Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

Translator: Nox

Chapter 1Chapter 1

Episode 1

Prologue

It was an exceptionally clear and peaceful morning. To be precise, it was a morning that was supposed to be so.

Erich von Cardion, the Emperor of the Cardion Empire, reached out and slowly began to read the letter resting on the table.

「 To His Respected Imperial Majesty… well, I wouldn’t say I respect you that much. 」

It was a sentence that would have made anyone who saw it gasp in horror.

「 The image of you as a snot-nosed crybaby who couldn’t even look after himself is still so vivid in my mind. Just because you ascended the throne doesn’t mean I can suddenly conjure up respect that didn’t exist overnight. 」

The elegant handwriting did not match the content at all.

Erich immediately knew who had left this letter.

How could he not?

There was only one person in this entire Imperial Palace who would dare to speak such words without hesitation.

「 The reason I’m leaving this letter is, as you might already know, to keep a promise. 」

A promise?

Erich’s straight brows furrowed slightly.

A promise… he didn’t recall making anything resembling a promise with her recently.

They had fought quite a bit, though…

「 A very old promise. 」

But the moment he read the next sentence, Erich realized exactly what that ‘promise’ was.

「 You know what you always used to say, Prince—no, Your Majesty. 」

The words he had always repeated.

「 ‘I wouldn’t marry you even if I died!’ 」

“What the hell…”

Erich let out a dazed curse.

If anyone had been by his side, they would have uttered something like, ‘You must maintain your dignity, Your Majesty!’ but he didn’t care.

Anyone who saw this letter would have reacted exactly the same way.

「 You said you’d rather eat a raw carrot from the palace kitchen than marry me.

Oh, you took that back after trying a raw carrot and deciding it wasn’t for you. 」

I did that?

「 You said you’d rather enter a monastery than marry me.

Come to think of it, you took that back too because you didn’t like the idea of a vegetable-based diet. 」

“When did I ever… !”

「 There are more ‘I’d rather… than marry you’ pledges than I can count, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave if I write them all down, so I’ll stop here. 」

The handwriting in that section looked a bit more cheerful than the rest.

Erich tried to steady his trembling hands as he read the next sentence.

「 Anyway, since you’ve been singing about how much you hate the idea of marrying me, I’ve decided to leave before it’s too late.

Don’t be a picky eater, don’t doze off during cabinet meetings, and don’t go charging to the front lines during monster subjugations only to come back injured. 」

“…”

「 Thanks for putting up with me all this time, Erich. You’ll finally have some peace now. Congratulations. Take care. 」

At the end of the calm sentences, there wasn’t even a sender’s name.

Her attitude was certain that he would already know who she was, and her staff was placed neatly beside the letter.

“…Elisha.”

Erich ran his fingers roughly through his black hair, crumpling the letter.

Less than a month had passed since the new Emperor’s coronation.

The Reserve Empress, Elisha, had vanished.

Chapter 1. Tracing the Footsteps

A world engulfed in flames, screams echoing from every direction, a place turned entirely to ruin.

A day sixteen years ago, when remnants of unknown origin fluttered away as ash.

‘Child, won’t you come with me?’

A hand was reached out to a young girl who looked to be seven years old at most.

The girl looked around for a moment, then took the hand without hesitation.

It was the beginning of their bond.

* * *

Blink, blink.

Inside the rattling carriage, round blue eyes slowly closed and opened.

She looked a bit dazed, yet her gaze was somehow full of curiosity.

After that, the girl repeatedly fiddled with her white hair, gazed out the window, and tilted her head.

“Child.”

The man watched the girl intently before speaking kindly.

The girl’s gaze shifted from the window to the man.

“Could you tell me your name?”

The man asked, his eyes curving into a gentle smile. The girl only continued to blink.

‘Perhaps she doesn’t know the language of this kingdom.’

He had found the child in the borderlands where monster subjugation was in full swing.

So, there was a possibility she didn’t speak the language of Cardion…

“Princess.”

At that moment, a low voice drifted from the girl’s mouth.

“My name, Princess.”

The man tilted his head slightly.

‘It seems she was called by that nickname by her parents. Does she not remember her real name because she was called that more often?’

As far as he knew, there was no princess with such an appearance in any other country.

Even if there were, there was no reason for her to be in the middle of that chaos.

“My name is Bernhardt. What is your real name?”

“Princess.”

“Do you not remember?”

“I told you, it’s Princess.”

“I see. And I am the Emperor.”

“But my name really is Princess.”

That’s what I was called, anyway.

The girl said again, her eyebrows twitching slightly. She was frustrated that the man didn’t believe her.

Bernhardt eventually spoke with a light smile.

“And I really am the Emperor.”

He then turned his gaze away from the girl to look out the window.

Watching the child, Bernhardt let the corners of his mouth curl up tenderly once more.

“I shall have to give you a new name.”

* * *

Emperor Bernhardt had returned. And he had brought a young girl with him.

Naturally, the existence of the girl turned the entire Imperial Palace upside down.

Not only had he returned earlier than scheduled, but he had even brought a child back with him.

‘There were no survivors in the area. If I hadn’t found her, she would have starved to death before long.’

However, Emperor Bernhardt dismissed the situation with just a few words.

‘It is my own lack of virtue for failing to properly look after my people, so it is only right that I take her in.’

“His Majesty is far too compassionate for his own good.”

One of the maids brushing the girl’s hair spoke tentatively.

The girl rolled her eyes around before staring at the maid through the mirror.

“I heard he even gave her a name himself.”

Another maid, who was picking out clothes nearby, said while glancing at the girl.

Her attitude suggested she didn’t care about the child in front of her.

Regardless, the girl blinked, swinging her feet on the chair.

‘From now on, your name shall be Elisha.’

The black-haired man had told her.

‘Elisha.’

The girl quite liked the name. So, from now on, her name was ‘Elisha.’

“He’s not planning on adopting her, is he?”

“Goodness, don’t even say such a thing!”

While Elisha was lost in thought, the bickering continued behind her.

“He might have smoothed things over for now, but do you think the other nobles will just stay quiet?”

“But considering he gave her the Solteir Palace…”

“It’s probably only until they find a place for her to be adopted.”

They had heard rumors that he declared he would take her in himself, but it was practically impossible.

To have a girl of unknown origin raised in the Imperial Palace.

“We’re doing as we’re told for now, but honestly, this isn’t a daycare. We already have the Prince, so what more could he want…”

The maid’s gaze moved to Elisha in the mirror. It was a look of deep disapproval.

Elisha didn’t look away, fluttering her eyelashes a few times. It was as if she were reminding them that she was listening to everything they said.

A brief moment passed.

It was the maid who looked away first.

Only then did Elisha also take her eyes off the mirror and begin to slowly swing her feet again.

After that, the maids didn’t say another word. Naturally, Elisha didn’t open her mouth either.

Elisha liked silence.

“You!”

But the silence didn’t last long. Someone had burst through the door.

As the door swung wide, the eyes of all three people turned toward the entrance.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

The two maids, identifying the owner of the voice, immediately bowed their heads in greeting.

Elisha slowly tilted her head, staring intently at the boy before her.

It was the Prince who was actually taken aback by her intensity.

Snow-white hair reaching down to her waist, blue eyes.

Despite her uncertain background, the way she sat on the chair and looked at him with an empty, noble expression…

“You—what are you!”

The boy, regaining his senses, shouted while pointing a finger directly at her.

Elisha looked at the boy for a moment, then gestured toward the maids and spoke flatly.

“You, and those people.”

“…”

“Are all very rude.”