapter 1 – When I Opened My Eyes, Suddenly I Became a Princess!

"What must I do to make you love me?"

Athanasia looked at the person in front of her with a tear-stained face. However, her father, Emperor Claude just looked at Athanasia who was sobbing at his feet coldly.

"Should I be like Zenith? So, you will call my name affectionately and look at me with eyes full of warmth? If from now on I try harder..."

Zenith, her beautiful half-sister. As if it wasn't enough just to take the handful of glory that Athanasia had, Zenith also took her father's love. Athanasia's mind was cornered so that the name continued to stick in her mind.

"With those hands, instead of pushing me away. Can you hug me?"

"That won't happen until the day I die."

"Why?"

Claude didn't hesitate to answer. He seemed to push his always obedient daughter to the brink of despair –as if his daughter had committed a huge crime.

“Father, I'm also your daughter. I have been by your side longer than Zenith…”

Athanasia pleaded with all the courage she had. For her, this was her first and last request. But the Emperor, her father, remained cold until the end.

"Stupid creature."

The hand holding Claude's leg fell helplessly to the floor. Strong insulting words. The sound that pierced her ears was extremely cruel.

"I never thought of you as my daughter."

In Athanasia's blue eyes, there was a deeper sense of despair compared to all the despair she had ever felt.

— 『Lovely Princess - Chapter 8: Distant Fate』

***

"Ugh."

Crazy! I dropped the toy I was holding in my hand in surprise, a scene from a novel suddenly appeared in my mind. Why do scenes from novels I've read pop into my head?

Romance novels that I read because they were abandoned by the owner, a junior high school student when I worked part-time at an internet cafe. I remember it was a cliche and childish story that matched its tacky title, <Lovely Princess>. Is it because my name is the same as the name of the daughter who was murdered on her 18th birthday by her father because she tried to poison her half-sister? What a crazy thought. Hush, hush, get out of my head now!

"Hm, what's wrong? Why does she keep dropping it?"

The woman who had been asleep in the chair was now awakened by the sound of clattering hitting the floor. Then, she scolded me. Of course, I was stunned. What are you doing? Why do you think I keep dropping it? Don't babies often drop things?

"Don't keep crying, just play with this thing calmly."

Did she give it to me without even cleaning it first? I don't know if it's because the knowledge about hygiene in this world is that bad or because she looks down on me because I'm an abandoned princess. Maybe the last reason... No, I want to convince myself that's not the reason.

"Uwaaaa."

I dropped the toy again. I'm a baby who can only crawl, but rattles are not my taste.

Then the rude maid started to get annoyed with me.

"What's wrong with you? I've been busy with lots of things to sew. Well, hold on again, okay?"

"Aaaaa."

I hate this! First of all, I've dropped it a few times so it's dirty, and most importantly… It's not my taste!

"Is she bored with her toys?"

The maid tilted her head, then picked me up, carried me to the crib, and left the room. Maybe she went to see the Head Steward. If you're going to come again with rattles, there's no need to come at all.

"Aaanggg."

I lay in the crib quietly and averted my gaze. Then, under the spinning rattle, I saw a soft, white chubby hand.

Haa, no matter how many times I see it, I still can't get used to this. After I took the sleeping pills and fell asleep…… As soon as I opened my eyes, I already looked like this. Does this make sense? This isn't a fantasy novel, but suddenly I became a baby.

"Princess!"

Ah, this eonni, every day she's always like this! Is it really okay to break down the baby's bedroom door and scream like that?

"The Head Steward said that the budget is low. So just play this."

The maid handed the toy into my hands again, then sat down on the chair and started sewing.

"I won't serve you even if you cry. I'm really busy."

She said it coldly. I'm a baby! Do you think a baby will understand what you say? Urgh, this is too much! It seemed that even a princess could become an outcast. For me –an orphan in my previous life, being able to be reborn as a princess with a *golden spoon in my mouth is a delicious thing… But why did I become a mistreated princess like this? Sob.

T/N: *Golden spoon is a term that refers to people born into wealthy/rich families.

***

I'm an orphan. An eonni who was in the same orphanage as me told me that I was found in front of the orphanage wrapped in old clothes. I heard that in February before I entered elementary school, while this eonni was already 19 years old, the age at which she had to immediately leave the orphanage. My mother who abandoned me didn't even give me a name, so the Director of the Orphanage looked at the name book and gave me the name, 'Lee Jihye'.

When I heard it for the first time, I just thought 'Oh, I see.' There were many children like me in the orphanage, and it was too late to feel the absence of a mother who hadn't even been in my life since I could understand things. In the Orphanage, an 8-year-old child is not a child.

In the small orphanage, every day I had to fight over a bowl of rice with children who had the same situation as me. So, when I was the same age as the eonni who told me the secret of my birth, I felt very happy because I finally reached the age to leave the Orphanage and I could be free from this disgusting place. However, the reality is more difficult than I thought. Especially, for an orphan girl like me who doesn't have money, connections, or a diploma.

After leaving the Orphanage, there was nothing I could do to earn a living. I washed dishes in restaurants until my hands were swollen, I also worked part-time in an internet cafe that was full of the smell of cigarettes. I ate expired gimbap, worked part-time at a minimarket, and washed cars until they shined under the blazing hot sun, all of which made me pessimistic about my situation. I also want to study normally and date like everyone else, but the situation doesn't allow that. Paying the monthly rent for just 1 stuffy room was too much for me, so I continued working without caring about anything.

Haa, I don't have any dreams or hopes. In the middle of winter, I thought about that while shivering in a freezing, unheated room. Tomorrow I have to work part-time since dawn, but I can't even sleep because of the cold weather. I prefer rain. I also thought, that if I were asleep in this situation then I would freeze to death. But, because of the stifling cold, I haven't been able to dress properly for several days.

In the end, I took sleeping pills that I just got yesterday from the owner of the restaurant where I work. The drowsiness that slowly crept in made me forget all my worries and anxieties in the real world. And, as soon as I opened my eyes, I became a princess.

***

"Aaaubbaaa."

Today I tried to talk in the crib. I don't know how much time has passed, all I do is eat, sleep, and play all day long. Sometimes I'm still confused, is this situation a dream or real life?

"Our beautiful little princess, Athanasia."

The only thing that comforted me was the fact that none of the maids treated me badly.

I smiled broadly at the woman rocking the cradle. She is an eonni with brown hair and blue eyes, she was just assigned to my place starting this month. I'm a princess, so I just have maids, why don't I have a nanny? That's because I'm an abandoned princess.

"Princess, you must grow up healthily."

When I first saw her face, I was stunned because she was so beautiful. Lilian was the one who could touch and play with my innocent cheeks hundreds of times. Her attitude perfectly matched her lily-like appearance, so I called her Lily (in my heart). This beautiful eonni who looks like she's about to be blown away by the wind is my maid? Haa, I'm really lucky to have been reborn.

"Uwaaa. Baa."

However, as she looked at me, Lily's face gradually began to show sadness and longing for something. Seeing such a beautiful eonni with an expression like that made my heart melt. Lily often shows an expression like that whenever she looks at me as if she's thinking about something. Eonni, don't make a face like that. Eonni, you look so beautiful when you smile.

"Oh, Princess. It's time for bed."

Even though I was laughing happily just now, I had to struggle to reject Lily's words with kicks and whines. The sun is still in the middle of the sky, why should I sleep!? Don't be like that, play with me. I'm so bored here.

"You can't. You have to eat well and sleep well so you can grow up."

My resistance was useless. When I whimpered, I was lulled by her gentle touch. Lily also smiled when she saw me like this.

"Lilian!"

Suddenly, a voice called Lily from outside the room. That eonni is always like that. I'm a fragile little baby, so I startle easily!

Lily was also surprised for a moment by the nonchalant behavior of the person outside the door. At the same time, I felt touched by a gentle touch around my chest that tried to calm me down.

"Princess, I'll be out for a moment."

I waved my hand to say goodbye.

Alone, I lay looking at the ceiling and rolled my eyes helplessly. The beautiful chandeliers and delicately patterned ceilings I always see. When I turned my head slightly to the side, the sparkling furniture and ornaments outside the crib dazzled my sight. I always wonder every time I see it, is it real gold? I'll have to bite it later when I have teeth. Of course, as long as I'm still alive until then.

"Uhhh..."

My body trembled as I remembered the rumors about that man, my father. All I know about him is the information I got from the maids' conversations, he is a scary person. Just hearing the whispers of the maids who came to clean my room every day gave me goosebumps.

