NOVEL WEB Aida Somerset had recently taken up the hobby of secretly sneaking into her older brother Rupert’s workshop.
Although she thought she moved quickly with her small frame, it was a well-known fact to not only Rupert but also the employees working in the house.
So why did Aida insist on sneaking into the workshop away from prying eyes?
It was to see the hidden secret fairy tale book.
“Ah! Dang it!”
Still short in stature, Aida brought a chair to reach the book her brother had hidden, but she was still too short.
With all her might, she tiptoed, finally managing to get a book to rest on her fingertips.
Clunk.
However, as she pulled the book out, she lost her balance and fell from the chair.
And the book she struggled to take out bumped squarely against Aida’s head.
“Waaaaah!!!”
All she wanted was to see the secret fairy tale book. Why did she have to hit her head on it? Feeling wronged, Aida forgot that she had sneaked into her brother’s workshop and burst into tears, feeling utterly aggrieved.
Upon hearing Aida’s cries, Count Bradley, along with butler Alain and the maids, all rushed to the workshop.
“Aida, what’s wrong?”
Count Bradley gently patted and comforted the crying Aida. But with her sobs still ongoing, Aida sniffled and tried to say something, yet no one could understand her.
All she did was point with her tiny finger.
And at the end of that finger was a book.
‘So, she tried to sneak a peek at Rupert’s book again.’
Having seen this situation happen once or twice before, Count Bradley had a rough idea of what was going on.
Rupert didn’t show anyone the manuscript of his new book until it was completed, and Aida often caused trouble trying to sneak a look at it.
Once, she had spilled ink all over a manuscript that was nearly finished while trying to sneak a peek.
When Rupert, who usually just laughed off his sister’s antics, saw her causing such a mess, his eyes had turned wild, almost like that of a beast.
Of course, after regaining his composure, Rupert had only given Aida a few playful smacks on the backside to conclude the matter.
Still, even the fearless Aida had been a bit scared at that moment, so it was definitely something to be careful about.
“Aida, if you keep that up, you might end up getting spanked by your brother like last time.”
“Sniff… Aida… Ugh… book…”
Her sobbing hadn’t fully stopped, so it was hard to catch her words, but the gist was evident.
‘So, I came to look at the book, but the chair tipped over, and I fell. But it hurt when the book hit my head, so I’m feeling wronged,’ or so it seemed.
“Even so, you shouldn’t sneak into the workshop while your brother isn’t around. There are dangerous tools here; you could get hurt.”
Count Bradley admonished, and butler Alain held Aida, who was starting to calm down, comforting her as the situation wound down.
The employees who had gathered began to return to their tasks one by one, and Count Bradley intended to put the fallen book back and head back to his office.
‘The Kingdom of Ice?’
As he returned the book to its place, he glanced at the title.
It seemed that Rupert was writing a new piece after The Little Mermaid. The title felt different from existing fairy tales.
‘Shall I take a look?’
Although his son’s fairy tales had become a phenomenon, to be frank, as a middle-aged man, he felt they were a bit childish, and he hadn’t shown much interest until now.
But seeing that title with ice and a kingdom stirred some curiosity within him.
Count Bradley sat at the desk of the workshop and opened the first page of the book.
*
“Welcome to the capital, Young Master.”
Esteban, the Guild Leader’s welcoming words only made my face scrunch up further.
“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
“Haha, but it’s your first time visiting the capital, isn’t it?”
Of course, if I had come for sightseeing, I would have happily wandered around and explored.
But I wasn’t here for tourism; I was essentially dragged in for a one-on-one meeting with the Princess, leaving me nothing but annoyed.
“Not only am I managing a banquet I’m ill-suited for, but I have to enter the Imperial Palace without a moment’s rest.”
I should be preparing for my next project during this time, and the more I thought about it, the more precious time seemed wasted.
Above all, being dragged to the royal family to face the Princess was honestly terrifying.
Wasn’t our family in crisis partly because of the royal family? The handwritten letter I received from the Princess before filled me with a sense of impending doom, as if I was constantly entangled in some nefarious web.
“I just need to avoid running into the Third Prince.”
But for now, it was within the realm of tolerable. The Princess was merely a passing character in the original novel.
However, if an encounter with the male lead, the Third Prince, were to occur, it would truly be a big problem.
I had already run into the female lead, Amelia, twice. I couldn’t afford to keep crossing paths with the protagonists from the original story.
It would be problematic if I were to get grilled by the Third Prince about why I was getting too close to his woman, or worse, if we were to meet by chance, and he acknowledged me later at the Academy.
I simply wanted to quietly graduate from the Academy, return to my family, and enjoy a peaceful life in this world.
That was my only objective.
