Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 247

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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When Lia fully recovered her soul and opened her eyes, the Empire’s circumstances had transformed dramatically.
First, a verdict was handed down against Imperial Princess Serphin—not only for plotting treason, but for assassinating the Emperor.
Everyone naturally assumed she would receive a death sentence, yet surprisingly, she was confined to the Imperial Prison to serve her punishment.
The reason was not that Nicholas, who would become the new Emperor, was merciful, but rather that the Imperial Princess’s status as a Demon Worshipper was exposed, and the Temple became involved in determining her fate.
And the one who spearheaded this was Diana, the Saint whose name shook the entire Continent beyond the Empire itself.
The Temple elevated Diana to Sainthood and proclaimed that she had completely annihilated the Demon.
The Black Forest, which had been shrouded in countless rumors entangled with the Demon, was purified and transformed into a lush woodland in an instant—this was the proof.
The death of an Emperor in a single night and the revelation that his assassin was a Demon Worshipper was shocking enough, but the fact that the Demon’s seal had been broken and the Human World nearly consumed by darkness was almost incomprehensible.
The Empire’s people were so overwhelmed by shock that they could do nothing but accept it.
After several days of such chaos, the Emperor’s funeral was finally held.
Nicholas watched expressionlessly as the coffin was lowered into the pre-dug grave and covered with earth.
No tears came. He was merely troubled by the thought that he was now becoming Emperor.
Then, suddenly, a memory surfaced—visiting Serphin the night before.
Nicholas was inwardly surprised when he saw Serphin sitting in the dark, dreary Underground Dungeon where no sunlight penetrated, reeking of foul odors. He felt neither as satisfied nor as relieved as he had expected.
Serphin, too, contrary to his expectation that she would lash out at him, was surprisingly composed. She had already accepted death.
But Nicholas conveyed to Serphin a verdict that was not death.
“From now on, your status as Imperial Princess is revoked. You will be sent to serve as a maidservant to the Imperial Princesses at the Separate Palace.”
“…What did you say?”
“You constantly visited the Separate Palace to cause trouble and left scars on the other Imperial Princesses’ bodies while evading the Empress’s sight. Now it is your turn to suffer the same.”
“No, that’s insane! Just kill me instead!”
“That’s not all. Once a month, the Priestesses of the Temple will visit you and conduct a purification ceremony by sacred flame.”
This was the punishment the Saint Diana imposed upon the last remaining Demon Worshipper.
At the words that she would receive back all the humiliation and shame she had inflicted upon others, and would endure the agony of being burned alive in scorching fire once a month, Serphin screamed madly and tried to dash her head against the wall to end her life.
Nicholas immediately ordered her limbs to be restrained, then informed her that the Empress and House Fayerunt had been cleared of all charges related to the assassination and treason, and would face no punishment.
Of course, it seemed Serphin heard none of it.
“Your Majesty, it is time to return to the Palace.”
Lucio approached Nicholas quietly as he remained lost in thought.
Startled, Nicholas nodded, then asked playfully on a whim.
“Now that I think about it, Lucio—I haven’t formally become Emperor yet, but it’s imminent. Can you tell me what your wish is?”
Lucio, to whom Nicholas had brought up a matter long forgotten, thought for a moment before answering.
“Become an Emperor who abhors war and loves his people. If Your Majesty becomes a virtuous ruler, then I too shall be a loyal subject.”
That is my wish, Lucio said, bowed his head, and turned away cleanly.
Nicholas, who had been staring blankly at his figure, let out a soft laugh and turned his gaze toward the Emperor’s tomb, now fully prepared.
“In truth, I sought to become Emperor simply to survive. I protected my half-sisters with meager compassion and a sense of kinship.”
And incidentally, I intended merely to honor the faith of those who had worked for me.
But.
“It seems I must become a virtuous ruler remembered throughout history.”
To make Lucio truly mine.
