Chapter 3
Regression (3)
Since my childhood, countless women had brushed past the Emperor, and illegitimate children were even more numerous, so I had no clue who this little runt could be.
But judging by how dumb he looked—clearly lacking—I’d have to explain who I am.
Once he hears my proud name, even this dimwit would bow his head and back off.
“You are Nyu…gu…ra…saeng…ga…ka…nyup!”
Damn it, I bit my tongue! When the hell will this paralysis go away?!
Whoever this kid is, I’d clearly given him a pretty potent medicine.
“Get down! I said get down!”
“Don’t shake it, you brat! You crazy brat!”
Has this idiot gone mad? Why is he shaking the slide like that—so dangerous!
The maids didn’t dare intervene since it was a fight between the Emperor’s children; they just hovered helplessly nearby.
I hurriedly slid down, swoosh, and smacked the little kid right on the head.
“It’s mine!”
“Why is it yours?! Dad gave it to me!”
Since I’m the legitimate heir, everything in the royal playground naturally belongs to me. Don’t you get it, you blockhead!
I couldn’t explain it properly in words, so I shoved the little brat away to mean “back off.”
Then, outrageously, the kid threw a punch at me. With a crack, his jaw twisted, and I saw red—literally.
“Damn it! You’re gonna pay!”
I beat the kid mercilessly, and I got hit plenty too. My hair got yanked, my ears bled, scratches lined my face. But the final punch landed perfectly, and I got to see double noses bleed on him.
Good thing I’d diligently learned self-defense before dying. Looking closer, that kid’s eyes were swollen like little night balls.
Even if I’d hit him a few more times, I’d still have landed more. Serves him right!
“Waaaaaaah! Mooooom!”
The sight of him bawling like that was pathetic.
Victorious in the fight, I proudly puffed out my chest and climbed back onto the slide. My hands had scratched my face until it bled, but this wasn’t the time to care.
It was my first bare-knuckle fight ever!
Only a few hours into living recklessly, and here I was already mastering the art of fighting. As expected, I was the legitimate heir; I could do anything.
Feeling elated, I hummed a tune and climbed the slide again.
No matter how many times I slid, it never got boring. The only inconvenience was climbing the stairs to reach the slide.
I even thought about calling a few strong guards for help.
“Princess!”
Nah, I couldn’t make busy people work for me. If it got tiring, I could just take a break and play again later.
With that in mind, I moved my legs vigorously—but strangely, a group of guards suddenly gathered around the slide.
Did I just die and come back with divine favor? But my divine power hadn’t increased at all.
Just then, one of the guards, pale as death, approached me.
“Your Highness! By imperial decree, for striking the Prince, Princess Vishnahel is to be imprisoned!”
That little brat still had a knack for driving people crazy.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Unthinkable! You can’t do this!”
I screamed as they carried me off.
The maids, including Emily, pretended to sob and wave their handkerchiefs, claiming it was the Emperor’s command. I, enraged that they were just watching, struggled even harder.
Well, they hadn’t even looked at me when I was dying, so what did I expect? They were all just trying to survive, loyalty aside.
“Waaaaah! Nooo! I hate prison!”
“Princess, it’s going to rip our eardrums!”
Let it rip, I thought. Are you an idiot too?
This damn palace was full of fools, all tainted by the Emperor.
No wonder the country is doomed.
The guards carried me to a high-security prison, presumably for political prisoners, gently placed me behind bars, and slammed the door.
“Please preserve your health.”
Could you preserve your health in a place like this?
I didn’t tire and screamed at the top of my lungs, making the guards leave one by one. In the next cell, someone banged the wall in annoyance.
But I didn’t stop.
The voice of a child is remarkable. How could I scream nonstop for thirty minutes without my throat going hoarse?
Boom!
While I continued my triumphant screaming, a louder sound hit the wall, punching a hole roughly the size of an adult fist.
Curious, I paused, and from the hole came a low voice:
“Noisy.”
Hey, watch your words. I’m Kisomalos, the legitimate heir of the 500-year-old royal lineage.
“This isn’t a place for a child. Why are you here?”
Hmm. The tone’s rough, but a good question, human!
I stopped the noise pollution and sat properly. Even in my reckless streak, I had lost all dignity a moment ago. To love myself, at least some dignity must be preserved.
“I hit him!”
“Assault? Who?”
“The Emperor’s son!”
“Huh.”
Why are you laughing? I’m not joking.
Even after hearing the words of the royal legitimate heir, he remained unflustered and insolent.
“You’re reckless, Princess.”
“Don’t lecture me after I said the words clearly!”
“Your lisp makes it hard to understand.”
“You wretched fool!”
“Sniff… sniff…”
What’s so funny, you insane human!
As I readied to scream again, he asked, apologetically, how I ended up hitting the Emperor’s son.
This fool, long isolated, was amused even by children’s squabbles. Since I was bored too, I recounted the incident.
“Him and I fought over monopolizing the playground equipment.”
“Ah, you understand well for a lowly human.”
“But he got it as a gift from his father. Isn’t it his?”
“Everything in the royal palace is mine. I am the legitimate heir.”
“That’s serious. Such a mischievous child will grow up to be Emperor?”
“Outrageous!”
He understood fine a moment ago, why can’t he now? Such an incomplete human.
I cursed, and he apologized insincerely, asking me to keep talking.
Hmm… how many years has this human been rotting here to ask a five-year-old for conversation?
“So, did you win?”
“Of course.”
I proudly thumped my chest and declared I hit him about five more times.
His eyes were swollen, his nose bled, and in the end, he cried for his mom as he ran off.
After I recounted my heroic tale, the man seemed cheered and spoke brightly:
“Well done. As long as you won, that’s fine.”
Right. This impious human surprisingly makes sense.
After all, this was a prison for political offenders. Anyone locked here had seriously opposed the current Emperor and was of fairly high status.
If he were just a noble, he’d have been executed. So, the spirit he served at home must have been significant.
He’s probably a mid-level deity compared to the pre-regression Kisomalos.
Anyway, with this human as an audience, I could vent my long-held grievances. I fiercely cursed the Emperor, and he agreed wholeheartedly.
Later, dinner was served, but the food was tasteless, so I flipped my tray. The human advised that prison food is always like this, so it’s better to bear it.
It was… touching how he already acted like my friend after only half a day of talking.
How lonely must he have been to make a five-year-old his companion? Poor thing.
“Princess, His Majesty calls.”
“Alright.”
Looks like that dimwit finally woke from the drug. Perhaps from the drug or alcohol, he’d been staying up nights and sleeping through the day, causing twice the heating costs for the entire palace.
This wretched royal family deserves ruin.
