The week-long journey, which I had been worried about due to my physical condition, was not difficult at all.
No, honestly, I felt like I could have done it for another month!
This was because Baron Volaf, the imperial palace attendant Nike had brought along, and twenty attendants served me without causing me any inconvenience.
On every journey, we stayed at castles in territories that the imperial court had contacted in advance, and everyone, including the lords, was indescribably courteous.
Perhaps because they heard that I was not feeling well, the palace attendants treated me like glass.
I didn't even undress with my own hands; they washed my body in a bath filled with high-quality perfumes, I slept in a room with expensive sleeping candles lit, and each time, one person would cling to my arms and legs and even give me a massage.
“What kind of Princess are you?!”
Ryan said that as he watched my face getting shinier day by day.
A Princess? If I meet a good boyfriend, I guess I'll become something like a Princess soon...
It was a week where I truly felt, "This is the life of the royal family."
I did live like a Princess even before the regression, but... how should I put it?
After all, being an imperial palace attendant is not something just anyone can do. Having been thoroughly trained and having served the royal family for generations, there was something of a different caliber in their service!
Anyway, the story is about entering the capital after finishing a journey that was too short to end.
“Look, my daughter. This is the place called the ‘Imperial Palace.’”
Ryan said, looking up at the magnificent imperial palace building.
We arrived half a day earlier than scheduled, and perhaps because Nike had mentioned it in advance, we were able to enter the palace quietly.
“This must be your first time as a country mouse. Don’t make mistakes, don’t touch just anything, and if you don’t know something, ask me first.”
Since Ryan wanted to brag, I didn't bother mentioning that I frequented the Imperial Palace ballroom like it was my own home during every social season.
Since I've regressed, it's like it never happened, I guess.
Ryan is right about everything.
We were each escorted to our respective rooms. In the rooms, guards and attendants were already waiting in orderly rows.
Nike came to find me again when I had just finished fixing my makeup in a room roughly the size of a house.
"Oh."
I was surprised. It was Nike, dressed like a nobleman, whom I was seeing for the first time since returning to the past.
"What's the matter?"
"Because you're cool. You're so handsome."
“Ah... right. Thank you.”
Despite having a beauty that must have been sick and tired of hearing that he was handsome, Nike was never immune to compliments.
He, who had been making a clunky noise because he was malfunctioning for a moment, asked with a look of sudden realization.
"More importantly, Vania, have you ever met Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess?"
“...”
It must be a question asking if I saw it before the regression. But to think they are asking that only now.
"Sure."
“Privately?”
"Yes."
Hildegard Evsen Valencier.
Hailing from the Kingdom of Evzen, she was a clever and sharp-witted person.
She took charge of the internal affairs of the Imperial Household without any shortcomings, succeeding Her Majesty the Empress, who passed away when Nike was twelve years old.
The first time I spoke to her privately was at an imperial social ball.
She, who knew about the relationship between Nike and me, called me aside...
I naturally expected to hear the words, "Please break up with our Prince," just like when I was with the Crown Prince, so I almost instinctively burst into tears.
That day, I expressed my sincere feelings for Nike for about an hour, and I remember the Crown Princess using about twelve handkerchiefs to wipe my tears.
“My older sister in the Kingdom of Evzen went through a similar situation. It’s embarrassing to talk about, but...”
As soon as my tears stopped, the Crown Princess told me about her older sister.
"I was worried you might have bad intentions, so I ended up bringing this up."
The first Princess of the Kingdom of Evzen, who fell in love with a knight of commoner origin. It is said that she was originally the Crown Prince's arranged marriage partner.
When a political marriage was discussed, the eldest Princess, unable to part with her lover, attempted to take her own life, but fortunately survived.
The story goes that the Second Princess, the Crown Princess, was shocked by what she saw and came to the Empire saying, "I will take my sister's place in that marriage!"
“I was feeling quite conflicted too... but after coming to the Empire and seeing my husband’s face, I thought it was the right decision to come instead.”
The Crown Princess made me laugh by telling such jokes while I was crying.
She reassured me that she hadn't called me to urge me to break up.
Saying that she was just curious about what kind of person I was...
Since that day, I was glad to see the Crown Princess whenever I met her at numerous banquets.
When we had tea alone, I even affectionately called her 'older sister' once.
After all, she was also someone who really liked my cuteness.
