TMLOH 18

Chapter : 18

The most prosperous of all human empires—the Albrecht Empire.

This massive nation, which unified all the kingdoms of the central continent, was home to as many famous figures as stars in the sky. But among them, the most renowned…

Empress Azeny.

Not only was she said to have received marriage proposals from all the powerful men of her time for her unrivaled beauty, but she also possessed wisdom on par with that of a sovereign.

She was the most beloved empress in the history of the empire.

‘Well, a mother-in-law who’s smart and understanding is always a popular character.’

A fantasy world where there’s no such thing as in-law drama. Isn’t it beautiful?

I liked Empress Azeny, too.

After all, if you had to point out the biggest reason the crown prince turned out to be upright and well-mannered, it would undoubtedly be thanks to her upbringing.

It was a shame she died so early.

“Welcome.”

Her flowing black hair gleamed softly, and though she wore a simple yet elegant everyday dress, her only accessory was a small crown.

There was nothing flashy about her appearance, but it lacked nothing. The aura she exuded alone was enough to overwhelm anyone.

Wow, girl. Take me now.

“Was the trip here tiring?”

“No, Your Majesty!”

“Hehe. Such energy. I’m glad. Please, have a seat.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“The scenery was beautiful today, so I wanted to invite you here. I heard from the maids that you worked hard again today.”

From this open chamber with a stunning garden view, I could truly feel the dignity of royalty.

This is what it means to blow ridiculous amounts of royal money…

Right now, only the Empress enjoyed this scenery, but a few generations from now, this place might turn into a top-tier tourist destination just like on Earth.

And here I am, thinking such shallow thoughts in front of this magnificent view. Typical modern person. There’s definitely something wrong with me.

“Hehe. Is it beautiful?”

“Yes. The view is absolutely… I mean, incredibly beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it. This is one of my favorite places.”

Sure, you can coat things in gold, but to completely reconstruct a space just for this kind of view? That’s not something money and power alone can accomplish. I was awed. Again and again.

Is this what money and power feel like?

Might be fun to try once?

A maid brought out freshly squeezed orange juice and dessert and placed it before me.

Warm scones, crème brûlée with thick caramel drizzled over it, colorful macarons—all arranged beautifully.

‘Mmm. Looks delicious.’

But a proper Confucian-raised child does not touch food until the adult does.

“Hehe.”

I don’t know what was so funny, but the Empress suddenly laughed.

“Ah, I laughed without meaning to. You looked so adorable, hesitating like that. Please, don’t worry about me—eat as much as you like.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Still, just because she said to eat as much as I wanted didn’t mean I could actually do it. That’s not how things worked here. But I was going to eat anyway.

‘Ah, but I’m actually really full from earlier.’

All thanks to the crown prince who kept feeding me snacks.

“This is the first time we’ve been alone together, isn’t it? You were so small when we first met… Ah, perhaps you were too young to remember?”

Q: What should you do when someone brings up an event you don’t remember?
A: Stay absolutely silent.

“You were adorable even then, but you’ve grown up to be even cuter.”

Nibble, nibble.

Can’t argue with the truth. It’s my face, so I’m not exactly impressed by it.

‘But… why is she looking at me like that?’

Sure, I was second in popularity only to the female lead, so it made sense that she’d find me intriguing. But still, I couldn’t figure out the reason behind Empress Azeny’s obvious affection toward me.

“You really resemble that child.”

“…Pardon?”

That child?

The Empress just smiled instead of replying. It was a wistful smile… and something clicked in my head.

Could it be that she has some kind of connection with my biological father?

‘But that was never mentioned in the novel!’

I was reeling from this unexpected hint when—

“Is there something you want to ask me?”

“Um…”

I blinked and finally said,

“Why did Your Majesty call me here?”

“Hmm. Would it be confusing if I said it’s because I missed you?”

“…Excuse me?”

What’s with that line?

“Hehehe.”

Seeing my flustered reaction, the Empress laughed. Your Majesty… you have quite the wicked sense of humor.

