“Welcome, Titania.”
“Hello Father, no, I mean Your Majesty the Emperor!”
I slowly made my way to the wide dining table, strutting like an impetuous princess eager to prove that I was the Emperor’s favorite daughter. It was a very long and broad table, almost filling the long hall halfway. And as expected, almost all the members of the Imperial Family were there.
The emperor sat at the head of the table, flanked by the Empress and Queen. Sitting next to the Empress and Queen, were the First and Second Princes, respectively…
No, the first prince had yet to come.
I ran here as fast as I could, but I still came later than the Emperor, so I should get a slap on the wrist, even though it wasn’t even 6 o’clock yet. But I doubt that will happen, given the Emperor’s ‘generous’ greeting.
Actually, since the First Prince wasn’t here yet, it would be better for him to let it slide, since if he punished me, he would have to punish that bastard too.
I quickly walked in and took my seat next to an empty chair that had been set aside for me. The chair should be the seat of the Second Queen, who never left her palace, citing illness as an excuse…
Everyone in the room knew she wasn’t coming.
This pointless act was repeated at every Imperial family meal, even when there weren’t many, because the Emperor said, ‘It’s disrespectful if you don’t even save a seat for someone who can’t come.’
How very emperor-like of him.
On a subject that he genuinely couldn’t care less about nor even be concerned with. He was afraid that if he seemed dismissive, it would make him seem timid and weak. He just wanted to hear, ‘What a great man you are, not forgetting those who are absent.’
“Hehe, your Majesty, the Emperor? Have you gotten sick or something? Just call me father. What does it matter?”
“Yes, yes, father!”
I put down the glass of water I was drinking and shouted excitedly, as if I couldn’t help myself. It was harder than I thought to maintain the tone of an excited girl who could squeal at any moment.
I mean, what else can I say, dad or papa?
Irresponsible emperor bastard.
‘She’s acting like a grown-up after her illness,’ you think, and yet you didn’t seem to care when Titania was stuck in limbo. You never even bothered to send for a doctor.
Those are the first words you spoke to your daughter when she woke up from her coma. Well, it wasn’t unexpected. The Emperor had treated Princess Titania like a pet.
So young, so beautiful, so promising as a match for House Castraine, and yet here she was, hovering around him, begging for affection. He would say a few nice things and cuddle her when he could, but never take her seriously or assume any responsibility. If it seriously paws at the Emperor or poops in his living space, he would freak out, kick the damn thing out, and leave it to others to discipline it by beating it to death.
If it died, he would be scrambling to find a replacement as soon as possible.
“I hear you’ve been ill, but I’m glad your face is unharmed, Princess Titania. I also heard there was some trouble at the palace yesterday.”
Queen Cleo’s words were directed at me as she picked at the salad that had been served as an aperitif. She was dressed more modestly than usual for the family meal, but the Ocean of Stars was still in her up-do, and it was clear she was intent on getting under the Empress’s skin.
The look she threw my way was especially meaningful.
I see. So, officially, Queen Cleo didn’t come to me the other day to comfort me and hand me a sword? Naturally, when the subject of the Consecration would be brought up, I would ‘voluntarily’ offer to go instead of involving Queen Cleo. I ducked my head for a moment, like I was caught off guard.
Even if they pretend otherwise, there was not a single person sitting at this table who did not know what happened in my palace yesterday. Even the Empress, who did not utter a word at this table, and the Second Prince, who sipped water quietly beside her.
The Empress, as usual, ignored Queen Cleo, who defied her, and the Emperor, who secretly sided with her and didn’t even look at her. The second prince, however, was different. Although he put on an outwardly disinterested face, his eyes were constantly darting from place to place, secretly observing the situation.
Oops, eye contact.
Ignoring the momentary hardening of those green eyes in surprise, I cried out, hands shaking as if I couldn’t take it anymore.
Damn it. The only thing I’m good at is acting.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! That madman, no, Lord Lysianthus of House Castraine insulted me!”