The name of the place where I live now is the Ruby Palace, it is said that this palace is the residence of the Emperor's Concubines from generation to generation. In short, this is the Emperor's harem. It is said that my mother, Diana was a dancer who was invited to the Imperial Palace Banquet, and somehow she caught the Emperor's attention. But after that, she was forgotten by the Emperor and gave birth to me. It is said that no other woman lived in the Ruby Palace after Diana entered the Palace, so the fact that she was once favored is true.

However, she was only favored for 1 season, after that, I heard that the Emperor never visited her again. Diana couldn't even become the Emperor's official concubine because she came from a lowly family that couldn't even become a commoner. And she died, leaving me, the newborn baby.

Then, a surprising incident occurred at the Ruby Palace. On the day I was born, the Emperor killed everyone in the Ruby Palace overnight.

After that, the Emperor placed me, his only biological daughter here, and he never came to see me. So, I was raised by…… Maids in the Ruby Palace. Hmm, after saying that, I realized that my fate in this life was very bad.

However, what Lily told me was a little different from what the other maids said. The Emperor loved my mother, Diana with all his heart. Lily said that the Emperor ignored me like this because of the pain of loss he felt because of Diana's death. After hearing that, I felt that it was the most reasonable thing. This was proven by my mother's death coinciding with the day the Emperor massacred everyone in the Ruby Palace.

But it seemed like it was just a misunderstanding from Lily herself or maybe she was just trying to cheer me up. All the maids said, 'The Emperor is crazy!'. Lily was the only one who said, 'No. The Emperor became like that for a reason!'. Because there are 2 opinions from 2 camps, I will argue from my point of view. My opinion was, 'My father is crazy!' There's no reason to consider that. Whatever it is, I'm currently living in a palace full of ghost stories. Ugh, when I first heard about the massacre incident, I had nightmares every night. A baby like me being in a place like this, of course, doesn't feel good. But I'm more afraid of the Emperor whose face I don't even know than the ghost stories of the place I live in now. After he abandoned this place, what if he suddenly came and shouted, 'You're dead!' and killed everyone here, including me? I've just become a princess, but my life is already very difficult.

"Uwaaaa."

Ah! Come to think of it, have I told you what my name is? In my previous life, the Director of the Orphanage gave me a random name from a name book, but in this life, my birth mother gave me a name. The name is Athanasia. Such a noble name, which means 'Eternity'. Last night, Lily told me about it, and it was a fancy name for an abandoned princess like me. It was, of course, the same name as the poor princess in the romance novel <Lovely Princess>. Maybe my mother named me that so I could live a long life…… But,

In the novel, Princess Athanasia was a character who died tragically at the age of 18, so I found it strange. Besides, why did she have to die at the hands of her biological father, the Emperor!? Before, I didn't pay attention to it, but since I was reborn in this body… I kept thinking about that novel.

"Uuuuaaaa."

Since I opened my eyes this morning, I often glanced at the door and trembled with fear –afraid that the man I called 'Father' would come looking for me.

Bang!

Suddenly the door opened, and I thought my heart would fall out. The maids entered the room. They looked at me who was in the cradle and talked loudly.

"What the hell, she's not asleep yet."

"Should we stay here? Besides, she can't move on her own."

"You know what Lilian is like. This is troublesome."

Oh my, it's starting again. They looked at me, started gossiping, and scolded me. Don't do that, Eonni. Everyone trapped in this Ruby Palace is also in the same situation, including me.

"Let's just rest."

"What if she suddenly cries?"

"Just rock the cradle so she falls asleep."

Anyone who hears those words will definitely think that I often cry. If there is a baby who rarely cries like me, show me! Lily was worried because I was just whining, not crying. But these eonnis always say things like that every time they see me.

They obviously looked down on me because the Emperor didn't care about me. Am I sad because of that? Certainly not! My goal is to continue living like this. If I take the gold in this room –even if it's just some, then get out of here. That could make me spend my life just eating and playing around. So please forget about me. I will live my life alone. I don't need a father who doesn't care about me.

"She is a princess who doesn't even get His Majesty's attention, but because she is a princess, she will live well."

What the maid said was true. Even though I only drink powdered milk at the moment, I get it 3 times a day. And as a member of the Imperial Family, I will get a warm, soft, and comfortable bed. Besides, there is gold everywhere. As long as the Emperor does not see me, I can live without worrying about starving. No matter how harshly they treat me, as a princess, I will still live comfortably.

Once I grow up, I will run away from this place with the gold. I'll look for the right opportunity, I'll go, sell the gold, and live happily ever after. So, for now, let's get out of this cradle. As Lily said, I have to eat well and exercise hard so I can grow quickly. Yosha, yosha, I, who was still lying in the crib, am now struggling hard to train the strength of my legs.

"By the way, the lantern in front, even though there was no wind or anything, suddenly it went out. It was very scary."

"Right. How can we be assigned to a place like this…… Have you ever heard about the ghost in the kitchen?"

"It's so scary. We don't know when we're going to be like that."

These maids kept looking at me while chatting. But I can't understand them either. Of course, I also don't want to stay in this Ruby Palace, a place where many people die. Once I collect enough money to escape, I will leave here immediately! Once again, I made a strong commitment.

***

"Hehe…"

Now I feel very happy. Lily smiled sincerely when she saw me laugh.

"Do you like it?"

"Aiii!"

Glittering gold. Very beautiful. I really like the gold ball that Lily gave me. I also showed *aegyo to Lily while laughing out loud, and then Lily kissed my cheek because she was happy.

T/N: *Aegyo means funny or cute behavior.

As time goes by, I can now crawl on the carpet without difficulty. And every time I crawled, my eyes flashed with greed for the gold and jewels scattered around the room. Even though this is a neglected Palace, a Palace is still a Palace. Even the walls are encrusted with jewels. But, this is real gold and gems, right?

As I tried to reach for the gold and jewel decorations, Lily thought that I liked shiny things. After that, she brought me various kinds of toys that were colored like gold or first which made me widen my eyes. Originally, this was the residence of the Concubines, so the Palace itself was a magnificent place, but due to lack of budget, the toys I had even looked shabby due to lack of money.

"If you're tired of this, I'll bring you another toy."

It felt like a halo appeared on Lily's beautiful face. Eonni, you are my gold mine!

"Gyaaa. Uwaaaa."

I lay down on the carpet and played with the ball Lily brought me. However, I couldn't do anything else with a body that couldn't even walk yet, so I tried my best to roll and play on the floor. I'll keep these balls so I can take them with me later. Ehehe. Ah, my saliva.

I live in the Ruby Palace peacefully. At first, I was a little nervous, but after I hadn't heard anything about the Emperor for several months, it seemed like the Emperor had completely forgotten about me. Lily and the maids, who had been afraid that the Emperor would shed more blood, now felt relieved. Of course, stories about ghosts appearing in hot water supply rooms and kitchens were common among girls.

I eat well, exercise hard, and sleep well, so I grow up day by day. Lily took care of me generously, so I grew up as a healthy baby without any illnesses. Still, it would be nice if I could walk. That way, I can quickly collect the funds to escape.

I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like the decorations in my room are decreasing one by one. Did Lily put it away because I can crawl now and she's afraid I'll fall and hit the decorations? Argh! No. Give me my gold, my gold!!

"Uwaaaa!"

I stopped playing with these balls and called Lily with a loud shout. My bu*t is wet. Hehehe, this is embarrassing. But, I have to change the diaper.

***

"The Black Tower Mage has the strongest power among the mages."

I was sitting on Lily's lap who was reading a book to me. But it's not an ordinary children's book, it's almost like a history book with illustrations, it tells the story of the founding of the country. I had a lot of questions about this world, so I listened quietly, but how could a child my age understand such difficult things? Hmm, it seems Lily is interested in early education for babies.

But, the book Lily read to me was very interesting, so I listened to it with sparkling eyes. Among them, there was 1 thing that caught my attention. Magic! There are mages in this world! For some reason, this world looks like an ordinary foreign country, but it turns out to be a completely different world! Ugh, I honestly didn't believe it when I first heard that the Emperor was a mage.

"Uwoooaae!"

As Lily turned the page, I pointed to one of the illustrations. There is a picture of a black tower with thorny vines wrapped around it.

"It's said that if they wanted to, the Black Tower Mage could easily wipe the entire country off the world map."

I was curious about something I had never seen before. I want to see it! I want to see magic!

"…And that's why they froze their heart."

Eventually, this boring history book starts to look like a children's book. The story about the Black Tower Mage that Lily told was very interesting.

"When irrational emotions precede logic, and passion precedes cool-headedness. If it eats away at their minds, then their power can be used for personal purposes, not for greater purposes."

"Waaaa."

"There is a theory that the current Obelia Dynasty was rebuilt on the ruins of Old Obelia after the Black Tower Mage destroyed the Old Obelia."

