episode_0029

The secretary and I approached the princess.

Thanks to that, Lydia’s soaked skirt stood out even more.

However, what was crucial wasn’t the dirtied clothes.

It was the fierce, unfocused crimson eyes.

Even the knights much taller than herself.

And the courtiers who dared to oppose her were mercilessly dismissed by her.

But because a mere commoner girl had committed an offense.

The princess wouldn’t easily overlook it.

“How dare you…?”

A trembling voice.

Just by looking, one could sense her seething anger.

Soon, her lips parted.

And her fangs protruded as she snarled towards the girl.

At that moment,

The adept secretary stepped forward to express the anger in her place.

“Who dares defile whose property right now!”

A thunderous voice.

Startled by that voice, the girl shrank back even further.

Thanks to that, even the citizens passing by avoided the noblewoman with disdain.

“Even if you sold hundreds of bottles of your low-quality drinks, you still couldn’t afford this attire!”

“I’m sorry… Please forgive me….”

A girl wearing a tattered dress covered in dust.

Her arms, like branches, showed signs of enduring much hardship.

I hurried to intervene with the unyielding upper class.

Even if the girl had been the one to bump into them first, the situation had escalated too far.

However…

Just as I was about to step in,

Lydia grabbed the girl’s shoulder.

And with a stern gaze, she interrogated her.

“How old are you this year?”

“Fourteen… I am fourteen.”

Lydia glanced briefly at the broken glass bottles before speaking in a cold tone.

“Since when did a young child like you start doing delivery work?”

“T-That’s… My mother is sick, and I have to earn money for her medicine….”

I closed my eyes tightly.

Where would one find mercy among the ruthless ones in poverty?

If it were the eccentric Lydia, she surely wouldn’t show any leniency.

“So. Since you earned money illegally, you must have the means to compensate for my clothes, right?”

“Yes, I will repay. H-How much should I give….”

The girl’s eyelids trembled.

Upon hearing this, Lydia half-closed her eyes and smiled like a little demon.

“100 gold.”

At the mention of such a large sum, the girl’s pupils contracted.

She hesitated, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Can you pay it back…?”

Lydia looked down arrogantly at the girl.

In response, the young delivery girl nodded tearfully.

“I will repay… Somehow….”

I inwardly let out a deep sigh.

Indeed, a ruler is a ruler.

In the face of her merciless treatment towards a young citizen, any trace of sympathy vanished from the carriage incident.

“How foolish. How do you expect to repay selling such cheap drinks?”

She crossed her arms alone.

Then, with a sneer, she pointed at the girl.

“How much is one of these drinks?”

“It’s 1 silver….”

In a world where 100 silver equaled 1 gold.

For the girl to pay for the clothes, she would have to sell a hundred bottles of drinks.

Moreover, would the young delivery girl be able to keep all the proceeds from those drinks?

The employer who illegally hired her would likely exploit her.

“After repaying your employer, you won’t have anything left, will you?”

Lydia looked at the girl’s body, covered in bruises and marks.

Traces of men’s shoes imprinted on her skin.

Seeing those marks, the princess’s eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.

“Secretary?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“This girl has no means to repay at all. What should we do?”

“According to the law, there is a method to force repayment through labor.”

The shadow of the middle-aged man fell upon the young girl.

At that moment, the delivery girl trembled, her body shrinking.

“Yes, if she can’t repay, we must make her capable of doing so.”

With a resolute expression, the princess commanded the secretary.

“Take her away.”

The secretary grabbed the girl’s hand.

And with a firm expression, he ordered,

“Come with me.”

“Where are you planning to take the girl?”

I asked urgently, to which Lydia replied with a cynical expression,

“To my palace.”

“To the palace?”

Lydia narrowed her eyes and smirked.

“Well, from now on, that little brat will be cleaning the vast palace every day. Just for a measly 2 gold coins.”

‘Hmm… Something seems off.’

2 gold coins.

It’s hard-earned money even if the girl works herself to death every day.

To receive such a large sum of money until becoming an adult and be made to work, is this really servitude…?

“And that’s not all. She’ll also be forced to undergo the tedious palace education.”

Palace education.

Having a history of receiving education in the palace allows one to apply to various places even after becoming an adult.

Especially preferred when applying as a maid or housekeeper for nobles.

“How dreadful just to imagine, isn’t it…?”

“Oh, yes….”

Sensing something amiss, I furrowed my brow.

“To think such things are common in the strongest country on the continent….”

Lydia didn’t even glance back at the girl walking with the secretary.

Turning her head alone, she only wore an annoyed expression.

“I don’t like it.”

“….”

Seeing her like that, I raised the corner of my mouth.

I had momentarily thought she would harshly reprimand the child.

However, her actions were almost like salvation.

For a poor girl to become a servant in the palace is a tremendous advancement.

As a servant of the royal family, she might even receive benefits for her sick mother.

‘Although she acts repulsed, could her heart actually be kind?’

I briefly misunderstood.

“At this rate, it will be difficult to have lunch. Shall I have a carriage brought for you?”

“What nonsense, wouldn’t changing clothes suffice? Retreating over such a trivial matter does not befit a ruler.”

‘That darn ruler….’

I forced a smile.

Then I looked around for a place to sell clothes.

One of the few upscale tailors in Norstern.

