The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live

Richard glared at my left hand—specifically, the diamond ring sparkling on my finger—as if he wanted to kill it.

But my mind was elsewhere for a moment.

No matter what, this was happening too fast.

Richard might not realize it, but at least his close associates, like Luke, were dealing with the Seventh Princess.

Lost in thoughts about the best information broker among our siblings, the Seventh Princess, I didn’t respond. So, Richard growled again.

“Take it off.”

Oh dear, forget the Seventh Princess—first, I needed to deal with the mad dog right in front of me.

“It won’t come off.”

I said firmly, trying to give Richard the sternest look I could muster.

“If I try to take it off, my finger will be cut off. And the same thing will happen if I break my promise.”

The air around us suddenly grew sharp like a blade.

Richard’s blood-red eyes filled with malice, and a different kind of light flickered at the corners of his gaze.

… Richard, had you reached the point where you could shoot sword energy from your eyes?

I couldn’t meet his gaze with a clear mind. Giving up on trying to remove the ring, I buried my eyes in the soup bowl in front of me.

“Why did you agree in the first place?”

Richard spoke from above my head.

“You said you were mine. Don’t you know I have a bad relationship with that bastard? Even if you didn’t, you should’ve asked me. If you didn’t want to die, and if you were going to stay quiet despite enduring spies, you should’ve been more careful!”

Richard clearly looked upset.

But I felt the same way. The more he talked, the worse I felt.

He was talking as if I had a choice in all of this. Like this wouldn’t have happened if only I had acted more .

How could he push the blame onto me like that?

And besides, the food on the table was getting cold because of him.

“I had no choice. He said he’d kill his own subordinate if I didn’t agree…”

“Why did you even agree to that! She wasn’t your person; you should’ve been glad if he killed his own! Why weren’t you?”

Richard’s eyes flashed.

“Wait… are you on Rudolph’s side?”

His tone was horribly childish. Like some kid in kindergarten picking sides.

“Did you approach me with intention from the start? Is that it?”

But this childish question carried the weight of life and death. And that weight, which I knew all too well, felt especially crushing today.

Just last night, I had risked my life answering the Three Questions of Carlyle, and when I woke up, I had to attach a ticking time bomb to my finger to save someone else’s life.

And now Richard was here, asking which side I was on, ready to kill me if he didn’t like my answer.

I found myself thinking the same thought again.

It really was miserable to be powerless.

“Did I approach you intentionally?”

I put down my spoon and looked up at Richard. It seemed I had to give up on finishing my meal.

“Do you even remember? I almost died because of you.”

“But you didn’t die.”

So now that was all part of my plan too? How was I supposed to explain away your whims?

I tried to suppress my frustration so I wouldn’t look upset, but my face twisted as if I were about to cry.

“Then kill me now.”

Richard froze.

I lowered my gaze and spoke slowly.

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? People without power can’t control their own lives… you were right.”

Richard, whom I thought would cut me off in anger, stayed unexpectedly quiet. So, I was able to play the victim card without interruption.

“You’re lucky. You’re strong enough to protect not only yourself but those around you. But I’m not. When you threatened to kill my servants, the only thing I could do was sit and have a meal with you. And when Rudolph threatened me with his subordinates’ lives, all I could do was listen to him. Because I’m powerless.”

Well, I wasn’t entirely pretending. I truly did feel helpless, and as I spoke, real sorrow crept into my voice.

“So, if you don’t want me to go to the celebration with Rudolph, just kill me now. It’s not like I have any choice in the matter anyway.”

Richard ground his teeth.

“Are you saying I’m the same as him?”

Of course, Richard and Rudolph were complete opposites in terms of character. I knew that well…

“Think about it from my perspective. How are you two any different?”

You were both older brothers who wanted to kill me, right?

Richard didn’t respond. Or maybe he couldn’t.

Though I managed to get one over on Richard with my words, it didn’t feel good.

At first, I was just trying to make myself look pitiful. But as I kept talking, I really did start to feel miserable.

I lost my appetite… no, not really. Honestly, I was still hungry.

But I wasn’t shameless enough to start stuffing food into my mouth in front of Richard in this uncomfortable atmosphere.

I stood up from my seat.

“I won’t be able to see you off. Goodbye, brother.”

Surprisingly, Richard didn’t try to stop me.

Even when I returned to my room and closed the door, he didn’t kill my servants, break down the door, or scream at me. He didn’t even cut off my finger or demand that I prove my loyalty…

In the end, Richard quietly left my palace.

“Phew.”

I exhaled a sigh of relief once I confirmed through the window that Richard and his group had left the Opal Palace.

“What on earth is going on…?”

Now that the tension had dissipated, a groan escaped my lips.

Rudolph Sol Esperusa, that crazy man. Sending me an invitation in broad daylight?

In the original story, Rudolph didn’t approach Imelda for a while after the questioning. So, I had felt safe for the time being—what the hell happened?

