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CHAPTER 04
Died from Overwork and Became a Princess of the Enemy Nation (4):
Seeing that, I felt a twinge of guilt.
“…Sorry, demon.”
But it’s better if they don’t grow too attached to me.
I still didn’t know why I’d awakened as a demon princess.
But one day, I had to return to the Holy Nation.
“If only this body would grow up a little more.”
With a heavy heart, I looked out the window.
The place I was in now was Kore, the capital of Tartarus.
I lived in a “small” palace called Persen Palace.
“If this is considered small, then every building on Earth should be torn down.”
I had lived in a miserable little tower in the temple.
At that moment, Lette came rushing back into the room.
“Princess! His Highness Erebus is coming! Minte, pick up the princess!”
“Okay!”
“Careful with Her Highness!”
As Minte lifted me into her arms, I clenched my teeth.
“Ugh, why is he coming again?!”
The person I least wanted to see in the world was coming again.
The Demon King himself.
This guy showed up constantly—shouldn’t he be running his country?
“You already saw me this morning! I’m not going to magically grow up in a few hours!”
Despite all my complaints, the Demon King greeted me with a bright smile the moment he saw me.
“Elysion, have you been well?”
“…Mmph!”
I choked back a breath at that smile.
Contrary to his infamous reputation, the Demon King had refined and delicate features.
Whenever he looked at me, his gaze softened like a beautiful sculpture.
“…Fine. I’ll admit what needs to be admitted.”
I may have lived in the temple all my life, but I wasn’t blind—I knew beauty when I saw it.
Minte was visibly tense as she carried me closer to the Demon King.
He was smiling, but he looked nervous too.
“Would you like to come to Daddy?”
“…”
“Daddy wants to hold you. I’ve been wanting to see you all morning.”
“…”
“Elysion?”
Maybe because I stayed silent, he seemed to relax a little.
Very gently, he reached his hand out toward me.
The moment his hand brushed my cheek—
“Aaarghh!”
I let out not a human voice, but a beastly growl.
And then, I bit his hand fiercely.
Voices of demons rang out above my head.
“Your Highness Erebus! Is your hand—your noble body—alright?!”
“I’m fine, Sir Epicus.”
“Princess, please open your mouth! Minte, step back!”
If they were hoping the princess might finally be normal, I’d crush those dreams completely.
I kept biting the Demon King’s hand with all my strength.
And I let out another full-powered growl.
“Grrrraaagh!”
The Demon King had never taken a new queen.
This little princess was his only heir.
But she couldn’t even babble, and acted like a wild animal every time he came near?
“Ha! Must be driving him mad, huh?”
This man was the reason I was sent to the battlefield.
He was the one responsible for the deaths of the holy knights I saved.
“Serves you right! Take this as punishment!”
Catch tetanus from your daughter’s bite and suffer, Demon King!
But no matter how fiercely I bit, he didn’t pull his hand away.
Instead, with his unbitten hand, he gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I’m sorry, Elysion.”
“Grrrr…!”
“You’re angry because I tried to touch you without asking.”
“Rr…”
“It was my fault.”
“…”
“…Will you forgive me?”
I tried to glare at him, but I flinched.
He should be in pain, should want to push me away…
But the Demon King was looking at me with endlessly gentle, sorrowful eyes.
It had been so long since anyone looked at me like that—I opened my mouth without thinking.
“Ptooey…”
As I spat out his hand, the Demon King gave a bittersweet, dazzling smile.
“Thank you, Elysion.”
Lette looked like she was about to faint.
“Please forgive her, Your Highness! I think the princess didn’t nap well today, so her mood—”
“Don’t worry, Lady Epicus.”
The Demon King nodded calmly.
Though, one of his hands still bore a very clear bite mark.
“It was my fault for trying to hold her when she wasn’t feeling well.”
“Your Highness…”
Ugh. I hated this kind of atmosphere so much.
Every time, the Demon King tried to come closer.
As the father of “Princess Elysion,” it was only natural.