Of course, to Lydia, even this might seem inferior, but it seemed the best option.

“Let’s go to the tailor shop. I’ll escort you.”

Lydia glanced at the tailor shop I pointed to.

Then, with a disappointed expression, she muttered under her breath.

“Sigh… I have to wear the clothes of someone who is not even a court seamstress….”

Despite outwardly scoffing, she followed me calmly.

Unable to roam around in sticky, revealing attire, we entered the tailor shop together.

However, Lydia paid no attention to the clothes hanging on the mannequins.

She sat on a leather sofa…

Crossing her legs, she commanded the seamstress.

“Bring me the most expensive and stylish outfit from here.”

The female seamstress, sizing up the princess at a glance, brought out the most expensive white dress.

“This item is the most high-priced in our store.”

Lydia glanced down at the dress.

Soon, she snorted so loudly that her teeth showed.

“What’s this frilly mess? Are you telling me to wear this outdated dress?”

“I apologize… You asked for the most expensive one.”

The princess clicked her tongue.

“As expected, there’s nothing proper here, fitting for the most backward region.”

In an attempt to silence the youngest princess, I scanned the display shelves.

Suddenly, a white blouse with a denim skirt caught my eye.

“As bothersome as it may be, lunch should be brought from my palace….”

Lydia muttered, resting her chin on her hand.

I presented another outfit to her.

“How about this one?”

A white blouse with a tasteful necktie.

A soft navy blue denim skirt and matching skirt.

And a suitable hat for disguise.

“Hmm?”

Lydia looked at the fabric, which was clearly not the finest.

“What is this, something students at the academy would wear?”

“I chose the outfit that I believe suits you best from this store.”

Perhaps due to my comment that broke through her defenses, Lydia became interested and ran her fingers over the skirt.

“It seems that to commoners, only common things are visible. Are you telling me to wear something churned out in a factory like this?”

“Didn’t you express a desire to experience the life of commoners as a ruler?”

Lydia, who received exactly what she had said.

She narrowed her eyes and tightly pressed her lips together.

“No matter what clothes you wear, it looks different depending on who wears them. Even such plain clothes will surely look different if worn by Lady Lydia.”

I smiled slyly and gently placed the clothes on her thigh.

Then I politely asked, “Surely the Eastern Lord can’t handle commoner’s clothes, can he?”

A subtle provocation.

In response to that provocation, Lydia scoffed as if mocking me.

“How typical. Such a lowly provocation.”

Lydia casually picked up the clothes and placed them on the seat next to her.

Then, as she rose to her feet, she looked at me with a dry gaze.

‘Indeed, it seems impossible with ordinary clothes.’

I was about to take the clothes to the display rack.

However, I soon stopped my actions.

The delicate skirt I held was blocked by the slender hand of the princess.

“I didn’t say I would wear it.”

The Third Princess with a stern expression.

With the clothes draped over her arm, she gestured for the tailor to lead her to the dressing room.

As she walked inside, she glanced back briefly.

And with a confident expression, she bluntly said, “Wait outside.”

I relaxed my expression.

And with a slight raise of my lips, I softly replied, “Understood.”

I stepped out in front of the clothing store.

Carrying the burden, I wandered around until Lydia appeared.

Was there any presence that could threaten the princess?

I calmly surveyed the area around the clothing store.

However, no matter how much I looked….

Men scattered on the building.

Men scattered in the faint shadows.

Men scattered reading newspapers in front of the fountain.

‘I didn’t need to worry.’

The Eastern knights dispatched to replace my patrol for the princess Lydia.

They were all patrolling around the clothing store.

And the sharp gazes that pierced through me.

Curious glances wondering how the palace guards dared to confront the princess.

‘I didn’t want to be like them.’

I wanted to explain my unfairness to them.

But the sound of the clothing store door opening without delay.

I turned my head towards the sound.

And….

I met the eyes of a lively academy student who had become a lady-in-waiting from the princess.

“If you say you don’t like it after saying it suits you… you might be executed.”

She tried to maintain her usual indifferent expression.

However, I pursed my lips at the first time wearing a pleated skirt and hat.

I turned my head slightly.

And observed the reactions of the Eastern knights escorting the princess from afar.

All their attention was focused on their mistress.

The unfamiliar atmosphere of the princess in her school uniform.

And even her stern expression.

I was captivated by the new side of her, usually cold and independent.

“At least you’re a princess, so there shouldn’t be any trouble.”

I was satisfied with her increased safety.

Then Lydia narrowed her eyes and asked, “What? What does that even mean?”

“It means you are perfectly disguised as an Eastern Lord.”

A subtle compliment.

Ignoring her appearance, Lydia made a dumbfounded expression at the compliment.

“Even if you hide among commoners, they won’t know… Ha!”

Struggling to praise her.

I felt a sharp pain in my side.

The delicate fist of the princess.

That fist dug deep into my side.

“You fool… You really have no sense as a commoner!”

Lydia marched ahead with her arms crossed.

“Stop dawdling and let’s go to the restaurant. If I’ve suffered this much and the food isn’t good, I might really execute someone!”

‘That damn execution….’

I grabbed my grumbling waist.

Until now, whether fighting Richard, Bathsheba, or Allen, I never allowed a blow…

After returning to the past, the first blow I received was from none other than the youngest princess.