ABRF CH 03

Chapter – 03

“Ahh… I’m hungry.”

While William was wiping his sword, still sticky with blackened blood, he frowned at the words that flew over from Eric.

The surroundings were not a place where anyone would feel like eating.

Endless sand stretched beneath a scorching sun. On top of it lay the shattered corpses of monsters and thick, sticky black blood.

The place they were in was the Lesser Desert, located on the route from Blake, through Servi, and toward Sinkester.

With its blazing daytime heat, bone-piercing cold at night, and frequent monster appearances, this desert—called the “path of death”—was not a place just anyone could cross.

However, the group of large men wearing helmets and armor fit the desert as if they had been drawn into it.

They were the Blake Empire’s delegation—and the personal guard of the Sixth Prince, Leonald.

“Talking about eating while looking at those filthy monster corpses… you’ve got quite an appetite.”

“But it’s already the third day since we lost our supply carts and have been crossing this desert like wanderers. I feel like roasting something under this blazing sun.”

Eric spoke to the man sitting on a rock, wiping his sword.

“What do you think, Your Highness? You eat just about anything, don’t you?”

The man turned his gaze toward Eric.

First to be seen were eyes burning with intense heat.

Those eyes, seasoned by battle, looked like seething fireballs.

But even more fiery than them was his hair.

Beneath the scorching sun, the brilliantly blazing hair was clearly red, yet so intense it almost looked golden.

The Sixth Prince, Leonald.

“If you want to reach Sinkester in one piece through this desert, you’d better eat whatever you can.”

Then he picked up a severed piece of scorpion.

“Though this one is out of the question—it’s poisonous.”

As blood dripped from the scorpion onto the rock, it hissed—sizzle—and the stone began to melt. Eric clicked his tongue at the sight.

“Damn Sinkester. It’s ridiculously far.”

At his subordinate’s curse, Leonald let out a faint laugh.

He stood up, walked to where the horses were tied, and pulled something from the cloak hanging over the saddle.

What Leonald took out was a small piece of rolled paper. He grabbed it and tossed it to the two men.

“Here. This is what we’ll do once we arrive.”

Eric and William each caught the parchment swiftly.

On the thin parchment, written in a rare language unseen anywhere on the continent, were words.

“Just a little more effort. Sinkester is right ahead.”

At last, the nineteenth birthday banquet was just around the corner.

As always, preparing for a banquet involved an overwhelming amount of work.

From preparing the main dishes to deciding what clothes would be worn for an entire month, everything had to be arranged.

Even the color of the curtains in the hallway had to be inspected by me, the temporary mistress of the kingdom.

In novels, banquet preparations are usually summarized in half a chapter—or one at most—so why did reality take months?

“Your Highness, please try on this dress as well!”

“This one too!!”

I was currently in the powder room, doing the final fitting for the banquet dresses.

I didn’t even know how many hours had passed.

Even though I felt like I was about to die as the subject of all this, the maids giggled as if they were playing with dolls while dressing me.

“I think the purple dress suits you best. How about wearing it on the first day?”

“What are you talking about? Your eyes are broken! The princess should wear the second golden dress! It’s the most glamorous and has the most jewels!”

Watching the maids argue, I grabbed my empty stomach.

Surprisingly, this world had fireball magic—but waist-slimming magic had not been invented yet.

Honestly, what good were mages?

If they had invented calorie-free chicken instead of Thunderstorm magic, they would’ve made a fortune.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Overcome by hunger, I subtly looked around.

Fortunately, there was a three-tier tray of finger foods behind me.

Just as my hand was about to reach for it, a chilling aura crept up from behind me, making me flinch.

“Ah, Abiga—”

“Your Highness. Snacks are prohibited until tomorrow.”

I made a tearful face, but Abigail was merciless.

A woman who had married off her three daughters to wealthy, handsome, high-ranking nobles was determined to turn me—whom she had raised since childhood—into an ideal bride.

“There are over twenty unmarried men attending the banquet. If your dress doesn’t fit and you end up stumbling in the dance, that would be a problem.”

Abigail smiled elegantly as she picked up a gold-embossed waist ribbon.

That sharp smile made it feel like a noose for a condemned prisoner.

Then the ribbon was wrapped around my waist and tightened.

“Eek!”

Just as I let out a pig-like squeal, a knock came from the door.

“Your Highness, the Saint has arrived.”

“Save me, Aurora! Abigail is trying to kill me with a waist ribbon!”

Etiquette and dignity? Forget it. Survival came first.

I desperately called for Aurora, and the door swung open.

“Charlotte?! Oh my goodness!”

With a shrill voice, Aurora rushed into the room, her dress wrinkled messily as she ran.

“Mrs. Everhart, stop trying to kill Charlotte with a waist ribbon! It won’t make her waist smaller anyway!”

What?

Even in my suffocating state, I widened my eyes at my friend Aurora’s words—but sadly, I couldn’t refute them.

Even Abigail seemed to accept it, letting go of the ribbon.

That made me even more miserable as I shouted,

“Tell the mages to invent waist-slimming magic right now!”

“Charlotte. Calm down. As a princess, you should stay composed in front of the maids.”

“I can’t calm down! Why do you get to have a slim waist and I don’t?”

“You shouldn’t have bought out the Jayret shop a month ago. Eating cake there every day—of course you’re not losing weight.”

“It’s a very healthy shop that uses zero-sugar ingredients.”

Even while muttering in dissatisfaction, I immediately broke away from Abigail and clung to Aurora.

If I had to choose, Aurora’s blows to the heart were better than Abigail’s waist-tightening torture.

Hiding behind Aurora, I persuaded Abigail.

“Merciful Abigail, how about we stop this dress-up game here? No matter whether I wear Madam Everhart’s dress or a trash bag, I’ll still be pretty anyway.”

“Your Highness. Members of the divine royal family must be more excellent the more humble and courteous they are.”

“So you’re saying I am excellent?”

“……”

Abigail said nothing more, and I took it as agreement.

Seizing the moment, Aurora stepped forward while hiding me behind her.

“Abigail, Charlotte is right. Please stop here. She still has to go to the Bloodline Altar anyway, right?”

“…Very well.”

Though still displeased, Abigail eventually bowed and withdrew with the maids.

“Charlotte, you’ve had a hard time preparing for the banquet.”

Aurora smiled and patted my shoulder. I sighed and collapsed onto the sofa.

“I know, right? Why are there so many banquets anyway? Founding ceremonies, birthday banquets, memorials, prayer ceremonies… I thought being a princess meant just eating and relaxing.”

“Aren’t you already doing plenty of that?”

“Oh my god, what do you take me for, Aurora? I want to relax even more aggressively.”

For example, I could have my assistant handle all banquet preparations while I act as a figurehead in the background.

But unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

For my peaceful retirement, I had to interfere with the original story at least a little.

It’s not like I was fiddling with banquet preparations just because I wanted to get involved with handsome main characters or anything.

“Honestly, Princess Charlotte…”

Aurora shook her head at my words.

“You really are hopeless. Let’s just go to the ‘Bloodline Altar’ already.”