Was the last question the problem after all?

No way… my face turned pale.

Did he realize my possession?

Was the fate of a princess impersonator inevitably execution?

“No!”

“What?!”

As I was pulling my hair and shouting, I heard a shriek from outside the door.

“Ah, but you haven’t said anything yet, Your Highness!”

I could clearly picture Miriam flustering outside the door. Annoyed, I shouted back.

“Why! What is it!”

“Your Highness, you left your meal unfinished… aren’t you hungry?”

Grumble.

Right on cue, my stomach grumbled loudly.

“Bring it to my room. I’ll eat here.”

Right. No matter when I died, I should eat first. They said even a ghost looked good if it died on a full stomach.

***

Contrary to my fears, the Opal Palace remained peaceful until the birthday celebration.

I was still alive, and my brothers hadn’t visited my palace again.

Honestly, I had hoped to see Rudolph’s face at least once more before the celebration, but he was so important that he didn’t set foot in my palace at all.

Instead, Rudolph sent me a teacher to instruct me in etiquette. The woman’s name was Maria Ludin, and she was said to be a famous etiquette instructor from the capital.

She lamented the lack of time and began teaching me etiquette at an intense pace. There was so much to memorize, and even more to practice.

As a result, I ended up in full cram-study mode for a while, so consumed by learning that I didn’t have time to think about Rudolph or Richard.

Weeks passed in a blur, and finally, the day of the celebration arrived.

That morning, a familiar face came to visit.

“May your morning be filled with glory, Your Highness. Have you been well?”

“Welcome, Countess Klein.”

Rachel Klein smiled brightly, pleased by my response.

“It’s an honor that you remember my humble name.”

I didn’t meet many people…

I gave a bitter smile as I looked at Rachel and her group.

Once again, she brought a few gift boxes by magic. And she wasn’t alone today either.

“Shall we begin by accepting the gifts from Prince Rudolph?”

With a flick of her finger, the largest box opened by itself, revealing a dress before me.

Rachel continued to wave her fingers as if playing an invisible piano. One by one, the gift boxes opened, displaying a necklace, earrings, and finally a tiara.

“If you like them, the prince requests that you wear them at the party today.”

“You added the part, didn’t you?”

I asked with confidence. Rudolph couldn’t care less about my preferences.

“… and since it seems you don’t have a lady-in-waiting, I’ve taken the liberty of bringing someone to assist with your preparations. Is that alright?”

Rachel didn’t answer my question and instead turned towards the back.

Yes, I understood you were just trying to survive. I wouldn’t press the issue further.

And truthfully, I welcomed someone to help with my preparations. On such an important day, I didn’t want to leave my hair and makeup on Miriam.

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

I spoke sincerely to the people standing behind her.

“We’re the ones who should be grateful, Your Highness.”

They bowed deeply. Their seriousness was almost overwhelming.

“But isn’t it a bit too early? Why don’t you have some breakfast and rest…?”

“What do you mean!”

I had pitied them for having to move around so early before sunrise, but the maids who had been bowing suddenly shot up and looked at me.

There was a strange gleam in their eyes, and for a moment, I was taken aback.

“It’s not early at all. We’re already pressed for time since there are things we should have started preparing last night!”

One of the maids asked Matilda, who was standing behind me.

“The bathwater is heated, right?”

“Of course.”

Matilda answered solemnly.

Why were they talking about bathwater so seriously?

“Then, let’s begin.”

The three maids approached me with fierce looks in their eyes.

Watching them, a strong premonition hit me.

This… wouldn’t be easy at all.

***

The imperial birthday celebration of the year 515.

It was about 2 years and 7 months before the story started in the original novel in 518 during the New Year’s ball.

And though it was not given much attention in the original, today was also the day of Imelda’s debut in high society.

First question. Was there a chance I would meet the original female lead at today’s celebration?

The answer was . As long as we were in the same place, the chance of meeting wasn’t zero. But it would be very low.

It was written that no one talked to her, so she left early, like a ghost. That meant Imelda was likely to be tucked away in some corner of the party hall.

Meanwhile, Rudolph was currently one of the three heirs closest to the throne. As soon as he entered the hall, every noble in the room would swarm around him like bees.

So even if we were in the same place, our situations would be worlds apart.

Second question. Was there a chance Imelda had been cooped up in her palace, had never heard rumors about me, and would quietly leave the party without even noticing me?

The answer was again .

But once again, that was just the nature of probability.

The odds of winning the lottery three times in a row or getting hit by an ostrich while walking down the street weren’t zero, technically speaking.

So, considering that, the answer was

I felt like crying. Well, my face was already drenched, but still.

‘Sister, I tried my best…’

“Your Highness, please don’t move!”

As soon as I tilted my head and groaned, someone came running over.

“Even if it’s uncomfortable, please bear with it a little longer.”

She quickly applied something to my already overloaded face and then disappeared again.