The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live - Ch. 34

The moment I heard those words, I wanted to applaud myself for not bursting out into laughter.

What was she saying now? Little master?

I looked at Richard, struggling to hold back my laughter. He frowned and shouted.

“Who do you call little?!”

Starting with such a greeting for an older person might be improper. But the elderly lady didn’t seem uncomfortable with Richard’s reaction.

“Oh my, you’re right. You’re not a little one anymore. How you’ve grown so wonderfully…”

The old lady approached Richard without hesitation and grasped his hand. Seeing tears well up in her eyes, I was slightly taken aback.

“How long has it been? You’ve grown so tall. I was truly surprised when I got your message. Have you been well all this time?”

“Well? Hardly.”

Richard awkwardly brushed her hand away.

Still, she looked at Richard with a warm smile. Taking a few steps back, she noticed me and gasped softly.

“Oh my, is this the one you requested…?”

“Yes.”

The old lady sat in front of me and met my eyes.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. My name is Sienna Petrucci, the owner and head designer of this boutique.”

“Nice to meet you, Sienna.”

Seeing no title attached to her surname, she seemed to be a commoner. Yet, her demeanor toward the prince and princess was not servile. Her smile toward me was as affectionate as that of a grandmother looking at her granddaughter.

“We won’t stay long, but just in case, could you prepare about six outfits? Three for parties and three for everyday wear. I’ll leave the styling choices up to you.”

“Of course. I’ll do my best.”

Satisfied with her response, Richard nodded approvingly.

“You don’t need to fuss over mine; just focus more on hers.”

“I never do anything halfway, young master.”

Without replying, Richard strode into the boutique as if it were his own home. Sienna gestured to two male staff to follow him.

“Oh my, he’s truly grown up now…”

Sienna murmured while watching Richard’s back. Then she turned to me with a big smile.

“Shall we go, Princess?”

She led me to a spacious room with tea and refreshments like cookies prepared. As I sat down, Sienna handed me a large book.

“This shows the current dress trends in this region.”

As I opened it, I saw illustrations of dresses with fabric samples attached beside them.

“Of course, these pictures are just for reference—to get a sense of your color and style preferences. You can pick a few dresses you like, and we’ll tailor them to suit your taste and style.”

In other words, it wasn’t ready-to-wear. I had expected we’d choose from existing designs, considering the tight schedule, but she seemed confident she could complete everything before the cruise.

I browsed through the catalog, briefly admiring the western trends.

I had expected to see shorter clothes for the hot climate, but to my surprise, many were longer than the summer attire in the capital. The fabrics, however, were lighter and much more elaborate.

“Whoa.”

As I turned a page, I couldn’t help but marvel.

My attention was instantly caught by a dazzling fabric—a lavish combination of red and gold embroidery on white fabric. Over the fabric swatch, I imagined Richard wearing a prince’s outfit from the coronation ceremony.

“I like these designs, and I think a darker fabric would be better…”

I told Sienna about my preferences and opened the last page with the fabric sample.

“I think this would suit Richard well, not me.”

“Oh, Your Highness, you have a real eye for this.”

Sienna’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the fabric I had pointed out.

“When I first saw this sample, I thought it would suit our young master perfectly. Now that you mention it, I’ll be sure to create something truly splendid for him.”

She paused as she said this. I hadn’t been looking at her face, busy with my cookie, but when I glanced at her, I noticed her eyes glistening with emotion.

“Sienna?”

“Oh dear, look at me. How silly of me.”

Sienna bowed her head in embarrassment.

“I got a little emotional. I never thought I’d see the young master again in my lifetime. And to see him return with such an adorable sister…”

I swallowed my cookie. For a boutique owner, she seemed to have a deep affection for Richard.

“Did my brother visit here often?”

“Every summer. That was before Lady Octavia’s passing, of course.”

The elderly woman looked into the distance with a wistful expression, perhaps reminiscing about the past.

“Lady Octavia was always so kind to me, even when I was just the youngest employee at another boutique. Even after becoming the empress, she made a point to visit our shop whenever she came for her summer vacation. Since I’ve seen the young master every year since he was a baby in swaddling clothes, he still feels like a little master to me, no matter how grown-up he is now.”

Hearing Sienna talk made it clear why she cherished Richard so much. Having watched him grow from infancy, he must have been incredibly dear to her.

Seizing the moment, I pretended not to know anything and asked.

“Lady Octavia must have been a wonderful person. Surely, she was a great mother as well?”

“Of course.”

Sienna replied with a face full of certainty.

