[IHTTMBW] Chapter 5

Ante has never given me anything sweet. I sometimes caught her while she was eating her snacks. I would wonder what she was eating, but she would stare at me. Unfortunately, I could tell she didn’t want to give me any.

She was not the easiest person. Even though I have such an adorable face, she never opened herself up to me.

Ante kept telling me I was chubby and did not look like the queen. Before I found the mirrors, I assumed I was ugly.

Now I can understand why the knight could fall in love with Myrthi when he saw her at first sight. It is all thanks to her beauty. In the novel, Princess Myrthi hesitates to show herself to others because she thinks she is ugly. But then, she realised she was beautiful when the knight Mihail showed her to many people. Since then, she has been called one of the most beautiful people in the world.

I fell in love for the first time at nineteen and died at the same age.

That is such an awful misfortune.

Until she was nineteen, she thought she was ugly. What is the matter with an ugly face? Even though she did not know about her beauty, she should have tried to leave the palace at least once.

That is why I was shocked when I found a room filled with mirrors. Because of my real appearance, I could not believe that was me. I looked around to see if there was another pretty child.

When I raised my right hand, the pretty child in the mirror raised her left hand.

When I raised my left hand, the pretty child in the mirror raised her right hand.

That meant she was me.

‘I have been doing great at enduring unkindness and abuse. I am already used to it. I am great. Yes, I am doing great.’

After eating the pies, I kept nodding while eating the jam on my cheeks with my finger.

Valk was satisfied with that as I gobbled up the pies.

“Haha, well. Haha. I’ve already known my wife is good at cooking, though. Haha.” 

“Cooking?” 

“Yes, Princess. It is called cooking when someone makes food like those pies.” 

“I have never eaten something good as your pies before.

“Really? Was that so good like that?” 

He grinned with delight. It’s probably because a royal family member had praised him and because people say that children do not lie.

Yes, I am a member of the royal family. Yet, I was abandoned.

According to the novel, Myrthi’s hand is clear, as if she has not washed dishes. That means Myrthi does not have to work to make money for a living. She is a princess that the king does not like, though. I guessed she could get something from the king.

If my guess is right, that means that Ante, who harasses me, the chief guardian Valk, the so-called Valgu, and other guards have been stealing the goods that the king provides.

‘They each probably think they are stealing just some of them, but there has never been my share.’

I sucked my fingers while thinking of how I could solve this problem.

“Valk, thank you! I like having friends!”

“Hehe, haha. Being friends with the Princess... I like it, too.”

Valk nodded, unable to wipe the remaining jam on my cheek.

Ante didn’t know I would come out, so he wasn’t scared, but now we were in a place where other guards could see us. Though, of course, how effective that would be.

Still, it was a good sign that Valk was being careful on his own. It meant the position placed some burden on him.

I nodded. And the jam on my cheek was something I would eat again before returning to Ante.

“Myrthi wants to see outside with a friend.”

“Do you mean you want to go for a walk outside?”

Right on. I nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, yes! Ante said it’s pretty outside.”

“Is that so? This garden is... Yes, it was beautiful.”

I blushed, pretending not to understand, though his tone sounded somewhat nostalgic.

Squealing with excitement, I hopped on my feet. Valk couldn’t help but smile broadly at this undeniable cuteness.

Even without looking, it seemed apparent the garden was a mess.

Even if a little money came from above, it wouldn’t be enough to hire a gardener. Or rather, having the garden of a king’s abandoned daughter too well-kept might even anger the king.

Think about it. If someone I hate was being taken care of diligently, especially by someone acting as a parent when I’m the father, would I feel better?

It would be a situation where one couldn’t do anything unless it were behind the king’s back. I knew this well because a neighbour lady who tried to take care of me stopped after getting scolded by our relative.

“Pretty?”

“Yes, uh, yes. Shall we go for a walk outside?”

“Um, um.”

I gently grabbed Valk’s pinkie first, innocent as a baby being offered a walk by a stranger.

“Shall we go?”

Looking up at him with clear purple eyes, Valk’s face showed difficulty and a fatherly smile.