Chapter 17:
For reference, my attendants had been following Karus, kneeling and bowing their heads, ever since we arrived here.
“You’re not Rozantina people, are you? Or are you some royalty I don’t know about?”
I tilted my head, looking at the arrogant palace attendants still standing stiffly with their heads up.
“Neither, I think, Margaret.”
“Yes, Princess.”
“What does Imperial Law say we should do in this situation?”
“If a non-royal dares to hold their head higher than a royal who has lowered themselves, it is considered treason and punishable by beheading.”
Margaret bowed her head as she answered my question.
The Second and Third Princes gasped.
“I see… so if I tell Her Majesty about these people, their heads would literally roll, huh?”
Only then did the attendants of the Third and Second Princes snap to attention and hurriedly kneel on the floor.
“We-I’m sorry. We’re not familiar with palace etiquette and made a mistake.”
Genuinely curious, I asked them:
“You weren’t even properly trained in etiquette before entering the palace? Then how did you even get in here?”
“We’re sorry, Princess!”
“Why are you apologizing to me?”
“We-I’m sorry, Karus.”
The attendants, caught in an awkward situation due to my sudden appearance, broke out in cold sweat.
Even the bravest couldn’t ignore me when I mentioned my mother, so they had no choice.
The Second Prince Rubellio and Third Prince Heliman looked completely stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Karus, too, wore a blank, dumbfounded expression.
“Karus Father, are you going to punish them all?”
“Oh, no… I’m not…”
“If you want, you can punish them. Their heads can roll—it’s fine.”
I asked, but Karus just shook his head, dumbfounded, looking even more foolish.
I already knew this, but even spoon-feeding him like this, he still couldn’t grasp it. Truly frustrating.
Judging by his still-vacant expression, Karus had no hope of restoring royal discipline with authority anytime soon.
“Karus Father is really kind. You all should thank him again.”
“Th-Thank you, Fifth Lord!”
The attendants who had been ignoring Karus moments ago now apologized and repeatedly expressed their gratitude—a completely absurd scene.
Rubellio gaped in disbelief.
“W-What is this? Why are my attendants…?”
“You committed a grave offense, but Karus Father spared you, so you should be grateful. Don’t you know that?”
“What!”
“Oh, you’re still young and don’t know etiquette yet? Sigh… you must remember it from now on. When the master is foolish, the subordinates become equally ignorant.”
I sighed dramatically and shook my head.
“Y-You… you…!”
Rubellio’s face turned red, and he muttered angrily.
He didn’t fully understand the situation yet, but my words clearly struck a nerve.
Did I let that intimidate me? Not at all.
“Now, it’s your turn. You, too, say thanks.”
“Why…?! That person dirtied my shoes!”
Rubellio finally exploded.
“Royalty is royalty, and nobles are nobles. Why should someone from the almost-extinct Oklante, barely holding onto their name, be treated the same as real royals?”
Such a brat, squealing like a spoiled child.
“It’s natural for low-born blood to kneel before noble blood!”
Ah, I see… so he’ll react this way.
“Oh, is that so?”
“That’s right!”
I nodded as if I understood.
“I see! Then you should kneel to me, too.”
“What…?”
Rubellio’s face reflected total disbelief.
“You said it’s natural to kneel before higher blood, right? Then you should kneel too.”
“Why…?!”
“You don’t know?”
I looked at him dismissively and said:
“My father Hiserion, your father Diomene.”
I pointed between him and me, explaining the difference in our status.
“My grandmother Demons, grandfather Hiserion. Your grandmother Diomene, grandfather Lindel.”
As I traced the paternal lineage upward, Rubellio’s expression faltered.
Hah, my efforts in the second cycle to become the clever, reliable Third Princess paid off—I had memorized multiple noble lineages.
“My great-grandfather Carlos, your great-grandmother Sedium… my ancestor on my mother’s side…”
I knew he was proud of his lineage, but in terms of pure bloodlines, he couldn’t beat me.
