FTMR 09

Chapter 9

Like an Ordinary Person, Not a Seed of Monsters

“Ghk…!”

As Anette strained to hide her noticeably rounded stomach, an odd sound reached her ears.

There was no way such an undignified noise could have come from the Empress Dowager or the Empress, both paragons of refined noblewomanly composure…

And yet, none of the maids standing stiffly against the walls of the Dowager’s Palace, nor the Empress’s attendants, looked as though they had made a mistake.

Rolling her eyes slightly as she searched for the source of the sound she had heard, Anette spotted something she absolutely could not ignore.

It was the Empress Dowager—gripping the handle of her teacup so tightly that the veins on the back of her hand stood out.

Why did she suddenly get upset?

As Anette tried to guess the reason, realization struck her like lightning.

Oh no! When I was out on subjugations, we’d share even a single dry biscuit—and here I am, eating all of this by myself!

The moment sweet desserts entered her mouth, her brain must have melted along with them. Otherwise, how could she have gobbled up everything they gave her without thinking?

She’d never considered herself particularly gluttonous, but given the situation, she had no choice but to admit it.

Until now, she’d only ever eaten food that tasted terrible—there’d been nothing to tempt her.

Belatedly berating herself, Anette picked up the only cookie that still looked intact on the devastated table.

“Y-Your Majesty, Empress Dowager.”

The instant she spoke, a sharp gaze fell upon her.

Clenching her eyes shut, Anette extended her hand.

“This cookie… it’s really delicious. Please try it too.”

To others, it might not have seemed like much—but for Anette, it was an act that required considerable courage.

Strangely, she found herself wanting to make a good impression on the Alkan imperial family.

Until now, she had lived without caring how others saw or judged her—no, she had needed to live that way to endure.

Why…?

Unsure whether it was simply her duty as a princess securing an alliance, or something else entirely, Anette cautiously opened her eyes.

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, the Empress Dowager’s face flushed red. She clutched at the front of her robe and collapsed sideways.

“Your Majesty?”

“Your Majesty!”

As people rushed toward her in shock, Anette jumped to her feet and moved to approach the Empress Dowager.

But Charlotte, seated beside her, stopped her.

“That’s enough for today. You should go and rest.”

She then instructed one of the approaching close maids to escort Anette outside.

The way she was restrained made it seem as though they were preventing her from approaching the Empress Dowager—

Just like the people of Hayworth Kingdom who had avoided her, calling her a cursed seed of monsters.

Unable to say a word, Anette had no choice but to follow the maid out of the Dowager’s Palace.

* * *

“Princess?”

When Anette suddenly stopped walking despite having followed obediently until then, the maid ahead of her turned around.

“Princess, what’s wrong?”

“Well… um…”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“Does the Empress Dowager… have health issues normally?”

As soon as she asked, Anette carefully watched the maid’s expression.

She knew she was a foreigner—there was a chance the maid wouldn’t speak honestly about internal matters of the imperial family.

And the moment she saw confusion and hesitation flicker across the maid’s face, Anette understood.

The Empress Dowager had no chronic illness.

“If it’s difficult to answer, you don’t have to.”

Unable to say outright that she feared the Empress Dowager had collapsed because of her, Anette tried to ease the maid’s discomfort.

Seeing Anette’s expression—one that clearly said she already knew—the maid, Serina, panicked.

Strictly speaking, it was Anette’s fault—but not for the reason Anette believed.

However, due to her position and duties, she couldn’t speak about her superior without permission.

More importantly, her master was the Empress, not the Empress Dowager.

As Serina watched Anette lower her gaze, her shoulders slumped, she felt a pang of pity and resolved to urge the Empress to clear up this misunderstanding.

Meanwhile—

“Haaah…”

Believing that the Empress Dowager had collapsed because of her, Anette felt unbearably heavy-hearted.

The Empress Dowager had probably disliked her from the very beginning.

