The Mad Princess's Tale of Doom and Survival

  “I think it might be Lady Astel who manipulated the servants. She seems more normal than the rumors say.”

  “Oh my!”

  “When a crazy person threatens you, who can withstand it? Only the servants of the Luteous household have been unfortunate.”

  “Now that I think about it, Elaine’s words seem right. But I’m curious. I’ve never seen a crazy person before, so I wonder.”

  “Lady Hestia, who attended the funeral, said something strange. She said it seemed off. It looked like Lord Kael and Dante had a discussion with Lord Alex, so they went to the mansion. But Lady Astel seemed confident, as if it was because of her.”

  “Oh, how awful. Why doesn’t Duke Luteous do something about Lady Astel? Is it okay to let someone who’s not in their right mind wander around?”

  “To be honest, I’m more afraid of going out because of Lady Astel than monsters. What if we bump into her?”

  It wasn’t Elaine who spread the rumors about Dante. She skillfully avoided talking about the hunters. She enjoyed gossiping, though.

  ‘Then who could it be?’

  I accidentally turned my head and almost spilled my tea.

  Genia’s face was on the verge of exploding, looking incredibly angry. She was visibly trying hard to control her anger.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Even after hearing such things, Lady Astel doesn’t seem bothered at all.”

  “If I reacted to every little thing like that, I’d spend my whole life getting angry.”

  “No, that’s not fair. It feels really unfair. It was Lady Astel who risked her life to defeat monsters, not Prince Ihwang… But because His Majesty issued a gag order[1], no one acknowledges it. They all just make unpleasant remarks…”

  “It doesn’t matter if they acknowledge it or not. I was just trying to make money. And who’s risking their lives? You’re the one talking nonsense.”

  “But… but Lady Astel isn’t crazy…”

  “I said it doesn’t matter. Just stop.”

***

  “I said it doesn’t matter. Just stop.”

  Genia clenched her fists, on the verge of tears.

  She couldn’t hold back her anger any longer. She felt like standing in the middle of the street and shouting at the top of her lungs.

  “The number one rank isn’t the second Prince, it’s our Lady Astel! Our crazy lady who you all mock and ridicule defeated the boss and closed the gate!”

  To Genia, Astel was not only her precious sister but also the savior who saved her life, including Koon.

  With a single step, Astel rushed forward and struck down the monsters, lifting Genia up from her despair.

  The coolness of Astel at that moment was beyond words.

  ‘Sigh, just thinking about that day makes my heart race again.’

  Looking back, it wasn’t just once or twice.

  Astel had always protected Genia in dangerous moments.

  But Genia didn’t easily notice it.

  It was because she was tired of Astel’s cold attitude and tone of voice, so she was convinced that Astel was heartless.

  She didn’t know that she was misunderstanding and receiving kindness based on just appearances.

  ‘It’s embarrassing to face Koon like this.’

  Genia firmly resolved to follow Astel forever and show her loyalty.

  ‘Our Lady Astel isn’t crazy! She’s so cool and kind! Even though her words may sound a bit harsh… I bet she’s softer than jelly on the inside! Probably!’

  Genia felt unjust and frustrated, and tears welled up in her eyes.

  She felt bitter inside, thinking that Astel might be hurt by the thoughtless words of those who knew nothing.

  Unable to hold back her emotions, Genia started to cry, and Astel opened her mouth in surprise.

  “…Are you crying?”

  “I’m so sad… I’m sorry. I’ll wipe them away quickly.”

  Genia hurriedly wiped away her tears. She didn’t want Astel to worry about her because of her own emotions.

  Besides, Astel probably wasn’t feeling good either, as she had been repeatedly rejected by intermediaries.

  That’s when it happened.

  “Sigh…”

  After letting out a long sigh, Astel suddenly pushed the teacup. The elegant teacup and teaspoon slid smoothly to the edge of the table.

  Genia’s eyes widened with her moistened eyes.

  “Lady Astel? Why did the teacup… huh? Huh?”

  Eventually, the teacup fell under the table.

  Crash! Crunch!

  People’s attention gathered due to the sharp noise.

  A waiter quickly approached with a surprised expression.

  “Are you okay, ma’am? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

  “Yeah.”

  Astel replied blankly.

  Even though she intentionally dropped the teacup, she didn’t show any signs of being flustered.

  ‘Why is my Lady acting like this?’

  Genia blinked her eyes, not understanding a thing.

  “Oh no, what should we do? This teacup was a luxury item custom-made by chef Jean.”

  “So?”

  “It’s an expensive item, so it seems like you should compensate for it. I’m sorry for saying such things when you were surprised.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “Thank you for understanding. So, how would you like to proceed with the compensation?”

  “Send me a bill.”

  “Where should we send it to?”

  Astel turned her hood back without replying.

  The sparkling silver hair and deep blue eyes of a Luteous, the symbol of the Luteous family, were clearly revealed under the store’s lighting.

  Genia was taken aback and covered her mouth with her hand.

  Astel had always worn her robe inside out when going out to hide her appearance.

  Because the rumors about her were so nasty, she intended to block any inconvenience by covering her face in advance.

  That’s why she didn’t reveal her identity until just before signing the contract in front of the intermediaries.

  But now, Astel easily exposed herself like this.

  Knowing how people thought of her…

  Sure enough, sounds of gasps echoed throughout the store.

