Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 90

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

“I don’t think it’s right to hurt this child over something like that. Even now, she can’t speak, but how much must it be hurting her inside? Don’t you think?”
“….”
Instead of answering, I hung my head low.
My chest churned and twisted in a way incomparable to before.
‘Am I the one who’s twisted?’
I felt a far deeper sense of humiliation from each word this girl uttered than from the mocking remarks of the young ladies who had been pressing me moments ago.
Her words, which seemed to carry concern, didn’t feel genuine to me.
No matter how beautifully wrapped the exterior, I—who had lived my entire life exposed to hostility and constantly watching others’ expressions—could see through it.
That girl, looking at me with such pitying understanding, was elegantly ridiculing and crushing me more thoroughly than anyone else in this room.
‘True villains always wear the mask of virtue so skillfully.’
“In pain, lonely, and in such a dire situation where no amount of struggle can escape… it’s only natural to become twisted.”
With the words that followed, I realized my judgment had been correct.
“Still, today is the Empress’s birthday. Since it’s an auspicious day, wouldn’t it be better to overlook this generously?”
“Fine. But there won’t be a next time, so be careful!”
Somehow, the entire situation had become my fault, and it seemed to be concluded with the angelic girl’s generous forgiveness.
“As expected, Young Lady Amber is just too kind.”
Suppressing my anger inwardly and stepping back, suddenly the girl’s name caught my ear.
‘Young Lady Amber? Could she be Marquis Diapel’s…?’
“Oh, by the way, Your Highness. I apologize for the late introduction. I’m Clara from the Earl’s House. I heard you attended the Academy Festival recently—did you happen to meet my older brother?”
“Your older brother?”
“Yes. Crown Prince Bellus Askart is my older brother.”
Even though I had already anticipated the girl’s identity, the moment Askart’s name came from Clara’s lips, my chest felt inexplicably tight and suffocating.
“I remember! The handsome older brother!”
The young ladies, whose eyes had been sparkling since Askart’s name was mentioned, laughed brightly at Diana’s words.
“But that older brother was all sparkly, yet you’re his sister and you’re not sparkly at all?”
However, I couldn’t help but awkwardly suppress my laughter at what came next.
As Diana blinked with such an innocent expression, Clara, who had paused with a “…yes?”, smiled again.
“Askart is my cousin. My mother is the younger sister of the Grand Duchess.”
“I see.”
Diana, having lost interest, gave a casual nod and returned her attention to the dessert.
Those at the table who had been reading the atmosphere began changing the subject by asking about Marquis Diapel, her maternal grandfather, or inquiring about how beautiful the Bellus Duchy was, which she visited every year.
The conversation quickly shifted to lighter topics.
A young lady who had recently become engaged and was blushing asked Serphin a question.
“Your Highness the Imperial Princess will soon come of age, yet you don’t have a betrothed yet. Is there perhaps someone special you have in mind?”
Serphin lifted her teacup with a mysterious smile.
Then the young lady who had been attacking me glanced around nervously and hastily opened her mouth.
“Your Highness! Your eldest older brother, Lucio, is graduating from the Academy this year, isn’t he? He’s never missed being top of his class, and he’s even achieved early graduation—how proud you must be! Once he begins his formal heir training and takes on the family’s affairs, he’ll be even busier, so wouldn’t it be more stable to have a consort? What do you think?”
“…Huh?”
It seemed her eagerness to catch the Imperial Princess’s eye had made her overzealous.
To spill out such words that would be difficult for the still-young Diana to understand.
As expected, Diana blinked and tilted her head in confusion.
The Imperial Princess, who let out a soft laugh at the sight, asked subtly.
“As the young lady’s older sister, what kind of person would you like to see your brother marry?”
“Huh? Older sister…?”
Just as I was wondering if she’d understood properly this time, Diana cried out without hesitation.
“I like someone like you, sister!”
“My goodness!”
The young ladies were startled by Diana’s answer.
“Young Lady, you mustn’t call the Imperial Princess your sister.”
“Leave her be. The young lady is still so young, after all.”
Serphin stopped the young ladies and smiled beautifully like a flower. Then she gazed at Diana with a pleased expression.
“I never knew the young lady held me in such affection.”
“Huh? I, no, I mean…”
Diana, who had been listening to the conversation between the young ladies and Serphin in bewilderment, opened her mouth while tilting her head.
My heart raced wildly as I watched this unfold.
