Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 155

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“…I was a bit surprised, but it’s not unfamiliar. However.”
“Hmm?”
“You recognized me right away?”
I burst into laughter at his unexpected words.
“Of course. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize you.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Even in the distant past, long after we’d parted ways at the Orphanage, I’d recognized Jack at a glance.
The handsome young man with silver hair, who had grown so tall I had to crane my neck to look up at him, still possessed those sincere, steadfast eyes that seemed incapable of deception.
‘He was wearing the Lexion Knights uniform back then too.’
As I smiled warmly, Jack stared at me for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words.
“But where is Taize… Vice-Captain?”
“Father went down to the Duchy. He was quite disappointed when he heard you’d come to the Empire.”
“Ah….”
At those words, I thought of my Grandfather in the Diapel Marquisate, who would surely jump with joy upon hearing my news.
The schedule had been so tight, and with the need for secrecy, my contact had been delayed.
When I sent word to the Marquis’s Residence that I would arrive at the Capital City soon, Grandfather had already departed for the Marquisate, grumbling that the Founding Festival would make things too hectic.
There was a chance he might return to the Capital City if he heard the news, but unlike before, he was in good health with no discomfort, so I wasn’t greatly worried.
“Lia.”
That was when Jack called my name.
I tilted my head questioningly, and Jack hesitated for a long moment, his lips moving soundlessly before he finally spoke.
“You know….”
“…?”
And in that instant, I felt the barrier I had set dissolve.
Turning my head to see who it was, I found Father approaching—his appearance still radiant despite his years.
“Adriana. Will you grant me the honor of sharing the first dance with you?”
I asked in surprise, “What about Mother?”
Father answered with a bright, carefree smile.
“Your mother says her body is indisposed and dancing would be too much for her.”
“Her body is indisposed?”
She seemed perfectly fine just moments ago.
I glanced in surprise at Mother, who was seated in a chair on the dais. Then I understood the situation.
‘…Could it be she’s making an excuse because the Emperor might ask her to dance?’
Of course, by common sense, the Emperor would never ask Mother to dance while the Empress was present….
But seeing the Emperor insisting on calling the Imperial Palace physician and Mother’s furrowed brow, it was truly impossible to say.
I inwardly shook my head lightly and took Father’s hand with delight.
“Then I’d be delighted.”
* * *
Grand Duchess Bellus took the Grand Duke’s hand and stepped gracefully to the center of the hall.
The nobles who had been eager to speak with the Grand Duchess fell silent and gazed at the sight in a daze.
“Now that I think about it, it’s been quite a long time since we’ve seen His Grace the Grand Duke dance.”
A noblewoman watched the Grand Duke lead Lia skillfully across the dance floor and spoke in a voice tinged with nostalgia.
In the past, it was no exaggeration to say that there was not a single woman in the Empire who had not harbored feelings for either Duke Elrad or Grand Duke Bellus at least once.
Of course, Duke Elrad was only admired from afar due to his cold temperament and the love triangle involving his childhood friend Marquis Diapel’s daughter and the Emperor, while more people yearned for the gentle and extraordinarily handsome Grand Duke Bellus.
“It was truly shocking back then. I thought he was only interested in magic….”
When the Grand Duke suddenly appeared at a ball one day and danced with the Marquis’s daughter, everyone doubted their own eyes.
“Who could have known that the Marquis Diapel’s daughter would marry the Grand Duke instead of His Majesty the Emperor or the Duke?”
Moreover, before that shock had even faded, Duke Elrad himself set a date with a woman from a fallen noble family bordering on commoner status.
How many young ladies had fallen ill from heartbreak during that time?
But before long, they too had become noblewomen of households with several children.
Recalling those pure days of forgotten affection, they all gazed upon the dancing Grand Duke and Grand Duchess with warm smiles.
And the younger ladies felt the same way.
“How is it that the Grand Duke is the same age as my father, yet so magnificent?”
“Indeed. I had actually hoped to see Askart this time, but at least this provides some comfort!”
“My goodness!”
At that moment, the Grand Duke smiled brilliantly as if radiating light to those around him, then lifted the Grand Duchess lightly and spun her around once.
When the Grand Duchess laughed in surprise, the Grand Duke’s lips curved into a smile of happiness as if he possessed the entire world.
At the sight of the beautiful Grand Duke and Grand Duchess—a father and daughter who had parted briefly long ago and reunited—people smiled warmly.
Yet even amid the warm atmosphere mixed with admiration and envy, there were malicious glances that could not be hidden.
Allen swept those gazes with cold eyes, clearly displeased.
The young noblemen who had been looking at Lia quickly averted their eyes.
Only then did Allen’s mood improve, and he exhaled sharply before downing the two glasses of refreshing juice he held in succession.
Yet his face still felt hot, and his body seemed to burn.
“….”
He found himself gazing at Lia once more without thinking.
Just then, Lia burst into a bright laugh.
Allen drew in a breath without realizing it.
When he first saw Lia enter, she had felt so unfamiliar, but now it didn’t seem that way at all.
Aside from her hair and eye color, the gently drooping round eyes, the slender face line, and the way everything sparkled when she smiled….
