SWNOVELXO Chapter 9
Chapter 9: The Forget-Me-Not Princess (8)
I should destroy them all.
That was the first thought that came to mind.
King, royals, high-ranking nobles—whatever. It was only right to crush them all.
How could people even do something like this?
If she had died, they should have at least told me.
Her tombstone didn’t even have a name, let alone her birth and death dates.
“Princess……”
“Ah, Nanny. Mm, today is the day to visit the relief center, right? You're ready, aren't you?”
“If you’re feeling unwell, you can rest today, Princess. No one would dare say anything to you.”
“No, it’s fine. I’d rather go to the relief center and clear my head.”
Only after seeing the pitying gazes of Nanny and the servants of the Detached Palace did such extreme thoughts subside.
To be honest, even if I wanted to do something, there was no way to act on it right now.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't something to be this furious about.
She may have been the mother of this body in this world, but she was someone I neither had the time nor opportunity to form an attachment to.
Her face hadn’t even been preserved in a portrait, so I hadn’t known what she looked like in the first place.
I had never been held in her arms, never cried for her, never even heard the sound of her breath.
In the end, she was a complete stranger.
“……From what I’ve found, Her Highness the Concubine passed away about three years ago, succumbing to a deep-seated illness of the heart. Her funeral was conducted in a simplified manner, with no attendees. Neither His Majesty the King nor anyone else was present, only a single lay priest from the Order and a couple of gravekeepers. That is why no one in the royal family, the Order, or even within the palace was particularly aware of it.”
“What about the guards who were stationed there?”
“It seems they didn’t even know whose grave they were guarding until the Captain spoke up. They had simply followed orders and taken turns standing guard.”
Hearing such words made something rise within me, a suffocating frustration that hit a dead end somewhere inside.
Was it simply because she was the woman who had given birth to this body?
Was that why I felt sympathy for someone I barely even knew?
Emotions often manifested that way.
If rationality could always explain them, there wouldn’t be any need to distinguish between reason and sentiment in the first place.
That meant now was the time to rein in my emotions and focus on reason.
“Today, I should stop by the Mage Tower first. The relief center will come afterward.”
“Then I will arrange for the visit to the Tower first and notify the people at the relief center as well.”
Of course, now that I knew the truth, I had no intention of foolishly fixating on the relief center alone.
Even without emotions involved, this was a blatant disregard for my existence.
They must have assumed that, until the day she passed, I would never hear a word about my mother—just a pawn to be disposed of in a political marriage to another country.
That must have been why they hadn’t bothered telling me.
But if I simply ‘understood’ and let this slide, then at least within the palace, I would be marked as a fool.
It was time to give those bastards who had treated me like dirt a belated but undeniable reason to acknowledge me.
“Princess, it has been a long time since you last stopped by the Tower on a relief center day.”
“Rather than ‘a long time,’ it’s actually the first time, Master Dúnedain.”
“Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case. Thanks to Your Highness’s passionate efforts in running the relief center in the slums, I have been reaping benefits here and there simply by being your nominal teacher. So even if we haven’t met often, I suppose I felt as if we had.”
Master Dúnedain was, at least to me, a truly kind and respectful man.
Moreover, he provided almost everything I needed to grasp the magic of life on my own.
Before I manifested my magic, he hadn’t even spared me a glance, but that was understandable.
After all, now that I had awakened my abilities, he was the person I trusted most outside the Detached Palace.
“I’ve been treating seventy people every other day, so I’ve hardly noticed the time passing. In the beginning, the mana consumption was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even get out of bed the next day.”
“That is no exaggeration. If you have been progressing so quickly despite such heavy mana usage, then it is natural that you would have little time to spare for anything else. It is a phenomenon often seen in mages eager to prove themselves.”
Still, the fact that he said I was making rapid progress wasn’t merely out of goodwill.
In truth, my mastery of magic was advancing at an exceptional pace.
It had now reached the point where I could go to the relief center every day rather than every other day without issue.
That meant it was time to accomplish the fundamental purpose for which I had established the relief center in the first place.
“With that in mind, I believe I have honed my skills enough to be formally recognized as a mage. What do you think, Master?”
Suppressing the surge of emotions, I assessed the situation objectively, and that was the conclusion I reached.
If I could heal more than seventy people a day and still have enough mana left to cast magic the next day, then regardless of the limited range of spells I could use, I had surely met the requirements to be acknowledged as a mage.
“Hmm, I had already been considering when to bring this up with you. However, I did not expect Your Highness to bring it up first. What has made you so urgent?”
Should I say it?
Of course, rumors would spread eventually.
Words traveled fast, especially when they concerned matters like this.
The Captain, Nanny, and Yuge, the chief steward of the Detached Palace, would do their best to keep it under wraps, but it was inevitable that such an intriguing tale would spread.
Moreover, Master Dúnedain was the person I trusted most outside of my immediate circle.
Since the story would get out anyway, wouldn’t it be better if I took the initiative and confided in someone who could provide an objective perspective?
“Well, you see……”
And so, with great care and a deliberately dejected demeanor, I explained the situation regarding my mother.
Showing such emotions required careful consideration, but if I couldn’t even tell Master Dúnedain, then there was hardly anyone I could confide in.
“……I see.
So that is what happened. Now I understand why Your Highness appears more urgent than usual.”
“Do you? Then, will you help me secure a proper position as soon as possible? It’s not as if I’m asking for something I don’t deserve.”
“Hmm……”
Master Dúnedain seemed to hesitate slightly over my request.
Of course, that was only natural.
