The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live

“Eh?”

I blinked, looking at Tristan.

“What would a mere stable keeper have to say to a princess?”

“But I do have something to say…”

“I don’t. Go back.”

Tristan’s tone was cold. It was the absence of any emotion in his voice that made it feel that way.

He treated me like a bothersome fly buzzing around him. It was an arrogant attitude for someone who called himself a mere stable keeper.

Goodness, I actually liked this.

This prickliness, this wariness—everything about him was just like the Tristan I had imagined from the original story.

Of course, being three years younger, he had less of the mature charm my imagination had built up, but that made it all the more thrilling. How lucky I was to witness my favorite character in his early days.

Lost in this happiness, I said.

“Alright, I’ll leave.”

The hand that had been mechanically brushing the horse paused for a moment.

Was he surprised that I gave in so easily when he thought I would cling to him persistently? If he was reacting to things like this, it was a good sign. I set down the basket I had brought, smiling.

“I’ll be on my way, so eat this.”

“… what is this?”

“It’s a lunchbox.”

A perfect meal with a ham and cheese sandwich, fresh milk, and sweet strawberries on the side.

Without even glancing at the basket, Tristan said.

“I don’t need it.”

“Well, I don’t need it either. I’ll just leave it here, so throw it away if you don’t want it.”

I beamed as I spoke.

“Okay then, I’m leaving now.”

With that, I turned around without hesitation and began to walk back the way I came.

The urge to look back kept bubbling up inside me as I walked, but I resisted the temptation and kept my pace steady. Only after I got into the carriage did I glance back toward where Tristan had been.

By then, he was already a tiny dot in the distance, too far for me to tell if he had eaten the lunch or really thrown it away.

It didn’t matter. I thought to myself as I climbed into the carriage. This was just the beginning.

I couldn’t tell what impression this brief meeting left on Tristan. But I learned a lot from it.

Tristan’s personality was just as I remembered, which meant he would stubbornly refuse any interaction with me.

This was a common type among romance fantasy male leads. If he opened up too easily, he wouldn’t be much of a male lead, now, would he? They kept their cold and rude attitude for a long time.

So, all I had to do was behave like a typical romance fantasy female lead.

Just you wait, Tristan. I would be the one to open that closed door of yours. I smirked.

It was the kind of expression Tristan would have absolutely detested if he saw it, but luckily, I was alone in the carriage.

The next day, I went to see Tristan again.

“Hello?”

Tristan, seeing me again, briefly wore a bewildered expression, then this time, he didn’t even bother to greet me. He ignored me entirely, focusing on his work.

Hehehe, the more you act like that, the more determined I become to win you over!

“How have you been?”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“About that sandwich I gave you yesterday…”

I trailed off as I spotted the basket in the same place I had left it the day before.

“You didn’t eat it.”

I sat down right there and opened the basket, biting into the sandwich that had been left for a day.

Even Tristan, who had been ignoring me thoroughly, seemed to be taken aback and glanced at me without thinking.

“It’s pretty good.”

I chewed on the sandwich and held out the new basket I brought.

“Here, I brought a fresh one today, so you can have this one, Tristan.”

Tristan went back to ignoring me.

I wasn’t expecting much, so I focused on finishing the leftover lunch. I didn’t touch the milk since it might have spoiled, but the sandwich and strawberries were still tasty, even after a day.

I’d eaten worse, like spoiled soup, so this felt like a feast.

I quickly emptied the basket and stood up.

“Well then, see you tomorrow.”

Back in the carriage, I glanced over at where Tristan was, now just a dot in the distance, and it felt like he might have been watching me.

I smiled warmly in his direction, even though I knew he couldn’t see it.

After that day, visiting Tristan became part of my daily routine.

Not much changed, no matter how many times I visited. I’d greet Tristan, and he’d ignore me. Whether he did or not, I would open the untouched lunch basket from the previous day and eat my meal. Meanwhile, I’d watch Tristan as he worked.

The sight of him taking care of the horses was like a scene from a photoshoot. I was confident I could watch him all day without getting bored.

Sometimes, I’d make conversation while observing him, but of course, Tristan wouldn’t respond.

Whether he answered or not, I chattered away with whatever came to mind, pestering Tristan. And when it seemed like the right time, I’d head back, leaving with a promise to return the next day.

About ten days must have passed. As always, I opened the lunch basket without much expectation, and I found that the two pieces of bread had been reduced to just one.

“You ate it!”

I let out a joyful shout.

Tristan didn’t respond. His expression didn’t change either. But I was so thrilled by this small sign that I felt like jumping for joy.

“From now on, I’ll have to bring my own lunch too.”

I said as I put the remaining piece of bread into my mouth. At that moment, Tristan, who had been tending to the horses, suddenly frowned deeply.

