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Human Impersonation is Hard Work, Even Today – Episode 5
Emma headed for the main palace as soon as I gave her the letter. Since she was acquainted with a palace administrator, the letter would probably reach the emperor quickly.
‘I was worried because her reaction was strange, but it seems she accepted it well.’
While talking with Emma, I’d been overcome with emotion without realizing it. I thought I might have scared her for a moment, but instead, she readily agreed to my request without even asking for a reason.
‘I suppose it’s fortunate…’
Anyway, thanks to Emma’s efforts, the emperor’s reply arrived in just two days.
The problem was that the person who brought the reply was an unexpected figure.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Highness the Princess. I am Loreil Delchis.”
I was astonished, looking at the man standing before the villa’s main gate, giving a polite bow.
‘Delchis… that’s the Chancellor!’
The Imperial Chancellor, the head of the Aristocratic Council, said to wield the strongest power next to the emperor.
I never imagined someone from the Marquess Delchis household would be sent.
Moreover, judging by his use of the family name, Loreil was clearly a child of the Marquess.
I didn’t know if he was the heir or a second son or below, but he certainly wasn’t someone of a status to be mobilized for such a task.
‘Why? The emperor couldn’t have asked the Marquess Delchis…’
“Your Highness the Princess?”
“…A pleasure to meet you, Sir Loreil. I am Dana Liffeon.”
My bewilderment was brief; I politely returned the greeting.
‘I’ll find out the reason later. For now, it’s important not to arouse unnecessary suspicion.’
Loreil raised his eyebrows slightly as if surprised, but soon collected his expression and spoke.
“You seem quite healthy, contrary to the rumors.”
“Rumors tend to be exaggerated.”
“A wise observation.”
Loreil gave a short smile. It was a mask-like smile that felt insincere.
‘By the way, he’s not a typical Imperial man.’
Only then did his face register. His crimson eyes were impressive, but his jet-black hair, which seemed to absorb light, strongly reminded me of a demon.
His straight, stubborn-looking eyebrows, sharp eyes, and the sturdy physique sensed through his clothes suggested the dignity of a warrior.
I felt a nostalgia as if looking at a soldier from the demon realm.
‘I should stop staring.’
It was very rude to immediately assess someone’s combat ability upon meeting them. I set aside Asmo-Dina’s habits for now and guided Loreil.
“Shall we go to the garden? It’s teatime, and I’ve prepared some refreshments.”
“Then I shall impose.”
We headed to the villa’s garden.
Though called a villa, it was only the size of a small mansion, so we soon arrived at the garden.
Upon seeing the garden, Loreil hesitated.
“The garden is very… cozy.”
It seemed he felt he had to compliment it somehow as a courtesy, but having nothing to say, he forced something out.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
He didn’t need to go that far, but I smiled back, appreciating the effort.
Truthfully, the villa’s garden wasn’t beautiful. Weeds were quite lush, and the fountain was unmaintained, overgrown with vines. Moreover, the garden’s identity was defined by the dense cluster of wildflowers growing in the center.
‘I think even this is quite nice.’
Of course, it couldn’t compare to the main palace’s gardens, but it had its own charm.
We sat facing each other at a small table beside the fountain. Just then, Emma approached and poured the tea.
“Now, let me relay His Majesty the Emperor’s words.”
“Yes.”
“His Majesty wishes to announce Princess Dana’s recovery of health and for you to oversee an event.”
“An event, you mean…”
“The congratulatory address for the Year-End Festival.”
Royal duties were varied. Besides imperial diplomacy or finance, they frequently had to appear at events to bolster domestic affairs. The Harvest Festival and Year-End Festival were typical. It seemed the emperor intended to entrust me with one of the Year-End events.
He probably wanted me to successfully conclude the event to prove I was healthy enough to be active.
If successful, finding a fiance would also become easier.
‘There are so many Year-End events in the capital, maybe he’ll assign one where failure doesn’t matter.’
But the reply differed from my expectation.
“The event is the Arena held in the capital. Are you aware of it?”
“…I am aware.”
The Arena. Also called the Colosseum, a martial tournament for warriors.
I’d never attended, but it was considered the premier event for the empire’s young citizens.
‘That old geezer…’
I smiled faintly and sipped my tea, but inside, anger toward the emperor boiled up.
‘Having a princess oversee a closeum?’
It was common for royals to oversee traditional events, but entrusting a princess with a blood-splattering event was unheard of.
I was foolish to think he’d assign me something like an exhibition or a concert.
‘That old geezer clearly intends to make me a laughingstock.’
For the cursed princess to be in charge of a closeum tournament… the audience’s icy stares were already vivid in my mind.
‘Is this his way of saying I should never leave the villa again?’
As anger flared at the emperor’s unfathomable intentions, Loreil spoke.
