[IHTTMBW] Chapter 27

After that day, the political lessons I started were varied, covering everything from the Duke to influential nobles in the capital. It was astounding that a ten-year-old could teach with such knowledge, quickly moving on to the next topic as if there was no end to what he knew. 

“Is Euvil smart?” 

“Oh, Prince Euphil is a rare genius. If he ever attends the Academy… well, he will surely make a name for himself.” 

“Euvil is also good with a sword. He can go swoosh swoosh like this.” 

“Yes, he’s very skilled with the sword too. Truly a remarkable talent.” 

De… de… Orzette looked at me with a face of sympathy. Although I didn’t show it, I silently agreed. In the original story, Euphil was indeed portrayed as an outstanding talent. That’s why he could stage a coup and even conquer neighbouring countries. One might call it a devil’s talent. After reenacting the tale of Euphil and the Water Spirit, my plans had changed slightly. Before, my top priority was to leave the palace at nineteen, avoiding Euphil. But now, I was thinking about how to prevent Euphil from ever starting a rebellion. If Euphil didn’t rebel, I wouldn’t have to die. Not only that, but I could also live peacefully in the palace. Perhaps I could marry Allenan and become the Queen of this kingdom, or maybe I could abandon all the troublesome political schemes and live on my own. Oh, and there was also the knight I would meet for the first time when I turned nineteen. But above all, I could continue to get along with Euphil. 

“Hehe.” 

“You’re humming, Princess.” 

“Hehe. My hair is so pretty.” 

“It’s an honour!” 

Orzette was genuinely touched when I ran my fingers through my hair, looking pleased. She seemed delighted that I liked her work. As I nodded, I saw a little girl in the mirror wearing a white dress, looking like a violet fairy. 

‘Hehe.’ 

I smiled to myself with pride and then hugged Orzette tightly. 

"Orzette! Myrthi is going to play!" 

“Hoho, have fun, Princess. But don’t stay out too late. Prince Euphil will worry, and so will I.” 

“Okay!” 

So today, I planned to put one of my ideas into action. I wanted to map out the royal family’s power dynamics. Naturally, the King was at the centre, and beside him was the Queen. Since the Queen was willing to send me off to marry into another kingdom, her influence was certainly not insignificant. There were two dukes in this country. One was from the founding family, a prestigious lineage; the other was the King’s uncle, whom Euphil had mentioned before. 

As for me… hmm. What was my relation to him again? He must be some sort of relative, perhaps a granduncle? With the previous King having passed and the current King inheriting the throne, I had no grandfather. No one to charm with my cuteness and earn pocket money from! So, I decided I would approach this little duke-grand-uncle. 

At first, I thought it would be nice if he could look after Euphil, but considering how he stayed out of the royal family’s affairs yet held immense power, it was unclear whether he would entertain my request. 

So, my current plan was this: ‘Let’s charm him and get some pocket money!’ After all, I hadn’t been checking my jewellery box as often lately. Feeling pleased, I swayed my hips as I walked. I watched with satisfaction as the maids melted at the sight of me, cooing over how adorable I was, before I left my palace. 

Today was the day Euphil met with his tutor, who only visited once a month. Since his educational opportunities were so limited, Euphil eagerly looked forward to this day. Meanwhile, I was headed somewhere different from Euphil’s usual palace. 

‘My legs are getting stronger.’ As a child, I walked a lot, and it seemed to improve my stamina. I walked cheerfully towards the palace—a place I usually avoided, fearing I might run into the King. 

Normally, it was impossible to know when the duke-grand-uncle would visit the palace. It was said that no one knew when he came or went. 

This secrecy was partly for security but also a tactic to keep bothersome nobles from clinging to him. The book described it as [It’s to keep the pesky ones away, like swatting flies. Haha!] That’s what it said, and his tone was more like a gruff old mercenary than a duke. 

So, it was naturally impossible to know when the Duke would visit the palace, but today was different. It was the anniversary of the duchess’s passing. 

The lilac forest at the back of the palace. It was written that on a spring day when the lilacs were in full bloom, the woman he loved most closed her eyes for the last time. 

The formidable warrior loved a beautiful woman named Erna, whose eyes were said to be soft purple, like a lilac spirit. 

On this day, he visited the palace to pay his respects to the wife he had buried in the middle of the lilac forest. It was something no one else knew about and something he didn’t want to be known. He became even more gruff with those around him to hide his yearly visit. Naturally, the King bore the brunt of this difficult temperament. 

So, while the King was frustrated with the Duke, he couldn’t act recklessly because the Duke protected the northwest. 

But he would eventually die fighting monsters. And I planned to change that future. 

Standing in front of the entrance to my palace, I took a deep breath and called out, 

“Valk!” 

The name of the person who would willingly serve as my personal transport. In the distance, I saw Valk running towards me with a face full of joy. 

I giggled. 

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