The Ugly Princess... Is My Daughter?
The next day dawned.
"Mother!!"
Someone had burst through my bedroom door while I was still asleep.
Calling me 'Mother'... that must mean she's my daughter. Is it Rene?
"Mother, are you insane?!!"
BANG!!
The woman who had shoved the bedroom door open as if to shatter it charged toward me. Her frame looked twice the size of my current body—Irene's. Though she was shorter than me in height and shoulder width, her bulk was double mine. Her stomach bulged obscenely over the high-end fabric of her dress, and beneath her skirt, her legs looked like two lumpy, mottled radishes. But the highlight was her face. Her eyes were slit thin, her cheeks puffed with malice, and her dark, chapped lips were coated in a sickly, pale sheen. Honestly... how should I put this? She was the ugliest woman I had ever seen.
"You old hag!! Are you not going to answer me?!"
Ah, right. And she had a mouth far too foul to belong to an Imperial Princess.
They said Rene was sixteen. But she looked nothing like a sixteen-year-old girl.
Irene was a beauty. Emperor Skevan was a handsome man, too. To think that a daughter born between those two could be such a hideous creature—I simply couldn't understand it.
I am Rene's mother and the Empress. And yet, she called me an 'old hag' without a shred of hesitation. Irene, you truly failed at raising your own child. If that's the case, I suppose I'll have to teach her some manners.
"Rene, show some respect. I am your mother."
I warned her with the cold, sharp tone characteristic of Irene.
"Has the old hag lost her mind?!"
Rene violently swiped at the ornate teacup sitting on the table.
CRASH!
The black tea soaked into the carpet.
"Do you think giving birth to me is some kind of badge of honor? Well, I suppose it is for you. Selling your body to Father just to become Empress!"
Rene. This girl was not normal. She broke into her mother's bedchamber and spewed such vitriol. This wasn't calculated behavior. It was just... beast-like, where insults spilled out without a filter the moment she was displeased.
This was Irene's fault for failing to educate her daughter properly. She must have spoiled her rotten. Even that cold-blooded woman couldn't be cold toward her own child, it seemed. Well... that's fine. I can just teach her properly from now on.
I stood up from the bed. The soft silk pajamas tickled my skin, and the sensation was quite pleasant.
"Wh-what are you doing?! Get away!"
I'm not the type to back down just because someone tells me to.
SLAP!!
I swung my hand and struck Rene across the cheek.
"KREEEKK!!"
Rene, a fat pig with no strength to speak of, collapsed to the floor from my light slap.
"Y-you!!! You crazy bitch!! How dare you hit me?!"
A daughter who dared to spit such vulgar words at her mother. I wondered if these were words that could even come out of an Imperial Princess's mouth.
.......
That makes it even better. I now have a perfect justification to beat her to my heart's content.
THUD!
"KHEK!"
I kicked Rene, knocking her over, and climbed on top of her.
SLAP!
I leaned over and delivered another slap.
"AAHH!! St-stop it!"
SLAP!!
"It... it hurts!!"
SLAP!
Blood began to bead on Rene's cheek.
I felt good. To think I could beat Irene's child like this.
SLAP!
"Stop... Mother!! Stop!!"
A fat pig who couldn't even push off a mother half her size. That was the true nature of Irene's daughter, Rene.
"I... I was wrong! Mother! I was wrong!!"
There is a famous saying where I used to live.
Historically, a beating is the best medicine.
The reason such a monster was created must have been Irene's blind love. She probably fed her only the best and gave her everything she wanted.
Irene should have set proper boundaries. If she had, this unfilial wretch wouldn't have been born.
Well... I can fix it from here on out. There is nothing that cannot be fixed with a beating. Ah... Irene. Thank you. The feeling of beating your daughter with your own body...
It feels great. It feels like I'm finally paying back some of the humiliation I suffered in the body of a Saintess.
I don't know how long I hit her. I stopped only when blood was streaming down both of Rene's cheeks.
"You insolent thing."
I looked down at Rene, who was sprawled on the floor. She tried to glare at me but turned her head away.
I know what's in Rene's heart. That chilling sensation. I can never forget the way Irene used to glare at me when I was a Saintess.
She probably never felt it before. The viciousness of her own mother. Regardless, now that I've used overwhelming violence, she won't be able to defy me anymore. Shall I ask why she came to find me? Though I already know the reason.
"Why have you come to find your mother?"
"I heard something strange...!! You said I would be the Empress. So why are they saying Lucian will become Emperor?"
