The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live

The emperor was a handsome man with a dignified appearance. Though middle-aged, aside from the slight deepening of wrinkles around his eyes, there were no visible signs of his age. His platinum blond hair, which flowed over his forehead, gleamed brightly, and his forearms, exposed beneath his clothes, were still firm.

Sitting on the throne, the emperor felt less like a person and more like a marble statue—a perfect sculpture, but because of that, he didn’t seem alive.

The closer I got, the stronger that feeling became.

“It is a night filled with the emperor’s grace, Your Majesty.”

Rudolph greeted him, bowing deeply. I followed suit beside him. Since I was younger than Rudolph, etiquette demanded that I remain silent in this situation.

“The Fifth Prince and the Seventeenth Princess.”

The emperor responded.

Had his words carried any weight, they would have pressed down on our shoulders. That was how heavy his voice was.

“Congratulations on Your Majesty’s forty-third birthday. May you forever remain the sun of the empire.”

Even Rudolph’s clear voice seemed unable to reach the emperor.

“Yes. Enjoy your time.”

That was all. We bowed deeply once more and straightened ourselves.

Just before I turned away, the emperor, who had been looking only at Rudolph, glanced in my direction. For a brief moment, our eyes met.

The emperor’s eyes were ashen.

Could the eyes of a statue thousands of years old be like this? I couldn’t read anything from his gaze. Just as nothing reflected in a mirror made of marble, I doubted whether I even appeared in his eyes.

The emperor seemed uninterested in anything.

What a peculiar person.

That was my thought as I left his presence.

The original work, , was a novel about the imperial throne struggle of the Esperusa Imperial Family. Despite this, the emperor was a figure who rarely appeared in the original.

Was it because he had no interest in his children’s battle?

In Esperusa, it was considered a virtue for the emperor not to interfere in the throne struggle. Of course, there had been emperors throughout history who favored their children, but at least Imelda’s father maintained strict neutrality.

Perhaps because he, too, had become emperor in such a manner.

Suddenly, that thought occurred to me.

There must have been a time when Emperor Lucius was just a prince. The previous emperor had six children in total. Besides the current emperor, none survived.

He was someone who had already won the war we were about to fight. Not in the peaceful way of the original heroine, but in a bloody manner.

Thinking of it that way, I suddenly felt a prickle on my back. I resisted the urge to glance back at the emperor’s face one more time.

As soon as the imperial audience ended, people swarmed toward us, as if they had been waiting for it.

“On this night filled with the emperor’s grace, it is an honor to meet the prince and princess.”

A middle-aged man in splendid attire was the first to greet us. Rudolph responded to him warmly, engaging in light conversation.

“It’s been a while, Marquis Millen. How was your trip to Delphi?”

“It was dreadful, Your Highness. This spring has been particularly cold, hasn’t it? I expected flowers to bloom, but frost fell instead. I returned to the capital before even a month had passed.”

“The children must have been disappointed.”

The marquis gushed about how grateful he was for the concern, then turned his attention to me.

“So, this is the famous Seventeenth Princess. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Marquis Pierre Millen.”

“Nice to meet you, Marquis.”

Several more polite phrases came to mind, but I didn’t add anything further.

No matter what I did, I drew attention. If I did well, I would be talked about; if I failed, I would still be talked about. So, I didn’t want to create any topics for gossip at all.

Today, I had resolved to be nothing more than a doll standing beside Rudolph, smiling.

The marquis, looking slightly disappointed, withdrew. Immediately, someone else stepped in to greet us.

“It’s been so long, Prince Rudolph. You’ve become such a dignified adult.”

“I greet the Fifth Prince and Seventeenth Princess. I tremble to be in the presence of the two most radiant figures here at Vernas tonight.”

“Good evening, Your Highness! Is the person beside you the famous Seventeenth Princess?”

“On this night filled with the emperor’s grace, I offer my humble greetings to you both. As for myself, I am…”

People of various genders, ages, and outfits continued to approach me with greetings. I simply responded briefly, while Rudolph exchanged a few more words of conversation.

So, this was the social world.

In romance fantasy novels, social gatherings were described as glamorous battlefields. Nobles laughed and chatted, forming acquaintances, spreading rumors, and exchanging information. Villains tried to trouble the heroine but ended up embarrassing themselves instead.

Overall, those descriptions weren’t wrong… I thought to myself as I greeted yet another person.

But why did no one ever mention how physically exhausting this was?

All I was doing was smiling and responding to the nobles who greeted me first. That was it, but the more I did it, the more my energy drained.

Standing in one spot for so long was tiring enough but smiling and repeating the same greetings over and over like a parrot made my head spin.

Memories of my past, when I worked an election job, mechanically greeting people in front of the subway, flashed before my eyes.

Back then, I was a lively 20-year-old, but now I was just a 12-year-old who hadn’t even gone through puberty!

At least my shoes were comfortable, thank goodness. If Rudolph hadn’t enchanted them, my feet would be swollen by now.

