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Chapter 2 – Being A Princess Is Luck? That's Just Nonsense!
In
conclusion, I survived.
For
a more detailed explanation, after I finished the cake while being stared at by
Claude, the knight oppa carried me and brought me back to my palace safely.
While
I was fighting the battle of life and death, the Ruby Palace fell into chaos.
Naturally, everyone was surprised because they thought I was taking a nap in
the room, but suddenly I disappeared. Lily looked like she was going to faint
when she saw me being carried by the Emperor's personal guard. Her face was so
pale, I was really worried that Lily would faint right now. Lily immediately
took me from the arms of the knight oppa, Felix, and immediately moved away
from him as if Felix were a plague. I couldn't see Lily's face because she was
burying me in her chest, but I could feel that her body was shaking and I could
imagine what her face looked like. Her shaking hands gripped me tightly. I
looked back, and Felix looked confused because Lily and the maids seemed to
think of him as a kidnapper, but I also didn't want to side with the knight
oppa because he had left me in a room, alone with Claude!
I
felt very sad when I spent time alone with Claude, and I felt as if I was dead
and lying stiff the entire time I was in the knight oppa's arms. Huhu, you
bast#rds. You have bullied a helpless child like me. You guys deserve
punishment. Huhuhu.
"His
Majesty said that sooner or later he would meet Princess Athanasia again."
Hah!?
What do you say? Not only me but the maid eonnis were also shocked by the words
of the knight oppa. Hah? But, what the hell? Why does everyone look half scared
and half happy? Oh, my goodness. Are you saying that I, this neglected
princess, now have the attention of the Emperor? Why did Claude want to see me
again? No, nooo. Huhuhuuu.
But
has the world ever, just once, gone my way? If the Emperor wishes, he can come
and go at any time, whereas I can only crawl. After Felix dropped the nuclear
bomb and left, the Ruby Palace was in turmoil once again, but the turmoil was
different from when I disappeared. I was so mentally exhausted, I felt like I
was going to pass out.
"Wow!"
"Princess!"
First
of all, let's clear my mind.
***
That
night, I lay in bed and started making plans for the future.
Plan
A failed.
The
crumpled white paper was colored with black ink that followed the movements of
my hand. If anyone sees this, it will be a disaster so I wrote it in Korean. I
added 'Plan C' to the bottom of what I had just written, then I made a line
across the sentence I wrote on the top line of the paper.
My
first plan, Plan A was 'Live in the Ruby Palace without attracting Claude's
attention until he dies, after that, I will leave the palace'. For this plan, I
guess I just have to be careful on my 9th birthday, which is precisely when
Athanasia and Claude met.
But
that is a bad idea. When I met Claude at the Emperor's Palace the other day,
this plan came to naught. Who would have thought that this simple palace was
Claude's residence? Why is my palace so close to the Emperor's Palace? Oh yes.
The Ruby Palace is the Emperor's harem. Alright, all Obelia Emperors are lewd
and immoral people.
For
a moment I grumbled to myself, then I stared at the next sentence, the sentence
I had just crossed out in black ink.
Plan
B: Collect escape funds before turning 18 and leave Ruby Palace.
This
plan is still worth trying. In the original story, Claude killed Athanasia when
Athanasia was 18 years old. Of course, I wasn't sure that my future would
change just because I met Claude 4 years earlier than expected. But at least,
it doesn't look like he's going to kill me straight away. Then, will my plans
to gather my beautiful children continue like this? Maybe when escaping from
the palace, I should disguise myself as a maid? Or should I find a path that
connects to outside the palace first and use it?
Then,
the long-awaited Plan, Plan C. With a more serious face than before, I started
writing down each letter on a piece of paper.
'Captured
Claude's heart <3'
Srekkk.
But, after writing it, I saw the sentence I had just written on a piece of
paper, and immediately, I immediately crossed it out until the ink dried. Ugh,
I need to escape from reality. No one else but you wants to seduce Claude.
Rather than taking heart, isn't that just raising the flag of death? I could go
crazy. I was about to erase the writing by crossing it out, but in the end, I
just left it as it was and crossed my arms. There was a wrinkle between my
eyebrows.
……But
it seems like it's not an impossible thing to realize. Isn't it? No, of course,
that sounds like unfounded confidence. But I already know how this story goes.
Even if I can't be Claude's beloved daughter like Zenith, can't I at least be
close to Claude to the point where he doesn't want to kill me?
I
called him, 'Papa' and he still let me live!
"Ah!"
However,
as soon as I thought about that, I felt embarrassed. I kicked my blanket hard.
Oh my, 'Papa'! My hands and feet understand, it seems like I'm going to die.
But it feels even more embarrassing when I think that I will continue to repeat
this dark history again and again in the future!
"Huwaaaa."
How
long do I have to fight like that? Finally, I lifted my face buried in the
pillow and made a difficult decision. Okay. Let's do Plan B and Plan C
simultaneously. Because the more insurance, the better. Then, I decided to get
rid of this paper before Lily came. And this dark history and my shame…… Will
become the foundation and stepping stone for my future.
"Princess,
it's time to sleep."
"Lily,
I want to sleep with you!"
I
acted very childishly in Lily's arms. And with great difficulty, I struggled to
swallow my tears of blood.
***
"Lilian
Yorke, long time no see."
I
don't know why in life, time always goes by so fast. It feels like just
yesterday Claude and I were drinking tea together in a room in his palace, and
now, 10 days later, I was standing in front of him again.
"May
the blessings of glory and greatness bless the Sun of Obelia."
The
only thing I can rely on is the fact that this time I'm not alone, Lily is here
too. In short, I'm sorry, Lily. But I'm really afraid of Claude. I still feel
like I could have a heart attack when I'm around him. Huhuhu. Maybe it's
because I'm only a 5-year-old kid, so my courage is only the size of a pea. I
always feel nervous and scared every time I see Claude.
In
the Throne Room, a place as large as a playground, there was no one here apart
from me, Claude, Lily, and Felix —the knight oppa I last saw at that time.
"I
was busy with my work so I couldn't give enough attention to the only daughter
I have. But Athanasia has grown up very well, you will get no small reward."
"Thank
you, Your Majesty."
