The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live

Kalsen Castle

This ancient fortress, built centuries ago, was carved from a rocky mountain, making it cold and unyielding.

Most people would have been repelled by the chilling atmosphere and gloomy aura that enveloped the castle, unable to imagine living in such a place.

But the first Duke of Aschenbach reportedly found these qualities appealing.

Carved from a rocky mountain, the path to the castle was treacherous, but that also meant it was difficult to invade. The eerie atmosphere shrouding the castle served to amplify the fear surrounding the ducal family, making it a perfect fit.

A black stronghold stood alone, towering over the northeastern plains.

After Aschenbach was integrated into the empire, the family settled there and had never relocated since.

Tristan was taking in the sights of Kalsen Castle, returning after a long absence.

Though he had few good memories of the place, Tristan liked Kalsen Castle. Its austere, unadorned walls and the desolate garden filled only with stones and weeds appealed to him.

He strolled slowly along the castle wall. Not one to mingle much with the servants, Tristan often spent his idle hours wandering aimlessly. Those who worked at Kalsen Castle were well aware of this habit, so no one paid him any attention.

No one noticed the unusual sharpness in Tristan’s gaze or his new habit of rubbing his left wrist since his return.

“Many nobles have secret chambers in their homes.”

His fingers brushing the cold stones of the wall as memories replayed in his mind. It was something the blue-eyed prince had told him just before Tristan left the capital.

“For someone with as many enemies as Aschenbach, such a thing is even more essential. Whether to hide something or to escape in a moment of crisis, it’s indispensable.”

Something no one else could see. Those words had enthralled Tristan, as if dangling candy before a child.

“He needs such a space too — a dark, filthy secret hidden away because the duke cannot even trust his own servants.”

It seemed plausible. If the duke were planning treason, he certainly wouldn’t leave incriminating letters or documents lying around in his study. He’d hide them in a place known only to a select few.

“All you need to do is find that secret space. Since you can’t read, I won’t ask you to retrieve anything from inside.”

Rudolph had said that; gripping Tristan’s wrist tightly.

Despite his delicate and soft appearance, Rudolph’s grip was surprisingly strong. He muttered something under his breath as he squeezed, and a stream of light flowed from his hand into Tristan’s wrist.

“When you speak the activation word, you’ll become invisible to others for a few hours. If you find the secret space, activate the spell to signal me. I’ll send someone to retrieve you.”

The prince let go of his wrist and looked at him expectantly. Tristan stared at the intricate glowing pattern on his wrist.

“Now choose the activation word. It has to be a word you would never say casually, something you wouldn’t accidentally utter but could never forget.”

A word he would never say aloud. Yet, one he would never forget.

He didn’t need to think.

It was a name he dared not speak, even in his dreams— a name he had never once forgotten since the moment he first heard it.

Tristan said.

“Lucilia.”

The prince’s blue eyes widened slightly.

The moment Tristan uttered the word, the pattern on his wrist flashed brightly before disappearing without a trace. Instinctively, he rubbed the spot.

“Impertinent…”

The prince muttered under his breath, but Tristan bowed his head in response, unshaken by the disdain in his voice.

“Thank you.”

Tristan said earnestly. He truly meant it. He was relieved that the prince didn’t care about his well-being.

If the prince had cared, Tristan might have been paralyzed, waiting helplessly instead of acting.

Waiting, in this cold and dark castle, yearning only for her.

The prince stared at Tristan’s bowed head for a long time before turning to leave, leaving behind a final remark.

“You had better make yourself useful.”

I intend to. I will.

Walking along the walls, he scrutinized everything in sight — the individual stones, the weeds underfoot, and the wind-worn rocks shaped by the dry eastern winds.

The secret space was likely underground.

Tristan knew this instinctively. Occasionally, very occasionally, he could sense where Duke Aschenbach was. Whatever lay between them didn’t matter; Tristan could see the duke.

And once, just once, he had seen the duke deep beneath the castle — far deeper than the fortress itself. Tristan was searching for the entrance to that place.

Plop.

A raindrop fell at his feet.

Though not as rainy as the capital, the northeastern region still received a fair amount of summer rain. Tristan looked up at the sky. The skies above Kalsen Castle were murky and gray, just like the last sky he had seen in the capital.

Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, Tristan was lost in memories of the last day he had seen her — vivid as if it were yesterday, yet distant as if decades ago.

The rain soon turned into a downpour, but Tristan didn’t run for cover.

He was a hunting dog searching for the fox’s den in the ducal estate. And the dog didn’t stop until its master said so. He would find the den and sink his teeth into the fox’s throat. Because his master desired it.

…….

