[LS : Sorry for not being able to update this morning because I just got my second dose vaccination and my hand feel a bit pain, but I feel happy to be able to update tonight!]
* * *
What?
‘Princess?’
Princess?
Why all of a sudden?
I opened my mouth when I stared at the man who was suddenly calling out a princess.
“Excuse me, I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong person….….”
Kwang!
Then the door of the drawing-room opened.
The sound was so intense that I thought the door was going to break.
Fortunately, the door was fine.
The door was stronger than it looked.
Soon after I thought so, I saw a welcome face.
“Jungkook?”
Jungkook came straight to me without saying much.
Then he gently wrapped me in one hand and pushed me behind him, pulling out the sword from his waist with the other hand and pointing it at the man.
I was startled.
What’s going on here?
The man seemed to be surprised as well.
Jungkook opened his mouth without lowering his sword.
“Noona.”
Jungkook has decided to call me noona only when there are other listening ears.
Well, that’s not what’s important now.
“You remember those guys who were after you in the North Forest a while ago?”
“What?”
You don’t tell me those hitmen?
“They came down from a kingdom north of the Empire.”
And Jungkook went on to say something that couldn’t be overlooked.
“And so does this man.”
What?
I looked at the man in a different sense.
The man did not deny it.
However, he only added a strange smile on his face.
“…… could you give me a chance to explain something?”
With the blade in front of his Adam’s apple, he raised his hands silently.
As if to express that he has no intention of harming this side at all.
“Please.”
I stared alternately at the man and Jungkook.
And at this time, the word “princess” that the man said sounded meaningfully in my head.
Soon after, I nodded.
“Let me give you a formal introduction. My name is Kim Namjoon.”
The man sitting in the parlour-room chair put his hand on his chest and said calmly.
“I’m the leader of the Countess Kim family of the Viroz Kingdom, which boasts a long history and authenticity, and at the same time assist the king in key royal posts.”
Count Kim.
I gave him a hard look.
He took out a seal inscribed with the patterns of the royal family and Count’s family and put it on the table as if he thought I was suspicious of his identity.
I glanced at it and didn’t bother to touch it.
The Viroz Kingdom.
When I opened the map, I was greeted by a kingdom in the north of the empire.
Although it is not a friendly country, I remember hearing its name because of its close geographical distance.
I asked Jungkook.
“……how did you know?”
The men who were after me in the woods came from the northern kingdom, and this man is the same.
Jungkook answered briefly.
“A native of the northern kingdom has a slightly different accent than an Imperialist.”
“Accent?”
“That’s right.”
The man was in charge of further explanation.
“It’s fine, but there are differences in pronunciation and emphasis. But even so, the accent heard so fine that there’s not a lot of people who can tell it apart. You are amazing.”
The man smiled and talked softly as if he wanted to please Jungkook.
Jungkook added to me, by the way, without giving the man a proper look.
“The butler looked into it. I came down as soon as I got the message.”
Aha.
“You have a competent butler. But I think your Excellency is as sharp as he is. It seems like you were convinced after facing me.”
The man, Count Kim, seemed to have not given up his flattery toward Jungkook.
Suddenly it was strange.
The Count had been excitedly referred to Jungkook as a word that was close to blasphemy.
Just now, that one before.
No matter how different their status is, they were usually expressions that might be offensive.
Instead of showing signs of displeasure, the count is acting like a man who is impatient to flatter Jungkook.
‘Is it that important?’’
What did you come to see me for?
“……so, you want to explain?”
I gave the count a chance to get to the point.
Count Kim received my words with a welcome face.
“First of all, I’ll tell you the conclusion. The men who had previously targeted the princess are those who were hostile to the royal family.”
I think the most important explanation is missing now.
I pointed out.
“Why do you keep calling me a princess?”
“Oh, dear, I’m sorry.”
The count smiled awkwardly again.
Perhaps because of his drooping eyes, he looked quite good when he laughed.
“Do you know the legend handed down to the royal family of the Viroz Kingdom?”
