Chapter 04
Your Highness. Marquis Kirisit and several counts have requested an audience.”
“…Without even submitting a formal request?”
“They said they urgently wished to see you.”
“Hmph.”
Shairin let out a scoff at the maid’s words.
“They must have come running with their tails between their legs.”
It was obvious they had rushed over, delighted by the king’s announcement.
They’d come to flatter her, saying things like “The princess’s era has finally begun,” while simultaneously spouting nonsense about wanting her to share some of the administrative authority now in her hands.
But she was now in a position where she had to set the stage for Rellina.
She had no intention of politely entertaining them.
In her past life, she had been a naive fledgling, but not anymore.
‘Still, I need to stay vigilant. They are the most likely candidates behind my brainwashing.’
Shairin’s face turned cold. Her eyes, filled with the weight of years, gleamed darkly and sharply.
“…Are they in the reception room?”
“Yes. They are waiting.”
Shairin immediately opened the door. Her personal maids stood in a line, bowing their heads, waiting for her.
“Lead the way.”
Shairin took the lead and went down to the first floor.
When she opened the door to the reception room, the nobles were already seated, drinking tea and chatting amongst themselves.
‘They make themselves right at home.’
Returning to them, she could feel how they perceived her position—an inexperienced, young princess lacking political experience.
To them, she must have been the perfect ingredient to cook up as they pleased.
But she had been through fire and water now.
For some reason, her memories after being brainwashed remained vivid, so she would no longer be led around by them.
“I’m curious as to what suddenly brings you all here.”
“Has His Majesty not named you the official successor, Your Highness?”
She sat in the main seat, expressionless, and lifted her teacup. Her face was elegant, yet simultaneously sharp.
“That’s only ‘temporary,’ as he put it. Didn’t His Majesty himself say it was a test?”
“The test is merely a formality. His Majesty has already made up his mind!”
“I share that opinion.”
What followed was a flood of flattery—she was the next queen in waiting, she would usher in an era of even greater peace and prosperity, and so on.
“So, is there no way we can be of assistance?”
“Indeed. Is it not our duty to serve Her Highness well?”
Unnecessary meddling. With them around, she wouldn’t be able to highlight her own incompetence.
But Shairin took a deep breath.
Even if she revealed her true feelings to them now, nothing would change.
She hid her expression. Her golden eyes reflected nothing.
Her transparent gaze only frustrated the nobles who were trying to read her.
Today, it was unusually difficult to grasp the princess’s thoughts.
Finally, Shairin’s lips parted. Her voice was gentle, yet solemn and sharp.
“You all lack faith in me.”
“Pardon? Wh-what do you mean?”
“As you yourselves said, this is a test given to me by Father. Then it is only right that I take it on my own.”
“…”
“So I will handle this myself. I decline your help.”
“Th-that is…”
“Wouldn’t I have to prove myself by doing it alone?”
That’s not what we meant.
Shairin inwardly sneered at the nobles’ thoughts, laid so painfully bare.
In her past life, she had always been dragged around by them, but now they were the ones fumbling before her.
She hadn’t expected her past life experiences to be this helpful.
Meanwhile, the nobles found Shairin’s reaction baffling.
Why had the once-obedient princess suddenly changed?
Unable to seize the initiative, the nobles grew anxious, but Shairin wasn’t about to sit there and indulge them.
She wanted to rest now.
“If you’ve said all you needed to, please take your leave. I’m rather tired.”
Now that the princess had declared the meeting over, even if they had more to say, they couldn’t stay seated.
At the clear dismissal, the nobles scrambled. But among them, one man remained calm.
It was Marquis Kirisit.
He was the one who had arranged this meeting and held a key position in Shairin’s faction.
He ran a trading company so large it ranked among the top five in the kingdom, having amassed considerable wealth, and was essentially the faction’s financial backbone.
“You mentioned not sleeping well. Have you not been using the incense we recently provided?”
That was right. Around this time, Shairin often suffered from insomnia.
