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Chapter 11
She had simply thought that the children were the bright future of Neshald.
After witnessing the rotting royal family and the messy entanglements of romantic scandals, she came to believe that only the children were Neshald’s true hope.
That’s why she established Cheonghakdong—to cultivate virtue, discard greed, and instill healthy values in the children.
If love, as an emotion, exposed people to social condemnation and danger, then it was better to start with a small number of children and create a foundation for them to grow into admirable adults…
“That’s what I promised myself!”
But ever since getting entangled with the villain of the original novel, everything started to feel upside down.
At the very least, since the villainous Duke held her—who educated Shuknen—in high regard, he probably wouldn’t snuff out her life like he destroyed Neshald.
After all, she was just an extra. Someone without real influence over him.
“But back when I was in the palace, I never saw the male or female leads.”
Maybe the plot hadn’t started yet. Maybe they were still at the very beginning.
“Then… instead of believing the children are the future, shouldn’t I be focusing on redeeming the villain first to prevent Neshald’s destruction?”
Of course, she hadn’t thought this way until Winzard showed up and got involved with her.
But considering the circumstances, it seemed smarter to pull out the root of all evil first.
“But how?”
Erne stopped absentmindedly doodling on the blackboard with chalk as she asked herself that question.
Instead, she began stroking her precious wooden desk and chair—almost torn down by the carpenter Winzard had summoned—groaning in frustration.
“The original said he was someone with no blood, no tears, and no mercy…”
Still, he seemed surprisingly attentive to his son.
“Maybe blood really is thicker than water after all.”
No matter how villainous, he clearly cherished his child.
Then suddenly, Erne realized the sun had set and quite a bit of time had passed.
It was already dinner time.
She closed the classroom door, thick with the scent of wild herbs, and walked down a short hallway to her living quarters.
She planned to fix a quick sandwich in the kitchen.
As she rummaged through the basket of groceries she’d bought that morning, something bumped against her foot.
“What is this…?”
Various uncut vegetables wrapped in newspaper lay at her feet.
She bent over to grab an onion—and her eyes instantly narrowed.
“What the hell is this?”
It was a wanted poster—no, a bounty flyer—for a missing child or maybe even a criminal—with a portrait that looked sort of like her… but also not quite.
“Is this supposed to be me?!”
Erne clamped a hand over her mouth as her eyelids twitched.
The contents were even more absurd. As she read the whole thing, a chill ran down her spine.
“I knew it. My mother is completely insane!”
She screamed internally and bolted from the kitchen, curling up on her bed.
“This doesn’t even look exactly like me, but what if someone recognizes me?!”
It declared that whoever found the missing princess would be granted the honor of marrying her…
Without reading the rest, she crumpled the paper in her hand.
The portrait was clearly not her, but if someone looked at it long enough, they’d start to see the resemblance.
“Isn’t this just that old cliché? The hero rescues the princess kidnapped by the demon king, and then gets to marry her?!”
Erne fumed for a while before burying her face in the pillow, completely losing her appetite.
Then she suddenly remembered—
“Right. I am a princess, huh.”
It was such an over-the-top cliché for someone like her, who had strayed so far from the original plot.
Three strikes already.
Like a baseball player who struck out.
Erne clenched her jaw.
At times like this, she really missed her grandmother.
Those peaceful country days, gathering herbs to survive.
A life where she could’ve lived and died normally, without worrying about status.
“Sure, being born with a silver spoon is nice, but what’s the point if it’s been dipped in sewage?”
Her fiancé had cheated on her with a friend she thought was loyal.
No matter how composed she pretended to be, and no matter how grand it all seemed as part of the novel’s plot, it still chipped away at her self-worth.
And judging by her mother’s bizarre stunt, it was clear she hadn’t given up on making Erne her heir.
That realization made her sag in despair.
“If I go back now, I’ll have to face whichever boyfriend my mother is on by now.”
When she ran away from the palace, she had seen the fifth one. Who knew how many there were now?
Ugh. Erne pulled the blanket up over her nose in disgust.
The crumpled flyer had already slipped from her hand and landed beneath the bed.
But that poster meant something.
