PTB Chapter 3

In the original work, it was briefly mentioned that the Second Princess frequently bullied the Third Princess. One such incident was when Aracne pushed Rose into the imperial palace lake. Since it happened when no one else was around, no one knew about it.

“I heard you caught a cold after looking like a drowned rat. How can someone like that be called royalty?”

Though taken aback by such a shameless remark, Rose responded calmly.

“Thanks to your concern, I’ve fully recovered from the cold.”

“What business do you have with Father?”

Rose barely managed to compose her embarrassed expression. She had carelessly let slip that she had met with the Emperor.

‘Of all times, we had to run into each other right after I left the audience chamber.’

“I merely paid my respects to let him know I was feeling better.”

Rose replied lightly. Aracne frowned deeply, but Rose wasn’t the least bit afraid of her. Dealing with a young princess filled with jealousy and resentment just felt tedious.

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

“I don’t recall giving you permission to leave.”

“…Is there something else you want to say?”

“A princess should know better than to roam around recklessly without attendants. Oh, right, you don’t have any families supporting you, do you?”

Rose looked at her with indifferent eyes.

“Well, who would give their retainers to a dull-witted princess? There’s not a hint of nobility in you.”

Aracne flaunted her maids as if to show off. They were indeed daughters of prestigious noble families. Rose, on the other hand, had no attendants. She had no faction backing her, so it was only natural. But she didn’t find it inconvenient.

Still, living as a powerless royal in the palace was like walking on thin ice. The noble houses that supported a royal determined one’s influence, even life or death. So, for now, she had to tread carefully. She had to… but—

‘Seeing her swagger like that just makes me not want to back down.’

Rose curved her lips into a crooked smile.

“You’re walking around without attendants too, aren’t you?”

“Oh my, can’t you see those attending me? Did your cold affect your eyesight as well?”

“Is that so? Maybe my eyesight was bad that day, and that’s why I didn’t see you with any attendants.”

At the mention of the lake incident, Aracne’s body stiffened. Rose smiled sweetly.

“The weather is so lovely today—I was thinking of enjoying some time by the water. It’s actually nice not having anyone to stop me.”

Aracne widened her eyes in disbelief. No matter how clear the skies were, it was still quite cold—it was only April. But at Rose’s next words, Aracne clenched her fan so hard it nearly broke.

“I think the imperial palace lake would be perfect. What do you think?”

“Hah! You want to fall in again?”

“Fall in? What a strange thing to say.”

“I’m just worried your scattered attention will land you in the lake again.”

Rose gave her a sly glance.

“How did you know I fell into the imperial palace lake?”

“…!”

“That’s odd. Everyone in the palace thinks I just caught a cold. So how would you know it was because I fell into the lake?”

The maids stirred at her words. Aracne was visibly flustered. Seeing her contorted expression brought Rose a deep sense of satisfaction.

‘Hmph. No matter how much Aracne looks down on me, she wouldn’t want rumors spreading that she personally harmed me.’

The royal family already had too few children; no royal family liked internal conflicts. Even a powerless princess was still royalty.

“I-I was just speaking hypothetically! Everyone knows you were sick and wet!”

“I see. Then, how about you come with me since you’re so worried?”

“Come with you?”

Caught off guard, Aracne hesitated. But soon she seemed to take confidence from the presence of her maids.

“Fine. I’ll generously join in your little leisure time. Just be careful not to catch another cold.”

“Wow. I’m so happy you’ll be joining me.”

Rose smiled softly. For a brief moment, her blue eyes gleamed chillingly.

“But are you really sure? This time, there are so many eyes watching. A rumor might spread.”

“What kind of rumor?”

“That Princess Aracne pushed Princess Rose into the lake.”

“Y-You dare!”

Rose suddenly stepped close and whispered into Aracne’s ear.

“This time, I’ll jump in myself.”

Her voice was disturbingly calm—enough to startle even herself.

“If His Majesty hears such rumors, he’ll be deeply saddened… don’t you think?”

Aracne recoiled in horror and quickly stepped away from Rose.

“So there’s no need for you to go through all that trouble.”

Rose brushed back her rose-colored hair with a smooth motion and turned without hesitation. Glancing once at the pale-faced Aracne, she twisted her lips into a cold smirk.

‘Child, you’re a long way from being able to defeat me.’

This was not the same gentle Rose from before.

‘Because the soul inside this body has changed.’

For someone who had dealt with sly investors in her past life, handling a bratty princess was nothing. It was only after Rose vanished with elegant steps that Aracne came back to her senses. She violently threw her fan.

“That girl!”

“P-Please calm down, Your Highness!”

The maids tried to stop her, but Aracne stomped on the fan furiously, unable to calm her fury. Then she gave a sharp command.

“Find out what she reported to His Majesty!”

“Y-Yes? But how…?”

“Do I have to spell everything out? Bribe one of the Emperor’s attendants or plant a spy—do whatever it takes to find out!”

＊＊＊

As Rose walked down the long corridor, she arrived at a garden lined with large trees. A sweet floral scent wafted gently in the air. Water occasionally burst from the fountain. Rose closed her eyes and savored the sound. She felt alive. Even though it was a scene from a novel, it felt as natural as the place she’d lived her whole life.

‘I’ll have to get used to this body now.’

She recalled the moment of her death: the jarring impact of the vehicle crash, the sensation of sinking deep into the sea, the numbing cold that slowly consumed her body, and the icy water rushing in with every breath. It became hard to breathe just remembering it.

Rose tapped her chest to relieve the tightness. She had never thought her life would end so easily. Mourning her own death with bitter feelings, she heard a soft voice by her ear.

“Your Highness?”