Like most founding tales and legends, the story of the Black Tower Mage is likely exaggerated or distorted, but it's still an interesting one. There is 1 more thing to do later. I got to see magic with my own two eyes!!

I went back to listening to the other stories that Lily read with excitement. But suddenly, something caught my attention.

"Hat his?"

What's this? I looked at the illustration in the book and pointed my finger at it. It was an illustration of a man standing on a throne with a huge holy sword.

"Oh my. Princess, do you know who this is?"

No. How could I know?

"Yes, that's right. Princess, he is your father."

Huh, what? So he is a shameless je*k, who simply ignored his daughter?

"Aaeuuooo! Eueiii."

Basta#d! Rubbish! I curse the illustration of the man in this storybook.

When I pointed my finger at the illustration angrily, Lily stroked my head as if she felt proud. Even though I can't read the writing in this book, based on the story Lily told, it's clear that he is my father, the Emperor of the Obelia Empire.

In this book, it is said that he killed the tyrant Emperor who was obsessed with black magic, he is described as a hero who sat on the throne in place of the tyrant Emperor. He was the one who slaughtered everyone in the Ruby Palace and even neglected his own daughter, but he was portrayed as a hero. Can not be trusted! Even if this was just a children's book, I'd still be annoyed!

"Come to think of it, I've never told the Princess what His Majesty's name is."

Instantly my expression became strange when I heard Lily's words.

"Shall we look at the illustration again?"

I don't want to see it! Why would I know about that bad guy!? But I immediately froze as soon as I heard the name Lily whispered into my ear.

"Father of Princess Athanasia. His Majesty the Emperor, Claude De Alger Obelia."

Instantly my head was filled with '??????'. What? What did you say? Maybe Lily felt my gaze, so she stroked my head again and smiled.

"His Majesty the Emperor, Claude De Alger Obelia."

No! Da#n! Why does he have the same name as the Emperor in the novel?

"And Princess, your name is Athanasia De Alger Obelia."

Hah? I felt uncomfortable, my full name is the same as the Princess in the novel? I still remember it clearly, because it was the first time I read a romantic fantasy novel and it was also the first time I saw such a long name like that.

Eh, come to think of it, somehow my current situation is similar to the Emperor and the Princess in that novel, right?

Wow, they're all the same. It really makes me uncomfortable…… But what's wrong with me? Why does my neck feel cold? Haha…

***

Let's remember, what is the content of the novel like?

<Lovely Princess> is a romantic fantasy novel that is gaining popularity like a storm as a series on the internet. Of course, that was something I heard from a middle school girl who left the novel at the internet cafe where I worked. I secretly took the novel and read it late at night because I was bored.

As the title suggests, the novel tells the story of a beautiful princess. The story of Zenith, the Second Princess of the Obelia Empire. The novel tells the story of 2 princesses, but the other one only plays a supporting role and experiences a tragic end, so the main character in the novel is Zenith. She is a very beautiful princess with brown hair. Not only appearance, Zenith is also loved by everyone, her heart is as kind as an angel. Not only Obelia's people but also the great people of the continent, all fell in love with her and sent passionate love confessions. And the person who loves Zenith the most is her father, Emperor Claude.

Isn't it natural for a father to love his daughter? Hmm, you guys don't know about Claude.

Claude is the illegitimate son of the Emperor and a maid. Even so, he has extraordinary talent and it could be said that his strength is enough to get rid of his half-brother.

Claude's power was considered a thorn in his half-brother's eye, even after the previous Emperor, their father died and the half-brother ascended the throne. The half-brother so wary of Claude, that he learned black magic to try to kill Claude?

In the end, it was Claude who managed to survive. I won't explain how bloody and violent that process was. After that, Claude became Emperor and became a cold, icy person. Then, the person who melted the ice was this beautiful princess, Zenith.

Claude only found out about Zenith's existence when Zenith was 14 years old. During that time, Zenith was in the care of one of the 3 pillars of the Empire, Duke Alphaeus. Zenith's mother was the daughter of a Marquis, originally she was Claude's fiancé, but then she died giving birth to Zenith after she was expelled from the Palace because of her affair with the Emperor (Claude's half-brother).

Then Zenith's mother's older sister, Zenith's Aunt, who was married and became a countess, hid Zenith's birth and decided to hand her over to Duke Alphaeus, who was known as a loyal person. She did that to protect her niece from Claude's madness.

Of course, at first, the blue-blooded man didn't feel any affection for Zenith. But what kind of person Zenith, our protagonist is? She is a princess with unrealistic gentleness, doesn't she have a lot of heroine buff? Claude, who was cold as ice, was finally defeated by Zenith. After that, Zenith got a very reliable Father and Young Master Alphaeus, a dream husband candidate in the Empire who was close to Zenith because they lived together in the Alphaeus Residence, then they lived happily ever after.

***

"Aeueommmiii."

Irritating.

I stopped thinking about the contents of the novel and bit the blanket. A piece of soft cloth was chewed well by me. Maybe this is useless jealousy, but somehow I feel that this story is so biased towards the protagonist, Zenith. A woman who grew up full of affection since she was born finally won the heart of her father, Emperor Claude. Without realizing it, I became angry to the point that I threw the novel onto the table. Wow, Claude and Zenith, you guys are really naughty. That's what I felt after finishing reading the novel <Lovely Princess>. But isn't it natural for me to say harsh words? Remembering the First Princess, Athanasia who was neglected while the protagonist, Zenith walked the path of flowers and was loved by everyone.

Zenith's sister, Princess Athanasia, who has blonde hair, pale white skin, and gem eyes, has lost her mother since she was a baby, just like Zenith. But Athanasia lives a very different life from him. Unlike Zenith, Athanasia's existence was immediately known to Claude shortly after she was born, but Claude ignored his daughter at the Palace. Therefore, Athanasia grew up to become a weak princess surrounded by maids of the Ruby Palace who ignored her.

On her 9th birthday, she met her father for the first time. Claude, who couldn't even remember his daughter's birthday, was throwing a lively party for the Ambassadors from neighboring countries. Athanasia, who was attracted to the lights and sounds of the party, came out of the Ruby Palace late at night and accidentally met Claude behind the Emperor's Palace.

Of course, Claude looked at little Athanasia with an indifferent gaze and simply passed her by. However, for Athanasia who was hungry for affection, it was a valuable meeting. Even so, she still felt intimidated by her cold father, until Zenith finally appeared.

However, Athanasia still tried various ways to be loved by Claude. So, Athanasia tried to become a graceful and talented princess, but her hopes were shattered when Zenith appeared under the protection of Duke Alphaeus on her debutante day when she was 14 years old. In contrast to Zenith who is bright like the sun, Athanasia is a misty woman who has a gloomy atmosphere. Therefore, perhaps it is natural that people love Zenith more than Athanasia.

Throughout the story, Zenith is emphasized as a princess who is beautiful and kind like an angel, Athanasia is also someone who is kind, even though she acts shy. Then…… Instead of being jealous of Zenith who suddenly appeared and took over everyone's attention and love, Princess Athanasia felt sorry for her and even helped Zenith to adapt to life in the Imperial Palace. Geez, Princess Athanasia is really stupid. Her life was already difficult, and she even helped her rival.

Anyway, Athanasia, who was so innocent, finally lost her father's love which she really wanted for Zenith. No, that's not true, it's not 'lost' because, in fact, Claude never loved Athanasia as his daughter.

And as a result, this poor princess died at the hands of her own father, Claude. On the day of the Great Banquet, she was accused of being the person responsible for the attempted murder of the poisoned Zenith.

But in fact, it was a false accusation. The real culprit was the Countess, Zenith's Aunt who wanted to eliminate Athanasia, whom she considered a thorn in her eye and she wanted to make her niece, Zenith the heir to the throne. Even if she didn't do that, Athanasia was just an outcast princess who didn't receive the slightest attention from Claude.

Moreover, most importantly, Athanasia would not do something like that. If this stupid girl knew about it, she would definitely save Zenith, even if she had to be the one to drink the poisonous drink. Because she knew, Claude would definitely be sad if something happened to Zenith. Athanasia is a stupid and poor princess.

At most, the Countess hoped that Athanasia would be locked up or that her title as First Princess would be revoked. But what kind of person is Claude? He immediately killed Athanasia who had not been confirmed as the perpetrator while Zenith was still struggling to escape death's door. On her 18th birthday. It was a bright day, exactly 9 years since Athanasia met her father. How ironic, isn't it?

In the end, it was revealed that it was all a ruse by the Countess, but Athanasia had died unjustly. Apart from that, Claude, who didn't love anyone except Zenith, didn't feel any guilt or regret over the death of his first daughter.

