Chapter 5
Even though everyone said Claude was scary, since he wasn’t in sight, they seemed to forget their fear. Little by little, they started skimming funds meant for the Ruby Palace. What’s more, for some reason, no new women were ever sent to this Ruby Palace, which was essentially Claude’s harem. So there was no one to keep them in check.
At first, it was hard to notice, but later their methods became so blatant that only a blind person wouldn’t see. They even began prying off decorative items and the jewels embedded in the walls, one by one.
Wow, seriously. Just because Claude hadn’t killed many people lately and things were quiet, did they all get a surge of audacity?
I noticed the expensive things disappearing from my room even before Lily did.
Because I myself was always drooling over them, scheming how to sneak them out. So the frustration I felt when I realized my “rice bowls” were shrinking one by one…
I wanted to go to the Emperor and tattle on all the insolent behavior of the court ladies, but Claude wasn’t the type to take my side saying, “Oh, is that so, my child!” if I whined, “Daddy! She ignored me!” He was more likely to say, “Huh? You’re still alive?” and cut off my head. That scared me.
Of course, there was a chance all of this was just in my head. So maybe the things I was worried about wouldn’t happen, but I didn’t want to take such a dangerous gamble. I’m precious, after all!
So, with my eyes wide open, I had my gold completely stolen from me. The only thing I could do was wail loudly whenever a lady-in-waiting came into my room, eyed me cautiously, and slipped a gold candlestick or something into her apron.
Ugh, my precious gold! Sob, sob.
Anyway, that matter was resolved by an angry Lily, who negotiated directly with the head court lady of the palace.
I already sensed that Lily might actually be the real power in the Ruby Palace, more than me. Considering how she had gold toys brought to me when I was younger, and how the other ladies spoke formally to her. Not that I minded, since I liked her.
Anyway, the ladies were expelled from the Ruby Palace. I heard they were kicked out after being forced to spit out everything they had stolen. But strangely enough, the items from my room never returned to me.
Where on earth did my gold evaporate to! I suspected the head court lady, but aside from whining loudly “Waaah,” I couldn’t do anything. I should have known when she used the budget as an excuse to refuse buying me a single rattle.
The only small consolation was that because of those empty spaces, it wasn’t noticeable when I secretly hid one or two palace items myself.
No, let me correct that. This is my palace anyway, so what I’m doing isn’t stealing, it’s safekeeping. Yes, I’m just storing my precious gold and jewels separately!
But there’s a limit. Actually, I was worried because Lily seemed to be looking around the palace more carefully lately. Even to my eyes, the interior seemed subtly emptier, and my conscience was seriously pricking me.
I was supposed to be saving up escape funds little by little… Did I work too hard? It’d be a disaster if Lily turned the palace upside down thinking it was a repeat of what happened three years ago. I’d better restrain myself for a while.
“Princess, where are you going?”
“Eheh. To see Lily!”
“Hoho. But you need to wipe your mouth first. I see you enjoyed your chocolate.”
Just then, some ladies passing by in the hallway called out to me and wiped my mouth with a handkerchief they had.
It was smeared with chocolate from what I’d just eaten. I’d tried to eat it before Lily found out, but I must have gotten it all over my mouth.
The ladies laughed at the sight, but I felt embarrassed. Had I been acting like a child for so long in this body that I actually became one? Ugh, so cringey.
“Atty didn’t eat any chocowate! It’s a secwet!”
“Yes, Princess.”
But more than the embarrassment, I was more afraid of getting scolded by Lily. I waved my hands at the ladies and hurried away. Darn, the chocolate got on my hands too.
I thought about just wiping it on my clothes, but my dress today was white, so I refrained. It’s okay. There’s a fountain nearby. Maybe because this place used to house the Emperor’s consorts, there were many pleasant lakesides, fountains, and gardens. The maintenance… was just so-so, though.
Since it was against the rules for any man outside the bloodline to set foot in the consorts’ quarters, now there were only female court ladies here.
I passed a few more maids and finally reached a fountain with an angel statue. Though calling it an angel statue was generous—the statue was completely naked, revealing a voluptuous figure, and its pose was so seductive that it looked more like a femme fatale than an angel.
But all the statues in this palace were like that. Maybe because it was the consorts’ palace. Anyway, it wasn’t exactly a good palace for raising a child. Of course, I enjoyed the view every day, so it was fine.
Wow. Sis, your body is absolutely killer today.
Splash, splash. I washed my chocolate-covered hands in the fountain water. Since I couldn’t go down to the lakeside in this body, the fountain—where I could just stand on tiptoes—was the best choice. But I leaned a bit too hard into the stone fountain basin. Oh my god, I was startled. I thought I was going to fall in.