“She treasured and adored the young master. Wherever she went, she only spoke proudly of him, saying, <This child must become emperor one day>… oh, my.”

Sienna quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

“Forgive me. A slip from an old woman….”

“It’s all right.”

I quickly gave her a childish smile.

“I think Brother Richard would make a fantastic emperor! He looks so good in fancy clothes, after all. I’m sure the crown would suit him well, too!”

Sienna smiled at me with a look reserved for innocent children, and I smiled back. But my mind was swirling.

Must become emperor….

***

The clothing order took a while, even after that.

After selecting a few fabrics and styles, I had to get my measurements taken. Then, they checked if the chosen fabrics complemented my complexion.

Finally, despite my reluctance, Sienna insisted on discussing a few styles she recommended. Before I knew it, several hours had passed.

Once everything was finished, Sienna guided me to the guest lounge on the second floor. When I entered, Richard, who had been lounging on the sofa, stood up upon seeing me.

“Already done?”

It felt a bit strange seeing Richard so relaxed, as if he were at home. I glanced at the table. Tea, cookies, and other refreshments were laid out, but he hadn’t touched any of them.

“I thought it’d take another two hours. Did you just pick things randomly?”

“Of course not.”

Sienna answered on my behalf.

“Don’t worry, young master. The princess has excellent taste. The outfit will be splendid.”

Richard looked at me with a skeptical gaze, then nodded at Sienna, as if trusting her judgment more than mine.

This guy… he was subtly irritating.

“You remember the date and place, right? Two days later, on Duke Cardina’s cruise ship….”

“Actually, no.”

Just then, someone abruptly flung open the door.

“There’s no need to rush.”

A tall, broad-shouldered man with short brown hair strode in.

He wore a massive sword at his waist and dressed in a simple outfit, making him look more like a mercenary than a knight.

Startled, I looked at Sienna. Richard had rented out the entire boutique, so it was unheard of for him to share the space with other guests.

Yet, this man had entered the closed boutique and even interrupted our conversation. This could mean he either had prior arrangements with Sienna or was someone of such status that the staff downstairs couldn’t possibly stop him.

“Oh…!”

Sienna nearly fainted with shock at the sight of him.

“What brings you here? I….”

Though Sienna didn’t seem to have expected his arrival, she clearly knew who he was, and he seemed to know her as well.

“Apologies for the sudden visit, Sienna. Could you leave us alone for a bit? There’s something urgent we need to discuss.”

“But….”

Sienna fidgeted, looking between Richard and the man, clearly torn and confused.

To my surprise, it was Richard who helped her out of her predicament.

“Go ahead, Sienna.”

“Young master.”

“Send the staff away as well. Make sure no one eavesdrops.”

Reluctantly, Sienna followed Richard’s instructions and left. With her gone, only the three of us remained in the room.

Or so I thought.

Once the room fell silent, I noticed something wriggling behind the man. Then, a small head timidly peeked out.

I almost screamed.

How could someone be that adorable?

The child looked about my age, with the same brown hair as the man, though his hair was softer and fluffier.

His wide, black eyes, filled with equal parts curiosity and fear, scanned the room before locking onto me.

Startled, he quickly hid behind the man again. The man’s large frame easily shielded him, though the boy’s fluffy hair peeked out, unaware of it.

Oh, my goodness, he was so cute that I wanted to bite him!

“What’s wrong, Andrea?”

Only after Richard’s voice broke the silence did I come to my senses.

“We’ll see each other in two days anyway. What was so urgent you had to come all the way here?”

Richard’s tone towards the man lacked any formality. Were they acquaintances? As I looked up at the man, he straightened up and gave a formal bow.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Andrea Cardina, heir to Duke Cardina. It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness the Twelfth Prince and Your Highness the Seventeenth Princess.”

I was speechless. This was an unexpected visitor.

Why was Duke Cardina’s heir here? As Richard had said, we were already set to meet in a few days, so what could have driven him to suddenly show up like this?

“And this.”

Andrea cleared his throat, gently nudging the child forward. The boy reluctantly stepped out from behind him and looked at us.

“This is my younger brother, Christian. Chris, say hello.”

“Hello.”

A young, soft voice came out. He greeted us with a rather formal bow, though he was so stiff that he looked almost like a robot. The awkwardness made him all the more adorable—I was almost losing my mind.

“Let’s get to the point.”

Andrea declared, looking at both Richard and me with a determined expression.

“The invitation you received for the cruise party is a fake. I stole my father’s seal to send it myself. The one who truly wants to talk to you is not Duke Cardina—it’s me.”