Zenith, the protagonist who is like an angel, of course, feels guilty towards Athanasia. But after she was hugged and comforted by her lover, Izekiel, she quickly forgot all that. Then the story ends with 'I lived happily until the day I died', am I angry?

"Oooo."

Just remembering it makes me very upset. I don't know what the writer was thinking to include such a ridiculously dead character as a supporting role. It seemed that the student was a big fan of this novel, they were very excited and insisted that this was a story that emphasized a tyrant father who only loved his daughter, the protagonist, Zenith. At the same time, they said something like a perfect novel, which has united all the female romantics. But for me, this story was just a very stupid story, but I just kept quiet and just listened to it.

Not that I like Athanasia, but she's still better than Claude or Zenith. Of course, one should care about others, but this was different, I had to care about myself first. Why? Because right now, I'm Athanasia from that novel!

"Uwaaaaa!"

Suddenly, I became sad again and I cried loudly again. I keep trying to think that it's not true, but there's still a limit to escaping reality. First of all, there are so many things that are similar to that da#n novel! No matter how hard I tried to ignore this uncomfortable feeling, it was still impossible.

"Princess!"

Hearing my sad cry, Lily opened the door and entered.

"Princess, why are you crying?"

I buried my face in the familiar embrace and continued to cry. I've been experiencing emotional ups and downs lately, but as soon as I saw Lily's face, I became even sadder.

"Are you hungry?"

Lilian Yorke, the only person who believes and insists that Princess Athanasia is innocent until the end of the story <Lovely Princess>. Because of that, Lilian was killed by Claude along with Athanasia. Lilian volunteered to be Athanasia's nanny at the Ruby Palace. The reason is Diana, Athanasia's biological mother, who has died.

Diana was a very beautiful woman with blonde hair, skin as white as moonlight, and mysterious purple eyes. Moreover, she was so talented that she even danced solo at the Imperial Palace's Banquet. Tired of stuffy palace life, Lilian saw Diana on the night of the banquet and envied her because Diana looked so carefree as a bird. However, in the end, Diana died shortly after she gave birth.

"Uwaaaaa. Aaaaa!"

Claude is a basta#d, "Huwaaaa!". I cried harder, Lilian looked really panicked.

"Oh my, Princess. What's wrong with you?"

How can I not cry? No matter how many times I think about it, the world I'm in right now is that da#n novel! The friendship between Lilian and Diana is only briefly mentioned in the novel, but I was deeply moved by it. The friendship between a woman with good manners and beauty like Lilian and a woman so beautiful that she could be invited to appear at the Palace Banquet, Diana! Yes, I never had friends. That's why I always admire that beautiful friendship! But in the end, Lily, this eonni also died because she sided with Athanasia. Arghhh!

"Is it time for a diaper change?"

Gosh, wait! I didn't pee!

"No, it's not diapers..."

Uwaaa, my chastity! I was forcibly stripped naked, I started struggling and crying. Of course, this isn't the first or second time I've been in a situation like this, but I still get a lot of mental attacks!

"You've been crying a lot lately."

Lily looked frustrated because she didn't know why I was crying, but I was just as frustrated as she was. I want to talk about the current situation, but I can't! I have no dreams or hopes! Is this reincarnation or possession, whatever it is, this is complete nonsense. But isn't this a bit too much? Oh, Lilian, why is your name Lilian? Why Diana, Diana and Claude, Why Claude? And why am I Athanasia? Why!? I want to be Zenith. I don't want to be Athanasia!

"It's okay, princess. I'm here."

Even though I heard Lily's voice so soothing, I still cried for some time. Of course, I have to grow up quickly so I can leave this Palace. Time, come on, hurry up!

***

It's a sunny spring day. In the Ruby Palace which is not managed by anyone, naturally growing flowers were blooming. I ran among the flowers and grabbed the skirt of a maid eonni who had just passed through the corridor.

"Eonni, eonni."

Today was the day when food ingredients like vegetables, meat, fish, and shellfish for cooking for a week came, so it was clear that she was on her way to doing something else after confirming it. When I called her, the maid looked at me. I made a cute expression with shining eyes as best I could.

"Athi beg you."

I'm only 5 years old. So this is nothing to be ashamed of. I don't feel embarrassed at all…… Argh, this is so embarrassing.

"My Sweet Little Princess, would you like some chocolate?"

"Yes, Athi likes chocolate. Where, where, give it to Athi."

Then, the eonni immediately rummaged through her apron pocket while holding her cheeks, as if she had fallen for my cuteness. She was Hannah, the one who worked in the kitchen, and I already knew that she always brought chocolates or candy for me.

"Do you really like chocolate?"

"Athi likes chocolate! Really likes it!"

I raised my arms and made big circles up and down. It's a little embarrassing, but if aegyo can get me snacks, then it's not a problem.

"Athi likes Hannah too!"

"Oh my."

Give me chocolate, give me chocolate, right now!

"Hannah, what are you doing?"

But, my big plan to get chocolate from her, was now disturbed by someone else.

"Seth!"

"Didn't you hear what Lilian said? You were warned not to give snacks to the Princess."

The maid eonni who appeared at the end of the corridor was a beautiful woman who had a cold impression as if there was a name tag written on her forehead, 'Cool Urban Woman'. She was the maid eonni named Seth, and this wasn't the first or second time she appeared in this way and interrupted the maid eonni giving me snacks.

"Just giving one is fine, right."

"The problem is, children will never be satisfied."

Hey, don't be a barrier between me and chocolate! Seth wasn't like Hannah, she had the impression of being difficult to approach because of her cold demeanor, but I wasn't afraid.

"Eonni."

This time, I secretly grabbed the hem of Seth's skirt and fired an eye attack.

"Athi wants to eat chocolate."

When I looked up with a pitiful expression, the eonni's expression started to turn a little gentle.

"You can't, Princess."

But I can know everything! Now your heart is worried!

"Absolutely not..."

In the end, I was the winner. After a while, the eonni bent her knees, adjusted herself to my height, and handed me a handful of chocolate.

"Keep this a secret from Lilian."

Lily who has been in charge of almost my entire life from time to time, has banned sweet treats for me because she is worried that I will get cavities, so it is a secret between me and them that I ask for chocolate from them from time to time.

"Thank you, Eonni!"

I smiled broadly and kissed her cheek. I could see from her face that she was fascinated by my cuteness. Look, this eonni only looks cold on the outside, but she is actually a very good person.

"Ah! Geez, Seth! You're blocking me on purpose, right?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? You think I'm a self-interested person like you?"

"Then why did you give chocolate to the Princess? Ugh, I should be the one who got a kiss from the Princess."

The two started fighting. I immediately ran away from the corridor before Lily saw me. This seems like a crime, but the most important thing right now is not getting caught by Lily!!

Time passed quickly and now I'm 5 years old. Every time Lily saw me like this, she would nag the other palace's maids not to talk and be informal with me, but this was my way to live in this palace easily and comfortably. Besides, what dignity would a princess trapped in a remote palace like this require? The older maids who had been ignoring me now started giving me snacks and talking to me warmly after I put in this effort. So it could be said that my method was successful.

Of course, it would be a crime if the maids talked to me first, but there is no such law in my palace. As I started walking, I decided to approach them for support. Until then, the maids always ignored me who was crying and maybe because of revenge or something, they seemed to spill water or other things on purpose and said that it was not intentional. Claude alone is enough, I don't need to live being abused by the maids.

Besides, if it continues like this, then there will be no difference between me and Princess Athanasia in the novel!

What made me do this was because my items that were made and engraved with gold and jewels were lost. Please don't laugh at me because I'm a money person. Those who have never lived through hardship will not understand. Sob… Everyone who worked in the Imperial Palace was from Noble Families, but the current servants of the Ruby Palace were from lowly Noble Families. After Emperor Claude killed everyone in the Ruby Palace, no one wanted to come here to work. Therefore, the servants who were here, worked here because they were forced to and they were all people from lowly Noble Families like Viscounts and Barons. In short, they have no power to resist the moment they are admitted into my palace.

It was said that these people from Baron and Viscount Families, on average, were from families that were on the verge of collapse and were usually responsible for small jobs. Initially, they spent their lives hiding in fear in this former massacre palace. However, after 1 month and then 1 year passed, they realized that the Emperor was not interested in me being stationed in this palace. Since then, things have begun to change. Claude was scary, but maybe because they had never seen him, they started to forget their fear. Then, they started siphoning off the budget for the Ruby Palace. Apart from that, for some reason, the Ruby Palace, Claude's harem, never had any new women enter here.

