The Max-Leveled Princess is Bored Today As Well

Cold sweat broke out from the dowager’s forehead. Her eyes were shaking wildly.

‘She didn’t know this will hold her back.’

No matter how careful you are, there are bound to be areas where you are off guard.

She would never have thought that Yulika would treat me to that tea. No, she would never have assumed that Yulika would meet me personally.

Yulika was a horse that only followed her father and her orders, and I was an enemy who was wary of Yulika.

‘She wrote it herself to pretend to be friendly and kind to Yulika…’

She must have forgotten that she had once given Yulika something like this. She wouldn’t even have thought Yulika would have cherished a piece of paper she gave.

However, amid this, the empress dowager did not give up her last hope and remained brazen. “What is this? This mother doesn’t know.”

“Are you going to deny it?”

“Is it a sin to say that you don’t know what you don’t know?”

“Right. It’s not wrong to lose your memory with age.”

Caesar insulted the dowager with outright sarcasm. The empress stared at him with out-of-focus eyes.

“But what a futile thing to do, Marianne Valer. There will be many objects in your study that can relate to this note and handwriting.”

Caesar no longer called Marianne “Empress Dowager”.

That alone made Caesar look somewhat relieved.

The title he probably wanted to give to his biological mother. It was taken away by a woman suspected of killing her mother. It was handed over to a woman who had sent assassins several times to kill him.

How much he wanted to take the position that Marianne wanted to hold in her hand. Name. Power.

“… Do you want to kill this mother?”

Eventually, Marianne collapsed. With a broken smile, she said threateningly to Caesar, “Do you want to be recorded in history as the emperor who killed his mother?”

“What a strange thing to say, Marianne Valer. How are you my mother? I didn’t come out of your stomach.” Caesar said, chewing his molars. His voice was full of anger more than ever.

“… Your Majesty.” Standing behind him, I softly called him.

Caesar, who’d been having a fight of wits with Marianne until then, took a deep breath and got up.

“Take her away,” he commanded firmly and briefly.

The knights approached Marianne and bound her as if they had been waiting. Marianne struggled with all her might, calling out the knights with mad eyes.

“Release me! Let me go! Where are you touching? I am the empress dowager! The mother of this empire!”

Even though she was a criminal, there was no doubt that she had once been the empress dowager. The very woman who’d used numerous nobles like her hands and feet, including Duke Valer.

As a result, the knights could not touch Marianne, who was struggling.

Caesar sat back in the chair indifferently. He looked very tired.

“I was framed, Your Majesty! Yulika Brande, that bitch framed me!”

But Caesar didn’t even look at Marianne.

Perhaps thinking that words wouldn’t work for Caesar, Marianne looked at me this time and began to scream.

“Princess Peresca! You made it up! How dare you! How dare you!”

I narrowed my eyes and watched her last move quietly. She’d always smiled as if she was a good person, but when she took off her mask, she had an ugly, evil face.

I slowly walked in front of her.

Marianne wiggled as if to grab my collar but couldn’t because the knights caught her arms.

I faced her directly and spoke quietly, “Do you hate me?”

“I hate you…!”

“Do you?”

“Yes! I hate you! I curse you! I curse and curse you every night before I go to sleep!”

Marianne exclaimed with bloodshot eyes. Her well-groomed red hair was also messed up.

I gave her the brightest smile.

“Thank God.”

Marianne froze at my reaction.

So were the knights. They all looked puzzled as if asking what the princess had eaten wrong.

But I was perfectly normal.

“Remember me every night and resent me again and again. Every time you think of me, feel the pain that dries your blood and melts your bones in anger.”

“Wh-What…?”

I know how painful it was to hate someone.

I knew well how unresolved anger and unresolved resentment make people sick.

“I wanted to be that person for you.” With a bright smile, I said to Marianne. “I’m happy I can be your suffering.”

“… Helena Perescaaaa! Aaaaaaagh!”

Marianne shouted with all her might. Her eyes turned bloodshot.

“What are you doing? Still won’t drag her away quickly?”

Hamilton, who couldn’t wait to speak, urged. At the words, the knights rushed out of the room with Marianne.

Her scream grew farther and farther away and eventually became inaudible.

***

Shortly after Marianne was taken away.

“Duke Garmal has said that the empress dowager’s residence will be searched. What will Your Majesty do?”

After all of Marianne’s servants, including her family’s servants, were taken away, her residence became as empty as a grave.

Leonard approached Caesar, who was still sitting in his chair, and asked him what to do next.

“Well. First of all… I want to rest,” Caesar said, rubbing his forehead.

“Shall I tell them to prepare a room to rest?”

“Mm. Please.”

“All right. Helena, can you watch over here for a moment?”

“Don’t worry.” I grinned after showing the handle of my sword. After Leonard smiled relievedly, he closed the door and left the room.

In the spacious room, it was only me and Caesar left.

I sat on my knees before Caesar, leaned on his lap, and looked up at him.

“Are you tired, Your Majesty?”