In that moment, Nicholas—who had only ever thought of survival—gained his first true purpose.
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“Where on earth could he be?”
After meticulously searching Lucio’s office, I tilted my head in confusion and closed the door behind me.
I had confirmed that he returned to the Duke’s Mansion, yet he was nowhere to be found—not in his room, not in the library, not in his office.
“Where could he possibly be?”
I muttered irritably, convinced that Lucio was deliberately avoiding me.
Then a nagging memory surfaced.
〈Lia… I came because I heard you had awakened.〉
The evening I opened my eyes.
Jack had sought me out and asked to renew his knight’s oath to me.
〈I know it must seem absurd that I, who caused you such suffering, would stand beside you without a shred of conscience. Yet if you would permit it, I wish to die protecting you.〉
Jack’s face was darkened by remorse and guilt.
I genuinely believed my death was not his fault, and I wanted to comfort him.
Above all, if becoming my knight could free him from that guilt, there was no reason to refuse.
When I nodded readily after making my decision, Jack’s eyes reddened as though he might weep at any moment, and he knelt on one knee.
He took my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, speaking with solemn reverence.
〈I, Jack Seidian, swear to become the blade that protects Adriana Bellus, offering my blood, my life, and my very soul.〉
After receiving Jack’s oath, I watched his departing figure with a lightened heart and felt reassured.
But then…
I thought I glimpsed a flash of silver hair disappearing rapidly, and it seems it was no illusion.
‘Surely he wasn’t angry that I accepted Jack’s oath?’
Since Lucio had recovered his memories, he would know that Jack had killed me. He might not understand my decision.
Thinking I should find him and discuss this properly, I stepped into the corridor.
“Oh?”
Lucio, who had been walking toward me from the opposite direction, froze upon seeing me, then turned to leave.
Bewildered, I quickly waved my hand.
“Caught you!”
The moment I grabbed Lucio’s arm, I moved my hand again.
Whoosh.
In an instant, we arrived at the Tower Spire of the Duke’s Mansion where the wind howled, and Lucio looked at me with startled eyes.
A question seemed to flicker across his face—why here of all places—and I smiled knowingly.
I thought there was no better place to discuss my past life and Jack’s story.
“To be honest, just looking at this tower used to frighten me. That’s why I avoided coming here while staying at the Duke’s Mansion.”
“…”
“But now it doesn’t bother me at all.”
Perhaps because my soul had fully recovered, I hadn’t forgotten the painful memories, yet they no longer tormented me as they once had.
It was rather like being deeply immersed in a first-person narrative.
So I was about to tell him that seeing Jack didn’t affect me at all, and to ask him to respect my choice.
“Jack Seidian genuinely loves you.”
Lucio spoke words I hadn’t expected.
“He made that knight’s oath to Diana in the past because I asked him to.”
“What? What do you mean…?”
“At the time, the Emperor was pressuring me to arrange a marriage between Nicholas and Diana. I was torn because my father’s life hung in the balance, and that was the strategy I came up with. If Jack Seidian had feelings for Diana, the Emperor would relent as well.”
Other kingdoms were eyeing him eagerly as a Sword Master, and we couldn’t risk losing such a valuable talent.
“And the reason he agreed to my request was…”
Lucio continued with a bitter smile.
“Because I promised to give him information about you.”
“Information about me…?”
“Yes. It seems he’s been searching for you all this time. When he was tracking down the children from Tessar Orphanage, he discovered that I was also looking for you, so he came to find me.”
Lucio explained that they had made a deal—Jack would make the knight’s oath in exchange.
Hearing this unexpected story from the past, I found myself momentarily at a loss for words.
Then I became curious about why Lucio was suddenly telling me all this.
When I stared at him intently, he averted his gaze and spoke.
“If perhaps you harbored prejudice against him because of the oath he made in the past, and that’s why you rejected his confession…”
“Wait a moment!”