Don't
be kidding. It's not that you 'don't pay enough attention', but that you 'don't
care at all' about me! That's it. You even forgot my existence.
"From
now on, I will pay attention to the princess so there's no need to worry."
Boom!!!
Suddenly
I heard the sound of lightning striking above my head. Claude was still leaning
on his throne languidly, he looked at me and smiled faintly with narrowed eyes.
Did he smile at me just now? But it wasn't a warm smile directed at me because
I was cute, but rather a scary smile that seemed to ask what I would do from
now on. He gives me the creeps.
Cancel
what you just said. Cancel what you just said! Please just forget me. Please
just ignore me, just treat me as if I don't exist! And please continue to do so
in the future! In fact, I would be very grateful if you crossed my name off the
family list. Ugh, but what can I do as a small and helpless ordinary citizen?
It seemed that I wasn't the only one who was shocked by the Emperor's words, I
could see that Lily's eyes widened in surprise, even her body was shaking.
"After
today, Athanasia will enjoy the blessings worthy of being a princess."
But
you never acknowledged me as your daughter. Wasn't Claude in the novel, never
considered Athanasia as his daughter? I don't understand what kind of pun this
is. What do you really think? It seems Lily also feels the same way as me. Even
after we left the Throne Room, the shock on Lily's face didn't disappear.
"It's
fine, Princess."
When
I heard Lily whisper those words while hugging my body, I also thought that
everything would be fine.
***
"You
seem to have gained weight during the time I haven't seen you. It seems that
recently, your life in the palace has become more comfortable."
After
a while, Claude and I were still the same. The last time we met was 5 days ago,
how can you tell the difference between my weight 5 days ago and today just
with the naked eye!?
"Hehe,
Papa is getting prettier too!"
Claude
and I have met twice since meeting in the Throne Room, and during this time we
spent time together like Father and Daughter. It was during that time that I
realized that Claude wouldn't kill me just because I was rude to him. On the
other hand, if I act like a shy child and give a formal answer, Claude's face
will become flat without a trace of emotion.
I
was most afraid when Claude looked at me bored, maybe this was just my
thinking, but I thought that the reason why this man had let me live until now
was for his momentary entertainment. So, actually, I still feel scared as if I
could faint at any time. I could feel Lily's gaze next to me, she looked at me
with surprised eyes after hearing my rude answer, but then again, Claude didn't
kill me. As I thought, this guy likes an aggressive style!
"Follow
me."
Claude
looked at me for a moment with narrowed eyes, then he turned away. It was then,
that I wondered if Lily and Felix also let out their pent-up breaths. For some
reason, I feel like I want to cry blood because day by day, my lifeline is
getting shorter.
"I'm
going boating, so get ready."
What
should I prepare? Plus, “I'm 'going' boating”? You say as if you just decided
now, but on the other hand, you act as if you had prepared all this from the
start. In other words, the words he actually said to me were, 'Shut up and
follow me.'
“Your
Majesty, I am sorry to inform you. But, Princess—”
"What
do you have to worry about when she's with me?"
Oh!
That's precisely the problem! Lily, who voiced her opinion to Claude with great
courage, finally looked at me with a worried look. Obviously, she was worried
because other people weren't allowed to board the Imperial Family's boat, so
she must be worried because she couldn't immediately save me if something
happened.
But
Lily, don't do that. What if he ends up hurting you? But actually, I don't want
to go on a boat with Claude either. Suddenly this becomes unpleasant. What if I
fall into this lake!? There's no telling whether this guy will push me or not.
But, this da#n man stopped walking and asked me.
"Don't
you want to accompany me?"
"Yes,
Athi wants to go with Papa."
I
said that with a smile on my face. Hearing those words, Lily's face turned pale
again, but I couldn't do anything either. So in the end, I felt like I was
being dragged to the slaughterhouse to go boating with Claude.
How
big is the Emperor's Palace that there is a lake for boating here? I'm
currently floating on the lake while sitting opposite Claude with a pale face.
Claude carried me and put me in the boat, and I could only stay still and
tremble because I was afraid I would fall. Haa, as soon as the boating mission
is over, my energy will definitely run out completely.
Eh?
But this boat, this boating(?) is really no joke. No, were all the boats the
Imperial Family boarded like this? This boat goes without wobbling! But, being
on a boat this big alone with Claude was terrifying. Wait a moment. Nowadays,
neither of us rows. Then how can this boat move? Is this a motorboat? Or is it
possible that this is a double-decker boat, and there are slaves stamping their
feet under here to make it move?
"What
do you think?"
Don't
talk to me. Don't look at me. Oops, how should I answer Claude's question, 'The
weather is nice today!' or 'The lake is beautiful!'. Of all the things I could
think of, I decided to flatter him by saying,
"Papa's
hair is sparkling! Papa is beautiful!"
But
it was true that Claude's hair was very beautiful. Light blonde hair like mine
is beautiful, but dark honey blonde, like Claude's hair, is more to my taste.
Because I lived very frugally in my previous life, I have a special interest in
shiny things.
"Sparkling!
Hehe."
Hearing
my words, a faint smile appeared on Claude's lips. No, wait…… When he smiles
like that, there's something scary.
"Oh,
yes. I kept the bag containing the jewelry you dropped that day."
Boom!
So this is the goal! I could really go crazy!
"I
will take good care of your treasure. Next time, come and find it
yourself."
……Minefield!
That place is a minefield, there's no way around it! Arghhh! Because I was
surprised, I just left all my pockets in front of the angel statue, only to
find that Claude had taken them. Argh, this is crazy. It seems that I'm not
destined to live a quiet life. While I was at a loss for words, it seemed
Claude had lost interest. His eyes were directed at the other side of the lake,
not at me. So I can observe it with a little more comfort than before.
Hmm,
which country are the clothes Claude is wearing from? Egypt? Greece? Arab? I
don't know. However, Claude looks good in such loose clothes. Is it because he
is a man who exudes a sense of freedom all over his body? Last time, I thought
that he was like a lion, but now he looked like a leopard basking in the sun.
Ah! Of course, no matter what, he looked the same as a wild carnivore.
