Episode 2
The scenery outside the carriage window quickly rushed past.
The rain was now pouring so heavily that I could hardly see anything, and with the gloomy surroundings there wasn’t much worth looking at anyway.
Yet, my gaze still remained fixed outside.
“Enjoying the view?”
Ribed glanced at me and tossed the question casually.
“No.”
If it seemed like I was looking at the scenery, that was just an illusion.
It was simply because the deal with the princess—something that had felt almost imaginary until now—was finally starting to sink in. While organizing my thoughts, my gaze had just happened to drift beyond the window.
“That… is it true?”
“What is?”
“That Her Highness the Princess… is going to have a political marriage with the Grand Duke of the Empire and that she has an actual family?”
It was an innocent question, but judging from the way Ribed’s brow furrowed, it seemed my sincerity didn’t come across.
“Are you asking to get some leverage on the princess?”
“No, I… never mind. It really was just pure curiosity.”
Can’t get through to him.
I let out a quiet sigh.
The princess had said she loved someone, but also that she was going to have a political marriage. If she was the protagonist, then at least the setting of the novel would most likely center on the Empire.
Besides, protagonists usually end up with the person they love in a happy ending… So where in the story was this novel right now?
‘Even if I knew, it’s not like I could interfere.’
After living as a beggar, I’d realized a few things:
First, staying as quiet as possible is the way to live longer.
Second, never get involved in the nobles’ conflicts without a solid plan.
Third, don’t bother with other people’s business.
It wasn’t that I had never tried to return to my original world. I had—only for every attempt to end in failure. As if the place I came from had never existed in the first place.
At one point, I even asked myself a fundamental question: did I really want to go back?
In Korea, I’d lost my parents in elementary school. With no one to rely on, I’d thrown myself into my studies just to survive. Once I became an adult, my life was steeped in part-time jobs.
So I came to the conclusion—if both lives were equally miserable, I’d choose the one that was at least less desperate.
“Listen. From now on, I will address you as Her Highness Princess Eos. Apart from myself and Her Highness’s nanny, Madam Haley—who will help me with your training—no one else will know your true identity.”
Ribed explained.
Another person to help me? That was at least a bit of a relief.
If I’d had to share this secret with Ribed alone, I’d have felt hopeless—especially since I still had trouble facing him directly.
While I was still thinking, Ribed—who had been quiet—spoke again, perhaps because we were nearing the kingdom. His calm eyes were still fixed on me.
“No matter what happens, do not leave my side.”
“Yes.”
His voice was firm, and unexpectedly, it carried a certain reliability.
“Oh, and…”
Then, in a more troubled tone, he continued,
“Be careful around His Highness Prince Hyacinth, the youngest prince.”
“The youngest… prince?”
Another family member?
I’d swindled and tricked plenty of ordinary people in my time, but nobles were different.
They had to be different—what they’d seen and learned in life was worlds apart.
“After the late queen passed away, His Majesty the current king remarried. The current queen is the youngest prince’s mother.”
“…Ah.”
“To put it simply, relations aren’t good between him and the princess. The late queen—Her Highness’s mother—fell out of the king’s favor and passed away, so now the real power lies with the prince. That’s why Her Highness has chosen to bow first.”
I had suspected, based on her demeanor, that the princess wasn’t the type to shout or rage. It seemed I was right.
I nodded.
“Got it. Just avoid him, right?”
“Exactly. But again, stick by me as much as possible. That’s the safest.”
By the time our conversation ended, the carriage had reached the royal palace. With Ribed’s help, I stepped down.
“Keep your back straight. If you make eye contact, smile. I’ll block as many people as possible from approaching you.”
Ribed whispered so close I could hear his breath.
“No need to worry about that.”
It was all part of social life anyway.
The kingdom was much bigger and grander than I’d expected, but the more overwhelming it was, the straighter I held my back.
“Your Highness will have the perfect double you’ve always wanted. I’ll gladly play the role.”
For the first time in a while, I smiled confidently at something I was good at.
“…Ugh, I take back what I said earlier. Seriously, you’re this popular?”
Usually people don’t approach high-ranking figures so casually, do they?
Yet here, everyone we passed bowed and greeted warmly.
Just walking from the palace gates to the princess’s quarters took over ten minutes.
And despite the rainy weather, my effort to keep my dress from getting ruined had me sweating already.
Ribed, however, just shrugged it off as if it was nothing.
“Your Highness! You’ve arrived at last?”
Just as I was about to stumble into the princess’s bedroom, a loud, ringing voice stopped me again.