Suddenly, I felt a strange sensation and turned my head. All I could see was the vast expanse of the sea. When I inhaled deeply, the salty tang of the ocean filled the air.

Tristan would love this view.

I thought as I gazed at the seemingly endless ocean.

We were on a ship Andrea had sent us.

I had stubbornly insisted and finally succeeded in persuading Richard. Andrea, delighted, sent us a ship. It was a flashy vessel, perfect for bait.

We departed from Cardina Port on that ship. It was the day after Duke Cardina had left on the cruise.

“My father will handle everything before he sets foot on land.”

Andrea said as he saw us off.

“Please take care of this.”

Our ship’s first destination was Mullet Island in the Melias region. Mullet was the largest island in Melias, and notably, it was the capital when Albert declared his pirate kingdom.

Melias was an area composed of countless islands, both big and small. It was said that even counting the inhabited islands, there were dozens, and no one knew exactly how many uninhabited islands existed.

Andrea speculated that Albert’s hideout was likely on one of Melias’s uninhabited islands. It was a place with a complex geography and unpredictable currents, making it a haven for pirates.

Today was our second day at sea. We expected to reach Mullet Island tomorrow, meaning if the pirates were going to attack, today would be their best opportunity.

Yet, as far as the eye could see, there was no other ship in sight. I began to feel a growing unease.

“What if Albert doesn’t take the bait?”

I asked Richard, leaning against the ship’s railing. Richard responded nonchalantly.

“Then the mission fails, simple as that.”

“I mean, what happens if we fail?”

Andrea was only cooperating with us because we were useful to him. If this mission failed, we’d have to offer something else in exchange for the evidence we needed about Aschenbach. I dreaded imagining what Andrea might demand.

Well, there was one possibility…

“What if I agreed to marry Christian? Would Andrea hand over the evidence then?”

“What?!”

Richard, who had been speaking casually, snapped his head toward me. I pouted.

“Why are you acting so surprised? Andrea already mentioned it.”

“I know that! But why should we dance to their tune, no matter what they’re thinking?”

“Then what about the evidence?”

“We’ll negotiate something else. Deals don’t come easily. Why are you in such a rush?”

I pressed my lips together, caught off guard by his sharp insight.

The truth was, I was in a rush. So much so that I’d recklessly agreed to use myself as bait in a dangerous plan.

‘But there’s no other choice.’

The evidence Andrea held was fatal. If it were revealed that the ducal family was supporting pirates in another region, Aschenbach would suffer severe consequences. The compensation owed to Cardina alone would be astronomical, and the imperial family wouldn’t stand idly by. It was a crime grave enough to strip away one or two of Aschenbach’s northeastern autonomous rights.

The only reason Andrea wasn’t exploiting such crucial evidence for political gain.

It was his overwhelming rage against Albert.

He was willing to forsake his own interests to take down his nemesis. It was a fiery resolve typical of the Westerners.

The problem was time.

Anger faded quickly. And no matter how much Albert went around killing his brother’s supporters, it didn’t translate to building his own base of power.

In the long run, as long as Andrea held his ground, Albert would lose this fight.

If the original story were accurate, and Albert was indeed Andrea’s brother, his life would end as nothing more than a lowly pirate rather than the duke’s son he once was.

I wanted to secure Andrea’s evidence before he realized this and before his thirst for revenge subsided. To do that, I needed to ensure Albert ended up in Andrea’s hands, no matter what.

“There’s no time to waste.”

I said instead of explaining all of this.

“The longer this take, the harder it’ll be on Tristan.”

Richard’s gaze hardened.

“What’s your relationship with that illegitimate child…?”

“C-Captain!”

At that moment, a piercing voice rang out. A sailor stationed at the lookout shouted from atop the mast.

“A ship to the southwest! It’s approaching fast!”

All eyes turned toward the direction the ship was heading.

Three ships were closing in on us. The foremost one bore a sail with a heart pierced by a sword.

It was exactly the emblem Andrea had described. The heart symbolized love, one of the Cardina family’s many nicknames. .

A sword plunged into that heart — no doubt, it was Albert’s pirate fleet.

“Pirates! Pirates!”

“This is impossible!”

“How did they get this close without being noticed?!”

The crew shouted in panic.

By all common sense, it was indeed impossible. At sea, with nothing to obstruct the view, even the fastest ship would be spotted the moment it appeared on the horizon. For them to have approached unnoticed until their sails were visible defied logic.

But unlike my world, this one harbored force capable of making the impossible possible.

‘So, Andrea’s brother is truly Pirate Albert the Great.’

I thought, clenching my fist in determination.

‘If that’s the case, she must be on that ship.’