The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live - Ch. 33

“Why does it have to be me?”

Sighing as I looked out the window, I turned my gaze back inside the carriage. Across from me, Richard sat glaring at me with a disgruntled expression.

“How many times are you going to say that, brother?”

I offered him a gentle smile, trying to soothe him. Even though I was getting tired of repeating myself, there was no other choice.

“If it’s not you, then who else would go to the West?”

Richard was essential for gatherings of Western nobility.

We were on our way to Cardina, having set out the day after receiving an invitation from Duke Cardina. It was a whirlwind departure.

The timing of the duke’s invitation was urgent—too urgent.

It took about a week by carriage from the capital to Cardina, yet the launch date of the ship was only ten days away.

With potential delays along the way, we had no choice but to leave immediately, allowing just a day or two of leeway.

So yesterday afternoon had been utterly chaotic. I had to pack, get information about Cardina from Theodora, and somehow convince Richard to come along.

It was a whirlwind half-day.

I had hoped that I could finally relax after setting off, but now Richard was venting his complaints, making me even more irritated.

“You’re planning to spend the summer in the West anyway, right? Just think of it as a vacation.”

I spoke in a tone that was meant to console a child, hoping it would be the last time.

“Who said that?”

“Huh?”

But Richard’s response was different from before. Instead of irritation, his voice was calm and cold, silencing me.

“Who told you I’d spend the summer in the West?”

No one…?

Confused, I blinked in surprise.

Summers in the capital were hot and humid, so even many imperial family members spent their summers in the West. Even the emperor went to his villa for a few weeks.

Moreover, Richard’s mother, Octavia, was from the Ilion Marquisate, a key part of the Western alliance and loyal to Cardina. Most Western nobles supported Richard as their Solea.

The idea of Richard spending the summer in the West seemed so obvious that no one had ever questioned it.

It was his hometown, after all. I thought he would go there, visit his relatives, and gather political funds, like how Rudolph visited the Magic Tower after the social season to have meals with the Wizard Association.

“Aren’t you going?”

“No.”

Richard turned away with a scowl.

Something in his movement felt different. Instead of his usual irritation, he seemed… defensive.

“I haven’t gone back since she died.”

I immediately shut my mouth. The air in the carriage grew heavy.

When he said <she>, could he mean his mother?

I tried to recall what I knew.

Empress Octavia. Her maiden name was Ilion. The emperor’s third wife, who died a few years ago from illness.

Hmm… I didn’t know much. Since she was the mother of the antagonist, she didn’t appear in the original story. And she died a long time ago.

I observed Richard. Although he could feel my gaze, he kept stubbornly looking out the window. There was an unfamiliar gloom on his face.

Did he not get along with his mother?

A sudden worry crept over me.

I had assumed that Western nobles favored Richard, so bringing him along had seemed like a safe bet. But I hadn’t thought about whether he liked or disliked the West, especially in light of his relationship with his mother.

This didn’t feel good.

Richard was only seventeen. He must have been even younger when his mother died.

What could make a young boy dislike his mother?

The thought was unsettling, and my mood grew darker.

Did I perhaps make a mistake by bringing him along…?

“Enough.”

Suddenly, Richard’s voice broke the silence.

When I looked up, he was already looking at me, frowning at my expression.

“We’ve already left. There’s no turning back.”

“But…”

Still unsure if this was the right thing to do, my voice trembled. Richard frowned again and placed his hand on the backrest beside him, which clicked open.

“Here, eat this.”

He tossed something from inside at me. I caught it instinctively, surprised by the cool sensation.

It was a piece of chocolate, as cold as if it had just been taken out of a refrigerator.

I gaped, glancing back and forth between Richard and the now-open compartment.

Did the carriage have a separate space with cooling magic…? Like a luxury car? I’d thought it was extravagant when I first saw it, but the real luxury was hidden away.

“I know we have to go. Duke Cardina practically declared war. I have many people on my side in the West, so I don’t mind going.”

Richard took out a piece of chocolate for himself and popped it into his mouth. Suddenly, I realized this was the first time I’d seen him eat something.

“But why are you coming along?”

