The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live

Ch. 13



That night, I couldn’t fall asleep until late, so I slept in the next day.

“Ugh…”

Even after I woke up, I kept tossing and turning under the covers with my eyes closed. Though I had slept for a long time, my body was tired because I had restless dreams.

The birds chirping loudly outside indicated that the sun was already high in the sky.

I really needed to get up now. Half-opening my eyes, I groggily pushed myself up.

“Ouch.”

I bumped into something.

What…?

My blurry vision, still not fully awake, caught a flash of gold before it faded away.

“Are you awake, Your Highness?”

A familiar, cheerful voice greeted me.

“Miriam?”

“Yes, Princess. Good morning. Shall I prepare some wash water for you?”

I looked up to see Miriam standing right next to my bed. I thought I had bumped into something earlier, but there was nothing on the bed, and no one else in the room.

“Just now….”

“Yes?”

Miriam tilted her head quizzically as she looked at me. I gestured, and Miriam leaned in closer.

“What’s the matter?”

I stared intently into her eyes. Beneath her neatly cut blonde hair were ordinary brown eyes.

“It’s nothing.”

I must not be fully awake yet. Golden eyes? If someone had such a striking feature, I would have remembered it.

Besides, if they were truly eyes, that would mean Miriam had been staring at me right in front of my face while I slept….

“Did you, by any chance, watch me while I was sleeping?”

I asked just in case, and Miriam cheerfully answered.

“Yes! I was waiting to bring you the wash water as soon as you woke up!”

“Right in front of my face?”

“Huh?”

Miriam blinked in confusion; her expression as natural as could be.

I must really not be fully awake yet. I shook my head.

“Never mind. What time is it?”

“It’s around eleven.”

It was closer to lunchtime than breakfast. I slept for quite a while. I sighed.

“Tell them to prepare breakfast right away after I wash up.”

It might seem funny that the first thing I mentioned after waking up was food, but I was serious.

If I didn’t gain some weight quickly, next time Richard might actually kill our palace’s chef….

Wait, if that happened, would he send over Ruby Palace’s chef? That was something to think about.

Miriam scampered off, and I tried to suppress my longing for Ruby Palace’s chef.

Breathe in, breathe out. I took deep breaths. No matter how tempting it was, I couldn’t lose my humanity.

I looked out the window, trying to regain a clear mind free from the temptation of whipped cream cake. And then, I noticed something unexpected.

Something was heading toward Opal Palace.

I couldn’t see it well because of the trees, but glimpses of a very elaborate procession appeared. It was long, like the food procession Richard had sent over with his servant yesterday.

Was that guy Richard coming again without any notice?

“Your Highness!”

Thud, thud, thud.

Miriam came running at an incredible speed and flung open the door.

“You need to come down! The prince has sent a gift!”

“Again?”

He had already sent plenty of dresses and jewels yesterday, so what could it be today? But since she said , it seemed he hadn’t come in person. I responded with a look of annoyance.

“Just tell them to leave it.”

“But Your Highness…”

Miriam’s eyes sparkled strangely as she called to me.

“They also brought a letter from the Fifth Prince.”

Wait, who?

“Miriam, who did you say?”

“Prince Rudolph, the Fifth Prince, has sent a letter and a gift.”

What the…! She should’ve said that from the start!

“Miriam! Bring me a dress!”

Hastily throwing on my clothes, I rushed downstairs, where a scene similar to yesterday but slightly different was unfolding.

There were plenty of gifts, but only one person.

Gift boxes floated by themselves, piling up in the first-floor hall of Opal Palace.

The only person standing before the countless gift boxes was a woman with long brown hair, holding a silver tray.

She greeted me softly as I descended.

“A blessed morning to you, Your Highness. Countess Rachel Klein greets the 17th Princess, Lucillia El Esperusa.”

She spoke with the most aristocratic tone of anyone I had ever met. And it was a name I didn’t recognize.

She must be a minor character or an extra, I thought as I greeted her.

“Welcome to Opal Palace, Countess.”

I tried my best to match her tone, though I probably didn’t do a great job. I had never received proper etiquette training.

“What brings you here?”

“I have brought a gift and a letter from the Fifth Prince.”

She extended the silver tray she was holding. On it laid a letter sealed with wax.

Everything about it was elegant, which was very typical of Rudolph. And for that reason, I didn’t want to read it at all.

But I had to check the contents, so I picked up the letter with a grim expression.

When I opened the envelope, there was a card inside. The card read.

[Lucillia, will you accompany me to the Imperial Celebration? I believe it will be an enjoyable time. I await a favorable response.]

I read the card.

At first, I didn’t understand, so I read it again. And after I understood, I read it again because I couldn’t accept it. I kept reading until I could no longer escape reality.

The Imperial Celebration…

In short, it was the emperor’s birthday party.

Of course, its scale far surpassed that of a mere birthday party.

For one week, starting on the emperor’s birthday and including the three days before and after, the entire empire took a break and held a festival. Every year, there were various events, such as gifts from the emperor to the citizens and the special pardoning of prisoners.

However, it was something that had nothing to do with me.

Although the imperial descendants were required to attend the birth celebration, I didn’t have to because I was not yet fifteen.

