episode_0443

“If we bring our Northern people to the Empire, will they treat me the same way they treated you?”

“I can’t lie and say they won’t. They might even be more persistent in tormenting them.”

Right now, Princess Haehwa is under the direct protection of Lady Mona Hwangtae.

Therefore, if someone were to try to harm her, they would have to put in a lot of effort and risk, but if it were someone other than her, they could easily and frequently target them without much risk.

“It’s difficult to prevent the Empire from feeling aversion towards the Northern people. There’s no way to change individual thoughts. However, for political reasons, we can prevent those who harass the Northern people from running amok.”

Those who would not hesitate to cause a rift between the North and the Empire, even if it leads to war, in order to bring Lady Mona Hwangtae to the position of successor.

No, they might even be pleased if a war breaks out.

If a war were to break out, they could blame Lady Mona Hwangtae for causing it by trying to establish friendly relations with the North.

That’s why Lady Mona Hwangtae cannot simply ignore those who engage in such actions.

“Given the long years of no interaction, we cannot make prejudices disappear immediately. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I do.”

“It’s something both sides need to work on, so it’s inevitable that those who come in the beginning will have a hard time. Princess, you said you want to see not only the good side of the Empire but also the bad side.”

“That’s right. We can’t become close by only seeing the good side of each other.”

Princess Haehwa acknowledged that her initial thoughts were wrong.

“Perhaps we will have to clash and argue for a long time. But such subtle fights can prevent bigger conflicts.”

Clever Princess Haehwa knows that the North should not go to war with the Empire.

War will bring unfavorable results to both sides.

Moreover, in the end, the Empire will emerge victorious.

“The North can never defeat the Empire.”

That’s why Princess Haehwa is making efforts to interact with the Empire.

Furthermore, to purify the contaminated areas, they need the ‘purification liquid’ that comes from the Empire.

Interacting with the Empire is something the North must do to survive, not a choice.

***

At first, when Princess Haehwa came to the general store, I thought it would be a place to comfort her.

But unexpectedly, what I did was to make Princess Haehwa realize reality.

In fact, comforting her was the intention.

However, as I talked with Princess Haehwa, my thoughts changed.

While comforting her might solve the issue for now, it is ultimately just a temporary solution.

The Empire will continue to hate minorities, and as long as she faces that hatred, Princess Haehwa’s mental state will be shattered again.

Should I comfort her every time?

‘Is that even possible?’

It’s absolutely impossible.

Rather than comforting Princess Haehwa, it was about building a strong mentality that can withstand discrimination and contempt, addressing the root cause.

That’s why today, I bluntly informed Princess Haehwa of reality.

Princess Haehwa needs to grow.

For the future of the North.

“Well, what do you think?”

After informing Princess Haehwa of the harsh truth and sending her off.

I finally made an appointment with Lady Mona Hwangtae.

I had to personally go to the Royal Palace to meet her, so I prepared for it, and it seemed like it would be quite an important meeting, so I even bought new clothes for the occasion.

– Are you asking me now?

“Oh. Is it strange?”

– Hmm… You did quite well for a master.

“Is that all?”

– If you wanted a more impressive reaction, you should have done better. It’s just a plain and ordinary suit.

Daemon straightened his beak, looking even more proud than before.

As promised, it took at least a week and up to ten days for Daemon to undergo evolution, and he now had a more magnificent appearance.

In the past, there was a tendency for my body to look a bit bloated due to my increasing size, but this time, my body has become more agile overall.

The feathers that used to give a soft feeling now give a strong and metallic-like sensation, and my claws have become sharper than before.

And the black aura emanating from my body made me appear even more imposing as a demon.

It goes without saying that my size has increased.

Now, the demon, who had almost become a house pet, was very satisfied with the changes in his body.

It was said that my size would continue to increase steadily, but at some point, it would stop. However, I felt that it would be okay to grow even larger in my current state.

“I’m wearing a suit that is elegant and fitting for a sophisticated atmosphere without standing out intentionally.”

I wasn’t just a princess, I was going to meet the princess, so I had to be polite.

However, I didn’t want to wear something flashy, so I chose a suit with a subtle elegance that only people who knew me could appreciate.

“Exactly, that’s what the store employee said.”

It was a recommendation from a store that sold expensive clothing, so I think it will be acceptable.

“As long as it doesn’t stand out too much.”

I changed back into comfortable clothes and told the demon as I came out.

“Are you leaving already, sir?”

“Yes. Take care of the store.”

“Of course. Don’t worry and have a safe trip.”

It would be convenient to ride the demon, but I didn’t want Negi to be left alone.