At first, they do it so stealthily that it's hard to get caught, but then they get bolder and bolder until you can see them clearly unless you're blind. They even started removing the decorations and jewelry stuck to the palace walls one by one. Recently Claude hadn't killed many people and you could say he was calm, it seemed that because of that, they had become even greedier.

I realized that the expensive items in my room disappeared before Lily. That's because I'm always drooling and thinking about how to take it. But I became heartbroken when I found out that my valuables were starting to shrink one by one. I feel like I want to go to the Emperor and tell him all about the arrogant behavior of these servants. But, if I say, "Dad! They all treat me badly!" Claude wouldn't say, "Oh my, my daughter. So it's like that, huh." He wouldn't say something like that, instead, he would say, "Huh? It turns out you're still alive." He would definitely say that while trying to slit my throat.

No, of course, there is a possibility that all of that is just my exaggerated imagination. So maybe it won't happen, but I don't want to take any chances. Because my life is worth it! So, all I could do was cry out loud every time a maid came into my room, looked at me, and slipped something gold into their apron. Ugh, my precious gold.

After all, it was Lily who resolved the problem by negotiating directly with the Chief Steward of the Imperial Palace. When I was little, I felt that Lily was a good person, who always brought me toys made of gold and treated me with respect. But it turns out, maybe the supreme ruler of the Ruby Palace is not me, but Lily. Even so, I don't care because I like it. By the way, in the end, those maids were kicked out of the Ruby Palace. It was even said that they were expelled from the Imperial Palace after they said what they had stolen, but strangely, those items never came back to me. Where did all that stuff go? My gold!! I was suspicious of the Chief Steward, but I couldn't do anything other than grumble loudly. After that, somehow, I couldn't buy any more toys citing a lack of budget.

The only funny thing was, because of that incident, even if I secretly stole 1 or 2 items from the palace, I wouldn't be found out. After all, this is my palace, so what I'm doing is not stealing, but keeping it, yes, I'm keeping my precious gold and jewels!

But, it was still unreasonable, and I was also worried that Lily would suspect me when she saw that the items in the palace had disappeared. Besides, lately, my conscience has been feeling guilty because of this. Gathering escape funds little by little… I've worked hard. But this would be a big problem if Lily thought this was a repeat of what happened 3 years ago, this might turn the Ruby Palace upside down. Therefore, I guess I should stop doing it for a while.

"Princess, where do you want to go?"

"Hehe. Meeting Lily!"

"Hoho. Then you should wipe your mouth first. The chocolate must be really delicious."

At that moment, the maids passing by the corridor called out to me and wiped my mouth with the handkerchiefs they brought. There are traces of the chocolate I just ate earlier. I thought I should eat it quickly before Lily finds out. The maids laughed seeing me like this, I became embarrassed. After being like this and continuing to act like a child for a while, am I really a child now? Ugh, embarrassing.

"What Athi eats is a secret!"

"Yes, Princess."

I was more afraid of being scolded by Lily than anything. I waved goodbye to the maid eonnis and left from here. Eh, turns out I also have chocolate marks on my hands. I wanted to wipe it on my dress, but I restrained myself because the dress I wore today was white. Oh, never mind. Near here there is a fountain. Maybe because this was once the residence for the Emperor's Concubines, so here there are many places such as beautiful lakes, fountains, and flower gardens. Of course, the management…… Is so-so.

Since it was against the law for a man to be in the Concubine Residence, there were only female servants in this Palace. After meeting 3 or 4 more maids, I arrived at the fountain with the statue of an angel. By the way, it is not a statue of an angel, but a statue of a naked woman, all the statues in this palace are like this. Is it because this is the Concubine Palace? Whatever it is, this is not a good palace for small children. But of course, I like to wash my eyes. Whoaaa, Eonni, you have an amazing body.

Chambang, Chambang. I washed my chocolate marks on my hands in the fountain, I couldn't go down to the lake with this body, so the fountain was the best choice. But I ended up going a little deeper into the fountain, perhaps because I exerted too much strength to stand. Oh my, I'm shocked. I thought I was going to drown, and slowly a shadow appeared on the surface of the water. I forgot to go down because I was in a daze looking at this shadow, and then I muttered,

"Very beautiful."

T/N: Btw, 'Chambang, Chambang' is an onomatopoeia for splashing water when washing hands.

My reflection is reflected on the surface of the water…… I look very beautiful. Whoaaa, this beautiful and cute baby is me! If there was a baby like this in front of me, I would definitely bite her because I was excited.

The cheeks are quite plump and soft, suitable for pinching. And beautiful facial features the same size as a fist. Naturally wavy hair feels soft without any frizz. The eyes are big and clear and the eyelashes are long. This is a face that would be successful if it were a child actress or model. The blonde hair and overall features resemble the mother, Diana, a beautiful dancer. But, the unique eyes are similar to the father, Claude.

I looked at my eyes reflected on the surface of the water and was stunned for a moment.

"Whooaaa."

At first glance, I'm a very beautiful and cute baby, but among all that, my very beautiful eyes are what make me smile. Lily said that my jewel-like eyes were a characteristic only inherited by the Imperial Family. In particular, the author of <Lovely Princess> described Zenith's eyes and praised her with all kinds of rhetoric. When I read it, I snorted at the depiction in the novel's narrative. But after seeing it in person, I think I know how accurate that explanation is. Indeed, as the name suggests, the eyes that I saw on the surface of the water looked fresh green to bright blue but also looked like an elegant, mysterious, and beautiful light blue.

Since there are currently only me and Claude who are members of the Imperial Family in Obelia, I was told that these jewel-like eyes only belonged to the two of us, but that was wrong. Because there is Zenith, who is currently living in the Alphaeus Family Residence. No, of course, I haven't completely given up hope that this world might not be the fictional world of that da#n novel!

After all, people in this world have magic powers, and the magic waves possessed by the Royal Family are very unique, it is said that is what makes their eyes look like this. The explanations I read in the books Lily gave me were very complicated, so I didn't know any further than this, but the most important thing was, that I was very beautiful.

"Princess! It's dangerous."

But then, someone hugged me tightly. For a moment, my eyes widened in surprise, but I immediately knew who was hugging me right now because the touch felt so familiar.

"I always tell you not to go alone, but you never listen."

I sat in Lily's arms and smiled at her, "Lily, I missed you!" Lily just sighed. Lily exudes a beauty that has not changed since 4 years ago. I have a silly temper, so I was busy acting cute in front of Lily.

"Princess, did you eat chocolate today?"

Arghh, suddenly I fell silent like a stone. Eh? How could she know?

"Hannah told me everything. No more snacks until next week."

Ughhhh. Impossible! Hannah, you traitor! I won't be able to eat chocolate until next week! No matter how pitiful my facial expressions were to attract sympathy, Lily never melted. No. My chocolate!

***

After a while, I picked flowers in the Palace Garden.

"Princess, can't you just give me 1 flower?"

"No! No way!"

After lunch, Hannah took turns with another maid to look after me, then it seemed now she was getting bored and finally she started bothering me. She likes me so much that she often brings me snacks and it seems like now she wants to get a flower from me. At any other time, I would definitely smile and give her flowers, but today is different, I will not give her flowers. That's because Hannah already told Lily that I ate chocolate! It was clear that she told Lily on purpose, she was upset that I kissed Seth, so she grumbled and said it to Lily, even though she already told me that she didn't do it on purpose, but no matter what, she still said what she shouldn't have said.

"Princess, you are too much."

Despite Hannah's cries, I continued to choose and pick the beautiful flowers that were in front of my eyes. I was thinking about making a big bouquet for Lily who was away. No, I didn't mean to seduce Lily so that the chocolate ban could be lifted. Well, anyhow, I just wanted to collect all the white flowers suitable for Lily. I think it would feel a little bland if I just made a bouquet from these flowers. Ah, I wish there were big, beautiful flowers that could be the main centerpiece!

"Hannah, what color flowers do you think would be pretty to put here?"

Hannah's eyes lit up as soon as I spoke to her, it seemed she had been feeling hurt this entire time. Anyway, this eonni seems really like me.

"You're going to give it to Lilian? Then wouldn't blue or purple look nice? Hm, yellow flowers look pretty too."

Hannah thought hard, then she went elsewhere to look for suitable flowers. I decided to look more at other gardens. If I find suitable flowers for Hannah while I'm looking for flowers for Lily, I think it's fine to make a small bouquet for her…… I'm very kind. But, since I know how much Hannah likes me, I guess now I can stop spoiling her.

"Flowers living in the Flower Garden~"

I tore around the Flower Garden while humming a children's song.

"Let's get together and live together~"

And after a while, I realized that I had already left the Ruby Palace.

"Huh?"

