Chapter 5: I’ll Make You Happy Again

“G-get them all out!!!”

Startled by Bellita’s desperate scream, the nanny hurriedly sent away the Imperial chef as well.

The chef, who had only done what he always did, felt wronged, but he had no choice but to leave the room quickly as the nanny chased him out.

The nanny sensed something was wrong. She knew the Princess down to her bones, and it was very unusual for her to reject four men so vehemently, screaming and trembling all the while. Normally, the Princess would have hit them or thrown them out herself if they displeased her. Seeing her trembling in rejection made the nanny deeply worried.

“Princess… Calm down and lie down.”

The nanny quickly laid the pale Bellita, who looked like she might collapse at any moment, on the bed and sat quietly beside her.

She had been short-sighted. She had been relieved that the Princess had returned safely from the mountains, but it was clear she had suffered a greater shock than expected, causing her to act strangely.

“I hate it all…”

The nanny held the Princess’s cold hands in her own, wondering how great the shock must have been for her to tremble like this.

“Princess. You’ll feel better after some sleep.”

Suddenly, Bellita gripped the nanny’s hands tightly.

“Don’t go anywhere. Just stay here.”

My goodness. She’s begging with tears in her eyes.

“I never want to see such things again…”

Tears were now streaming down the Princess’s face. Feeling deeply sorry for her, the nanny gently patted her hands, trying to calm her down. Yes, that’s it. She had been attended to for too long. She should have paid more attention to the Princess, who got bored easily. It was her fault. She had lived only to ensure the Princess’s happiness since the day she was born.

“I’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry about anything.”

The nanny’s gentle voice provided some comfort, but Bellita, exhausted and drained, felt like she was sinking into the bed. She was mentally exhausted and tired.

As Bellita slowly closed her eyes and drifted into a light sleep, the nanny made a resolution.

Princess. I’ll make you happy again. Just rest a little.

The nanny carefully placed Bellita’s hand down and silently stood up from her seat.

***

She dozed off. The bright light outside made it hard to tell if it was morning or afternoon. Although she felt a bit calmer, her body and mind were still heavy from all the unpleasant things she had seen. No matter how grand and heavenly Bellita’s room in the Imperial Palace was, it did not stir any emotions in her. It just felt unfamiliar. Instead, she was filled with anger, to the point of cursing. She still couldn’t believe it.

Not only did I die in vain after living so diligently, but I also ended up possessing a woman like this. What did I do to deserve this?

Surviving a near-death experience wasn’t enough; now she had to deal with those dreadful men. She was terrified to even imagine what Bellita had done to live such a life. The original story only described her as a debauched and promiscuous woman in a few lines, but experiencing it firsthand was horrifying.

She had been through all sorts of things since coming here. She just wanted to forget everything and tightly closed her eyes again.

If only I could wake up and find myself back in my original room.

“Princess! You’re awake.”

As if determined to prevent her from thinking, the nanny approached, calling out to her again.

Forcing her eyes open, she saw the nanny’s face, looking triumphant as if she had good news to deliver.

The nanny helped her up, draped a feather-soft white cloak over her shoulders, and led her out of bed. Although she seemed to have regained some strength, her face still lacked vitality. But the nanny was confident it would return soon. After seating the Princess on the sofa and adjusting the cloak, the nanny called out loudly.

“Everyone, come in.”

Bellita, who had been slumping weakly, suddenly straightened her back in tension. As soon as she opened her eyes, a group of men began streaming into her room. They were all tall and handsome, but she didn’t care about that.

What is this…?

The men lined up in front of her, and the nanny spoke confidently.

“They are the ones I’ve carefully selected.”

Bellita had no idea what they were selected for or what she was supposed to do.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you undressing?”

The nanny scolded the men.

What?

Before she could ask, the man on the far left began undressing. Like dominoes, the man next to him, then the next one, followed suit…

“Nanny!!!”

Bellita’s desperate scream made the previously confident nanny’s expression waver slightly.

“No, no. Stop!!!”

Covering her face with both hands and shaking her head, the Princess caused the nanny to halt the men’s actions with a raised hand. She had thought the Princess would be pleased, but perhaps she had brought the wrong ones.

“Princess. Should I bring more? Are none of them to your liking? Don’t worry. There are more.”

Bellita, at a loss for words, just shook her head vigorously.

“Get them all out. Stop this… please…”

Seeing the Princess in such distress, the nanny quickly gestured for the men to leave. Now, the nanny was even more confused. She wondered why the Princess was acting this way.

“Princess. Please tell me what you want. I’ll do anything you wish.”

The nanny, who had never once been wrong about what the Princess wanted, was now deeply troubled by this unprecedented situation.

