In this Chaotic World, I Am Doing Fine - Chapter 3

The Emperor slightly furrowed his brow at the person before him.

“Your Majesty! My only son is on the brink of death due to harm inflicted by the Princess. What should be done about this situation!”

A middle-aged man with graying hair pleaded earnestly.

It was Liam’s father, Duke Wade.

“You’re being too dramatic, Duke. How could the Princess do such a thing to a healthy young man?”

“My son returned covered in blood after visiting Her Highness the Princess. Since only Her Highness and my son were in that room, who else could have done such a thing if not Her Highness?”

“Only the two of them know what happened between them. It’s too early to jump to conclusions.”

“Your Majesty, you must summon the Princess and reprimand her. I stand here for the honor of my family and the well-being of my son. This is an act of disrespect towards our family by Her Highness the Princess!”

The Emperor sighed.

He had heard that his usually quiet and unassuming youngest daughter had caused trouble, and now it turns out she had left her fiancé bloodied.

According to his trusted chamberlain, the situation wasn’t as life-threatening as Duke Wade was making it out to be; the injury was just a head wound that required a few stitches.

Any knight trained in martial arts would have such wounds, and the Duke surely knew this. His exaggerated reaction clearly showed his intention to extract hefty compensation.

The fact that he wasn’t asking to cancel the engagement while mentioning family honor was telling.

‘Was Acelia twenty years old this year?’

The Emperor was so indifferent to his youngest daughter that he didn’t even know her age correctly.

If Duke Wade hadn’t complained, he would have overlooked the incident, regardless of whether Acelia had beaten her fiancé to a pulp or not.

“Your Majesty, Her Highness Princess Acelia has arrived.”

“Let her in.”

The massive doors opened, and Acelia entered with a pitiful expression.

Pale complexion, arms and legs that looked like they would break if squeezed.

But with her platinum blonde hair half-up and wearing a light pink dress with minimal accessories, she exuded a mysterious aura that blended with her uniquely fragile atmosphere.

‘Hmm?’

The Emperor felt surprised at Acelia’s appearance, which seemed more mature than when he last saw her.

But that was all.

Whether his youngest daughter looked more mature than before or was actually twenty-three years old, he just wanted to quickly get to the bottom of the incident and send Duke Wade away.

“Duke, I’ve summoned the Princess as you requested. Princess, I called you here today to inquire about what happened between you and Count Liam Wade Felix.”

“Your Highness, you must confess the truth. Don’t tell lies that will be exposed when my son wakes up!”

Duke Wade warned, as if threatening.

He was confident that things would go his way, seeing how vulnerable the Princess looked.

‘Who is this? Could it be Liam’s supposedly great father? They don’t look alike at all.’

But Acelia, far from trembling before the august Emperor, was calmly observing the middle-aged man with gray hair.

She had been anticipating that if the matter escalated, there would be an investigation into the truth.

It was unexpected that the Emperor himself had summoned her, but that didn’t change her plan.

Acelia gradually composed herself, drawing on her experience from her university drama club.

As Acelia kept her head bowed and lips tightly sealed, Duke Wade urged her.

“Your Highness, please speak!”

“Duke Wade, your voice is too loud in my presence.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. But I must know exactly what happened.”

At that moment, a fragile voice that seemed about to break interjected between the two.

“It’s all my fault……”

It was a small but clear voice that pierced the ear.

It was the diction she had practiced, learning techniques from her seniors.

Acelia bit her lip, as if she was trying not to cry, her sky-blue eyes brimming with tears, looking cowed.

A strange light flashed momentarily in Duke Wade’s eyes.

“Your Highness, are you admitting your fault?”

“When the Count approached me forcefully while we were alone, I was startled and without thinking……”

This is why one should listen to the end of what someone has to say.

Acelia inwardly suppressed a laugh at the Duke who had hastily taken the bait.

“Wh-what… What do you mean?”

“Even if we are engaged, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed, but the Count tried to cross that line too easily.”

It was an ambiguous expression.

The ‘line’ that should be kept between a man and a woman, and the ‘line’ that should be kept between people.

The Emperor and the Duke would understand it as the former, but what Acelia meant was the latter, indirectly saying that the Count had thrown his manners out the window.

“I had to protect myself, so I had no choice but to……”

Now it was the climax.

As Acelia blinked, the tears that had welled up fell in drops.

At the same time, she subtly revealed her right wrist, which she had wrapped in bandages after calling the imperial physician before coming to the audience chamber.

The Emperor and the Duke’s gazes were drawn to it.

A moment of silence fell.

“Duke, it seems the Princess is the one who was harmed?”

“Th-that is… Still, wasn’t it an overreaction! My son is now lying unconscious!”

“I feel so sorry for the Count……”

Acelia bowed her head deeply and trembled slightly.

Because she was so thin and frail, she looked even more pitiful and sad.

The Emperor made his judgment.

