Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Gold Nugget
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Sixty.
For humans, an age corresponding to old age, but for the imperial clan, it was merely boyhood.
The princess had turned sixty.
She was no longer as immature as in her infancy, but the personality formed by her childhood experiences hadn't changed much even as she aged.
On the contrary, passing through her stormy adolescence had only made her more chaotic.
Born wiser than humans,
it might sound strange to say she was still immature after enduring that much time,
but wisdom and prudence are different matters, aren't they?
Dragons are wise but not prudent.
A dragon's time is more valuable than a human's, but because they learn so much all at once, they lack the time needed for personal growth.
For humans to fully develop their personality,
they need more leisure to reflect on past growth than passion for further development.
That's why dragons consider laziness a virtue...
But boyhood is a time overflowing with passion,
and with all that surging physical energy, there's no way they could indulge in laziness.
"I want it. Why is it that everything I like always belongs to someone else...?"
The princess didn't consciously think of herself as 'a thug who gets pleasure from taking others' things,'
but because of her childhood experiences,
she gradually developed the habit of reaching for what she couldn't have.
Testing others' goodwill,
trying to obtain what they valued,
and coveting what she couldn't steal.
However, desire for 'others' things' always cooled the moment it became 'mine,'
making it fundamentally an 'unfulfillable' type of desire.
"Yul-ah."
"Yes, Father."
"Don't let the blessing consume you."
"......"
"I know you've been finding satisfaction lately by stealing others' happiness. But no matter how clearly you can 'hear' their hearts as if they were your own, they can never become your heart. Lately, you seem too swayed by the blessing, and it worries me. You need to keep your own heart firm. The reason blessings exist is..."
"Father. I don't want to become lazy."
"......"
"That's why, right now... I'm still young. Even if I become lazy someday according to imperial custom... for now, I want to live a little more true to my heart."
"Yes. You're still young... Some mistakes can only be learned through personal experience."
Her problem was
that she was born into too much abundance.
Her misfortune was not being born into poverty and hardship.
Even after repeated mistakes and failures, she was granted dozens of chances and centuries of time, so she came to fear failure less.
Viewing mistakes as growth and failures as opportunities left her lacking in reflection and regret. That was her unhappiness.
The complaints of the satiated.
The rich man's ailment.
Having already tasted all the happiness the world had to offer,
the 'exhaustion of happiness' that left her unable to feel joy anymore.
"......Shut up. Be quiet. Your happiness is so loud it's unbearable."
However, what was truly unfortunate for her was,
despite all that,
being born with a body blessed to 'hear' others' happiness.
"I'm envious of you."
Closing her eyes brought voices. Opening them brought voices still.
There were too many people in this world,
and all of them were happy in their own ways.
Yes.
This could be the whining of the full-bellied.
But
when happiness is boasted so loudly, right beside her, deafening her ears and mind, whispering and shouting endlessly hour after hour about how sweet it is,
how could she not complain?
"Envious. I want it. Damn dragon blood, sticking out its greedy tongue, hell."
It wasn't her fault.
It was all because they were shameless.
If they were to enjoy peace under the imperial shadow, they should at least do it quietly, like dead mice,
without disturbing the imperial heart.
No. It was all the damn dragon blood's fault.
The dragon's blood stuck out its greedy tongue,
licking their hearts, opening its mouth to measure their size, lying in wait to swallow them whole.
No. No.
None of it.
She just... needed time.
"......Yes. Let's become lazy."
Eighty.
In human years, just finishing boyhood and entering youth.
With adolescence's immaturity at an end,
the princess finally embraced the virtue of laziness.
Thanks to only twenty years until adulthood,
she had matured considerably.
She could let go of many things.
Having envied too much, coveted too much, and striven too much,
even stealing from others had become tiresome.
And then,
right on cue, her older brother made a fine proposal.
"Meet a man?"
"Yes. Yul, you're almost an adult now. It doesn't hurt to scout a partner in advance. Just see his face first, and if you don't like him, find another. Isn't it good to prepare early?"
"Hmm. Sure. Who's the guy?"
