Chapter 71

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Once I began my full-fledged public activities alongside Marie, I quickly became busy as the future Crown Princess.

When I first started social activities, I had been terribly worried, but now that I was actually doing it, it was fine.

Because I had studied and trained with Madam Lucy, there were no major problems.

No one in high society who met me looked down on me or underestimated me.

I had already dealt with Gabriel before, and that experience seemed to have helped me in ways I hadn’t realized.

“Gabriel has a notorious reputation, after all.”

Marie said with a shrug. Her attitude seemed to say, what’s the big deal about that?

People often witnessed ladies our age calling Gabriel “the princess of the Nevel family” behind her back.

‘That’s not wrong. She really does act like a princess.’

“You must never lose to Gabriel!”

Marie stepped forward as if it were her own business and actively helped me.

Insisting that Gabriel must never be allowed to covet my position, the first thing Marie recommended was strengthening my friendship with Empress Ludmila.

“Oh my, Artie, you’re here.”

“It’s been a while, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Hoho, ‘Your Majesty the Empress’—how distant. Stop with the formalities and sit here.”

“Yes.”

As I spent teatime with Empress Ludmila at Grace Palace every day, I also began stopping by Kristen Palace.

Because Emperor Carlo occasionally summoned me.

“You go to the Empress every day, yet you don’t come to see me often—I feel slighted, new daughter-in-law.”

“I’ll visit often.”

“That’s right, good. Well done.”

Emperor Carlo smiled in satisfaction and shyly suggested to me.

“In that spirit, won’t you try calling me Father?”

Whenever that happened, Princess Marie inevitably appeared and helped me.

“Father! You’re really being ridiculous!”

Whenever Princess Marie scolded him, Emperor Carlo would cower before his daughter’s reproach as if he had never done anything wrong.

“If you want to be loved by your daughter-in-law, be a father-in-law who keeps strict courtesy! Understood?!”

“Yes, I understand. Now stop, Marie.”

“Stop, what do you mean stop?! And Father, stop buying small animals! Mother is worried there aren’t enough enclosures.”

“Ah, we can just build more enclosures—what’s the problem?”

“Of course it’s a problem! That’s the problem, Father!”

Watching the father and daughter bicker, I quietly shook my head.

Before entering the palace, I had heard until my ears bled that the imperial family was different from ordinary people, so from the start I had vaguely thought they must be very special beings.

But after spending several months together in the imperial palace, I realized they were just the same as other common people.

The only difference was that they had a lot of money, lived in a splendid place, and wanted for nothing.

“Well, that’s a pretty big difference.”

In any case, it was a day when life in the imperial palace was smoother than usual.

“I want to go out!”

Marie, who had been coming in and out of Lily Palace despite Adrian’s order forbidding it, clung to my arm and whined.

“Artie, I want to go out!”

“That’s a request I can’t grant, Marie.”

We, who had once spoken formally to each other, had now agreed to speak casually.

We still used formal speech in front of the adults, but when we were alone, we spoke like friends.

“Ahhhh, I want to go out. The new book! The new release! I want to see it!”

“Marie, calm down.”

When news spread that Estina Volume 4, which had been canceled, would finally be released, Marie writhed every single day, desperate to go outside the palace.

Naturally, the imperial adults had opposed it—needless to say.

“You can go out, though.”

“What kind of going out is it to drag a whole train of escorts along! If it’s obvious at a glance who I am, there’s no point in going out to play!”

Marie sniffled.

“I wanted to get Estina Volume 4 before anyone else…….”

“It’ll come into the palace anyway, won’t it?”

“That’s not the same.”

Marie smacked her lips.

“Going to a bookstore, picking up the displayed book like this, paying for it myself, and opening it—that’s different!”

It was a statement that was hard to understand and hard not to. After writhing for a long while, Marie suddenly lifted her head.

“Artie.”

“Yes?”

Marie’s eyes as she looked at me were gleaming excessively.

Those were the eyes of someone whose mind had gone somewhere strange.

“Artie, we’re friends, right?”

“Um, yes. Why?”

I asked back, swallowing my unease, and Marie grinned.

“Let’s go out!”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you remember? Father and Mother said that if you go out with Artie, we only need to take two escorts!”

“Two, you mean……?”

“Naturally, Lord Essen is Artie’s escort knight, so he’ll come, and then the other one is…….”

Marie tapped her cheek with her index finger, then clapped her hands.

“Let’s bring that pink-haired one!”

It was a passage where one could tell who she meant without her even saying the name.

Chapter 18. The Only Sane Person in This Area Is Me!

