To turn the tale of the King’s beloved jewel into reality, an abundance of dresses and jewelry was crafted for Wendy over the course of six months. Five handmaidens were assigned to her, the number of maids increased, and the items for her dowry continued to pile up. Rare fabrics, fans that reached the level of art, jewel-encrusted treasure boxes, beautifully sculpted hand mirrors, a dedicated carriage, horses, and a vast amount of gold coins. Compared to the budget that Wendy was supposed to have used until now, this was but a mere trifle.
In addition, Wendy was to meet her siblings. This was part of the process of informing the nobility and the citizens that Wendy would be marrying.
While she was in public view, she was told not to speak except for greetings. Thus, Yukino spent her time simply smiling as her siblings tossed around their careless remarks.
“So this is our sister? If she disappears the moment she appears, there’s no need to remember her.”
“So this is our sister? How plain. She has not a shred of brilliance. Worthless.”
“Is this our sister? I’m grateful that because of her, Daria didn’t have to go far away.”
“Is this our sister? I can’t possibly keep her beside me; she lacks both intelligence and beauty. Oh, she’s marrying into a barbarian nation anyway.”
No matter how much they said what they pleased, it didn’t bother her. After all, one day, she would crush them all together.
However, one of the princesses’ words caught her attention slightly.
“So this is our sister? She truly is the Cursed Child.
Living until this age, she can’t be ignored, and marrying her off to a small nation is a good way to rid ourselves of her.”
The insult of being called a Cursed Child was new to her. At that moment, another brother approached, and they began conversing. The content of their discussion was, as expected, mocking Wendy, but as she listened, it became clear that they considered Wendy to be a dim-witted child.
The refusal of education until now was interpreted not as a protest but as an indication of her inability. They believed she was so dull that she couldn’t even use a fork, and that was how they interpreted her.
Here, being unable to acquire intelligence was referred to as a “curse.” Yukino felt a slight anger at the distortion of her will, but she thought, well, it’s fine. Whether they wanted to think of her as foolish or not, being underestimated was more convenient for her.
Then, on the promised day, Yukino set off toward the Aurila Province. Not a single member of the royal family came to see her off; only a letter sealed with the kingdom’s wax was handed to her.
“Do not do anything unnecessary; just smile amiably.
Do not speak, keep your mouth shut, and follow the instructions of your handmaidens afterward.
Now that you are married, sever all ties with this country and bury your bones in Aurila.
You, the Cursed Daughter, should take pride in having a purpose.”
It seemed to be a message that returning after failure would not be permitted. The writer likely thought they were encouraging her, but they hadn’t considered what kind of impact such a letter would have on their daughter’s heart.
Or perhaps, they didn’t think of her as a daughter at all.
The journey took forty days by carriage. It was likely to be the best forty days of her life as Wendy. It was the first time Yukino had glimpsed the world outside the royal palace, having spent her life without stepping out. Once she arrived there, she would probably not leave her residence much, just like in her homeland, as a hostage. It was a wonderful time to feel the wind on the grass, hear the murmuring of the river, and stay at an inn to taste the local delicacies—something she would only experience once in her life.
Still, as expected, the journey would eventually come to an end. Yukino arrived in Aurila.
The first to greet her was the Chancellor of Aurila. He had a beard and wore something resembling a long robe. He looked almost like a priest, but the people around him wore similar garments. It seemed to be the uniform of those working in the royal palace. Upon closer inspection, each collar had different embroidery, indicating rank or position, much like the insignia on military uniforms.
“Welcome, Princess Wendy.
I am Chancellor Tim Walker. I have been entrusted with your guidance.”
Wendy smiled silently. It wasn’t that she was adhering to her father’s command to speak as little as possible; rather, it was advantageous to play the role of the Cursed Child here. No, it must be so.
In a flurry, a representative from Levaze stepped forward.
“Thank you for your warm welcome.
We have brought our Princess Wendy Lee Dawsett from our country.”
Yukino, hearing her full name for the first time, almost made a surprised face but quickly composed herself into a dazed expression.
“It must have been quite a long journey; we have prepared to help you recover from your fatigue.
Those returning to your homeland, including the envoy, will be guided to the guest rooms.
Princess, along with your remaining handmaiden and maid, will be taken to your respective rooms.”
Bags were unloaded from the carriage one after another, and the movement began with efficiency. The personnel here also split off to guide them, walking in an orderly fashion. Their guiding skills were quite impressive.
It was only natural. From what she could see, this country was considerably large. She had been gazing out the window since entering, and the buildings were well-constructed from the foundation up, finished with plaster, and the bridges were magnificent. Most importantly, the roads were well-maintained, allowing the carriage to move smoothly. The technology and national strength were far superior to that of the Kingdom of Levaze. She couldn’t understand why her father thought it was acceptable to send someone like Wendy, who was clearly worthless.
She struggled to suppress a grin. Surely, this country must consider Levaze to be a rude nation. They likely thought that there was no intention of treating them properly, no respect, and sending a cursed child was a sign of underestimation. Well, they were right. The evidence was in the pale faces of the envoys. They were paling at the splendid yet solid construction of the royal palace and the valiant knights standing there, equipped with high-quality armor and weapons. What would they report back to their country? She looked forward to it.
“…Excuse me, Your Highness. Will you only be bringing one handmaiden?”
As she was being guided to her room, she was honestly distracted by the heels she hadn’t worn in a while. In her previous life, she had only worn low-heeled business shoes, and here, she mostly wore indoor slippers. The hard soles and inflexible materials of the shoes in this world made walking a painful experience. Thus, it was only when the Chancellor spoke that she realized there was only one handmaiden following her.