So I wasn't worried.
The Crown Princess is someone who will support me, whether I am a Princess or a commoner, as long as I show my sincerity...
'But!'
Shit!
'I wasn't worried, but meeting this soon is flustering!'
Now, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess are seated opposite the luxurious round table.
Nike is on my right, and Ryan is on my left.
"I'm sorry to bother you, as you must have needed time to recover from your journey. I just wanted to ask in case, but you could have declined the lunch invitation."
“No, Your Highness, the Crown Princess.”
How am I supposed to refuse when you invite me to a meal? You should have been more considerate and not invited me...
"Are you okay?"
Nike whispered a question, and although I wasn't fine at all, I nodded.
The original schedule arranged with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess was a dinner today, but as soon as they heard the news that I had arrived early, they invited me to lunch.
'She must have been really curious.'
I saw the Crown Princess.
Ebony hair and green eyes.
It was an elegant and dignified impression, unchanged from before the regression.
Furthermore...
She looked incredibly curious about the backstory between the young master and the woman he brought home to marry without any warning or foreshadowing.
“Why is the meal like that?”
The Crown Prince asked as he looked at the patient's meal being placed in front of me first.
"I haven't been feeling well lately, so I've been careful with my diet."
"You're saying you're not feeling well?"
At Nike's words, the Crown Princess paused.
Weak-bodied prospective Princess -10 points!
Ah, honey~~ come on~~!
"She's usually healthy, but the journey has been so grueling that she hasn't been able to eat properly since the day before yesterday. I ask for your understanding."
Ryan quickly sorted it out.
"Oh, dear. Then I should have waited until I had recovered from my journey and met you at the banquet. I just wanted to see your face quickly."
“No, not at all. Actually, I rushed over here excitedly at the luncheon invitation because I was eager to see Your Highness as well.”
I spoke as politely as possible. The Crown Princess smiled at me, looking at me like a cute younger sibling.
"Actually, I told them to make extra preparations, thinking we might be able to have lunch together if you arrived early. It’s a shame."
With her words, the Imperial Chef approached, pushing a tray. The attendants laid down the dishes one by one that the Crown Princess had instructed to be prepared with care.
At that moment, I...
Seized by a sense of foreboding, I immediately held my breath.
'The tea is on a whole different level...'
The menus were incomparable to the simple meals we have at home with our family.
“I wonder if we’ll be able to have a proper banquet?”
"No. It will be difficult for the time being."
I could not clearly hear the words exchanged between the Crown Princess and Nike.
Truly... a table of 'royalty'.
Lavish and splendid. A feast of greasy meat and spicy seasonings.
If you open your nose, you will feel nauseous in an instant.
Since it was a luncheon outside of the scheduled itinerary, it was a crisis situation encountered without time to prepare.
I glanced at Ryan.
He, too, must have sensed an ominous feeling that the level of food filling the place was beyond imagination, and he was looking at me.
Ryan is probably recalling when Lord Koenig from the neighboring town visited our castle a while ago, too, isn't he?
I went to the banquet hall with the determination to endure, despite being in a recovery period where my stomach was twisting.
Just when I felt like I was going to lose my mind at the traditional Koenig table, reeking of greasy food.
Ryan noticed my pale complexion, quickly hoisted me onto his back, and left the restaurant... thus averting a major disaster.
“I was very surprised when I first heard the young lady’s story. To think the Third Prince had someone to whom he had promised a future. I heard the Crown Prince knew about it too, but he didn’t say a word to me.”
“..."
I try to answer with my nose plugged, but my pronunciation is ridiculously slurred.
“I was surprised, but I still wanted to see Young Lady’s face, so I was wondering how to arrange a meeting...”
“...”
“The Third Prince suddenly brought up the topic of a royal marriage a few weeks ago, didn’t he?”
“...”
“I am very flustered. A royal marriage is not something that happens overnight. Is there perhaps a particular reason for the rush...?”
“Ugh.”
“...Vania! Are you okay?!”
“Ah, yes. Ugh.”
Nike was watching over Vania with a look full of worry. Vania is covering her mouth in front of the food and repeatedly gagging.
And, the Crown Princess's eyes, wavering and unable to find their bearings as she watched them.
“Is there a particular reason you are in a hurry...?”
“Ugh.”
Ryan thought.