“No need to go looking, I see.”
Ribed’s mysterious sigh followed.
“What? Who is it?”
I turned to him quickly for help, but before he could answer, the owner of the voice closed the distance.
“How could the soon-to-be bride wander around in this weather!”
The middle-aged woman who grasped my hands with a worried frown was a new face.
Brown hair tied up neatly, a vivid green dress, and brisk steps.
“My goodness…! Her Highness has finally found a double…”
Her voice, filled with indignation, was now aimed at Ribed, but when her eyes landed on my face, she gasped.
“She’s a double personally chosen by the princess herself. Even I was surprised, Madam Haley.”
“In that case, let’s get her washed up right away.”
I gave a small, polite nod while glancing at her.
“I am Madam Haley.”
She introduced herself with a gentle smile, unlike Ribed’s usual demeanor.
Then, as if slipping back into her role, she resumed frowning.
“Sir Ribed! Oh, honestly!”
Though I hadn’t known him long, Ribed had always acted like he was above everyone else.
Seeing him scolded like this was amusing, but I bit my lip to keep from laughing—knowing I’d regret it if I did.
“Let’s get you ready for a bath. Lily, Rachel!”
Madam Haley sighed as she called for two new women.
“Oh, hello—”
And I almost made a mistake.
I’d been about to bow my head in greeting.
“Your Highness.”
“….”
But of course, Ribed wasn’t about to let that slide.
“Haha, I’ll leave her in your care.”
I tried to smooth it over with an awkward laugh, but even that didn’t seem to match Eos’s usual behavior, judging by the slight frowns on their faces.
“Your Highness?”
“Her Highness is tired. Prepare some warm water for her bath. She seems to want to rest a little.”
Madam Haley stepped forward, blocking me from view with a businesslike smile.
“Ah, yes.”
“Then please call us when you’re ready, Your Highness.”
Thankfully, they nodded and followed Madam Haley out, leaving just the two of us again.
“That was close… but I think I pulled it off, right?”
“Please! Just follow my lead from now on.”
Ribed raked his red hair back, clearly displeased.
“Fine…”
I almost pouted, but forced myself to stay composed as I sat down to rest my stiff legs.
A heavy silence settled between us.
“…I’ll get some tea.”
Ribed finally spoke, then turned and left, closing the door behind him.
Left alone, I let my eyes roam around the room.
Everything glittered, lavish and splendid—true royal living.
‘So this is what life as royalty is like.’
I got up and began to look around more closely.
“What’s this?”
I spotted a crumpled letter on a small side table.
“Hmm… Normally you shouldn’t open things like this.”
In romance-fantasy novels, letters from royalty often contained top-secret matters best left unread.
“Well, it’s not like I’m the protagonist here anyway.”
As a mere beggar, reading one letter wouldn’t change the plot.
After checking once more that no one was around, I unfolded the paper.
“Lankea Hunt Fidelanis, the sole grand duke of the Kansvine Empire, also known as the Sword of the Empire? What is this…”
Lankea… and the Kansvine Empire. Names the princess had mentioned.
An odd curiosity stirred within me.
“As the Sword of the Empire, he has always led the charge in battle, earning the most merit in the Empire’s territorial wars. He is the lord of the northern territories… and known for being merciless. Ugh, so cheesy.”
A northern grand duke, the Empire’s sword, a hero of war—it was like a character description straight out of a romance-fantasy novel.
‘Could he be the male lead? Or maybe, since crown prince male leads are trendy these days, he’s the second lead with a hidden dark side…’
My eyes lit up as I wondered about his role.
‘Well, not like I’m going to get involved with him anyway.’
But reality soon returned: in a month, I’d be leaving this stand-in role.
Sure, his ridiculously handsome face was burned into my memory now, but I’d only ever see him on paper.
That thought brought with it a sudden wave of inexplicable gloom. I knew why.
It was the stark reminder of my own lowly position—unable to rise no matter how I struggled.
I found the feeling unpleasant enough to shake my head.
‘Stop it. Just think about what you’ll do with the money. You could even live in the Empire…’
The memory of those days when I endured endless humiliation for the sake of earning money flashed before me.
Like the time I was kicked out of a restaurant without pay. One injustice after another, but because I was poor and powerless, I got no acknowledgment for my suffering.
“The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get.”
It was one of those times when I truly felt that money was power—and the whole world.
That was when—
“Pfft.”
A small laugh slipped through the door.
“W-who’s there?”
I quickly put the letter back on the side table and turned toward the source of the sound.
To be continued