Wow, where is this? I looked around, confused. While walking in the endless Flower Garden, I raised my head and thought that this was a place I had never seen. This is a Palace I don't know, which is so vast that I don't know where the end is, this makes me confused. I couldn't even go back to the road I was on because I wasn't just walking in one direction.

This is the first time I've gotten lost since I came to this world. Ughh, calm down. This palace was very spacious, so I raised my head to look in all directions. As soon as I looked up, I could see the outer walls of the Palace not far away. I started walking there with a bunch of wildflowers in my hand.

"What's this…"

I know that this is not the Ruby Palace. In this palace, not a single hair can be seen, it is as quiet as the Palace where I live. No, this is worse than my Palace! It's much emptier. Doesn't anyone use this place? It seems like a clean place, I didn't see any rats here. I was just trying to pick flowers, but I found an abandoned palace instead.

Uh, wait. Nobody uses this palace?

"Hooo?"

Suddenly my eyes opened wide. If this palace is empty, then I can use it, right? Finally, I was always worried about not having a suitable place to hide the escape funds, but it seemed like this was fate. All this time, I've been taking valuable items bit by bit and hiding them in the Ruby Palace, but that has its limits. Besides, for some reason, I didn't want Lily to go to see the Head Steward like today.

I held my breath and calmly and carefully, I wandered around the inside of the Palace. Then, slowly and silently, I started to move. After a brief investigation, this palace was completely empty, not even an ant existed. It is possible that this palace was a place that was used during the reign of the previous Emperor, and is now no longer used, so it is only managed occasionally.

In that case, I just need to be careful when the servants come to clean this place. It seems like the distance between this palace and my palace is also close, my luck is truly extraordinary. That's how this abandoned palace became my hiding place.

***

I've thought about it, but I think I died after taking sleeping pills 4 years ago. Because it was winter and there was no heating in the room. Yeah, I guess that's what happened. Well, I'm an orphan, so I don't have any regrets about my previous life. Even if you told me to go back to that time now, I would never like it.

Actually, if you think about the novel rationally and calmly, I can live a good life as long as I just keep quiet. No need to earn money, just eat and play all day. After all, there will be a home(?) in my name, there is no heaven on earth but there is also no life better than this. Plus, I can learn languages here easily, is this a buff for me?

"Lily!"

I laughed heartily while holding a piece of paper with messy writing. This world has a low level of education, so there is no such thing as starting to learn to write for children my age. I want to live without any obstacles, so I think this is enough. The beginning of last year was the first time I learned to write and my writing was completely ruined. But Lily and the maids surprised me because they acted as if I was the genius of this century.

"Our Princess is very smart."

After that, the older maids began to seriously educate me. I think, after the older maids saw my intelligence, they became enthusiastic about educating me. The maids who liked me finally started teaching me basic etiquette for nobles and learning to write. Only later did I find out that the nobles in this world started studying seriously when they were at least 8 years old.

"I am very happy to be by your side, Princess Athanasia."

I'm just someone who possessed Athanasia's body, but I feel guilty for being treated as a genius by people who don't know that fact. But, I didn't mean it! So I purposely spelled it wrong and was careless like spilling tea. But it's still not very useful. Sob.

"Athi loves being with Lily!"

Luckily, the Ruby Palace is a palace isolated from the outside world, so information about me won't leak outside. That was a huge relief. Because I wouldn't have met Claude in the Imperial Palace at the age of 9, like Athanasia did in the novel! So, before I turn 18, I will take my valuables and get out of here! Ughh, I'll do anything to avoid Claude. I don't know where it is, but I won't see the Emperor's Palace.

Well, because it was the Emperor's residence, it must be a very magnificent palace. I just need to avoid the most magnificent, flashy, and shining places.

"Princess, would you like some milk?"

"Yes! Not the cold one!"

"Sure, I'll warm it up."

After Lily left the room, I lifted my body who was writing while lying down. Then, I took out the 2 bags I kept under the bed and started to act. In the bags that I got from Hannah, there are escape funds that I have collected. After ensuring the balance between the gold and jewels that were still attached to the walls or statues of the palace with the gold and jewels that I put in this bag, I immediately rolled up my dress. Then, cute baby panties, which were shaped the same as pumpkins, appeared.

Hastily, I started to tie the strap of the bag to my thigh before Lily came. I purposely asked for hot milk to buy time, but it wasn't an easy thing. Arghhh. But why can't this be tied tightly? I tried my best, but this was the only way I could get these valuables out of the palace without Lily or the other maids knowing.

"Finished!"

After tying all the ropes with my small hands, I got up from my seat. For a small body, this is indeed heavy but it can't be helped. If I can go several times like this, maybe I can move the items I'm hiding safely in a short time.

Ah, and the reason why Lily went to meet the Head Steward recently was because she was planning to clean the interior of the palace. I've wanted that for a long time, but now I'm a big girl, so I guess I should reset my dream. Of course, the stubborn Head Steward wouldn't do anything for me and the maid eonnis but, 'I had to let them know about the laws of justice.' After hearing Lily's words, I could feel the back of my neck go cold. And I decided to carry out my plan a little earlier.

I'll sneak out of the palace using nap time as an excuse. I'll pretend to be asleep and sneak out of here, Lily won't come until the evening because she knows that once I fall asleep, I won't open my eyes until I wake up myself.

"Princess, I hope you have a sweet dream."

Today, I pretended to be fast asleep. Lily kissed my cheek and left the room in silence. I lay down for a moment and listened to see if there was a sound outside the door, then I opened my eyes and woke up.

Ahhh. I stretched my legs which felt stiff. However, everything in the pouch was hard and had quite sharp corners, so it seemed like it would leave marks on my skin. It was a difficult thing to take my beautiful children to a safe place.

Kriett.

I slipped carefully so there wasn't the slightest sound. Luckily, I knew the time and movements of the maids, I was able to get to the garden without being detected because I had done the simulation many times in my head. But, actually, if it weren't for Lily, I would have been able to persuade the other maids well, that way it wouldn't be a problem if I was found out. I rushed through the Flower Garden. After doing the last investigation, I now know which direction I have to walk to get to the palace I saw at that time.

However, it was quite difficult for me to run while carrying weights hanging from my feet with this small body.

When I finally got to where I wanted to be, I was completely exhausted and out of breath. But the main problem was, my legs couldn't stop shaking. Da#n! My legs feel weak. But I couldn't rest because I only had 2 hours.

"Haahhh."

After I untied the rope that I tied around my thigh, I ran to the place that I had seen before, because if I hid it in the building, maybe I would get into trouble the next time I wanted to take it, so I wanted to bury it in the dark and dense backyard just.

I tried to penetrate the bushes and bury the bag in the right place. But there's a problem, I don't have the tools to dig! Because it hasn't rained for a long time, the ground is hard and it's hard to dig with my soft hands. Besides, Lily will immediately get suspicious if she sees my dirty hands. Oh no. What should I do?

After pondering for a while, I finally hid my beautiful children in the bushes and turned to leave. In any case, I guess I'll just have to come back tomorrow and bury them. I had to ask Hannah to give me a shovel to play. Even so, I can run well now, maybe because I don't have the burden of luggage anymore.

On the way to my room, I almost lost my heart because I ran into an eonni who was passing by, but it seemed she thought that I was playing. Luckily she didn't suspect anything because all this time I often wandered here and there. When I went back to the room and lay down, I was completely exhausted. Ouch, I feel like I almost died.

Kriett.

"Princess, you are awake."

"Uh, yeah."

It seemed Lily thought that she was disturbing my deep sleep.

"Huh? Why are you sweating so much?"

I was surprised when I heard Lily's question. It looks like a perfect crime is impossible.

"Could it be that you have a mild fever, if you are sick……"

"Um, the room is hot because the sun is hot."

Hearing my words, Lily looked around the room, then wiped the sweat off my forehead with her hand and said,

"Starting tomorrow I will close the window curtains. It looks like summer has arrived. This room faces south, so sunlight comes straight in here."

"Athi wants milk, please give Athi cold milk."

"Even though you drank it before bed."

However, even though Lily said that, Lily still left the room to get me cold milk. And once I was left alone, I dropped my body on the bed and lay down.

***

Since then, I have left the Ruby Palace twice. I thought that Lily would find out and it would be difficult for me to go out, so I went out every few days. Now, I'm used to this job so I can move more carefully than the first time. Even so, I still had difficulty because my legs felt heavy, it felt like running with barbells hanging from my legs.

It's not that I didn't have some skepticism when doing this. In fact, I liked my life in the Ruby Palace so much that I thought about continuing to live like this. However, there is a time bomb called Claude here, and I can't just risk my life. So you could say, my beautiful children are... My life insurance. Yes, so that I can get out of this palace, my beautiful children are insurance for the big day that might come later.

