***
After being reborn, I realized 20 years had passed since my death.
I found myself the sole princess of the empire.
Was it the Ilnord Empire, the one that had been my enemy and supposedly killed me?
If that were the case, it would have been an intriguing situation.
But no, the country where I was born as a princess was called…
The Promian Empire.
A new empire established by a monstrous mage that appeared after my death.
“He’s away right now because he’s fighting a war with Ilnord, but I’m sure His Majesty will like you when he returns.”
Even the emperor of this empire seemed to have developed a similar force against Ilnord, which was the center of the continent until my death.
No, they were even pushing Inod back.
Ilnord was in a tight spot.
‘Well, that’s a bit ironic.’
I might have avoided being born in the Ilnord Empire, and to top it off, I was the only princess of their enemy.
It seemed lucky at first glance, but unfortunately, it wasn’t.
“Having taken care of the baby all this time, I know them best. She’s so adorable; anyone would fall in love at first sight.”
The person whispering sweet words to me incessantly right now, almost wearing out my ears, is Monia, the maid who takes care of me most closely.
Her affectionate comfort was, in reality, closer to desperate soliloquies.
Just hearing her stories was enough to understand my situation here perfectly.
I was an existence abandoned in the Emperor’s indifference.
Although I was the only princess of the empire, the Empress died shortly after giving birth to me.
The Emperor hadn’t bothered to glance at me and had been away for three months on a war campaign.
Furthermore, the Emperor and the Empress had entered into a strategic marriage for an alliance, but they detested each other terribly. The Emperor was solely obsessed with war, leaving no affection for the child.
A background lacking parental love.
So, Monia’s hopeful whispers were like an incantation, hoping her wishes would turn into reality.
“Later on, surely a beautiful name will come to mind. When that happens, I’ll call you as much as you want.”
I didn’t even have a name.
Thus, the titles used to address me were just ‘Baby’ or ‘Princess.’
A nameless princess!
Even when I was just a street urchin, I had a name!
Even an unwanted child should at least have a name considered before birth, shouldn’t they?
Not even doing that felt like rejecting my very lineage.
A neglected princess from birth.
That was my fate.
“Pffft!”
Pfft. I let out a scoff.
What’s the big deal about not having a name?
For someone, reincarnation might be a new opportunity.
They can start a new life to resolve lingering regrets from the past or live a completely opposite life.
But as for me,
‘It’s annoying.’
My life had already ended a long time ago.
The thought of starting life anew seemed so bothersome it could kill me.
I didn’t want a fresh chance.
There were no lingering regrets in my life anymore, and I had no desires.
But why was I born again?
Once was enough for my life. I didn’t want it twice.
So, this was an unnecessary reincarnation.
“It’s okay. I’m here for you, Princess. You’re the only one for me.”
Yet, right in front of me, Monia’s face, beaming with energy and a forced smile, appeared.
In truth, her face, pretending to be cheerful for me, was rather melancholic.
‘Ugh, I can’t pretend I don’t notice.’
Whether I wanted a life or not, Monia is putting effort for me in this very moment.
Thump, thump, thump—
I reached out my short hand and patted Monia.
It felt quite awkward and odd, but-
“Gooaah!”
I’m fine, Monia, so cheer up!
“Princess, are you trying to comfort me?”
“Heung!”
“Indeed, Princess, you’re too adorable!”
It happened when Monia, who felt my small gesture like a lightning bolt, suddenly pulled me into a tight hug.
“Ugh, here we go again. Don’t you get tired?”
“I heard that crying sound all day, and now it’s haunting me in my dreams. You should at least try to be gentle if you want to survive. Tsk.”
But they keep poking at my temper.
Monia wasn’t the only one here.
Dela and Sonia, the maids who assist Monia in taking care of me, were sitting on the sofa, chatting away.
While complaining about my crying, their shamelessness wasn’t just something they came up with.
‘Hmm, where have I seen this arrogance before?’
Whether in the imperial family or in an aristocratic family, it was always the employees whose attitude toward their children changed the most depending on the attention and love of their parents.
Therefore, Dela and Sonia’s actions were based on the judgment that it would be a loss to properly serve a being abandoned by the emperor.
‘Those brats should be kicked out at least!’
Monia, who silently took care of everything, frustrated me.
Then,
“Aren’t you being careful with your words?”
Monia, who had remained silent even in the face of the maids’ rude behavior, fiercely expressed anger at my protective words.
“Why does it matter what we say? You won’t understand anyway.”
However, Dela still ignored Monia. In the end, Monia snapped, clenching her fist.
Slam!
“Why so noisy? Get ready, His Majesty will be here soon.”
The door suddenly opened without a knock, and the chamberlain peeked into the room, announcing.
‘The Emperor is coming?’
The Emperor, who had put me in this miserable situation, was apparently on his way.
“H-His Majesty?”
It seems I didn’t mishear after all.
The first to react was Dela, who had been half-lounging on the sofa with one foot on the table.
She jolted in surprise, getting up from her seat.
“He arrived earlier than scheduled. He said he’s coming to see the Princess soon, so get ready quickly.”
The chamberlain left with just those words.
Simultaneously, the bedroom became chaotic.
“Princess, His Majesty is finally here. It’s going so well!”
“Uh?”
What’s going well? I’m not happy at all!
“I’ll prepare you to meet His Majesty in perfect condition.”
Monia said excitedly, facing me.
Meanwhile, the maids who had been idling on the sofa started moving in a flurry.
However, their purpose was the opposite of Monia’s.
“Why does he come to see the princess as soon as he arrives?”
“He’s probably just stopping by. Let’s tidy up quickly and stay quiet. To avoid trouble, it’s better for us to have as little presence as possible.”
“Right. Let’s just stand quietly in the back.”
I observed their actions for a moment, then turned my head.
Instead, I twisted my lips with disdain, glaring at the door that could open at any moment.
Well, this is perfect. I was curious about that Emperor’s identity. Let’s see this supposedly remarkable face.
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