According to the original story, the protagonist, Imelda, was turning fifteen this year, so this celebration marked her debut in society.

But in the original, this scene didn’t appear. It was only briefly mentioned that it was a party where no one spoke to her.

Yet now, I was being told to go there? With Rudolph, no less?

What was this situation?

“I…”

I slowly opened my mouth.

“I have no intention of attending the celebration.”

“If you go with His Highness, it will be fine.”

“No, I don’t want to go.”

“His Highness has commanded that you must get permission.”

This was the Esperusa Imperial Family’s special trait—little concern for others’ opinions or feelings.

I knew that subtly refusing wouldn’t work, so I hardened my face and spoke firmly.

“The only answer I can give is a refusal. No matter what orders you received from your master, you cannot force my answer.”

Rachel, who had been repeating the same words with a mechanical, expressionless face, hesitated for the first time.

“… I did not mean to threaten the princess.”

“Then go back.”

“Your Highness.”

Rachel’s voice trembled slightly.

“If I return like this, I will die.”

What?

I couldn’t understand. Was this a threat? That she would die if I didn’t comply?

That was my naive thought at the time.

“If I return to the Fifth Prince with an answer he doesn’t want, I will die. And my body will be sent to the Opal Palace. After that, another person will come. If they’re also rejected, they will die too.”

Even though I knew what kind of person Rudolph was in the original story, I had forgotten for a moment and had those naive thoughts.

“This will continue. Until Your Highness finally agrees.”

I tightly closed my eyes.

Why were there so many people in this place who treated human lives so lightly? And why were they all my brothers?

I looked at the baroness.

I didn’t recognize her face or name, so she was probably a minor character or an extra.

Was this how difficult and precarious the lives of the supporting characters beside the villains were?

Just like me.

Did you know what it meant to be powerless? It meant you couldn’t control your own life.

Without realizing it, I burst into laughter.

Of all times, Richard’s words came to mind.

Yes, I was powerless. So, in the end, I had no choice but to follow Rudolph’s words. No matter how much I refused, Rudolph wouldn’t give up, and eventually, there would just be a pile of bodies in front of my palace.

“Please tell him I will go.”

No, my decision wasn’t based on some calculated reasoning. It was a much simpler thought.

I couldn’t let someone die, even if they were unimportant, even if they were a minor character or an extra.

“… thank you, Your Highness.”

Rachel answered with a slightly choked voice.

“Well then…”

Rachel gestured into the air, and one of the many boxes piled up on the first floor flew towards her. It was a small box, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.

Rachel knelt on one knee in front of me and opened the box.

“Please wear this ring.”

“… are you proposing to me, Countess?”

For the first time since entering the Opal Palace, Rachel smiled. It lasted only a few seconds before she returned to her expressionless face, but for a brief moment, her smile was beautiful.

“It’s a gift from the Fifth Prince. He asked that you wear it until the birth celebration party.”

I looked down at the ring.

It was a thin, white ring. Since Rudolph wouldn’t deal with something like silver, it was probably platinum.

It had a simple yet elegant design with a large diamond in the center and two smaller diamonds on either side.

But the size was way too big. Even just by looking at it, it was clear it would be loose.

“This ring won’t fit my hand.”

I pointed out. Rachel bowed her head.

“When you put it on your finger, it will shrink to fit.”

It was enchanted with a spell. Typical Rudolph…

Suddenly, I had a chilling premonition. Without touching the ring, I asked.

“Countess, what happens if I wear this ring?”

“The ring will shrink to fit your finger as soon as you put it on.”

“And besides that?”

Rachel looked up at me with a troubled expression.

“If you do not keep your promise to attend the birth celebration or attempt anything else, the finger wearing the ring will be cut off.”

It was such a typical thing for Rudolph to do that I wasn’t even surprised.

“Haha, what an impressive enchantment.”

But I was quite disgusted. Very much so.

Rachel, without responding, bowed her head.

It was funny that I would even have this thought given my situation, but I felt sorry for her.

Well, what was a ring compared to saving someone?

I picked up the ring and put it on my finger.

In the greatest act of rebellion I could muster, I slid it onto my left middle finger.

As soon as the ring entered, it shrank smoothly to fit perfectly.

I grabbed the ring and tried to pull it off as a test. It wouldn’t budge, not even a little.

I let out a long, deep sigh.

“It fits perfectly.”

 

***

 

The news spread quickly; I was sure.

I barely ever left the Opal Palace, so I couldn’t hear rumors from the outside, but I could guess.

The proof was that Richard stormed into my palace unannounced.

“Let me see your hand.”

As soon as Richard arrived at my palace, that was what he said.

For context, I had just started my meal. As soon as I picked up my spoon, Richard came, so I hadn’t even taken a bite.

How did news travel so fast? As far as I knew, no one in this palace worked for Richard.

“Brother, did you plant a spy in the Opal Palace?”

I asked, just in case. Richard grimaced.

“What nonsense is that? Do you really think I’d do something so underhanded?!”

“Then how did you find out?”

“Does that even matter right now?”

Richard strode over and grabbed my hand. The ring sparkled beautifully on my middle finger.

“Take it off, now.”

 


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