“Just leave me alone. Please… I want to be alone.”

“Without men?”

Her voice was too loud. The nanny’s voice cracked and rose, unable to believe what she was hearing from the Princess.

“Please… Nanny…”

“Alright. Princess. I was wrong.”

Calming the Princess was the top priority. She had tried to make her happy by bringing new faces that suited her taste, but it had only made her miserable. She had no idea why. The nanny placed her hand on the Princess’s forehead and focused intently.

“No fever… is there anywhere else that hurts?”

Everything hurts. My head, my body, everywhere. I really want to rest.

Bellita opened her mouth to speak. Just then.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking interrupted, and the nanny hurried over, missing what Bellita was about to say. Two knocks meant a regular visitor, but three knocks signaled urgency.

The person who entered, escorted by the attendant, was the Emperor’s aide. Not just an attendant, but the aide himself. That alone widened the nanny’s eyes, and what he said next startled her even more.

“What?”

As soon as the aide left, the nanny rushed to Bellita, swiftly removing the cloak she had draped over her.

“Princess. We need to hurry.”

Other maids came in and began dressing her in a new gown, moving busily.

“Why… why are you doing this?”

Bellita asked in a frightened voice as they dressed her in layers of undergarments, petticoats, and multiple layers of clothing.

“The Emperor has invited you to lunch. You need to get ready and go.”

The two words, Emperor and lunch, filled Bellita with immense dread, causing her to step back from the maids attending to her.

“Can’t… can’t I not go? I’m so overwhelmed right now, and my head hurts…”

It wasn’t an excuse. Even if it were, the Emperor was the last person she wanted to meet right now.

“Are you crazy?”

The nanny’s sharp rebuke made Bellita think she might actually go crazy.

“It’s the first time in four years since your marriage that the Emperor has invited you to a meal, and you’re saying that?”

She looked ready to grab a whip. The nanny’s stern voice made Bellita’s face crumple.

“I… I don’t know anything right now…”

She wanted to avoid the situation at all costs.

“It’s alright. I’ll go with you. Don’t worry.”

That’s not it… This is driving me crazy.

She had just been standing still, but in no time, she was fully dressed in a voluminous gown. Like a lamb to the slaughter, Bellita was led by the nanny to an unknown Imperial dining hall, her face growing darker with each step.

***

Clatter.

She had no idea how awkward the meal was. She couldn’t tell if the food was going into her mouth or nose. Her hand holding the fork trembled constantly. She was eating the decorative flowers on the plate, but only the nanny standing behind her noticed, while Bellita kept moving her hands and mouth, thinking that eating quickly would allow her to leave sooner.

She had no idea how splendid the Emperor looked in his Imperial uniform. She hadn’t looked at him once, haunted by the memory of the incident in the mountains.

The only fortunate thing was that she was seated far from the Emperor. If she had been closer, she wouldn’t have been able to drink a drop of water.

With the atmosphere feeling as heavy as a boulder pressing down on her and a sharp blade at her throat, Bellita felt like she was losing her mind. She quickly finished her meal, ignoring all dining etiquette, and stood up abruptly.

“I, I will take my leave…”

The Emperor, who had been watching her closely, raised an eyebrow. She was already turning and walking away in a hurry.

“Won’t you confirm the budget proposal you requested before you leave?”

The Emperor’s cold, sharp voice pierced the back of her head. She wanted to ignore it and run away, but the nanny, whom she thought was an ally, signaled her to return.

Stiffly turning around, she accepted the paper the attendant politely handed her. Though it was her first time seeing the characters, she could read them, which was surprising, but she had no time to dwell on that.

Mr. Cartan Selection Competition.

She could read it, but she didn’t understand what it meant. She glanced over the part where 1 million gold was crossed out and replaced with 500,000 gold.

Not knowing what to do, Bellita looked around for help and turned her head towards the nanny. Fortunately, the nanny quickly understood and hurriedly read the paper.

“What? The Princess’s favorite event, and the budget is halved?”

The nanny whispered, pouting her lips in great displeasure.

Bellita didn’t care about the budget cut; the more she learned about Bellita, the more dizzy she felt.

“Do I have to do… this?”

“What are you talking about? You need this to rehire the bath attendants and masseurs you chased away.”

The nanny’s words brought back memories of the men she wanted to forget, making her shudder.

“Forget it all.”

“What? Are you saying you won’t do it?”

Seeing the Princess’s pale face, the nanny thought she must be quite shocked by the budget cut. 

How to console her…

“Nanny. I want to go back to my room. What should I do?”

Aha!

If that’s what the Princess wants, then of course!

Especially since the budget was halved!

“Just flip everything over and go.”