Previously
Scarlett greets Cecilia with perfect but cold etiquette, followed by her arrogant brother Willow, who makes an inappropriate advance toward the ten-year-old princess.
“If someone without magical power uses that ring, it will take a toll on their physical stamina.”
Yes, that was me—born with a constitution as far removed from fantasy tropes as possible, devoid of holy power and lacking even a speck of mana.
“You’re a special case, Cecil. I only hope you never have to use it.”
A ‘special case’…. That was the imperial family’s gentle euphemism for my total lack of holy power.
Since the truth was a closely guarded secret, the phrase was used only among the imperial family and my nanny.
“Don’t worry, Sister. I have Rebecca’s holy power with me…. Sir Lancel and Sir Branden will be guarding me, so I’ll be fine. Sir Tai and Sir Jake said they would follow us in secret, too.”
“All right, just make sure you listen to them. And next time, let’s plan our outing together in advance.”
The worry lingered in Roselia’s stern gaze.
Even though the bonnet I wore was a magical artifact that disguised my features and turned my hair dark brown to make me look like someone else entirely, her face remained full of affectionate concern.
‘As expected, Roselia loves me no matter what I look like. Though I certainly won’t be bringing her along next time….’
Truly, winning permission for this disguised excursion had taken an exhausting amount of persuasion.
“I want to see the lives of the empire’s people with my own eyes, Father, not just study them in books. My sisters and even Brother Theo took their first trips out at ten.”
“That is true, but you are different, little one.”
“Because I was born lacking, shouldn't I work even harder…?”
I had pressed that point, knowing full well it would catch my father off guard.
“My little Cecil. Lacking? You know that isn’t what I meant.”
“I want to see the world you rule with my own two eyes. Haven’t I always said it’s my dream to hold an important post in the palace one day, to support you, and eventually to support the Crown Princess?”
That was how far I had to push my overly protective family, who acted as if I would shatter at a touch or blow away in a gentle breeze.
Only after a long tug-of-war was an agreement finally reached, by which time mid-spring had arrived.
‘At least I didn’t have to go out in the freezing cold.’
I smiled as I watched people outside the carriage dressed in light layers.
The carriage I rode in was Cecil’s private one, fitted with temperature-regulating magic, so I could not yet feel the outside air.
‘I’ll be moving around a lot today, so it’s good to be dressed lightly.’
The reason I had insisted on this outing so fiercely was for the sake of Emily, the original heroine.
My true objective was to meet her future commoner allies, whom I could never encounter within the palace, no matter how many banquets were held.
In the novel, most of the nobles were villains while almost all her supporters were commoners, making her Cinderella-like plight truly pitiable.
‘Of course, now there’s an imperial princess in the picture. Haha.’
Emily, the second daughter from the Barony of Roseberry—a tiny fief tucked away in a remote mountainous region—would arrive at the capital alone twelve years from now to restore her family’s fortunes.
Yet how could an obscure provincial noble family possess any connections at court?
So Emily was destined to turn to Nicholson, their former butler, who had moved to the capital after his son became a knight.
Since it was difficult for commoners to secure housing near the palace, their residence was in the Third District….
‘Even if she was a minor noble, she was still nobility! How could their home be in the Third District, instead of the First District with the wealthy, or the Second District with the merchants?!’
The Third District was notorious for poor public order, which would cause Emily no small amount of hardship.
Not only that, when Leoport offered to escort her home and asked for her address, she panicked, gave him a fake location to politely turn him down, and temporarily drove him away.
‘I have to secure her a place in the Second District at the very least.’
To do that, my goal was to track down Nicholson’s son, Cain, who should have already arrived in the capital. Once I found him, I would bring him to my side by any means necessary and support him.
‘He must be working as a servant for some noble family’s guard unit right now….’
When the carriage pulled into a discreet corner of the commercial area and I stepped out into the palace market, the sheer bustle almost made my head spin.
Accustomed to seeing palace folk speaking in hushed tones and walking with measured grace, seeing people shouting and dashing about in every direction was a genuine culture shock.
‘I used to live like this once too….’
Faint memories of my previous life flickered in my mind, though they were of little practical use now.
Overwhelmed, I took the hand of Mary, who was accompanying me in ordinary clothes.
“It’s quite loud, isn’t it? Shall we head back to the imperial palace?”
“No…. It’s fine….”
I had fought too hard for this chance!
‘I just need to hurry over to the Third District and locate the neighborhood with Emily’s favorite restaurants.’
According to the novel’s lore, she bought a house in the very neighborhood Cain had lived in since moving to the capital, making a home there with her father.
Fortunately, I had a few clues to track down Cain’s dwelling.
Since that neighborhood served as the primary setting for the opening chapters of Emily’s story, the bakery where Nicholson bought bread each morning and the restaurant Emily frequented alone were described in vivid detail.
‘One or two of those shops must already be there.’
Still, I couldn’t just ask random passersby for directions, so I looked for a natural way to steer us toward the Third District.
Peering up at Mary with wide-eyed curiosity, I asked,
“Mary, is this the Second District? There are so many shops, you see.”
