Who Could Have Loved the Monster Princess? - Chapter 18
They wanted those who had outlived their usefulness to become mere footnotes in history. To the nobility of the Empire, the remaining heroes would have been a nuisance.
Princess Arina Amortan’s homeland had already been destroyed, leaving her with only a shred of honor.
The Staedt Duchy of the Grand Magus Calcioso was shattered by the Demon King’s invasion. Despite absorbing most of the ruined territories in the northern kingdom into his territory, governance was lacking, security was a mess, and there was little to eat, so the estate was in desperate hope for relief.
The Grand Sage Unknown returned to his forest, gathered the refugees from other races, and established the City of Sages.
Sean Onra, as the High Priest, attributed all glory to the gods, so there was one problem remaining.
Ken had slain the demon and claimed all the honors of being the savior of mankind. It had only been a month since Sean Onra had been sent by the gods to find the heroic Ken, and he had slain the demon that had plunged the world into chaos and terror.
Peace returned to the land overnight after the monsters that indiscriminately attacked humans disappeared, each finding their own territories. Those who praised the name of the hero hoped that Ken would become their king.
‘The imperial nobles and the royal family turned a blind eye to it.’
With nowhere to go, Ken was supposed to stay in the palace after the victory ceremony. However, as soon as he refused the marriage proposal with the Princess, they immediately accused him of treason. Ken didn’t resist. He simply stared dryly at the aristocrats who treated him as a criminal before being taken to the underground prison.
‘To imprison someone after calling for a grand celebration of his victory.’
It was truly absurd. I arrived late at the palace victory ceremony, spending time with my parents at home. So I couldn’t protect Ken from the aristocrats’ hostile gazes, nor could I find a chance to defend him and appease the Emperor’s wrath.
In the end, I sneaked into the underground prison and brought Ken back to Staedt. The power I had woven through protection and curses, each cast by the Grand Magus and the High Priest respectively, made it possible to sneak into the deep underground prison in the palace and rescue a single boy.
The Princess was also present at the victory ceremony. Ceti was merely twelve at that time, a young girl dreaming only of marriage with the hero. But she was told to her face that he didn’t want to marry her.
‘It must have been a huge shock.’
So, I could understand why the Princess disliked Ken to some extent. Others might also want to boast that their parents or siblings, like the hero, had defeated the demons. However, there was something to be said for their conversation.
The ladies present here did nothing for the victims who died and were buried in the Demon King’s land. The royal family didn’t give a single penny in compensation to the bereaved families.
‘They’re still selfish.’
As my grip tightened, the handle of the teacup I held snapped. The ladies, engrossed in their gossip, didn’t notice, and only Mir’s gaze lingered on the broken teacup.
Mir turned to the Princess and asked, “Do you know who benefits the most from the peace obtained through the sacrifices of Imperial soldiers, Ceti?”
At that question, the ladies’ eyes turned towards me. The Princess also glanced at me briefly.
Over the past five years, I had revitalized many aspects of the Staedt territory, using the hard-earned peace as a springboard. But I hadn’t received anything for free.
Benefits?
Staedt had lost many things in the aftermath of the war. Moreover, we had to accommodate the families of the fallen. Immediately after the ceasefire, the Staedt duchy was truly destitute. The revival of our estate was only achieved through everyone in the territory caring for and sharing with each other despite our collective poverty.
‘The Princess knows all of this, let’s see what she says.’
However, before the Princess could answer Mir’s question, someone else responded.
“Me.”
A short and gravelly voice. It was the unexpected answer from the uninvited Crown Prince. I turned around and greeted the Crown Prince who approached me from behind.
“Greetings, little light of the Empire.”
Seeing the charming Crown Prince, the ladies blushed and offered their greetings along with me. The Princess’s face turned red with embarrassment.
The Princess, though an accommodating lady, was intelligent. She knew the meaning behind the Crown Prince’s “me.” After the Demon King’s demise, the Empire absorbed the collapsed neighboring countries, and the remaining territories were amicably distributed among the surviving noble families. With the taxes coming from those lands, the royal family enjoyed even more luxury than before the war.
For the deceased, all they received were words of tribute in the ceremonial recitation of achievements during the national memorial.
“Brother, are you going to keep barging into the ladies’ tea time?”
In response to the Princess’s words, Carnelian glanced at Mir. She tilted her head with a strange smile.
“I have an urgent need for Belienne. Allow me to borrow her for a while.”
“Of course. You do whatever you want regardless of what I say anyway.”
“Have fun, Ceti.”
After greeting the Princess with a playful tone, Carnelian turned away. He gestured to me, and I could tell he didn’t intend to leave me behind.
‘I don’t really want to go.’
While the ladies’ conversation wasn’t particularly exciting, it was more tolerable than the Crown Prince teasing me. I wondered if Mir had any plans to join me. To my surprise, my friend was striking a fighting pose of encouragement in my direction.
Why? What was she cheering for?