“Pardon?”

Richard shot me with a menacing look. It was the same expression he’d been using to complain to me for a while now.

“You’re coming along even when you don’t know what may happen. What can you even do? Do you know how to wield a sword or use magic?”

“We’re not going to war, are we?”

Duke Cardina invited us on a cruise trip, after all.

To be honest, I was, somewhat looking forward to the cruise, if nothing else. Being the epitome of Western luxury, it was sure to be extravagant.

In my past life, I never even got on a yacht, let alone went on a cruise, so the thought of a relaxing holiday cruise was admittedly exciting.

“Why wouldn’t we?”

But Richard doused my carefree attitude.

“Cardina might be joining hands with Aschenbach. And a cruise? The middle of the ocean is the easiest place to disguise an accident. If someone pushes you overboard, how would anyone know if you slipped or fell after drinking?”

“I don’t plan on drinking…”

I wasn’t sure what age Richard thought I was.

But he had a point.

Westerners had a certain… boldness, to put it nicely, or recklessness, to put it bluntly. If they found me a nuisance, they might not hesitate to get rid of me, imperial or not.

“You could still turn back.”

Richard said, looking at me intently. I gazed back and asked.

“Were you annoyed because of me?”

Richard glared, probably thinking I should just answer his questions.

But words weren’t necessary; I could feel his concern for my safety.

I took the chocolate he handed me and smiled.

“No. I’m going to Cardina with you, brother.”

It wasn’t like I wanted to go. I had to leave so quickly I didn’t even get to say goodbye to Tristan.

I’d told him I’d see him tomorrow, but now, it would be a while before we could meet again.

The social season was over. The duke’s family would likely return to Aschenbach. According to Theodora, they’d never spent a summer in the West.

So, meeting Tristan secretly near the townhouse would be out of the question, at least until next year.

I wished I could see Tristan now, to share a quiet lunch and bask in a comfortable silence together.

But how many more moments like that could we share?

Thinking about what Tristan would go through after returning to Aschenbach—or even just imagining what he was doing when we were apart—made my heart ache.

I wanted to rescue Tristan as soon as possible, using my knowledge and everything else at my disposal, to make it happen quickly.

Therefore, I went to Cardina.

“My brother sees this as a declaration of war, but I don’t think that way. If Cardina wanted to eliminate us, there would be far easier methods.”

Cardina clearly wouldn’t want the empire to fragment. So, if they were working with Aschenbach, there must be a reason.

The moment I saw the invitation, I had a hunch. Perhaps this was less a threat and more a call for help.

If I was lucky, I might gain an ally in Cardina to keep Aschenbach in check. It was a risk worth taking.

“And besides, if things get dangerous, you’ll save me, won’t you?”

At least I had Richard as my bodyguard.

He stared at me, disgruntled, but sensing my determination, he stopped insisting that I turn back.

“When we get to Cardina.”

“Yes?”

Instead, he said.

“Let’s get you some clothes.”

Richard meant it.

…

After a week-long carriage ride, I arrived at Cardina’s most famous boutique. In fact, we came straight to the boutique without even stopping at our accommodation.

“Is all this really necessary?”

I groaned as I got out of the carriage.

As luxurious as it was, a carriage was still a carriage. After bouncing around for a week, all I wanted was a break, not a fitting.

“If we don’t order now, you won’t get it in time for the cruise.”

“I did bring some dresses, you know.”

Most of them were spring clothes from Richard, but I didn’t mention that—I really wanted to rest.

But Richard was serious about this.

“You don’t know much about the West, do you?”

He said.

“Do you know what it’s like here? The trend changes every week. Even as an outsider, if you don’t adapt to the local style, people won’t even talk to you.”

What kind of crazy place was this? The influence of merchants must be strong here, with such consumer-driven extravagance.

If it were just a vacation, fine, but I couldn’t risk being ignored when important conversations awaited. Reluctantly, I told Richard.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Without hesitation, Richard opened the boutique door.

Apparently, they knew we were coming, as there were no other customers inside. Three staff greeted us as we entered.

An old lady approached us.

“Our little master!”