I
remember that in the Side Story of <Lovely Princess>, it was said that
Athanasia's mother, Diana, really loved Claude. At first, I didn't understand,
but after I saw Claude, I didn't think it was strange that women would jump
into flames like him. Claude's eyes looking at something other than me were so
beautiful that it took my breath away. His eyes, lacking any warmth, made him
look akin to a true gem. From this angle, the color looks slightly paler than
the blue lake water. Are my eyes like that too? However, because I didn't dare
to look at Claude for a long time, I quickly turned my head quietly.
Eh?
I saw amazing flowers. At first, I thought I was looking wrong, but the boat
was getting closer to where I was looking, and after that, I could see it up
close. What's this? Blue lotus? Oops, no. This flower looks like that because
the lake water is blue, it's really strange, the petals are transparent. The
shape is similar to a lotus, but the petals are transparent. But, can lotuses
bloom in lakes? I want it.
For
some reason, I thought I could touch it if I reached out my hand, so I moved to
the edge of the boat. I was aware that Claude was looking at me, but that
didn't distract me from the flower. This flower is stunning, but it is not a
pretty flower. Even so, for some reason, I thought that I should get this
flower right now. A little more, and as soon as I thought that the blue petals
touched my fingertips.
Splash!
I
fell off the boat.
"Ah,
Whoo!"
In
an instant, water seeped into my nose and mouth. I flailed my arms and legs
frantically. What's this? How could this happen? I couldn't breathe until I
felt dizzy. The dress that the maid eonnis wore for me to meet Claude today
felt heavy because there were several layers of lace stuck to the fabric. Wait,
I can't swim. I can't.
"P-Please..."
No
matter how hard I struggled, my hands couldn't touch anything. His drenched
hands remained on his stomach, he made no effort to pull my body up. Even so, I
continued to stretch my arms forward out of fear. And when my eyes met his calm
as always, my body felt a cold feeling that froze down to the tips of my toes.
Claude
just silently watched me as I fell into the lake, and I knew immediately when I
saw his unwavering gaze.
This
man will not save me. He won't save me. That's why, he just looked at me
drowning with a blank look like now.
Claude
just kept quiet and continued to watch me struggling in the lake. I could tell
when I saw those emotionless eyes.
Thump-Thud.
As
soon as I realized that, the strength in my body drained away. It felt like
something was wrapped around my ankle and pulling me down. In a short time, my
whole body was submerged in water. I could feel the water getting into my
lungs, it was terrible. In this lifetime, I will die by drowning. The things
that were in my mind before I got on the boat became real. Is this why there is
a saying 'Speech is prayer'? But, no matter what, this…
"Help!"
Son
of a bit#h!
"Argh!
Ugh, Heuk, Uhuk..."
That's
when a strong force pulled me out of the water. I vomited water and coughed. I
felt dizzy, my vision became unclear and my ears were ringing. I can't control
my body well.
"Oh
my, Princess!"
I
don't know how much time has passed. I thought I could hear the sound of
someone running towards me, and Lily's voice filled with worry penetrated my
ears. Only then did I realize that Claude had taken me out of the boat that had
arrived at land and he had placed me on the edge of the lake.
"Felix."
"Yes,
Your Majesty."
"Starting
tomorrow, teach Athanasia how to swim."
He
raised his drenched hands and turned away from me.
"It
would be a shame if my daughter fell and drowned in the lake."
Those
are not the right words to say to your daughter who just drowned! But no one
here can say that. Lily, who looked very worried, immediately hugged me with a
large towel and calmed me down. Felix didn't respond to the Emperor's words, he
also looked worried. Then Claude stepped away, and Felix started to walk behind
him hesitantly.
"Princess,
Princess…… It's okay. You're fine, Princess."
Lily's
arms were hugging me, and Lily's voice whispering in my ear sounded shaky.
Claude's back appearance which was getting further away looked blurry in my
eyes.
"Ugh……"
I
could barely speak until Claude completely disappeared from my sight.
"Huwaaa."
Even
in my previous life, a life that was long but also short and full of
difficulties, I had never cried with fear like this.
***
Before
I met Claude, I was never sick, I was always healthy. But after I spent time
drinking tea with him, I started to feel nauseous, and now, I almost drowned in
the lake while boating with him. After that, I had to lie down on the bed and
cover my body with a blanket, I even had to cover my mouth from cold food and
drinks.
While
being looked after by Lily and the maid eonnis, I came to the conclusion that
Claude was a true bast#rd. It's true that he saved me by pulling me out of the
water. But, he didn't immediately save me, he just kept quiet and looked at me
floundering in the water. What an evil psychopath. How could he continue to
remain silent and just stare when a 5-year-old child almost died from drowning?
Moreover, I'm his daughter! Just remembering it makes me shiver. Yes, he is
that kind of person. That's why in the novel, he immediately killed Athanasia
without the slightest hesitation. Sob.
After
that day, I always had nightmares and cried uncontrollably every night. When
that happened, Lily, who didn't leave my room and continued to sit beside my
bed, would come, stroke my head, and hug me tightly. I was only able to go back
to sleep after I was in Lily's warm arms.
***
Lately,
I really want to do something. In a different sense from my previous life, I
was a very helpless person. Maybe if I had been a normal child, this would have
been a trauma for the rest of my life and I would never be able to see water
again. I just want to collect more gold, and then leave this place as quickly
as possible. I guess, Plan B would be better for me than Plan C. How could I
seduce that evil psychopath? Wow, I guess I've shown a lot of courage in vain.
I
thought that one day I could escape from the Imperial Palace. Come to think of
it, Claude already took my 2 beautiful children. Son of a bit#h! He told me to
come to his palace and look for the treasure myself!? Am I crazy!? How could I
crawl into that den of evil!?
"Hannah."
No
matter how hard I think about it, I have no motivation to live. So I decided to
use this greatest advantage in life to increase my motivation for life which
had fallen into the deepest abyss.
"Give
me chocolate."
Hannah
looked at me confusedly as I held out my hand like I was charging for
something. I'm not in the mood to do tricks by acting cute. My heart is truly
broken now.
"Chocolate."
"Ah,
no. Lilian……"
"Just
a little."
