In this Chaotic World, I Am Doing Fine - Chapter 10

After the First Prince’s birthday banquet ended, Ensia returned to her mansion in a foul mood.

Even her maids were walking on eggshells around her.

“Everyone out.”

The maids who were waiting to help her undress exchanged glances before quietly withdrawing.

In the silent room.

A moment later, Ensia began throwing objects.

Thud! Crash! Smash.

It’s all ruined. On the day she should have shone the brightest, it’s all ruined…!

After panting for a while, she brushed up her disheveled purple hair.

Ensia recalled the final scene before the banquet ended.

Her partner, who had coughed up blood, was carried out on a stretcher despite receiving treatment from the High Priest, and people whispered as they looked at her left alone.

“Why! Why should I receive such looks!”

It was the first time she had faced such humiliation while reigning as the flower of social circles.

Probably by tomorrow, there won’t be anyone in the capital who doesn’t know about today’s events.

“Acelia…! That woman who’s worse than an idiot!”

And Acelia was a major factor in ruining Ensia’s mood.

With her lips trembling, she recalled the conversation she had with Acelia.

—There’s no way Liam and Ensia could be like that, right? That would be no different from what beasts do.

It was irritating to see her act innocent as if she knew nothing, while speaking like a worn-out noblewoman of social circles.

“Did she know? No, she couldn’t have missed it with how obvious it was. But to say it out loud like that?”

The ‘Acelia Hedwig’ she knew would have watched from afar with hurt eyes when her fiancé entered with someone else as his partner.

She might have just lingered around, unable to confront directly.

Then she would have enjoyed her time with Liam, savoring the sense of victory.

“That ‘Forgotten Princess’!”

It was a common term people used to refer to the timid and sickly youngest princess of the imperial family.

The current Empress was from the Monium marquis family and was the Marquis’s sister.

Therefore, Ensia and Acelia were cousins.

Ensia, believing herself far superior to the unnoticeable princess, had always taken things from Acelia to prove it.

First, it was her maid. Then her friend.

And finally, her fiancé.

Her life had always been full of praise and spotlights.

Until today.

“Why did Liam have to collapse there and cause a scene.”

Although they were lovers, Ensia was more upset about being made to look foolish than worried about Liam.

If only Liam had been fine, the banquet wouldn’t have ended in such a mess.

She was concerned about how she would face people starting tomorrow.

Chewing her nails, Ensia went to her desk.

“I don’t know what wind blew to make her suddenly act like that, but people don’t change easily. So I have no choice but to make her know her place.”

Acelia was royalty in name only and had nothing else.

In the completely messy room, Ensia wrote a letter to her.

A letter asking to be invited to the palace along with her close noble ladies.

***

“Huff, huff…”

‘What on earth is that person…?’

Acelia thought about Joachim while running in the garden.

Even though she was out of breath, she mechanically moved her legs.

‘Did he notice something when we made contact before?’

Her energy became cleaner than before, or something like that.

Joachim had definitely said something like that.

She had dismissed it as pseudo-religious talk, but it might have been quite important.

“Ah!”

“Your Highness the Princess!”

The nanny and maids screamed as Acelia, who had been running well, suddenly twisted her ankle.

When she rotated her ankle, it throbbed.

“Now this is just…”

Acelia sighed, frustrated with her body that rarely obeyed her.

“Let’s stop for today. You’ve expended a lot of energy.”

“But…”

She hadn’t reached her goal yet.

“You can’t run more with that leg anyway. Let’s go back and I’ll apply a hot compress to your ankle.”

“Alright.”

Reluctantly, Acelia returned to her room with the support of her nanny.

‘Roulette, show me my current information.’

Ding!

[Checking the updated information.
Name: Acelia Hedwig (Baek Seyeon)
Title: The Unnoticeable Princess (Fame 12/100)
Age: 23
Traits: <Sickly>, <Timid>, <Cheating Fiancé>, <Excellent Actor>, <Sword Mastery — Sword Master trait (limited to the first thrust in combat)>
Status Abnormalities:
▶Abandoned in this Shitty World!
—The roulette activates in unspecified situations.
▶Poison (???)
—Makes the body weak and sometimes causes coughing up blood, nausea, chills, fever, etc.
▶The Last Leaf (D-89)
—If ‘Poison (???)’ is not resolved within 89 days, you will contract an incurable disease and die!]

There was a change in the information window.

Her fame had increased.

‘What’s the point of gathering fame.’