Neshald’s queen—her birth mother—
That woman would do anything to achieve her goals.
Erne wasn’t the real Erne, but a soul who had possessed her body. Raised by Grandma Marshal from a young age, she’d never had time to feel any motherly affection.
If anything, that allowed her to view the Queen more objectively.
That ridiculous wanted poster? She understood it perfectly.
“It’s a show. A damn show!”
The biggest headache for the royal family right now was the lack of an heir.
The royal family was panicking, and this was all a publicity stunt to create pressure.
Who knew how public opinion would shift—but the Queen would twist it however she needed to maintain her grip on power.
In short, they might just pretend to look for her… then snatch her back the moment she let her guard down.
Erne felt a wave of anxiety and unease.
The most immediate problem?
How the hell was she supposed to go grocery shopping at the village market now?
“I can’t starve to death…”
Damn it. Erne ground her teeth again.
＊＊＊
“What do you mean she disappeared?! How is she supposed to become Queen now?!”
Pashina snapped.
Derik, full of frustration, replied coldly, “How would I know?! I didn’t expect her to run off! And don’t forget—if it’s not me, you’re never going to be Queen either. Pull yourself together.”
Day by day, Derik was finding it harder to keep his composure.
The moment he found out the Queen had a biological daughter, he’d invested everything to win her over—to marry the princess and ascend with her.
All the time, the effort, the money he’d poured into the palace—it made him sick with regret.
“Hmph. We’re in the same boat, Derik. That girl was bad news from the start. Everything’s gone wrong since she showed up! My plan to become the Queen’s adopted daughter? Ruined.”
“Pashina.”
“And after that? I had to give you up to some country bumpkin princess. Derik, you have no idea how miserable I felt.”
Since Erne’s disappearance, Pashina had become increasingly on edge.
Their whole scheme had been ruined. Understandable.
But Derik no longer had the energy to comfort her.
“If Her Majesty hadn’t asked me to befriend that rustic princess, I wouldn’t have even spoken a word to her!”
Sigh. Derik rubbed his temples in exhaustion.
Pashina was great—except when she went too far, like now. She could be overwhelming.
“I want to be Queen. I will be Queen. You promised me, Derik.”
She pleaded like a child begging for a toy.
Derik looked at her, face twisted in anguish.
He did love her. And her ambitions… they were just a little too much sometimes.
Or maybe it was his inability to fulfill those dreams that made him feel so pathetic.
He splashed his face and slowly raised his head.
“Let’s just find her. Her Majesty broke off my engagement with the princess. The flyers they’re putting up everywhere—they include a royal proclamation.”
“I saw it. The one that says whoever finds the princess gets to marry her, right?”
“If someone else finds her and marries her, our whole plan will fall apart.”
Pashina shook her head, finally realizing the weight of the situation.
“No! No way! We’ve invested too much time and effort into taking over Neshald!”
“Exactly. So we have to find her first.”
“We?”
Seeing the despair in her eyes, Derik quickly spoke up again.
Maybe his tone was hopeful enough, because she leaned in.
“I love you. If being Queen is what you want, I’ll give it to you—as proof of my love.”
“…”
“So let’s find Erne before anyone else. That way, the engagement stays intact. If I’m the one who finds her, I’ll still be the one who marries her.”
Pashina narrowed her eyes as she listened to Derik’s oddly confident words.
“How exactly are you going to find her? The royal knights spent a month combing the kingdom and still came up empty. She could be in another country by now.”
“Think, Pashina. Out of everyone in the palace, we know the most about Erne.”
Derik pulled her close, grinning slyly.
“Derik…!”
Pashina whispered his name emotionally.
“Just as I thought,” Derik’s eyes curled in satisfaction.
“Do you remember what Erne talked about the most after she became a princess?”
“Hmm…”
She shook her head, unsure.
“Think harder. She used to tell us all the time about that backwater village she lived in before becoming royalty.”
“You mean… Ranc?”
“Exactly. If no one kidnapped her, then she must’ve left on her own…”
“Ahh!”
“Then where would she go?”
Obvious, wasn’t it? Derik didn’t even need to say it. Pashina lit up, realizing the same.
“Of course, Derik! That’s why I love you so much!”