But,
even though I kept nagging her, Hannah still wouldn't give it to me. It seemed
Lily was keeping a close eye on her. Recently, my sugar intake has increased
because Claude gives me cakes that don't suit my taste every time we meet. Ah,
it turns out you really can't. In the end, I had to show Hannah my abilities.
"Eonni,
Athi wants to eat chocolate."
Hannah
began to hesitate. Come on, take my sparkling eyes attack!!
"P-Please
don't do that."
Cring,
Cring.
"I
really can't, Princess! I'm sorry!"
But
in the end, Hannah still didn't give it to me. Then she immediately left, as if
she couldn't take it anymore. Anything! Where! Where's my chocolate!? Give me
chocolate!
"Hannah!"
Impossible.
Hannah can stand my onslaught of sparkling eyes! It seems like I've been
experiencing too much mental stress lately, and as a result, my cuteness level
has decreased. This is very annoying.
But
that doesn't mean I can't eat chocolate, right? Quietly, I slipped into the
kitchen and avoided the maids. It's been 5 years since I've lived in this
palace, so I know whenever it's time for the maids to leave. And I know where
they hide the chocolate and candy! I slipped into the kitchen. I know that this
is childish, but I can't give up my obsession with chocolate. Yes, that's
because, in my previous life, chocolate was a luxury for me!
I
only eat once a day, or even I can only fill my stomach with expired gimbap
from the minimarket. Even dreaming is a luxury for me. That's why, I want to
eat chocolate! I looked around silently with my eyes wide open. As I expected,
there was no one inside. Excited, I ran to the chocolate aisle.
"Seth,
where are you going?"
"Wait
a minute. I don't think I covered the pot yet."
Hah!
Suddenly I was startled by a sound that sounded near the door, and I
immediately hid myself. The person who entered the kitchen was Seth, the Cool
Urban Woman.
"As
I thought, the lid is open."
Ah,
so I don't need to steal chocolate, I just need to ask for it now. Yes, our
meeting was fate!
"Eh……"
"Kyaaa!
Bugs!"
When
I was about to open my mouth to call her, Seth suddenly screamed and her eyes
flashed, like something sharp.
Thud!
Crack!
After
a while, under the heel of her pointed shoe, I saw a completely crushed and
hideous-looking cockroach.
"How
dare these dirty bugs come into the kitchen."
I
broke out in cold sweat because her extremely cold voice echoed in my ears.
"Maybe
I should tell Lilian so we can clean up this palace. I can't let a single
cockroach in the Princess's Palace."
Wow,
Seth is the No. 3 in this Ruby Palace! Those foot movements, she is very
skilled at exterminating insects!
"Did
you hear something just now?"
W-Wait
don't go yet. Of course, Seth wouldn't treat me like she treated that
cockroach, but looking at the crushed cockroach carcass on the floor, I think
she would scold me and tell Lily instead of giving me chocolate…… Thinking so,
I ended up staying quiet and hiding. Then Seth came out of the kitchen shaking
her head, as if she had heard wrong.
Only
after that, I poked my head out from behind the shelf that was hiding my body.
The journey to get chocolate is not easy. I glanced at the door and reached
back to the chocolate shelf.
Kriet.
Hah!
Suddenly there was a small voice from the side. I wondered if someone else had
come in again, so I turned towards the sound, but there was no one there. A
calm silence reigned here. What? Did I just hear wrong? But, I'm sure if I
heard something like something moving, I'd be confused. It was at that moment,
that the story about the 'Kitchen Ghost' that the maids talked about several
years ago came to mind.
"Ughh…"
Maybe
because of recent events, last night I dreamed about a water ghost with long
hair hanging down like seaweed pulling my leg, I feel even more afraid now. I
just thought that the 'Kitchen Ghost' story was just a made-up rumor,
considering what Claude had done in this place. But when I'm in a situation
like this, the rumors start to feel like reality. The kitchen, a quiet place
with no one else around besides me, this place looked even more gloomy because
the lights on the ceiling were flickering, perhaps because it had not been
properly maintained for several years. Previously, I had gone into the kitchen
to steal chocolate without Lily knowing, but this was the first time I felt
that this kitchen was very gloomy. If I'm not mistaken, they say there are 2 or
3 ghosts living here, right? Suddenly, cold sweat started flowing down my back.
It felt like the ghosts could appear and grab my shoulders at any time.
"Princess!"
Uwaaaaaa!
Yes,
like now……!
"Aaaaahhhh!"
I
was shocked and screamed as loud as I could. Ghost! There's a ghost grabbing my
shoulder! Is this ghost the Ruby Palace's maid who was killed by Claude turning
into an evil spirit and coming to get me?! Or, is this a water ghost that was
chasing me in my dream yesterday?!!
"Oh,
Princess! I'm sorry. Are you surprised?"
It
turned out that what appeared from behind me was Lily. She seemed as surprised
as I was.
"Princess,
you should leave immediately."
However,
as if there was something urgent, Lily hastily grabbed me, taking me away
before she could calm me down properly. Ah! She knows that I'm in the kitchen.
Moreover, currently in my hand are 2 pieces of chocolate that I took from the
basket on the chocolate shelf. Unlucky! As I thought, no crime is perfect......
Even so, I tucked the chocolate I had in my hand into the corner of my sleeve.
When I watched her, Lily didn't seem to realize that I had stolen chocolate in
the kitchen. What could be more urgent than calming down the shocked me? Then,
I found out why.
"It
is our honor to serve you, Princess Athanasia."
Still
in Lily's arms, I looked at the maid eonnis who bowed their heads in front of
me. I froze, how many of them were there? One, Two, Three, Four, Five, …… I
counted those standing in front of me, I think there were about 30 people, so I
gave up counting them. Are these eonnis going to serve me from today?
It
felt like a scene in a drama I once watched while working part-time at a meat
restaurant. It was a rom-com that made me laugh and envy because it was the
exact opposite of my situation where I had to scrub a grease-stained grill. I
remember the drama depicted a romance between second-generation conglomerates,
it was quite a sensational drama, but when I saw it, it was an unrealistic and
childish drama. The scene I saw at that time was the scene where the female
protagonist came home from shopping and the servants who worked in her
residence lined up at the front door to greet her.
"Starting
today, I was ordered to be the Temporary Guard Knight for Princess
Athanasia."
