<strong>Chapter 166</strong>


    Trantor: <strong>wuttisyun</strong>


    “We can use the people from my family to decorate the stage and act as the frivolous dancers.”


    Dane, who had just been passing by, added in.


    “Dane.”


    Regardless of my intentions, things were going very smoothly. In the middle of the festival, there will be both male and female dancers acting as ‘wavecatchers’ who will dance with the public on the day of the performance. They were used to excite the audience. They would be taking a so-called mboyant role. Usually, the princess sends people to adjust the atmosphere of the festival. This is where the temrs who were good at the artse into y. They would usually be the Temrs of Song, the Temrs of Music and Instruments and the Temrs of Alcohol. Dane offered to use his mother’s people.


    “The Wheel of Rome… As Temrs for Song and Dance, they are definitelypetent enough to excite the atmosphere.”


    Reba nodded her head.


    “Thank you for thepliment.”


    I wondered what happened between them while I wasn’t around. There now seemed to be a strange kinship between Fleon, Dane and Reba.


    ‘I think all three of them are in the wrong careers.’


    It would be a bit strange to say they suit it but listening to them made me feel as if I was working with some skilled wedding nners. They were taking care of every single detail for me. All I had to do was sit and wait.


    The most important key to the dance was me. But everything was moving on without me.


    Could I ever read ounting data faster than Dane or be more knowledgeable about clothes than Reba? However, as much as I hoped to have as much money as the sessor to the gold mines, I realised that I was useless.


    In just a little while, my study became crowded with the temrs that Rex called over from Vulcanus. Of course, my study was more than amodating and had enough space to make it feel roomy.


    “Hello. Lord.”


    I nced to the side.


    ”How does it feel to be an add-on like me?”


    “Why am I an add-on?”


    There stood Lord Ray who was an add-on just like me.


    “Didn’t the duchaldy ask me to act as your practice partner?”


    Was that so?


    “What are you thinking about?”


    “… Thoughts about how unfair the world is?”


    “Why so?”


    “Well, just because.”


    Was this what normal plebeians felt about watching the stock market as billions of <i>won </i>move back and forth?


    “I was wondering if any of the people around me could rece me at any time.”


    Reba could rece me and act as a better princess. She was a better dancer than me too. The patronus can be either Fleon or Dane.


    ‘And I can just live like amoner and set up a quiet store.’


    I stared at Lord Ray who was hugging my waist.


    “Lord… I think it’ll be better if someone else bes the princess instead of me.”


    I wondered what I would look like if I had grown up normally. My life so far had been so disappointing and depressing that now dreams of another life were merely luxuries.


    “Wouldn’t the one recing me be wiser than I am? At least that’s what I think.”


    As everyone around me kept dying over and over again, I kept those thoughts to myself whilst brooding over them alone. Would they have been able to live if ‘I’ hadn’t been me? Would they be happily leading their lives?


    The maids in my nightmares never answered.


    “I don’t think so.”


    “…..”


    “Because you were the princess, some stayed by your side.”


    I raised my head.


    “Who stayed for me?”


    “… I became your knight because you were the princess.”


    The knight I knew was someone so cheeky and straightforward that he could speak up against his own mistress.


    “I already know what kind of person you are.”


    He spoke with a nk face.


    “Standing at that position. Do you feel ufortable when you look down?”


    “Well… a little?”


    “There’s nothing you can do even if you’re ufortable.”


    Lord Ray bluntly spoke.


    “You’ll have to get used to being mean to people.”


    I smiled a little.


    “You sound like Reba.”


    How dare a mere escortment on how his princess was supposed to act and yet I did not feel insulted. He did say that Icked the awareness that I was a princess. He was right. I felt it too.


    It was hard to take responsibility for my own life but it did feel like I had been given a bigger and heavier role.


    “I see.”


    Could he separate me from my role as a princess? When he first met me, I was still ying my role as a princess. He had yet to know the me who was not the princess.


    But I wondered why. For a brief moment, his blunt expression disappeared and he looked surprisingly rxed.


    “You are no longer solely our princess.”


    The knight who had been with me since I was a child told me that.


    “There’s nothing for you to fear.”


    It sounded as if he wasforting me who felt discouraged because I felt useless.


    “Princess. Please don’t remain in the same ce and grow up.”


    He twisted his wrist so that his hand spun like a doll in a music box. His firm arms wrapped around my waist.


    “I’ll be right beside you.”


    He sounded as if he wanted to push me forward a little because he couldn’t stand me standing in the same ce. When I looked up, I noticed the navy blue hair that was covering his neck was fluttering. With the slightest movement of his neck, his firm jaw revealed itself.


    “… No matter where you’re standing.”


    His low voice prated my ears.


    “You’re you.”


