Chapter 4

Author: gucchi

TL: N. Irene

tl: Sorry for the delay! I was so busy this week, I wasn’t able to post any chapters… That’s why I will be posting 4 chapters today. I will post chapter 4 now and I will post chapter 5, 6 and 7 2 hours later! Enjoy~

“What exactly is going on?”

His Majesty asked me with a sympathetic expression on his face, which made me wonder whether he had any affection for me at all.

Even if he reacts in such a way. It wouldn’t matter anymore.

I was considering of asking for permission to leave the royal castle right away.

However, this reaction… Perhaps I can wait and see if it improves later.

If things didn’t work out in the end, I’d just leave.

“Firstly, do you know what my everyday life is like?”

“You’re seven years old, therefore you’ve got a royal princess education, right? When you were five, you had a tutor.”

“I didn’t have a tutor, nor did I have a princess education.”

“After three days, the tutor left.”

“You mean… all of them?”

“All of them, yes.”

There were many tutors who taught various subjects. Language, history, geography, monarchy, etiquette, dancing, and even musical instruments.

However, they just taught me for three days.

They then left claiming that ‘teaching a failed princess is a waste of time and money.’

“So how do you usually spend your time?”

“Cleaning and washing, I guess.”

“How about the servants?”

“The servants didn’t come, so I cleaned the rooms and did the laundry, as well as fetching water for the bathroom and hand-washing for myself.”

“Even the water?”

“Yes. though the water was at first provided.”

“However, the water in the bathroom was exclusively used for bathing.”

“Yet, even though it was for bathing, the water in the bathroom stayed cold, so everytime I took a bath, I had trouble cleaning my body…”

“Later on, even the water they gave had was cut short. In the end, I wash by myself. I begin by fetching water, but I can’t warm it up, so I soak a cloth in water and wipe myself with it.”

“…….”

”I can’t wear this dress on a daily basis because I only have one so I wear it whenever I have a audience with someone.”

“I don’t have any daily clothing, so I use the personal garments left behind by a servant who left the palace.”

“It’s an old personal dress worn by a maid-of-honor who was forced to quit her job.” 

“Because I only have one bed linen, if I believe it’s soiled, I wash it and hang it to dry.”

“I have to keep an eye on it until it’s dry, or otherwise the bed linen becomes damp and soiled from being dropped on the floor… and that’s it for the rest of the day.”

“Is it labour that keeps you so thin?”

“It’s due to the food.”

“I eat a bowl of soup with a few vegetable leaf scraps once a day and one meal of dry, hardened bread.”

Sometimes, even the meal is not provided.”

“I didn’t think…I didn’t believe I’d have to go through such horrible things.”

When did it all begin? When did I start getting such bad treatment?

“It probably started…ever since you were born, right?” Dr. Renkin asked.

“What…!”

His Majesty’s face turned red from astonishment and rage.

I felt worried about his health.

If he becomes very excited and falls, it could mean that I killed him.

‘Then there are more problems; I can’t discuss anything regarding people without proof.” I went on.

“You can’t just penalize me just because I told you so.”

“That’s why I want you to keep an eye on me.”

“Can you keep an eye on me for a month to see whether you can trust me?”

“Can you… endure such circumstance for a month?” His Majesty asked.

“…? Isn’t it a little late for that now?”

“…… I see.”

“Why didn’t you eat throughout the dinner?” His Majesty suddenly asked.

Didn’t it that happen as well?

On the day of the meeting with His Majesty, there is a dinner party always.

His Majesty, the crown prince and his wife, the third prince, his wife, and Eliza would also attend.

I was usually seated farthest away from His Majesty, with Eliza next to me.

I never eat even a single bite of the magnificent dishes on the table because… Because…

“I couldn’t eat it. Everything was rotten.”

“You mean just your dinner was served differently?”

“I think so.”

It would be difficult to go through the trouble for preparing meat that has turned green or yellow. (tl: I really don’t know why she’s pondering over that.)

I don’t care if it’s just poor food or if there are bugs in it, but it’s okay because I can eat it,

But I can’t eat that one.

“If I get sick, no one will take care of me, let alone call a doctor.”

“You are the only one who can defend me.” I locked my gaze on His Majesty’s.

“All right, I get it. I’ll put you under surveillance right away.”

“However. Not for a month, but tell us as soon as you believe you have sufficient proof against them.”

“You don’t have to go on living such a life… “You’re my granddaughter.”

…I was astonished yet happy to be called a granddaughter.

“The first time you addressed me as ‘grandfather,’… I knew that was a way of getting rid of people.”

“Could you perhaps continue to call me grandfather?”

“Is that… truly all right?”

I asked, but His Majesty smiled happily and nods.

What… maybe he likes me?

“By the way, why did you get rid of the chief lady-in-waiting?”