No matter how qualified I was, given the urgency in my demeanor, it was difficult for him to acknowledge me immediately.
But the crucial point wasn’t that I appeared rushed.
It was that I had met the qualifications to be recognized as a mage.
“Do you need more time?”
“No, that won’t be necessary, Princess. Your Highness is already a remarkable mage. It has been nearly a century since Pélancia has seen a mage of life, but given your ability to wield it to this extent, recognizing you as a full-fledged mage is only right.”
“Then what happens now?”
“I, Master Dúnedain of the Pélancia Mage Tower, hereby appoint Annaliese del Carmen Lamibert as a recognized mage under the authority granted to me by the Tower.”
Of course.
If nothing else, the Mage Tower was strict when it came to recognizing mages.
If one didn’t meet the standard, they weren’t accepted.
If one exceeded it, they were.
This time was no different.
“Thank you, Master Dúnedain.”
“There is no need to thank me. Your Highness has met the qualifications, so it is only natural. It may be a bit sooner than expected, but given your exceptional talent, there should be no issue. I will now relay this news to the relevant departments and major noble houses.”
When the Mage Tower officially appointed a mage and spread the news, it essentially meant they were guaranteeing that mage’s skills.
Since the Tower was publicly vouching for what I wanted to make known, this situation was actually quite favorable for me.
Thus, in just five months since manifesting my magic, I was formally recognized as a mage.
They had said it would take about six months at the longest, but even that would have been considered a remarkably short time.
Shaving another month off that estimate made it all the more shocking.
Among those receiving this news, few were unaware of the implications.
Even fewer would sit back and do nothing.
“Princess, there are visitors……”
“Bring them in one by one. I’ll meet with each of them.”
The very next day, people came flooding in.
Many already knew I had magical talent, but they hadn’t expected me to be acknowledged this quickly, which explained the explosive reaction.
The encouraging part was that, unlike the insignificant nobles and capitalists who had tried to approach me before, the people visiting now held real influence.
Even if they were only barons or viscounts, they had clear territorial holdings.
And those without land still came from old families with substantial wealth or extensive networks.
“Princess, congratulations on becoming a mage. Here, a small token of my sincerity.”
“I truly appreciate you coming all this way to offer your congratulations, Viscount. I won’t forget your kindness.”
“Thank you, Princess. I have always heard of your generosity and benevolence, but experiencing it firsthand leaves me at a loss for words.”
This was how the interactions went.
We exchanged brief introductions, followed by words of congratulations and gratitude.
Then, we’d subtly probe each other’s intentions before parting ways.
Of course, they were still far from becoming my supporters, unlike the lower-ranking nobles and capitalists who had approached me earlier due to their keen business sense.
But even just having these people visit and converse with me held political significance.
And then there were the small gifts.
Though labeled as "small," gifts carried symbolic weight in and of themselves.
That said, not all the visitors were welcome.
“I didn’t expect the Count to visit in person.”
“Since Your Highness has made such a significant achievement, it is only natural that I come in person. I apologize on behalf of the Ducal House for not arriving sooner.”
“No, Count Montmorency. For you to visit now, representing the Duke’s household, is already a tremendous support.”
The Montmorency ducal family was, for better or worse, a prestigious military household in the Kingdom of Pélancia.
One of their ancestors had led a decisive battle to victory in a past war, and most of their descendants had earned solid reputations as military officers.
And since the Count explicitly stated that he was here as the family’s representative, I was genuinely pleased by his visit.
If things went well, their support could be beneficial for my path as a soldier.
“Given the gravity of the matter, it was necessary to come on behalf of my family. This is an important issue for both Your Highness and myself.”
The young heir of the ducal family smiled at me—
A smile that felt far too suggestive.
At that moment, a deep sense of unease swept over me.
Wait a minute.
Why is this bastard smiling like some guy trying to flirt with a woman?
……Ah?
Wait, is that what this is?
He’s not just smiling like a man who flirts—
He’s actually trying to flirt?
And the woman he’s trying to flirt with is me?
“What kind of important issue are you referring to?”
Though he was the young heir of a ducal family, as far as I knew, he was at least twenty-four years old.
And I, right now, was fifteen.
Oh, you shameless bastard.
If not for the consequences, I would have seriously considered blurting that out and deciding between headbutting him or throwing a punch.
“His Majesty the King has been searching for a suitable match for Your Highness. Until now, our family had only been able to give a vague response due to internal matters, but now that we have more leeway, I have come to speak with you directly.”
In short, I had finally gained enough value for a ducal family to take an interest in me.
A reputation and prestige built in a short period, topped with a rare and highly regarded ability.
That said, having the heir of a ducal family personally deliver such a proposal seemed excessive—
But considering the fact that even the King himself was interested, I supposed it was a tempting opportunity.
If I were in their position, I might have thought the same.
“Does the ducal family have someone in mind?”
“Yes. And that person is standing right in front of you. Given my status, Your Highness would hardly be at a disadvantage.”
Well, that much was true.
In terms of background, there was hardly a more prestigious family in the kingdom than the Montmorency ducal house.
And objectively speaking, he was quite good-looking as well.
If I had been a woman in both body and mind, I might have stolen a few glances at him just for his appearance.
“Decisions like this are not something I can make so quickly.”
“I understand. Today, I am merely conveying my family’s intentions. I only hope for a positive response.”
But my mind wasn’t that easily swayed.
Who knew what the distant future held?
But for now, and for the foreseeable future, this was absolutely out of the question.
I maintained a polite smile, but nothing more.
There were quite a few things I needed to start acting on sooner rather than later.