Princess, You Must Start the Revolution!

Chapter 8: The Forget-Me-Not Princess (7)

My name was becoming increasingly renowned, and my reputation was rising accordingly.  

Although my activities took place in the slums, saving and rescuing people naturally built up a foundation, even if it was from the very bottom.  

Naturally, my actions began to attract attention.  

The nominal princess, whose existence had been largely unknown, had manifested the power of life magic and was using it for relief efforts—it was only natural that people would take notice.  

Even in an era where human lives were traded for money, a reputation for helping the weak was quite appealing.  

It was attractive both politically and personally.  

So much so that merely supporting someone with such a reputation was worthwhile in itself.  

All the more so when that person happened to be a princess whose presence had grown significantly in recent times.  

“Princess, here are the newly received donations and the list of benefactors.”  

“There’s been a sudden increase. Has it started trending or something?”  

“It means that Your Highness’s presence and name are beginning to spread. The story of the benevolent princess who runs a relief center in the slums and personally treats the sick has become quite a topic of discussion even in high society.”  

“Hmm, thank you.”  

“…It’s not as if I did anything, Princess.”  

The treasurer, who had originally been dispatched to assess the financial soundness of the relief center, had now voluntarily become the caretaker of the detached palace.  

If I were a princess with powerful relatives, there would be far better positions for him than treasurer, but since that wasn’t the case, strictly speaking, he had demoted himself of his own volition.  

But, well, what could be done?  

For someone competent enough to have served as a treasurer in the capital to come to my detached palace—where my nanny had been handling all administrative duties until now—was nothing but a good thing for me.  

Especially since the amount of money being managed in the detached palace was becoming too much for my nanny to handle alone.  

“Your family must not have been pleased about this decision. Are you sure it’s alright?”  

“Yes, Princess. I am fine. I am the third son of my family, so acting somewhat independently is not a major issue. Both as a member of my family and as an individual.”  

“Thank you, Yuge. Even so, having the direct third son of the Count of Avenne by my side is already a great help.”  

“…I will strive to be of even more practical assistance.”  

There were people who were genuinely moved by my actions.  

Having spent his career witnessing corrupt treasurers embezzling relief funds and investment money for personal gain, he was deeply touched when he saw me using every coin purely for the operation of the relief center.  

Donors who sent funds and had their names recorded on the benefactors’ list were certainly valuable, but having a direct descendant of a distinguished noble house on my side was even more significant.  

While most donors supported multiple causes and organizations, someone like him worked solely for me.  

“Oh, by the way, has there been any response from the main palace?”  

With my growing political influence, I had begun to take more active steps to meet my mother.  

Unlike before, when I had only made indirect mentions, this time, I had formally requested an audience with her at the main palace.  

Honestly, I had more than enough justification by now.  

It wasn’t anything grand—just a daughter who had earned a degree of fame and success wanting to meet her mother.  

Blocking such a request this persistently would be far stranger.  

“I was just about to tell you, but yes, there has been a response. They have granted permission for a visit. However… there’s something odd about it.”  

“Odd? In what way?”  

“It’s not an audience permit, but rather a visit permit. It’s not entirely uncommon when meeting certain individuals, but…”  

Whether it was an audience permit or a visit permit, the fact that they had granted it was enough.  

Though the technicalities differed slightly, they wouldn’t go as far as allowing a visit only for me to be turned away at the entrance.  

No matter how rigid and authoritative the palace was, it wasn’t entirely devoid of flexibility.  

More than anything, that would be an outright insult.  

Even if the king were willing to do so, he wouldn’t want nobles gossiping about it.  

After all, he was the one who had officially recognized my mother as a concubine to avoid giving the aristocracy an excuse to label me as an illegitimate child.  

“Then I will set today’s schedule for meeting Mother. I should start preparing.”  

“I will ensure you are dressed as elegantly as possible.”  