'I'm screwed.'
No, honestly, I felt like I could have done it for another month!
This was because Baron Volaf, the imperial palace attendant Nike had brought along, and twenty attendants served me without causing me any inconvenience.
On every journey, we stayed at castles in territories that the imperial court had contacted in advance, and everyone, including the lords, was indescribably courteous.
Perhaps because they heard that I was not feeling well, the palace attendants treated me like glass.
I didn't even undress with my own hands; they washed my body in a bath filled with high-quality perfumes, I slept in a room with expensive sleeping candles lit, and each time, one person would cling to my arms and legs and even give me a massage.
“What kind of Princess are you?!”
Ryan said that as he watched my face getting shinier day by day.
A Princess? If I meet a good boyfriend, I guess I'll become something like a Princess soon...
It was a week where I truly felt, "This is the life of the royal family."
I did live like a Princess even before the regression, but... how should I put it?
After all, being an imperial palace attendant is not something just anyone can do. Having been thoroughly trained and having served the royal family for generations, there was something of a different caliber in their service!
Anyway, the story is about entering the capital after finishing a journey that was too short to end.
“Look, my daughter. This is the place called the ‘Imperial Palace.’”
Ryan said, looking up at the magnificent imperial palace building.
We arrived half a day earlier than scheduled, and perhaps because Nike had mentioned it in advance, we were able to enter the palace quietly.
“This must be your first time as a country mouse. Don’t make mistakes, don’t touch just anything, and if you don’t know something, ask me first.”
Since Ryan wanted to brag, I didn't bother mentioning that I frequented the Imperial Palace ballroom like it was my own home during every social season.
Since I've regressed, it's like it never happened, I guess.
Ryan is right about everything.
We were each escorted to our respective rooms. In the rooms, guards and attendants were already waiting in orderly rows.
Nike came to find me again when I had just finished fixing my makeup in a room roughly the size of a house.
"Oh."
I was surprised. It was Nike, dressed like a nobleman, whom I was seeing for the first time since returning to the past.
"What's the matter?"
"Because you're cool. You're so handsome."
“Ah... right. Thank you.”
Despite having a beauty that must have been sick and tired of hearing that he was handsome, Nike was never immune to compliments.
He, who had been making a clunky noise because he was malfunctioning for a moment, asked with a look of sudden realization.
"More importantly, Vania, have you ever met Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess?"
“...”
It must be a question asking if I saw it before the regression. But to think they are asking that only now.
"Sure."
“Privately?”
"Yes."
***
Hildegard Evsen Valencier.
Hailing from the Kingdom of Evzen, she was a clever and sharp-witted person.
She took charge of the internal affairs of the Imperial Household without any shortcomings, succeeding Her Majesty the Empress, who passed away when Nike was twelve years old.
The first time I spoke to her privately was at an imperial social ball.
She, who knew about the relationship between Nike and me, called me aside...
I naturally expected to hear the words, "Please break up with our Prince," just like when I was with the Crown Prince, so I almost instinctively burst into tears.
That day, I expressed my sincere feelings for Nike for about an hour, and I remember the Crown Princess using about twelve handkerchiefs to wipe my tears.
“My older sister in the Kingdom of Evzen went through a similar situation. It’s embarrassing to talk about, but...”
As soon as my tears stopped, the Crown Princess told me about her older sister.
"I was worried you might have bad intentions, so I ended up bringing this up."
The first Princess of the Kingdom of Evzen, who fell in love with a knight of commoner origin. It is said that she was originally the Crown Prince's arranged marriage partner.
When a political marriage was discussed, the eldest Princess, unable to part with her lover, attempted to take her own life, but fortunately survived.
The story goes that the Second Princess, the Crown Princess, was shocked by what she saw and came to the Empire saying, "I will take my sister's place in that marriage!"
“I was feeling quite conflicted too... but after coming to the Empire and seeing my husband’s face, I thought it was the right decision to come instead.”
The Crown Princess made me laugh by telling such jokes while I was crying.
You've been through that yourself—do you have any idea what might happen if you break up a couple who are in love?
Saying that she was just curious about what kind of person I was...
Since that day, I was glad to see the Crown Princess whenever I met her at numerous banquets.
When we had tea alone, I even affectionately called her 'older sister' once.
After all, she was also someone who really liked my cuteness.