Presumably, fame increased when she made an impression on people.

It was unavoidable to stand out after causing such a scene at the banquet.

As she was looking at the status window with troubled eyes, she heard her nanny’s voice.

“Your Highness, a letter has arrived from Lady Ensia Monium.”

“A letter?”

Acelia looked suspiciously at the letter her nanny brought on a silver tray.

Why would that woman write to me?

Picking up the letter with her index finger as if it might be a bomb, Acelia, overcome by curiosity, used a paper knife to open the seal.

‘Why is the preamble so long. …Ah, she wants to be invited to the palace, is that it?’

After skipping the greetings that spanned two whole pages and catching only the main point, Acelia smiled coldly.

She put the letter back in the envelope and handed it to her nanny.

“Yes. Use it as kindling, Nanny.”

I don’t know what you’re planning, but it won’t go your way.

Just as she was relaxing after washing up, the door burst open.

“Acelia, I’m hungry.”

“Would you please not barge into a lady’s room like that? What if I had been changing clothes? And why do you always talk about food every time you come, like a stray cat that shows up at mealtime?”

“You think I lack that much tact? Anyway, feed me.”

Glaring at Gale, who looked grimy from whatever he had been doing, Acelia instructed the servants to prepare a meal.

Shortly after, the two sat facing each other in the dining room, eating.

Acelia ate sparingly, focusing on easily digestible foods, while Gale tore into meat as if he hadn’t eaten for days.

But then…

Bang.

“Your Highness Princess Acelia, I apologize for entering without permission.”

Armed knights burst into the dining room.

‘Is it trendy these days to barge through doors?’

“What is it?”

“We heard that the Third Prince is here. Your Highness Gale, you need to come with us.”

The knights answered, looking at Gale, in response to her irritated words.

“What? For what reason are you taking Gale?”

Do you have a warrant?

Acelia glared.

“One of the imperial treasures, the ‘Frost Giant’s Quill’, has disappeared.”

“And?”

“There’s a witness who saw Your Highness Gale take it. So we ask for your cooperation in the investigation.”

“What? It wasn’t me!”

Gale jumped up, throwing down the chicken leg he was holding.

He wasn’t the type to deny if he had actually done it.

Seeing Gale shaking his head, Acelia narrowed her eyes.

Remembering the scene at the banquet where people were slandering Gale, she couldn’t let it pass without saying something to these rude knights.

“State your affiliation and name.”

“…I am Arnold Hash of the Red Hawk Knight Order.”

“Sir Hash. Are you saying you’re going to take an imperial prince without solid evidence?”

“But there is a witness.”

“So you’re accusing a member of the imperial family of being a criminal based solely on a witness’s word, and for just one missing treasure? Is that treasure more important than the honor of the imperial family?”

The knight made a displeased face.

Acelia glared at the knight with a ‘What are you going to do about it?’ expression.

“…It’s His Majesty the Emperor’s order.”

Acelia clicked her tongue.

This damn monarchical state.

Of course, if it’s the Emperor’s word, all laws and procedures are ignored.

“Gale, go with them.”

“I really didn’t do it!”

“I know. Think of it as just answering some questions and tell them what you know. I’ll look into what’s going on too.”

Gale’s eyes drooped.

“I really didn’t do it.”

As he left the dining room with the knights, Acelia had her nanny find out exactly what had happened.

The nanny used her connections to dig up information about what happened in the western storehouse.

“It’s true that a treasure in storage disappeared. The ‘Frost Giant’s Quill’ isn’t highly valuable, but it’s a treasure that shouldn’t be lost due to its symbolism.”

“Why is Gale being accused as the culprit?”

“Apparently, that’s the route His Highness Gale often takes. Three soldiers and one servant testified that they saw His Highness Gale coming out of the storehouse.”

“Did it disappear today?”

“No. It happened three nights ago.”

“Three nights ago?”

After pondering for a moment, Acelia stood up abruptly.

“I need to go to where Gale is right now.”

As she barged into the interrogation room with her maids, knights blocked her way.

“Your Highness the Princess, you can’t enter while the interrogation is ongoing.”

“What do you hope to gain by interrogating the innocent Third Prince? Do you truly believe he’s the culprit to block my way like this!”

Acelia deliberately shouted sternly, using the tone she had seen in historical dramas.

The knights looked troubled.

“Three nights ago, Gale was with me. So bring the witnesses here. I’ll verify it myself.”