How I Ended Up Becoming the Imperial Princess While Trying to Pay Off an Illegal Loan - Chapter 7

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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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007.
“Truth is, I was the one who first suggested Tamia participate in the tournament. I convinced her that winning first place would lead to something good.”
“When did you…?”
Tamia, who had been about to protest, fell silent. She’d caught on that this wasn’t her moment to interject.
“Tamia simply hunted monsters diligently following my suggestion. After the tournament ended, I had planned to make a proper proposal and reveal that I’m the Crown Prince, but everything went to pieces.”
All thanks to someone’s shameful mismanagement of the Monster Generation Manager.
At Leon’s final words, the Announcer’s expression froze solid. After all, the tournament’s failure was partly the organizers’ fault.
“I won’t dwell on who’s to blame. I’m magnanimous, after all. And…”
Leon flicked his fingers at the Announcer, who approached him with visible tension.
“If I’m not mistaken, I heard there’s a surprise event that awards an extra 10 Deir per monster caught.”
[Wh-what? No such event exi—]
The Announcer suddenly swallowed his words.
Leon’s face, now mere inches away, looked as terrifying as a lion freshly emerged from the depths of hell.
‘I’ll cover the cost myself. Just say it exists.’
Reading Leon’s lips, the Announcer rallied his dramatic instincts.
[Ah, yes! Haha, it seems Your Highness is quite familiar with the tournament’s inner workings. Let me see, since you caught a total of 342 monsters by the tournament’s end, we shall award you an additional 3,420 Deir!]
“Three thousand Deir?”
A spark of hope kindled in Tamia’s anxious eyes.
Leon caught it and smiled warmly at her.
“I told you, Tamia—if I took first place and collected the prize, something good would happen.”
“Mm… now that you mention it, maybe you did…?”
“The championship purse of 2,000 Deir and the event bonus of 3,420 Deir—I’ll give you all of it. So, will you accept the position of Crown Princess?”
Tamia’s mind went blank. She blinked.
Two thousand plus three thousand… that’s more than 5,000 Deir!?
‘If I refuse this, I’m the world’s greatest fool!’
A full 5,000 Deir. With that much, her father wouldn’t oppose the marriage.
On the spot, her willingness to air not just her private life but every detail—even when she used the privy—came surging forth.
“My husband is the best!”
“Oof!”
Tamia rushed at him and crushed him in an embrace.
‘…I think I’ll need to call a physician.’
Oblivious to her husband crumpling in her arms.
The awards ceremony began.
[Ladies and gentlemen, please shower your blessings upon Team 25—or rather, upon our Crown Prince and Crown Princess, who displayed overwhelming skill!]
“Waaaahhh!!”
“Your Highness, Crown Princess! That was so amazing!!”
[We shall now present the championship prize of 2,000 Deir along with the event bonus for a total of 5,420 Deir. Please consider it a token of congratulations from our organizing committee!]
“No such thing. Prize money is prize money, congratulations money is congratulations money. Pay them separately!”
The crowd erupted in laughter at Tamia’s brazen avarice.
They hadn’t grasped that she was completely serious; they simply took it as charming comedy.
Meanwhile, one trembling man watched the entire spectacle unfold.
“Tamia… got married?”
A plainly featured man with dull brown hair clenched his fists, ground his teeth, and hastily departed the Tournament Grounds.
“I must report this to Father at once.”
* * *
“Gold coins, gold coins…”
Tamia counted and recounted the coins in the large pouch, as if unable to believe her fortune.
“Hmm? Husband, something’s off. I think it’s only 5,419 Deir, no?”
“There’s a gold coin at your feet.”
“Oh, there it is!”
Inside the carriage heading toward the Town House of Count Arderin.
At Tamia’s insistence that she must give the money to her father before heading to the Imperial Palace, Leon and Tamia were now en route to the Earl’s residence.
“What sort of man is your father, Count Arderin?”
When Leon asked, Tamia began chattering away.
“My father is incredibly strong! He’s especially amazing at catching monsters—while I catch ten, he easily catches twenty, no? Twenty!”
Tamia started to jump up in the carriage but cracked her head against the ceiling with a dull thud.
Yet she seemed to feel no pain, spreading her arms wide as she continued with exaggerated gestures.
