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Chapter : 14
“Wha—A warehouse! You don’t mean to take all the national treasures…!”
“Y-you greedy person!”
“That’s impossible, Your Majesty! As a loyal subject, I must advise you—Princess, you must be dismissed immediately!”
Until now, the ministers had been whispering among themselves, but now they rose up like a swarm of hornets.
Fortunately, the Emperor gave me a chance to speak.
“What warehouse are you talking about?”
His voice was terrifying. If I said anything foolish, it seemed he would strike me down on the spot.
Clutching the hem of my skirt tightly, I continued.
“Please allow me to open a grain warehouse. I know I have made many mistakes, but on this birthday, I wish to share joy with those who are most in need as a way of making amends.”
“You mean you’re going to the slums?”
“Yes.”
“One day won’t be much help to them.”
“But for just that one day, they will be able to eat their fill.”
“…Hmm.”
He fiddled with his fingers and spoke softly.
“Consider this a step toward change.”
At last, the Emperor granted permission.
“…Count Hailz. Grant the Princess the authority of the seventeenth key.”
“Thank you!”
I bowed, feeling the Crown Prince’s intense gaze burning into the back of my head. Then, by the Emperor’s order, I quickly made my way to the carriage that had already departed the palace.
Back at the Princess’s quarters, I immediately went to Gote to prepare for the outing.
As I tugged the rope, the attendant maids promptly entered.
Like a general heading into battle, I spoke with solemnity.
“Betty. Fione!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Where are we going?”
“To pick up a stray cat.”
Finally, the moment had come.
I rested my head against the carriage wall.
Outside the window, the bustling city flowed by like a wave.
I tapped my knees as I watched the enormous carts following the Imperial carriage.
“Clearly, the Princess is soft when it comes to her family.”
Earlier, when I had stood before the Emperor, I had felt like a paper boat in a storm.
The overwhelming emotions crashing in from all sides had thrown me into utter chaos, and perhaps that’s why even Hansha felt shaken.
I had experienced such situations thousands of times before; I was familiar with suppressing my emotions.
But perhaps because these were not my memories, things that wouldn’t have troubled Hansha were far harder for Erensia to overlook.
“This is tricky.”
Before the Emperor, my hands stiffened and my legs trembled.
I had to check several times whether my voice would hold before I could manage to respond.
It was the same with the Crown Prince, though the degree differed.
“That’s unexpected.”
Even among those who seemed to snarl at each other like sworn enemies, there was room to yearn for familial affection.
I couldn’t empathize, but I could understand.
I reminded myself that Erensia was fundamentally different from me.
“But I need to fix this quickly. It’ll be a problem if it continues like this.”
Judging by the novel’s events, there would be countless future conflicts between Erensia and her family.
Especially with Robelius.
Unless some special event miraculously improved their relationship, a clash with him seemed inevitable.
Emotions could be suppressed, but signs of them showing physically were unacceptable.
“If the Crown Prince decides to actively try to kill me, I might have to fight with a sword. I can’t let my body freeze.”
I needed to be able to retaliate, at least enough to push him back and make a quick escape.
“If I succeed in this today, things might get even more complicated.”
The thought of additional future troubles made my head ache as if a mouse were gnawing at it.
“Am I doing the right thing…?”
…What had I just said?
As if reading my mind, Gote’s gentle voice replied.
“You are saying what is only natural. Truly, your intentions are admirable.”
“It’s nothing to praise. I’m doing it because I want to.”
My voice unintentionally came out curt, which made me a little embarrassed, but I didn’t bother explaining further.
“The point should have come across.”
My reason for distributing grain was entirely selfish; I wanted people to know that this act wasn’t necessarily praiseworthy.
If not for my personal motives, I would never have requested a grain warehouse from the Emperor.
“And I wouldn’t have set foot in the slums either.”
In other words, there was no reason for anyone to gaze at me with sparkling eyes like this. Instead, it made me feel uneasy and guilty.
Yet Gote smiled warmly at me, seemingly only hearing what he wanted.
I had no choice but to turn my gaze back to the scenery outside.
“We’re here. I can see it.”
As I had predicted, the streets looked markedly different from before.