While
I was still in a daze, Felix who was standing next to me walked in front of me
and knelt down. Are you crazy or drunk? Claude really was a strange person. I
just realized that fact and I had no other choice but to laugh. Some time ago,
he said something impudent to me while I was shivering because my whole body
was soaked. Then today, he personally bestowed maids and guard knights to work
in my palace. Moreover, Felix is the person who always guards Claude, the
Emperor. Even though it's only temporary, what's the point of lending his guard
knights to me like this? Oh! You sent him here to teach me how to swim like you
said in the lake, right?
"We
are grateful for His Majesty's concern, but how could Sir Robane be
concerned……"
Lily
also looked very confused and surprised, as if she had never heard of this
before. Then, Felix looked at me with a faint smile.
"His
Majesty has said that he will love and treat the Princess well."
The
back of my neck went numb when I heard Felix's words. Hey, knight oppa, what
did you just say, 'Love'!? Wouldn't it make more sense if you were sent here to
spy on me so that you could behead me at any time if Claude changed his mind?
"I-Is
that so…"
Look!?
Even Lily was stuttered!
"Yes,
His Majesty is considering official guard knights for Princess Athanasia, so
perhaps I won't be here for so long."
Felix
said that and smiled at me.
"From
today, I ask for your help, Princess."
And,
that's how Claude's knight, Felix became my temporary knight in a very dubious
way.
***
Claude
sent me maids, that's not a good thing. Because it turns out, he didn't send
additional maids to my palace but replaced my maids. In other words, all the
maid eonnis that I had gotten close to using my cuteness, had now all
disappeared from my palace.
That
same night, when the new maids came to my palace, I received very surprising
news. No matter how much I wanted to meet my real maid eonnis, Lily just wore a
confused expression. I heard that my maids had left this place this morning and
were immediately assigned to another palace. Hearing that, I immediately felt
annoyed. Claude, he didn't even pay attention to me when the maids stole
valuable objects in the Ruby Palace, of course now I'm not happy with the
changes he made to my maids. He changed the maids in my palace as he pleased.
Even though I knew that this incident was not a good sign, I couldn't do
anything.
Moreover,
these newly arrived maid eonnis also didn't respond to my charms and tended to
quietly go about their own business, which annoyed me even more. The
low-ranking maids who worked in my palace were assigned to other palaces and
the new maids here were people carefully selected by the Emperor. How can I
seduce them!? Whoops.
"Athi
misses Hannah and Seth."
"If
the Princess wishes, you will surely meet them again."
"When?"
"Um,
tomorrow?"
I
don't believe what adults say. Isn't that a typical lie that adults tell when
they deceive children? Besides, those were the words I always heard during
meals whenever children looked for their parents when I was still in the
orphanage in my previous life. I puffed up my mouth, Lily sweated frantically
and tried to calm me down. That's when Felix, who was watching us from the
side, opened his mouth.
"How
about talking to His Majesty?"
Hearing
those words, Lily and I looked at Felix as if he was crazy, but instead he
looked at us in surprise as if he hadn't said anything wrong.
Later,
Felix told me that the lotus flowers in the middle of the lake were magic
creatures, they were terrible plants that tricked people into falling into the
water and then sucked out the nutrients. Because this knight oppa said that so
casually, I felt like I had lost my mind for a while because my eyes were
dizzy. It seemed like Felix wanted to point out that it was Claude's skill and
calmness that had saved me from that crisis, but instead, my anger towards
Claude and skepticism about life flowed through my body. Claude, you bast#rd!
He just kept quiet and just stared at me in such a situation! Ah, just thinking
about it makes my blood pressure rise.
"Oh,
then, His Majesty said he wanted to spend dinner with you, Princess."
My
soaring blood pressure immediately dropped in an instant after Felix said that.
I buried my face in Lily's arms.
……Wouldn't
it be better if I died and was reborn once again? That's right, log out. I
applied to log out. Log out! Log out! Huwaaaa......!
***
“Princess,
I beg you……”
"No!"
I
looked away, pretending not to see Lily's embarrassed expression.
"But,
you will meet His Majesty……"
The
reason we argued was because of my clothes. Lily asked me to change into a
dress for dinner with Claude, but I strongly refused. It's rare for me to
insist like I do now, so Lily looked a little embarrassed. Why should I bother
dressing up for Claude!?
Of
course, I hadn't completely given up on Plan C. But, maybe it was because this
was my first meeting with Claude after the incident at the lake. In addition,
the dresses worn by the maids at that time made my body heavy, so I sank into
the water faster, and even though the dress I am wearing now is very simple
compared to the dresses I always wear when I meet Claude, this dress can still
be considered a very beautiful dress, so I have no reason to change it. Because
I didn't know when Claude would summon me, and because a Princess had to always
look dignified, the older maids always paid attention to my clothes.
"Sir
Robane, please say something."
Lily
asked Felix for help as I puffed out my cheeks and didn't move an inch.
Whatever you guys say, I won't care. Now I'm 5 years old, so I have the right
to behave like this. For a moment, Felix tilted his head when he heard Lily's
words, then he smiled broadly and opened his mouth.
"Whatever
the dress, Princess Athanasia is still adorable. I'm sure His Majesty thinks so
too."
Hah!?
Of course, I'm pretty and cute, but is that true? How could Claude think like
that!? He's a cold-blooded man who doesn't have tears!
“Of
course, you are right……”
However,
it seemed that Lily had been persuaded by those words.
"Fine.
Then, I'll just do your hair."
Finally
Lily gave up, she walked towards the back of the chair I was sitting in and
started moving her hands diligently. Lily's constantly lowered face bothered me
a little, but I didn't want to do something I didn't like. Ugh, I have to suck
up to look good at the guy who let me drown with that emotionless gaze. Hoekkk.
Disgusting. But in the end, I couldn't stop Lily from doing my hair.
"Okay.
Let's go, Princess."
After
finishing a light make-up, Felix carried me. The Ruby Palace and the Emperor's
Palace were close enough to see each other, so Felix just walked while carrying
me like that. This was a very simple leaving procession for a princess, but it
was still better than a noisy and troublesome leaving procession.
