A Happy Life in the Empire - The Princess Once Called a “Failure” Becomes the “Most Important Person” as a Hostage in the Empire - Chapter 2

The first thing I did in my new home was cleaning.

The hallways were covered in dust, cobwebs clung to the furniture, and the floors creaked with every step.

Growing up in the royal castle, this environment was a shock to me, but I had no time to complain.

“I have to do this myself.”

I cleaned off the dusty cleaning tools and got to work.

Wiping the sweat from my forehead with my arm, I grabbed a broom and a rag.

“Alright, let’s do this!”

No one answered my shout.

But somehow, saying it out loud made me feel a little better.

I started with the entrance, wiped down the hallways, and polished the staircase railing.

Being a princess meant nothing here.

If I was going to live in this place, I had to take care of my own surroundings.

“There’s no way I can finish everything in one day… Well, I’ll just take it one step at a time.”

I reassured myself and focused on making at least my bedroom somewhat comfortable. By the time I finished, night had already fallen.

◇

The next morning, I woke up and looked out the bedroom window.

The view before me was nothing like the royal castle. Instead, I saw a simple townscape.

The rooftops were a uniform reddish-brown, small shops lined the streets, and a few people walked about.

This was Rockwell, a small town in the Elysion Empire.

It was unfamiliar to me, but this was now my home.

If I was going to live here, I had to take the first step and close the distance between us.

“Alright, let’s go meet the townspeople!”

With determination, I put on my usual pastel-colored dress and stepped out of the mansion.

My goal today was to let the townspeople know who I was.

I wouldn’t act high and mighty just because I was royalty. I would go door to door and introduce myself properly.

If I showed them respect, I was sure we could get along.

Or so I thought.

◇

The first place I visited was a small house that looked like a bakery.

I knocked on the door, and a man with a wary expression stepped out.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a faded jacket. He furrowed his brows slightly when he saw me.

“Who are you?”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Sophia. I just moved into the mansion yesterday. I hope to get along with you all.”

“You live in the mansion? …Wait, does that mean you’re the princess of the Luminar Kingdom?”

“…Yes, I suppose so.”

The moment I confirmed it, the man’s expression twisted.

“My brother was killed by your kingdom’s army. He wasn’t a soldier serving the empire—just a simple merchant. And yet, he was killed.”

“I… I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say…”

“Do you think an apology will bring him back?”

The man glared at me, biting his lip.

The air became unbearably heavy.

“So, you say you’re living here, but aren’t you just going to return to your kingdom? A hostage like you won’t be here forever.”

“No, I plan to stay here for a long time. The imperial government hasn’t ordered me to return. I want to be part of this town…”

“I don’t believe you. …Sorry, but I have a business to run. Leave. Talking to someone from your kingdom—let alone a princess—will only bring bad luck.”

“…I understand. Excuse me.”

I bowed deeply and walked away from the house.

(That was harsher than I expected…)

I already felt discouraged.

But I couldn’t give up over something like this.

Summoning my courage, I knocked on the door of a fruit shop next.

“Um, who are you?”

A young woman stepped out, looking at me suspiciously.

She scanned me from head to toe, as if assessing my worth.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Sophia.”

I introduced myself the same way as before.

“Oh, a princess, huh? So, you’re here to look down on us country folk?”

“N-no! I have no intention of looking down on anyone! I just wanted to build relationships, so I decided to greet everyone…”

“Then why are you dressed like that? Your clothes are way too fancy. It’s like you don’t even try to understand our lives.”

“That’s not true! I really do want to fit in. I just… don’t know how.”

“Well, I don’t want anything to do with you. I just lost my cousin in the war. Your kingdom took someone precious from me. Go home.”

“…I’m sorry.”

I continued visiting houses, but the responses were all the same.

Some people even shut their doors in silence.

“There’s a deep divide between us…”

I sighed.

But I couldn’t give up.

If I wanted to live here, I had to earn their trust, no matter how long it took.

“Alright. First, I’ll change my clothes.”

Looking back, many people had commented on my outfit.

It seemed my noble appearance only made things worse.

“Dressing like a princess will just build more walls.”

I decided to find a clothing shop and buy something more modest.

After walking a bit, I found a small sign that read “Maria’s Tailor Shop.”

“Excuse me, do you sell clothes here?”

An elderly woman turned around inside the shop.

Her gray-streaked hair was wrapped in a cloth, and she had an unpretentious smile.

Unlike the other townspeople, her expression wasn’t harsh, which was a small relief.

“Yes, I do. Are you… the princess who moved into the mansion?”

“Yes, my name is Sophia. I’d like some simple clothes.”

“Oh? That’s unusual. Seeing as you’re wearing such fine clothes, I assumed you were a noble.”

“I don’t want to stand out anymore. I really want to blend into this town. That’s why I need clothes like the ones everyone else wears.”

“Well, your current outfit does make you stick out. The people here think you’re just a visitor who will leave soon. To be honest, I thought the same.”

“But I’m not going anywhere. I want to live here.”

“…Looking into your eyes, I don’t think you’re lying. Alright, wait here.”

She brought out several outfits—sturdy, simple clothing made of linen, in earthy tones like brown, muted green, and gray.

“These are durable and practical. The town’s working women wear these. Do you have a preference?”

I chose a soft green tunic with a simple skirt and quickly changed.

When I looked in the mirror, I gasped.

“Oh…!”

It was as if she had become a completely different person.

