Who Could Have Loved the Monster Princess? - Chapter 15
‘She might think I want to return to my original form.’
Mom wishes for me to live in a form I desire, in a place I desire. When she recently found out about my dress order, she apologized to me. It was an apology for depriving me of the life of an ordinary noble lady.
I’m curious about a normal life, but that doesn’t mean I dislike my current life. After the demise of the Demon King, when there was no longer a need for me to use my physical strength, Mom felt sorry for me. My appearance was something my parents artificially created, without my consent.
‘But does anyone really get to be born in their desired form?’
They say my curse was bestowed upon me after birth, but since only my parents knew my original form, I didn’t think being born like this was much different from being born in any other body.
‘Until now, that is….’
Now, I find myself desiring to live somewhat in a human form. But there’s no way. Who would love me enough to risk their life for me?
‘It seems Mom didn’t hear me.’
Her hands didn’t stop. It wasn’t unusual for her to be so focused, so I didn’t think much of it.
‘Well, maybe it’s for the best.’
I relaxed and watched Mom again. After working on the metal for a while, she paused and looked at me, offering a smile and a greeting before wiping her hands.
“Are you taking a break?”
Mom nodded and approached me, pulling me into her arms.
“Mom?”
As she examined my large hands and sturdy, pointed nails, she soon fetched a sketchbook and pastels used for designs.
I adjusted my posture slightly, thinking maybe she hadn’t heard my earlier words due to continuing her work, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
As a few intricate designs for crafting filled the sketchbook and blank sheets appeared, Mom switched pastel colors from yellow, pink, to blue, gently sketching on the white paper.
“Gradually, the figure of a baby with a face as fair and rosy as the peaches Ken brought, small hands tightly clenched, wearing an expression that seemed to dream of good things, began to take shape.
‘Could it be… that she’s drawing me?’
Perhaps the forehead resembled Dad? The eyes were closed, so it was hard to tell who they took after. The shape of the mouth seemed to resemble Mom.
It was an incredibly adorable baby, one could easily tell it was a child of both of them.
‘This is me’
But it didn’t resemble me at all, someone who had lived their whole life with scales covering their blue skin.
“Do you ever get curious about what I would have looked like now?”
As Mom was drawing an adult’s hand holding the baby’s hand, she suddenly paused, looking at me with furrowed brows. She didn’t seem angry but appeared to be suppressing some intense emotion. After taking a moment to compose herself, she abruptly stood up, grabbed her apron, and hurriedly left the workshop.
“Um, Mom?”
I hurried after her. Her ragged breathing was uncharacteristic. I found her in the parlor of the main house, where Dad was.
She seemed to be reproaching Dad, but I couldn’t make out what was being said as she had her back turned. However, Dad responded, “The curse will be lifted through love.”
Seems like Mom was protesting why the curse wasn’t being lifted.
“Now that Yen is an adult, there’s no need to rush, right?” Dad tried to calm Mom down, glancing briefly at me. It seemed he got the gist of what I might have said to Mom. And it appeared that Dad take what I’d said very seriously.
“Darling, Yen is more lovable than anyone else.”
I knew that too. To both of them, I was the most adorable baby, no matter what I looked like. But my mom wasn’t convinced anymore. As she said something else, Dad glanced at me.
“Our Yen knows the value of small happiness. Glamour can be poisonous.”
Mom shook her head vigorously, approached me with determination, and took my hand.
— Let’s go to the City of Sages.
I lip-read the movements of her mouth.
“Right now?”
— We’ll find your true form. Unknown must know a way!
Unknown was a great sage who, along with my parents, defeated the Demon King. He was also Mir’s mentor.
Mir mentioned that the curse on me was cast through the dragon’s language, so even the Demon King couldn’t break it. Perhaps my mother knew that, too.
But if the sage could break the curse, then Dad, the Grand Magus, could probably do it too.
“Oh? So are we really going?”
Dad might pretend he couldn’t do it even though he could. He seemed greatly satisfied with the results of the curse, that no one could harm me. My appearance was a gift from him, after all.
I believed Mir was right in saying that my curse couldn’t be lifted by means other than love. However, perhaps the great sage might have an answer to break the curse.
I nodded. “Okay, Mom. Not now, but let’s go visit there sometime later.”
There were more pressing matters at hand.