After
I waved goodbye to Lily and received respectful greetings from the other maids,
I left the Ruby Palace with Felix.
It
turns out that there is not just one road connecting the Ruby Palace to the
Emperor's Palace -the road I followed last time. Felix took me to the Emperor's
Palace via the paved path next to the fountain. At first, it was a bit
embarrassing to be held by a fairly handsome knight oppa, but after doing this
a few times, now I'm quite used to it. Apart from that, Felix has also
developed a lot, different from the first time he carried me, now he carries me
quite stably.
"Your
Majesty, Princess Athanasia has arrived."
By
the way, this palace is really quiet. I feel that every time I see it, why
isn't there a single servant or knight? There wasn't even anyone standing guard
in front of the Emperor's chambers, and even now, Felix was the one who brought
me here, he was the one who personally announced my arrival to Claude.
"O-Oppa."
I
couldn't contain my curiosity.
"Why
are there no maid eonnis or knight oppas in Papa's palace?" I asked Felix.
I
opened my mouth again, asking the same thing because I never got an answer.
Then, he bowed his head the other way and answered.
"The
reason there are no maids is because His Majesty prefers to do everything with
his own hands. And regarding the knights guarding the Palace……"
At
the same time, I was a little confused by the smile Felix was making.
"Because
he doesn't need it."
What
do you mean it's not necessary? I mean, why not? If it was the Emperor's
Palace, then of course its budget would be larger than other palaces, and since
it was the palace where the Emperor lived, shouldn't the number of workers be
very large? Oh, that's all understandable, considering Claude is a freak and
everyone wants to avoid him.
"And,
please don't call me that. Just call me Felix or Robane."
"Yes."
"Please
don't be stiff on me."
Felix
turned his head again towards the door in front of him as if he didn't notice
my question.
"It
seems His Majesty is sleeping."
What?
You called someone and you fell asleep? Wow, really disrespectful behavior. But
I guess that's a good thing. Maybe I can go back to the Ruby Palace since he's
asleep. Felix can be a witness.
"Then,
Athi will just go."
"Please
do not do that……"
After
watching me for a while, Felix seemed to think of something, then he said
something very surprising.
"Why
don't you come inside?"
……Hah?
I must have heard wrong, right? Maybe because lately my body has been weak.
Haha……
"His
Majesty would definitely be happy if the Princess woke him up."
Kriet.
Before I could say something, Felix had already opened the big door in front of
me. I didn't have time to panic, my back was pushed by a gentle touch and I
stepped into the wide gap.
"Then
I'll wait here."
Tap.
Felix's
smiling face disappeared behind the closed door.
“W-Wait……”
I
struggled to open the closed door, but my arms weren't strong enough to open
this door.
“Aaaaa……!”
I
tried to call Felix who was standing behind the door, but I immediately fell
silent in shock. If I scream, won't Claude wake up?! Wow, it turns out that
Felix is a bad person... Like it or not, I can only turn my back to the door.
Then, as I expected, a room with a spectacular view came into view.
"Da#n……!"
I
have entered the last boss's room.
***
I've
met him in the Emperor's Palace, but this is the first time I've entered his
private space like this. I kept quiet, held my breath calmly, and looked around
for a moment. Could it be that he had woken up because he heard the sound of
the door opening? Is he going to hurt me because I disturbed his peaceful sleep
by coming in here without his permission!? Whoops. I don't know anymore. I
might die suddenly. Now I have to lick his foot!
This
was a very quiet room, even the sound of the clock ticking could be heard very
clearly. Luckily, Claude seemed to be sleeping soundly. On second thought,
should I wake Claude up? If there was no news from inside, no matter how long I
waited, then wouldn't Felix open the door and come into this room? With that in
mind, I decided to wait for Felix to open the heavy door and enter here.
Claude's
room that I saw, is this worthy of being called the Emperor's room…… This room
is only about the size of a square. Is this really the Emperor's bedroom? This
simple room? It even seemed emptier than my room in the Ruby Palace. Strange. I
heard that the previous Emperor was not only cruel but also very wasteful. Wasn't
this also the room used by the Previous Emperor? Considering Claude's
character, it seemed like he had no intention of renovating a room that had
been used by someone else. The room was so empty that I could see the bed from
a distance. Even so, I still couldn't see the inside because of the curtain
covering the bed.
Oh,
isn't it dangerous if the bed is clearly visible from the door? Since you are
an Emperor, shouldn't there be an assassination attempt? No matter how strong
his magic power was, wouldn't he be helpless when he was sleeping? But whether
Claude dies or not is none of my business. More important than that, for some
reason the world map on the wall caught my attention. I quietly moved my steps
toward the object that stimulated my vision.
"Whoaaaa."
Then,
feeling happy, I covered my mouth with my hand, a mouth that radiated
admiration. I've seen it many times, the world map on the wall is made of
sparkling gold. Moreover, not only was the surface plated with gold, but it
seemed like it was made from very large gold chunks like carvings. Wow, my
goodness. This is the first time in my life, seen something like this. I'm very
impressed. Wow, this is indeed the Emperor's Palace! I don't need a gold wand
or a gold toy if I have this one thing! Could it be that the thing hanging on
the wall is also made of gold? I jumped excitedly and almost ran across the
carpet.
Claude
or the Previous Emperor, it seems like they had a hobby of collecting
paintings. A room with no other decorations, only filled with picture frames.
It's not as big as that world map, but it's really big. I don't know what it
is, but it's a painting that looks like a scene from the Bible, there are also
paintings of cute little angels and beautiful angel eonnis, all in luxurious
gold frames.
Wow!
This is a painting of the coronation of the first (female) Emperor, Ambrose
that I ever saw in the book that Lily brought me for my study. However, because
the painting is so large, the frame is also very large. If 3 adult men got
together and stretched out their arms, would their width be the same as this?
Plus, it's all gold! Even the painting frame in the corner of the floor was
made of gold.
Eh?
Why don't you clean this dusty painting frame? If you want to throw it away,
just give this to me…… I licked my lips and looked at the dusty painting frame,
then turned to look at the world map I had just looked at earlier. No, I tried
to look away. But suddenly something caught my attention.
