The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live

“…….”

“Angels are indeed blond and handsome….”

I giggled as I looked at the angel’s face. The angel, with eyes as red as blood, looked at me and opened his mouth.

“Hey.”

Oh, come to think of it, why were the angel’s eyes…?

“Aren’t you going to get a grip?”

They were just like Richard’s, weren’t they?

“Ahhh!”

I snapped back to my senses as if cold water had been splashed on me.

Was I not dead yet? I was still in my room, and Richard was right in front of me?!

“Your Highness!”

At that moment, several footsteps rushed into my room.

“Your Highness! Just three seconds! Please wait three seconds!”

The man at the front shouted toward us, no, toward Richard.

He was someone I hadn’t seen before. Judging by the sword at his waist, he seemed to be a knight.

A knight, with a kind face and brown hair braided to one side.

It was rare to see a man with braided hair. I recognized him at a glance.

Luke Clyton. Richard’s aide.

A pitiful character who only managed two or three hours of sleep a day because he had to clean up Richard’s messes.

In other words, he was sane!

The only hope to tame this mad dog had appeared!

“Hey, am I a dog to you?”

Gasp.

I covered my mouth in surprise. Did I accidentally say my thoughts out loud because I was out of my mind?

“Wait for three seconds? Is that how you talk to me?”

Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be the case. Richard glared at Luke. His voice had a rough growling tone that honestly sounded just like a dog, but I was too scared to even think it.

“And you.”

Richard’s gaze turned back to me.

“Are you Lucilia?”

Nod, nod.

I just nodded. My body was so stiff with tension that I felt like I’d make a funny sound if I opened my mouth.

“The 17th Princess?”

Nod, nod.

I nodded as I glanced behind Richard. Behind Luke stood two people who seemed to be Richard’s knights and a few servants from the Opal Palace.

Wait, my servants were here? What were you doing while your master was about to be killed?

I glared at them with anger and resentment.

At that moment, Richard turned his body sharply.

Slash.

And a beautiful red light danced before my eyes.

“Ahhhh!”

“Your Highness!”

I dumbly lowered my gaze. Something rolled over and bumped against my foot.

A familiar face.

Light brown hair and slightly darker eyes. A small mole under lips that always pouted in a mischievous expression.

Her name was Laura. She was my maid.

Not anymore, though. Because her head was cut off. Haha.

“Your Highness, please!”

A sharp voice snapped me back to reality.

In that brief moment, Richard had already killed two more people, leaving only the last servant. Luke had drawn his sword and was standing in his way.

“Aaaaah!”

The servant didn’t miss the chance and ran outside.

Richard tried to push Luke’s sword away to chase the escaping servant. However, the other knights blocked the door entirely. Luke also stood firmly in front of Richard, ready to block him with his body if necessary.

“Your Highness, what is going on! These people are not assassins or soldiers! They are just ordinary servants!”

“Ordinary?”

Richard laughed like a madman.

“Don’t you see her?”

He pointed at… me.

I flinched and took a step back.

“They say the 17th princess is twelve years old, right? Does she look twelve to you? Even beggars on the street are better fed and dressed than her!”

That was a bit harsh…

The timid protest that couldn’t leave my lips flashed through my mind.

But honestly, I was surprised.

I wondered why he suddenly started killing my servants, but it seemed he was angry because of me.

“You expect them to live after making the princess of the Esperusa Empire look like this!”

Because I looked worse than a beggar, because I wasn’t receiving the treatment I deserved as a princess, because even the lowest-ranked servants of the Opal Palace treated and tormented me harshly…

Because I was abused, Richard was angry.

I felt a strange emotion welling up inside me.

“But still…!”

“Shut up!”

A red aura began to emanate from Richard’s sword. Luke moved to stop him, but Richard was faster.

Boom.

With a loud noise, Luke was thrown into the corner of the room. The sword he was holding shattered like a glass cup, scattering shards everywhere.

Richard pointed his sword at the door.

“Move.”

Anyone could hear the unspoken . The knights hesitated and cleared the way for Richard.

“I’ll kill them all.”

Richard muttered as he left the room.

His voice was eerie, his eyes unfocused.

Anyone could see he was completely out of his mind.

“No!”

I ran after Richard. I almost slipped on the blood but managed to keep my balance and get out of the room.

“Your Highness!”

I strained my voice to call out to Richard. But he just staggered down the corridor without responding to me.

No, he was angry because of me, so why didn’t he listen to me?

“Your Highness! Your Highness Prince Richard!”

I was running, and he was walking, yet somehow the distance between us kept increasing. Just when I thought I couldn’t catch up, Richard finally stopped.

“Your Highness?”

Hearing that voice, I turned pale.

It was Miriam, the youngest maid in the palace.

The child who first greeted me with a smile.

I screamed with all my might.

“Brother Richard!”

Was it a miracle?

I could clearly see Richard, who seemed ready to cut down anything in front of him, hesitating.

I ran desperately and stood between Richard and Miriam.

