The Max-Leveled Princess is Bored Today As Well

As the preparations for the wedding began in earnest, the atmosphere in the palace and the duke’s residence became strangely excited. It almost looked exhilarated, probably after going through the gloomy events of last year.

Rowena visited the duke’s residence once every four days and polished me. The reason why it was once every four days was that we had already met once every two days in the imperial castle.

Trying out dresses every day, tailoring, choosing jewelry, decorating, checking gifts received, writing replies, memorizing the list of party participants, memorizing the order of the ceremony…

“Marriage is a grave…!” I finally realized the meaning of the words left by my ancestors.

Late at night, after being tormented by Rowena, I finally reached the bedroom of the Empress’s Palace. As soon as I entered the room, I threw myself on the bed without turning on the light or changing my clothes.

“In my next life, I will really reconsider marriage…!”

I’d like to consider starting with living life three times!

“Really? Then I’ll have to wait leisurely until the next life.”

“… Caesa- Y-Your Majesty?!”

What, I thought there was no one?!

Startled, I sat up on the bed.

On one side of the room, hiding in the dark shade, stood Caesar. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and smiled at me.

“Looks like you’ve been bothered by Rowena quite a bit, right?”

“Ugh… Please take her away with you, Your Majesty…!” I cried out while holding my face in my hands.

Caesar came over to the bed and sat down, and then he grabbed my hand that covered my face and opened it, making eye contact with me.

“Oh, my master must’ve had a hard time.”

“She didn’t let me out until I finished memorizing the Holy Oath! How annoying…!”

At my grumbling, Caesar hugged me and patted my shoulder.

Whoo, but I feel better now that this guy comforts me.

“Yes, yes. Rowena seems to be doing a good job. Thank god.”

This isn’t comforting!

I got angry pushing Caesar away. “It’s all because of someone!”

“It’s because of me. If you’re angry, you can hit me,” Caesar said with an impudent face.

I clenched my fists and stared at him. The black bangs that swayed down slightly covered the bright red eyes that pretended to be innocent.

Grrr. I trembled with my clenched fist and finally moaned with an ‘ugh!’.

“Why are you so handsome?! There’s nowhere to hit!”

“Of course. I have to look handsome to look good in your eyes.” Caesar smiled arrogantly, running a hand through his bangs.

That is the look of someone who knows all too well that he’s good-looking. You meanie…!

“Sigh… I’m marrying this kind of person…” puffed up, I muttered as I lay on my side on the bed.

Caesar continued the conversation, looking down at me with one hand on the bed, “Well, actually, there are many ways to stay with you forever even without marriage.”

“What is it?”

“Become my personal guard.”

“Oh… that’s terrible.”

Yeah. There must be many other ways, so why do I bother to ‘marry’ Caesar?

Lying on the bed, I stared up at Caesar. Caesar also made eye contact with me without avoiding my gaze.

“Still… I want to marry Your Majesty,” after much thought, I answered.

“Really?”

“Marriage is like a declaration of war, so to speak, right? This man is mine, don’t touch him.”

“Hmm. Such an interpretation is also possible. However, I think there’ll be a lot of people who want to become empresses if you fail to become one,” Caesar asked mischievously.

I raised one corner of my mouth and smiled. “Huh, I’m saying I’ll marry you now, but you want to take another woman in?” I said it sarcastically, and Caesar burst into laughter.

“I have a strong desire for monopoly, Your Majesty.”

“I’m happy about that. That Helena, who’s bothered by everything, wants to monopolize me.” 

Caesar bent down and put his forehead on mine. His black hair tickled my forehead. My face was reflected in the eyes that touched me.

His breath touched me, and even though we were just looking at each other, it gave the illusion that we were kissing intensely.

“It’s an honor for me to have Helena desperately desires something,” said Caesar. He seemed genuinely thrilled.

In the meantime, I was the kind of person who was bothered by everything and found everything I did boring.

Of course, I’ve never wanted something desperately, and I’ve never been greedy.

“You can be more greedy in the future, Helena. I hope you want more. Whatever you want, I will bring it to you.”

“This world, too?”

“Of course, this world too,” Caesar spoke so confidently that I burst out laughing. But he was pretty serious. “Didn’t I tell you? If you want, I can destroy this world, too.”

This man is such a big problem, and I’m the only one who knows it.

“I don’t need the world, Your Majesty.”

I already have everything and enjoyed it.

“You’re all I need.” I reached out and gently cupped his head.

“I’ve already been yours since the beginning of the world.” Caesar smiled mischievously and kissed the bridge of my nose.

The beginning of the world. What a distant and old language that is.

I had a strange illusion that I had overheard a secret engraved in my soul.

***

One day, a week before the wedding, I heard about Leonard’s business trip.

“A business trip to Halshtar?”

Leonard, who explained his business trip so calmly, surprised me twice as much. I almost dropped the book I was reading.

“Isn’t Halshtar mining town in the northeast?”

“Yes. I didn’t expect you to be so surprised by the way.”

“Since when is there a case of sending a personal guard on a business trip? Isn’t it called personal because they have to be by his side all the time?”

“That’s right.” Even Agoth, who was serving refreshments, agreed with my words.

Leonard laughed, embarrassed by my anger. He seemed nervous that I would go to Caesar right away and start a fight.

