FTMR 05

Chapter 5

“…Is This Some New Kind of Harassment?”

“Y-You want me to wear this?”

Annette was bewildered. She never imagined she’d end up complaining about clothes like this—something she’d never done in her life.

Laid out before her was a pale pink dress overflowing with lace and frills.

The one-piece nightgown she’d worn earlier had already felt far too floaty and uncomfortable, but compared to this dress, it was downright modest.

‘It’s prettier than anything Bridget wore as a child…’

The fabric shimmered faintly, clearly of high quality even at a glance. When she touched it, the softness far exceeded her expectations.

Perhaps because of the divine authority passed down through generations, the Alkan imperial family was famously short on daughters.

The current Emperor and Empress had only a Crown Prince, so where had clothing for a young girl like this even come from…?

“Her Majesty the Empress said you’d look absolutely adorable in it—ah! I’m so sorry.”

The maid answering Annette’s question abruptly covered her mouth, realizing she’d misspoken, then quickly adopted a solemn expression.

“She personally selected it, saying it would suit you very well.”

“…I see.”

Annette was accustomed to words laced with mockery and contempt, so there was nothing offensive in the maid’s tone.

She looked at the flustered maid with mild confusion, then nodded.

In any case, since the Empress herself had prepared it, refusing wasn’t an option.

‘And it wouldn’t make sense to ask for different clothes when I’m only borrowing them.’

Besides, the dress was so complicated that Annette had no confidence she could put it on by herself. In the end, she had no choice but to ask the maids for assistance.

Embarrassed by her gaunt body, ribs clearly visible beneath her skin, Annette kept her gaze lowered as they dressed her. Once finished, the maids carefully trimmed her long hair—which reached her hips—into a neat, pretty length.

As she was dressed and groomed for the first time in her life by gentle hands, Annette thought blankly,

‘…Is this some kind of new harassment?’

“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Charlotte, the Empress of the Alkan Empire.”

The place Annette was led to after changing wasn’t the audience chamber or a reception room—but a banquet hall.

From light, easily digestible health foods to luxurious dishes that made one’s mouth water just by looking at them, the table was lavishly prepared. Annette stared in a daze until Charlotte’s voice snapped her back to reality.

When Annette looked up in surprise, Charlotte suddenly burst out laughing.

It was a refreshing smile that made it hard to believe she was the mother of an eight-year-old son—just like the Emperor.

Seeing the Empress smile at her so often made Annette feel strangely ticklish. Her cheeks flushed as she apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? You traveled all the way from the kingdom—it’s only natural you’d be hungry. Go on, eat.”

“…Thank you.”

Charlotte’s gentle words put Annette at ease, and she nodded more comfortably.

Still, she was utterly unaccustomed to such a lavish table and had no idea where to start.

And since she’d always eaten alone in her tent even during subjugation missions, sitting face-to-face with someone while dining felt awkward.

‘At least the Emperor isn’t here…’

Just then, Charlotte began with the steaming soup.

Annette quickly followed suit, slowly lifting a spoonful to her lips.

Gulp.

The moment it touched her tongue, rich flavor spread throughout her mouth.

As the warm, velvety soup slid gently down her throat, her already exhausted body relaxed even further.

And with that warmth—

Perhaps her guard lowered as well.

Annette glanced sideways at the Empress, who was eating a fresh salad.

Their eyes met, and Charlotte smiled again, her gaze soft.

There was no contempt or hostility in her eyes.

If anything, there was something like affection.

Having lived her entire life surrounded by negative gazes, Annette was oddly more sensitive to it—and found herself flustered.

She felt ashamed for briefly suspecting that the Empress might be mocking her.

With strange, unfamiliar emotions swelling in her chest, Annette lowered her eyes again and carefully lifted another spoonful of soup.

That was when—

“When it’s just the two of us, you can call me Charlotte.”

“Cough—cough…!”

Startled by how suddenly the distance between them had closed, Annette coughed. Charlotte handed her a handkerchief with concern, yet pressed on warmly.

“We’ll be family soon, after all. It’d be nice to be close.”

Annette’s pupils shrank.

‘Family…?’

She had come to the Empire to marry Grand Duke Hargent, but she had never once imagined she would gain a family.

Charlotte laughed awkwardly, wondering if she’d said something wrong, upon seeing Annette’s stunned expression.

That was when—

“His Majesty the Emperor enters.”

