The Runaway Princess #3
‘Could it be that His Majesty is truly... interested in me?’
Elizabeth’s pupils trembled. Now that she thought about it, there had certainly been some signs.
‘Of course, it is an undeniable, crystal-clear truth that I am the most excellent and brilliant woman of talent, possessing both literary and martial arts.’
Even to her, a woman with an exceptional sense of self-affirmation, Khalid’s personnel choices seemed bizarre in hindsight.
No matter how much Elizabeth was clearly the woman with the greatest brain in the empire.
The weight of the positions placed before her was simply too heavy to be entrusted for that reason alone.
Minister of Justice, Count of the Court, Grand Chancellor.
He had given her three positions, any one of which would be considered the center of power.
Moreover, wasn’t the Count of the Court the position of the closest aide who serves the Emperor?
‘Thinking about it carefully, the previous Count of the Court didn’t seem as filthy as the Minister of Justice or the Chancellor, either...’
That was a clear delusion. The previous Count of the Court was, without a doubt, the trashiest of trash.
‘Could it be that His Majesty did it to keep me by his side?’
Naturally, this was also a delusion. But once Elizabeth’s thoughts began to spin, her circuits wouldn’t stop.
‘W-w-what do I do?’
All sorts of meaningful memories from the past flashed through her mind. From Elizabeth’s perspective, it was as if she had received blatant overtures from Khalid several times over.
‘Why didn’t I realize it until now?’
Until now, Elizabeth had thought she was maintaining a relatively dry relationship with Khalid. She didn’t know how it looked to others, but that was how she felt.
However, once she thought that Khalid might be looking at her with that kind of gaze, her face flushed for no reason.
Then.
‘...I don’t know for sure yet. It could just be my misunderstanding.’
Elizabeth pressed her cheeks with her hands, trying to regain her composure somehow.
‘But what if it’s true?’
That wouldn’t do.
‘Come to think of it, Lady Elnoa was famous for being well-versed in these matters, right? I should invite her next time.’
She immediately recalled the face of a young lady who was called a romance novel fanatic in social circles. If it were her, she would surely be able to resolve this troublesome situation.
A groundless sense of relief comforted Elizabeth’s heart.
“Ahem.”
Elizabeth cleared her throat. Come to think of it, where was Cecilia, who had been walking with her? She looked around, turning her head.
“...Where did she go off to by herself?”
Fortunately, Cecilia hadn’t gone far and could be found nearby.
Cecilia, who had been looking out from the balcony, welcomed Elizabeth, who came running over with a pitter-patter of footsteps.
“Elise, what were you doing that you’re only coming now?”
“How could you leave me behind... really...”
“That’s a strange thing to say. If we’re going to be technical, isn’t this my house?”
Elizabeth shut her mouth.
If they were going to be technical, that was true, but to Elizabeth, who had been staying in the Imperial Palace for over several months, Cecilia was the outsider.
“Still, it feels a bit unfamiliar since I’ve been away for so long. A lot has changed, too.”
Cecilia’s hand brushed against the railing.
“You know, on the way here, I didn’t see any of those extravagant decorations that should be there?”
“It’s been a long time since I cleared them out.”
For reference, it was also Elizabeth who had cleared them out. It was part of an image-making show that Elizabeth, who had just become the Grand Chancellor, had put on to seize control of the palace.
“Hmm.”
The eyes of the princess, who had returned home after several years, narrowed. The scenery was far too different from what she remembered.
“Really, it’s changed a lot.”
Cecilia recalled the path she had taken to get here.
At first, it was because of that book titled something like The Sun of the Empire. She had thought her crazy brother had finally lost his mind.
How could a person be so shameless as to publish such a book when they had no conscience? Unable to contain her anger, she had begun her journey to the empire.
And, on her way to the Imperial Capital, she had seen many things.
“...They say you did a complete housecleaning? The backlash from the lords must not have been easy.”
“It was difficult.”
By the time Cecilia had left the empire, the disgusting people who had settled in every corner of the empire and expanded their influence were gone.
Word had it that His Majesty the Emperor could not forgive the bugs that dared to eat away at the Imperial assets and had drawn his sword.
It was a funny thing. No matter how much those people stole, the Imperial family was always wealthy.
Cecilia knew. The fact that her brother would never choose the troublesome path of overturning the empire for such a trivial reason.
So, she hadn’t believed it. She thought there must have been some mistake.
But it was truly the case.
“I saw that there are still many problems.”
“...I am trying.”
“Liar. Given my brother’s personality, it’s obvious he would have told you to just gloss over that much.”
Elizabeth’s mouth closed.
Just as she said, the empire was still chaotic. Even if you clear out the trash, the void left behind creates a gap.
There is much pain. There are victims who couldn’t be taken care of. There are wounds left neglected.
Precisely because of that, Cecilia realized.
“Seeing that, I thought, it really was my brother’s doing.”
Who would dare to pull off such a feat? When she thought about it, there was only one person.
