Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 168. Bear and Leopard (1)
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“You won’t rest until dirt’s in your eyes?”
An Eastern girl peeked her face out from behind the privacy screen.
The chief secretary replied firmly to her question.
“Yes!! How could an imperial princess go out on the streets dressed like that? If His Majesty found out...!”
At the chief secretary’s outburst, Lydia’s eyes sharpened.
She soon grabbed a handful of dirt from the table and aimed it at the middle-aged man.
“Come here. I’ll put it in your eyes myself.”
The chief secretary didn’t even blink at the Third Imperial Princess aiming dirt at him.
“Hah, so stubborn.”
“It’s my duty to attend to Your Highness.”
Lydia let out a hollow laugh, exasperated.
Then she set the dirt back down.
“Fine, fine. But I’m going out alone today, so make sure that’s understood.”
The chief secretary cleared his throat awkwardly and resumed his at-ease stance.
He looked satisfied with the compromise, at least.
“Whew...”
Lydia slipped back leisurely behind the screen.
Inside the screen stood a wooden tub.
Freshly warmed water filled it, with flower petals floating on the surface.
Before preparing for her outing, the princess sank her body fully into the fragrant water.
Afterward, she picked up the newspaper on the table and read the day’s news.
“Cornell’s merchant caravan has imported mithril from Bakal...”
A product from Bakal that had never been imported before.
And it was Cornell’s caravan—the one she’d recently visited—that had done it.
At this news, her sovereign-red eyes flashed.
“This must be Veil’s doing.”
Was it the hot bath?
Lydia’s petite frame, wrapped in a towel, grew feverishly hot.
“But even for Cornell’s caravan, distributing materials in the capital would require warehouses and land.”
The princess lightly tugged at the towel wrapped around her chest.
In an instant, the fresh heat of a just-twenty-year-old woman poured forth.
“Looks like they’ll need my help.”
Lydia brimmed with confidence in her own abilities.
She glanced down at her body.
“...”
Still, she believed she had a seductive enough figure—curves that were alluring, even if not overly large.
Moreover, the man she had her eye on had already seen every inch of her jade-like form, towel and all.
“Arrogant bastard... Pretending not to look back then?”
They’d already crossed the line—far too many times.
To the Third Imperial Princess of the empire, this was practically marriage.
“No helping it now.”
Lydia rose from the water.
“As the scriptures say, many great women raised worthy husbands. I suppose I’ll have to bestow my grace upon him too.”
She stretched languidly, like a cat.
“Chief secretary—?”
Transparent droplets fell from her smooth thighs.
A fragrant scent wafted from her pale underarms.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I plan to pay audience with His Majesty today, so prepare in advance.”
Once the chief secretary withdrew, Lydia peeked out from the screen again.
Confirming he’d stepped far away...
She cautiously began slipping into the controversial qipao.
“It’s not easy putting this on alone...”
Servants had always dressed her before.
But this time, she was on her own.
The provocative fabric clung tightly, giving her trouble.
“Ugh... Is this right?”
The texture squeezed her hips tautly, and the fit accentuated her bust’s curves.
Lydia stared at her side-slit thighs in the full-length mirror.
“Still, for an adult, this much is...”
She was twenty herself.
And since meeting Veil, she felt her body had gained more enticing curves somehow.
Buoyed by that confidence, Lydia flashed a sly smile.
“The carriage is waiting outside, Your Highness.”
The chief secretary’s voice called out.
In response, Lydia stepped boldly out from behind the screen.
“...!”
The middle-aged man’s eyes widened at the princess’s appearance.
With a deeply pleased glint, he said,
“As expected of Your Highness. Now you look splendid.”
The voluminous Victorian-style dress.
It completely hid her figure, making her look like an ordinary noble lady.
Lydia passed by the chief secretary with her hands behind her back.
“As I said, Your Highness looks most beautiful in a dress like this.”
“This outfit should let me go out alone without issue, right?”
Lydia smiled with a coquettish eye crinkle, and the chief secretary nodded.
“Of course—.”
No matter how beautiful the Third Imperial Princess’s face, men wouldn’t bother her in this getup.
“Then let’s go.”
Yet even in the comfortable dress, Lydia’s gait seemed somehow awkward.
As if her whole body were constricted, her steps grew dainty.
“Your Highness, are you all right...?”
“Yes, I soaked too long and feel languid.”
Lydia boarded the carriage steps with forced poise.
But her expression betrayed her—the clinging sensation was entirely new, making her body hypersensitive.
“Then, I’ll close the door.”
The chief secretary, who had boarded with her, shut the carriage door.
With that, the luxurious Eastern-style carriage sped toward the capital’s heart.
――――――.
Lydia’s carriage arrived at the Heavenly Palace.
The princess descended the steps demurely and made her way gracefully to the emperor’s office.
Her long dress hem dragged along the spacious corridor.
In this utterly modest attire, the youngest princess soon entered the emperor’s presence.
“You’re here, Lydia.”
Emperor Leonhardt rose from his desk.
Dressed in a platinum shirt and formal trousers, he welcomed his youngest daughter.
“I greet Your Imperial Majesty.”
Lydia lifted her long dress hem and bowed delicately.
But in that moment...
“...!”
She flinched at the qipao’s tight grip on her waist and lower abdomen.
“Are you all right? Your expression doesn’t look good.”
“N-no, I’m fine...”
Lydia straightened demurely once more.
She kept her thighs primly pressed together, forcing a smile.
It felt like committing a sin before her father.
The lewd qipao hidden beneath the voluminous dress made her body twitch all over.
“Very well, what brings you here?”
The emperor asked his daughter with feigned nonchalance.
