How I Ended Up Becoming the Imperial Princess While Trying to Pay Off an Illegal Loan - Chapter 18

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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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018.
‘What am I going to do? How many of House Arderin’s knights are even in the Capital City right now?’
House Arderin still had many knights skilled in Monster Extermination, but most of them had been left behind in the county when the family relocated their residence to the Capital City.
‘Can my husband and I alone handle the Monsters that have appeared near the Capital City?’
Yet Count Arderin was no longer the swordsman he had been in his youth. The years of reckless exertion and accumulated wounds had taken their toll.
Grita, who had been hesitating, finally opened her mouth.
“Forgive me, but how large are the Monsters that have appeared near the Capital City, exactly?”
“Oh my, the Countess of Arderin is here.”
“You’re the mother-in-law of the Second Imperial Prince, aren’t you? I apologize for my blunt words, but this truly is his fault.”
“You really must manage your son-in-law more carefully. To push the Capital City to the brink of crisis like this!”
The noblewomen clustered around the Duchess of Dupont began launching their arrows of attack.
“Even if the Monsters appearing near the Capital City are only Small-class, can one truly distinguish between the more and less dangerous? Does danger have a ranking?”
“That’s right—the Capital City should be a pristine zone where not a single Monster dares set foot!”
“I-I am doing everything I can to prepare an expedition….”
The voice that had rung so bold before House Arderin’s retainers now shrank small in the presence of these fan-wielding ladies.
It was the moment Grita’s shoulders drew inward completely.
“Wonderful news! The Second Imperial Prince and the Griffin Squad have just arrived in the Capital City!”
The Marquise of Huzu, having heard the report from a servant, announced it to everyone in a bright voice.
“They dispatched the Large-class Monster that appeared in the Cades Belt in a mere thirty minutes, and on their return journey, they swept up all the Small-class Monsters they encountered near the Capital City.”
“Good heavens, the Griffin Squad truly is magnificent!”
“The Second Imperial Prince is a blessing to the Valentis Empire.”
“I honestly cannot fathom why His Majesty does not make the Second Imperial Prince the Crown Prince.”
Public opinion reversed in an instant.
Several swift-moving noblewomen hastened to Grita’s side and lifted her up with effusive praise.
“You must be delighted to have such a son-in-law as the Second Imperial Prince.”
“Of course—surely the happiest person at this very moment is the Countess of Arderin, wouldn’t you say?”
Grita found the sudden wave of attention washing over her utterly bewildering.
“I-is that so?”
The Duchess of Dupont, observing the scene from a distance, clicked her tongue softly and withdrew from the hall without a word.
‘The plan has fallen apart, after all.’
* * *
The Griffin Squad entered the Capital City in triumph, welcomed by all the empire’s people.
Standing at their forefront, quite naturally, was Tamia.
“Is it true you alone disposed of a Large-class Monster in merely thirty minutes?”
“The Second Imperial Prince, who despised women, had a reason for marrying after all. Such tremendous strength!”
Tamia heard every word of praise directed at her, missing nothing.
And she waved her hands enthusiastically in response.
“Behold the arrival of Tamia Valentis, the mightiest warrior in all the empire!”
Once Tamia and Leon returned to the Imperial Palace, they came to the Audience Chamber and stood before the Emperor with confidence.
“We have cleanly eliminated the Large-class Monster that appeared in the Cades Belt. Furthermore, I report that we have dispatched every Small-class Monster near the Capital City without exception.”
Leon delivered his report in measured, formal tones, and the Emperor seated upon the throne grudgingly nodded his head.
“Yes, a splendid achievement.”
Though the Emperor wished not to acknowledge it, the truth was that their accomplishment could not be ignored.
The mere fact that they had captured a Large-class Monster without a single casualty was worthy of commendation. And to have also dealt with the Monsters converging on the Capital City, thereby perfectly securing the city’s safety—it was extraordinary.
It was only natural that the empire’s people residing in the Capital City would sing Leon’s praises. Moreover, this time the Imperial Princess Consort Tamia’s exploits had been equally remarkable.
“I chose my daughter-in-law well.”
Unwilling to praise Leon directly, the Emperor instead chose to credit Tamia’s achievements.
At this, Tamia’s nose tilted up smugly, and she immediately seized upon the remark.