One of the Emperor’s eyebrows arched. Queen Cleo seemed rather amused, as if my words had been ignored. Of course, my words had been like a kindling for Titania’s usual temper tantrum.
If Titania, who was short-sighted and impatient, really tried to restore her relationship with Raymon by giving him the famous sword right away, it would be difficult for her as a princess.
Of course, the First Queen didn’t really think that giving him a sword would improve the relationship between Raymon and me.
In the meantime, Lysianthus and I had a big fight.
Considering my fiancé’s reputation, would I fight with his brother, and just think ‘let’s move on, shall we’?
If Titania had been that kind of girl…
We wouldn’t have gotten this far…
Besides, Lysianthus had always been a source of Titania’s inferiority complex. Every time they fought each other, Raymon always sided with him.
In other words, the original foolish Titania would have embarrassed the Emperor at this point. She would have demanded his head be cut off, his arms be chopped off, and all sorts of other things for daring to insult her.
Of course, it was petty stuff. The Emperor would actually be tempted to chuckle here.
“Well, I’ve prepared the best, most thoughtful teatime treats ever!”
Cry! Let’s cry! I should think of the saddest time of my life.
The final installment of an epic series of movies that I’ve been waiting almost a decade for… that has been delayed due to a production company merger and turned into a flop that will go down in movie history.
Taking annual leave to go see a movie in the early hours of the morning, and then throwing away the popcorn and coke on the way out, sobbing uncontrollably?
When you came down with a bad case of enteritis and spent the entire time in the hospital, surviving on a diet of Ringer’s and rice pudding, and when you finally got out of the hospital and ran to your favorite tteokbokki restaurant you were dying to eat at, only to find it was closed?
No!
When I suddenly woke up to find myself in the body of a Life Hardcore Difficulty Insouciant Princess, for a 2nd round at life!
“Hmm, hmm, come on, the Rose Palace is not even worthy of me! It’s not even worthy of the flames I can create with my sword! Just like you, the Rose Palace’s facilities are like a mousetrap, so I won’t waste any of it, even if I have to set it on fire…”
The Emperor’s expression changed. The Empress’s expression also shifted.
The Empress was… The look in both of their eyes was slightly different, as if they were thinking, ‘What am I seeing?‘
The maids, being the servants that had attended to us, naturally know that Lysianthus and I had a bitter fight, hurling insults at each other. But the truth was, against someone like House Castraine, such petty insults won’t escalate.
The only thing I had a problem with was the obvious “collateral damage”.
So, yeah. He started a fire, and then went on to damage the Rose Palace, the very fabric of the Imperial Palace.
Disgraceful!
Even if the Princess lived in a palace that was less well-equipped than other palaces, it was still a prestigious palace. I didn’t say it was worthless. Perhaps he was comparing it to House Castraine’s main residence. If the Duke of Castraine’s mad dog just lost his temper and got angry, it was something the Emperor could just laugh off.
In fact, it might even give you a mental victory over the other members of the Duchy, who are harder to find weaknesses in, like, ‘Thank goodness our princes aren’t so unruly.’
However, the thought of the Imperial House falling to the House of Castraine would be unbearable!
“The princess has had a hard time. Please stop crying.”
“Hmph… I’m afraid I’m not good enough, Your Majestyaaaah…….”
“Ugh, stop crying!”
I looked up at the Emperor, swallowing sharply as if I had forced myself to stop crying. The Emperor seemed to consider something for a moment, then said.
“I have heard that the Rose Palace has been set on fire and cannot be left as it is, so I shall take this opportunity to rebuild it with great splendor, so that no one, not even a member of House Castraine, would dare to scoff at it as unseemly!”
“Ah, well, I have only you to turn to!”
Ugh. He doesn’t even have the nerve to challenge the Duke. I knew it would be like this. I outwardly dazzled and admired, while inwardly spitting curses.
