Chapter 6: Help Me

The Emperor couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Even while eating, he was pleased to see that Bellita still couldn’t look at him and that her hands were trembling.

Clatter, clatter, the sound was so frequent. He remembered how she used to sit haughtily, eating without making a sound, while pretending to be elegant.

Of course, the only time he had seen her was at the wedding reception. He remembered how she had glanced at him disdainfully, as if he were a brute, just because he had made a clattering sound. Now, seeing her eat something strange, the Emperor couldn’t help but let out a mocking laugh.

If it was true that she had fled from the Prince, as she claimed, he wondered what had driven her to run away. If it were true, he suspected she might have hit her head hard somewhere.

Whatever the case, it was still amusing. Watching her tremble like that gave him a subtle pleasure.

After whispering something with the nanny, all she could say was “Do as you please.” And she stammered while saying it. Then she turned around and ran away in a hurry. The Emperor couldn’t help but laugh again.

Even though he had drastically cut the budget for Bellita’s favorite event, the “Mr. Cartan Selection Competition,” she didn’t throw a fit but chose to run away instead.

Bellita, who was known for making a fuss and getting angry over every little thing. Even without meeting her, the Emperor heard all about her antics. He always ignored them.

How long will she keep amusing me like this?

Maybe for a day or two.

This small amusement would soon disappear, but the Emperor didn’t mind.

***

“Dein. We need to find another way. That passage will be heavily guarded. Find a way to minimize our army’s sacrifices.”

After finishing the afternoon’s state meeting, Grand Duke Dein Benoit bowed his head respectfully to the Emperor in response.

The Cartan Empire was on the verge of unifying the continent. All that remained was to conquer the Kingdom of Euclo, and the four-year-long campaign would come to an end.

The problem was that Euclo was not an easy opponent. To attack the Kingdom of Euclo, which was surrounded by deserts on all sides, they had to pass through the only canyon at the western end, where the desert was the narrowest.

The other deserts were so vast that entering them meant never returning. Thus, leading an army into the desert recklessly was not an option. The shortest path through the desert would undoubtedly be heavily guarded. Thanks to this desert, the Kingdom of Euclo had been able to remain unscathed by invasions and maintain its kingdom for many years.

They only needed to conquer this place. Even the young and trusted sage, Dein, found this task difficult. Despite racking his brain, he couldn’t come up with a suitable alternative, and his face was not bright as he left the state office.

“Cheer up.”

It was always good to see Anton. Even though Dein was relatively short, Anton, who was already tall, seemed even more like a giant, but Anton was always respectful. Everyone called Dein the “Little Giant” and always treated him with respect as one of the only two Grand Dukes in the country.

“Is His Majesty alright?”

“He was as usual.”

Knowing well what had happened last night, Dein tried to ease Anton’s worries. However, he didn’t mention the Emperor’s slightly unfocused state, thinking it might just be his own concern.

“With the issue of the Divine Beast, His Majesty must be on edge, and now this has happened, so it’s natural to be worried.”

“He has always been sharp, so what’s there to worry about?”

The conversations between the overly upright Anton and the enlightened sage Dein always went like this, but their friendship was unmatched.

“His Majesty will never be deceived, so don’t worry.”

“Of course. What kind of person do you think His Majesty is?”

There’s no way he would be fooled by that deceitful Empress. I’m just curious about when he plans to kill her.

“I was hoping the Empress’s position would become vacant so that His Majesty could be matched with someone better. It’s a shame.”

“We never know.”

Is that so? Well, it could happen.

Dein neither confirmed nor denied it, merely smiling quietly.

***

“What happened to that infamous temper of yours?”

Back in her room, Bellita sat on the sofa, clutching her head.

“Nanny, you don’t understand… The tip of a sword was at my neck…”

Even now, remembering the sensation made Bellita’s throat tighten, rendering her unable to speak further.

Good heavens.

The nanny hugged the Princess tightly. She cursed the Emperor, wondering what he had done. She thought everything was fine when she brought the Princess back, but this betrayal was too much. She lamented how she had raised the Princess with such care, only for someone to dare point a blade at her throat. The nanny’s tirade continued for quite some time.

Despite the nanny’s comforting words, Bellita continued to tremble slightly, still feeling uneasy.

“I’ll always protect you, so don’t worry. What else are you afraid of?”

