Chapter 3

Lirika was surprised, but soon calmed down. This story was much more reasonable than the one about her mother falling in love with His Majesty the Emperor and getting married.

Lirika asked with a serious face.

"So, you took on the job?"

Rudia, removing a bread crumb from the corner of her daughter's mouth, frowned.

—I took on the job.

It was complicated, but there was no reason not to say it.

No matter the conditions, no matter the method, a deal is a deal, and a contract is a contract.

"Right."

Lirika felt relieved at her mother's words. It was easier to accept if it was a job or a contract.

Who is Lirika Vance?

Isn't she the girl from the slums who works with the motto 'credit is everything'? Lirika, having regained her composure, confidently picked up a new piece of bread.

'But, Mother marrying His Majesty the Emperor. Does that mean she will become the Empress?'

Her mother, smiling brightly, was truly beautiful and would make a fine Empress.

'Mother?'

Pushing the bread into her cheeks and washing it down with orange juice, Lirika made a decision.

She had to help her mother with the job.

"What about me?"

When Lirika asked, Rudia looked somewhat pouting.

"I thought Lirika would be more surprised."

"I was surprised enough."

"I've decided to take you in as an adopted daughter. So, starting the day after tomorrow, Lirika will be a princess."

"Princess."

For a moment, she was stunned, but Lirika quickly regained her composure.

Then this is a contract princess, a contract daughter. Anyway, it's a job she had to work hard at. Feeling a bit proud of herself for knowing the difficult word 'job,' Lirika pondered.

But what does a princess do?

Curious, Lirika asked about the contract.

"If it's a contract, how long is it for?"

Lirika looked around and asked in a low voice, and her mother answered.

"Until His Highness the Crown Prince becomes an adult and the Emperor. So, about 8 years from now."

"8 years."

It was a very, very long time. 8 years was incomprehensible. Her mother continued.

"After that, we'll buy a house on the outskirts of the capital and live happily together. We'll even tend a small garden, okay?"

"Really?"

A small cottage with a garden appealed to her more than the palace and being a princess.

"Sure. We'll travel and have fun. The money we're getting is enormous. But,"

Rudia said seriously.

"Absolutely no one can know. This must be kept a complete secret. It must not be revealed."

"Yes. I won't tell anyone, even if I die."

Her mother's lips trembled for a moment. She hugged Lirika tightly.

"I know, Lirika. I knew you would."

Her voice was faintly trembling, so Lirika patted her mother's back to reassure her.

Indeed, her mother must be scared to take on such a big job.

Lirika tried to sound confident and braced herself.

"Don't worry, Mother. I'll help you."

Her mother smiled and stepped back.

"Then, let's start with the first task."

"What is it?"

"Flower girl at the wedding."

Her mother smiled.

* * *

The next two days passed in a whirl. Lirika tried to keep her wits about her, but it was impossible.

Everything happened so quickly.

Of course, it wasn't just Lirika. The Imperial Court, no, the entire Empire, was in shock.

At the sudden news of the Emperor's marriage, and the fact that his bride was a woman with nothing, or rather, a woman with a young daughter, became a huge topic of conversation.

"I'm getting married the day after tomorrow."

The Emperor only needed to say that, but his subordinates had a lot to do. Fortunately, it was during the Spring Ball, so the nobles were gathered in the capital. Otherwise, the ceremony might have been held in an empty temple.

The hastily arranged wedding dress was a ready-made one. Seeing the white dress, the bride said, "Gather all the fabric and puff it out at the hips."

Time was so tight that no one could argue, so they frantically altered the dress, adding many pleats.

It was a perfect bustle style, but no one noticed at the time.

An imperial wedding usually takes at least a year and is carried out in stages, but this one was held in just two days.

Everything was in chaos. The ceremony was over before rumors about Rudia could spread.

The day after the wedding, there was a small ceremony to adopt Lirika as a daughter, which passed almost unnoticed.

That day, when she met her mother, she looked tired, as if she hadn't slept. Lirika was worried.

From that day on, Lirika was no longer Lirika Vance but 'Lirika Nara Takar.'

"You, Princess Lirika, should only bow to three people: His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince."

Lirika listened seriously. Her face, still thin, didn't have the round cheeks of a child, but her large eyes sparkled.

Lady Glendrin, who was teaching her, looked at Lirika with renewed interest.

When she first heard about teaching Lirika, Lady Glendrin hesitated. She was worried if she could teach a child from such a background.

But the court access pass won her over.

The nobility of the Empire is divided into two types: those with access to the Sun Palace and those without.

While any noble could enter the Sky Palace, the Sun Palace, where the Emperor resided, was different.

It was one of the Emperor's powers, and most high nobles had it.

Of course, if the Emperor was displeased, the privilege could be revoked, making it a means to strengthen imperial authority, but it was a necessary means.

Therefore, nobles with court access were jokingly called 'power nobles.'

For Lady Glendrin, a court noble without territory, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

So, she resolved to endure whatever the student was like, but the girl she met was completely different from what she imagined.

She wasn't restless or running around or using vulgar language.

She was better behaved than the unruly children of noble families.

There's no better student than one who tries to learn. There's no more enjoyable student.

So, Lady Glendrin was teaching Lirika more comfortably and enjoyably than expected.

Of course, she was still stiff, but that would improve over time.

"Let's practice the bow again."

Lirika sprang up from her seat. The purpose was to practice a graceful curtsy, but Lirika's curtsy was still more energetic.

She would squat deeply and then spring up.