    At the end of a music piece, Lord Ray grabbed one of my fingers and got close to it as if he was about to kiss it like a knight from a fairytale but it never touched.


    ***


    Time passed quickly. Just when I was looking into how the previous princesses set up their stages.


    “A message has arrived from the 4th Administration.”


    “A message?”


    I scanned the people who had gathered in my room today before opening the letter.


    “It’s from Penne.”


    I was nning on stopping by the Administrative Office anyway so it did not take long for me to get there.


    “My apologies for calling you over.”


    “That’s alright.”


    Penne smiled tiredly.


    “As you can see, these days…”


    “Huh? Pipio!”


    “I’ve been together with these damned temrs.”


    Penne whispered so that only I could hear him before sighing.


    “I’m talking about how dirty and free-spirited they are.”


    Penne soon gave a small sigh before briefly summarising his findings on the kidnappings.


    “That day, the patrols raided the biggest kidnappers’ den we’ve found so far. Still, it was too empty…”


    That was probably because of Hernan.


    “We are searching for the rest of their bases one by one based on the information we’ve gathered there.”


    With a hopeful and slightly bright expression, he talked about how the case was almost closing.


    Well, would it really? Scepticism clouded my mind. The one behind it all was the emperor. That might just be an illusion. I mean, they could just be cutting off a tail to survive. However, there was nothing I could do immediately. Because it was not something that could be resolved so easily.


    “Come to think of it, you must have been busy preparing for the dance.”


    I nodded.


    “I’m stillcking but I want to be of help.”


    “You do, Penne? Aren’t you busy?”


    “We are in the final stages of the kidnapping case. It’ll be fine since there’s another deputy working on it. The aedile will like it too. If you need me, please feel free to call for me.”


    I wondered how he interpreted my expression as he smiled again.


    “Also, princess, there’s something I need to talk to you about today.”


    He soon sighed before rubbing his faze.


    “Is there something wrong?”


    “Yes, uh, the woman who ims to be the desert princess…”


    The subject he had been trying to cautiously bring up was the desert princess.


    “We can’t converse with her. No, I mean, she doesn’t say anything at all.”


    Penne grimaced with an awkward expression. He swept through his dark brown hair.


    “She doesn’t say anything?”


    “Yes. Of course, she does say some things but only the bare minimum. And even then, she only speaks to your maid. Speaking of which, would you like to meet her?”


    “Me?”


    Penne nodded.


    “Didn’t she only respond to you before you left that day?”


    I raised my head. I didn’t have any reason to say no, right?


    “Alright. Has Granius given his permission?”


    “Yes. The aedile told me that he wouldn’t like to prevent the princess from confiding in someone her age.”


    The desert princess appeared to be in one of the patrols’ camps for another interrogation. So, I talked with Penne about this and that as we walked there.


    “Have you seen what Granius is up to these days?”


    “Ah. he’s currently in a meeting with the 2nd Prince. He’ll tell you about it himselfter.”


    It sounded as if he was working hard to catch the 2nd Prince and bring him to his side. Hearing that, I felt a little sorry for the aedile.


    “Sorry. Is it because of me?”


    “… What? It’s not because of you.”


    Penne turned his head and looked at me.


    “Why would you think that?”


    “The banquet.”


    I was sure that it was because of the banquet. The tricks Castor yed on me seemed to have ced Granius in a difficult position.


    “Ah… it’s not because of that. The princess has done nothing wrong.”


    Just then, my heart ached without any reason why.


    “I don’t dare to say this but…. There are some things in the world you can’t help, right? Just like how I’m cleaning up after those damned patrols while swearing.”


    He seemed to know nothing. I feltfortable with his gentle voice.


    “More importantly, I’m very curious. The person the princess cares about the most… I mean, your patronus. Have you decided on one?”


    Penne merely nced at me but I could feel his curiosity.


    “It is usually tradition to keep your dance partner a secret and only disclose it on the day of the festival itself but it is often a known secret. But I haven’t heard about the princess’ patronus yet.”


    “Yeah. That’s true.”


    “Just as I thought. Is it the duke?”


    “What? Hernan?”


    I tried asking why his name would suddenly appear in our conversation but I had no choice but to stop talking.


    “You’re close enough to call each other by name. And you look good together.”


    And it was all because of that yful expression facing me. He was looking at me with the face of a viewer watching a reality dating show.


    Come to think of it, most of the temrs in the Administrative Office were fans of Hernan.


    “Uh, Penne.”


    I wanted to blurt out that one of the kidnappers he should be catching was Hernan.


    ‘I’ll keep it a secret.’


    Before I could correct his misunderstanding, we arrived at the ce the princess was held. He told me to converse with herfortably before leaving. Unfortunately, without any chance to exin myself, I faced the princess.


    “Hello?”