The Prince Is Dead, So Let’s Start Over Everything Again! - Chapter 1.3

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Ten days after tying a green string to the messenger that had come to Lulupel with a blue string and sending it back. Finally, a reply came from the 3rd Prince’s side.

“His Highness the 3rd Prince says he will visit Rudbeckia Palace soon.”

Count Lulupel, who had been reading the letter with a tense face, let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the contents of the reply seemed to be not bad.

In fact, ten days ago, Lulupel hadn’t given a clear answer to the 3rd Prince’s marriage proposal.

He had only invited the 3rd Prince to Rudbeckia Palace.

One might have thought the 3rd Prince’s pride would be hurt by a Margrave daring to put him on the scales, but surprisingly, the 3rd Prince’s side didn’t take issue with this.

For unknown reasons, they seemed to be quite eager.

“Then we should quickly start preparing to receive His Highness.”

The Countess Lulupel replied in a pleased voice.

From that moment on, everyone in the Count’s household became busy without a moment’s rest.

Count Lulupel was busy inspecting Rudbeckia Palace, which hadn’t had a royal visit in years, and Countess Lulupel was busy preparing a welcoming party for the 3rd Prince.

And I…

“……Anna, do we really have to do this?”

“Of course! We must show His Highness the Prince who the most beautiful lady in Letitia is!”

“I’m pretty even without doing all this.”

“Of course, I completely agree with you, Young Miss. But didn’t His Highness say he’s coming from Asphodel Palace?”

“So what?”

“I heard somewhere that the capital is where the most radiant beauties from across the continent gather. It can’t hurt to be thoroughly prepared!”

“No, we don’t need to do this……”

Because Hariella is already the most beautiful woman in this world…

I swallowed the words I couldn’t say to Anna.

Anna skillfully ignored my words that could have sounded like self-praise.

Instead, she focused all her attention on applying some unknown liquid to my hair.

After finishing the hair pack of questionable ingredients, she fitted no less than twenty dresses.

Anna, with fire in her eyes, was more ferocious than a bull seeing red cloth.

Overwhelmed by Anna’s fierce enthusiasm, I nodded obediently, feeling completely drained.

We chose accessories that would match the dresses, and fitted shoes to go with them.

Anna, flipping through the catalog, looked like the happiest person in the world.

“Do you like shopping that much, Anna?”

Anna opened her eyes wide at my question.

“No?”

It was an utterly unbelievable answer.

“If you’re going to lie, you should at least wet your lips……”

“I’m not lying! Young Miss, how can you say such an insensitive thing?”

“I said something insensitive?”

“Yes. You spoke as if you didn’t know that helping to dress up the young lady they serve is every maid’s dream in this world!”

Anna, with a dreamy look in her eyes, chattered on.

“This is the first time, you know. Who knows when we’ll get another chance like this! How could I approach this lucky opportunity half-heartedly?”

Anna was right.

In my past three lives, I had never once received this kind of attention.

I rarely went outside the estate, let alone outside the mansion, so there was no need to dress up.

If I had known Anna would enjoy it this much, I would have attended even a small tea party.

‘Well. Let’s just let Anna do as she pleases. What could possibly go wrong?’

I decided to cooperate with Anna so she could act as she wished.

And so, on the day of the 3rd Prince’s visit, which had finally arrived.

I had become practically a living Christmas tree.

By that, I mean my whole body was sparkling, and glitter fell everywhere with each step I took.

When I was receiving Anna’s ministrations, I didn’t realize it would turn out like this.

We entered Rudbeckia Palace as soon as the dawn moon rose.

I was so sleepy and tired that I had no time to pay attention to what Anna was doing.

This was the result.

‘The 3rd Prince is supposed to arrive around noon……’

There wasn’t much time left.

Perhaps it would be better to change into different clothes even now…

“Anna, don’t we have any other clothes? This seems too much no matter how you look at it. I’ll look ridiculous.”

“Oh my! Who would dare to think our Young Miss looks ridiculous? Even if it’s His Highness the Prince, he couldn’t possibly! If His Highness dares to insult you, I, Anna, will even risk my life to…!”

“No, Anna! Stop! That’s enough! If you say any more, it’ll be blasphemy!”

Seeing Anna’s fervent reaction, it seemed I had to give up on changing clothes.

Anna’s loyalty, which was already excessive to begin with, had doubled over the past few days.

It had gotten to the point where she habitually talked about giving her life for me.

Needless to say, I had no need for Anna’s life or anything of the sort. I also declined her excessive devotion.

What good would it do for a villainess’s maid to be loyal in a third-rate romance novel, other than dying in place of the villainess?

I persistently refused Anna’s loyalty and covered her mouth. Then our eyes met.

Anna’s gentle eyes were full of laughter.

What? It was just a joke?

I sighed and removed my hand from Anna’s mouth. My small hand wasn’t really covering it properly anyway.

“Hehe. Are you feeling a bit less nervous now?”

Anna asked me as I collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.

When I raised my head with a puzzled expression, she pointed at my palm with her finger.

“You’ve had an extremely tense look on your face for a while now. And you’ve been clenching your fists too.”

“……I have?”

“Yes, you have. It was so bad that even I was starting to feel nervous.”

“……I see.”

So I was nervous.

Just as Anna said, there were red nail marks on my palm.

I had been frightened at the prospect of facing a mere eight-year-old boy.

“Don’t worry too much. His Highness the Prince is coming all the way to Rudbeckia Palace himself. Isn’t the victory flag already in your hands, Young Miss?”

Anna spoke simply and clearly as if solving an easy math problem.

But her words weren’t much of a comfort.

Whether the flag in my hand was a victory flag or a white flag of surrender was something I wouldn’t know until I experienced it.

Dying at the hands of the 3rd Prince. That was the fate this world had set for Hariella.

Although I had experienced death once before and gained four new lives, I was still afraid of death.

No one could know how long this special opportunity would be given to me.

But I couldn’t follow the same path as in previous rounds either.

That path was certainly safe, but I already knew it led to a dead end.

I only had two choices left.

Would I move forward through a place I had never been before, where there wasn’t even a path?

Or would I stay here, standing still?

In fact, the answer was already decided. It was the answer I had chosen myself.