"Your Highness..."
“This time, I’m in my right mind.”
His throat trembled softly with a low groan.
I stroked Laskan's thick, hard neck. My hands slid uncontrollably through the thin shirt.
From his well-sculpted collarbone to his chest, to his toned abs and tight, muscle-covered lower abdomen...
He grabbed my hand precariously. I suppressed my tension and managed to smile.
“Here, there’s no one who can stop you.”
His eyes narrowed as if he was assessing my true intentions. His yellow pupils, like those of an animal, sank into a slightly darker light.
I instinctively hesitated and stepped back, like someone who had glimpsed something behind the scenes.
But he pulled my body close to him again, as if he wouldn't tolerate even the slightest gap. It was as if I had just taken a half step back, as if I was running away from him.
He slowly kissed the tip of my raised hand. As if he had used up all his patience, his forced polite face seemed even more wild.
“If you’re going to regret it, then just quit.”
He asked as if he was offering a final mercy. His suppressed voice sounded too sweet.
“...Continue.”
I rested my back against the wall so that it wouldn't hurt. He lowered his head and cast a shadow over me.
His warm lips brushed my forehead, the tip of my nose, and my lips in that order. It felt like a warm breath, but then it quickly became hot, as if he had swallowed a spark. My tongue was crushed and made a sticky sound.
Even while we were kissing absentmindedly, my hands steadily took off his shirt. He smiled faintly as if he found that annoying.
But in reality, the hand that held him was impatient, as if it were the last time he would have the luxury of doing so.
My hand, illuminated by the light in the darkness, looked unusually white. I managed to pull the curtain open. And soon,
I was devoured by the thick darkness.
Time passed very quickly. I wondered how I would survive the fortnight without Irina and Thalia, but in the blink of an eye, the day came when they would return.
We arrived with a carriage full of gifts, as if we had kissed in advance.
From the lowest-level janitor to the head maid, Lisa, each worker in the Princess's palace received a beautifully wrapped box.
The tense atmosphere after the poisoning incident magically dissolved, and everyone enjoyed a happy and enjoyable time.
When I asked if he had spent too much money, he said it was a bribe to make sure that they would serve Her Highness better.
I felt embarrassed when I heard that.
It would have been right for me to have taken care of it... Saying that I was so flustered that I didn’t think about it was more of an excuse.
To be honest, the idea of sharing my wealth simply to 'make someone happy' was not easy for me.
Just because I was aware of my status as a Princess, it didn't mean that the vast wealth of the imperial family was mine to take for granted. Inside me, there was still the back-alley girl who had been struggling to find money to buy a bag of sugar.
In that sense, the third competitive topic was a very fatal one for me, but it was also a gate that I had to pass through at least once.
“Improve the territory that has paid the least amount of taxes to the imperial family over the past ten years and has slow industrial development.”
“...”
“So, in the end, you are telling me to personally execute the enormous budget with your own hands?”
“...So, why on earth are you here?”
I looked at Jacqueline with empty eyes. Even though it was my carriage, he was sitting there as if it were his, which was quite shameless.
He shrugged and replied.
“I heard everything. I heard you’re going to Vostok.”
“...Where did you hear that I was leaving now?”
“Your Highness, you may not know this, but I have ears.”
...I really don’t know where everyone gets this information.
It was only six hours ago that the competition topic was announced. And even then, the region in charge was chosen by drawing lots among the two cities that were selected as final candidates.
Isn't there really a space behind every wall of the palace where people can enter?
When I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, Jacqueline shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking slyly.
“Haven’t I been in the North for seven years? Surely there will be a time when you will need me.”
“I’m telling you this because you don’t seem to remember, but I’m from the northern part of the country. I’ve lived there for fifteen years.”
Jacqueline's once shameless expression only then became desperate. His eyes sank pitifully. The arrogance of leaning against the cushion was instantly thrown away, and now he was almost ready to kneel.
“...No, why would someone who knows say that?”
“...”
“Please look after me. You know full well that I came up to the capital under the pretense of attending Your Highness. If my father hears that Your Highness has left me behind and gone on a journey alone...”
His shoulders shook as if he was getting chills just thinking about it.
“I’m going to be dragged to that day.”
“...”
I couldn't help but laugh when I thought of Jacqueline, who had been held in the admiral's elegant hands and had been spanked until his back was stained.
As if he took that smile as a kind of permission, Jacqueline smiled brightly and held out his hand. I took his hand and climbed onto the carriage.
