After seeing off the emperor, not long after, I received a letter from Simon. It said he would enter the palace around 5 PM and suggested we visit Grandfather together.
‘So, the comment I let slip earlier to the maid about visiting the emperor this evening got back to him.’
Every little thing I did was being reported to Simon. This reaffirmed the direction of the plans I initially set.
No matter how dangerous it was, I had to leave the palace.
“Let him know I’ll go.”
“Understood.”
“In the meantime, I’ll visit the library. You all stay here.”
I left the room with just one escort knight.
Since Ariel had been dismissed, the maids didn’t follow me and merely watched me nervously.
Although I rarely left my room, I often visited the library.
Hugo never went there. Because of this, the maids didn’t find my behavior suspicious.
As I walked down the corridor, I glanced at the escort knight following me and thought,
‘The guard hasn’t been changed.’
This escort knight, if I judged coldly, wasn’t very skilled.
If word of me precisely striking Hugo’s vital point had reached Simon, surely they would have switched him out.
‘Guess no one realized because I immediately withdrew my sword after the strike.’
Ironically, because Hugo wasn’t severely injured, I was able to keep my skills hidden.
As I walked down the corridor, the knight tilted his head and asked
“Princess? This isn’t the way to the library, is it?”
“Oh. I just wanted to take a detour and look around the palace.”
I responded softly, quickening my pace.
The clock tower chimed behind me, signaling the hour.
It was 9 AM.
I immediately leaned out of the corridor and waited briefly.
Soon, I spotted a boy passing below where I hung onto the railing.
Jet-black hair, deep sunset-colored eyes, straight, dark eyebrows, and a high, sharp nose.
Fifteen-year-old Kayan Barklith.
‘It’s Kayan.’
Despite having waited so long for this moment, I found myself holding my breath.
‘It’s really Kayan.’
The memory of him standing behind me, urging me to escape, overlapped with his image now.
A surge of emotion welled up.
There was so much I wanted to say and do with him.
We were both victims of Simon’s schemes, driven to misunderstand each other, and ultimately forced into an unwanted estrangement. The time apart had been far too long.
‘I’ll meet him right now.’
To do that, I needed to repair the friendship I had shattered a year ago.
‘I have to clear up the misunderstanding.’
I immediately leapt over the railing.
I gathered my skirt and pushed off the ground, soaring straight to the trees.
“Princess? Princess! Princesssss!”
Ignoring the escort knight’s panicked cries behind me, I sprinted with only one goal in mind: Kayan Barklith.
I swiftly leapt from tree to tree. It felt refreshing to use aura in my legs for the first time in a while.
Before long…
I spotted a servant standing in Kayan’s path, mumbling.
“Seriously, this is ridiculous… You can’t go this way.”
“The servant from the garden earlier said it was this way. And I’ve stayed in the palace before,”
Kayan retorted, his sharp gaze fixed on the servant as if he wouldn’t back down.
“I distinctly remember being told this was the correct path.”
The servant waved him off irritably.
“Ugh, this way’s closed for construction, I told you.”
I clicked my tongue internally.
“Typical servant mischief.”
The situation with a commoner mercenary family from a border region suddenly gaining a barony was enough to cause resentment. Many palace servants, once fallen nobles, were now playing tricks out of spite.
‘And Kayan is still young as the acting head.’
On this day in my previous life, fifteen-year-old Kayan had been late to an appointment because of the servants’ shoddy directions.
‘Although he eventually received the barony, his reputation suffered. Everyone found out he’d been mocked by the servants…’
I gracefully leapt down from the tree.
Since someone was about to get hurt, I made sure to smile sweetly and speak kindly.
“Excuse me, but I’ll need to step in for a moment.”
At the same time—
“Ahhh!”
Smack! A loud sound echoed as the servant toppled over. I had kicked him in the neck as I landed elegantly.
“P-Princess Ivnoa?”
At my sudden appearance, the servant, who had fallen over, was utterly shocked. Considering I had suddenly dropped from a tree and kicked him in the neck, his reaction was understandable.
The servant, lying sprawled on the ground, looked up at me as if he had seen a ghost, panting heavily.
“W-why, why, why… why are you… there…?”
Kayan flinched as well, but he didn’t seem as startled as the servant. He simply furrowed his brow slightly and murmured,
“…I had a feeling.”
It was clear he had sensed my presence as I moved through the trees.
Without showing much surprise, Kayan quickly composed himself and offered a polite bow.
“I greet Princess Ivnoa, star of the Empire.”
Though courteous, his demeanor was reserved, with a noticeable distance.
The servant scrambled to his feet and bowed hastily.
“I greet Princess Ivnoa, the beautiful star of the Empire!”
Without so much as a glance at the servant, I looked at Kayan with a faint smile and said,
“You are the heir of a barony here as the family representative.”
My tone was calm and kind. Not because it was Kayan, but simply because I had always spoken this way since before entering the palace.
“Which means, it’s improper for a mere servant to speak so casually and rudely to you.”
“…What?”
Kayan looked slightly taken aback.
I met his gaze and smiled gently.
“Well, if you formally file a complaint with the palace, the servant might receive a one-year salary deduction as punishment.”
Just because I stayed in my chambers didn’t mean I was oblivious.
Over the eight years of my past life, I read newspapers every day in my room and learned a lot from my tutors.
“E-Excuse me, Your Highness?”
The servant’s expression now screamed confusion, but I ignored him and continued speaking to Kayan.
“However, normally, at this point, the servant would throw themselves flat on the ground, begging for forgiveness and pleading to be spared just this once.”
Then, with a regretful expression, I added,
“Hmmm… Of course, it would be nice if this were the north, where we’d shave their heads with an axe blade, accidentally trim half an eyebrow, and bury them upside down in the snow for half a day… but they don’t do that here.”
The servant’s jaw dropped at my words, which flowed smoothly despite their harsh content.
Kayan, showing no surprise, asked expressionlessly,
“What should I do, then?”
“Well, you say something like, ‘There won’t be a second chance,’ with a cold tone and let it go. Annoying, but if you don’t, people might call you petty…”
I clicked my tongue and shook my head.
Kayan then remarked in a low voice,
“It seems you’ve adapted well to the palace over the past year.”
“Yes.”
I smiled bitterly.
“As expected, I knew you’d say, ‘Well done.’ Thank you.”
My brother, Simon, or even my mother would’ve scolded me for stepping out of the princess’s quarters.
But only Kayan, who had been harshly cut off by me before, praised me even in this situation.
As I sighed deeply, Kayan spoke again.
“However, this servant still hasn’t thrown themselves down, even now.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
I immediately changed my expression, clapping my hands with a bright smile.
“Wow, what a relief.”
The servant widened their eyes in confusion.
“Pardon?”
“This servant must be some mythical beast hiding their true nature.”
“W-what?”
“No matter how young I am and how little influence I have in the palace, I’m still a legitimate princess. If you’re standing your ground, you must have several necks to spare.”
“W-what?”
“And isn’t it a relief you’re not killing us?”
A brief silence of absurdity followed.
Finally understanding the meaning behind my words, the servant immediately fell to his knees before Kayan.
“I was thoughtless. If you could forgive me just this once, I will be more careful in the future.”
Kayan stared coldly at the prostrate servant. After a moment, he let out a quiet sigh and said,
“…There will be no forgiveness next time.”
At his words, the servant bowed repeatedly before scurrying off in haste, practically fleeing.
With that, only Kayan and I were left in the palace garden.
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