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Chapter : 04
The Emperor never once came to look for the baby.
No one knew who the mother was, so rumors about the child’s origins spread endlessly. The baby was raised here in a state of neglect—kept alive, but only just.
Left alone for long stretches of time in a desolate, unmanaged room, the baby failed to begin babbling even after learning to walk.
Because there was none of the interaction one would normally share between parent and child, she never learned how to express her own thoughts or emotions either.
When a year and a half had passed since her birth, the child finally made her first babbling sounds.
“Jo-ri ga.”
After that, it was much the same.
“Gi-chan-ke,” “Shi-kkeu-reo,” “Chi-eo,” “Jjan-na,” “Ppan-ni ja.”
“Good heavens, how creepy.”
As the child began to chatter her belated babbling, the palace servants avoided her even more.
Though her father had withdrawn his interest, he had not cut off financial support, so the budget allocated to the Princess’s palace overflowed.
The attendants, the gardeners, even the stable hands all began to live comfortably, receiving generous pay.
But for some reason, the child herself was always hungry.
Then one day, the child overheard the maids gathered together, speaking in serious tones.
“He’s coming.”
That single sentence became the turning point.
When rumors spread that Gott Heiler, the chief steward of the Sun Palace, might be demoted and sent here, the Mirror Palace was thrown into anxiety.
Dozens of pairs of eyes poured down on the child, who sat slumped on the floor, gnawing on her skirt from hunger.
“…Then what do we do now?”
“We hide her.”
From that day on, Eirencia was moved to the largest and finest room.
Silk wallpaper, immaculate new furniture that was flawless and luxurious.
A soft bed.
And surrounded by colorful, dazzling toys, the imperial princess looked adorable.
But the expressions on the maids’ faces as they dressed the child in an ornate dress looked uneasy somehow.
“She’s awfully skinny…”
“You think he’ll notice? He’s sharp, that one.”
“What are you worried about? The Sun Palace has countless matters to deal with. Just the handover alone will take ages. We still have time.”
The kitchen hearth burned day and night, boiling cream and cheese.
Servants pushed trays nonstop.
The wet nurse and maids forced food down the child’s throat as she struggled.
Her throat became so raw that blood vessels burst, her eyes reddened, and blood-tinged phlegm came up—but the effect was undeniable. The child quickly regained color.
When the rumors became official orders and Gott was transferred to the Mirror Palace—
Eirencia had become a neatly filled-out girl, with pale, healthy flesh, merely a little smaller than others her age.
“Greetings, Your Highness the Princess. Gott Heiler greets the Empire’s second little sun.”
The servants continued to siphon off the palace budget little by little under the pretext of supplies and provisions, but the large-scale embezzlement from before dwindled.
Perhaps fearing they’d be caught, the guilty servants began quitting one by one.
Now that Eirencia was ten years old, almost none of the people from back then remained.
Those who stayed began to torment the child subtly, out of Gott’s sight.
It was a form of venting their resentment.
“So that’s how a naturally timid kid ended up this twisted.”
I half-opened my eyes.
Time had flown by—five days had already passed since I became Eirencia.
Absorbing the fragmented memories that surfaced intermittently and quietly observing everything so far, I’d figured out a few facts.
Aside from Gott, there was no one in this castle on the princess’s side.
Judging by how no one was sent even after her blood relative woke up, the Emperor and the Crown Prince had not a speck of interest in Eirencia.
Though she was a pathetic, violent, self-centered princess, she was also just a child starved for affection, bristling with thorns.
And then…
“Didn’t I tell you? I said if you left her alone, she’d just leave.”
“Stella said she had lots to do. She said she was busy.”
“No. Stella said she likes being by Your Highness’s side more than working hard.”
“But if you’re annoying, everyone will leave, won’t they?”
When I looked up and said that, Rine smiled gently.
“Who says that? That’s not true at all.”
“…Isabelle did. She said if I was noisy, she wouldn’t come anymore.”
“That girl is always rude to Your Highness. It’s all lies. If you don’t hold on to them, no one will know how you feel. They won’t know if you don’t say it. You have to express yourself.”