“Oh… you’ve been promoted from maid to handmaiden?”
The woman before her appeared to be in her early thirties, dressed as a handmaiden. Upon closer inspection, she recognized her as the lower-ranking maid who had always been assigned to her room. The woman remained silent, looking troubled. That had been her role until now.
“Chancellor Walker, will you provide me with both a handmaiden and a maid here?”
“Of course, if necessary.”
“Good. Then you can return to your country, Olive.”
The maid-turned-handmaiden flinched slightly but shook her head silently.
“You’re not going back? …Then, Chancellor, please accept the two of us.”
“Understood.
And… please just call me Walker.”
It might be inappropriate to use honorifics given their positions. However, as a Japanese person, it was almost unheard of to directly address someone older without any honorifics, even among family.
“Alright. I’ll do that once I officially become the prince’s wife!”
If only they could crush that country before then. Yukino gently opened the feathered fan gifted to the queen, covering her mouth.
After resting in her room for about half a day, she was to meet with the royal family in the late afternoon. Once again, she faced the envoys, leaving the maids and handmaidens in the waiting room, and only five of them were permitted to enter.
“Welcome, Princess of Levaze.”
The royal family was a perfect example of simplicity and strength. The king had dark brown hair and matching eyes, with a physique that could rival any knight.
Come to think of it, the king of the Tiadry Federation was a martial man. Officially, they had a council system, but in reality, it was a military regime, with the head of state being a man who unified the surrounding area through force. It wouldn’t be surprising if the king of this country, being a distant relative, was also a martial type.
The queen was a delicate-looking noblewoman with fair skin and golden hair.
And then there were the three princes born between muscle and beauty. The first prince, already crowned, was muscular. The still-young third prince was handsome. The second prince, who would become Yukino’s husband, was rather ordinary.
With light brown hair, he gave the impression of a slightly deep-featured Japanese person from a distance. He was tall, but that was likely the standard in this country. At the very least, he didn’t exude an intimidating presence, which was somewhat reassuring.
It was simply unacceptable to leave the greeting to the envoy in this situation. As I had been persistently instructed beforehand, Yukino stepped forward.
“Thank you for the warm welcome. I am Wendy, the princess of the Kingdom of Levaze.”
With the bare minimum of a greeting, she performed a hastily learned curtsey that was painfully obvious.
A ripple of discontent swept through the room, palpable in the air. Had they truly sent a girl who could only manage such a low-quality greeting as their princess? The atmosphere quickly shifted to one of disbelief and barely contained anger.
Of course, the royal family wore stern expressions. The Queen, in particular, displayed an unmistakable look of displeasure—more akin to contempt than mere annoyance.
Facing this palpable tension, the envoys from Levaze turned pale, their faces drained of color. Surely, they must have realized this the moment they set foot in this country. Did they perhaps harbor some misguided expectations? That Wendy would deliver a proper greeting? That the royal family would graciously accept her?
How naive.
Yukino couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. She had already achieved most of her objectives. With this, it was clear to the core of the kingdom that Levaze held this nation in contempt. Now, what would unfold next?
The brilliance of this plan lay in the fact that Yukino herself needed to do nothing. All she had to do was remain aloof and let events unfold. Just by existing, she could stir up diplomatic turmoil.
Surrounded by the grim faces of those present, Yukino concluded her greeting and waited for the royal family to depart before being escorted back to her north-facing chamber. The room was dimly lit, located on the first floor, and close to the exit leading to the Back Garden. She hoped to at least get some sunlight, but the proximity to the entrance also meant it was easier for outside threats to reach her. Was this placement a deliberate choice to treat her as a hostage from the very beginning, or was there something more?
“Excuse me.”
The visit from her future husband, the prince, came two days later. For those two days, she had been left alone, with only morning tea, lunch, dinner, and a bath before bed to break the silence. Well, she was used to it.
“Hello, Your Highness.”
She greeted him with a smile, but was met with a cold, piercing gaze in return. There was no reciprocation, just him standing there with his arms crossed, surveying the room.
This chamber was remarkably simple. Compared to the lavish furnishings of Wendy’s former home, which had once belonged to a former concubine, everything here seemed to lack even a single tier of quality. The remaining tea sets and books were mostly high-end items, gathered for or by the concubine. To Yukino, who had lived in such an environment, everything here felt like a significant downgrade.
However, the items in the room were all brought by Yukino herself. The clothes and jewelry given to her as part of her belongings, and everything she had taken from her own room. The prince’s gaze slowly scrutinized her possessions.
“About your country’s envoys,” he began.
“Yes?” Yukino replied, her curiosity piqued.
“They departed this morning.”
So soon? Yukino couldn’t hide her surprise, blinking in disbelief. It was only natural that they wouldn’t wait for the princess’s life to settle down, given their lack of loyalty. Still, it was remarkably quick.
Hmm. Perhaps they had realized their misjudgment of this country’s strength and were returning to report it as swiftly as possible. Unfortunately, the mere existence of Wendy was akin to a declaration of war; the situation had already spiraled out of control.
“Oh dear. I was hoping to confirm one last time before they left. Olive, it seems you have no choice but to remain here.”
This was truly troubling. Yukino had wished for Olive to return with her.
After all, if Yukino’s presence became sufficiently entrenched, leading to a further deterioration of diplomatic relations, ultimately resulting in the collapse of Levaze, she intended to take her own life.