The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live

Of course, I couldn’t see ahead. The only thing I could feel was the overwhelming fragrance that numbed my nose. That scent was coming from the bath I was soaking in.

At first, the water was warm, but after pouring in all sorts of fragrant things, it became so sticky that I wasn’t even sure if it was still water.

I had no idea how many hours had passed since I started my first bath. It was an incredibly tedious few hours.

When told to enter the bath, I entered; when told to come out, I did. I sat in a chair when instructed and laid in bed when asked.

The maids were busy applying things to my face and body, rubbing, washing, and applying again. Meanwhile, all I could do was think.

So, I decided to face the truth I had long avoided.

“Princess, we’re going to rinse you off now.”

As I felt the warm water on my face, I thought to myself.

‘I have no choice but to admit it now.’

The plan to live quietly unnoticed and slip away with my sister, the heroine, in three years seemed to have completely fallen apart.

I already sensed doom when Richard asked me to join his side, and Rudolph’s appearance and invitation to the celebration only confirmed it.

The happy-ending plan I had carefully crafted was destined to crumble the moment I took Rudolph’s hand and walked into the party. It would vanish without a trace, like dust.

Thinking about how things had spiraled so badly was heartbreaking, but now wasn’t the time for that.

What mattered wasn’t the past, but the future.

I needed a new plan—a new happy-ending plan that ended with .

The simplest option would be to side with either Richard or Rudolph. I could make one of them emperor and secure a peaceful and comfortable life as my reward.

It wouldn’t be easy since they were both villains, but I was confident I could manage if I used my knowledge of the original story.

And now, the final question.

Could I save both the heroine and hero of the original story while making a villain emperor?

The answer… didn’t come easily.

All I could do was let out a deep sigh.

“Oh dear, Your Highness. You must be very tired.”

One of the maids, who was wiping my face, gasped in surprise. She wasn’t wrong, so I nodded weakly.

“It’s okay, we’ve finished preparing.”

That was good news.

“All that’s left is your dress, makeup, and hair!”

“There’s still so much left!”

The maid giggled at my remark, thinking it was a joke. The other maids began placing dresses, shoes, and boxes filled with jewelry around me.

After my face was wiped clean, I took another look at the dress Rudolph had sent me.

It was a dress as beautiful as a fairy’s. Layers of fine silver-threaded fabric were draped over a pale sky-blue skirt, with diamond dust scattered across it, making it sparkle with even the slightest movement.

The short sleeves were lightly puffed in a cute way, and a delicate lace cape flowed down the back of the dress.

It was an extravagant, almost unreal piece, so stunning that I wondered if I’d ever see anything like it again in my life.

“I’ll curl your hair now, Your Highness.”

After I put on the dress and sat down, one maid began curling my hair with a hot iron.

“Please close your eyes, Your Highness.”

Another maid started applying something to my face, while another deliberated over which jewelry would best match the dress.

They were all working so hard. If our palace’s budget weren’t so tight, I’d love to give them some money to buy themselves a meal after this.

I thought it might take forever like before, but thankfully, the rest of the preparation went faster than expected.

“We’re finished, Your Highness.”

Having kept my eyes closed as they applied something even in the final moments, I slowly opened them at last.

A large full-length mirror was now in front of me, and in that mirror stood a fairy.

The dress shimmered like the Milky Way, as if cut from the dawn sky. Atop my wavy blonde hair sat a tiara adorned with opals.

Looking down, I was startled.

I hadn’t noticed when I first put them on, but the shoes I was wearing weren’t made of fabric.

The clear, transparent shoes revealed my feet, looking unmistakably like glass slippers.

Though transparent, the toes were decorated with diamonds and opals, and the heels, though slightly high, were surprisingly comfortable.

In fact, they were so soft and pleasant to wear that I found it hard to believe they were made of glass.

“Prince Rudolph cast a spell on them himself.”

The red-haired lady leading the maids whispered in my ear, having noticed my gaze on the shoes.

“They’re literally magic shoes.”

I gazed at the mirror, entranced.

I had always thought Lucillia was cute from the moment I first took over her body, though she was so skinny that she seemed fragile.

As I saw her every day, I got used to the face, and since the clothes she wore were old and plain, I often thought she looked like a worn-out doll.

But now, I was so radiant I could barely look at my reflection.

I couldn’t say it out loud, but in my mind, I muttered.

This is crazy…

I’m really beautiful…

Lucillia had always been pretty, but it was Rudolph’s doing that transformed her into this dazzling fairy.

Before I put it on, I thought the dress might overshadow me with its extravagance, but once I wore it, it made me look stunning.

The tiara, which I thought was too plain compared to the dress, turned into a game-changing accessory when paired with the glass shoes, raising my charm to unbelievable levels.

Could Rudolph have chosen all of this himself, or did he get help from a fairy godmother like in Cinderella?

“You look truly beautiful, Princess.”

A maid fastened my collar and smiled at me. Her face showed the pride of someone admiring their own creation.

“Thank you, Johanna.”

At my words, the red-haired maid’s eyes widened.