“That’s right, Your Majesty? You truly did choose a splendid daughter-in-law, didn’t you?! My goodness, what would have happened if I weren’t here? While we were pinned down in the Cades Belt fretting away, the Capital City might have been attacked by Monsters!”
“Y-yes, it might have.”
“So long as I am here, the Capital City is secure! Your Majesty, you can stretch out your legs and sleep soundly. After all, I am the champion of the 15th Couple Love Guardian Monster Hunting Competition, am I not? Not a whisper of Monster shall slip into the Capital City!”
Leon suppressed a quiet laugh internally and glanced sideways at the Emperor’s face.
As expected, the Emperor looked thoroughly flustered by Tamia’s rapid-fire self-praise.
‘Tamia’s personality certainly is unconventional.’
He would be struggling to adapt for some time. By the time he barely finished adjusting, Tamia would likely no longer be a resident of the Imperial Palace.
‘I do hope Tamia can endure her time here without falling out of His Majesty’s favor.’
At that moment, the Audience Chamber doors opened, and Empress Malicia entered with an elegant stride.
“Welcome back, Second Imperial Prince. I have heard the news.”
The Emperor, whose expression had been dampened throughout, suddenly broke into a broad smile.
“Ah, my Empress! You have come?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Our Second Prince Leon has made such remarkable achievements—naturally I had to come see him myself.”
Malicia turned toward Leon and Tamia with a radiant smile unlike any they’d seen from her before.
“Your Majesty! I’m so delighted you’ve come to visit us personally.”
“I hear the Imperial Princess Consort performed brilliantly. Everyone was saying ‘the Griffin Squad truly is exceptional,’ praising her on all sides. Second Prince, you did wonderfully. As a mother, I’m extremely pleased.”
At Malicia’s praise, Tamia’s face lit up. But Leon’s expression hardened into the opposite.
‘What’s she getting at, invoking her role as my mother? There must be some scheme behind this….’
And indeed, just as he’d feared, the words he’d dreaded spilled from Malicia’s lips.
“The order of things may have been reversed, but since the Second Prince has chosen his bride, shouldn’t the Imperial Family hold a proper wedding ceremony?”
“A wedding ceremony?”
“Yes, as the Second Prince’s mother, I’d like to prepare the wedding myself.”
“Wow, Your Majesty the Empress truly is so magnanimous! Thank you for taking such care of us. Long live Her Majesty the Empress!”
Tamia raised both hands high in the air, beaming with joy.
‘Tamia, that’s not it.’
Leon wanted nothing more than to seize Tamia’s hands and pull them down. This was absolutely not for her benefit.
Rather, it was a ploy to bring her tremendous shame.
‘She’ll torment Tamia with rigid etiquette requirements, and on the wedding day itself, she’ll throw some unforeseen trial at her to humiliate her publicly.’
Malicia’s and Leon’s eyes met in the silence between them.
Malicia smiled with knowing meaning, as if she were fully aware of exactly what Leon was thinking.
“Let’s set the wedding for two weeks from now. If we delay too long, it won’t look good in the people’s eyes, and if we rush it, there will be too much to prepare.”
“Actually, Your Majesty, I have a question.”
Tamia, who had been listening to Malicia speak, suddenly posed an inquiry.
“What is it? Please, ask away.”
“A wedding in the Imperial Family would be enormous in scale, wouldn’t it?”
“Of course. We must maintain the dignity of the Imperial House.”
“It must cost a tremendous amount of money, then?”
“Very large sums will be expended in various places.”
Leon couldn’t fathom why Tamia was asking such questions, but Malicia answered her readily, without hesitation.
“I see, so it costs an enormous amount! In that case, I’ll prepare with all my heart. Just leave it to me!”
Malicia couldn’t have known why Tamia was clenching both fists so tightly and throwing herself into the wedding preparations with such fierce determination.
* * *
Crash—
That was the fifth one.
Just as Malicia had predicted, Tamia had received no instruction whatsoever in proper etiquette.
“Imperial Princess Consort! Are you planning to spend the entire wedding budget on teacups?”
“Oh, the wedding budget is that small? Just a few teacups and it’s all gone?!”
“That’s not what—sigh, pick up the teacup again. No, don’t grip it that hard!”
Before Malicia could even finish speaking, the sixth teacup tumbled across the floor.

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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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