*
The capital of the Empire was indeed on a different level than the local territories. The wide avenues were spacious enough for two carriages to pass side by side.
Buildings were constructed neatly in accordance with their plots on both sides of the road.
In particular, not a single one-story building was to be found; all the structures were at least two stories, giving me the impression that I had stepped into a modern city.
“How many two-story buildings are there in our territory?”
Comparing it to the capital was amusing, but I hadn’t expected such a discrepancy. For some reason, I felt a strong urge to develop our territory further.
“Have I gotten sentimental after just a few months of living there?”
It was bittersweet to think about. In my past life, my hometown had only been a place I wanted to forget.
“You’ve arrived, Young Master. Please disembark.”
Lost in thought as I admired the scenery outside, the carriage had reached the main gate of the Imperial Palace.
Esteban had said he would wait here until the meeting was over.
“Who knows how long it might take? You should head back first.”
“It’s alright. It’s an investment for my important business partner.”
He was an impossible man. Regardless of his investment talk, it seemed like he had some ulterior motive. Well, it worked out well for me.
I still wasn’t well-versed with the routes in the capital, so having him take me and bring me back would be convenient.
“Please pause for a moment. What is your purpose for visiting?”
As I stepped down from the carriage and approached the main gate of the Imperial Palace, I noticed several guards and a knight standing at the front.
Their equipment sparkled, making it look quite expensive. Whatever the price, it certainly appeared powerful.
“I am Rupert, the second son of the Somerset family, here to paint a portrait of Her Highness the Princess.”
With my introduction, I took out my identity token from my pocket.
Commoners received wooden tokens that could be easily forged from the lord’s castle, but for the nobility, their identity tokens were impossible to counterfeit.
Developed jointly by the royal family and the Magic Tower, these tokens contained the owner’s blood, allowing the guards to verify their authenticity instantly with the detector they held.
“Verification complete. Welcome to the Imperial Palace.”
As the verification ended, the gates of the palace opened. Of course, it wasn’t just the large gate that opened; the smaller side entrance was unlocked as well.
“It’s truly immense.”
The Imperial Palace of the Empire was so vast and grand that it was hard to believe it had been built by humans, with legends claiming the help of dwarves. It was breathtaking.
Even as a modern person, I found it overwhelming; just imagine how the inhabitants of this world must feel.
My admiration was cut short as I entered the palace, where an attendant arrived to guide me to the Princess.
“Her Highness the Princess is waiting for you. Please, let’s hurry.”
As I followed the attendant, I wondered when else I might visit the palace again.
Since I was here, I might as well take note of the place for future references in my work, so I observed the palace’s architecture as I walked around.
“Oh, that design is unique. And what about that? It looks like something from the medieval period. Why is there a pavilion that resembles an octagonal structure?”
What kind of palace combines Western, Eastern, medieval, and modern designs? It was amusing to look at, but it felt like I had stepped into a Universal Studios theme park.
As I walked while admiring the surroundings, a building painted in gold, reminiscent of a Middle Eastern mosque, came into view.
“This is Her Highness’s palace. Please wait here while I announce your arrival.”
The attendant who guided me to the Princess’s palace entered to announce my presence.
“Phew… I just hope nothing goes awry.”
I could do nothing but wish for a peaceful meeting as I looked at the Princess’s palace.
*
“Sister, what happened today?”
“Nothing. Why do you ask?”
Edric Bell, the Third Prince of the Borus Empire, admired and respected his older sister, Princess Ioleen, greatly.
His older brothers were a reckless fool and a womanizer, making it embarrassing to refer to them as siblings, but his sister was a model of virtue.
She was the type to challenge right and wrong, even against their father, the Emperor, regarding what she believed was unjust.
“Why shouldn’t you have been the Crown Princess?”
That thought had not changed, but it remained unfulfilled due to the Emperor’s opposition and, more importantly, her own reluctance.
He noticed his respected sister had recently looked unusually unhappy, but now seemed cheerful again, which was a relief.
Today, however, he witnessed her humming a little tune, which piqued his curiosity.
Though she insisted that nothing was amiss, Edric sensed that something was definitely happening.
Quietly, Edric inquired of the Princess’s head attendant, Aiden.
“What’s making her so joyous?”
After momentarily surveying the surroundings, Aiden answered cautiously.
“Well… the author of the book she enjoys reading so much…”
Aiden’s response was abruptly interrupted by a sudden announcement.
“Your Highness, the second son of Somerset, Rupert, has arrived.”
“What?! Bring him in at once!”
The Princess’s excited voice made Edric furrow his brow, wondering who Rupert was as he glanced at Aiden.
Aiden merely sighed, pressing his temples, observing the overly excited Princess.