I have walked in this familiar Flower Garden 5 times. And after a while, I was able to enter the abandoned palace as usual. But today, instead of going straight to the hiding place, I returned to the place where I last set foot when I first came to this palace.

Wow! Oh my! I thought I saw it wrong because I saw it from afar, but it turned out to be true. I found statues of angels displayed in the corridor on the ground floor of the palace in the open space. Some were as tall as me, some were as big as my arm, and they were all made of gold. Everything in my palace is made of marble, but this is made of gold!

I was overwhelmed with joy. There were so many angel statues, so I guess no one would know even if I took one of them. For now, it's impossible, but I guess I can take a small one once I'm a lot older. But, it really is made of gold, right?

I approached and bit the angel statue's flank. My baby teeth are quite strong now. Arghhh.

Tap, tap, tap.

But then, I felt someone's presence behind me. Instantly, I, who was biting the flank of the angel statue, froze.

"Since when has an insect been living in my palace?"

There was a cold voice in my stiff ears. When I heard that voice, a strange chill ran through my body. As soon as I turned around out of reflex, I stepped back because I saw the shadow of a person who was so taller than me. The hard statue collided with my back. Since when was he standing this close to me? There are 2 of them. One of them was standing a bit far from me, judging from his clothing, that person was most likely a knight. And the person standing right in front of me……

Thud, Brak!

As soon as I saw his face, my hands and feet went weak. The bag I was carrying fell to the floor and its contents spilled out. The gems that I collected one by one for about 3 years shine brilliantly on this white floor.

The man standing a distance away from me glanced down and made a gentle expression. But the man standing right in front of me didn't take his eyes off me, he just kept looking at me without moving an inch.

"That face."

Just as his voice was cold, his eyes shining coldly looked straight at me as if to penetrate me. Mystical pupils emitting a mysterious color, and his eyes were the same as mine, it felt like I was looking into a mirror. But, those jewel-like eyes did not have the slightest emotion in them.

"I think I've seen it somewhere."

I've never seen his face, but I can tell just from a glance. Dark golden hair blowing in the wind, an expressionless face that looked at me languidly, jeweled eyes that only belonged to members of the Imperial Family. And that wild beast-like aura that flowed through his body.

Claude De Alger Obelia, Athanasia's father and Emperor of this country, that man, he looked at me with a gaze that was like looking at a pebble on the side of the road.

"Ah, yes. The dancer from Siodonna. You look like that woman."

No words came out of my mouth that were hardened by this unexpected encounter. My head felt like a blank piece of paper. Is this what is called a mental breakdown? It's really him, right? The Emperor who killed Athanasia when she was 18 years old. No, why is he in front of me now? Now I'm only 5 years old. This place also doesn't look like the Main Palace. Now, this guy who looks like he's in his mid-20s, he's looking at me who's having a mental breakdown. Then, he muttered,

"Well, I don't care who it is."

I couldn't even ask what he meant by that. While I was still looking at him in a daze, the man raised his hand in a very slow movement.

"Your Majesty."

Then, the knight standing some distance away from me spoke with a trembling voice, and I continued to stare at Claude's hand that was extended towards me with a stupid face.

Suddenly, he stopped. I also wondered if those emotionless eyes would slowly see my face again. Incredibly, a man who had always exuded a feeling of arrogance now had a smile on his face.

"Come to think of it, I remember."

His jeweled eyes which were dark blue now looked like they were black.

"That woman gave you the name."

And when he whispered my name, I couldn't hold it in anymore, it felt like my breath had stopped.

"That name is Athanasia."

That sounds like a death sentence to me. My heart started beating fast as if my heart had just understood the situation that was happening. The knight standing some distance away looked surprised when he heard Claude's words as if the knight didn't know where I was.

"At that time, you were just a lump of blood who couldn't do anything."

Of course, Claude had met Athanasia 4 years ago.

 

'Her name is Athanasia?'

 

In the novel, Athanasia met Claude when he was 9 years old. But actually, their first meeting occurred right after Athanasia's birth, namely the day the massacre at the Ruby Palace occurred. And on that day, Emperor Claude heard the name Athanasia.

Originally, in the novel <Lovely Princess>, a name related to immortality was something that could only be possessed by the official successor who would become the Emperor in the future. Moreover, since the name can only be given by the Emperor, our protagonist's name, Zenith means 'God's Gift', the name does not mean 'immortal' or 'eternal'. That was the reason why Zenith's Aunt, the Countess considered Athanasia as a thorn in her eye. Because Diana, who was nothing more than a lowly dancer, gave her daughter the name 'Athanasia'. That is a very big thing.

 

'Very interesting. I wonder if you can survive like your name.'

 

At that time, Claude intended to kill Athanasia along with the people in the Ruby Palace. If only, Diana hadn't named me 'Athanasia', maybe, on that day, I would......

Wow, so right now, I'm standing in front of someone who really has the heart to kill me? Crazy. Of course, because I knew the contents of the novel, I pretty much knew that this person was one of the main characters, but after meeting him like this, I became confused.

"You've grown up."

'You're big. Looks like you've lived long enough. So die!' You wouldn't do that, would you? When you met 9-year-old Athanasia, you ignored her and just walked away. So do that, ignore me, and get out of here. Should I speed up my plans by leaving the palace before I turn 18?

Tap! Brak!

While I was thinking about various things in my head, something slipped from my feet and fell. 3 pairs of eyes, including me, our gazes were focused in the direction the voice came from. There, a pouch filled with gems flaunted its sparkling presence. The pattern of a rabbit eating a carrot, embroidered by Hannah is visible, it is very adorable.

"……"

"……"

"……"

Oh, crazy. This is messed up. Why are the ropes I tied around my thigh so loose? I can't believe my beautiful children, The Number 7 and Number 8 will be found out! Immediately I broke out in a cold sweat, then I looked at the 2 people in front of me.

I really don't know what Claude is thinking. He tilted his head to one side and then looked alternately at me and the bag on the floor. Then, after a while, he walked towards me.

Cling!

And then, he put his hands on my armpits and lifted me!!

At the same eye level, our jeweled eyes stared at each other, and I still didn't know what was on his mind. I was so shocked that it felt like my throat was blocked by a rock. Wow, what are you doing?! Whether he noticed my embarrassment or not, he looked at my face and said,

"Heavy."

I was stunned by his indifferent voice.

"Judging by your cheeks, I thought they were about to explode. And I didn't think you would be this heavy."

……You are crazy! I'm not heavy! And my cheeks are very standard! No, more importantly, why are you talking to me? You only love Zenith, Athanasia is just someone you always ignore!

"By the way, what are you doing in my palace?"

I was stunned when I heard his words. This palace is his palace? Of course, all the palaces in the Imperial Palace belonged to the Emperor, but judging from his relaxed appearance, it seemed like this was indeed the palace he used.

Huh, does this mean, I've completely stepped on a landmine? This is the Emperor's private palace? This palace looks even more plain than the Ruby Palace!? Crazy. This is crazy. So the meeting between Athanasia and Claude at the banquet was not a coincidence, but because the distance between their two palaces was very close.

His gaze, which previously looked at me with an expressionless face, was now fixed behind my back. Once again, cold sweat ran down my back because I knew what was under my body. The knight behind Claude also shifted his gaze, then when Claude saw the tooth marks on the flank of the angel statue, Claude said,

"I guess you thought it was a toy."

Uwaaa! Are you going to kill me because I entered your palace without permission? Are you going to kill me because I left teeth marks on your angel statue? Are you going to kill me because I'm still alive this long?

"Looks like you got lost while playing at the Ruby Palace."

I didn't realize that he turned around while continuing to lift me because I was still having a mental breakdown.

"Felix."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Take."

Without thinking about my wishes, Claude delivered me into the hands of this knight. Upon closer inspection, this knight was quite handsome. This knight looked at my face full of surprise and confusion. I can understand that, I was also surprised by Claude's actions. We looked at each other in this strange and uncomfortable situation, I was shaking.

"I have to entertain my guest."

To me, Claude's words were like lightning striking in the daytime.

***

Wow, what kind of situation is this? My back was wet from the sweat dripping off my skin. Am I currently sitting opposite a man named Claude in a closed room and enjoying tea time? With a bad person who is destined to kill me in the future?

Huwaaa, we made eye contact. Instantly, I immediately looked down because I was afraid that the person in front of me would kill me right now, not 13 years from now. Urghhh. Don't curse because you feel insulted. This is a survival instinct.

Claude was the only relaxed person here, and in the corner, there was the knight oppa who looked extremely uncomfortable and awkward. Of course, I have nothing to say. I froze, I rolled my eyes and looked at the person in front of me.

"I didn't hear a word from you."

