Baby Pharmacist Princess

“How could they possibly know? How did they find out who I am…!”

Thomas was pale, grinding his teeth in frustration.

He was trying to deceive royalty, no small feat. He hadn’t come this far without careful planning. If he succeeded in pretending to be the biological father, he would become immensely wealthy, risking his life for the prize.

Naturally, he had covered his tracks thoroughly.

Thomas, a professional con artist with 18 prior convictions, kept his origins secret, never having been caught before. But now, everything had fallen apart in just two days. How could that be?

“You lied to the royal family. There will be consequences.”

“P-please, spare me… Hrk!”

“Enough. The thought of something as filthy as you pretending, even for a moment, to be my daughter’s father is revolting.”

Vikal frowned and gestured with a flick of his hand.

In no time, the waiting knights seized the conman and dragged him off to the dungeon. It wasn’t long before Thomas realized the torture awaiting him would make him regret being born. His anguished cries echoed for what felt like an eternity.

“Another fake.”

“Indeed. Lately, imposters have been popping up everywhere. It’s as if Princess Cherishe’s information has leaked.”

Solip handed Vikal a file, his face hardening as he glanced at it. Inside were details about another man who had shown up this morning, claiming to be the princess’s real father.

Vikal’s hand clenched into a fist, the papers crumpling beneath his fingers.

“At least the Princess left for Ballinlina without having to deal with these imposters.”

Contrary to what Thomas had thought, Solip had been aware of the scam the moment the man entered White Night Palace. Solip had informants in the underworld, people who could identify conmen like Thomas in an instant.

The only reason they hadn’t acted sooner was to avoid the princess hearing about these false claims before she left with Prince Gergys.

“I’ve already made arrangements to delay Prince Gergys’s return.”

“Good. Gather these frauds and hang them from the outer walls of the capital. Let them see the consequences of mocking royalty.”

“As you wish.”

Vikal was disgusted. Utterly, deeply disgusted.

How dare they claim to be her father!

With him standing right there, who could dare to declare themselves her parent?

Perhaps, if one of them had truly been Cherishe’s biological father, Vikal might have had a sliver of tolerance. But for these fakes? He had no mercy.

‘Why didn’t Kienna leave any clue about her lover?’

It was a mystery he couldn’t unravel.

If only there had been a letter or a keepsake left behind, Vikal might have had some idea. But from her chambers, not a single token of love, no letters, no diary, nothing remained.

Her personal life was as clean and clear as a blank page.

Since her confinement had ended, Vikal had visited her former living quarters numerous times, hoping to find even the smallest clue, scouring the place over and over again.

But the conclusion was always the same: nothing.

It was as if Kienna had deliberately erased all traces of her existence.

‘What exactly did I see that day?’

Vikal sighed deeply, his chest tight.

One thing was certain: on that day, when he had lost control, there had been someone unfamiliar beside Kienna.

At first, he hadn’t been sure. But with each passing year, the memory became clearer, more detailed.

‘It’s like the memory is just out of reach. Was the hair pink? I think they were holding Kienna’s hand… or maybe not.’

In the end, it was the sight of this stranger that had sent him into a rage.

‘Why? Was I afraid they were hurting her?’

He had tried countless times to unravel the sealed memory, but it was impossible. The frustration only grew.

“Perhaps… you could ask the Emperor to unlock the seal on your memory?”

“Emperor…?”

Vikal shook his head at Solip’s suggestion.

“I’ve already tried.”

“What… what did he say?”

“Ugh…”

Vikal recalled that evening with surprising ease.

“There is a knot in my mind. No matter how hard I try, I cannot unravel it myself. Please, release it for me.”

“Tsk, I thought you’d grown up. You can’t even manage this on your own?”

“…I might be able to learn the truth about Kienna’s death. I don’t know if Your Majesty even remembers who Kienna was, but…”

“Do you really need to know? Some things are better left unknown.”

“That is for me to decide.”

“Tch, your attitude. Come back later!”

That day, Vikal had become suspicious.

If the Emperor spoke that way, it must mean he knew something about Kienna.

So, what does His Majesty know?

“Your Highness?”

“Ah, I got lost in thought. The Emperor said to wait a little longer. He’ll release the seal later.”

“It sounds more like he can, but just doesn’t want to.”

“Exactly. He’s hiding something.”

It was pointless to keep pestering the Emperor.

It would be better for Vikal to try to recall the memory himself or find some other way to undo the knot.

Solip glanced at Vikal, who clicked his tongue in frustration.

“But, Your Highness, doesn’t that mean… the one who tied the knot in your mind was a dragon?”

“Yes. Dragons may not be a common sight, but they do exist.”

What had Kienna been doing with a dragon?

Was Cherishe’s real father… a dragon?

If Vikal had been closer to Kienna, would he have known?

If he had been more open, would Kienna have trusted him enough to share her secrets?

Vikal had gone over these regrets countless times.

“In any case, how are the preparations for Cherishe’s birthday party coming along?”

“Everything is going smoothly. It will be an unforgettable event aboard the royal ship.”

“It’s her first trip to South Castalia. She’ll love it.”

For Cherishe’s upcoming birthday, they were leaving familiar lands for an exciting new destination. It was a heartfelt gift for his daughter, who loved to travel.