To think she’d mistaken that dignified restraint—her thoughtful, polite behavior—for fondness…

And after eating everything placed before her without manners, even offering the leftover cookie at the end—how exasperating must that have been?

Anette felt utterly pathetic. Just imagining returning to her room and being alone made her chest feel tight.

“Um, Miss Maid.”

“My name is Serina. Princess, please speak casually.”

“…Right. Serina, is there somewhere nearby where I could take a short walk?”

Perhaps because she had spent so long confined in a detached palace, Anette disliked enclosed spaces.

She was more comfortable sleeping in camps under tents than in sealed rooms.

Listening to her subordinates chatting outside as she drifted off felt like a lullaby—like she was just an ordinary person among many.

“If that’s too much to ask, you don’t have to—”

The words left her mouth before she realized it.

Only then did she recall that the Empress had restricted palace staff from passing through the area around the Dowager’s Palace.

If she wandered around in this state and was seen by the wrong person, it could cause trouble.

Sure enough, Serina hesitated.

“It’s really fine. Let’s just go back to my room.”

“Ah—Princess!”

“…?”

“There’s a rear garden not far from here. That should be fine. Only members of the imperial family are allowed to enter.”

“What? But if it’s a place like that, I shouldn’t—”

“No! Her Majesty the Empress instructed us to treat you as we would an imperial family member. So it will be fine.”

Normally, permission should have been sought first—but Serina spoke with confidence.

She knew well how much goodwill the Empress held toward the young princess before her.

And seeing Anette withdraw her words so quickly, her small face full of disappointment, tugged at her heart.

“Then… I’ll trouble you.”

In the end, Anette followed Serina toward the rear garden.

As they walked, recalling the Empress’s instructions left her with a strange feeling.

Just like the Emperor had said she was part of the imperial family—did the Empress truly think of her as family too?

Why do they never seem to consider the possibility that I might never return to my original body?

Both of them seemed utterly convinced that, regardless of her condition, she would become engaged to Grand Duke Harzent.

Their unwavering certainty made Anette uneasy instead.

“Ah…”

In that moment, Anette finally realized why she felt so anxious—and why she wanted to be liked by the Alkan imperial family.

She’d thought it was simply fear that her body wouldn’t return, that the alliance might fall apart.

But that wasn’t it.

Just one day after awakening in the Empire, she understood something clearly.

This place was different from the Kingdom of Hayworth.

Here, no one frowned at her or avoided her gaze.

Even her red hair—the same color as her hated crimson eyes, which the King of Hayworth despised—was praised by maids as a rare and beautiful shade in the Empire.

And so, hope quietly bloomed in her heart.

That here, she might be able to live like an ordinary person—not as a cursed seed of monsters.

Maybe… I can live here without being despised.

She wasn’t foolish enough to think everyone would like her.

But not feeling that familiar hostility was more than enough.

The most positive emotion she had ever received in her life was pity.

Even if they didn’t see her, only the future wife of Grand Duke Harzent, that was fine.

It’s always been like that.

What newborn baby was inherently so precious that Sara would willingly suffer so much? It was all loyalty to the late queen.

Even the former captain of the royal knights—

“Do you think monster subjugation is a game? Her Majesty the late Queen died after giving birth to you. You have no right to be happy—but you also have no right to throw your life away. Go back.”

Once, because he had been the late queen’s escort knight, he hated her.

“I was mistaken. Her Majesty would have wanted the princess to be happy…”

And for that reason, he passed the captaincy on to her.

Never once had Anette been acknowledged as an independent individual.

So it was fine.

All she wished for was to remain in the Alkan Empire—to become Grand Duke Harzent’s partner as soon as possible.

Even if… he ends up hating me.

“This is the place, Princess. There shouldn’t be anyone inside, so please look around at ease.”

After guiding her to the entrance of the rear garden, Serina explained that the Emperor was occupied with state affairs and the Crown Prince was in class, so no one would come. She said she would inform the Empress, who was with the Empress Dowager, of Anette’s visit.

Left alone, Anette quietly stepped into the garden.