The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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Is it called the royal audience? I’m not really familiar with that kind of term, but this place, which originally wasn’t that spacious, felt ridiculously vast.

The reason, you ask? It’s because no one was around. Even when I asked the guards, the only answer I got was that they disappeared in the blink of an eye. I guess they were discussing something that shouldn’t be overheard.

This had happened before, so I decided to sit on the throne and wait until I returned to reality. After all, it would be a seat I’d occupy someday, so I tried various sitting positions, crossed my legs, and rested my chin in my hand, posing earnestly.

Would doing this make me look more dignified? But given how I had acted until now, it felt off.

“…Ahem, hello there… um, hello? This isn’t right; how should I use that voice…?”

I tried lowering my voice to a deep, resonant tone like my father’s, but all that came out were unsatisfactory sounds.

In the midst of this, the guards asked if I was calling for them, but I brushed it off as voice practice, and they returned to their duties. Well, that’s on me. After several attempts, I finally managed to produce a convincing voice.

“…Hello there!”

“Who are you calling? Me? Or your lover?”

“Uh, uh, Mother?!”

Thanks to my terrible timing, I blurted that out without knowing those two had returned to reality. Thus, Mother decided to play a prank on me.

Though Mother might see it as a joke, it felt like a natural disaster for me, and I was trembling. I knew she wouldn’t scold me or bring it up later, but still, it was frightening. There was this unexplainable force emanating.

“Hey, Empress, is this how I should call you? Ho-yeon, you’re done with your business, right? Then is it my turn now…?”

Dokan hadn’t said anything, yet he deduced everything as if he were using telepathy. And he was entirely correct. It seems Dokan didn’t want to be alone with Father either.

…Isn’t it better if I were here too? The thought of something dangerous happening crossed my mind. But since I had business with Mother, I decided it was time to trust Father a little.

If something happened, I’d think about what to do then. With that thought, I told Dokan that what he was assuming was correct.

“…First of all, don’t call Father that as a joke, as he’s still noble. And yes, Father’s looking for you. When you enter, it’s best to start with an apology. Since… you said that… um, good luck.”

I felt that an apology was necessary since my words had truly been harsh. Anyone with their wits about them would know there was no way that would go over well. The thought had come to both of us while we were likely half out of our minds, and the person who needed to be stopped was laughing nearby.

Right, Black Wolf Brother said so. I should give him a heads-up later. Dokan took a deep breath as if steeling himself and headed towards the room where Father was.

Now, I had to face the issue I had been turning away from. Mother was still looking at me with that mischievous smile, waiting for my response.

“Um… I was just practicing how to call my subordinates with more authority when you happened to return… Hehe…”

Why did it have to be now, of all times? And why while I was doing the most embarrassing thing? I felt like hiding in a mouse hole, but the only place to hide was behind the throne, which wasn’t really an option.

If a grown person hides behind a chair, how ridiculous would that be? After hearing my response, Mother seemed to regard it with interest, quickly leaving a brief comment before moving on.

“Well, governing subordinates well is a virtue of a higher-up. Keep making efforts. If you really want my suggestion, try to feel like you’re squeezing your diaphragm.”

…What does that even feel like? It was an incomprehensible comment, but I nodded in understanding. If Mother says so, then it must be true.

“…I’ve spoken long enough. I asked you a question, didn’t I? Can humans indeed live without a god? Now it’s your turn to answer. Please, speak without holding back.”

So, it’s come to this, huh. I wasn’t quite ready to answer yet, but Mother had the urgent look of someone who needed to hear it immediately. I guess I had no choice but to speak.

“…Humans can indeed live without gods. However, that existence hardly resembled what one would call a ‘person.’ There were starving people everywhere, while on the other hand, someone was casually discarding decent meat because it didn’t taste good. The leadership was too focused on their own well-being instead of thinking about the future, and religious groups were suspicious of their followers. In conclusion, yes, ‘they can survive,’ but development… I’m not sure. Even while living a life that doesn’t feel human, there were still some minor advancements.”

It would likely take at least a thousand years to establish something resembling modern civilization. To reach our civilization level would take even longer.

“Is that your conclusion? If one can live but cannot live like a human, is that possible?”

“Yes.”

Mother values future possibilities very highly, so I said that there was at least a chance of development. It didn’t seem impossible.

…Though it might be painfully slow, perhaps they could step into space before messing things up by their own mistakes, right? That was a pretty optimistic outlook.

“…Then I must ask you, do you believe I should turn a blind eye to Ganaan’s arrogance?”

Who was Ganaan again─just a moment to think, and memories popped up from when I read history books in the west. Wasn’t that the name of a goddess when she was human?

“Mother, what exactly is your relationship with that Ganaan…?”

I knew she was from the east. But that was all I knew. What in the world could she have done with Mother that led her to teach me to be wary and fearful of everything coming from the east?

“She was my disciple. A very bright one. But we parted ways because our natures didn’t match. That child ran away from me and boldly declared that she would surely show me that humans can develop while remaining human, which is why I’ve been waiting all this time.”

Oh. I hadn’t realized there was such a profound story. I wanted to cut off the flow of the conversation, thinking it would get complicated if I went further, and answered Mother’s inquiry.

“…Is there really a need to stop her? Based on what I’ve seen, they pose no threat to us at all. They grovel before even the shabby deity we sent long ago; how could they dare to challenge us? If there’s no divine intervention, leaving them as a sort of grand laboratory to discover how humans live wouldn’t hurt, right?”