Arsen stood there, seemingly fresh from early morning training, dressed in a light tunic. His well-toned physique was faintly visible beneath the thin fabric.

“Are you on your way back from training?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

Arsen noticed Rose’s reddened eyes.

“How are you feeling today?”

“I’m fine. Nothing to worry about.”

Recalling the ridiculous sight of having slop dumped over her, Rose pretended to be even more nonchalant.

“There’s no need to scold the apprentice knights so much. It was my own lack of attention.”

“You’re saying it was Your Highness’s fault?”

“Why not? Does it seem like the foolish youngest princess wouldn’t admit her own mistake?”

Arsen looked down at her with an unreadable expression.

“Right. I’ve been shut up in the palace all this time, so I guess it’s understandable. It sounds silly now, but I’m thinking of changing that nickname.”

In truth, her attendance at the inauguration ceremony was part of her plan to gather her own faction.

‘I intend to make you one of my allies.’

She absolutely had to win over this man, who would one day become the commander of the Imperial Knights. Considering that he had abandoned her yesterday, it would take a lot of effort.

But then, an unexpected remark came from the stoic knight.

“I’ve never thought that way.”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean, I’ve never judged Your Highness based on such rumors.”

Rose closed her mouth, startled by his rather serious tone.

“I was merely surprised. That Your Highness is so friendly with subordinates.”

After carefully choosing his words, Arsen added quietly

“My own reputation isn’t very good, after all.”

So it turned out his cold demeanor had been concern for the consequences of being associated with someone like him.

‘So it wasn’t that he hated me.’

Rose felt deeply moved by his thoughtful consideration. Despite the heavy discrimination he must have faced in the Empire, he had thought of her first. Whether on paper or in person, he was a truly upright man.

“I’m not the type to believe in baseless rumors.”

A laugh slipped out unintentionally.

‘Arsen, you probably have no idea how fond I am of you.’

“Well, reputation… mine isn’t that great either. If I believed in bad rumors about you, I’d basically be admitting I’m a fool, wouldn’t I?”

Rose sensed it was the perfect moment to recover from her poor first impression. Out of lifelong habit, she offered a handshake.

“We’re in similar situations. We’ll be seeing each other often, so let’s get along.”

To Arsen, those words sounded like they meant they’d be meeting frequently from now on. He couldn’t imagine why he’d often cross paths with a princess. He stared at the pale hand extended to him.

A sudden ticklish breeze blew in, carrying the scent of apricots. The coral-colored hair swayed in the wind, and flower petals fluttered like spring rain. It was April, and early roses were in full bloom.

The knight gently took the princess’s hand and kissed the back of it. Rose flinched slightly at the unexpected touch instead of a handshake. She looked closely at the man’s face. His unusually long eyelashes between closed lids gave him a dreamy appearance.

Then his deep, unwavering black eyes locked onto her. She was overwhelmed by a sense of enchantment, as though she might be drawn in instantly. His firmly closed lips parted, and a quiet voice emerged.

“May the blessings of the fairies be with you. Arsen de Lafayette, at Your Highness’s service.”

＊＊＊

Arsen soon came to understand what the princess had meant by “seeing each other often.” The Remigis Knights set out on a journey to Bastia to attend the inauguration ceremony.

Bastia was a southern port city in the Callon Empire, known for its convenient transportation and abundance of ships. It was also the traditional host of the annual inauguration ceremony. However, since it was nearly a five-day journey from the capital, Eretria, there was little time to spare.

“Come now, Captain. Isn’t it too much to ask us to act as escorts when we’re already in a rush?”

A knight grumbled at the sight of the ornate carriages lined up in front of them. He wasn’t thrilled about having to mind the moods of the royals.

“Hagen, mind your tongue.”

The man called Hagen had an eyepatch over one eye. He scratched his lion-like mane of shaggy hair irritably.

“If we’re late, don’t blame me!”

“That won’t happen. Return to your post.”

With a snort, Hagen mounted his horse in a flash. He had an unusually large frame, even among knights. On horseback, he looked even more imposing. Rose peered through the curtain of her carriage at the neatly lined-up Remigis knights.

The knights from Dunstan Island were all large-bodied. The distinct dark tone of their armor seemed even darker under the spring sun.

“We’ll leave the capital before sundown.”

Arsen suddenly drew near on horseback, speaking through the carriage curtain.

“The march will be a bit rough.”

After his brief report, Arsen calmly returned to the head of the procession. Rose watched his fully-armored figure for a long while.

‘Those broad shoulders… that wide back… If I could hug him just once, it’d be a dream come true.’

His silver armor, fitted perfectly to his frame, gleamed dazzlingly. With each movement of his horse, his deep green cape fluttered in rhythm. As it flipped back, the insignia of the Remigis Knights came into view on his shoulder.

It was the anchor symbol of House Lafayette. A sea serpent coiled around the anchor, proving their seafaring heritage. The Remigis Knights escorting her to the inauguration ceremony—it was the perfect setup.

‘If only it weren’t for that ill-tempered Second Princess Aracne!’

The haughty princess loudly expressed her displeasure at the bumpy ride. The carriage was cramped, especially with Aracne insisting on bringing her own attendants. This had slowed their pace significantly.

“To think you’d prepare such a dreadful carriage—how fitting for someone from such a primitive background.”

Did she even realize that her words were more disgraceful than the ride itself? Rose had to work hard to hide her exasperated gaze.

“The schedule’s tight, so just bear with it. We need a smaller carriage for easier travel. Why did you even decide to attend the inauguration at the last minute?”

“Hmph, so you’re the type to tolerate such squalor. It suits your lowly standards.”

Aracne had ultimately decided to join the trip. Rose had expected a dignified royal procession, but Aracne’s absurd behavior left her speechless.