“The beauty of the Seventeenth princess is truly blinding. You are already so lovely; once you grow up, you’ll surely captivate the hearts of many young men.”

“Thank you, Baron.”

The number of people approaching Rudolph and me to leave an impression was simply overwhelming. Most of what they said was meaningless nonsense, but…

“They’re selecting the next High Priest at the Temple of Radiance, aren’t they? What do you think will happen?”

“The price of lumber has skyrocketed. It may not matter to the nobles in the capital, but it’s a matter of life and death for the people of our territory.”

“Did you hear about the trouble in Malt due to pirates? The notorious pirate crew kidnaps ships, and if you can’t pay the ransom, they cut off ears regardless of whether you’re a child or adult… oh! Pardon me for speaking such harsh words in the presence of the Princess. Ahem.”

Some stories were worth listening to.

The unusually cold spring weather compared to previous years, the suicide of a baron’s family due to gambling debts, the shocking scandal of the capital’s most popular actor being secretly married…

I made sure to store all of these stories in my memory, pretending I wasn’t paying attention.

The more information, the better. Especially now, when I had no clear plans for the future. You never knew when this knowledge might come in handy. So, I memorized everything I overheard.

Although this was my first time attending such an event, that didn’t mean I couldn’t understand what was going on.

Some of the names and places people whispered about were even mentioned in the original story. By listening closely, I could roughly guess why and how events three years or even further into the future might unfold.

Just as I was beginning to enjoy sorting through the cascade of information for useful stories…

“Oh, my.”

The people surrounding Rudolph and me suddenly turned their heads to look at something and began to show signs of unrest.

“Isn’t he coming this way?”

“Impossible, those two are famous for not getting along.”

“Haven’t you heard the latest rumor? Princess Lucillia…”

“Shh! Quiet! He’s coming!”

People started to retreat, leaving a gap between us. I turned my head to follow their gaze.

Richard was walking toward us, with his knight and secretary, Luke Clyton, trailing behind him.

I could understand why everyone seemed nervous and wary of us.

It was well-known that Richard and Rudolph were archnemesis. Richard, especially with his fiery temper, had a knack for turning small issues into big confrontations.

If we got caught in the crossfire, it could be disastrous. Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing.

I, too, felt tense, unsure of what Richard’s approach might lead to.

The last time we met was the day I received an invitation to Rudolph’s birthday celebration. That day, Richard had been angry with me, and I had defiantly told him to kill me if he had any complaints.

Come to think of it, I even lumped him together with Rudolph, calling them both the same kind of people…

In the weeks we hadn’t seen each other, had Richard decided to regard me as an enemy? Or did he still believe that my life belonged to him?

To find out, I would have to confront him directly.

I almost sighed but caught myself. Once again, I reminded myself of the thoughts I had been repeating all day.

‘I am 12 years old. I am an innocent and naive 12-year-old…’

It would have been nice to have had a drink.

Thinking this, I called out in a clear voice.

“Brother Richard!”

Everyone’s eyes immediately turned to me.

The tense atmosphere shattered like glass, replaced by a variety of reactions—shock, confusion, curiosity—all expressed through their gazes and expressions, even without words.

I could feel every reaction as I ran toward Richard.

Even from a distance, I could tell that Richard was surprised.

“Why are you so late? I’ve been waiting for you!”

I approached Richard and grabbed his hand. Looking up at him, I tried to flash a bright and innocent sisterly smile.

“You…”

But when I saw Richard’s face, I couldn’t help but laugh genuinely.

His expression was priceless. He was furious with Rudolph, yet completely caught off guard by me running over to him. He couldn’t even shake off my hand.

He also kept glancing at my dress in disbelief, as if shocked by my appearance. Well, the first time we met, I looked like a complete mess.

Anyway, a whole panorama of emotions played out on Richard’s face, too complex to describe in one word.

Still smiling, I said to him.

“Brother, you look so handsome today!”

And I meant it.

Unlike Rudolph, who looked like a priest dressed entirely in white, Richard’s outfit practically screamed, ‘I am a prince!’

His black attire was embroidered with gold thread, and his collar was adorned with rubies set in gold. His cape, designed to ward off the cold, was a striking shade of red, just like Richard’s intense eyes.

It was so lavish it could have been overwhelming, but with his exceptionally beautiful face, it all somehow came together.

He would make the perfect tyrant on the cover of a romance novel. Seriously, his face was just that gorgeous.

“Huh.”

Richard let out a short laugh, seemingly in disbelief. Then he bent down slightly to meet me at eye level.

As soon as I saw his face, I was certain.

Richard didn’t see me as an enemy. His red eyes weren’t filled with anger but with concern.

Realizing this, I felt a wave of relief. Though we had parted on bad terms, seeing him worry about me left me feeling a bit awkward.

Still crouching, Richard studied me carefully for a while before locking eyes with me. I stared back, feeling a bit conflicted.

Finally, his lips curved into a small smile.

“You’re incredibly beautiful too. I almost didn’t recognize you.”