Although the Marquis and Marquise were currently fighting to death, who knows when their conflict might affect us?

Negi, a commoner, had no way to protect himself, so I couldn’t let my guard down.

“Stick close to the demon.”

“Yes!”

Since leaving early wouldn’t allow me to meet the princess early, I planned to leisurely ride the carriage to the capital.

‘I hope I didn’t forget anything. I’ve already prepared my unique equipment, so it’s as good as done…’

The journey to the capital by carriage took quite some time, so I settled comfortably in my seat to pass the time.

Then, I took out the letter I had brought with me.

It was a letter delivered this morning, addressed to Gabriel.

I was curious about how Gabriel, who had come to me for advice, was getting along with his father.

As I read the letter, it turned out that Gabriel had spent his vacation not training but spending time with his father, just as I had advised.

“Indeed, fathers don’t show their annoyance, that’s why they don’t mind spending time with their daughters.”

Gabriel’s worries about whether his father would be bothered seemed unfounded.

Since both of them were not talkative, they spent the vacation quietly.

Gabriel’s letter expressed that the time spent with his father was much more fulfilling and rewarding than the time spent in training.

“If time allows in the future, I want to have more of these moments with my father…”

It might be a long way off, but the thought of being able to spend time like this with his grown-up child after having raised them made me feel proud.

“It’s so easy to solve this old man…”

Memories of trying to restore the old man in the game flooded back, making me grind my teeth.

‘I should give Gabriel a task that is worthy of his abilities.’

There would surely be a need for talent to resolve the upcoming anomalies.

‘Let’s see… Oh, right, that incident happened, didn’t it?’

It would be beneficial not only for Gabriel but also for Mona, the princess.

The Empire, which had almost faced a crisis due to the yellow insect monster, would not just leave the anomalies alone.

The Emperor would hope that the princess, who had been chosen as his successor, would resolve the issue.

With Chechen, the wise librarian who advises Mona, around her, they would surely be able to find a solution.

However, if Gabriel’s help is enlisted, there would be no need for Gabriel to rack his brains.

“Gabriel also needs a ball right now.”

Gabriel, who didn’t want to watch his father struggle for long, was in a hurry.

Knowing that it would be a good choice for both of them, he decided to propose to Mona, the Princess of Hwangtae.

“It’s a win-win plan.”

He wanted to meet Princess Mona Hwangtae quickly and let out all the words he had piled up.

***

Upon arriving at the palace, he was guided by someone waiting for him.

“Who is this?”

“Princess Hwangtae.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

He met Princess Mona Hwangtae, who exuded a relaxed charisma, much more splendidly adorned than before.

Princess Mona Hwangtae was covered in gold and jewels from head to toe.

It must have been just a change of clothes, but for some reason, her face seemed more mature than before.

“Is it just me? Have you really matured?”

The characteristic baby fat of a teenage girl had disappeared a lot, and there was a feeling that her figure had become more feminine.

Am I staring too much?

Princess Mona Hwangtae smiled and said, “Is this the first time you’ve seen me like this?”

“Yes. So, I’m having a hard time adapting. You’ve become too beautiful. It suits you very well.”

“Because of this beauty, I’ve been struggling all day wearing all these cumbersome things.”

Princess Mona Hwangtae, who made quite a sarcastic self-assessment, urged him to take a seat.

“Sit here. Since I chose this place to have a comfortable conversation, I hope you won’t feel uncomfortable.”

“I won’t refuse, Princess Hwangtae.”

He sat down promptly at Princess Mona Hwangtae’s invitation.

“Haha, you’re still the same. Your appearance is actually more pleasing. Maybe it’s because the roles have changed, but even those who didn’t act like this before now keep their distance from me, which is quite annoying.”

“Then I will treat you as comfortably as before. Please don’t be offended.”

“Your boldness is still good. I like it.”

In a warm atmosphere with Princess Mona Hwangtae, they continued to talk about various recent events.

“These days, I live so busy that I don’t know how each day goes. Every hour is scheduled. If I continue like this, I might get used to it, but I still miss my student days.”

The reason why Princess Mona Hwangtae’s schedule was so tight was because of the Emperor.

The Emperor had postponed the tasks to the nobles for a long time, but now that a successor had been born, he told Princess Mona to take over everything.

If Princess Mona Hwangtae hadn’t been greedy, she wouldn’t have had to suffer from such a murderous schedule.

There were clearly other options.

She could have handed over the tasks she inherited back to the nobles she originally had.

But Princess Mona Hwangtae seemed to have no intention of easily returning the authority the Emperor had given to the nobles.