"……"
I
took a step closer to the frame of the painting I had just seen. Unlike the
other luxurious paintings hanging on the walls, this painting was dusty and
placed on the floor, in the corner of the room. It was a painted portrait of a
woman. That gently smiling face was quite beautiful and charming, although it couldn't
be called the beauty of the century. She looks like a noble lady who likes to
dress up, she is decorated with colorful ornaments from the top of her head to
her fingertips. Judging from that splendor alone, it seemed believable that she
was the Empress of some country. Her hair was rolled up, revealing her elegant
neckline, warm light brown in color. And with a charming smile, her green eyes
resembled a meadow.
I
only read some narrative explanations from several pages in the novel, of
course, I never saw her appearance... But I know who the woman in this painting
is. There were dirty black blood marks on the surface of the damaged frame, but
the painting could still be seen.
"Hmph."
She
is Zenith's mother. Isn't this a sign of love and hate? Contrary to Lily's
words, it seems that Claude loves Zenith's mother, not Diana. Well, of course
not. Because the protagonist in this novel is Zenith. No, of course, the fact
that this cold-hearted man had done something called love back in the day was
something that was hard to believe. But,
I
shouldn't have seen this. I was overcome by a strange feeling, it felt like my
heart was being stabbed by something until I frowned. I feel like, I've seen
something I shouldn't have seen. Haa, I'll pretend I didn't see it. I didn't
see anything. That's right! I closed my eyes, shook my head, and turned around.
"Ugh!"
I
was so shocked that I held my chest and stepped back. Why, why, why, why is
Claude here, not in bed!!? The golden color spread across the black leather
sofa is very clearly visible. Claude lay motionless on the long sofa and closed
his eyes. The sofa was in front of the world map, but I didn't see it because
of the back of the sofa, I didn't realize that Claude had been lying there all
this time.
Ugh,
Da#n. I was so shocked that I felt like my heart was going to fall out. Of
course, I knew that he was sleeping, but I thought he was sleeping in bed, I
didn't expect him to actually sleep here. What if I have a heart attack because
of the shock!? But, unlike me, who was still panicking and continuing to hold
my pounding chest, Claude continued to sleep peacefully, he didn't even move an
inch.
Uwaaa,
annoying. I want to hit him. Just once. Can't I just hit him once? I suddenly
felt annoyed and moved closer to the sofa where Claude was lying. Instantly my
feelings became mixed when I saw his face which was at eye level with me.
Extraordinary.
He slept like a prince in a fairy tale. With his eyes closed Claude looked very
gentle and kind. Of course, I accidentally thought about this and immediately
shuddered with goosebumps. Did my eyes go crazy for a moment? Who looks gentle
and kind? He? Not someone else, but this Psychopath Claude?
However,
even if I rubbed my eyes and looked at it again, you could believe that the sleeping
face before me was the same as the face of the saint hanging on the wall.
That's quite to my taste. Can't you just stay like this and never wake up?
I
looked at Claude with mixed feelings, then I waved my hand over his face. It
seemed like he was really fast asleep, considering that he wasn't woken up by
Felix's screams from outside the door and my voice coming in here. If I were an
assassin who came to kill him, would he still sleep peacefully like this?
Okay.
Only 1 hit. I don't know when I'll be able to hit him in the future, so this is
my chance. Moreover, of course, I haven't forgotten what happened at the lake!
I wondered which part I should hit, but if I hit him in the face, it would be
obvious, so I raised my hand towards his body.
Hwiikk!
Tuk!
But
then, something fell out of my sleeve, and unfortunately it hit Claude's
forehead, then it bounced off and landed on the carpet. It was the chocolate I
had hidden under my sleeve, the chocolate I took from the kitchen this
afternoon.
Ahhhh……!
I
tucked it into my sleeve so Lily wouldn't find out. I completely forgot about
the existence of the chocolate because I had to greet the maids that Claude
gave me at that time, and today I didn't change my clothes. I held my breath,
making sure that Claude who had been hit by chocolate didn't wake up. And at
that very moment, Claude's eyes opened silently, like a ghost.
"……"
"……"
I
froze, my current position was, that I was raising my hand towards him. Claude
blinked slowly, once, twice, and then he looked at me with dry eyes. His gaze
was fixed on my face, his gaze was so clear that I didn't think he was someone
who had just fallen asleep. Finally, I gently placed the hand I was raising to
hit Claude on his chest. Then, I awkwardly patted Claude's chest and opened my
mouth,
“S-S-Sleep
well……”
What
am I doing now………?
I
realized what I did accidentally and I screamed out loud inside the day.
Whoaaaa, Aaaahhhhh, Uwaaaaaa, Huuuwaaaaaa! What should I do!? Just now, I
touched the nose hairs of a sleeping lion, right? Is this an emergency? It
would be better if he said something, but instead he said nothing. He just
stared at me, and instantly my mind fell into panic.
"The
moon smiles at you~ See you today~ Babies smile at the stars too~"
Uwaaaa,
crazy! Why does my mouth move as it pleases at times like this? I said what? A
lullaby for Claude? Stop it!
"Tomorrow
will be a brighter morning~ So dream sweetly~ Good night, my darling~"
I
patted Claude's chest with all my strength, I wondered if he realized that I
was going to hit him. Come to think of it, what kind of expression did I make
when Claude opened his eyes? Am I making a Chucky Doll-like expression? Whoops.
Why does it feel like everything I do can make my lifeline cut?
"What
song is that?"
However,
for some reason, Claude, who had just been silent and watching what I was
doing, now opened his mouth. I quickly answered as if I was grabbing a
lifeline.
"A
lullaby to chase away nightmares."
He
doesn't know lullabies? The maid eonnis said that everyone in the country grew
up listening to this lullaby. But I can't talk about this lullaby in detail, so
I changed the topic. Hiding my true feelings, I smiled innocently.
"Good
morning, Papa!"
For
a moment, Claude's expression became subtle. Of course, it was a very, very brief
moment, so I wonder if I was looking wrong. But I'm sure that I saw the corner
of his mouth smile earlier.
"It's
not morning now."
"Good
afternoon!"
Can't
we just ignore that trivial thing?
"Felix
let you in?"
He
saw me in his bedroom, and apparently, he quickly deduced the whole situation.