“Brother, please.”

I was afraid of dying. Even now.

But I couldn’t let Richard continue his slaughter. Especially if the target was a child who had never tormented me.

Since he was angry because of me, he wouldn’t kill me, right?

Thinking this, I pleaded with Richard.

“Please stop.”

“Why?”

Richard’s red eyes flickered unstably. Confronting those eyes, which seemed uncertain about distinguishing friend from foe, I felt like I might faint.

“Are you an idiot? A fool? Do you have no pride, nothing at all?”

Richard shouted at me.

“These bastards made you like this! They starved you, abused you, turned you into something less than human!”

“Miriam didn’t do that!”

I shouted back.

Fortunately, Richard was still somewhat rational. I could feel his menacing aura slightly subside at my words.

I didn’t miss this opportunity and spoke again.

“And if all my servants die, I will die too.”

“What nonsense is that?”

Richard’s anger, which had been subsiding, reignited.

“Did these bastards say that? That if they die, you’ll die too? Did these wretches dare to threaten a princess?”

“No!”

I shouted desperately to not be overwhelmed by his intensity.

“These people are my lifeline! They’re the ones who tell my other siblings that I’m weak and insignificant, and thus protect me!”

I stopped speaking, startled.

Richard was looking down at me with a perplexed expression. He looked like he didn’t understand at all.

Of course, you wouldn’t know this way of life.

I swallowed the scoff that threatened to escape and spoke slowly.

“Those people you just killed; they were all spies sent by other palaces.”

“What?”

“They were sent to monitor me. Laura was sent by the 8th prince, and the other two by the 10th princess and…”

I suddenly became curious and turned my head. Miriam, who had been hiding behind me and not moving, flinched as she saw me look at her.

“By the way, where did you come from?”

“Huh? Y-Your Highness, I…”

Miriam stuttered, unable to answer due to her confusion.

Look at this, how could she survive the tough life of a spy if she couldn’t manage her expressions?

I clicked my tongue inwardly and turned back to Richard.

“She must have come from somewhere too. Even if the sender is different, they’re all spies.”

Richard’s expression changed as if he were facing a difficult math problem.

“Then shouldn’t we kill more of them…?”

Richard groaned for a moment, then suddenly brightened up.

“Ah! Are you planning to torture them? Keep them alive?”

Why torture people, you lunatic!

Instead of shouting that, I managed my expression with all my might. I knew I couldn’t persuade Richard with such words.

“No, I won’t kill them. I won’t torture them either. I’ll let them live normally and continue to monitor me.”

I looked Richard straight in the eyes and said,

“Because that way, my other siblings won’t kill me.”

Richard’s eyes widened.

“I have no interest in the throne, and I lack the ability to ascend to it. I want everyone to know that. Otherwise, I’ll die.”

Richard seemed shocked by my words. His beautiful face showed a mixture of surprise and frustration.

Seeing that expression, I gave a bitter smile.

“You won’t understand, Brother.”

Richard’s life had been a series of battles. His survival method was to eliminate any enemy in sight.

It was a way only possible for him.

Richard had carved his life with sheer overwhelming violence.

I never expected him to understand Lucilia’s way of lowering herself before enemies. I never hoped for it either.

“I’ve lived like this until now. And I will continue to live like this.”

I just wanted him to understand this one thing.

“So please, don’t cause any more disturbances in my palace. I beg you.”

Because his sudden intrusion had completely ruined my life plan.

Richard couldn’t easily respond. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, hesitating for a long time.

“You…”

Eventually, what Richard said was this.

“How long do you think you can last like that?”

This time, I stayed silent.

“For now, it might be okay. As long as no one has the upper hand, maintaining an ambiguous balance, no one will care about a small fry like you.”

I felt a bit sorry for Richard, but honestly, I was a bit impressed.

A genius swordsman, but not very smart. That was the image I had of Richard from reading the original story.

Yet he was surprisingly keen on grasping the current situation.

“But the balance will break soon. Within a few years, a bloodbath will sweep through the palace, and the first ones to get caught up in it will be weaklings like you! With no one to protect you, you’ll be the perfect pawn to use and discard!”

If the situation were different, I would have applauded Richard.

His prediction was eerily accurate.

In exactly three years, a great bloodbath would sweep through the palace. And the first to get caught up in it would be someone in a similar position to mine.

Imelda Belle Esperusa.

The protagonist whom I trusted and followed.

“How long do you think you can last?”

Three years. Just three years. After that, our protagonist would come to rescue me like a heroine on a white horse. Amen.

I said this solemnly, like a devout priest. Of course, only in my mind.

What Richard said was all correct, but only up to that point.

Imelda would get caught up in the whirlwind of the throne battle but wouldn’t die. Instead, she would awaken through that incident and begin her path as a tyrant.

But I couldn’t tell him that.

I took a step closer to Richard and slowly, very slowly, reached out and held the hand gripping his sword.

I felt him flinch, startled by the sudden contact.

“Thank you for worrying about me, Brother.”