“Your Highness’s maids?”
“I told them to come up after recovering from the travel fatigue a little, since they just came back from their hometown. Since it’s been a while since they’ve been to the capital, they should enjoy some social gatherings.”
"...Yes."
Jacqueline responded a beat later. Looking at his face, it seemed like he wasn't easily convinced by the situation.
Well, it might not have been like that normally, but it was a time when the poisoning incident had just occurred. Moreover, it was dangerous to go to a place I had never been to before without a maid accompanying me.
But it was a bit ridiculous to be so cowering about the poisoning incident and to be walking around like a group of people armed with weapons. It might be safe, but it could be seen as timid for the next Emperor.
The nobles were a people sensitive to appearances. Instead of adding the usual explanation, I ordered the coachman to set off.
Soon, the carriage wheels began to roll smoothly. Jacqueline opened the window and gave some instructions to the coachman and the drivers ahead. He was told to drive the carriage as slowly as possible, even if it meant delaying it for a while.
Normally, I would have told him that it was a waste of time... but this competition was more relaxed than the previous two.
The real competition would begin after Veronica and I each arrived at Vostok and Brook, respectively. It meant that no matter how many days we spent on the road, our schedule would not be shortened.
“It takes a full eight days to get to Vostok, and the competition will last for a month from then on... So the results of the evaluation will come out during the competition?”
Jacqueline tapped his cheek as he finished calculating. I stared at him and asked in a blurry voice.
“Sir, do you believe that I am the real Princess?”
“Is that what you call a saying?”
Jacqueline frowned as he replied, as if he had never really suspected anything like that.
Even I only recently began to believe that I was a Princess, but I don't know why everyone around me still believes so firmly.
I shrugged.
“They said they would announce the results of the identification after the competition was over. If I were a fake, there would be a risk of my fleeing, and the nobles currently on the northern front would probably return by then.”
“Ah, that’s the way it’s traditionally been. It has to be unanimously approved by the heads of the thirteen houses of the Privy Council. This time, in particular, since it concerns the heir to the throne, they’ll be especially careful.”
“How do you know so much?”
When I asked with wide eyes, Jacqueline answered while sweeping his hair back.
“I did some research on it. It’s not something you see often.”
“You are right. We will gather all the Privy Council members and hold a meeting at the temple.”
“Then His Excellency the Duke of Ashkabad will also be attending.”
“Uh, maybe, that, that, right?”
“...Why are you suddenly stuttering? It’s suspicious.”
“...”
“Is it that good to just think about it?”
Jacqueline asked slyly. I had been biting my lips tightly because I was so shocked, but I gritted my teeth when I saw the mischievous look on Jacqueline’s face.
That expression that said he knew everything without knowing anything, that sinister smile... I really wanted to kick him away. I don’t know how long it’s been since I felt that kind of impulse.
Since continuing on this topic could have led to a digression, I decided to change the direction of the conversation.
“So, how is Rosetta doing?”
“Yes. I want to run there right away, but if I go to the East and get caught, there will definitely be a lot of troublesome things like successor training and such. But I will come back for a bit after this competition is over.”
“To see Rosetta?”
“That’s what I’m saying. If it weren’t for Rosetta, I wouldn’t have set foot in the East. I want to be free for at least three more years.”
I asked in passing.
“When exactly did you say you were going to come down?”
“Your Highness, I plan to come down as soon as the competition is over, so it will probably be around the end of next month.”
I smiled happily and decided that I should at least send a letter to the Admiral's wife.
It was exactly nine days after leaving the capital that we set foot on the road to Vostok.
I was very tired because I ran all night without staying a night in the previous village. I was also very, very miserable because I got motion sickness again.
But the hope of getting out of the tedious carriage made me excited. I opened the window and looked down at the cityscape that was gradually approaching. The smell of baking bread was getting closer, and it seemed that it really wasn't long now.
I asked, throwing open the half-open window.
“How much is left?”
“...You know this is already the twentieth time you’ve asked that, right?”
Jacqueline, who was riding alongside the carriage, responded with a look of astonishment.
I nodded, then lowered my head again with a pale face, looking at the pottery that was pouring down on me.
Jacqueline reached into the carriage, gave me a half-hearted pat on the shoulder, and continued speaking.
“Wouldn’t it have been better if you had rested in the village just before? You are in poor health.”
“Nagging, ugh, enough...”
