🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter – 04
“Princess. Marquis Kirishit and several counts have requested an audience.”
“…Without even submitting a formal request?”
“They said it was urgent and that they absolutely had to see you.”
“Heh.”
At her maid’s words, Shairin let out a scoff.
“They must have rushed here with their tails on fire.”
It was obvious they had come running in excitement after hearing the king’s declaration.
No doubt they were here to flatter her, saying things like “Now Your Highness’s era has begun,” while simultaneously spouting nonsense about wanting a share of the authority she had been given.
But Shairin was now in the position of paving the way for Relina.
She had no intention of obediently listening to them.
In her previous life, she had been an ignorant fledgling, but not anymore.
‘Still, I need to stay cautious. They’re the prime suspects behind my brainwashing.’
Shairin’s face turned cold. Her eyes, carrying the weight of years, darkened sharply.
“…They’re in the reception room?”
“Yes. They are waiting.”
Shairin immediately opened the door. Her personal maids stood in a line with their heads bowed, waiting for her.
“Lead the way.”
She descended to the first floor.
When the doors to the reception room opened, the nobles were already seated, sipping tea and chatting comfortably.
‘They act like they own the place.’
Returning to this moment made her vividly aware of how they viewed her.
A young princess lacking political experience.
To them, she had probably looked like the perfect puppet to manipulate.
But now she had experienced all sorts of hardships.
She didn’t know why, but the memories after she had been brainwashed remained crystal clear, so she would never let herself be dragged around again.
“What is the reason for this sudden visit?”
“Hasn’t His Majesty officially chosen Your Highness as his successor?”
Shairin sat at the head seat and calmly lifted her teacup. Her face was elegant, yet sharp at the same time.
“That was merely temporary. Didn’t His Majesty say so himself? It is a test.”
“The test is merely a formality. His Majesty has already made his decision!”
“I believe so as well.”
After that, they showered her with flattery, saying she was the perfectly prepared future ruler and that her reign would usher in an even greater golden age.
“So then, is there anything we may assist Your Highness with?”
“Indeed. Supporting Your Highness is our duty.”
Unnecessary meddling.
If these people got involved, how was she supposed to emphasize her incompetence?
Still, Shairin quietly took a deep breath.
Even if she revealed her true intentions to them now, nothing would change.
She concealed her emotions. Nothing reflected in her golden eyes.
The nobles watching her found that empty gaze frustrating.
For some reason, it was difficult to read the princess today.
At last, Shairin spoke. Her voice was gentle, but solemn and sharp.
“You all seem to lack faith in me.”
“Pardon? W-What do you mean by that?”
“As you said, this is a test given to me by Father. In that case, it is only proper that I face it myself.”
“……”
“So I will handle this on my own. I refuse your assistance.”
“B-But…”
“If I do not accomplish it myself, how can I prove anything?”
This wasn’t what they had expected.
Seeing the nobles’ thoughts so clearly exposed before her, Shairin mocked them inwardly.
In her previous life, she had always been led around by them, but now they were the ones stumbling around her.
Who would have thought the experiences of her past life would be this useful?
Meanwhile, the nobles were baffled by Shairin’s reaction.
Why was the princess, who had always been obedient, suddenly acting like this?
Unable to seize control of the conversation, they grew anxious—but Shairin had no intention of letting them recover.
She just wanted to rest now.
“If our business is concluded, then please leave. I’m rather tired.”
Once the princess ended the meeting, they could no longer remain seated no matter what they still wished to say.
Faced with the obvious dismissal, the nobles hurriedly scrambled to their feet.
Among them, however, one man remained completely composed.
Marquis Kirishit.
He was the one who had arranged this meeting, and one of the central figures within Shairin’s faction.
He operated one of the five largest merchant guilds in the kingdom and had amassed enormous wealth, effectively serving as the faction’s financial backbone.
“You say you’ve been unable to sleep lately. Have you stopped using the scented candles we provided?”
That was right. Around this time, Shairin had been suffering from insomnia.
Because of that, she frequently used the scented candles gifted to her by the nobles of her faction.
“Just in case, I brought another one. It seems I made the right decision.”