Just as I was flailing in surprise, a distinct shape gradually appeared on the water’s surface, rippled by gentle currents. Forgetting my struggle to steady myself, I muttered blankly,
“Pretty.”
It might sound self-absorbed, but my reflection on the water was… extremely beautiful.
Kkeuh. To think such an adorable and lovely baby is me! If a baby like this were right in front of me, I’d want to bite them because they’re so cute.
My plump cheeks were so soft you’d want to pinch them, and the features on my tiny, fist-sized face were incredibly delicate. My naturally wavy hair was soft without being frizzy, and my eyes were large and clear with long eyelashes.
It was a face that would have been hugely successful if I’d been a child actor or model. My fine, platinum-blonde hair and overall features resembled my mother, Diana, who was a beautiful dancer, but they said my unique eyes resembled my father, Claude.
I stared at my eyes reflected in the water, momentarily dazed.
“Heh.”
I was a lovable and pretty baby at first glance, but the most breathtakingly beautiful part was undoubtedly these eyes.
Lily said my eyes were the Jewel Eyes, passed down only to direct imperial family members. In particular, the author of The Adorable Princess had used all sorts of flowery language to praise Zenith’s eyes. When I read it in text, I sneered, thinking it was some chuunibyou concept, but seeing them in person, I understood how fitting the description was.
True to their name, depending on the angle, my eyes shifted from the green of new leaves to a clear blue, and even to a refined ultramarine. They were mysteriously and incomparably beautiful.
I heard that since Claude and I were the only imperial family members currently in Ovelia, we were the only two who possessed these Jewel Eyes. But that was wrong. Because somewhere out there, likely being pampered in the Alpheus Ducal family, was Zenith.
No, of course, I haven’t completely given up hope that this world might not be that damn novel’s world!
Anyway, supposedly everyone in this world has their own unique magic, and the magic wavelengths of the direct imperial family are particularly distinctive, creating eyes of such colors. The explanation I read in the books Lily got for me was complicated, so I don’t understand more than that, but whatever. Pretty is pretty.
“Princess! That’s dangerous.”
Just then, someone grabbed me and lifted me up. I was so startled my eyes went wide, but the familiar touch quickly told me who it was.
“I told you not to go around alone. Now you’re not even listening to me.”
I settled comfortably into Lily’s arms and grinned at her.
“Lily, I missed you!”
Lily sighed at my flattery. Lily, now as then four years ago, boasted a refined, beautiful appearance. I’ve always had a weakness for good looks, so whenever I was in front of Lily, I couldn’t help but act cute.
“Princess, you ate chocolate today, didn’t you?”
Gasp. I froze like a stone, still smiling. How… how did you know?
“I heard it all from Hanna. No snacks for a week.”
Waaah. That’s unfair! Hanna, you traitor! No chocolate for a whole week! But no matter how pitiful a face I made or how much I tried to evoke sympathy, Lily wouldn’t budge. No, my chocolate!
A little later, I was picking flowers in the palace garden.
“Princess, can’t you give me just one flower?”
“No! Bad!”
Hanna had started following me around after lunch, having switched with another maid because she was free, but she was starting to look bored.
She adores me enough to always carry snacks for me, so now she seemed to want the flowers I was holding. At any other time, I would have smiled and given her one without a second thought, but today was different.
Because Hanna had told Lily everything about me eating chocolate! Of course, she said it wasn’t intentional—she was upset that Seth got a kiss from me earlier and accidentally grumbled it out loud. But still, telling was telling.
“Princess, you’re so mean.”
Even as Hanna whined, I stubbornly kept picking pretty wildflowers before me. I was planning to make a big flower crown for Lily, who had gone to meet the head court lady.
It’s not like I’m trying to bribe Lily to lift the chocolate ban or anything.
Anyway, after gathering mostly white flowers that would suit Lily, I fell into a thoughtful dilemma. Making a crown with only these might be a bit plain. Yeah, right! I need a big, pretty flower as an accent!
“Hanna, what color flower do you think would look pretty here?”
As soon as I spoke to her—I had been sulking all this time—Hanna’s eyes lit up. This girl really does adore me.
“You’re giving it to Lady Lilian, right? Then wouldn’t blue or purple look good? Hmm. Yellow flowers would be pretty too.”
Hanna pondered seriously, then soon left to find some matching flowers for herself. I decided to search the garden a bit more myself.
While looking for flowers for Lilian, if I found something that suited Hanna, I thought maybe I’d make her a small crown too… Ugh, I’m just too nice.
But since I know how much Hanna usually likes me, I figured I could stop being spiteful now.
“Flowews are wiving fow the su-un~”
I hummed a children’s song as I rummaged through the flower bed.
“And we awre wiving in the kindewgawrten~”
A while later, I realized I had strayed outside the Ruby Palace.
“Huh?”
What? Where am I? I looked around, flustered.
