Chapter 9.
What the heck? This is awkward.
I looked down at the man in front of me with a flustered expression. He bowed his head deeply and spoke in an exceedingly polite voice.
“I’m glad to see you’ve returned safely.”
“Were you worried about me for no reason?”
I almost blurted out “Thank you” without thinking.
But I responded perfectly in character as Rene, and the man lifted his head.
His curly platinum-blond hair swayed gently.
Beneath it, his luminous green eyes locked perfectly with mine.
“I don’t think it was unnecessary. Everyone in this world knows how strong you are, Your Highness, not just me.”
Only then did I remember who the man in front of me was.
“But still, you’re someone I hold dear.”
“Joachim Rommel.”
The man, who had been looking up at me, smiled with a slightly surprised expression, as if it were unexpected.
“You remembered my name.”
“How could I forget?”
He was the man Rene had proposed to.
Of course, not out of love—it was for political marriage.
That said, they weren’t engaged either.
She had said she’d give him an answer once he returned victorious from the war.
For someone as impulsive and capricious as Rene, not giving an immediate response was unusual.
Seeing as I didn’t recognize Joachim right away, it seemed Rene had forgotten about it too. That’s so like her.
‘Thanks to that, I can cancel the proposal without it seeming strange, so I’m grateful.’
“Anyway, thanks for the welcome.”
“It’s my duty and my pleasure, Your Highness.”
Then Joachim took my hand and lightly kissed the back of it.
I almost yanked my hand away in shock, but with superhuman patience, I gazed at him indifferently. This is how Rene would react.
But I couldn’t help worrying about what was behind me. Would Friedrich see Joachim from where he is?
“Allow me the honor of escorting you, Your Highness.”
I couldn’t refuse Joachim’s polite offer, so I accepted his escort and dismounted from my horse.
The emperor headed to the imperial palace, Solara Palace, amid welcomes from family and nobles. I went straight to Rene Palace.
For reference, the princess’s palace, originally called ‘Stella Palace,’ had been renamed to something so full of self-importance because fifteen years ago, on her first victory commemoration, Rene had demanded it from the emperor.
‘Friedrich Kill must be coming too, right?’
I hoped he hadn’t been sent back to the dungeon. A slight worry crept in, but I decided to trust my capable maid, Elsa.
“More importantly, how far are you planning to follow me?”
I asked Joachim, who was still trailing right beside me.
“It’s my duty to escort you to the palace, Your Highness.”
Even though it was a polite way of saying he could leave now, he replied courteously without a hint of disappointment.
“It’s not because you have something you want to talk to me about?”
It had taken over a month to get from the Kill Kingdom to Kelldorf, the capital of Stade.
In that time, there’s no way he hadn’t noticed Friedrich’s presence. Was he here to question me about that?
“Of course, conversing with you is a great joy for me, Your Highness.”
Joachim replied with a small smile.
“But I have no intention of satisfying my own desires by holding back someone who’s tired.”
He truly said nothing more until we reached right in front of the princess’s palace, only then bidding me farewell.
“I’ll visit you again soon. Please rest well.”
“Take care on your way back.”
I at least gave him a humane response before turning toward Rene Palace. Immediately, my brows furrowed.
‘Ugh, so gaudy.’
I thought it was just the exterior, but the interior was no better. Gold-painted pillars that gleamed, polished marble floors, and walls with intricate arabesque patterns.
Admiring the overly lavish interior, I headed to my room, which my body remembered. Then I immediately flopped onto the bed.
“Are you going to sleep without washing up?”
Soon, I heard someone enter, and a familiar voice spoke. I pretended to die, as if begging for mercy.
“My lips and arms feel like they’re going to fall off, Elsa. Let me sleep a bit first.”
Oh, right—I almost forgot the most important question.
“Where’s Friedrich?”
“He’s bathing.”
“……Unlike me. He got to rest comfortably in the dungeon.”
“I wasn’t criticizing you, Your Highness.”
I know…… It’s just my conscience pricking me.
In the end, I asked Elsa to prepare a bath and let her drag me to the bathroom.
Still, soaking in the hot water seemed to ease my fatigue a little.
“Are you really not going to marry Duke Rommel? For a duke, he’s quite modest.”