The carriage stopped without even a small jolt.
I watched briefly as the workers dismounted and arranged their carts, then got up.
“Let’s get off.”
“Fione, carry the grain.”
“Yes!”
“Betty, scoop a handful of grain into each sack and give it out.”
“Yes?”
Ignoring Betty, who looked like she had lost her mind searching for a stray cat, I climbed onto a chair the workers had set up and scanned the street.
The dilapidated buildings looked tiny and cramped.
The alleys were filthy, and a foul stench hit the nose from every direction. Even the roads themselves were poorly maintained, let alone a proper sewer system.
“Low human rights really do make life this unequal.”
The contrast with the city center was staggering.
“The kids… are doing well.”
Initially, the people were wary.
“The Princess has come to share grain! Free, free! Everyone, take a handful each!”
But when Fione, carrying a sack of grain, began distributing it, those who had only been watching hesitated no longer; adults and children alike rushed forward like a cloud.
“The Princess begged His Majesty to allow her to share grain as a birthday gift. Isn’t she kind and warm-hearted? And she’s so thoughtful! And cute too! There’s no one more perfect in the world!”
“But, sister, Sophia from next door said that the Princess likes to play ball with children.”
“Ah, that’s just a rumor. Look there. Does she seem mean?”
“No! Princess, you’re pretty!”
“See? What is the Princess?”
“A saint!”
“Wrong! Even more divine than a saint…”
Despite the hard work of scooping grain, Betty took time to give each person flattering words as if brainwashing them.
“Thank you, Princess! Thank you!”
“Oh my, how gracious of you…”
“Please, just one more handful. My wife is ill at home.”
Most able-bodied people had left the street, leaving mostly the elderly, sick, and children.
Occasionally, drunken men caused a scene, but when Fione cheerfully threw a sack of flour weighing over 70 kilograms with one hand, they quickly quieted down.
I observed the neighborhood children carefully while watching Gote line up the people.
An hour passed.
“There he is!”
Soon, I spotted the boy with distinctive dark blue hair.
I quietly signaled to my bodyguard.
“Lenhart. Just as we discussed. Understood?”
“Yes. I will carry out your orders exactly as instructed.”
The man who had been standing silently behind me nodded without a sound.
“Thank you. If you get hungry, eat this.”
I opened a flat box and offered him chocolate, but he politely shook his head.
“No, Your Highness, you should have it.”
Despite the firm refusal, I shrugged.
A silent bodyguard who stands behind you like a tree supporting its master—even if temporary—I found him quite satisfactory.
“Though he probably came to watch me.”
It was reassuring that he focused on his duty rather than scrutinizing my every move.
“Well, now we wait again.”
The waiting had begun.
I popped the chocolate into my mouth and let it melt slowly. Its bittersweet flavor softened on my tongue.
“Ah, a specialty from the Penser region, huh?”
I had overheard the maids talking about its popularity in the capital.
“This tastes better than candy. Maybe I’ll give some to everyone.”
Like campaign promises in an elementary school election—pizza, chicken, treats—small rewards were always effective.
“Wow, the sacks are going down fast.”
“The chocolate?”
“No… the grain.”
Even though we had emptied nearly half of one palace warehouse, the grain quickly dwindled.
“It’s because some people took more than once. I saw children give the sacks to their fathers and then run to the end of the line to get more. I witnessed it multiple times.”
“It would have been good to know exactly how many live here. Right?”
“I will make sure to bring a census next time.”
Since I didn’t plan to return, I smiled awkwardly.
“In the slums, a census isn’t very effective anyway.”
If I had aimed to distribute the grain fairly to as many as possible, I could have stamped wrists or counted numbers according to a register.
The reason we had brought carts to conduct relief wasn’t for goodwill. I had another purpose.
Dante Eberhardt.
To meet the dark male lead of The Sword in the Sky.
“I found him faster than I thought.”
I dusted myself off and stood up. Lenhart had returned, bringing the scout we had attached to the dark figure.
“Let’s go. Lead the way.”
Betty, who had been twitching nervously, seemed to realize we were leaving the filthy street behind for the palace. Her smile slowly faded.