Though I didn’t have any deep emotional attachment to this world’s version of my mother, this was still the first time I would properly meet the woman I hadn’t seen in over fifteen years.  

There was no reason to be modest or frugal in my attire for this occasion.  

Besides, for a princess, a certain level of luxury was practically expected.  

The only reason I lived relatively “frugally” was something I would explain another time.  

For now, meeting my mother took priority.  

“So, the princess is finally meeting Lady Consort.”  

“Indeed, Nanny. I want to show her how well I’ve grown, so do a good job.”  

“Of course, Princess. I will dress you in a way that would be challenging even for your debut in high society.”  

Well, I supposed that was fortunate.  

Though Nanny came from a low-ranking noble family, which was unusual for someone assigned to the royal lineage, she was not without taste.  

Of course, it also helped that this body had excellent natural features.  

Regardless, once I was fully dressed, my appearance was more than enough to captivate those my age.  

I wasn’t revealing anything, yet I exuded an air of refined dignity.  

To be honest, given that I still retained a strong sense of my past identity as a man, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with this look.  

Sure, my features were such that I appeared graceful even with casual behavior, but being so formally adorned was another matter altogether.  

At least I had managed to avoid wearing a corset thanks to my firm opposition.  

“Speaking of which, since Nanny mentioned it, may I ask—when do you plan to debut in high society? Although you are currently at a crucial stage in your magical training, I have heard that you will soon be officially recognized as a mage by the Mage Tower. Shouldn’t we begin preparations?”  

“Aren’t debuts usually at sixteen?”  

“That is true, but you are a princess. Even if you debut a year or two earlier, no one would criticize you. In fact, as a direct royal, debuting a few months ahead of time is often encouraged.”  

I see.  

I hadn’t known that.  

Everyone had simply assumed I would debut at sixteen, so I had believed that was the standard.  

Nanny, coming from a lesser noble house, had done well raising and educating me, but she lacked a refined understanding of these nuances.  

“I’ll think about it. Once I am officially recognized as a mage, I have something else planned.”  

“Very well, Princess. However, no matter how much fame you gain, there is no environment more effective for rapidly expanding influence than high society. I only hope you will not delay it too long.”  

“Thank you. You haven’t been helping me for very long, but you’ve already been a great support. Please know that I am always grateful.”  

Even such a simple reassurance elicited a deeply moved reaction from my audience.  

Yuge, too, bowed his head deeply in gratitude.  

“Princess, you visited the relief center yesterday. Are you headed somewhere today as well?”  

“I’m going to meet my mother, Captain. The main palace has finally granted permission.”  

“Congratulations, Princess. That is truly wonderful news. It would be improper to send regular guards for such an occasion. I will personally escort you.”  

“Thank you. I won’t refuse.”  

Was my happiness that obvious?  

As Captain began escorting me with half a dozen officers, even the passing attendants who caught sight of me all greeted me with bright expressions.

Strictly speaking, it was only natural.  

Even if my mind still retained memories of my past life and felt little attachment to my mother here, others had no way of knowing that.  

Moreover, anyone who frequently saw me with forget-me-nots had long since figured out what they represented.  

In other words, from an outsider’s perspective, I was finally meeting the mother I had longed for—so much so that I had ensured forget-me-nots bloomed in every place I frequented.  

And personally, I also felt a strange sense of joy at finally freeing the 'mother' who had been so mistreated.  

Strictly speaking, wasn’t this also an act of helping an unjustly wronged victim?  

“You said she was in a tower? Even so, placing her in a remote corner of the palace seems excessive.”  

“That is correct. But now that Your Highness has established a different standing, you should be able to bring Lady Consort to the detached palace.”  

Most of my palace guards were of common birth, but the officers came from lesser noble families, making their opinions worth listening to.  

Even the captain accompanying me, while from a less prestigious lineage than Yuge, who had recently become the detached palace’s administrator, was still the eldest son of a viscount with landholdings.  

