Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Apparently, she became young again.

After mulling it over again and again for the past few days, Siervian finally admitted it.

“The dispway cabinet is still fwine . . .”

Seeing as the blue jeweled cabinet was still intact, it’s clear that this was a period before she turned eight years old.

It was her favorite cabinet, but one day she came back to her room and found it broken. From that day on, there was a rumor that the Imperial Princess went on violent rampages.

“My hand . . . why dwon’t I have any stwength . . .”

Sensitive to the changes around her, Siervian stared at the cabinet and gripped her spoon once more.

The daze continued in the next couple of days. At first, she thought it was a dream, but then later realized that it was all too realistic.

She wouldn’t be able to remember her childhood with this much detail.

[ Sarah ]

Thoughts: What’s wrong with this kid these days. How annoying.

Sarah was smiling sweetly, but beside her were those words on the window.

Over the past few days, Siervian confirmed that Sarah’s thoughts on the window changed according to her actions.

If the sentences shown in that window really showed Sarah’s thoughts, then the smiles that Siervian used to find solace in were all fake.

“Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere, Princess?”

“I’m okaaay.”

Siervian’s pronunciation was off because she still couldn’t adapt to her young voice. The same was true for the little hand that gripped her spoon.

This was definitely the Princess’s Palace where she grew up, but now everything was too big and too high up.

“Go ahead and eat now.”

If she acted like she did as before, she would have thought the soup was meant to be eaten before it was cooled down, even if she couldn’t taste anything.

Sarah was still smiling.

But the translucent window in front of her was saying something else.

[ Sarah ]

Thoughts: How many times should I repeat myself. Ugh.

The font on the window changed from time to time as it portrayed the true feelings of the window’s owner.

Siervian decided to call it a ‘status window’.

‘I’m really surprised I can see their thoughts like this . . . even though the content is shocking.’

Today, the soup was sour and tasteless. It didn’t have any solid ingredients, and there was too much of the pepper she hated.

“If you continue being picky, His Majesty will get mad.”

As Siervian lowered her hand, the Emperor rose to the forefront of her mind. Every time she thought of him, Siervian’s expression would harden as she was reminded of the bright light that the death penalty tool emitted.

She wouldn’t be able to forget it.

“Oouuooh.”

Aside from the status window, Siervian had another dilemma.

“Pepper, bad!”

“Princess!”

Even though it was a lousy meal, a princess must still always embody elegance.

That’s how it was. She knew this.

But her body was rejecting it.

“This isn’t soup!”

Helpless, Siervian watched her hands push away the soup bowl.

There was a reason why she couldn’t control her own body like this.

In the mirror, she could see a status window floating beside her.

[ Siervian Erveldotte (5 y.o.) ]

Body and soul synchronization · · · 1%

Current actions are in line with the body.

:◈:

The appearance of Sarah’s status window was similar, but the words on this one were different. There was also an unknown diamond function here.

What stood out the most was the mention of “current actions are in line with the body.” It was a grim sign that she would continue acting like a five-year-old regardless of her mental age.

This was why the words that came out of her lips were different from what she was thinking. She couldn’t help but click her tongue at this.

Meanwhile, Sarah rose from her seat, looking as if she couldn’t hold back the irritation she felt anymore.

“Then, do as you please.”

[ Sarah ]

Thoughts: Whatever. I have to go and report this.

Report?

Siervian, who reflexively flinched after seeing Sarah’s stern face, couldn’t hide her look of curiosity when she read the status window.

She couldn’t hide her expressions, just like a child.

“Ellie, look after the Princess.”

“Yes.”

Sarah left the room without saying goodbye or asking for permission to be dismissed. It seemed to be because she was undermining Siervian.

It was very rude to act this way in front of a princess, but Siervian just lowered her gaze.

‘I don’t know about anything else, but I do know that I shouldn’t complain about the food. Especially me.’

Desperate, Siervian picked up the rough bread next to the soup. Made from low quality grains, the bread was too big for her small hands so she couldn’t hold it properly.

With tasteless soup and bread like this, it made her wonder. It was strange that a growing child had a diet this messy.

‘Ah, I get it. I’ve been hated ever since then.’

Siervian ate very little back then and left a lot of food on her plate, so she didn’t know she was being served horrible meals like this.

Throughout these gloomy thoughts, she silently chewed on the crumbly bread.

She let it be and just listened to what her young body wanted to do.

“Princess.”

“Yesh?”

Ellie, who had been standing in the corner, approached Siervian. It was memorable how strict Ellie was with her, so she immediately felt nervous on reflex.

Ellie didn’t notice Siervian’s reaction. As she was approaching, for some reason she went to the door and looked out briefly, then hurried back.

Then, she took out a small piece of white bread from her sleeve and carefully held it out to Siervian.

“Please take this, Princess.”

“This?”

“Yes.”

Her behavior was a little weird, but Siervian said nothing.

Because she saw the floating window beside Ellie.

[ Ellie ]

Occupation: Maid (Lv.60)

Favorability: 9,867

Mood: Sorrowful

Thoughts: I can’t believe they served this kind of food to such a cute and lovely person. My poor little princess.

Ellie had a lower position than Sarah, but she had a much higher level than her. And her thoughts . . . were a little strange.

[ Ellie ]

Thoughts: Please dig in. Go ahead, please eat! Good for your body and tastes amazing—soft white bread!

The maid’s facial expression didn’t change at all, but according to the status window, she seemed to be enthusiastic about Siervian eating. She unconsciously took a bite.

