The Third Princess, Hela Leonherit.
She was the last-born child of the Emperor. A bastard born between him and a commoner.
Even in the game, it was never revealed how or where the Emperor had met a woman of common birth.
From the information later uncovered in the game, Hela’s mother had died not long after giving birth to her.
What a complete mess.
An Emperor of the Empire falling for a mere commoner and having a child with her.
Who could have imagined such a thing?
If the people of the Empire were ever to learn of this, it would be a topic of gossip for eternity. Unless the Empire itself collapsed first.
“Ain? Are you listening?”
Just as my mind became filled with thoughts that made me sigh involuntarily, a sharp voice cut through my distractions.
Only then did I snap back to my senses.
“Ah, yes, yes. I’m listening.”
“…It didn’t seem like you were.”
“Come on, no way.”
The woman looking at me with a pout was Melena.
She was the head maid currently in charge of managing this secluded palace and the exclusive attendant of the Third Princess.
To emphasize once more. She was the head “maid”, not the head “lady-in-waiting”.
A mere maid was left in charge of overseeing the Third Princess’s residence.
They hadn’t even assigned a proper lady-in-waiting to her.
…Though, in a way, maybe this was actually for the better.
At the very least, Melena was a character who had appeared in the game and was someone trustworthy.
She was also the only one who had taken Hela’s side during the tutorial.
Rather than having a swarm of people lurking around, all eager to take the Third Princess’s life, it was far better to keep only a few trusted individuals by her side.
On top of that, Melena was kind-hearted and incredibly competent.
“Ain, from now on, you have to work hard as the princess’s butler, so please pay attention!”
“Yes.”
Melena didn’t seem particularly uncomfortable with my sudden addition to her duties.
It was probably because she had been informed that I was personally chosen by the princess.
Her loyalty to the Third Princess was truly exceptional.
“From now on, you will be attending to the princess in my place! Since you’ll also be serving as her bodyguard, make sure to stay close to her while you assist her!”
“…Attending to her? What exactly does that mean?”
“Hmm~ First, you’ll be waking her up in the morning—”
Melena calmly and thoroughly explained the tasks I would be responsible for.
As I went over each duty expected of me as a butler, I couldn’t help but feel a newfound respect for her.
Wait… She was doing all of this alone before I got here?
Up until now, she had not only attended to the princess personally but had also managed all the facilities within the secluded palace by herself.
As she spoke about it in a weary tone, Melena let out a deep sigh.
“I really thought I was going to die…! Though, I suppose it was a rewarding job!”
“…This is just pure exploitation—”
“Huh? What was that?”
“Nothing at all. By the way… I noticed there are quite a few other people around. What exactly do they do?”
“…Ah, well…”
That was when I first learned something surprising from Melena that day.
Aside from Melena, there were no permanent staff members assigned to manage the Third Princess’s secluded palace.
Even those who occasionally came and went had no real duties here.
At most, they would check the palace’s facilities or handle minor repairs.
…Just from a glance, a few of them seem to be affiliated with other princes or princesses.
Ever since arriving here, I had constantly felt the weight of watchful, scrutinizing gazes.
It seemed that my presence as the newest addition to the palace had drawn quite a bit of attention.
Before long, those people would no doubt report my existence as well.
But seriously… they’ve practically abandoned this place? What the hell is that emperor thinking?
The ruler of the current empire. Hambreel Leonherit.
In the game, he had been depicted as neither a wise king nor a tyrant.
He was simply an opportunistic emperor, clever enough to ride the coattails of the empire’s fading glory.
There’s so little information on this emperor.
In any case, within a few years, a succession war would lead to his downfall.
That aging emperor, who had long since lost his fangs, had no real power left to hold onto his throne.
Though still only in his middle years, it was said he had been afflicted with an incurable disease since birth.
In the end, he was fated to die at the hands of his own sons and daughters.
And from that moment on, bloodshed would sweep through the empire, shattering the thousand-year peace it had once prided itself on.
“―Alright! I think that just about covers everything you need to know!”
“Understood.”
“Well then, now that your probation period is over, let’s head back to Her Highness!”
Melena gave me a bright smile of encouragement. I returned her farewell with a nod and set off.
At last, the week-long probation period had ended, and the day had finally come for me to face her once again.
…There’s a lot to do. Things are about to get really busy.
Straightening the uniform I had grown accustomed to wearing, I steeled myself for what lay ahead.
It was time to fasten the first button of this crucial new chapter.