Even if his maternal line was equal, my paternal line traced back to the fairy royalty.
And yet here he was, daring to speak of low blood and noble blood, thinking he could boss others around?
“Now you understand, right?”
“Ugh…”
Rubellio’s face was red, and he could barely form words.
Even if the Second Prince would later become a vicious critic, now he was only seven years old.
Moreover, after showing so much pride in his lineage, I had just smashed his ego in front of him, leaving him helpless.
‘Karus already got a fair shake, so maybe I’ll stop for today.’
Still, he’s just a child; this should be enough to keep him in line for a while.
“Tch, don’t act so high and mighty!”
But of course, the Second Prince had the makings of a proper villain from a young age.
Rubellio immediately shattered the goodwill I had just shown.
“Do you even know what everyone’s saying about you right now?”
‘Ah, wait. Here we go again?’
He glared and shouted, making me roll my eyes inwardly.
“They’re saying what happened at your birthday the other day was because you’re cursed by the goddess Demetea for being a child of illegitimacy!”
“Second Prince, you shouldn’t say that…!”
“How dare you! Who do you think you are, interrupting?”
Margaret was about to speak, but Rubellio snapped at her, shutting her mouth.
“Who’s really stupid here? Not knowing what people are saying about you, and yet acting all high and mighty?”
Hey, you said the “high and mighty” part yourself.
“You heard, right? Everyone says Asphodel is ill-omened.”
“Y-Yeah! Rubell is right!”
Rubellio regained his composure and looked down at me with confidence.
Next to him, Heliman had no idea what was happening, rolling his eyes but imitating Rubellio poorly and crossing his arms while glaring at me.
I slapped my forehead. Ah, almost made a mistake there.
“Now you understand? Who really should kneel. But since I am the elegant and noble Diomene, if you apologize sincerely now, I might let you off.”
I had momentarily forgotten—this brat was the kind of villainous seed who wouldn’t understand gentle words.
“You asked if my attendants were untrained, but aren’t you showing your own ignorance? Even Roxan wouldn’t see this, but your education seems lacking.”
Ah, I was trying to go easy because he’s young… but now he’s crossing the line.
“Hiserion didn’t tolerate this either. You boasted about what you’d do at your birthday banquet, but you couldn’t even prevent a single barrier from breaking.”
Not only insulting me, but dragging my precious father into it…
“Actually, Roxan’s reputation mostly came from our family name, right?”
I was getting really annoyed…
“People just flattered him, overestimating him. Maybe he’s actually not that competent…”
“Ugh, geez!”
Whack!
“Ah!”
Ah, I unintentionally jumped back.
Still, since he’s just a child, my inner violence didn’t fully act out.
A scene similar to two days ago at the herb garden unfolded before my eyes.
The delicate Second Prince, no stronger than a flower, was now toppled by a soft headbutt from my five-year-old self.
“P-Prince!”
“Gah, Rubell!”
Everyone panicked, shocked by the sudden turn of events.
Rubellio held his jaw, staring at me in disbelief.
“D-Did you hit me?”
It’s just a fluffy five-year-old head—he’s exaggerating the pain, right?
“Oops, I just stretched and accidentally hit you.”
At my ridiculous excuse, Rubellio trembled like a tiny wildflower in the wind.
“I-I’m telling Father! How dare you hit me…!”
Hey, your father got knocked down by me too…
Seems like father and son are really alike.
This brat’s first instinct was to tattle.
“Aww, did that hurt a lot? Sorry, sorry. I’ll help you up, Adel!”
I apologized verbally while approaching him.
Before he could say anything, I grabbed his hand, and he flinched.
A properly raised child, perhaps?
Just a light touch on his five-year-old head, and he’s terrified.
‘Hmm? Surprisingly, this might actually work on him.’
While helping him up, I leaned in close to his face.
“Big brother, did you know…?”