After a few more bows, Lady Glendrin moved on to the next lesson. There was too much to teach and too little time.

Most of her time was spent in lessons, and Lirika was worried. Lady Glendrin would enter the palace in the afternoon, so the only time Lirika could meet her mother was in the morning.

But when she went to see her mother in the morning, she often heard that her mother was sleeping because she was tired.

The attitude of the maid who told her this was clearly annoyed, but Lirika was worried about her mother.

'What could she be doing at night that makes her so tired?'

After several attempts, Lirika finally met her mother. Her mother, in a robe, looked very tired.

"Mother, are you okay?"

Surprised, Lirika asked, and Rudia nodded.

"I'm fine."

"But you look so tired. Are you sleeping well at night?"

"At night."

Muttering, Rudia clenched her teeth.

"I can't sleep well."

"You need to get enough rest."

Concerned, Lirika said, and Rudia smiled and replied, "Don't worry. I'm fine." She then asked various questions about palace life.

In fact, Lirika was not tired because she spent the whole day in etiquette lessons.

Not wanting to bother her tired mother for long, Lirika left early. She was worried if the maids were taking good care of her mother.

The young girl sighed and muttered.

"Why is Mother so tired?"

The maid who opened the door for Lirika giggled.

"It's because His Majesty troubles her every night."

It was a mocking remark, but Lirika was shocked.

"His Majesty?!"

Surprised, Lirika turned to the maid, who said, "Yes, of course," and laughed openly.

"Of course. But remember, this is a secret, okay?"

Shocked, Lirika nodded.

'His Majesty troubles Mother every night.'

What could he be doing? Just thinking about it made her break out in a cold sweat. Lirika had heard rumors about the terrifying His Majesty.

Could he be hitting or yelling at her mother every night? Thinking of her mother's tired face from earlier, her worry turned to certainty.

'No. I have to do something. But what can I do? Lirika Nara Takar.'

Repeating her unfamiliar full name to get used to it, Lirika thought hard.

But worry overshadowed her thoughts.

Returning to her room after walking down the long corridor, Lirika swallowed and asked the maid.

"Can you request an audience with His Majesty?"

The maid looked surprised at Lirika.

"Request an audience?"

"Yes, no, um, yes."

"Understood."

The maid called a servant and relayed Lirika's request. The servant looked surprised but soon left and returned shortly.

"His Majesty says if it's now, he has time."

"I'll go."

Lirika sprang up from her seat. The maids looked half bewildered, half expectant.

One of them suggested changing clothes, but the maids didn't move.

The servant, who stopped them first, said,

"It's really just for a moment. There's no time to change clothes."

Lirika nodded. The servant bowed politely.

"Then this way. I'll guide you."

"Let's go."

It felt awkward to speak informally to people, but if it was part of being a princess, she had to do it. As she followed the servant, Lirika felt her tightly clenched hands trembling.

'It's okay. Lirika. It's okay.'

While she was reassuring herself, the long corridor seemed unusually short, and she soon arrived at the office.

It was her first time here, so Lirika took a deep breath. The servant spoke.

"Princess Lirika has arrived."

The office door opened silently from inside. The servant bowed, and Lirika entered alone. She had forgotten not to look directly ahead due to her nervousness.

She couldn't see anyone standing in the office. His Majesty was sitting at a large desk, his eyes still on the documents. Lirika, looking straight at him, hastily bowed.

"What is it?"

A low, heavy voice echoed, and Lirika, feeling cold sweat run down her back, said,

"I have a request."

"Speak."

"Um, Mother..."

Pausing for a beat, Lirika braced herself.

"Please stop troubling Mother every night!"

She tried to speak loudly, but it wasn't very loud. The office suddenly became as quiet as if time had stopped. Then, a small groan-like sound came from around her.

Surprised, Lirika added, almost as an excuse,

"She doesn't seem to be sleeping well at night, so she can't get up in the morning... It's hard for her... Please stop troubling her..."

His Majesty, who had been staring blankly at Lirika, opened his mouth in bewilderment.

"Wait, your mother definitely likes—"

"Ahem!"

"Cough, cough!!"

Suddenly, coughing sounds erupted from all around, surprising Lirika. His Majesty frowned and closed his mouth.

Although she hadn't learned it, was it polite to cough when His Majesty spoke?

Noticing this, Lirika spoke softly.

"Cough, cough?"

"Ha ha ha"

A loud laugh echoed. Surprised, Lirika looked up. A large man standing in front of the large office desk, holding documents, was hunched over, trying to suppress his laughter, but his back kept shaking.

His Majesty's expression turned annoyed.

Only then did Lirika realize there was someone else in the office besides His Majesty. Or rather, she had known but only now fully realized it.

The large man laughing looked like a knight, and the other person was probably helping with the documents?

Seeing Lirika standing bewildered, the man standing at the back approached. He had a gentle face, brown hair, and brown eyes.

One eye was covered with a monocle, which caught her attention.

His teardrop-shaped eyes were striking.

He knelt on one knee to meet Lirika's eyes and said,

"Don't worry, Princess. That fool isn't teasing you. Brave Princess."

Smiling, he added,

"His Majesty won't trouble Her Majesty the Empress every night anymore."

"Hey."

His Majesty shouted, but the man, surprisingly, didn't flinch and turned to look at His Majesty.

"Right?"

His Majesty's face turned as if he had bitten into a bitter shell, then he looked at Lirika. He sighed, his pale face showing exhaustion.

"Alright."

"Thank you!"

Lirika smiled broadly and bowed in gratitude.