‘She’s just as she was back then.’
Though it felt embarrassing to admit, it was entirely understandable why Diana had always spoken so highly of her beauty.
‘I always wondered what she looked like.’
She truly bore no resemblance to Young Lady Amber, just as Diana had said.
And she looked somewhat different from the Grand Duchess, whom everyone said she resembled.
The Grand Duchess was beautiful, certainly, but Lia seemed more gentle and soft….
‘What am I thinking right now!’
In that moment, Allen’s face flushed as he became aware of his embarrassing thoughts.
Allen gripped the empty glass tightly, yet he could not tear his gaze away from Lia.
* * *
Meanwhile.
The Emperor watched the Grand Duchess descend from the dais, saying she needed fresh air to cure her headache, and squeezed his eyes shut.
Though it had been a long time since I last saw her, my heart ached at the sight of her beauty, unchanged and radiant.
Then, at the sound of her crystalline laughter, the Emperor’s eyes snapped open.
“She resembles her so much.”
The words escaped his lips unbidden—in the Emperor’s gaze, Lia appeared as his first love, Stella, reborn.
Yet Stella had rarely graced him with her smile, so the Emperor found himself momentarily entranced by Lia’s radiant one.
‘I once believed that no jewel in all the world, no matter how brilliant or beautiful, could surpass Stella. And yet… she is Stella’s daughter after all.’
“Your Majesty, my apologies. I fear I am somewhat late.”
At that moment, a figure appeared to interrupt the Emperor’s reverie.
It was Prince Nicholas.
The Emperor’s expression, which had begun to furrow in displeasure, shifted into something peculiar.
Seeing the Emperor’s expression, Nicholas tilted his head and added as if in explanation.
“I was occupied with matters concerning the Liven Kingdom.”
“Enough. Be seated.”
At the mere mention of the Liven Kingdom, the Emperor waved his hand dismissively, as though unwilling to hear more.
Clear displeasure was etched across the Emperor’s face.
Last night, Serphin, whom he had sent as the delegation leader to the Liven Kingdom, had announced her abrupt and solitary return.
‘She insisted so stubbornly that I entrust it to her.’
The Imperial Princess’s complete lack of responsibility was deeply disappointing.
At least Nicholas, who had begun to show promise these past few years, was a consolation.
Then, as the Emperor regarded Nicholas once more, his gaze grew strange.
Never before had he thought of it this way.
Today, Nicholas with his crimson hair bore a striking resemblance to himself.
* * *
While a magnificent banquet was in full swing within the Imperial Palace,
the area surrounding the Black Forest, notorious as a forbidden zone near the Capital City, undulated with an eerie, otherworldly shimmer.
This place, whose origins were lost to time, lived up to its name—the Black Forest—where all life seemed absent, with earth, grass, and trees stained black, naturally evoking terror and revulsion.
Indeed, merely approaching its vicinity caused reports of headaches, nausea, and in severe cases, auditory and visual hallucinations, while mages sensitive to mana often lost consciousness altogether.
Thus, the Black Forest, forbidden to all, was rife with sinister rumors—that a demon from mythology was sealed within, or that legendary monsters dwelt there.
And remarkably, among the countless tales, some held kernels of truth.
The Black Forest was the only place on this earth connected to the Demon Realm.
Without ‘permission,’ none could enter, nor could they wield their power.
And now.
The entrance to the Black Forest, which seemed it would never open, had been unsealed.
Those who had received ‘permission’ wrapped themselves entirely in black cloth and hurried into the forest, each bearing their ‘offering.’
Moments later, the entrance to the Black Forest sealed itself once more.
A full moon hung in the sky.
* * *
“Your Highness!”
“Ugh… ugh…”
“Grand Duchess!”
Rough breaths tore from my lungs as I jolted awake, my body trembling beneath the hands that shook me.
Through the window, the world still lay cloaked in the pale gray of dawn.
“Your Highness, did you have a nightmare?”
Jane asked softly, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead.
I managed only a faint nod before speaking.
“…Yes. Water, please.”
“Right away.”
Jane handed me the glass at once, her expression etched with concern.
“Your Highness, it seems you’ve been having nightmares more frequently lately.”
“…”
I pretended not to hear her words and quenched my parched throat.
Then I glanced cautiously at Jane’s face.
“Don’t worry. I won’t say a word to the Grand Duke or the Grand Duchess.”
Jane had pinpointed my exact concern with uncanny precision, and she spoke with reassurance. Then she asked.
“But what on earth are you dreaming about that causes you such torment?”
“…I don’t remember well.”
It was a lie.
In truth, I remembered my dream with perfect clarity.
It was a dream from when I had infiltrated Terenthium for training and lived as an informant—dreams where Master always appeared.
‘It’s true. I’ve been dreaming more frequently since arriving in the Empire.’
Already several days had passed since I arrived in the Empire. Tomorrow, the Founding Festival would begin.
Yet since coming here, the frequency of my dreams had increased, and the hazy, murky visions now felt vivid and real, far more than before.
…As if the Master in my dreams might open his eyes to meet mine at any moment, his hands already reaching for my throat.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————