The marquis presented something neatly wrapped.
Shairin opened the gift on the spot and tightly bit her lip.
She couldn’t help it.
Because this was the very same candle she had burned right before killing Relina in her previous life.
“Princess. You seem unable to sleep these days.”
“If the future of the kingdom—Your Highness—collapses, then we shall as well. Please take care of your health!”
“Please try lighting this scented candle. You’ll feel refreshed the next day. I personally guarantee its effect.”
“……”
Shairin stared at the candle placed on her desk, absentmindedly biting at the torn skin around her fingers as she muttered:
“No matter how I look at it… this has to be it.”
Her memories from before the brainwashing were blurry due to the curse and the passage of time, but the design on that candle was impossible to forget.
After all, how common was a symbol depicting a shattered sun?
And how much rarer was it to gift such an item to a princess?
“Usually, the sun symbolizes royalty.”
And yet they had boldly presented it to the princess they claimed to serve.
Were they insane? Or simply audacious?
She couldn’t tell.
“…You must be the culprits.”
The ones who had dragged her life into the mud.
Which meant she absolutely could not overlook the value of this candle as evidence.
“If this was what brainwashed me, then the previous candles they gave me probably served a similar purpose.”
Gradually increasing the curse’s intensity until this final candle caused it to explode.
If that were the case, it explained why her past self had never sensed anything strange.
In that case…
“There’s still one more question.”
How had they managed to create such a horrifying candle in the first place?
Something akin to magic like this could not be easily accomplished.
It seemed she would have to investigate whoever stood behind them.
Otherwise, she would once again become someone else’s puppet.
And she absolutely refused to repeat the events of her previous life.
“…But how am I supposed to investigate?”
She had suspicions, but they were still part of her faction.
Even if she wanted to cut ties, she needed to keep them close for now.
Until the decisive moment arrived, she had to remain the rigid, naïve, easy-to-handle princess in their eyes.
‘If only I had my own intelligence network.’
But creating an information organization—or establishing connections with information guilds—was not an option she could use right now.
She had only just become acting regent, and too many eyes were watching her.
Besides, information guilds operated in methods that could not withstand public scrutiny.
Because of the nature of the goods they handled, they often acquired dangerous materials that could threaten the upper ranks of society.
To avoid provoking nobles, they mainly conducted business in the underworld.
And because they were connected to the slums, it was difficult for a woman to go there alone.
If she avoided being kidnapped, she’d already be lucky.
Hiring guards was difficult too. The guild’s mercenaries were stronger than most knights.
All of this existed to protect the guild’s information.
But for Shairin, it was enough to make her sigh.
“Why is everything so difficult? Nothing comes easy.”
She couldn’t establish a guild, nor could she hire one.
So what exactly was she supposed to do?
“…Calm down, Shairin Lavantra. If you rush, your vision narrows.”
For now, it was better to wait for the right time.
Eventually, there would come a day when she could act beyond others’ watchful eyes.
Then she could establish an information guild and entrust its management to someone else.
In fact, she already had someone in mind.
At this point in time, he was still an unnoticed man, but eventually he would reveal his presence like an awl hidden in a pocket.
She only needed to take him in when the time came.
This life was a long-distance race—a marathon.
Compared to the decades she had spent suppressed, this level of patience was nothing.
“Right now, becoming closer to my little sister comes first!”
That’s right. The candle had almost dragged her into depression again, but her ultimate goal was simply to become a carefree unemployed noble and enjoy life.
So for now, she needed to focus on appearing incompetent to the ministers and growing closer to Relina…!
‘If we become close, I can encourage her to become crown princess!’
Her mind finally felt somewhat refreshed.
After taking a bath while whistling, Shairin lay down on her bed.
Even though it was still midday, sleepiness quickly overtook her.
Because she was exhausted no matter how much she slept, she spent most of her time lying in bed whenever she wasn’t making plans.
‘Who knew sleeping could be this enjoyable?’
As though making up for a lifelong grudge, she continued compensating for all the sleep she lacked in her previous life.
Simply staying awake drained her energy.
Before long, Shairin drifted off to sleep.
Thinking once again how fortunate she was to have returned to the past.