***
Knock, knock.
Accompanied by the sound of my knocking, I spoke.
“Your Highness, it’s Ain.”
“…….”
As expected, there was no response today either.
She must have overslept again.
“I’m coming in.”
But today, I had to fulfill my duty as a butler.
Slowly and carefully, I opened the door and stepped inside.
With light footsteps, I made my way toward her sleeping quarters.
As I got closer, I could hear the sound of her soft, steady breathing.
“…Your Highness.”
“…….”
“Your Highness, it’s time to wake up.”
“…Mmm… Melena… just ten more minutes….”
What kind of sleep talk was that?
For a moment, I almost burst out laughing. It was like watching a daughter whining to her mother.
“Please wake up.”
“…Mmm, just a little longer….”
“And for the record, I’m not Melena.”
“Mmm~?”
Rustle.
At last, I heard movement from inside the curtained bed.
Then, her first words slipped out.
“…Huh?”
“Are you awake now?”
“…….”
“Kyaaaaah—!!”
Her piercing scream rang through the room.
This was immediately followed by the sound of her kicking off the blankets in a flurry.
…Well, yeah. I’d be embarrassed too.
I completely understood what she must have been feeling at that moment, so I waited patiently for her to calm down.
.
.
.
About ten minutes later…
“…….”
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
“Y-Yes… good morning….”
“You don’t need to be so formal. Just speak comfortably.”
“W-Well… this feels more natural for me….”
No, well… it’s actually making me uncomfortable.
If it had been any other imperial princess, she would have had a mere butler executed for daring to share a table with her.
Of course, there weren’t many eyes watching in this place.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with the way she spoke.
“…Do as you please.”
But in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.
If the princess said to do something, I had no choice but to obey.
***
After that little incident was over,
I carried the princess’s breakfast? Lunch? …It was hard to say what to call a meal at this hour, and entered her room.
She’s already draining my energy.
Introducing ourselves was one thing.
But dressing her? That was an ordeal.
Normally, Melena who was the same gender as her should have been the one handling it.
Was this really okay?
Good thing I only had to help her put on an outer robe.
Just thinking back on it made my face burn.
It was going to take quite some time to get used to this.
“Your Highness, I’ve brought your meal.”
“…Ah, yes! Just a moment…!”
I stepped inside and approached the princess, who was seated at her desk.
She was completely absorbed in fiddling with something.
As I got closer, I recognized the familiar object she was playing with.
A magical tool.
A device embedded with a light-emitting magic spell.
Basically, a flashlight.
It was an essential tool for adventurers. So useful that it was practically a necessity.
I had relied on one quite often myself.
…Did she make it herself?
When I looked closer, I noticed that the design and magic circuit were slightly different from the ones sold on the market.
It didn’t seem like she was dismantling a magical tool. Rather, it looked like something she had created herself.
Despite her young age, her craftsmanship was remarkably advanced.
When I placed the meal beside her, I spoke in a voice filled with admiration.
“Did Your Highness make this yourself?”
“…Huh? …Ah, yes.”
“……..”
“……..”
The princess, as if embarrassed, quickly covered her creation with her hands.
An awkward silence soon settled between us.
…There’s still some distance between us. I need to get closer to her, and soon.
Considering everything we would have to go through together, it was crucial that we grew closer as quickly as possible.
Once she started to trust me, everything that came next would go much more smoothly.
I racked my brain, struggling to come up with something to talk about.
And then—
Before I could say anything, she spoke first.
“…D-Do you also think… I’m really pathetic?”
“…Huh?”
“A-A princess… just sitting here, fiddling with useless junk like this… Even I think it’s foolish… Hehe…”
“……..”
“Stupid, dull, timid… I-I’m really just an idiot…”
Had she been conscious of my gaze this whole time?
She continued to belittle herself.
…Has she been hearing things like this all her life?
I lowered my gaze once more to her hands.
The hands that had been covering the magical tool were trembling.
And soon, teardrops began to fall onto the back of her hands.
“Sh-Should I… never have been born? Is it a mistake… that I was born as the Emperor’s child?”
“……..”
Her voice, heavy as if submerged in water, was unbearably sad.
Only then did I find myself reevaluating her.
Hela Leonherit.
She was only fifteen years old.
An age where even the smallest wounds could leave deep scars on the heart.
I’m such an idiot…
All I had cared about was getting closer to her, without even considering her feelings.
I reflected on my own thoughtlessness and finally opened my mouth to speak.
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