I Became the Evil Empire’s Princess Chapter 17

Translator: Nox
Chapter: 17

I stared at the Emperor, who was diligently grooming between his toes, deep in thought.
No matter how you looked at it, this was just a cat. If he was only pretending to be one, then the Emperor was a god-given actor.

·Stray Cat (Iblis)
Possessed by the Emperor.

But Insight insisted this really was the Emperor.
‘No way… Could it be malfunctioning?’

Just then, something soft brushed against my leg. Looking down, I saw the Emperor rubbing against me.
Startled, I froze.

“Pfft! Look at that face! Are you really that scared of a cat?”
Claude, who was laughing his head off, casually picked up the Emperor and placed him in my arms. I nearly screamed.
“Come on, don’t be scared. Try petting him like this.”
Claude pulled my hand toward the Emperor and made me pet him by force.

Ugh! I didn’t want to touch the Emperor’s fur—
…but it was *so* soft.

“Hm, no matter how you look at it, this seems like someone’s lost pet. Should we check if anyone’s missing a cat?”

At Claude’s suggestion, the Emperor twitched his ears and suddenly leapt from my arms. He walked away with a graceful gait, leaving me sighing.

‘So he’s going to keep watching me, huh?’

The Emperor's purpose here was clear.
He came to observe me.
But I also wanted to show him who I truly was, so I pretended not to notice.

‘Fine. I’ll be honest and show everything about myself. That’s what he wants anyway.’

“Your Highness, in the worst-case scenario, you must be prepared to eliminate the Emperor.”

Not *that* kind of honesty!
I clenched my fist tightly to avoid punching Sion.

“Uh, wouldn’t that be considered treason?”
Claude said with his usual lack of concern.

“Your Highness has obtained the New Moon Palace, proven your bloodline, secured Count Velette as a guardian, and earned the support of the Wolfhedin bloodline. You’ve essentially met the minimum requirements to be acknowledged as royalty.”

Hearing all the things I’d struggled so hard to achieve laid out so plainly by Sion made them sound oddly impressive.

“But if the Emperor refuses to recognize you until the end, removing him and becoming Regent is also an option.”

The Emperor is chosen by the Supreme God, Lil.
But if he suddenly dies, the strongest among the royals becomes Regent—
and rules in the Emperor’s stead until a new one matures.

“I’m a half-blood. Wouldn’t becoming Regent be difficult?”

“There’s no one else but you, Your Highness. Of course, the real power would lie with the Grand Lords.”

Feeling the Emperor’s burning gaze on my back, I awkwardly cleared my throat.

“Sion, unless it’s absolutely necessary, I don’t want to consider that option.”

“Judging by how the Emperor just sits around doing nothing, such a situation might come sooner than expected.”

Can someone shut this guy’s mouth?

Trying hard not to burst into tears, I looked at them with soulful eyes.

“But he’s my only remaining blood relative.”

Seeing Sion’s lips move, I quickly cut him off.

“I know—blood relation means nothing more than shared blood. But to me, it’s precious.”

“Your Highness…”

“Sion, I’ve always longed for a family. The Emperor is the only person who’s connected to me by blood.”

Sion’s brows furrowed slightly. He seemed to realize I was putting on a performance.

“Y-You little… So you were thinking that deeply? Ugh!”

Claude, on the other hand, burst into tears like a dam had broken.
I silently handed him a handkerchief.

“…Very well. If that’s how you feel, let’s wait a little longer.”

Sion reluctantly agreed and glanced toward the Emperor. The corner of his mouth, visible only to me, curled slightly upward.

‘Wait a second, you knew all along?!’

This vile man… dragging me through all that when he knew the truth!

While fuming internally, I soon gave in.
After all, it was necessary to express my stance to the Emperor.

‘This much should be enough, right?’

As if to confirm, the Emperor stopped showing himself from that evening on.
But just when I started to feel relieved, I received a strange letter the next day:

I have your cat.
If you want it back,
come to the Garden of the Silver Moon at midnight tonight.
Come alone, or the cat dies.

Thinking it was a prank, I was about to toss the letter when—

[Web Transmission]
Missing Cat
~(=^･ｪ･^)♡ヾ(•∇•❀)
Rescue the kidnapped Emperor.
Time remaining: 12:24:33
- Reward: 1,000 EXP
- Penalty for failure: The Emperor’s disappointment

“This is insane.”
The unlucky perpetrator seems to have kidnapped the Emperor.

---

Garden of the Silver Moon.

Located on the eastern edge of the Full Moon Palace, it’s the only place in the imperial capital where sunlight can be seen.
Lilith, tired of moonlight, blew away the Field there.
As a result, even though it’s right next to the palace, it became a bizarre place hidden from the Emperor’s eyes.

‘It’s *so* far.’

Sighing deeply, I arrived at the rendezvous point.
Apparently, the Emperor had been strolling there late last night when he was kidnapped.
Sion coolly suggested leaving him be, but I couldn’t ignore the penalty for “disappointing the Emperor.”

So I walked here alone as the kidnappers demanded.

Vile bastards. Making a delicate child walk all the way here—at least let me use a carriage.

—The half-breed has arrived.
—Is she alone?
—Alone.
—Any sign of the magician?
—None.

I heard eerie whispers from the trees.
If I were an ordinary child, I might’ve cried from fear.

Instead, I took a deep breath and shouted:

“You cowardly kidnappers! Give me back my cat!”

—Cat?
—Looks like the children used it to lure her.
—To come all the way here over a beast… What a fool.

As they sneered, my vision blurred.
The flower-filled garden transformed into a gloomy underground chamber.

‘So this is a Field too.’

A fragile Field, like an eggshell.
Nowhere near the scale of the Emperor’s, which covers the entire capital.

The creepy voice whispered again:

—Foolish child. How does it feel to enter your grave?

“Hmm, damp and moldy. Probably smells like your scalp.”

—W-What?!

Honesty clearly hit a nerve.

—Don’t listen to the half-breed’s nonsense.
—A Dhampir daring to claim noble blood… It’s an unforgivable sin.

“Why do *you* care? Even the Emperor doesn’t mind. What are you, his grandfather?”

—Silence!

They were so poorly raised, they couldn’t even handle a bit of provocation.
Honestly, if I left them at my aunt’s inn, they’d probably die of stress.

—No need to argue. I’ll kill her.
—I brought her, so I’ll do it.
—Stick to the plan!
—I designed the plan!

Left alone, they began bickering over who’d get to kill me and steal more blood.

‘This is reality, huh.’

Truly evil and cunning villains only existed in my house.

“Well, you all talk it out. I’m heading home.”

No way they’d reach a conclusion in my lifetime, so I decided to escape myself.

"Your Highness, the reason you fail to open a Field is because you lack a central image. Focus on what you desire."

I remembered the whisper of my household spider.

And what I desired now was very clear.

Releasing the thing writhing inside me, I shouted:

“Crush them all!”

A shadow burst from beneath my feet like a tidal wave, obliterating everything in its path.
The dingy chamber was ripped apart in an instant.

What remained were vampires flopping like fish, crushed under my Field.

‘Wait. Did I save the Emperor yet?’

Only now did I realize I hadn’t rescued him yet.
As I rushed to find the cat—

—That’s far enough.

Someone grabbed my shoulder.
I turned reflexively—and held my breath.

A man with long black hair flowing to the floor stared at me.

“…Don’t tell me. The Emperor?”