How I Ended Up Becoming the Imperial Princess While Trying to Pay Off an Illegal Loan - Chapter 23

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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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023.
“Your Highness, you’ve come!”
The Griffin Order members recognized Tamia and crowded forward eagerly to greet her.
“I’ve become yesterday’s news.”
“Oh, Crown Prince, you’re here too?”
Leon hauled off and struck Penril, who stood nearest to him, across the forehead.
“We thought Your Highness would visit every day, but this is the first time we’ve seen you since the Cades Belt expedition.”
“…Well, I’ve been busy.”
A shadow flickered across Tamia’s face before it brightened again.
“But I’m back now, aren’t I?”
“Your Highness, we’ve missed you so deeply that we’ve established a Fan Club dedicated to you.”
Levian stepped forward with unmistakable pride.
“A Fan Club?”
“Yes. Clifford, Penril, and I are the founding members.”
“Look at this—our names are Penril, Clifford, and Levian. It’s as though our parents knew in advance that we’d become your Fan Club and named us accordingly!”
“Long live the Fan Club! Long live Your Highness!”
Watching Levian, Penril, and Clifford raise their fists in turn, Tamia burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahahaha! You three are absolutely hilarious!”
“As members of your Fan Club, our first duty is to fulfill Your Highness’s wish.”
Clifford spoke with solemn earnestness, his smile vanished.
“A wish? Do you know what I wish for?”
Levian’s eyes sparkled at Tamia’s question.
“When you visited Griffin Order Headquarters last time, you suddenly commanded us to roll up our sleeves and show you our forearms. And when you saw our pathetically weak arm muscles, you were terribly disappointed.”
“That’s right, you remember well.”
“Reflecting on that moment, I understood—you must desire a Griffin Order with truly powerful arm muscles!”
“Is that so?”
Tamia’s expression brightened with anticipation.
“So from the day we returned after subjugating the Cades Belt, the three of us have been training our forearms every single day! Hahahaha!”
Penril, Clifford, and Levian rolled up their sleeves in unison.
“Don’t you see? Haven’t we improved noticeably?!”
“Well, they’re definitely thicker than before. What kind of training have you been doing?”
“If you look over there, there’s a Log.”
Clifford pointed to a corner of the Training Grounds.
“The three of us lift it every day and run ten laps around the Training Grounds.”
“You’ve done well.”
Then Leon abruptly interjected into the conversation.
“An excellent decision. How did you come up with such a clever idea?”
Hearing high praise from Leon, who rarely complimented anyone, the three men’s eyes widened.
Tears seemed ready to spill from Clifford’s eyes in particular.
“Y-Your Highness! You finally recognize our hard work…!”
“Yes, and since the Crown Princess is so pleased, I’m in excellent spirits. Therefore.”
Leon’s eyes flashed suddenly.
“From now on, the three of you will carry that Log and run one hundred laps around the Training Grounds each day to build the kind of forearms that will truly please the Crown Princess.”
“A-A-A hundred laps?!”
“Your Highness! We’ve only been running ten laps a day!”
“Hmph, ten laps? That’s barely anything. Look at this.”
Leon snorted derisively and rolled up his own sleeve.
“To achieve forearms like these, a hundred laps wouldn’t even be enough. From now on, a hundred laps every day until Tamia says you’ve made it. Understood?”
“B-But…”
The three men, their faces crumpled in despair, turned to Tamia in silent appeal for salvation, but her expression was only cheerful.
“Yeah, you can handle that, right? If it gets tough, I’ll join in for ten laps with you! Since we’re on the subject, why don’t we start right now?”
As Tamia strode purposefully toward the Log, the Fan Club could only swallow their tears.
* * *
Chris had stormed into his father’s, Dupont, office and was throwing a tantrum with abandon.
“I wanted to dress Tamia in the most beautiful gown with my own hands…!”
“Stop this, Chris.”