“...Well, the capital was running decently, so I wondered. But I see a lot of unfamiliar faces.”
“That was also difficult... Now the handover is finally almost complete.”
Cecilia chuckled softly at Elizabeth’s complaint.
To the princess who had left the palace years ago, there were plenty of people she didn’t recognize.
The old Chancellor who lusted after wealth, the ministers who had spent decades currying favor with the Imperial family and chasing power—they were all gone.
“How did that old man, the Minister of Finance, survive?”
“He’s competent, you know.”
“I suppose.”
Cecilia snorted. It wasn’t that she couldn’t understand. He wasn’t a man with a bad reputation. He was a gentleman who lived by giving back to those around him as much as the sins he had committed.
Even Cecilia had memories of the Minister of Finance secretly giving her snacks when she was young.
“...Wait, now that I think about it, wasn’t that also stolen from our family’s safe?”
Thinking of it that way, she felt a bit resentful.
“...Forget it.”
Cecilia spun around once. She leaned her back against the terrace and closed her eyes.
“I left the empire to defeat my brother, but...”
Now that it’s come to this, does that even have any meaning?
That was what she thought.
It would be so, because the empire was being rebuilt so splendidly for all to see.
‘Cecil, stand up. This is the fight you chose. You said you’d defeat me? Then don’t give up.’
‘...’
Hmm.
Recalling the face of her brother, who used to beat her until she was covered in dust on rainy days, Cecilia began to feel a renewed sense of hatred.
“No matter what, I have to land one hit on that trash.”
I will kill him, no matter what.
The trash Emperor.
“I feel like I’ve heard something I shouldn’t have just now.”
Elizabeth, who had accidentally heard the princess’s declaration of usurpation, squeezed her eyes shut.
Since I sent Elizabeth away, she’ll probably get along with Cecilia well enough.
I trust she’s soothing the ‘I’m going to kill my brother’ state well.
Anyway.
The Sun of the Empire or whatever. Author: Simon.
I flipped through the book, which contained cringeworthy praise directed at me, and read it.
“...”
It’s too embarrassing to read.
This is almost at the level of a religious text.
From the first page, it was nothing but praise for me. How can a guy who only saw me for a moment that day describe things in such detail?
The persistence was almost admirable.
And it’s a bit tiresome.
What’s even scarier is.
“This book is currently being sold on the market...”
I’m going crazy.
I wiped my face with my palm.
At that moment, Lily, who had slipped out and returned, held up a book with the same cover.
“As a result of my verification, it is said to be one of the best-selling books currently published within the empire.”
“Why.”
“Isn’t it because the subjects of the empire recognize His Majesty’s lofty will to that extent?”
That’s exactly what shouldn’t be happening.
“Furthermore.”
There’s more?
“It is confirmed that it is being distributed not only in the empire but also in other countries.”
“...How much?”
“It is confirmed that a considerable quantity has been released, but I am not exactly sure myself.”
Right.
It’s amazing that Lily brought back this much information in those few hours.
“Haa.”
I held my throbbing head and leaned back.
I didn’t want things like this. The subjects of the empire liking me? It’s not bad. How many people in the world wouldn’t like that?
However, it becoming too excessive is a different problem.
Because then the justification for me to abdicate to Theodore disappears!
And he’s not even the Crown Prince, just my younger brother.
The bureaucrats tell me to get married and produce an heir; if I say I’m making Theo the Crown Prince, they’ll foam at the mouth and oppose it.
I stared blankly at the cover of the book.
Author: Simon
“This guy is my enemy.”
“But Your Majesty, it is because of Sir Simon that the subjects have come to know Your Majesty’s achievements better.”
That’s exactly why he’s my enemy.
Who is Simon, anyway?
What kind of knight changes his profession to an author and becomes a best-selling writer?
Just keep being a knight.
What kind of twist of fate is this?
“Because he is the one who saw Your Majesty’s glory directly from your side.”
What does that have to do with anything?
Ah, my head hurts.
“Your Majesty, are you alright? Your complexion is poor, so perhaps a lap pillow...”
Clatter.
“Brother. Do you have a moment?”
“Tsk.”
I made eye contact with Cecilia, who had opened the door and entered. Her eyes looked as if she had resolved herself to something.
“Yeah, what is it.”
“I’ve come to defeat you, brother.”
...
“Is this a declaration of treason?”
Shing—
The sound of Lily drawing her dagger was heard.
I grabbed it with my hand and put it back in.
“N-no, it’s not like that. I saw it on the way here. You suit being Emperor well, brother.”
That’s not it.
Theodore is better at it than I am. You hurry up and say that, too.
“...What I just said is for that. To put an end to the past.”
Well.
I was the one who said she could come back to defeat me whenever she wanted.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t prepared?”
“That’s right.”
Cecilia nodded.
“But, I think now is the right time after all.”
“If that’s what you think.”
It’s been a while since we had a family fight.
“I’ll beat you until your backside is on fire.”
“What are you talking about from ages ago?!”
When, you ask?
It’s not that long ago, actually.