I couldn’t tell if Diana truly understood Serphin’s question or simply answered by chance. Right now, that didn’t matter.
‘The sister Diana mentioned was surely…’
I felt I absolutely had to interject, even if it meant breaking etiquette and inviting insult.
If this misunderstanding went uncorrected, something truly dreadful would happen.
That was when it occurred.
“Your Majesty the Empress, I apologize for the delay. Aiden kept dawdling, so we arrived a bit late.”
Duchess Fairount had arrived.
* * *
“Young Lady, let me dry your hands for you.”
As I attended to Diana, who had just emerged from the Ladies’ Room, I exhaled a breath heavy with exhaustion.
Already nervous about visiting the Imperial Palace for the first time, the relentless cascade of events had left my head pounding.
Still, I was grateful that Duchess Fairount appeared just before Diana could open her mouth again.
〈Oh my, Lia was here.〉
Of course, I was flustered when Duchess Fairount spotted me and approached with delight.
〈My cute and clever Lia! When you return to the Duke’s Mansion today, there will be a gift waiting for you.〉
〈A gift?〉
〈Yes! Aiden woke up at dawn and made a dessert from the Dhamba Kingdom. It’s something you can only taste in the Fairount House throughout the entire Empire.〉
When Duchess Fairount whispered that if I wanted to eat it again, I should just come to the Fairount House, Diana suddenly rushed at me crying, “No way!”
Duchess Fairount laughed heartily, as if she’d anticipated this reaction.
And her behavior drew the attention not only of the noblewomen but also the Empress.
〈You visit the Elrad Duchy often, so you’ve become close with the maidservant?〉
〈Indeed, Your Majesty. But Lia is no ordinary maidservant!〉
Duchess Fairount began to lavish praise upon me to the puzzled Empress.
Most of it was subjective, self-interested commentary about how clever, witty, and adorable I was, but when she mentioned “Splecia,” everyone’s attention sharpened.
〈Now that you mention it, I’ve heard of it. Isn’t it that legendary medicinal herb that cures any ailment?〉
“My goodness, is there really such a universal cure in this world?”
Of course, Splecia wasn’t a panacea but rather an herb with exceptional detoxifying properties, though I had no time to explain the details.
Besides, everyone seemed far more interested in how much wealth House Elrad could accumulate once we began monopolizing the distribution of herbs and remedies than in the herb’s actual efficacy.
Especially after learning that I—whom they’d dismissed as merely a maidservant—held a stake in the medicinal herb business, the young ladies’ gazes toward me shifted dramatically.
Among those who had attacked me so fiercely, some looked utterly flustered, their faces flushing crimson.
‘Not all nobles are wealthy, after all.’
If the herb cultivation truly succeeded and the remedies began circulating, combined with the investments I’d made beforehand, I would likely earn far more than most noble families.
‘But that’s not what matters right now.’
As Diana and I walked through the Imperial Palace corridors on our way back to the Back Garden, I furrowed my brow.
Why on earth had Serphin been wary of me? That question troubled me deeply.
The fact that she even knew of my existence in the first place…
“Miss, did you perhaps mention me to anyone the last time you visited the Imperial Palace?”
“Huh?”
Diana startled at my question and shook her head vigorously.
“I didn’t! I didn’t want to talk about you to that scary person! But…”
“…?”
“My older brother did…”
“Allen did?”
As I repeated the name, Diana fidgeted with her fingers as if she’d done something wrong.
“He praised you. Said you’re smart and read a lot of difficult books. So the eldest brother gave you the library key and told you to study hard.”
“Ah…”
Now I understood the situation.
Serphin desired Lucio. Of course, becoming Duchess Elrad wasn’t her true goal.
As the legitimate child of the Emperor and Empress, she aspired to become an Emperor with formidable imperial authority, and she hoped her husband, the Crown Prince, possessed enough power to support her ambitions.
‘Though whether those intentions stem purely from ambition or harbor hidden affection, I cannot say…’
In any case, Serphin had taken offense at a single remark from Allen.
‘Her obsession runs deeper than I thought.’
If she’d only thought about it, she would have realized I was merely a maidservant whom his sister cherished.
It occurred to me then—could Serphin’s influence be the reason Lucio had reached twenty-six without a betrothed? A reasonable suspicion indeed.
“…?”
The moment we entered the Back Garden, something felt distinctly amiss. The atmosphere was chaotic.
Everyone stood with expressions of alarm, and the maidservants rushed about urgently.
“What’s happ—”
As Diana and I approached, a noblewoman suddenly stepped back, and a gap appeared in the crowd.
I gasped in shock.
Duchess Elrad lay collapsed on the ground.

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