"The head of House Riddle. A blessing holder born with 'Winter's Blessing,' and apparently exceptional at making money."
"Count Riddle... The name rings a bell."
"He was the one who exposed the vault keeper's treason last time."
"Ah."
Marriage. Or more precisely, an engagement to a human noble.
Twenty years until adulthood remained, allowing her to prepare slowly.
It was the perfect task for living lazily according to custom.
"Marriage alliances are one of the imperial clan's main customs, so don't decide rashly—think it over carefully. Even if a human noble's lifespan is only a few decades, you'll still need to invest quite a long time."
"Yes. I have no intention of making just anyone part of the imperial family. Don't worry, brother; I know what I'm doing."
Marriage alliance.
Marrying a human noble, providing unlimited support to bolster their house,
incorporating them into the imperial family,
then using the imperial clan's long lifespan to swallow them whole.
It was an ancient imperial custom,
one of the ways the imperial house maintained real power and authority.
"Oh. Not important, but apparently the head of House Riddle already has a fiancée. Still, she's just the daughter of some poor parliamentary noble, so no big issue."
"......That appeals to me."
"Yeah, well. It's your taste..."
She had come with such a light heart.
This time, she intended to handle everything lazily.
Yes.
She truly thought she could finally be lazy now.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Princess!"
But
upon discovering something this intriguing,
who wouldn't want to hold it until it breaks?
She wanted to roll it between her fingers,
feel its texture through every wrinkle in her palm,
clench it hard until it was on the verge of breaking,
then loosen gently, shake it in her hand,
and test how much satisfaction this intriguing thing could give her.
"Why are you trying to persuade me?"
"Because I like you."
"Someone you just met for the first time?"
"My blessing lets me 'hear' deep into a person's heart even from one meeting. Your heart pleases mine, so I don't want you to die."
Intriguing. She liked it.
It entered her heart.
So she tested it in her grasp.
Shaking his life, his ideals, his philosophy, his interests.
It was what she always did.
Testing someone had become as natural as breathing.
"Become part of the imperial family. You become authority itself."
Where would this one trip?
With his deep yearning for survival, would he fall to vague fear of death?
With his high ideals for the world, to the shortcut right before his eyes?
With his deep understanding of capital, to desire for even greater wealth?
Even a father who cherished his child more than his own life
abandoned the child when his own life was at stake.
No heart is as firm or heavy as one thinks.
As a princess who reads others' hearts, who had relied on those hearts many times, who had envied and tried to steal them just as much,
she thought this possessor before her would be the same.
"......"
Hearts change.
Whatever pleased the princess's heart,
whatever entered her heart,
scattered quickly,
turning into unwanted trash before long.
So
she thought it would be the same this time.
"......Your Highness the Princess."
"Ah. Oh."
So, this was a first.
Rather than becoming worthless,
the person before her grew ever more valuable.
He pleased her more and more. He delved deeper into her heart. He whispered louder love toward her own heart.
Even plugging her ears to shake off that boisterous serenade,
piercing all noise and silence,
it struck her heart with absurd clarity.
"......You've really fallen for me."
So, perhaps the possessor's guess was wrong,
but by the conclusion,
through that process, it became truth.
"......Damn. Didn't I tell you? I like you."
The princess didn't fall at first sight.
The princess... had enough time to fall for one person, so she did.
Eighty years lost wandering.
That was the time she needed to fall for a certain possessor.
.
.
.
.
"......"
"......"
My present had been completely exposed to the princess before me, and her past had become part of my memories.
Mutual strengths and weaknesses.
My strength as a possessor,
her strength of eighty years,
laid bare to each other,
becoming each other's weaknesses, cards swapped and reversed in hand.
Calling this 'an equal footing'
might be too harsh on her, blinded by love, who had surrendered her entire past to me.
So
I wanted to say this.
"Your Highness the Princess."
"Yes."
"I think... we can understand each other."
"......"
"The reason we have these blessings is to understand each other."
"Damn."
"Now we're standing on the same side."
"......I prefer being on top, though."
What should I say?
At first, I thought she was a terrifying, fierce snake,
but turns out the princess was more like a gold nugget.