“This time, I’m in my right mind.”
His throat trembled softly with a low groan.
I stroked Laskan's thick, hard neck. My hands slid uncontrollably through the thin shirt.
From his well-sculpted collarbone to his chest, to his toned abs and tight, muscle-covered lower abdomen...
He grabbed my hand precariously. I suppressed my tension and managed to smile.
“Here, there’s no one who can stop you.”
His eyes narrowed as if he was assessing my true intentions. His yellow pupils, like those of an animal, sank into a slightly darker light.
I instinctively hesitated and stepped back, like someone who had glimpsed something behind the scenes.
But he pulled my body close to him again, as if he wouldn't tolerate even the slightest gap. It was as if I had just taken a half step back, as if I was running away from him.
He slowly kissed the tip of my raised hand. As if he had used up all his patience, his forced polite face seemed even more wild.
“If you’re going to regret it, then just quit.”
He asked as if he was offering a final mercy. His suppressed voice sounded too sweet.
“...Continue.”
I rested my back against the wall so that it wouldn't hurt. He lowered his head and cast a shadow over me.
His warm lips brushed my forehead, the tip of my nose, and my lips in that order. It felt like a warm breath, but then it quickly became hot, as if he had swallowed a spark. My tongue was crushed and made a sticky sound.
Even while we were kissing absentmindedly, my hands steadily took off his shirt. He smiled faintly as if he found that annoying.
But in reality, the hand that held him was impatient, as if it were the last time he would have the luxury of doing so.
My hand, illuminated by the light in the darkness, looked unusually white. I managed to pull the curtain open. And soon,
I was devoured by the thick darkness.
***
Time passed very quickly. I wondered how I would survive the fortnight without Irina and Thalia, but in the blink of an eye, the day came when they would return.
We arrived with a carriage full of gifts, as if we had kissed in advance.
From the lowest-level janitor to the head maid, Lisa, each worker in the Princess's palace received a beautifully wrapped box.
The tense atmosphere after the poisoning incident magically dissolved, and everyone enjoyed a happy and enjoyable time.
When I asked if he had spent too much money, he said it was a bribe to make sure that they would serve Her Highness better.
I felt embarrassed when I heard that.
It would have been right for me to have taken care of it... Saying that I was so flustered that I didn’t think about it was more of an excuse.
To be honest, the idea of sharing my wealth simply to 'make someone happy' was not easy for me.
Just because I was aware of my status as a Princess, it didn't mean that the vast wealth of the imperial family was mine to take for granted. Inside me, there was still the back-alley girl who had been struggling to find money to buy a bag of sugar.
In that sense, the third competitive topic was a very fatal one for me, but it was also a gate that I had to pass through at least once.
“Improve the territory that has paid the least amount of taxes to the imperial family over the past ten years and has slow industrial development.”
“...”
“So, in the end, you are telling me to personally execute the enormous budget with your own hands?”
“...So, why on earth are you here?”
I looked at Jacqueline with empty eyes. Even though it was my carriage, he was sitting there as if it were his, which was quite shameless.
He shrugged and replied.
“I heard everything. I heard you’re going to Vostok.”
“...Where did you hear that I was leaving now?”
“Your Highness, you may not know this, but I have ears.”
...I really don’t know where everyone gets this information.
It was only six hours ago that the competition topic was announced. And even then, the region in charge was chosen by drawing lots among the two cities that were selected as final candidates.
Isn't there really a space behind every wall of the palace where people can enter?
When I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, Jacqueline shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking slyly.
“Haven’t I been in the North for seven years? Surely there will be a time when you will need me.”
“I’m telling you this because you don’t seem to remember, but I’m from the northern part of the country. I’ve lived there for fifteen years.”
Jacqueline's once shameless expression only then became desperate. His eyes sank pitifully. The arrogance of leaning against the cushion was instantly thrown away, and now he was almost ready to kneel.
“...No, why would someone who knows say that?”
“...”
“Please look after me. You know full well that I came up to the capital under the pretense of attending Your Highness. If my father hears that Your Highness has left me behind and gone on a journey alone...”
His shoulders shook as if he was getting chills just thinking about it.
“I’m going to be dragged to that day.”
“...”
I couldn't help but laugh when I thought of Jacqueline, who had been held in the admiral's elegant hands and had been spanked until his back was stained.
As if he took that smile as a kind of permission, Jacqueline smiled brightly and held out his hand. I took his hand and climbed onto the carriage.