“My name…”

“Of course I remember. Sonia, and Vivian too. You’ve all worked hard until now.”

“Thank you.”

The maids responded in unison.

A glance out the window revealed that the sun had already set.

“Now that I think about it, where’s Brother Rudolph?”

“He’s probably waiting on the first floor.”

Johanna answered.

I let out a deep sigh, as if the ground beneath me would collapse.

If only Rudolph had fallen ill with a sudden fever. Or maybe food poisoning. Or, at the very least, an awful case of diarrhea…

Why couldn’t any of my siblings have dealt with Rudolph beforehand?

I grumbled to myself as I made my way downstairs.

I purposely walked slowly, hoping to delay the inevitable encounter with Rudolph. But as I reached the middle of the stairs, I could already see him standing at the bottom.

Our gazes briefly met in midair.

Rudolph looked at me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Because as soon as I saw Rudolph, I couldn’t think at all.

It was like seeing another fairy…

That was the only dumb thought that crossed my mind.

Rudolph was dressed head-to-toe in pure white. His pale blue shirt seemed to match my dress, but everything else was white.

Even the cravat around his neck was blindingly white. Decorating it was the same opal that adorned my tiara.

“Lucillia.”

He called my name and smiled.

An aura of untouchable radiance emanated from him. Like pristine snow that no one had walked on, or the morning dew glittering in the first light of dawn.

A beauty so pure it felt as if it would be sullied by the slightest touch.

Looking at this face, this figure, who could call Rudolph a cunning psychopath? If I was a fairy, then Rudolph would be the fairy king.

I came down the stairs like someone who had lost their senses.

“The dress looks lovely on you.”

Rudolph looked at me and smiled warmly, like a kind older brother. He held out his hand to me.

“Shall we?”

As I took his hand, the maids of Opal Palace and Rudolph’s attendants let out small gasps of admiration.

They spoke lightheartedly, commenting on how well we looked like siblings and how it was the first time they had seen the Fifth Prince smile like that. Amidst the chatter, Miriam’s voice rang out, loud enough to make anyone’s ears bleed.

“Your Highness, you look so, so beautiful~!”

“… let’s go quickly, brother.”

What a humiliation, right in front of Rudolph. Once I got back, I would have to ask Matilda to give her a proper lesson. Blushing furiously, I climbed into the carriage.

Once Rudolph joined me, the carriage set off soundlessly.

“Whoa…”

As we left the woods of Opal Palace, I gasped.

The imperial palace beyond the small window of the carriage was bathed in shimmering light.

Though the sun had long set, the palace was as bright as day. Everywhere I looked, the magical lux stones radiated light. The palace, wrapped in this magical glow, looked like an amusement park.

Come to think of it, this was my first time leaving Opal Palace since I transmigrated here. Pressing my nose to the window, I soaked in the outside world I hadn’t seen in so long.

After a while, I turned my head and noticed Rudolph resting his chin on one hand, quietly watching me.

‘How long has he been staring at me?’

I hoped he wasn’t questioning whether I was truly Lucillia, or if I was really twelve years old.

Still wearing my excited expression, I smiled brightly at Rudolph, then turned back to the window.

‘I am twelve. I am a pure, innocent, and carefree twelve-year-old…’

I repeated it in my mind like a prayer. Please, let today pass without incident.

Just when I thought the imperial palace would never end, the carriage came to a stop.

Rudolph stepped out first and offered me his hand. I took it and stepped down from the carriage.

“Announcing the Fifth Prince Rudolf Sol Esperusa and the Seventeenth Princess Lucillia El Esperusa!”

As soon as my shoes touched the ground, the attendant at the garden entrance shouted at the top of his lungs.

I raised my head and looked straight ahead.

The emperor’s garden, Vernas, where the birthday party was being held.

Standing at the entrance, I could feel all eyes in the garden turning toward us.

I had anticipated this, but reality still hit harder than expected. I shrank slightly under the pressure.

“Straighten your shoulders.”

Startled, I looked up at Rudolph. He leaned toward me and whispered.

“Don’t forget that you’re an imperial. All of them are mere worms who should bow their heads before you.”

Rudolph said this with an angelic smile.

The contrast between his kind face and the venomous words from his lips was staggering.

What a ruthless personality.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Thanks to him, the tension had eased a bit.

Rudolph and I passed through the flower-adorned entrance of Vernas.

The emperor’s garden seemed endless. It was filled with flowers, jewels, and people everywhere.

“Let’s go greet His Majesty first.”

As Rudolph spoke, the tension that had briefly vanished pressed down on me again.

Right, today’s party was to celebrate the emperor’s birthday. Everyone who arrived had to greet the emperor first.

Following the golden carpet laid out at the entrance, we made our way further into the garden. After a while, something came into view in the distance.

A pile of gifts of all shapes and sizes. Beside it, a grand chair. The golden chair was adorned with jewels and flowers, making it look far larger than it actually was.

And sitting there was him.

Lucius Helios Esperusa.

The one who ascended to the throne with the name of the Sun God.

He reigned like a God from his throne.