There was one great obstacle in Marie’s plan. Needless to say, it was Crown Prince Adrian.

But Marie overcame that great obstacle simply.

“He’s going to oppose it anyway, so we just won’t tell him and go out!”

“Ah! What a method…….”

As if I would say that. Artie was genuinely worried.

“It’ll be difficult if Adrian finds out.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Artie, don’t worry and just follow me!”

Even as I changed into a light outing dress and followed Marie, Artie was endlessly uneasy.

She was worried about how on earth Marie planned to handle the aftermath.

“Leave her be. She’s Adrian’s little sister.”

When Artie grew serious with worry over Marie, Essen, who had been quietly following, tossed out the words.

It was a simple remark, but Artie gained a deep realization.

‘Right, well. She’ll figure something out.’

Having decided to set her mind at ease, Artie’s eyes met Diano’s.

Diano, who had been peacefully guarding the Crown Prince’s office and had been dragged out by Acacia as bait without knowing what was happening, still looked like he had no idea what was going on.

Her conscience pricked slightly, but it was all part of Marie’s plan, so there was nothing to be done.

When Artie smiled with an apologetic face, Diano grew even more puzzled.

“The weather is nice.”

The outside of the imperial palace, which I had not seen in a long time, felt different even though it was the same scenery.

‘I wonder if Uncle Helmer is doing well.’

I wanted to visit if I got the chance, but it seemed such an opportunity would not arise.

Essen looked at Artie walking right beside him.

The somewhat splendid dresses she wore while staying in the imperial palace also suited her and looked good, but Artie in these plain, simple clothes was cute as well.

‘I think I understand why Adrian likes her.’

What exactly was this feeling of understanding something he didn’t want to understand?

Essen had already noticed his own gaze, which refused to leave Artie.

“Are you worried about Adrian?”

“Of course I’m worried.”

When Artie answered with a sigh, Essen smiled as if to say that made sense.

Still, Essen was satisfied with simply being outside like this and seeing new sides of Artie.

Because Adrian wasn’t here.

“Artie, look over there!”

Marie called Artie in a loud voice and grabbed her, dragging her along.

Essen furrowed his brow, but Marie paid no mind and monopolized Artie.

“Over there! That! Look at that!”

What Marie pointed to was a large transport carriage. It seemed to be moving to stock the market.

“Isn’t it amazing?!”

To Artie, it was a familiar sight she had seen since childhood, so she felt nothing particular.

“Is it really all right to pile luggage on a carriage like that and drive around? I’ve always wondered about that.”

“Hm. It’s probably illegal.”

“What? Really?!”

Marie looked at Artie in surprise. When Artie nodded slightly, Marie tilted her head.

“Then why don’t the patrols crack down on it?”

“From what I know, if they cracked down on all those transport carriages, it would cause a major disruption in logistics, so they leave them alone.”

“Really? But isn’t that dangerous?”

“It must be dangerous, but……. I’ve never actually heard of an accident caused by something like that.”

When Artie defended them, Marie wore an expression of incomprehension, but she didn’t seem able to outright say it was bad either.

“Artie, you know all sorts of things.”

“Ah…….”

Artie smiled awkwardly.

“How is it that you, who were raised more sheltered than a princess like me, know the outside world so well?”

At Marie’s sharp point, Artie smiled awkwardly. Just then, a low voice turned their attention elsewhere.

“There’s over there.”

Artie gave a grateful nod to Essen, who had diverted their attention.

“Ah, we’re here! Artie, come here!”

As Essen intended, Marie spotted the bookstore and excitedly grabbed Artie and dragged her to it.

Marie’s regular bookstore was unexpectedly a very small shop.

It was twice as small as she had imagined, putting to shame her assumption that it would be the largest building on the busy street.

Ding-a-ling―.

As we opened the door and entered, the bell attached to the door rang. The clear wind-chime sound was refreshing to the ears.

“How is it? Nice, right?”

“Yeah.”

When Artie nodded, Marie smiled proudly. The quiet atmosphere unique to bookstores put the heart at ease.

“Oh, who do we have here? Isn’t this our pretty young lady Marie?”

“Uncle Paul, it’s been a while.”

“Marie, it’s been a while for me too. You stopped coming so often I thought something must have happened.”

“There were some family matters.”

“Oh ho, is that so? Then there was nothing to be done. Come to think of it, the young lady beside you is someone I’m seeing for the first time.”

Artie, receiving the gaze of the bookstore owner Paul, grew slightly tense.

‘I’ve been around this area quite a bit, so maybe he’ll recognize me?’