“Your Highness’s maids?”
“I told them to come up after recovering from the travel fatigue a little, since they just came back from their hometown. Since it’s been a while since they’ve been to the capital, they should enjoy some social gatherings.”
"...Yes."
Jacqueline responded a beat later. Looking at his face, it seemed like he wasn't easily convinced by the situation.
Well, it might not have been like that normally, but it was a time when the poisoning incident had just occurred. Moreover, it was dangerous to go to a place I had never been to before without a maid accompanying me.
But it was a bit ridiculous to be so cowering about the poisoning incident and to be walking around like a group of people armed with weapons. It might be safe, but it could be seen as timid for the next Emperor.
The nobles were a people sensitive to appearances. Instead of adding the usual explanation, I ordered the coachman to set off.
Soon, the carriage wheels began to roll smoothly. Jacqueline opened the window and gave some instructions to the coachman and the drivers ahead. He was told to drive the carriage as slowly as possible, even if it meant delaying it for a while.
Normally, I would have told him that it was a waste of time... but this competition was more relaxed than the previous two.
The real competition would begin after Veronica and I each arrived at Vostok and Brook, respectively. It meant that no matter how many days we spent on the road, our schedule would not be shortened.
“It takes a full eight days to get to Vostok, and the competition will last for a month from then on... So the results of the evaluation will come out during the competition?”
Jacqueline tapped his cheek as he finished calculating. I stared at him and asked in a blurry voice.
“Sir, do you believe that I am the real Princess?”
“Is that what you call a saying?”
Jacqueline frowned as he replied, as if he had never really suspected anything like that.
Even I only recently began to believe that I was a Princess, but I don't know why everyone around me still believes so firmly.
I shrugged.
“They said they would announce the results of the identification after the competition was over. If I were a fake, there would be a risk of my fleeing, and the nobles currently on the northern front would probably return by then.”
“Ah, that’s the way it’s traditionally been. It has to be unanimously approved by the heads of the thirteen houses of the Privy Council. This time, in particular, since it concerns the heir to the throne, they’ll be especially careful.”
“How do you know so much?”
When I asked with wide eyes, Jacqueline answered while sweeping his hair back.
“I did some research on it. It’s not something you see often.”
“You are right. We will gather all the Privy Council members and hold a meeting at the temple.”
“Then His Excellency the Duke of Ashkabad will also be attending.”
“Uh, maybe, that, that, right?”
“...Why are you suddenly stuttering? It’s suspicious.”
“...”
“Is it that good to just think about it?”
Jacqueline asked slyly. I had been biting my lips tightly because I was so shocked, but I gritted my teeth when I saw the mischievous look on Jacqueline’s face.
That expression that said he knew everything without knowing anything, that sinister smile... I really wanted to kick him away. I don’t know how long it’s been since I felt that kind of impulse.
Since continuing on this topic could have led to a digression, I decided to change the direction of the conversation.
“So, how is Rosetta doing?”
“Yes. I want to run there right away, but if I go to the East and get caught, there will definitely be a lot of troublesome things like successor training and such. But I will come back for a bit after this competition is over.”
“To see Rosetta?”
“That’s what I’m saying. If it weren’t for Rosetta, I wouldn’t have set foot in the East. I want to be free for at least three more years.”
I asked in passing.
“When exactly did you say you were going to come down?”
“Your Highness, I plan to come down as soon as the competition is over, so it will probably be around the end of next month.”
I smiled happily and decided that I should at least send a letter to the Admiral's wife.
***
It was exactly nine days after leaving the capital that we set foot on the road to Vostok.
I was very tired because I ran all night without staying a night in the previous village. I was also very, very miserable because I got motion sickness again.
But the hope of getting out of the tedious carriage made me excited. I opened the window and looked down at the cityscape that was gradually approaching. The smell of baking bread was getting closer, and it seemed that it really wasn't long now.
I asked, throwing open the half-open window.
“How much is left?”
“...You know this is already the twentieth time you’ve asked that, right?”
Jacqueline, who was riding alongside the carriage, responded with a look of astonishment.
I nodded, then lowered my head again with a pale face, looking at the pottery that was pouring down on me.
Jacqueline reached into the carriage, gave me a half-hearted pat on the shoulder, and continued speaking.
“Wouldn’t it have been better if you had rested in the village just before? You are in poor health.”
“Nagging, ugh, enough...”
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