She had frequently used incense gifted by nobles in her faction.
“I brought some just in case. It seems I did well to bring it.”
The marquis handed her something neatly wrapped in paper. Shairin unwrapped the gift on the spot and bit her lip.
She couldn’t help it.
Because this incense was the very last one she had burned before killing Rellina in her past life.
“Your Highness. You seem to be having trouble sleeping lately.”
“As the future of the kingdom, if you collapse, so do we. Please take care of your health!”
“Try burning this incense. You’ll feel much fresher the next day. I guarantee its effects.”
“…”
Shairin stared at the incense on her desk, then bit off a hangnail and muttered.
“No matter how I look at it, this is it.”
Her memories from before the brainwashing were hazy due to the curse and the passage of time, but the pattern on that incense wasn’t something she could easily forget.
After all, how common is a design of a shattered sun?
And it’s even rarer for such a thing to be given to a princess.
“Most of the time, the sun is a symbol of the royal family.”
And yet they dared to give it to the very princess they served.
Were they insane or simply bold?
Unfathomable people.
“…You’re the culprits.”
The ones who dragged my life through the mud.
So I must never let this go.
The value of this incense as a clue.
“If this is what brainwashed me, then the ones I received before probably played a similar role.”
Gradually increasing the intensity of the curse, then setting it off with this final incense.
If that’s the case, it all makes sense—why my past self never felt any suspicion.
If that’s true…
“One more question remains.”
How were they able to create such a vile incense?
Such magical feats wouldn’t be easy to accomplish.
It seems I’ll have to investigate the forces behind it.
Otherwise, I’ll just be manipulated again.
That was out of the question. Repeating my past life.
“…How am I supposed to find out?”
She had suspicions, but they were still her faction.
Even if she wanted to cut them loose, she had to hold onto them for now.
Until the critical moment, she had to remain the rigid, naive, and easy-to-handle princess.
‘I wish I had my own intelligence network.’
But creating an intelligence network or making connections with information brokers wasn’t something she could do right now.
She had just become the acting ruler, so there were many eyes on her, and using information brokers out in the open wasn’t an option either.
Given the nature of the goods brokers handled, they often acquired items that could be fatal to those at the top of the social hierarchy.
To avoid angering the nobility, they usually operated in the underworld, connected to the slums—making it dangerous for a woman to go alone.
It would be lucky if she wasn’t kidnapped.
Using guards was also difficult. The mercenaries employed by these brokers were often stronger than most knights.
All to protect their information.
But for Shairin, it was a frustrating reality.
“Why does everything have to be so hard? Nothing’s easy.”
She couldn’t build her own network, and she couldn’t commission one either.
So what was she supposed to do?
“…Calm down, Shairin Lavantra. Rushing only narrows your view.”
For now, it was better to wait.
Someday, she would be free from prying eyes.
Then she could create an information network and put someone in charge.
She already had someone in mind to entrust it to.
At this point in time, he hadn’t yet distinguished himself, but when the time came, he would show his presence like an awl in a pocket.
She just needed to take him in when that time came.
This life was a long race, a marathon.
A life suppressed for decades—this level of patience meant nothing.
“For now, getting closer to my younger sister comes first!”
That was right. She had almost let the incense bring her down, but her ultimate goal was to become a lazy, idle layabout.
So now, she needed to show the ministers her incompetent side and focus on getting closer to Rellina…!
‘Only by getting closer can I push her toward becoming the crown princess!’
Her mind felt somewhat clearer. Shairin whistled lightly, took a bath, and lay down on her bed.
Even though it was still midday, sleep came easily.
She was tired no matter how much she slept, so unless she was making plans, she always spent her time lying in bed.
‘Who knew sleeping could be this enjoyable?’
As if letting go of old grudges, she made up for the sleep she had lacked in her past life.
Being awake itself drained her energy, so it couldn’t be helped.
Before long, Shairin had fallen asleep.
Thinking to herself that she was glad to have regressed again today.