“The matches are scheduled for next month. Since it’s a three-day event, I recommend clearing your schedule in advance.”
Suppressing a sigh, I nodded.
Since the emperor himself had given the order, I had no grounds to refuse anyway.
“For an initial site inspection, we should likely tour the venue together tomorrow. Is that acceptable?”
“Acceptable, but… wait, will you be accompanying me, Sir Loreil?”
“Yes. Your Highness likely doesn’t know the geography outside the palace, so you’ll need a guide, won’t you?”
I did need one, but I hadn’t expected the son of the Chancellor’s house to be appointed as that guide.
Hiding my surprise, I asked.
“Did His Majesty the Emperor instruct you, Sir Loreil, to assist me?”
“Yes.”
“To volunteer as a guide, like a secretary?”
“…Yes.”
He answered, but I sensed a moment’s hesitation. It meant this wasn’t his own wish.
‘The Chancellor’s will? Or the emperor’s check on the Chancellor?’
I couldn’t be certain of anything yet. Loreil, perhaps not wishing to give more clues, spoke in a firm voice.
“Of course, if Your Highness finds it inconvenient, I shall call a proxy.”
His tone practically begged for me to ask for a proxy, but I refused.
“No, it’s fine. Having a reliable person like Sir Loreil by my side will be a great help to me.”
“…I see.”
For a brief moment, I sensed disappointment in Loreil’s gaze. Whether he thought he was hiding it well or not, his reluctance to be involved in this was palpable.
It was unfortunate for Loreil, but as someone without even a single lady-in-waiting, I needed someone to assist with external schedules.
‘If he’s a child of the Chancellor’s house, his status alone makes him sufficiently valuable to use.’
Hiding my true thoughts, I gave him a look of trust. In return, he gave me back his mask-like smile.
“Then I shall inform you of the detailed schedule tomorrow.”
With business concluded, we rose to part ways. After exchanging formal pleasantries, I saw him off. Suddenly, a question arose.
‘Come to think of it, the heir of the Chancellor’s house was older than me, I believe.’
In my childhood, I’d heard news of the Chancellor’s heir being active. Over a decade had passed, so his age would be around thirty.
Then, were the heir and Loreil brothers?
Absentmindedly, I asked him.
“Sir Loreil, you had a sibling, correct? Are they well?”
“…Ah.”
In that instant, Loreil’s expression stiffened.
“You didn’t know…?”
“Know what?”
“My elder brother is dead.”
‘…Oops.’
In that moment, I sensed I’d touched a landmine.
My shock was brief; I tried to apologize to Loreil somehow. But I was rendered speechless by the change unfolding on his body.
‘What is that? Smoke?’
Because suddenly, strange smoke began rising from his shoulders. The smoke, which looked viscous like mud, climbed over Loreil’s shoulders, forming a bizarre shape.
[Keeee]
The smoke soon transformed into the shape of a spider with dozens of legs.
Facing the sudden monster, I was dumbfounded. Unaware of my state, Loreil continued his explanation in a stiff voice.
“My brother lost his life in an unfortunate accident. I am now the heir.”
Loreil seemed unable to see the monster. As he continued speaking, the monster perched on his shoulder grew larger and larger.
“…so you didn’t know. I understand.”
The enlarged monster eventually obscured even Loreil’s face, and his voice became hard to hear.
A crystallized malice invisible to humans. I knew what that was.
‘A curse.’
Loreil was clearly cursed by someone.
‘What’s the trigger? Talking about siblings? The heir? Anyway, I shouldn’t let him speak more!’
Curses of that form drained the victim’s life force as they grew larger. As I scrutinized it, trying to identify the curse’s nature…
“That’s why… to me.”
[Ugh…]
As if sensing I was observing it, the monster bared its fangs at me. And it tried to thrust its dreadful face toward me.
‘I, I hate spiders!’
A belated realization, but I detested spiders terribly.
That remained true even now with Asmo-Dina’s memories.
Just seeing those many-legged creatures made revulsion surge within me uncontrollably.
“Your High…?”
[Kyaaaa!]
Perhaps sensing my strange reaction, Loreil called to me in a concerned voice. Simultaneously, the spider’s leg approached.
“D-don’t come near me!”
Finally, I tightly shut my eyes and toward the spider…
“Ah.”
…I threw a very forceful punch.
My fist, imbued with magic, struck the spider’s face with tremendous force.
[Kkeeeeek-!]
BOOM-!
With a tremendous explosive sound, I blew the spider apart.
“……”
Opening my eyes, I saw Loreil staring at me blankly. No, what he was looking at wasn’t exactly me.
It was my fist, which had stopped perilously close to the bridge of his nose.
Drip-
Simultaneously, blood began to flow from his nose, caused by the shock wave from my extended punch.