"How dare you speak your brother's name so carelessly."
"What!! You told me to!!"
SLAP!!
I moved quickly and struck Rene's cheek again.
"From now on, call him 'Brother'."
"Sob... Mother... you're strange... sob......"
She couldn't charge at me like she did before.
Usually, people like that are weak against the strong. And that was certainly true in this situation. Anyway, I should finish explaining. Why someone like you can't have the throne.
"Meeting the envoys from various countries this time made me realize. The throne is too heavy a burden for you."
"Mother!! You said you'd give it to me!! Give it to me!! Give it to me!!"
SLAP!!
"AAHH!!"
"If you don't please your mother from now on, you will continue to be beaten."
"Sob... sob... I hate you, Mother!!"
Stomp, stomp.
Rene scrambled up, almost rolling, and ran out.
Truly the worst. I feel sorry for Irene, who cherished such a creature as her daughter.
No? I don't feel sorry for her. It's her own karma, after all.
I felt the knot in my chest unravel.
Chirp, chirp.
A bird of unknown name sat on the window next to my bedchamber and sang. I felt truly refreshed.
**
They say the Empire is located in the north of the continent. Originally the land of barbarians.
Even though it's midsummer, it's cool. That must be why the flowers in the garden are all winter-blooming varieties. I don't know their names, though.
"Empress!"
Just as I was having tea in the garden after my meal, a large man came running toward me, calling my name.
He was covered in thick hair. He looked just like Zhang Fei. He was a bit different from the Imperial citizens... was he from the barbarian tribes?
"Your Majesty!! What are you doing right now?"
The man looked bewildered. By the way, who is this guy?
Possessing someone else's body makes this part difficult. Having to pretend I know people when I don't.
"Can't your eyes see that I am in the middle of tea time?"
"Your Majesty!!!"
Cold weather is inevitably dry. As a gust of dust blew toward me, I covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief.
"Is it true that you intend to place Lucian on the throne?!"
Even this guy calls the Prince by his name. Insolent fools.
"That is correct. That is what I have decided."
The man couldn't manage his expression. His face clearly asked, How dare you do such a thing?
"Empress!! Have you forgotten the promise you made to our Noble Coalition?!"
"And what is that promise that you dare to raise your voice about?!"
An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. I glared at the man and shouted back.
The man looked flustered for a moment.
"To think you would speak of such promises so casually in an open place like this... you are truly a shallow person."
"Y-Your Majesty!! That's not what I meant...!"
I could clearly feel that Irene was the real power. Whether eating or drinking tea here, she was receiving the highest treatment.
Everyone smiled at me. But behind those smiles, I saw fear.
To be on Irene's bad side meant ruin. That was the only way to interpret it.
Absolute power itself. When Emperor Skevan fell into a coma, they must have acted as if they owned everything in this country. That must be why he could speak so arrogantly in such a public place.
"Empress... could you spare a moment of your time?"
I could hear the grinding of his teeth from here. It's amusing. To think he's flustered because I, whom they were certain was on their side, am now taking the other side.
"Let us speak after I finish my tea time."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
An awkward silence. I glared at the bandit-like noble.
"Are you not leaving? You're ruining the taste of my tea!"
"Ah... yes!! I shall withdraw!"
The man hurried out of the garden.
"Heh... so this was the taste of it, Irene. This is the fun that kept you from letting go of this until now."
At my strange mutterings, the maid tilted her head, then jumped in surprise when she met my gaze.
"Y-Your Majesty!! I am sorry!! I am sorry!! Please, I beg you to have mercy on this unfilial servant and forgive me!!"
The maid bowed her head to the ground. I could tell how much Irene had persecuted them.
"Raise your head."
"Please... please spare me! I have a young baby still!!"
She was terrified of raising her head. Only then did I look beside me. A thin rapier was standing there.
Right. She must have dealt with those she didn't like on the spot.
"Phew......"
A sigh escaped me. To think I possessed such a terrible devil.
It's easy to deal with people I don't like, but... this is quite uncomfortable.
"Go on vacation."
"Pardon?!"
"Did you not hear me? I don't want to see your face for a while. I'll give you a month's paid leave, so go and rest!"
"Uh... well..."
"Get out of here at once! Do you want to die!?"
"Ah... no!! I shall go!!"
The maid scurried away.
Right. This should do.
I've shown as much consideration as I can. What's left now?
Making that insolent noble wait until he's bursting with annoyance.
I sat back down and lifted my teacup. The tea of this Empire had the best flavor of any I had ever tasted.