“Father, is this right? I’m supposed to hand over my Tamia to an empty shell—a man who bears the Crown Prince’s title but wields no power whatsoever?”
Watching Chris weep before him for the past two hours, Dupont squeezed his eyes shut.
“There’s no helping it. Just endure it for one year. Once the two of them divorce, I’ll give them a wedding ceremony five times grander than this one.”
“R-Really? You won’t change your mind by then, will you?!”
Clifford, who prided himself on his stinginess with money, had heard his father offer five times the original sum. He quickly wiped away his tears and rose from his seat.
“With that much, Tamia will forget all about Leon and come back to me in no time. Ha! Father, thank you so much!”
Once again, his remarkably simple-minded son left the office with a beaming smile.
“……I’ve been far too indulgent with him.”
The boy lacked all discernment, and Dupont found himself genuinely worried about how his son would survive in this cutthroat world of politics.
“No, wait. If I lay the proper foundations for him myself, that’s all that matters. The House of Dupont will soon wield power greater than the Emperor’s—what have I to fear?”
Dupont pushed aside his concerns about Clifford and immersed himself in planning his next move.
From a drawer he kept habitually locked, he withdrew a map and spread it carefully across his desk.
[Floor Plan of House of Arderin]
“Here, here, and here as well—none of those routes worked. Hmm…….”
Dupont tapped his pen absently against the paper, lost in thought, then marked a new point on the map.
“Good. This time, I’ll aim for this route.”
The Count of Arderin would be so preoccupied attending his daughter’s wedding that he wouldn’t spare a thought for his ancestral seat in the countryside.
“I made sure to summon him to the Capital for this very day. This time, I won’t fail.”
A sinister smile played at Dupont’s lips.
* * *
“I am the Empress, and this Crown Prince dares presume to teach the Crown Princess directly?”
This was clearly a matter for the Inner Court.
Malicia had spent several days seething with frustration, unable to let it rest, and had finally summoned Tamia.
“Bring the Crown Princess to me at once! I must personally inspect the Crown Princess’s education!”
The handmaidens rushed off to the Crown Prince’s Palace, and soon Tamia appeared before Malicia with a radiant expression.
“Your Majesty, did you call for me?”
Seeing her so unafraid and brimming with confidence only set Malicia’s blood boiling again, but she forced herself to calm down and asked gently.
“Crown Princess, how is your study progressing?”
“Very well, thank you. I’m working hard at it.”
“Is Leon teaching you properly?”
“Of course. Leon—I mean, His Highness the Crown Prince is a truly wonderful teacher.”
“In that case, I have a few questions for you.”
If Tamia failed to answer correctly, Malicia was prepared to take her away and teach her herself.
‘If he’s failed to teach her properly, Leon won’t be able to object when I do.’
Malicia concealed her true thoughts and smiled warmly at Tamia once more.
“How many Noble Families does the Empire have?”
“Three Houses of Dukes and seven Houses of Marquesses, plus roughly three hundred other Noble Families in total.”
Tamia answered without hesitation.
This much Malicia had expected. Surely the girl had at least memorized that much.
“Good. Now, tell me the general characteristics of the three Ducal Houses.”
“First, House of Dupont is the Empire’s most distinguished family, possessing wealth, political power, and military strength alike. House of Glacia guards the North and maintains a formidable army.”
“……?”
Tamia’s answers flowed from her lips without pause. Malicia suppressed her surprise and waited for the next response.
“House of Degong is an esteemed family supported by cultural and artistic circles. That concludes my answer.”
To Malicia’s astonishment, Tamia’s answers contained not a single error.
“Then, what of the characteristics of the Marquessate Houses?”
“House of Huju is unusual in that the Marquess’s wife wields considerable influence—the Marquess is rumored to be quite devoted to her. House of Lorang possesses vast mines and produces all manner of fine weapons. House of Lester excels in diplomacy and has extensive connections in social circles.”
“……!”
“And House of Brighton…….”
‘She’s actually memorized all of this?’

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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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