He treated everyone equally during state affairs—that was his creed.
“I have something to report, Your Majesty.”
Lydia continued in a serious tone.
Midway, she subtly tucked the qipao hem poking out from under the dress with her finger.
“Let’s hear it. I’m quite curious what our youngest princess has prepared.”
“Yes, has Your Majesty seen today’s newspaper by chance?”
At her question, the emperor smiled benevolently.
Yet his intense features made even the smile seem wry.
“I have. Baron Veil pulled off another feat.”
“Indeed. If mithril circulates in Leon in large quantities, we won’t need to import it expensively from abroad.”
The emperor was pleased with the baron he’d appointed.
“To achieve such results already...”
He chuckled, dissolving powder medicine in water.
Then gulped it down boldly.
“If it can just take root now, everything will be perfect.”
Take root.
At that word, Lydia swallowed deeply.
“By any chance, have you heard when the baron plans to marry?”
Leonhardt approached Lydia as he asked.
His youngest daughter averted her gaze from the emperor’s and answered quietly alone.
“H-he’ll handle it well on his own...”
“...?”
The emperor tilted his head at his daughter’s bashful demeanor.
Shaking off the suspicion, he continued.
“It won’t be easy. Rising from commoner to baron, if his partner’s from a high house, there’ll be fierce opposition.”
“Hmm, who knows... Not every house cares about the groom’s origins...”
The youngest daughter gave a meaningful smile.
As if speaking from experience.
Surprised, the emperor raised his brows.
“Is that so...? That’s fortunate. I hope Veil finds such an in-law family...”
Lydia glanced up at her father worrying over Veil—not her.
It was the first time she’d seen him fret over someone else.
“What about you, Father? Do you consider the partner’s family status?”
“Of course. That’s why I married Estina and had Irina.”
The emperor smiled benevolently.
He had only three principal wives.
“Hmm... I see.”
Lydia bowed her head again at his answer.
The corner of her mouth curved subtly upward.
“My goal is to treat all imperial citizens equally. I hope you do the same.”
In response to the emperor’s words, Lydia narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I don’t judge by origins or ‘status.’”
She replied with her signature coquettish smile.
“I look only at ability and character.”
“You’ve learned well, Lydia.”
The emperor smiled warmly, hands behind his back.
He nodded approvingly at her vow to appoint any ‘citizen’ fairly.
“I’m truly proud of you.”
“I am honored, Your Majesty. Good news will come soon.”
Lydia flashed a suggestive eye smile.
The emperor tilted his head briefly at his daughter’s meaningful gaze.
“Oh, and this is a proposal for my Eastern merchant group to oversee the incoming mithril.”
To gloss over it, Lydia naturally handed over the state document.
As the main topic emerged, the emperor read it with cold precision.
“Hm... You plan to build storage warehouses in your eastern capital district?”
“Yes, since Bakal deals exclusively with Cornell’s Burke caravan, I intend to provide warehouses and join the venture.”
With mithril monopolized.
The plan was to assist them for fees, grow close, and reshape trade networks.
Spotting the scheme, the emperor chuckled and praised his daughter.
“A fine idea, Lydia. I approve.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Lydia’s lips curved upward slyly.
The emperor took her smile as mere ambition for achievement.
But he didn’t know.
That his daughter had another reason for approaching the mithril caravan.
“Then, I’ll go meet the overseer now.”
“Go and coordinate well.”
Lydia curtsied demurely, lifting her dress hem to the emperor.
Then she exited the Heavenly Palace corridor gracefully...
And boarded her personal carriage alone, as pre-arranged.
“Depart!”
Lydia beamed like a girl and called to the coachman.
He whipped the horses, speeding out of the capital.
“Hee hee... Even Father says he doesn’t care about status—.”
The twin-tailed princess smiled vibrantly as she began shedding the stuffy dress.
Beneath the thick layers, the heated qipao emerged.
“Mother already approved ages ago, so the game’s as good as won—.”
Lydia pressed the folded fabric clinging to her side.
She pinched and shook out the sweat-dampened cloth at her lower abdomen.
――――――
The carriage raced without pause.
It arrived in Cornell only in the afternoon.
“...”
Lydia descended cautiously from the carriage, a uniform draped over her shoulders.
Wearing a wide-brimmed hat to pass as an ordinary Eastern foreigner, she strolled the streets.
“The meeting spot should be around here...”
The city bustled with talk of massive investments in Cornell.
Amid it, Lydia stood on tiptoe, scanning for Burke’s merchant house.
It didn’t take long to spot the sign.
「Burke Merchant Group」
As one of the largest in the region, the sign was enormous.
“Hee hee... He’s probably alone.”
Lydia checked her reflection in a full-length mirror.
With elegant grace, she tossed her twin tails, savoring the fruity fragrance.
“...”
The Third Imperial Princess boldly opened Burke Merchant Group’s main gate.
The moment she stepped in, thinking of Veil and his scruffy merchant uncles...
“Huh...?”
Not uncles.
Veil, chatting amiably with a smiling woman.
“Talking with you is always so enjoyable, Veil.”
“You flatter me, Your Highness Christina.”
Lydia’s eyes twitched beneath.
Her beast-like red irises fixed on the one woman.
Lustrous white hair like fresh snow.
Unlike their first diplomatic meeting, she wore a body-hugging dress.
Her ample bosom and the wide hips typical of northerners caught the eye.
“Oh my, who’s this little miss?”
Christina looked down at the hatted Lydia with sensual eyes.
As if not even registering her as a rival.
“You must be cold. Come in, quick.”
She welcomed the provocatively dressed visitor with childlike leisure.