“I’m going to investigate the Draco cult.”

“The Draco cult? … Have you found their base, by any chance?”

“There is information that is almost certain this time, so I’m going to go there in person.” 

Leonard was voluntarily participating in the investigation into the Draco cult. There was only one reason. Because he thought it had something to do with me.

Information about the Draco cult was also what I wanted the most, but why now, at this time?

I bit my lower lip lightly.

“Then I’ll join you-”

“No. The wedding is only a week away, isn’t it?”

I knew I would be rejected, but I didn’t expect to be rejected before I even finished talking.

Leonard firmly raised a hand and cut me off.

“Which vicious boss would send the bride’s brother on a business trip a week before the wedding?”

“Your husband?”

“Do you want me to hit you?”

“Calm down. You’ll be guilty of treason.” Leonard burst out laughing and waved his hand. Oh, what a nice person. What should I do with my brother?

“I’m only going to check the information, so there’s nothing dangerous. I’ll return in five days.”

“Still…”

“Moreover, the Red Knights decided to go with me.”

“Well, that’s fortunate, but…”

When I don’t even know what that Noe is up to, is it okay to send my brother like this? I’d rather nip the buds with my own hands if anything goes wrong…

Takk!

“… Aaah?!”

Like that, Leonard flicked his fingers and hit me on the forehead.

Even though he hit me, it didn’t hurt. But it was the first time I had been hit by Leonard, so I was genuinely surprised.

I rubbed my forehead with my hand and looked at Leonard dumbfoundedly. Leonard smiled as if he were sorry.

“Oh, did it hurt?”

“N-No. That’s not it…”

“Helena. Were you thinking of solving it yourself again?”

“… Ah.”

Oops. Did I develop another bad habit?

“It’s okay to trust the people around you now, Helena. There is me, and there is Agoth.”

“Oh, that’s right, my lady! There are people from the Red Knights, too!” Agoth agreed with Leonard’s words, clenching and shaking her fists.

“Your students aren’t weak enough to worry about so much anymore.” 

Leonard smiled brightly. It was my older brother’s smile, so I felt a little embarrassed.

Yes. Now my disciples are strong enough. They have become people who can develop and become stronger without my help.

“My lady. If you’re concerned, should I go with the Young Master?”

“… Agoth?”

“I learned swordsmanship to be useful to you.”

Even though she had traveled all the way to Liun on my errand not long ago, she didn’t mind going a long way again.

Both Leonard and Agoth move for me.

Because I am their master, I have to trust my students’s decisions.

“… Okay. Then I’ll ask you two,” I nodded and said. Then, the expression of the two people who were a little nervous was wide open.

If it’s them, I can rely on them.

Thinking that way, somehow, my heart felt lighter.

***

I was hiding something from Caesar.

He knew I was hiding something, but he didn’t ask. Because he believed me, he said he wouldn’t ask.

But maybe I didn’t fully trust him. That’s why I couldn’t be honest after all.

I might turn him off.

He might find it strange.

He might try to take advantage.

… If it was me in the previous life, I would’ve naturally had that kind of doubt.

But now, I am different from Dante Renatus.

‘… I have to tell him.’

I also believe in him.

I believe him in everything.

I wanted to tell him that.

“Where is His Majesty and what is he doing now?”

On the morning of the day Leonard and Agoth left for Halshtar, I returned after seeing them off and immediately called Selz, the maid of honor.

“From what I know, he had a private meeting with Duke Garmal, the cavalry commander, in the south garden three hours ago.”

“Is he still there?”

“Should I send someone to find out?”

“Yes, please… Ah, never mind. I’ll go there myself.”

“He may have already left.”

“Then I can go and find him in another place. I want to think as I walk, so it’s fine.”

“Then shall I accompany you?”

“No, I will walk alone.” I refused the maid’s offer and left the annex alone. Agoth had also left with Leonard due to business trip issues, so I was really alone.

‘All right. Let’s talk.’

I should tell Caesar that I was Dante Renatus. If I don’t tell him when I’ve decided, I will waver again. Thinking so, I immediately went out to find him.

My heart was pounding the whole time I walked. I was so nervous to tell the truth that I had been hiding for a long time.

‘I wasn’t so nervous when I went to subdue the dragon.’

I didn’t know that it would be so scary that he might be disappointed. I deliberately walked slowly to relieve the tension even a little.

“… Haa, my heart is beating so fast.”

When I left the annex and entered the garden, I paused for a moment to catch my breath.

Sweat seeped from my palms, and hair stood all over my body.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.  I could hear the heart beating from my temples. I grabbed my chest with one hand.

Far from relieved, I trembled more.

No.

‘Is it really because of tension…?’

It literally felt like my heart would explode. Even breathing felt difficult.

‘My chest… hurts.’

The moment I thought so and took one more step.

“…!”

I couldn’t even scream; so much pain pierced my heart.

My mind turned pure white, and I even imagined that all the nerves in my body were cut off. My vision seemed to turn around, and then darkness fell in front of my eyes.

Ah.

It hurts.

It hurts so much.

“Princess!”

“Please call someone here!”

The sound of people shouting made me dizzy. It was as if I was listening underwater.

‘How noisy…’

Fortunately, the noise of the disturbing people did not last long. Soon after, my consciousness completely went out.