Lucius strode into the banquet hall and took the seat beside Charlotte, apologizing as he did.

“I apologize for being late. After confirming the Princess’s identity, I had to urgently notify Grand Duke Hargent as well…”

Mid-sentence, he tilted his head.

He’d noticed the peculiar silence hanging between Charlotte and Annette across the table.

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing at all, Your Majesty.”

Thankfully, Charlotte broke the tension first and continued.

“More importantly, what did the Grand Duke say? Did he say he’d depart immediately upon hearing that Sir Hayworth arrived?”

“Well, about that…”

Watching Lucius hesitate, Annette felt her blood turn cold.

Her heart—pounding rapidly like that of a child—began to slow.

The warm bath. The carefully prepared meal. Everyone’s kindness.

For just a moment, the unfamiliar hospitality had made her misunderstand.

‘As if I were someone truly welcomed…’

She wasn’t Bridget—the treasured jewel of Hayworth, beloved by the people.

Still, Annette straightened her back.

Even if she wasn’t Bridget, she was a princess representing the Kingdom of Hayworth. She wanted to behave with dignity.

And so—

“It seems Grand Duke Hargent is currently away on a monster subjugation mission. He never expected Hayworth would send the betrothal pledge in the Princess’s own hands. We did send word to the ducal house, but since we don’t know when the subjugation will end… it may take some time before he returns to the capital.”

“I see.”

Even upon hearing that her future fiancé wouldn’t come to see her immediately, Annette nodded calmly.

Her reaction—neither disappointed nor expectant—made Lucius look oddly embarrassed.

Charlotte, who’d spent more time with Annette, seemed to understand and spoke gently.

“Sir, the Grand Duke will surely come to the capital as soon as he hears.”

“I’m fine, Your Majesty.”

Annette offered Charlotte a small smile, as if to reassure her.

“Monster outbreaks are always sudden. My subordinates—no, the Hayworth Royal Knights—also left for an urgent subjugation not long ago.”

In truth, Annette suspected the Grand Duke simply didn’t want to see her and had made an excuse.

But she didn’t want to disappoint someone who’d shown her rare kindness, so she spoke that way.

And it wasn’t entirely false. After Annette retired and a new commander was appointed, the Hayworth Royal Knights had departed on a mission just days before the Empire requested the alliance.

“Thank you for understanding, Princess.”

“I’ve experienced monster subjugation myself.”

Annette lowered her gaze and murmured shyly.

“And given how I look right now, I hardly have the face to meet him anyway.”

“…Hm?”

Lucius made a baffled sound.

Charlotte looked equally confused.

Lucius burst into laughter, thinking that Cardin would die of injustice if he heard that.

Annette, assuming his reaction was just an attempt to hide embarrassment, asked,

“Since we’re on the topic—was it true that I looked like this when I was found?”

The previously gentle atmosphere instantly stiffened.

Lucius erased his smile and nodded.

“The soldiers guarding the gate reported that a strange child collapsed after handing them an envelope bearing the imperial seal. If not for the betrothal pledge inside and the Princess’s red hair, we wouldn’t have dared guess your identity.”

Having expected that answer, Annette sighed softly and turned to Charlotte.

“You asked if I could explain what happened to me.”

“Yes. Can you?”

“No… To be honest, I don’t fully understand it myself. I fought monsters on my way to the Empire, but I don’t know why my body ended up like this…”

“Could it be because of monster blood?”

“…It’s possible.”

Aside from injuring her wrist once, Annette had never been this badly hurt during a subjugation.

Now that she thought about it, her heart had felt strangely hot, her blood oddly restless on the way to the palace. Perhaps it was related.

‘Or maybe… it’s because I really am a monster’s seed…’

Lowering her head, Annette wondered how she would even explain that to the Alkan imperial family if it were true.

Then Charlotte murmured worriedly,

“I heard you stepped down from knighthood due to injury, but it must have been worse than we thought—to lose your sword.”

“My sword?”

“Yes. We brought you straight to the palace when you collapsed at the gate, but they said there was no sword with you.”

“Oh. I didn’t bring my sword.”

“What? You didn’t bring Rubellino?”

“Yes. When I stepped down as commander, I returned it to the royal family… Rubellino?”

Annette knew people called her sword Rubellino—“Crimson Poison”—claiming it was a blade forever stained with monster blood.

She just hadn’t expected to hear that name from the Empress’s lips.