“If difficulties arise in the process, may I ask for your help?”  

“Of course, Princess. Not only myself but also the officers here and quite a few nobles from other families would likely offer their assistance.”  

Even hearing such words pleased me, and knowing that this was realistically possible made me even more satisfied.  

It wasn’t just due to my influence alone; it was also because people were beginning to notice that I did not entirely comply with the king’s will.  

The catalyst had likely been the ‘military aspirations’ rumor that had leaked from the Mage Tower to the Lumière Order.  

Or rather, the reason behind it.  

I did not want to accept the marriage the king would arrange for me, so I sought to buy time by joining the military.  

It wasn’t that I disliked a specific fiancé—no candidate had even been suggested yet.  

I had rejected the very notion itself, which, with a little exaggeration, could be seen as an act of defiance.  

Naturally, as the king’s authority weakened, the nobles grew more interested in me.  

Bringing my mother, who had been confined, to the detached palace could also be interpreted as an act of undermining the king’s authority.  

Though it wasn’t enough to serve as a solid reason for noble support, there was no particular reason for them to oppose it either.  

“I heard that after giving birth to me, she has remained in the tower ever since. She must be in poor health. I hope to bring her to the detached palace, help her recover properly, and eventually stroll around together.”  

“Wherever Your Highness goes, two forget-me-nots will always be in bloom. It will be a joyous occasion, worthy of celebration.”  

How skillful in flattery.  

Truthfully, my appearance suited more extravagant flowers than forget-me-nots.  

My hair was a dazzling golden shade, inherited from my father, the king.  

My eyes, too, bore a slight challenge or provocation, a trait I had also inherited from him.  

Judging by looks alone, I would have been called a golden rose.  

However, since my public identity had solidified as a forget-me-not, I saw no reason to reject it.  

For a consort like my ‘mother,’ who lacked powerful relatives to protect her, this forget-me-not image could serve as a formidable shield.  

“Oh, this is the place? But isn’t something strange? I don’t see any tower.”  

“…There are at least a few guards stationed here. We haven’t come to the wrong place.”  

The location I arrived at was a small, single-story building tucked away in a corner of the palace.  

The fence was made of iron bars with jagged edges, yet it was crude and rough.  

The building itself was shabby and pitiful—at a glance, it seemed like a supply storage guarded by palace soldiers.  

Of course, a moment’s thought would reveal that no military storage would be placed in such a remote area.  

But most people passing by wouldn’t have thought that far.  

And upon seeing it, the unease I had pushed to the back of my mind suddenly surged forward.  

A tower, they had said.  

But what stood before me was nothing more than a run-down, single-story building, barely distinguishable from a storage shed.  

“…No. It can’t be.”  

“This is Her Highness, Annaliese del Carmen Lamibert. She has come to visit her mother, Lady Consort Marie Carmen Lamibert. Guards, lead the way.”  

At the captain’s command, the stationed guards hesitated for a moment before moving in disciplined unison.  

Unconsciously dazed, I reflexively accepted the captain’s escort as I dismounted, my mind still blank.  

“But this… this is too much. Why…?”  

“…Princess, it seems to be inside.”  

He must have noticed before I did that there was no tower where it should have been.  

That was why his voice had subtly darkened earlier when he assured me we were not in the wrong place.  

I turned my bewildered gaze to the captain, then hurried my steps toward the building.  

Strictly speaking, there was no reason for me to feel this way.  

My mind was still more attuned to my past self than to this world’s identity.  

There was no logical reason for me to be so shaken by the condition of a mother I had never met.  

But when I saw it—  

A beat too late, I realized that tears had unknowingly welled up in my eyes.  

I blinked once, and tears trickled down my cheeks.  

“Why? Why…?”  

“Princess…”  

Before me, as I muttered in shock and the captain spoke with sorrow, stood a lone, humble gravestone.  

Even that had been hidden within a pitiful building, as if they had not wanted anyone to see it.