“Shall I have Princess Cherishe select ‘the list’ soon?”

“Yes, ‘the list.’”

“Everyone will be clamoring to be included.”

Solip and Vikal exchanged knowing smiles.

The birthday party was to be Cherishe’s special day, her day alone.

Although her official debut was still some time away, how a princess conducted herself beforehand would determine her standing in society. Alexandra already ruled her clique of noble ladies in the Jen faction.

Vikal intended to solidify Cherishe’s standing through this grand event.

“I’ll start spreading rumors about ‘the list’ to the noble families.”

“Good.”

At Vikal’s nod, Solip bowed and swiftly disappeared.

Within half a day, whispers of ‘the list’ had spread through the noble houses.

And in less than 24 hours, everyone in the capital knew: Princess Cherishe would be choosing her own “Undine” at her birthday party.

“Undine and the Little Mermaid?”

“Yes, that’s what I heard!”

“And I’m the Little Mermaid?”

“Of course! Our Princess must be the Little Mermaid.”

“Then who will be the Undines?”

I tilted my head, flipping through the fairytale Shami had handed me.

According to this book, Undines were water spirits—loyal companions and the closest friends of the Little Mermaid.

“I don’t have any friends.”

I’d been so busy with Imperial Health Ministry work, not to mention my chess games with grandfather and time spent with Dad.

Spending time with my brothers was also important.

Plus, I couldn’t neglect my familiars.

So how could I possibly have time to make friends?

“After your birthday party, you’ll have plenty of friends.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Absolutely. Just look at all these letters from young ladies who already want to be your friend.”

Sophia spread out an array of letters across the table.

They were all so cute and lovely that I didn’t know which one to pick up first.

“You’ll need to select seven Undines to stand by your side at the party.”

I picked up a particularly striking lavender letter adorned with a pretty violet flower.

“The Prince will give tiaras to the chosen Undines, and they’ll all wear them at the party.”

“Oh. I bet everyone will be envious of the Undines!”

“Of course! And naturally, you, our Princess, will wear the most dazzling crown of all.”

Sophia finished her explanation with a satisfied smile.

As I carefully opened the letter, I began reading the first sentence thoroughly.

A letter tells you a lot about the person who wrote it. The longer it is, the more they reveal.

“Who’s this young lady?”

“She’s the daughter of Count Bachmann. I believe she’s 14 years old.”

“I knew I liked her at first glance.”

Shainen Bachmann.

Without a second thought, I knew she had to be one of the Undines.

Count Bachmann was a powerful figure within the Wynn faction, and more importantly, I liked him.

I always enjoyed my weekly music lessons with Count Bachmann.

“Shainen seems a lot like her father. Even her handwriting is calm and composed.”

Her letter was also quite poetic, with most of it focused on music. She asked which instrument I preferred between the viola, violin, and cello.

“Hand me the letters you like, and I’ll put them in this box.”

“Okay! Are all the tiaras going to look the same?”

“Oh, no. The main gemstone can be different. Just tell me what you want, and we’ll arrange it.”

“Let’s give Shainen a tiara with a purple sapphire.”

“Excellent choice!”

Although they were giving me free rein, choosing the Undines was a chance to demonstrate my abilities as a princess.

The people of White Night Palace wouldn’t say so outright, but they were probably expecting me to make strategic choices.

After all, wouldn’t it be wise to strengthen the Wynn faction where possible?

“Alright, let’s read this one next.”

This letter was a vivid crimson.

Dyeing paper in such a bold color was expensive, which meant this family was quite wealthy.

“The scent of this letter is wonderful.”

“What is it?”

“I believe it’s a mix of peony and rose. It’s from Lady Niole Rhodium.”

Rhodium? That name sounded familiar from my noble studies.

“The Rhodium family runs a paper-making business. Their influence is growing.”

“Let’s make her an Undine too.”

Sophia, being from a noble family herself, was always quick with helpful answers.

The third Undine I chose was Blair Estin.

Her letter was written on clean green paper with silver ink.

“I hope to have the honor of standing by your side. Sincerely, Blair Estin.”

“The Lady of House Estin.”

“Ah, the Estins of literature. She’s my age, right? Eleven?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“House Estin and House Depredaux are the cornerstones of the Wynn faction, so I definitely need to invite her.”

Selecting Undines by reading letters was incredibly fun.

I carefully picked out four key figures, including Lucia Garzenia.

The other three would be chosen at my discretion.

Afterward, I sprawled out on the sofa, enjoying the spring breeze drifting through the open window.

“Oh, by the way, do you think Dad has already sent an invitation to the Pope?”

“Hmm… the Pope? I don’t think so.”

“Then I should write one myself!”

There’s no way Sihat can miss my birthday.

I know he’s been busy lately, talking about reforming the rotten church from the ground up, but he’ll definitely come. He always has.

With a set of 39 different inks laid out before me, I carefully pondered which of the ten colors of stationery to choose.

Too many options!

‘I guess I’ll go with the usual—light pink paper and dark pink ink.’

As I stared at the 15 different quill pens, trying to decide which one to use, I suddenly called for Sophia.

“Sophia.”

“Yes, Princess?”

“Can… can the Pope get married?”