And every time, I violently rejected him with all my might.
Still awkwardly held in Minte’s arms, I glared sharply at Lette.
“Get him out of my sight. Now.”
Thankfully, Lette picked up on my beastly glare.
“Your Highness, we’ll take the princess to her bedchamber now.”
“Do so. Thank you both, Sir and Lady Epicus.”
I buried my face in Minte’s shoulder and grumbled.
“Mmm, ngh…”
Times like this, being a baby sure had its perks.
Just pretend you’re sleepy, and everyone leaves you alone.
I could feel the Demon King’s lingering gaze of regret piercing my back, but I ignored it.
Even without hearing it, I could sense his unspoken wish—that I’d look back at him.
“Elysion. Daddy’s going now.”
“…”
“…Have sweet dreams.”
But his feelings were none of my concern.
After the Demon King left, the sky had already turned dark.
In the distance, a faint rumble echoed through the sky.
Lette looked out the window, tilting her head.
“Oh my, is it going to thunder tonight?”
“It’s been so long,” Minte replied as she laid me in bed.
“Kore rarely gets bad weather.”
“I know…”
Lette suddenly rushed to my side at the bed.
“Princess! Even if there’s a loud noise tonight, don’t be scared!”
“…”
“Our Minte is a Mad—uh, I mean, a Knight Cerberus! She’s super strong!”
“Wuh…?!”
“She won’t lose to thunder or lightning!”
No, no, not that—
“Knight… Oh, dear god.”
There were two especially infamous demons from the Charon War.
One of them was the so-called Knight Cerberus, also known as the Mad Dog Knight.
“The one said to cleave mountains in half with a single strike…”
And now that knight was… fetching toys for a toddler princess?
“Was she… demoted?”
Just then, as they dimmed the lamp, the sisters whispered.
“I’ll protect you, so sleep peacefully, okay?”
“Good night, Princess…”
I silently watched the door close. They must be frustrated, too.
“No matter how many years they care for me, I respond like this.”
I hoped they would detach from me emotionally.
Because once I grew bigger, I’d escape to the Holy Nation.
I still had duties to fulfill as the Great Saintess.
My homeland was the Halcyon Holy Nation.
And…
“That little brat… Is he okay?”
The boy who had cried and begged me to come back before I left for the battlefield.
That blond child—the disgrace of the Alcyone royal family.
Was he even alive?
Sigh.
I hugged the soft blanket with a deep breath.
Boom… Boom… BOOM…
The thunder rumbling across the evening sky didn’t feel normal.
Hearing such loud noises again—it felt like I was still on the battlefield.
“Ugh… What a disgusting feeling.”
I pulled the blanket over my head and shut my eyes tightly.
Wishing time would pass faster.
Wishing I could grow up without getting attached to anyone here.
“My dear daughter… Can you survive without us…?”
In my dream, I heard my mother’s voice—so familiar and so missed.
A small cabin stood against a snowy night sky.
The roof was so worn that one corner had collapsed under the weight of snow.
I folded my arms, laughing bitterly.
“Seriously… This is driving me crazy.”
If it’s a dream, shouldn’t it be a good one?
Why did I have to relive these pathetic memories from before I became the Saintess?
“…Of all things, it has to be the day Mom died.”
A long time ago, I had a family.
Mother, father, older brother, older sister, and little brother.
People I loved dearly.
I’d wake up in the morning and help with farm work, run through fields with my little brother.
At dusk, I’d walk home hand in hand with my older siblings.
But…
Sigh. They all died in the famine.
It was common in the countryside.
My brother, sister, little brother, and father died one after another.
My mother, weakened, cried for me until the moment she died.
“What should I do… I’m so worried about you, I can’t close my eyes…”
And then, she too passed away.
“I should’ve just died with them…”
Before I could finish that bitter thought—
The scene shifted to the dark, underground temple chamber in the capital.
There, a cocky young Talos strutted around.
“Was I… around thirteen at the time?”
I had tried to run away from the temple and was caught—punished with three days of starvation.