Even though her hairstyle remained the same—a soft golden braid—her appearance in a dress gave off an entirely different impression.

Clothing truly had power.

“It suits you well. So, can you pay for it?”

“Yes, I have the living expenses I was given.”

I handed over the payment for the clothes.

“With this, you might not exactly be a daughter of Rockwell… but at least you won’t stand out too much.”

“Yes, truly, thank you so much. Oh, your name is Maria, correct? I saw it written on the store sign.”

“Yes, Maria is correct. This is just business, so there’s no need to thank me. It’ll be tough, but take your time and do your best.”

The elderly woman, Maria, waved her hand.

There was no coldness in her eyes as if she were pushing me away.

That alone made my heart feel lighter.

◇

I walked around the town once more.

When I visited the same houses as before, their responses seemed a little softer.

“…You came again? What are you scheming this time?”

“I’m not scheming anything. I just want to get along with the people of this town.”

“Hmph, just because you changed your clothes…”

“It’s true that I am a princess of the Luminar Kingdom. However, that doesn’t matter in this town. I intend to live here as a resident. I realized that my previous appearance was inappropriate, so I changed into proper attire and have come again.”

“…Well, at least you look better than before.”

I hadn’t completely won them over, but at least they weren’t shutting their doors on me immediately anymore.

Still, there were harsh gazes and cold words.

The sorrow and anger caused by the war wouldn’t disappear just because I changed my clothes.

“There’s no need to rush… I’ll build trust little by little.”

I told myself this and continued visiting houses.

Eventually, I was able to have short conversations here and there.

For example, a young woman at a fruit shop, though still wary, responded to me.

“…So, what are you planning to do here?”

“I haven’t decided yet. But if there’s anything I can do to help this town, I want to cooperate. After all, I am a part of this town now.”

“Cooperate? Are you planning to use your magic for something? The Luminar Kingdom’s royal family is supposed to have amazing magic, right?”

“Magic… huh.”

I scratched my head with a wry smile.

“Unfortunately, I hardly have any magic power. That’s why I can only do things through physical effort.”

“I see. So that’s why they sent you here as a hostage.”

“Yes, I am a complete failure.”

“…That’s kind of sad. N-not that I pity you or anything!”

Despite her words, the woman shared some fruit with me.

She called it “rotten leftovers,” but they looked fresh to me.

I was so happy that I couldn’t help but smile.

(I should give her something in return next time. Oh, but first, I need to ask her name! She seems close to my age—I’d love to be friends with her.)

As I was thinking this on my way back to the mansion…

“Kyaaaah!”

A sudden scream echoed from the distance.

“What’s going on!?”

I placed the fruit at the entrance and ran toward the source of the voice.

Other adults, also alarmed, were running in the same direction.

“Stop! Someone, help!”

From the outskirts of town, a child’s desperate cries rang out.

“That is…!”

There stood a giant monster.

A four-legged beast with two horns, growling with sharp fangs bared.

“GROOOOAAAR!”

The monster was threatening a little girl.

She had fallen onto her bottom, backing away while sobbing.

“Another monster…!”

“We can’t fight something like that…!”

The adults were frozen in fear from the monster’s overwhelming presence.

The weapons in their hands—mostly farming tools—were useless.

“Someone, get the soldiers!”

Screams and shouts created even more chaos.

(Isn’t there something I can do…?)

My magic power was weak.

In the kingdom, I couldn’t even drive away small pests from the fields.

Someone like me couldn’t possibly fight.

But I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

(Even so…!)

I ran forward on impulse.

With trembling legs, I forced myself to move and stood in front of the monster.

“If you’re going to eat someone, eat me instead!”

The monster seemed startled and froze in place.

“Run! Now’s your chance!”

I called out to the girl.

“O-okay!”

She ran off, still crying.

“Hey, isn’t that the Luminar princess!?”

“No way! The Luminar princess just protected an imperial girl!?”

I heard the murmurs of the townspeople from afar.

One of them muttered, “What the hell is she doing?”

I wasn’t sure what they meant, but honestly, I was thinking the same thing.

(What am I even doing?)

Just as I was trying to blend into this new town, here I was, making a scene.

I could already see my future—getting eaten by the monster and leaving this world behind.

(Well, I acted on impulse, so I can’t help it now.)

I braced myself and tightly shut my eyes.

But—

“Huh…?”

No matter how long I waited, the monster didn’t attack.

Normally, I should have already been eaten.

“Grr… Grrr…!”

When I opened my eyes, I saw the monster backing away.

“What’s going on!?”

“The monster is scared!”

“Did the princess do something!?”

“No, she didn’t even use magic!”

The townspeople were buzzing with confusion.

(Could it be… that monster doesn’t like me…?)

While I was still puzzled, the monster slowly kept retreating.

Eventually, it turned and ran far away.

“The monster fled!”

The townspeople were left speechless.

I felt my knees give out, and I placed my hands on the ground.

Relief washed over me, knowing that the child was safe.

“Princess, that was incredible!”

“How did you do that!?”

“You didn’t even use magic, right!?”

The townspeople rushed toward me, their eyes filled with disbelief.

“Huh…? Did I do something…?”

I had no idea.

But one thing was clear—the monster had definitely been avoiding me.

(Could it be that I have some kind of power…? Maybe it has something to do with my unusually low magic?)

I didn’t know the answer.

But at the very least, this event had a positive effect on me.

The way the townspeople looked at me had clearly changed.