“Legend?”
“It’s a cliche and uninteresting legend.”
The count continued to talk.
“When twins are born in the royal family, one side must disappear so that the country does not become ruined.”
“It’s such an inhuman and archaic legend.”
The count’s voice was rather calm, the exact opposite of what his voice contained
“I’m so glad you’re alive, Princess.”
* * *
I put my arm on the balcony railing blankly.
The dark, shrouded night sky was particularly starry today, but none of it caught my eye.
I had a complicated mind.
‘I was a princess.’
This was the case with Count Kim’s explanation.
My biological mother, the Queen of the Viroz Kingdom, gave birth to twin sisters more than 20 years ago.
The twins born to the royal family are curses that can ruin the country.
At least in the Viroz Kingdom.
It is said that the vassals immediately insisted on selecting and killing one of the twins, and my mother opposed the idea, saying, “I can’t do that because they’re a child from my stomach.”
However, the arguments of the vassals were too strong to continue the opposition.
In the end, she left me, who was still a baby, to a trusted aide and sent me away.
On the surface, they get a fake body and pretend that I’m dead.
That’s how time passed.
More than 20 years since then.
‘To this day, the legend is gradually losing its power. This is because a counterexample that violates the legend was found in the predecessors.’
‘…….’
Her Highness The Queen wants to correct her past mistakes.
Although Her Highness was forced to let the little princess leave Her Highness arms, Her Highness now has the power to ignore their protests.
‘…….’
‘Please come back to the kingdom. May you come and get back what you should have enjoyed. I came all the way here to serve the princess.’
The night breeze brushed my face.
I didn’t feel anything and was still leaning blankly against the railing.
‘Princess…….’
A sudden laugh came out.
When was it?
The other day, I had a short private talk about my family while walking down the hallway with Sir Davery.
I then recounted the fact that Sir Davery was an orphan and thought I was just as well.
My whole biological family went to America, and I made that joke to myself.
‘It wasn’t in the United States, it was in the neighbouring country.’
It’s absurd.
It was just amazing.
I thought I was an orphan, but it turns out I was a princess of a kingdom.
This is just like a story from a novel.
“Whoo.”
I’m getting a headache.
I was mentally exhausted after suffering from this thought all morning through night.
I relaxed myself leaning on the railing and stretched almost like laundry.
It was then.
“…Jungkook.”
Ignoring the dark background and the bright white hair caught my view.
Jungkook gazed at me from under the balcony, whether he heard a little murmur, or whether the purpose was to look this way from the beginning.
And then the next moment the optimum distance came in.
I knew what Jungkook was going to do and opened my eyes wide.
“This is the 2nd floor…”
……or anything like that, he doesn’t care as well.
Jungkook kicked lightly against a nearby wall and jumped at once to the second-floor railing where I stood.
I can’t even see with my own eyes how the wall becomes a stepping stone.
‘It’s not even the first time.’
I can feel Deja vu.
Although it was not a balcony but a corridor window on the second floor at the time.
Jungkook sat next to me as if nothing had happened and casually spoke to me.
“Isn’t it cold?”
“Uhm………..”
I touched how thick the wool shawl I had around my shoulder was.
It’s all right.
“It’s all right. But why did you come out?”
“I was wondering if you’d be doing this.”
What am I doing?
Well, I’ve been out of my mind ever since Count Kim visited me in the morning.
The butler or Bessie asked what was going on, but I just fumbled.
Jungkook looked into my face carefully.
The persistent gaze made my cheeks glow.
“……you know, Jungkook.”
I chose to open my mouth instead of avoiding eye contact.
“Eung.”
“I’m the princess of the Viroz kingdom. What do you think of this?”
A princess with the modifiers ‘unfortunate’ and ‘twins.’
“Well.”
Jungkook came up with an answer without much pause.
“Does it matter?”
“……huh?”
“You’ll soon be the Duchess anyway.”
* * *
[Sorry if there are any mistake]