“You’re adorable. Don’t worry. I called you here because I wanted to apologize on behalf of my foolish son. I believe he’s been a bother to you.”

“Apologize…?”

That’s not a word you usually hear from royalty. Aren’t they supposed to be arrogant and full of themselves?

Then again, Albrecht royalty wasn’t like that. They were inspired by the spirit of the Joseon Dynasty—hardworking, humble, and righteous. The royal family in this K-fantasy world had high moral standards.

“He says he apologized properly, but I’m sure he only caused more trouble. Even though he’s my son, Pession takes too much after His Majesty. I wish he were a little more like Therion or Sirua.”

Um… you’re not really one to talk, considering you once took up a sword and hunted monsters to protect your people.

“Oh, have you met Therion and Sirua?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“I see. I hope I can introduce you someday.”

Politely, I will decline.

“How is Mehen doing?”

Recently became my mom.

“She’s doing well.”

I couldn’t be too honest, so I dodged the question. Mehen had her social reputation to maintain, after all.

I was a child who understood such considerations.

“That’s good to hear.”

Wait—did Mehen and the Empress know each other? Thinking about it, since Mehen represented Duke Halbern, it made sense.

“Please, have some of this too.”

This family must have a thing for fattening people up. The second round of food torture after Pession began.

The only saving grace was that unlike Pession, Empress Azeny didn’t mind if I left food uneaten.

‘Huh. Is it just my imagination?’

I brushed it off, but the more we talked, the more I felt it.

Why does it seem like the Empress likes me?

Her goodwill and interest were too obvious to ignore.

What did I do? Nothing, right?

Just as my guard began to rise from all this unexplained affection—

“I heard you don’t get along well with the other children. Are they bullying you?”

She asked.

I blinked at the unexpected question. Hm…

“No, Your Majesty. I’m just… naturally weak, so it’s hard to keep up with them.”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

Silence followed.

The Empress looked like she wanted to say something else but closed her mouth.

“If you ever run into trouble, don’t hesitate to come to me.”

“…Sorry?”

“You will, won’t you?”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty.”

“Hehe.”

She smiled in satisfaction at my startled reply.

Even then, I couldn’t quite believe it. The Empress had just become my personal backing.

What…?

* *

I may have blurted out a “yes,” but that didn’t mean I would run straight to the Empress every time something happened.

‘What is this, a royal customer service line?’

The Collection Club.

The “playgroup” where the crown prince’s childhood friends gathered to share knowledge, deepen friendships, and someday grow into the nation’s future elite. That was the Empress’s ideal.

In reality, it was far from a fairytale.

‘It’s more like Love and War.’

Jealousy, envy, slander, and secret battles all revolving around winning the crown prince’s favor.

And into this hot mess… I appeared.

“Hahaha…”

By unintentionally becoming the crown prince’s main interest, I suddenly found myself skyrocketing in social standing.

Even though I didn’t want the attention, it kept coming—and eventually, the other kids started changing their attitude toward me.

They mostly fell into three categories:

Group 1: Complete Ignore.

“Hmph!”

They turned away without greeting me, and whispered behind my back. Mostly high-ranking nobles who didn’t feel threatened by me.

Hmm. Consistent hostility is at least predictable. Like a comfy bed. Not bad.

Group 2: Neutral Pretenders.

“Ah, hi. Arellin.”

“You came again today.”

“Want some of this?”

They greeted me, but kept glancing around nervously as if checking who was watching. These kids had no real intention of getting close—they were just testing the waters, hoping to benefit from being near someone the crown prince liked.

No hard feelings, but… not sure what you’re gaining here.

And finally, Group 3:

“Arelliririn!”

“Arelellelin~”

Red alert.

My instincts—and ancestral data—were screaming danger.

The infamous troublemaking twins.

The little devils of the House of Sperrom, one of the Five Grand Dukes.

Ciel Chu Sperrom.
Noel Chu Sperrom.

“Do you really collapse if you run, Arelliririn?”

Source: the Crown Prince.

Eyes sparkling with mischief, they looked at me like I was their new favorite toy.