I did my best to sound completely innocent. Mary smiled warmly at me.
“Just as expected of my clever lady. Yes, that is correct.”
“Then…. What about the Third District?”
I watched her, barely concealing the eager anticipation in my eyes.
As the daughter of a nobleman whose life revolved strictly around the palace and the First District, Mary pondered the question for a moment before answering.
“Well, I believe you would have to walk along this road for about an hour.”
“An hour?”
No way….
Friends who had traveled to Europe in my previous life always said the cities there were compact—you could see everything in half a day.
And since this was a romance fantasy penned by a Korean author, shouldn't the scale be roughly European?
“Is the capital really that vast?”
“My Lady…. It is the largest city on the entire continent.”
Ah, it seemed I still hadn't grasped the local units of distance.
Even when people said ‘an hour’s walk,’ I had no idea how fast they walked….
‘No wonder the population is so massive even without high-rise buildings.’
Had the original author never traveled to Europe either, just like me?
Perhaps my disappointment showed on my face, because Mary asked cautiously,
“My Lady, were you hoping to visit the Third District?”
“Um…. Actually….”
My eyes darted sideways, checking on the two knights lingering nearby, looking like escorts one moment and ordinary bystanders the next.
Lancel and Branden. Lancel in particular was one of Roselia’s closest confidants.
Naturally, Roselia’s orders came first, which was precisely why I had avoided bringing her along—so I could create unexpected detours like this!
I tilted my head up at Mary, putting on the most innocent face I could muster.
“Since we’re already out here…?”
Blink, blink.
Come on, Cecil’s cuteness, do your work!
‘Wait, is it failing because of this magic bonnet…?’
Yet Mary offered her usual gentle smile.
As expected, Mary adored me no matter how I looked—
“No. Absolutely not.”
Her firm refusal nearly brought tears to my eyes.
“Why? Isn’t the whole point of sneaking out on an inspection to see the commoner quarters? Isn’t that right?”
“The Second District is plenty suitable. We can see the lively daily life of the common people right here.”
“If it’s true daily life, we should see where they actually live. Today we have Lancel and Branden with us…. And the other knights too….”
“Princess Roselia gave strict orders that we must not step foot outside the Second District.”
“Ugh.”
I had deliberately avoided taking Roselia, yet somehow everyone had been turned against me before I even realized it.
“Gentlemen….”
I turned tearful eyes toward the two knights behind me, clinging to my last shred of hope…. But Lancel and Branden simply shook their heads in silence, as if they had been waiting for this exact moment.
“Hmph….”
Was this really the end of it? Would I never get to taste the meatballs from The Princess and the Sparrow, or the wheat bread from Paulina?
And I had been so excited to visit Emily’s recommended spots….
Was my perfect plan about to crumble to dust?
‘Should I throw a tantrum?’
I weighed the thought quickly. But they looked entirely unmoved, and even if I threw a fit and got my way…. it would only mean the knights would bear the brunt of the punishment.
‘Sister Roselia is terrifying as a commander….’
I was a virtuous princess with modern sensibilities. I wouldn't abuse my authority. A mature leader knew how to let go of her desires.
I tried to console myself, but…. watching such a hard-won opportunity slip through my fingers made me want to cry.
‘Haah, being a princess is completely useless!’
“My Lady, sampling the street food at the market is quite fun too, isn’t it?”
Though she didn’t know what I had set my heart on, Mary recognized my gloom and tried to cheer me up, pointing toward treats like cotton candy and crepes.
They were delicious, sure…. but not nearly as thrilling as she seemed to think….
“Buy me that.”
I pointed at charcoal-grilled pineapple skewers.
Since I was out here anyway, I might as well make the most of it.
As if she had been anticipating this, Mary smiled and led me over to the stall.
The outing in disguise was worthwhile in its own right. Seeing the bustling life I had only ever read about helped me make sense of the chaotic world outside the palace.
Having known only the sheltered luxury of the court, the commoners' existence felt much closer now.
Surrounded by the lively hum of the market, my initial trepidation faded quickly, and I grew accustomed to the chaos.
‘Maybe because this world sprang from a Korean writer’s imagination, some of it feels strangely familiar.’
Even having never traveled abroad in my past life, the street market carried a comforting sense of familiarity.
Once Mary and I polished off the grilled pineapple, I pointed at another stall.
“Now buy me that one.”
It was roasted marshmallows.
…I said it wasn’t an exotic flavor, not that I didn’t love it.
That punchy, nostalgic sweetness I hadn’t tasted in ages seized my palate, and I couldn't stop myself.
“See? Isn't it wonderful that we stayed in the Second District?”
“Mm…. Well….”
Mary assumed as much seeing me relish the snacks, but….
‘That doesn’t make up for missing out on the Third District.’
I had genuinely been looking forward to the food from Emily’s favorite haunts.
‘I’ll just have someone bring me those meatballs and wheat bread later.’
Truth be told, it wasn't just about the food; I had wanted to visit the story’s iconic spots….
While waiting for Mary to pay the marshmallow vendor…. a sudden, prickling sensation brushed over me, and my brow furrowed.
“Wait a moment.”