I let out a small hiccup when Claude said that while lifting the teacup from the table.

"Very quiet, boring."

Hah!? Is this due to the influence of <Lovely Princess> that I read in my previous life? A chill ran down my spine as he said he was bored in a whisper. 'I thought this would be fun, but it turned out to be boring. So I will kill you.' What does it mean?

Not that I want to see him happy because he can see his daughter again, but why are his eyes so cold as if there is no life? Yes, somehow, I ended up spending time with him like this, if he changed his mind, I could die in an instant.

"You can't talk?"

"Athi can talk."

Haha.

Once I realized that, I tried to smile with a stiff face. Ughh, what should I do? *If it's black, it's black. I mean, I don't want to die yet. Of course, there were no signs of him trying to kill me yet, but apart from the novels I had read, the information I heard about him from the maid eonnis was very colorful, so I was scared.

T/N: *If you die, just die.

"Finally I can hear your voice. Why haven't you opened your mouth until now?"

Does this man know that the child in front of him is a 5-year-old child? And what kind of question is that? So, how should I answer that? 'I can't speak because I'm afraid'? At that moment, there was a person who helped me who couldn't say anything, he was the knight oppa standing by the wall.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but children the Princess' age, they usually act shy."

"Is that so?"

Then, Claude looked at me, he asked indifferently. That's right, you basta#d! There is no reason for a child to be shy. Oh! Besides, everyone will definitely be silent in your presence! Not just children, but adults too!

But, when our eyes met, I laughed shyly as if I didn't know how else to act. Yes, that's right, so let me go.

Claude leaned back on the sofa without taking his eyes off my face. In contrast to mine, Claude had dark blonde hair, and when he was in such a position and his body was exposed to sunlight, he looked like a lion, the king of beasts resting. And of course, I was the prey trembling in front of him. I think I'm the same as a rabbit or mouse whose feet are tied. If he, a lion, hit me with his front paw, I would die without even making a squeak.

"Felix."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Go out."

"……"

The knight oppa was immediately thrown out of the room. It seemed Claude didn't like the answer. W-Wait a minute! Oppa, you won't leave me alone, right? Who knows what Evil Claude will do if you leave, Oppa! But, what kind of power does a knight have? Despite my earnest gaze, the knight still lowered his head and left the room without a sound. Just before leaving, he seemed to look at me with pity, but that didn't comfort me. Da#n!

"It looks like, Athi is a nickname."

I didn't even realize what I said just now because my mind was too busy working, I think I spoke in the same way as I usually do to the maid eonnis by being cute.

"Athanasia. A-tha-na-si-a."

When he started muttering my name, I couldn't help but feel nervous again.

"Do you know the meaning of that name?"

Oh my gosh. Claude was interested in my name, which wasn't a good sign. He is a double-edged sword that can finish me off at any time. I shook my head with a very innocent and innocent expression, but I was really nervous. In fact, this name of mine is a name that not even the current Emperor, Claude, has.

"How dare she name you that name. How annoying."

The reason, was because Claude was the Emperor's illegitimate child who had no right of succession. As I said before, Claude killed his brother, who had become Emperor and took his crown.

The name of the former Emperor who was Claude's older brother was 'Anastasius', and their father's name was 'Aevum'*. The two names of those, who are the legal heirs, have the meaning eternal and everlasting. Likewise with 'Ambrose', the name of the first (female) Emperor Obelia.

T/N: *The Korean spelling is 'I Boom', in the Western pronunciation, it's read as 'Aevum'. As far as I know, the manhwa never mentions their father's name, so I apologize if it turns out the spelling of his name is wrong.

More explicitly, only Claude was nameless like the previous Emperors. So, maybe Claude wasn't happy with my name, and, on a whim, he would kill me?

I looked at Claude with a look of despair and harmlessness. I'm not dangerous to you. I'm not interested in the throne at all. My goal in life is to live as peacefully as possible and then leave peacefully. I don't intend to live a life full of luxury, I want an ordinary life, as ordinary as I have ever experienced. As you said, I'm just a 5-year-old bug. No, please don't act and say something like, 'You're dead, you basta#d! I will trample you and kill you.'

"Why are you silent? Eat."

Maybe Claude wanted to torture me, so it seems he doesn't want to kill me now. I don't know if this is misfortune or luck, because I don't think he would just let me go to the Ruby Palace. But then, he said something that made me uncomfortable.

"I deliberately asked them to bring what the children like, but if you don't eat it, I have no choice but to punish the person who brought all this."

"Happy eating."

Da#n. This rotten basta#d. Are you threatening me? I raised my trembling hand and picked up the fork neatly placed in front of me. Some delicious looking cakes were placed on the table, but my appetite had already disappeared. I feel sick. It felt like I was sitting on a thorny pillow while enjoying a drink. But if I stop eating it, Claude will kill the servants, so I can't stop eating. No matter how calm Claude was these days, I didn't know if he would commit the same massacre he did 4 years ago just because he was in a bad mood, and this time, he might put my name on his death list. Oh no!

"You could gain weight."

I couldn't look in the mirror, but maybe my face looked pale. But I still smiled. Because I want to live a little longer. Oh, I miss Lily. But, does this person always talk a lot? Huh, no, just looking at him in secret makes me scared. Huhuhu. Now I don't know what to do anymore. Because of gold and jewels, I crawled into the lion's den like this. At this rate, I think I'll die of a heart attack before Claude kills me.

"Who taught you etiquette?"

"Lily taught me."

However, this body had stronger survival instincts than expected and continued to answer Claude's questions without even crying. I was surprised by the words spoken by Claude, who seemed to think for a moment until he finally said,

"Yeah, I think you mean Lilian Yorke."

I just said 'Lily', how do you know her full name?

"4 years ago, she begged me to be placed in the Ruby Palace so she could take care of you."

Hah!? Lily, do you have a past like that? Oh my. As expected of the Beautiful Lily! Eonni, you are my favorite character in this da#n novel! It was very touching.

"How dare she, without fear."

Oh my gosh, even at times like this, this guy continues to act fiercely. Looks like I'm going to die. I continued to speak in a calm and consistent voice, but for some reason, my neck felt so cold. However, Claude continued to watch me eat the cake. Slowly, he opened his mouth again.

"Do you know who I am?"

Clang!

Instantly, I dropped the fork I was holding onto the plate. If I don't sit down, I might fall and sit limp on the floor. My dry lips trembled slightly.

My eyes met his gem eyes that resembled mine. Out of fear, I wanted to look away, but I knew that right now, I couldn't avoid his eyes.

This is a test. Being born as an orphan in a previous life made me realize that living life is a difficult thing. So, I instinctively noticed it when I looked into his eyes. From the start, he didn't bring me here because he liked me. Somehow, I thought it was strange. Initially, he showed little interest in Athanasia. It's also possible that it's just a simple fad that doesn't mean anything. It's like an opportunity is given like a gift because it has attracted his interest. Right now, he will decide whether he will let me live or not. This isn't in the novel, but was the 9-year-old Athanasia also tested by Claude like now?

He just looked at me with indifferent eyes. There is deeper boredom than before.

I started to get anxious, if I couldn't satisfy him now, then right here I would die. Oh my. What should I do? Slowly, Claude tapped the armrest of the sofa, indicating that time was ticking. After a while, his hands stopped tapping.

"Fa-Father?"

You are crazy! After saying it reflexively, I shouted that in my heart. I should have said his position, his power. Of all the things I wanted to say, I instead said Father to this crazy Emperor? Father? Father? Just because the maids in the Ruby Palace call me 'Princess', you think that you are the real Athanasia? Even though I wanted to say, 'Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great and Dignified Obelia Empire' and flatter him.

"……"

But amazingly, Claude didn't kill me. He swept his chin with a slow hand movement and looked at me with his eyes wide open as if he wanted me to say it again. Am I not a failure?

Oh, wait a minute…… Come to think of it, doesn't Claude like Zenith? The beautiful Zenith, who has a bright smile, can bring spring to all around her. Unlike Athanasia who always looked at Claude from behind while wanting love, Zenith was a beautiful girl who didn't hesitate to reach out his hand first. In that case…… Then…… I won't be able to be like Zenith, and I won't be able to melt his heart like Zenith, but…… If it's just to attract his attention…… I decided to do something a little crazier.

“……Papa?”

A terrible silence enveloped me. As I held my breath, Claude tilted his head slowly. I could see his dark blonde hair slowly flowing as he moved. My heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was going to explode.

Why, Why is there no reaction? Arghhh! Oh my gosh, I don't know what else to do. So I just smiled as big as I could and said out loud,

"Papa!"

……Someone, please tell me that I am not currently setting up a new death flag!

***

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