So I wasn't worried.
The Crown Princess is someone who will support me, whether I am a Princess or a commoner, as long as I show my sincerity...
'But!'
Shit!
'I wasn't worried, but meeting this soon is flustering!'
Now, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess are seated opposite the luxurious round table.
Nike is on my right, and Ryan is on my left.
"I'm sorry to bother you, as you must have needed time to recover from your journey. I just wanted to ask in case, but you could have declined the lunch invitation."
“No, Your Highness, the Crown Princess.”
How am I supposed to refuse when you invite me to a meal? You should have been more considerate and not invited me...
"Are you okay?"
Nike whispered a question, and although I wasn't fine at all, I nodded.
The original schedule arranged with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess was a dinner today, but as soon as they heard the news that I had arrived early, they invited me to lunch.
'She must have been really curious.'
I saw the Crown Princess.
Ebony hair and green eyes.
It was an elegant and dignified impression, unchanged from before the regression.
Furthermore...
She looked incredibly curious about the backstory between the young master and the woman he brought home to marry without any warning or foreshadowing.
“Why is the meal like that?”
The Crown Prince asked as he looked at the patient's meal being placed in front of me first.
"I haven't been feeling well lately, so I've been careful with my diet."
"You're saying you're not feeling well?"
At Nike's words, the Crown Princess paused.
Weak-bodied prospective Princess -10 points!
Ah, honey~~ come on~~!
"She's usually healthy, but the journey has been so grueling that she hasn't been able to eat properly since the day before yesterday. I ask for your understanding."
Ryan quickly sorted it out.
"Oh, dear. Then I should have waited until I had recovered from my journey and met you at the banquet. I just wanted to see your face quickly."
“No, not at all. Actually, I rushed over here excitedly at the luncheon invitation because I was eager to see Your Highness as well.”
I spoke as politely as possible. The Crown Princess smiled at me, looking at me like a cute younger sibling.
"Actually, I told them to make extra preparations, thinking we might be able to have lunch together if you arrived early. It’s a shame."
With her words, the Imperial Chef approached, pushing a tray. The attendants laid down the dishes one by one that the Crown Princess had instructed to be prepared with care.
At that moment, I...
Seized by a sense of foreboding, I immediately held my breath.
'The tea is on a whole different level...'
The menus were incomparable to the simple meals we have at home with our family.
“I wonder if we’ll be able to have a proper banquet?”
"No. It will be difficult for the time being."
I could not clearly hear the words exchanged between the Crown Princess and Nike.
Truly... a table of 'royalty'.
Lavish and splendid. A feast of greasy meat and spicy seasonings.
If you open your nose, you will feel nauseous in an instant.
Since it was a luncheon outside of the scheduled itinerary, it was a crisis situation encountered without time to prepare.
I glanced at Ryan.
He, too, must have sensed an ominous feeling that the level of food filling the place was beyond imagination, and he was looking at me.
Ryan is probably recalling when Lord Koenig from the neighboring town visited our castle a while ago, too, isn't he?
I went to the banquet hall with the determination to endure, despite being in a recovery period where my stomach was twisting.
Just when I felt like I was going to lose my mind at the traditional Koenig table, reeking of greasy food.
Ryan noticed my pale complexion, quickly hoisted me onto his back, and left the restaurant... thus averting a major disaster.
“I was very surprised when I first heard the young lady’s story. To think the Third Prince had someone to whom he had promised a future. I heard the Crown Prince knew about it too, but he didn’t say a word to me.”
“..."
I try to answer with my nose plugged, but my pronunciation is ridiculously slurred.
“I was surprised, but I still wanted to see Young Lady’s face, so I was wondering how to arrange a meeting...”
“...”
“The Third Prince suddenly brought up the topic of a royal marriage a few weeks ago, didn’t he?”
“...”
“I am very flustered. A royal marriage is not something that happens overnight. Is there perhaps a particular reason for the rush...?”
“Ugh.”
***
“...Vania! Are you okay?!”
“Ah, yes. Ugh.”
Nike was watching over Vania with a look full of worry. Vania is covering her mouth in front of the food and repeatedly gagging.
And, the Crown Princess's eyes, wavering and unable to find their bearings as she watched them.
“Is there a particular reason you are in a hurry...?”
“Ugh.”
Ryan thought.
'I'm screwed.'
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