I was surprised that Tristan, who hadn’t reacted to any of my words, suddenly showed such strong resistance. Startled, I swallowed the bread too quickly and ended up choking.

“Cough, cough!”

As I pounded my chest and coughed for a while, I looked up, but there was no one in front of me. In the distance, I could see Tristan leading the horse away.

Whoa, that was a bit hurtful.

I stared blankly at the piece of bread in my hand, thinking.

It seemed like Tristan really hated me.

Of course, I had been pestering him even though he clearly didn’t want to talk. But still, wasn’t persistence a virtue of a romance novel female lead?

“Maybe it’s just because I’m a side character.”

I muttered as I took another bite of the bread.

I didn’t expect every event from the original story to unfold exactly the same in real life. After all, I’d already deviated from the original plot, and I was trying to diverge even more.

But no matter how hard I tried, there might be some things that wouldn’t change. It was the first time I had such a thought.

For instance, like the fated partner destined to be bound by love.

“It’s not like I planned to have a romance with Tristan.”

I just wanted to help Tristan. That feeling was genuinely out of pure goodwill and, well, maybe a tiny, tiny, very tiny bit of admiration. I didn’t approach him with any ulterior motives, so why should I be hurt?

After sorting out my thoughts, I finished off the rest of the bread. Then, I stood up with renewed determination.

Yes, it didn’t matter if Tristan disliked me. What was important was that he ate the bread. Even just a little bit, he let his guard down.

If he was touched by my sincerity and even listened to me, he would surely recognize that my suggestions could help him!

I rekindled my resolve that had nearly faltered.

Still, there was some progress. From that day on, Tristan consistently finished the lunch I brought him.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but after having those lunches for a while, I felt like a bit of color was returning to Tristan’s previously gaunt cheeks.

Thank goodness, children needed to eat well. Especially for growing children and teenagers, proper nutrition was crucial. Was this what Richard felt when he kept trying to make me eat?

Since there was no leftover food, I had nothing to eat myself, but I could just eat when I got back to Opal Palace.

Because Tristan seemed to dislike it, I didn’t pack a separate lunch for myself. So, what else could I do but watch him?

A few days passed like that.

“What is it that you want from me?”

For the first time, Tristan spoke to me first.

“Ah! You spoke!”

I ended up letting out a scream.

It had been so long since I heard Tristan’s voice, and it was breathtakingly enchanting.

His voice, on the edge between a boy and a man, was deep yet resonated clearly. The hint of breath in his voice was so sensual it nearly made me swoon.

As I caught my breath, staring at him, Tristan turned away from me. Then, I suddenly remembered that he had asked me a question and hastily shouted.

“I’m sorry! You startled me by speaking suddenly!”

When he turned back to look at me, his face was expressionless. I expected him to show some kind of displeasure, but even that was absent. His empty eyes seemed so desolate that it made my heart ache.

“What is it that you want from me? There’s nothing I can do for you, Princess.”

Tristan spoke again. My heart started to race.

This was an important moment.

Tristan was showing willingness to converse with me for the first time. Depending on how I answered, the conversation could continue or end forever.

What was it that I wanted from Tristan?

To join hands and bring down the House of Aschenbach, to take over the dukedom afterward, and then meet Imelda…

No, let’s not go that far. What I really wanted to convey to him right now, the one thing I desired the most was.

“I want Tristan to be happy.”

That was all.

Tristan’s eyes widened. For a brief moment, his golden eyes seemed to shine, like a ray of sunlight breaking through a cloudy sky. I was so captivated by that sight that I froze.

But it lasted only a moment.

“Leave.”

Suddenly, Tristan’s face twisted, and he glared at me.

How could I describe that expression?

Anger. Anxiety. Sadness. Fear. It seemed as though all those emotions mixed chaotically, creating an unreadable expression. The one thing that was clear on his face was an intense sense of anguish.

Tristan picked up the lunch basket I had brought and toss it into my hands. No, he practically threw it at me.

“Don’t ever come back here.”

It was a rather rough demeanor, but I didn’t find it scary or unpleasant. I was just extremely flustered.

“What, why, Tristan? Did I do something wrong?”

Tristan made that pained expression again and then turned his back to me completely. He ran to the nearest horse, mounting it without even putting on a saddle.

Surely he wouldn’t just leave like this.

I rushed toward him, confused. But Tristan was faster. He spurred the horse, and it reared up before galloping away.

“Be careful!”

I didn’t know much about horseback riding, but I knew that falling from an agitated horse could be dangerous.

I clamped my mouth shut to avoid further spooking the horse, and Tristan grew farther and farther away from me.

In an instant, I found myself alone in the grassy meadow.

“What on earth is going on…?”

I was left speechless, unsure of what had just happened. And, just a little, I felt hurt.