“I’m tired emotionally.”

It was only natural to explode after suppressing so many emotions. Even a normal person would be tired, not to mention he was a patient.

“But I’m really glad that Helena is here.”

“Is that so? I was just standing by.”

“That was enough. I might have cut someone down if you weren’t by my side.”

“You have been very patient.”

It was worth it.

Honestly, I also had the urge to draw my sword several times.

“She was a woman I never thought I would break down,” Caesar murmured faintly. Somewhere there was bitterness and regret. A sense of relief, a sense of weakness, and still faint anger floated in his red eyes.

“Helena.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I… Did I do well?” Caesar gently clasped my cheek and made eye contact.

A look that longed for praise. Eyes that wanted to confirm affection. I knew his expression very well. It was familiar.

And I had always been weak toward such eyes.

“Yes, you did a good job. That was great.”

“Don’t you think I deserve a reward, Helena?”

“Do you want it?”

“Always.”

I smiled a little at Caesar’s tender gaze.

Ah, now I’m slowly starting to feel it.

Now I can stay by this man’s side.

I can be with this man.

I stole this man again.

I lifted one arm, gently grabbed Caesar’s neck, and pulled his head. Caesar bowed his head obediently as I led him.

With that, I kissed him.

At the sweet treat I gave him, he closed his eyes.

Mine.

Now he was completely mine.

It was engraved into all my cells like the heat that spread throughout my body.

***

The case was settled quickly.

Marianne was imprisoned deep in the Imperial Palace, waiting to be disposed of.

Under the leadership of Father, an advisory council was convened to discuss the deprivation of Valer’s title and the deposition of Empress Dowager Marianne.

Thanks to the always-neutral Garmal’s active support of Father’s opinion, the agenda was approved in a flash.

And Horio, the White Knights’ Commander, forfeited his property and had to return his post.

“I feel refreshed because I don’t have to look at Horio’s face!”

Dalton was overjoyed that Horio had been removed.

“How glad I am. Even my old arthritis is all cured, Instructor!”

“It’s just your feeling. Arthritis doesn’t heal that easily.”

“Shut up, Gerald! Don’t be a killjoy!”

“Oh, you always do this.”

Gerald, the general secretary of the Red Knights, shook his head and looked pitifully at the commander.

“What is the situation with the White Knights now?”

“Mm. There will be a meeting of the leaders. Maybe the deputy leader will take charge for the time being.”

“Fortunately, it didn’t break down.”

“What happened to that Young Lady Brande? That one will surely break down, right?”

“Ugh. How can you say such a thing, Captain?” Gerald said with a fuss.

As he had said, Yulika and Caesar would soon officially break up with Caesar.

Yulika was only taken advantage of, but she could not be forgiven for poisoning the emperor.

Although Caesar’s mercy spared punishment, the Brandes had to return many positions and powers.

‘Well, even if they were forgiven, I think Yulika would’ve asked to break up the marriage.’

I judged so, recalling the moment with Yulika I met in the Imperial Palace yesterday.

***

That day, Yulika was wearing a black and plain dress.

The black color matched her pretty well. I didn’t mean she was dull. Rather, it made her blonde hair stand out, and it matched her purely well.

Yulika sat down and spoke calmly, “His Majesty will not punish me, given that I have provided evidence to catch the empress dowager.”

“Good for you.”

“Did you not persuade him?”

“Why would I do that?” I said that, but I was a bit… triggered by the fact that she was on the point.

Caesar had tried to cut off Brande’s buds altogether, but I persuaded him to forgive Yulika.

I wanted to give her a chance. An opportunity for her to carry out her own beliefs. I wanted to encourage her to go down that difficult road at least once.

“Anyway, so… I think I will return to my hometown for now.”

“You mean the border?”

“Yes. Now that our marriage has been broken, there is no reason to stay here any longer.”

“Did Margrave Brande accept the breakup?”

“No. So I just said yes on my terms.”

“… You?”

“I didn’t want to put His Majesty in any more trouble.” Yulika smiled sadly and bowed her head. “I was always afraid of His Majesty. He was cold to me and kind to you, and it always made me angry and jealous.”

She thought she had taken something away but felt empty as if nothing had really been taken away.

Did Yulika know that?

“But since it ended like this. His Majesty, who didn’t give me room, may have been wise.”

“I’m happy you think so. I thought you would resent His Majesty and me.”

“No, I don’t resent you.” Yulika looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “Before I left, I wanted to apologize to you. I’m sorry, Princess.”

Her voice was hoarse with tears, and it was a little wobbly. However, I felt that she didn’t cry because she was sad.

“I’m sorry for trying to steal what’s yours. Now, I’ll give it back. He was too much for me.”

“He’s too much for anyone.”

“Is it like that for you, too?”

“No. I’m just too good for him.” I tilted my head and joked.

At my words, Yulika finally laughed. “Yes, I have no choice but to admit it.”

Those words seemed to be sincere, seeing Yulika smiling like this.