Those were the most reassuring words she had heard since coming to this world.

“Nanny… I don’t remember anything.”

The nanny, startled, pulled Bellita away and began examining her face and head. She checked if there was any bump, but fortunately, there was nothing. It didn’t seem like she had hurt her head…

“So that’s why you’ve been acting strangely. What don’t you remember?”

It wasn’t just that she couldn’t remember; she had no memories at all. But explaining that would be pointless since the nanny wouldn’t believe her. Bellita decided it was better to let her know about her condition, so she weakly shook her head.

She felt guilty for causing so much trouble to the nanny, who was endlessly loyal to this body.

“Everything… Help me…”

The nanny, hearing the Princess ask for help for the first time, was in an uproar. Her face turned pale as if it were a matter of life and death. She kept muttering self-reproachfully, wondering what she had been doing, not knowing this, thinking she was the crazy one, and that she deserved to die. After a while, she seemed to make a firm resolution.

“I’ll help you with everything, so don’t worry.”

Bellita, seeing the determined and strong-willed nanny, cautiously approached her.

They say to test even a stone bridge before crossing it.

Swoosh.

“Princess? What are you doing?”

Feeling the soft, squishy sensation, Bellita awkwardly removed her hand from the nanny’s chest. Because of that cross-dressing maid, she had to be sure. Now she felt she could trust the nanny.

“I’ll teach you everything. I remember it all. Just trust me.”

She was so grateful. In this bleak situation, she had gained a reliable ally. It seemed there was still hope. After drinking the sleep-inducing tea the nanny had brought, Bellita finally lay down on the bed, feeling her whole body relax.

Finally, she could rest. She was grateful to the nanny for darkening the room with curtains, even though it was still daylight. Alone, Bellita yawned and finally had the chance to think.

Too many things, no, overwhelming things had happened like a tidal wave. Especially the spectacular events that bordered on death.

Even if she didn’t know about this body, her newly possessed mind was too exhausted to handle it. According to the original story, she should have died miserably in the mountains yesterday, not lying in this bed today. She wished the Imperial Palace and the Empress would all disappear.

Why did I have to possess a character in a novel!

And why Bellita, of all people!

The gap between her, who was clueless about love, and Bellita, the notorious Adulterous Empress, was too vast.

What good is the highest position? This body is still Bellita’s.

Adapting was impossible. Even if she could adapt, she had no idea what would happen next, and her head throbbed.

In the original story, after Bellita and Emur were beheaded, the Kingdom of Pellon, which lost its only daughter, and the island nation of Loca, which lost its second Prince, joined forces and invaded this country. The main storyline of the original began after that, with the Emperor, who had become a mad tyrant, getting caught up in war and internal strife and eventually dying. But…

Since both me and Emur were still alive, was the story deviating from the original?

Oh. That Emur… Is he alive? Or dead?

If he were alive, Emur, who was always carefree even in front of the Emperor, would probably spill everything about his relationship with Bellita. 

Then what would happen to me?

She hated and felt it was unfair that she had to pay for the sins Bellita had committed. But more than that, surviving the tyrant Emperor who brandished a sword at her without warning was the priority. To do that, she needed to figure out how to prove she was worthy of being the mistress of the Imperial Palace, as the Emperor demanded. Her mind was in turmoil.

After pondering for a while, she fell asleep, perhaps due to the sleep-inducing tea the nanny had given her.

***

Having finished his urgent business, the Emperor arrived in front of the underground cell with Anton. It was located in the western tower’s basement, where members of the Imperial Family or high-ranking nobles who had committed crimes were imprisoned.

“Hey~. Emperor.”

Even on the verge of death, the Prince maintained his arrogance. To the Emperor, the still-defiant Prince Emur looked like a worm.

“Bellita is doing well, right?”

The Emperor wasn’t even curious about how long Emur would keep up his bravado. Emur’s pitiful state didn’t even provide the Emperor with any amusement.

“I believe Bellita is still my wife. Or am I wrong?”

“I was planning to make her my real wife, not just a figurehead. Take her to my country.”

“You knew you’d be executed if you were caught, right?”

“I didn’t care. I didn’t expect you to chase us so quickly.”

The Emperor looked down at Emur, who was babbling with his swollen lips, with a bored expression.

“You say she’s your wife, but do you love her?”