“. . . !”

It tasted a lot different from what she was used to.

‘It’s softer, sweeter, tastier bread!’

Ellie looked at Siervian’s surprised expression with indifference.

She didn’t know that Siervian was looking closely at the floating window.

[ Ellie ]

Favorability: 9,867

Her favorability points were also much higher than Sarah.

Why was it like this?

* * *

“Now then, let’s use this ribbon for your hair today, Princess.”

“Not that . . .”

“Princess, I’m sure that the Emperor will get angry if you complain like this.”

“Okaaay.”

The thick sea-colored ribbon in Sarah’s hand didn’t suit Siervian’s black hair.

All of the clothes in her closet were mismatched and the colors were all wrong. The materials used for them were all high quality, so it was questionable how this all came to be.

‘I don’t care if the clothes don’t suit me, but why is everything so luxurious?’

Sarah’s attitude was also strange. She definitely had an amiable expression on, but the words on her status window were too harsh.

She never listened to what Siervian had to say, but she would always retort that Siervian complained for no reason whenever she opened her mouth. And she would always mention that His Majesty would surely get mad at her.

‘Would father really be angry?’

Siervian winced involuntarily. She was frightened just by the thought of her father.

Just as her body moved by itself to push away the pepper soup, she was having an out-of-body experience again.

‘It’s scary.’

While Siervian was shaking in fright, Ellie stood in front of her with an expressionless face. Then, the status window popped up.

[ Ellie ]

Mood: Frustrated

Thoughts: Look at that hair, so soft and glossy . . . Just letting it hang naturally already makes her look like a painting. I can style it better . . . Sarah doesn’t know how to use her hands.

Thanks to the status window, Siervian managed to snap out of her fear.

But then she looked at the status window strangely.

It was an eerie but extremely useful advantage to have the ability to know what the other person was thinking.

“Please raise your head,” murmured Sarah.

Because she could see what’s inside, she knew what’s really going on. Sarah, even as she was talking in a sweet voice, was being awfully rude right now.

“Princess, you have to keep your back straight,” Ellie said.

On the other hand, even if Ellie’s voice was a little harsh, she couldn’t help but express her innermost feelings by expressing her concern like this.

. . . If this status window could be utilized well, couldn’t she prevent her enemies from hating her? Maybe this time she could avoid an execution in the future.

‘Perhaps also my father?’

Maybe her father was the same as them, that he also felt different from what he outwardly expressed?

Siervian had this brief thought, but she soon shook her head.

To straighten her posture, Sarah moved her head and quickly berated Siervian—all while pretending to be sweet. Siervian’s scalp was throbbing because Sarah kept pulling on her hair on purpose.

‘In the first place, what reason would there be for the Emperor to be conscious of his actions.’

Siervian’s father, the stern ruler of the Empire, would not behave differently like other people.

The fleeting thought quickly disappeared from her mind, and what’s left for her to worry about was her small, undeveloped body that refused to move at her will.

‘But why am I getting dressed up today?’

Well, she didn’t look good at all, regardless. The noble air of the Imperial Family should still be reflected outwardly, so it was important for her to look dignified as a princess.

Sarah gave Siervian a bath, but neither dried her hair nor brought her new clothes.

Meals were given only once a day, and it was always pepper-laden soup with hard bread.

All the small chores, like drying Siervian’s hair and dressing her in her mismatched clothes, were Ellie’s responsibility. Ellie didn’t talk to Siervian while doing so, but the status window in front of her would keep showing that she was feeling sorry for her.

‘I want to go outside.’

She already went back to the past, but it felt like she was imprisoned once more. Her young body especially felt uncomfortable in the palace.

“I’m going outswide today?”

Having been dressed up for the first time in a long while, Siervian’s expectations were raised. She thought she might be going out for a stroll.

“His Majesty will be visiting today. Did you forget, Your Highness?”

[ Sarah ]

Thoughts: What an idiot. I can’t even remember how many times I told you already.

Contrary to Siervian’s previous impression of her, Sarah’s thoughts were like a thunderbolt flashing throughout a downcast sky. Exasperated, she continued combing Siervian’s hair roughly.

“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”

As soon as Siervian got ready, she heard the Emperor’s footsteps outside the door.

‘I-I’m scared . . . !’

The young Siervian’s body quivered tremendously.

‘I’m not prepared to face him yet!’

Apart from her body, the soul of the adult Siervian was also tense. Ultimately, she had died after having been abandoned by her father.

At that moment, the door burst open. Sarah and Ellie bowed deeply and quickly stepped back.

Like a snowstorm, a tall man with wavy, silver hair came into the room. He had on a look of indifference.

It was the same cold expression that she remembered, but he now looked younger.

“Siervian.”

She needed to convey her greetings.

He might kill her again otherwise.

But the unexpected sight before her kept her nailed to her seat.

There was a status window floating near the Emperor’s chest.

[ Alderuan Erveldotte ]

Occupation: Emperor (Lv.99)

Favorability: 90,980,984

Mood: ♡ My Daughter ♡ I – Miss – You

Thoughts: It’s such a cold day, but it’s a lovely day anyway because I finally get to see my precious darling Siervian.

My arrival was delayed by one minute because that bloody duke held me up. Does his greed know no bounds? I’ll have to order a tax investigation on that duke to dig up dirt on him. It at least won’t be a decapitation, so I’m being merciful enough.

. . . Father?

What the hell is this?!

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