  “Wow!”

  “She’s a crazy noble!”

  “What’s going on with this crazy lady?”

  “Aren’t we in danger right now? They say she’s a crazy noble hunter…”

  “Uh, dear, haven’t we finished eating? Shall we leave now?”

  “Huh? Y-yeah. Let’s go.”

  Over half of the customers quickly fled as if they were being chased by water.

  Even the waiter, who had been calmly handling the situation, retreated hesitantly.

  Everyone was afraid of Astel as if she were a monster.

  In the space filled with astonishment, Astel’s calm voice resounded.

  “Send the bill to the Luteous Mansion.”

  “Oh, I understand. Then, I’ll, I’ll go back and…”

  “When will the cake come out? Should I wait longer?”

  “I-I’ll check right away and bring it!”

  The waiter went to the kitchen, and when they returned, they were holding a cake box with trembling hands.

  Genia, in a moment of surprise, took the box offered by the trembling waiter.

  Without even understanding what was going on, Astel stood up as if her business was done.

  “Genia, let’s go.”

  “Huh…? Oh, yes! Should we go to the mansion?”

  “No, the Information Guild first.”

  “The largest Information Guild in the capital is nearby. I’ll take you there.”

  Genia hurriedly stood up but then paused.

  It was because Elaine’s pale blue face caught Genia’s eye directly.

  She knew that all the customers were paying attention to Astel.

  But the noble girls who had been happily spreading rumors about Astel and Elaine Rome hadn’t thought about it at all.

  The corners of Genia’s mouth, which had been drooping, slowly lifted.

  “She must be scared. She probably didn’t even dream that the noble lady would be right next to her. She purposely made people misunderstand her, and now she’s enjoying the sight of it!”

  Earlier, Genia was so frustrated that she wanted to turn away from the world, but seeing Elaine’s pale face made her feel relieved.

  Genia smiled inwardly and suddenly closed her mouth.

  ‘Wait, could it be that Lady Astel did all that on purpose because of me?’

  Certainly, Astel had reacted indifferently whether people cursed at her or not.

  She even chuckled at the false rumors spread among the noble girls.

  “But then she suddenly broke the teacup. After I shed tears… Oh, my heart! Just stop bragging!”

  Genia pressed her chest with her palm and looked at Astel.

  Suddenly, Astel was standing in front of a table where noble girls were gathered.

  “Elaine Rome.”

  “….”

  At Astel’s words, Elaine stood up, biting her lip.

  Her white face was stained with defeat. The expressions of the noble girls who saw her like that became puzzled.

  “Do you remember what I said? That I would let you know your rank.”

  “…I remember.”

  “What place are you in the rankings?”

  “Her Majesty forbade any mention of rankings…”

  “Then let me ask you like this. Are you ranked higher than me?”

  “…Maybe we should talk in a quiet place. People can hear us.”

  “Who? Who would dare to eavesdrop on our conversation like a little mouse?”

  Astel said that and looked around.

  As she did, the noble girls who were pricking up their ears turned their heads as if they had been caught on fire.

  “It seems like nobody’s listening. So, what’s your answer?”

  “…No.”

  “I can’t hear you. What did you say?”

  “Milady, you have a higher rank than me!”

  “Tell me how big the difference is.”

  “You’re being really mean….”

  “Come on.”

  “It’s like the difference between the sky and the ground! Are you satisfied now?”

  Elaine couldn’t bear the crushing blow to her pride and tears welled up in her eyes.

  The noble girls were too shocked to say anything.

  In the silence that fell over the store, only the sound of Elaine sobbing echoed.

  Yet Astel didn’t even blink an eye. She just looked around at the noble girls with a grim expression.

  No one could meet her cold gaze. The atmosphere was completely subdued.

  Astel muttered to herself as if talking to herself.

  “But what are these things doing sitting in front of a lady?”

  The startled noble girls quickly stood up.

  Astel carefully observed their frozen state.

  One of the anxious girls cautiously asked, “Why… why are you looking at us like that?”

  “As you all know, I’m a little crazy. That’s probably why it’s hard for me to control my anger. Once I get angry, I have to let it out somehow to calm down my emotions. So I hope you watch your words. It’s a world where you don’t know what might happen.”

  “A-Are you threatening us right now?”

  “Threatening? I was just stating a fact.”

  Astel turned away from the pale-faced girls and walked out of the store, followed by Genia.

  Is this how it feels when a ten-year-long burden is lifted? Her steps felt light, as if she could fly.

  Genia was savoring the overwhelming emotions that rushed over her like a tidal wave when she noticed something and discreetly asked.

  “Lady, were you embarrassed about talking about rankings in front of people?”

  “…Why?”

  “Your cheeks turned all red.”

  “….”

  “Put on your hood quickly.”

  Astel, who seemed momentarily frozen, flipped her hood over her head.

  Then, she faintly heard someone cursing under their breath.

  “Oh, even the way she curses is cool. How does she make those words sound so sharp?”

  Genia tightly clasped her hands together and whispered as if speaking to herself.

  “Thank you, milady.”

  “I didn’t do it for you.”

  Astel retorted coldly and boarded the carriage. However, Genia’s admiration didn’t diminish one bit.

[1] Gag order: a judicial ruling barring public disclosure or discussion (as by the press) of information related to a case