Claude lifted his body, trying to sit up, and then he brushed the hair flowing
around his eyes languidly. Maybe because he had just laid down, his hair was
more tousled than usual, and the clothes he was currently wearing were also
open at his chest, showing his well-organized muscles. Ah, I feel embarrassed.
This is a bit embarrassing. Even though my current appearance is that of a
child, inside I'm a woman!
Without
paying attention to my presence, Claude turned his gaze out the window on the
left. Outside, the yellowish sun was starting to set. He rose from his sitting
position slowly, like a beast stretching itself, and then he muttered,
"We'll
have dinner here."
***
"Seeing
your fair skin, it seems you are fine."
This
was the first time I came face to face with Claude since we started boating. I
was sitting in the middle of the Emperor's bedroom and I saw that there was a
lot of food spread out on this table. Of course, all these dishes were
well-arranged and looked delicious enough to make one drool, but looking from
another perspective, for an Emperor, this was a simple dinner.
I
thought that it was unexpected, but I just raised my head in confusion when I
heard Claude's words. There's no way he didn't know that I was sick, but he
didn't come to visit me. No, of course, if he visited me, it would only make my
pain worse. But in any case, I was very surprised that Claude talked about my
condition. I really don't want to hear him say something like, 'I heard you
were sick, are you feeling better?' or 'Thank God you're cured'. Yes, that's
correct. Why would Claude say something like that?
"Papa
has become prettier!"
Don't
forget that I am a helpless ordinary citizen. Remember, Plan C, Plan C. For
Plan B, it's important to show this guy that I'm healthy enough and won't die
today or tomorrow! Whether it's a dirty or dangerous life, there's nothing more
important than life! I replied to Claude's words like a fool and laughed out
loud in my heart. Apparently, my smile became something attractive in Claude's
eyes. Yes, a small child who fell into the lake yesterday is now smiling
broadly. Of course, this is a strange thing. Isn't it?
Claude,
who was sitting languidly in front of me, rested his chin on his hand and
looked at me. Ugh, why is he showing off his fatal charm? Have you decided to
let me go now? That's a good thing. Of course, I won't be tempted by him!
"Eat.
I asked them to prepare a dish you like."
This
is a meat dish, right? That means you want to say that I'm fat, right? You're
talking harshly, right?
"Thank
you for the food."
Of
course, that doesn't mean I can't eat it. I ignored Claude's words and decided
to focus on eating. Wow, this literally melted in my mouth. Does Claude eat all
this every day? In my palace, there is also meat that looks expensive like
this, but the quality or taste is not like this. This is truly discrimination!
However,
this tableware is a bit heavy for me who is still small. Moreover, they didn't
even cut my meat, so I had to cut it myself one by one before eating it. And
this table is too high for me!
Tring,
finally the knife slipped from my hand, scratched the plate, and made a sharp sound.
Ugh, I suddenly held my breath. Apart from being embarrassed, I could tell that
Claude was looking at me. Uwaaa, you're not offended that I made annoying
noises, right? You wouldn't throw that knife you were holding at me, right?
"I
think you should learn more etiquette."
Luckily
Claude just glanced at me and then said that in a humble voice. Fyuhh, it feels
like my life has been reduced by 10 years.
"Tomorrow,
I will send people to your palace to teach you the basic etiquette. Maybe this
is because you learned from unknown people. So they only taught you one or two
things, not the whole thing."
Hah?
Are you now insulting my maid eonnis? What 'unknown people'? Those eonnis, they
are all nobles. Why do you even say something like that!!?
"From
now on, get a better education."
Oh,
yeah. You are a member of the Imperial Family. For a moment, I couldn't control
my expression but luckily I didn't get caught because my chair was at the end
of the table. Fortunately, this dining table is very large. Something was
bubbling inside me, but instead, I smiled broadly at Claude.
"Athi
will work hard, Papa!"
Then,
I wondered why Claude gave me a mysterious look like that. During this time, I
had spent a lot of time drinking tea with Claude, it was a matter of torment.
But this was the first time Claude looked at me with eyes like that. He looked
at me with a gaze that was like looking at a strange animal, I felt uneasy.
Claude looked at me with that look the entire dinner. Oh my, I think I'm going
to have a stomach ache.
"Papa,
good night! Bye-bye!"
After
spending a very long dinner with Claude, I was taken home to the Ruby Palace in
Felix's arms. He gave me greetings to have a comfortable night as usual, but I
snorted "Hmph!" without accepting his greeting. When Lily saw that,
she made a confused face. I really hate Felix. He, he made me go into Claude's
room even though I wasn't ready for that at all! Ugh, just remembering it makes
me shiver, even if I had to tear Felix's head off, I still wouldn't feel
relieved. Sob. I still couldn't believe how he could push me towards Claude in
that way.
Felix
turned around with a smile on his face, didn't he understand what I meant by
snorting at him? Argh, that makes me even angrier.
"Lily,
I want to hear a lullaby."
That
night, acting cute, I begged Lily to sleep with me. She laughed as if she was
in a good mood even though I was being childish. And then, gently, she patted
my body covered with the blanket.
"Want
me to sing one more song?"
Soon,
a gentle voice entered my ears.
"When
night falls, please pick flowers for me~ The beautiful star will greet you and
smile~"
Wow...
Lily's singing really couldn't be compared to the lullaby I sang in a mess. I
feel like today, I want to kick my blanket, but I have to hold it in because
Lily is still here.
"Goodbye
today, tomorrow will come a brighter morning~"
When
I heard that soft voice, my eyes closed by themselves. I always feel happy
listening to lullabies that someone sings just for me. Although actually, I'm
too old to sleep while listening to lullabies.
"Come
sweet dreams~ Good night, my darling~"
I
don't know what kind of variety show awaits me tomorrow. But, let's forget
everything and sleep. I have to sleep well so that I can be healthy and grow
tall. If I close my eyes, then, as soon as I open them, I hope 10 years have
just passed by. Haha.
"Sleep
well, my darling~"
Good
night, Lily! I tried to get rid of Claude's ugly face, and I kept my eyes
closed, listening to the song Lily was singing. And like I always do every night,
I dream that time passes quickly.
***
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