I was so taken aback by the direction this conversation was taking that I asked incredulously.
“You’ve been dwelling on such strange thoughts this whole time instead of worrying about what you should? Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”
“…”
“I’ve never thought of Jack as anything more than a friend! Of course, I always assumed Jack had feelings for Diana, but even if that weren’t the case…”
Lucio’s words were so absurd that I burst out, and though I hesitated about whether I should say this now, seeing his deeply dejected expression, I let out a long sigh and spoke.
“I told you. I’ve liked you far more, and for far longer, than you think.”
Which means I already liked you in my previous life too.
As I whispered softly, Lucio’s eyes widened in surprise.
In truth, I hadn’t even realized that my past feelings might have been love.
But now I understand the meaning behind my actions—how my heart would skip a beat whenever I heard Lucio’s name, and how I would unconsciously perk up my ears, eager to hear even one more story about him.
Suddenly embarrassed, I quickly changed the subject.
“More importantly, is it true that you were also searching for me back then?”
“…Yes. Ever since you disappeared in front of the Academy, I’ve been searching for you continuously. I even learned your name through the Beggar Gang children.”
At Lucio’s calm confession, my heart swelled with emotion.
So it was true—he really had been remembering me and searching for me.
Then could the request to infiltrate Diana’s birthday party have been…?
“After that, I thought you might be ‘Lia,’ Terenthium’s information broker, so I gave you that request to confirm. Since you kept rejecting my recruitment offers, I had no choice.”
Just as I thought! I felt a sense of satisfaction at my correct deduction.
“But Diana said something strange the next day. She thought she might have seen the Grand Duchess Bellus…”
At this unexpected revelation, my eyes widened before I quickly understood.
Diana never awakened to her past memories, but she would have recognized my true form…
“That day, you were the only unidentified outsider brought into the Duke’s Mansion as a temporary maidservant. It bothered me so much that I mentioned it to my father, and I also contacted the Grand Duke, wondering if perhaps the Grand Duchess’s hair color might appear different.”
“Surely not…”
The moment I heard what Lucio was saying, a realization struck me, and I swallowed hard.
And from Lucio’s expression, I knew my suspicion was correct.
That day when I infiltrated the Duke’s Mansion and died, the guest who visited the estate was Father.
Momentarily at a loss for words, I felt my eyes grow warm at the thought that had I not been deceived by Jade that day, I might not have died and could have met my parents.
Yet even with the sorrow and regret, it was bearable.
‘Because now I have a life far happier than that.’
Now, truly, I felt I could finally thank Master for rewinding time and gifting me this life.
I smiled softly to myself, then asked with an intentionally pouty expression.
“So when are you going to propose?”
“…Huh?”
Lucio blinked, seeming flustered by the sudden change of subject, and asked uncertainly.
“If I propose… will you accept?”
“What did you say?”
Had he let my words about loving him for so long go in one ear and out the other?
“What woman in this world asks a man to propose just so she can reject him!”
As I glared at him indignantly, joy flooded Lucio’s face.
He suddenly pulled me into his embrace.
“Thank you. I’ll do so much better from now on.”
“Of course you will. And by the way, get me a new proposal ring.”
One prettier and more glittering than the last.
I deliberately pushed the memory of carelessly losing the ring from my mind and spoke with an even brighter voice.
Yet I still felt a little sorry toward Lucio, so I quickly rose on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
“I love you.”
“I love you too. More than my own life.”
His lips met mine in return, warm and soft.
My face flushed, I asked.
“Can we continue to be this happy forever?”
At my words, Lucio’s eyes widened as he looked at me.
After a long moment of silent contemplation, he spoke.
“As long as you’re with me, I can be happy.”
With his answer came a sweet breeze.
I felt an unshakeable certainty.
A belief that only happiness awaited us from now on.
〈The Youngest Grand Duke’s Daughter Monopolized His Affection, So Everyone Became Obsessed With Me〉 Complete

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