“…I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore.”
“Then I suppose there’s nothing to be done. If Your Highness wants to be alone, I’ll be going now.”
Rine stood up as if she had no choice.
From across the room, Nella’s reproachful gaze followed me.
“N-No. Don’t go.”
Small, fern-like hands hurriedly grabbed the hem of the maid’s skirt. Feeling the tug, Rine turned around.
The gentle smile that had been on her face moments ago had turned cold.
“Just saying it like that won’t make anyone understand.”
“Th-Then…”
“What did I tell you to do?”
I bit my lip.
“But…”
“Come on.”
Rine urged softly, sensing my hesitation. Her voice was as gentle as down.
In the end, I squeezed my eyes shut and swung my arm.
A high scream rang out, followed by the sound of something shattering.
When I cautiously opened my eyes, Rine lay collapsed on the floor, soup poured over her head. Blood seeped from her bare leg, scraped by sharp shards.
Crash!
“Ugh.”
Rine groaned in pain as she threw the broken plate from her hand.
“R-Rine…”
Just as I turned pale and tried to rush toward her—
“Your Highness! No!”
Gott burst through the door, just as pale, and rushed over at unbelievable speed for his age, grabbing hold of me. He then roared at Nella, who stood there blankly.
“Restrain her at once! What are you doing?! Take that child out immediately!”
“Yes, sir.”
The moment Gott gave the order, Nella skillfully supported the bleeding Rine and exited the room.
From throwing the plate shard to summoning Gott—the timing matched perfectly, as if rehearsed hundreds of times.
Like a carefully scripted play.
…
The old man pulled my trembling body into his arms and let out a deep sigh.
“Why ever did you do this again… Weren’t they all gathered here to attend to Your Highness? I told you it was safe to rely on them.”
…
I silently buried my face in Gott’s chest.
This had already been happening for three days.
In the novel, Eirencia would fall for the maids’ provocations, erupt in rage, scream hysterically, and throw whatever she could grab.
Naturally, someone would get hurt.
“She probably didn’t secretly cut her own leg and pretend it was an accident back then.”
Now that the princess had become quiet instead of violent and impulsive, the attendants chose gentle coaxing over provoking her anger.
They dug into the loneliness of a frail young child.
Five days since I possessed this body.
The final thing I realized was—
“This place is basically a self-harm extortion ring.”
Gott held me for a long time.
Whenever Eirencia went berserk, he’d always calm her down like this.
It worked; I could feel my racing heartbeat gradually settle.
“What should we do about this…” Gott looked deeply troubled.
After waking from her sickbed, the princess he thought had matured a little was causing trouble again—it must have weighed on him.
“This is all this old man’s fault. I was not enough to fill His Majesty’s absence… That’s why Your Highness is so anxious.”
Gott, who had been patting me like a newborn, met my eyes.
His wrinkled hands were rough.
When that coarse yet warm touch brushed my cheek, my nose started to run.
Sniff.
“Damn cold.”
I roughly wiped my nose and said casually,
“I’ve always received more than enough from Gott.”
And I planned to keep receiving more.
“In the novel, he even risked his life to save her. If that’s not enough, he’d be shameless.”
“But still…”
“It’s not Gott’s fault. Gott did nothing wrong.”
Sniff.
I wiped my nose again and spoke firmly.
The original Eirencia trusted Gott, but out of pride, she hid the servants’ abuse.
Like a bullied child desperately hiding the truth from their parents.
Three days ago, when this happened, I went along with it to see if I could uncover the truth behind the incident where the princess collapsed.
“But it didn’t seem related.”
The self-harm extortion was just that.
So then?
There was only one answer left.
“I have to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible.”
If Gott were to give up on the princess out of heartbreak—even by chance—the road ahead would be brutal.
Luckily, I had a cold. By now my nose was probably bright red like Rudolph’s—perfect for drawing sympathy.
Sniff.
I slumped my shoulders pitifully and weakly confessed the truth.
“…But Rine told me to do it.”
