RFNM 03

Chapter 03

“Ah~ I’m hungry.”

William frowned as he wiped his sword, coated in thick black blood, after hearing Eric’s words.

This was not a clean place where anyone would feel like eating something.

Endless sand stretched beneath a scorching sun. On it lay the shattered corpses of monsters and sticky black blood.

The place they were in was the Lesher Desert, located on the route from Blake, through Servi, to Singkester.

With its boiling daytime heat, bone-piercing nighttime cold, and frequent appearances of countless monsters, this desert—known as the passage of death—was not a place just anyone could cross.

However, the group of large men wearing helmets and armor suited the desert as if they belonged there.

They were Blake’s delegation and the personal guard of the 6th Prince, Leonard.

“To say something like that while looking at those pitch-black monster corpses—you’ve got quite the appetite.”

“It’s already the third day since we lost our wagon and have been crossing this desert like wanderers. I just want to eat something roasted under this scorching sun.”

Eric spoke to the man sitting on a rock, cleaning his sword.

“What do you think, Your Highness? You eat just about anything, don’t you?”

The man turned his gaze toward Eric.

The first thing one would notice was his eyes, burning with intense heat.

His battle-hardened eyes looked like blazing fireballs.

But even more fiery than that was his hair.

Under the scorching sun, his brilliantly burning hair was clearly red, yet so intense it almost looked golden.

The 6th Prince, Leonard.

“If you want to reach Singkester in one piece in this desert, you’ll have to eat whatever you can find.”

Then he picked up a chopped piece of scorpion.

“Though this one won’t do—it’s poisonous.”

When black blood dripped from the scorpion piece and hit the rock, it sizzled—shh—melting the stone. Eric clicked his tongue at the sight.

“Damn Singkester. It’s ridiculously far.”

At his subordinate’s curse, Leonard let out a faint laugh.

He stood up and walked toward where the horses were tied, then pulled something from inside the cloak draped over the saddle.

It was a small rolled piece of paper. He grabbed it and tossed it toward the two of them.

“Here. This is what you’ll do when we arrive.”

Eric and William each caught the parchment with quick reflexes.

On the thin parchment, something was written in a rare language not seen anywhere on the continent.

“Just a little more effort. Singkester is right ahead.”

At last, the nineteenth birthday banquet was just around the corner.

It was something that always happened, but preparing a banquet involved far too many tasks.

From preparing the main dishes to deciding the outfits to be worn for about a month, everything had to be handled.

Even the color of the curtains in the hallway had to be inspected by me, the temporary mistress of this kingdom.

In novels, banquet preparations are usually glossed over in a single chapter or half a chapter, so why does it take months in reality?

“Princess, please try on this dress too!”

“This one as well!!”

Right now, I was in the powder room for the final inspection of the dresses I would wear at the banquet.

I had no idea how many hours had passed.

Even though I felt like I was about to die as the subject of all this, the maids giggled as if they were dressing up a doll the entire time.

“I think the purple dress suits you best. How about wearing it on the first day?”

“Are you blind? Her Highness should wear the second golden dress! It’s the most extravagant and has the most jewels!”

I watched the maids begin to argue and clutched my empty stomach.

Surprisingly, in this world, fireball magic exists, but waist-slimming magic has not yet been developed.

Honestly, magicians are such useless people.

If they had developed something like zero-calorie chicken instead of Thunderstorm magic, they would have made a fortune.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Overcome with hunger, I subtly looked around.

Fortunately, there was a three-tier tray of finger food behind me.

Just as my hand naturally reached toward the tray, I flinched at a chilling presence creeping up behind me.

“A-Abigail…”

“Princess. Snacks are prohibited until tomorrow.”

I looked like I was about to cry, but Abigail was merciless.

She, who had married off her three daughters to wealthy, handsome, high-ranking nobles, was also determined to turn me—whom she had raised since childhood—into a proper bride.

“There are more than twenty unmarried men attending the banquet. If your dress doesn’t fit and you end up gasping, and then mess up the rhythm of the dance, that would be troublesome.”

Abigail smiled gracefully as she picked up a gold-trimmed waist ribbon.

At that sharp smile, I slowly withdrew my hand from the finger food.

“Now then, the ribbon.”

Abigail approached with the waist ribbon in hand. The gold ribbon embroidered with lily patterns felt like a noose for a condemned prisoner.

Then the ribbon was wrapped around my waist and tightened.

“Squeak.”

The moment I let out a pig-like squeal, there was a knock at the door.

“Princess, the Saintess has arrived.”

“Save me, Aurora! Abigail is trying to kill me with the waist ribbon!”

Dignity and etiquette—none of that mattered anymore. Survival came first. I desperately called for Aurora, and the door burst open.

“Charlotte? Oh my god!”

Aurora screamed as she rushed into the room, her dress completely crumpled.

“Lady Everhart, stop trying to kill Charlotte with the waist ribbon! It won’t make her waist any smaller anyway!”

What?

Even in my suffocating state, I widened my eyes at my friend Aurora’s words, but sadly I could not refute them.

Abigail also seemed to agree and let go of the ribbon, making me even more miserable as I shouted.

“Tell the mages to develop magic that reduces waist size immediately!”

“Charlotte. Calm down. As a princess, you must show composure in front of the maids.”

“I can’t calm down. So only you get a slim waist, huh?”

“You’re the one who shouldn’t have bought Jaylet’s shop a month ago. You eat cake there every day, so of course you won’t gain weight.”

“That place uses zero-sugar ingredients. It’s a very healthy shop.”

Even as I grumbled irritably, I quickly moved away from Abigail and clung to Aurora.

If I had to choose, Aurora who hit my heart was better than Abigail who strangled my waist.

Hiding behind Aurora, I tried to persuade Abigail.

“Merciful Abigail, how about stopping this dress-up game for now? No matter whether I wear Lady Everhart’s dress or a garbage bag, I’ll still be pretty anyway.”

“Princess. Members of the royal family of the Sacred Kingdom must be humble and courteous the more outstanding they are.”

“So you’re admitting I’m outstanding?”

“……”

Abigail said no more, and I took it as affirmation.

Aurora, sensing the moment, stepped forward while hiding me behind her.

“Abigail, Charlotte is right. So please stop. She still has to go to the Altar of the Holy Blood anyway, right?”

“……Very well.”

Though Abigail still looked displeased, she soon lowered her head and withdrew with the maids.

“Charlotte, you’ve been working hard preparing for the banquet, haven’t you?”

Aurora smiled and patted my shoulder. I sighed and collapsed onto the sofa.

“I know, right. Why are there so many banquets? Founding festival, birthday banquet, memorial ceremony, prayer festival… I thought being a princess meant eating and playing all day.”

“Don’t you already eat and play plenty normally?”

“Oh my god, what do you take me for, Aurora? I want to eat and play even more intensely.”

For example, I would have my aide handle all banquet preparations, and I would just act as a paper-company boss from behind.

But unfortunately, that was not possible.

For my happy retirement, I had to interfere with the original story even a little.

It was definitely not because I wanted to get involved with handsome main and supporting characters.

“Honestly, Princess Charlotte…”

At my words, Aurora shook her head.

“You’re impossible. Now go to the ‘Altar of the Holy Blood’ already.”