Originally, Rene planned to demand the right to the throne after the triumphal return and marry Joachim to ascend as empress.
Simply because he was the empire’s only duke.
“I’ll tell only you, Elsa. I don’t want to inherit the throne.”
-Clang!
The perfume bottle Elsa was holding dropped and shattered. A strong fragrance spread through the bathroom in an instant.
She stared blankly for a moment before asking.
“Are you all right?”
“I think I should be asking you that…….”
I decided to skip saying something like, “Is it that shocking?”
Rene had always coveted the emperor’s seat since birth.
“You’ve suddenly changed as a person.”
“Yeah. It’s not because I’m terminally ill or anything.”
“Then may I ask the reason?”
“I’ve realized I’m more of a commoner at heart than I thought. I’m sick and tired of power struggles.”
Elsa looked at me as if I were insane.
It’s definitely something Rene wouldn’t say unless she were crazy.
I shrugged and added.
“Anyway, even if I give it up, they can’t do anything to me about it.”
“……I see.”
Elsa nodded after a long silence.
“Understood.”
“You’re surprisingly calm about it?”
“You’re such a fickle person, after all.”
Elsa continued calmly.
“Tomorrow, you might change your mind and say, ‘After all, I must have this whole world.'”
“Huh?”
“So I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said.”
“Hmm…… If you don’t believe me, I can’t help it, but that’s why I don’t want to marry Duke Rommel. He wants to make me empress.”
“Duke Rommel will probably react similarly to me.”
“That’s why I need to hurry and marry Friedrich. If I marry a defeated nation’s prince who only hinders my succession to the throne, won’t that prove I’m serious?”
With that, I left the bathroom in the robe Elsa had helped me into.
“Has Friedrich finished his bath?”
“He was here until a moment ago and just left.”
At another maid’s reply, I widened my eyes and asked.
“Why? Did he wait long?”
“Not really, but he said to call him if you need him and left.”
“Well, he must be tired from the journey too.”
I nodded nonchalantly.
“I need to sleep first anyway. I’m too exhausted.”
At my words, all the maids gathered to dry my hair.
Thanks to them, that long hair dried soft and fluffy in just a few minutes, and I collapsed onto the bed, falling into sleep.
***
“……In all conscience, shouldn’t they leave me alone for at least today?”
I wanted to sleep soundly until dawn that day.
But according to custom, I had to attend the banquet on the evening of the triumphal ceremony.
Dressed in a gown like a red flame symbolizing victory, I grumbled as I headed to Solara Palace.
“This is why I don’t want to be empress. You get it, right, Elsa?”
“I’m not sure. If it were you, Your Highness, you’d probably compromise by abolishing such customs altogether.”
“…….”
She understands Rene’s character better than I do. Well, she didn’t survive by Rene’s side all this time for nothing.
When I finally arrived at the banquet hall in Solara Palace, a familiar laughter leaked from beyond the door.
I must be the last one.
“Your Highness.”
As I stood still for a moment, Elsa quietly called me. Only then did I smile and nod.
“His Majesty the Emperor, Princess Rene has arrived.”
Through the doors opening on both sides, I saw three people pause.
Suddenly, I thought that Rene might have been lonely all this time.
I felt something similar just now. Like an uninvited guest crashing a family gathering.
There’s no way I’d feel that toward these complete strangers, so it must be this body’s emotions.
‘Is that why she wanted to become empress? Thinking that if she had everything, she’d be less lonely.’
Feeling a bit sorry for the woman, I sat to the left of the emperor.
My stepmother, Empress Gisela, sitting across from me, greeted me with feigned warmth upon seeing me.
“Welcome, Princess. I’m glad to see you’ve returned safely.”
“Yes, I’m glad too.”
Sending assassins behind my back—how shameless. I replied half-heartedly, then raised my voice exaggeratedly.
“I almost got assassinated on the way back, you know?”
“……Assassinated?”
“It’s become routine now, but it gets annoying sometimes. I wonder where all these flies keep coming from.”
The empress visibly wore a flustered expression. Impressive acting.
“By now, even an idiot should know, right? That I won’t die.”
I looked straight at Empress Gisela and asked.
“Do you know who’s keeps sending them, Your Majesty?”
The atmosphere at the table turned icy in an instant.