“Duke Wade, it’s regrettable that the Count hasn’t regained consciousness, but it seems there are unspeakable circumstances between the two. If you don’t want to cancel the engagement, let’s put this matter to rest.”

“But Your Majesty!”

“Shall I send the imperial physician?”

The Emperor’s indifferent gaze pierced the Duke.

Faced with an expression that seemed impenetrable, the Duke had no choice but to back down.

“……I will follow your command.”

As Duke Wade left, grinding his teeth, the Emperor spoke without even looking at Acelia.

“Princess, you may withdraw. Mind your conduct.”

“Yes.”

Acelia, clumsily bowing with the etiquette she had hastily learned from her nanny, withdrew from the audience chamber.

The corners of her mouth were slightly raised as she turned away.

The Emperor glanced at her retreating figure.

On the way back to the Princess’s Palace.

Her vision was once again filled with a blue window.

Ding!

[The <Excellent Actor> trait has awakened in you! Would you like to check the updated information?]

“What’s this.”

Acelia had the roulette display the window so that the servants following her wouldn’t notice.

[Checking updated information.
Name: Acelia Hedwig (Baek Seyeon)
Title: The Unnoticeable Princess (Fame 3/100)
Age: 23
Traits: <Sickly>, <Timid>, <Cheating Fiancé>, <Excellent Actor>(new!)]

A new trait had indeed been added.

[<Excellent Actor>
—Ordinary people cannot detect your acting.]

“Oh.”

“Your Highness, is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I thought something got into my shoe.”

“That won’t do! Would you like to lean on my shoulder for a moment and take off your shoe?”

“It’s fine, it’s gone now.”

Unaware that the servants were feeling sorry for the Princess whose eyes had turned red from her passionate performance, Acelia inwardly laughed mischievously.

‘Did a trait awaken because of my actions? Then other traits might awaken depending on what I do in the future. But did my fame increase? Why? I don’t think I did anything special.’

As Acelia tilted her head and was about to take a step, suddenly a warning light came on and a message [Poison effect activated!] appeared before her eyes.

“Ugh!”

“Princess!”

“Quickly, bring the imperial physician!”

The servants panicked as Acelia staggered.

‘So this is how the poison activates!’

Just as Acelia covered her mouth with her pale hand, feeling the rising nausea, someone’s voice was heard.

“What’s the matter?”

“……! High Priest!”

The nanny was the first to react.

‘High Priest?’

Acelia struggled to raise her gaze to look at the person called the High Priest.

For a moment, she was so stunned that she forgot her pain.

Silver hair shining like the Milky Way, and deep blue eyes reminiscent of the sea.

His skin was so white and clean it was almost transparent, and his high-bridged nose and healthy lips were without a single dry flake.

She hadn’t noticed from afar, but up close he was tall enough to not be intimidating, and his perfectly fitting white priest’s robe seemed as if it had been made just for him.

The refined and neat appearance that Acelia liked.

However, strangely enough, he exuded a tired and bored atmosphere like that of a department head who had worked for about 20 years.

“I greet Your Highness the Princess.”

Even as he spoke to her, his expression showed that he found everything in the world bothersome.

‘Why does such a young person look like that?’

“Are you alright?”

“Urgh, I’m fine… Please go.”

That was the end of her appreciation. Acelia waved her hand dismissively as nausea welled up.

He wasn’t the imperial physician, and as the High Priest, there probably wasn’t anything he could do.

If only the imperial physician would arrive sooner.

“May I take a look?”

“I said I’m fine.”

Acelia was irritated because her body was in pain.

Surely he wasn’t going to say nonsense like praying to the gods would instantly cure her illness?

Acelia gave him a distrustful look, recalling the pseudo-religious figures she had seen in modern times.

But it seemed the High Priest of this world was different.

“The situation seems urgent… Excuse me.”

Despite Acelia’s refusal, the High Priest was insistent.

His actions were peculiar, done with a face that looked like he would rather die than be bothered.

At that moment, a holy light burst forth from the hand that grasped hers, and Acelia was startled.

‘What is this?’

She gradually sank into the gentle feeling that washed over her like a tide.

It felt as if she was floating on water in a quiet space filled with golden light.

Slowly, the nausea subsided.

‘I thought it was just a simple medieval world setting, but it wasn’t?’

How is this possible?

If there was one thing in this world that she would covet, it might be this ability.

“……It would be best if you received proper treatment.”

The High Priest, who had suddenly returned to his worn-out expression, said in a businesslike manner.

Acelia replied just as stiffly.

“Thank you for your care. Please be careful on your way.”

The High Priest, after briefly examining Acelia’s face, silently moved on.

“Oh my, Princess! Now that High Priest Joachim has treated you personally, you should be fine.”

“Who is that person?”

“He’s the youngest and most capable person in the High Priest’s Office. I’ve heard rumors that he might become the next Pope.”

“……Is that so?”

You’re saying he was such an impressive person?

Acelia clenched and unclenched the hand that Joachim had held, then looked back at the place where he had departed.