“Once he encountered a massive monster about this big, and he settled it with just three arrows—two in the eyes, one in the fatal spot, the navel. And then he said! ‘If you understand a monster’s weak points, its size hardly matters.’ Isn’t that absolutely cool?!”
“A fitting reputation for one called a Monster Predator. My father-in-law, indeed.”
“Wait till you meet him—you’ll be just as smitten, no?”
Leon shook his head gently at Tamia, who was straining to add the formal ending ‘yo’ to every sentence.
“This won’t do. Tamia, just speak naturally with me. Informal speech is fine.”
“But… you’re the Crown Prince. Are you really sure? Yo?”
“We’re husband and wife for now, aren’t we? What does formality matter?”
“Then I’ll do that, husband?”
Tamia readily accepted the offer and broke into a bright smile. Apparently, maintaining formal speech at every turn had been genuinely uncomfortable for her.
“Oh, we’re almost there!”
Before the carriage had even come to a halt, Tamia bounded out and began bouncing excitedly toward a shabby townhouse, pointing at it.
“This is our new home!”
The carriage stopped, and Leon stepped down after Tamia.
Then he winced slightly.
The garden was bare—not a single flowering tree—and the house itself was barely larger than a palm. If they tried to fit new furniture inside, someone would have to sleep outside.
“That dilapidated thing is the Count’s Town House?”
“Yeah, it’s much more refined than that old mansion back at the estates. It’s a bit cramped, I know, but I can handle that. I’ve slept in far worse places while hunting monsters!”
“Do you happen to know how much your father paid for it?”
“Hmm… I heard Father say he gave thirty thousand Deir for it.”
‘A swindle.’
Leon silently clicked his tongue.
Thirty thousand Deir for such a cramped, shabby Town House? And this place was in the outskirts, far from the heart of the Capital.
‘Even being generous, it shouldn’t fetch more than ten thousand Deir.’
“When did you move in?”
“A little over a month ago.”
“So they demanded one thousand Deir in repayment just a month after lending you the money?”
“Yeah. Why? Is something wrong?”
Leon was about to cry out that everything about this house was wrong, when he spotted a man emerging from the doorway and fell silent instead.
“Oh, Father! I’m back!”
“Tamia, you’re home early today.”
“Yep, I made some money! Here—five thousand Deir!”
Theodor’s eyes went wide as his daughter thrust the purse at him.
“You… you earned this much? You?”
“Uh-huh.”
It was an enormous sum. Theodor’s expression hardened, and he pressed Tamia for answers.
“Tamia, you can tell me the truth. Who did you beat up and extort?”
“Ugh, Father! I told you I don’t hit people anymore! You made me promise last time!”
“Or did you win big at some gambling den? No, wait—our daughter couldn’t possibly be clever enough to swindle anyone…”
The Count looked back and forth between his daughter and the money purse with suspicion, when Leon stepped forward quietly.
“Good to meet you.”
“Who might you be—wait!!”
Unlike his daughter, Theodor recognized the royal blood at once and flinched, dropping quickly to one knee.
“Your Highness! The empire’s humble glory bows before you! What brings you to this modest home?”
“We’re family now, aren’t we? We should at least know each other’s faces.”
“I… beg your pardon? Family…?”
Theodor lifted his head, bewildered.
Then he saw his daughter standing beside the Crown Prince with an apologetic expression.
“Father, I’m sorry. I married the Crown Prince.”
“So it is, Father-in-law.”
Just then—
The Countess, who had just opened the door, heard their exchange and let out a shriek.
“What—what did you say? No! My son-in-law was supposed to be a sickly, delicate young man!”
* * *
“I really never wanted to arrange this marriage…”
Grita, the Countess of Arderin, dabbed her eyes repeatedly with a handkerchief.
“My son-in-law is the empire’s youngest Sword Master and commander of the Griffin Order! What tragedy is this!”
“Compose yourself, my dear. Your son-in-law is skilled—why do you weep so?”
“What would you know!”
Grita wrenched her hand from Theodor’s grasp and cried out.
“I wanted to live a life protecting someone! But you’re far too strong, and even Tamia, raised so gently, cuts through stone like it’s cloth!”
“My dear…”
“So I prayed my son-in-law would be frail, someone to awaken my protective instincts—and a Sword Master? My son-in-law is a Sword Master!?”

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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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