Though I made it sound grandiose, what I actually meant was that there were a few people I happened to like there, so I was asking Mother not to toss them away. Anya, Eric…? was a bit ambiguous. Cecilia… was also a bit bothersome.

I didn’t want all of them to end up dead.

“A laboratory, huh? I see what you mean. I’ll think about it.”

Mother rarely showed such a disappointed expression but quickly dropped the topic as if she didn’t want to discuss it further. It felt like she wanted to push it away, but since I didn’t like it, she wouldn’t do it.

I hope my intentions were conveyed well. Let’s leave them be; after all, they’re not dangerous, so what does it matter? That was my intention regarding the eastern land.

Sure, there were some annoyances, but they weren’t really a danger. What truly troubled me was Shikari.

“Then let’s put this topic aside and discuss about you. Shikari, have you bypassed your lock?”

Lock? Mother mentioned something I didn’t understand, and when she saw my puzzled expression, she snapped her fingers. Suddenly, forgotten memories resurfaced like they had just been waiting for her cue.

A memory from when I was very, very young. The time when I could manipulate everything to my will.

…Was there such a thing? At least I had no recollection of it, but clearly, I was correct. I still looked a bit pudgy, and there was a hint of baby powder lingering in the air.

“Being able to recreate your lover’s body was also possible because of that child’s essence, wasn’t it? That child always… overthought things. It seems she acted on something unnecessary once again.”

So, Shikari had pulled some strings to grant me such abilities? Or would it be more accurate to say she unlocked them? Whatever the case, that seemed to be it.

Did I actually have that kind of power? Well, it wouldn’t be odd considering the things I did back then…

Before I could think further, Mother snapped her fingers again. It felt like magic flowing into my body, something I could only sense from a long time ago.

It felt just like when I was caring for the elves in the forest.

“…Um, Mother. Can I ask just one thing? Why did you keep me from using these abilities and even take away my memories?”

It wasn’t meant as an accusation; I genuinely wanted to know. Mother readily answered me.

“If it were you, would you let your child swing a sword carelessly from a young age without taking it away?”

Ah, got it. I understood immediately. The abilities were too powerful for a child to handle. Mother’s subsequent explanation aligned with my thoughts.

“…I intended to return it once you had surveyed the world and established your own values. That child always complicated matters with excessive thoughts.”

After being overwhelmed by the almost endless flow of magic pouring into me, I soon felt an overwhelming sense of omnipotence.

“What are you staring off for? Follow me. It’s time to learn how to handle that correctly.”

Eh.

—

The room where Jeongho was felt a degree colder, at least by one degree. Of course, my body felt no temperature difference compared to outside.

It was just that the person before me emitted such an oppressive aura that it felt chilly. Surprisingly, he didn’t rush at me the moment he spotted me.

His gaze remained burdensome, though.

“…Sit.”

The deep, heavy voice sounded like it emanated from the depths of my stomach and compelled me to follow. It was on par with a tiger I once saw at the zoo; this was something else.

He simply sat there with a shadow over his face, waiting for something. Seizing the opportunity, I relayed what I wanted to say.

“…I apologize for the rude remarks I made at the harbor. I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to make sound judgments as I was too focused on survival…”

“That’s enough. Saying that won’t change your impression on me. Hah, how did our dear one end up with someone like you…?”

He sighed deeply, but it seemed that his hostility had somewhat lessened.

“…Tell me. What kind of sorcery did you use to ensnare our dear one? It’s better to confess clearly.”

He still seemed unable to believe that his daughter had fallen in love with another man. Sorcery, huh…

…Well, thinking back, I guess all I ever did was care for her, and somewhere along the line, I ended up completely intertwined and unable to break free. It all started at the World Tree, after plucking the fruit that led to a sensory connection.

Would anything I did really be termed sorcery?

“I merely stayed close and looked after her. There was no underhanded sorcery involved.”

“Is that so…? Was our daughter so lonely that she would fall in love over something like that? I’ve been too negligent as a father.”

Upon hearing my answer, Jeongho suddenly seemed to reflect on his past with gloom. Seeing that made me want to comfort him with words.

“There’s no need to be too gloomy. His Majesty the Emperor has likely done his best in his own way. It’s just that those efforts didn’t resonate with Ho-yeon.”

From what I heard regarding Jeongho through Ho-yeon’s stories, he was a strict yet harsh figure. But to me, he looked like a clumsy father trying to get closer to his daughter.

Although Ho-yeon greatly disliked that.

“Stop with the useless consolation. I’ll say it again: I don’t like you. Yet I’m tolerating you only because Ho-yeon loves you. So, if you dare to make my daughter cry… I will hang your neck from my eaves. Do you understand?”

His words were quite harsh, filled with threats of violence…but… should I take that as permission? Even if I tried to read between the lines, the years the Emperor spent in his position hadn’t been wasted.

“…You…are you allowing this…?”

“……I allow it. However, only as long as my daughter’s heart remains with you.”

Even if there were some conditions, I had gained permission. At the very least, I wouldn’t have to worry about losing my head every morning.

“And, of course, frequenting brothels is absolutely forbidden. You must not make her cry or worry, and also…”

Though it wasn’t just a few conditions but an entire bunch…I mean, at least he didn’t say he’s going to behead me.

“…Lastly, when do you plan to hold the wedding?”

I thought I had handled everything I could manage, but the final issue was still remaining.