A Happy Life in the Empire - The Princess Once Called a “Failure” Becomes the “Most Important Person” as a Hostage in the Empire - Chapter 7

A few days had passed.

The ceremony in the port town of Levan had ended smoothly, and we resumed our journey by carriage.

In the morning, many townspeople, including the mayor, gathered in front of the inn.

Their expressions were much calmer compared to when we first arrived.

Alto’s kind nature had left an impression on everyone.

“Your Highness, you have stayed in our town for several days. I hope you did not experience any inconvenience?”

The mayor approached with a nervous expression.

Alto shook his head with a smile.

“Not at all. In fact, it was a very pleasant stay. The lodging, the food, and the townspeople—everything was wonderful.”

“That is a great relief! We have heard that the power of the ceremony will keep monsters away, and we are filled with hope! Thank you, Your Highness!”

“If you want to give thanks, you should thank Sophia. The ceremony was only possible because of her magic power.”

When Alto said this, the mayor hastily bowed his head to me.

“L-Lady Sophia, we are truly grateful! Thanks to you, our town can continue to prosper! We have already seen a decrease in monster attacks, and we are truly saved!”

“Oh, I was just enjoying my time in town… But I’m glad to hear that. Thank you for making my stay so pleasant.”

When I answered with a smile, the mayor’s face flushed with emotion.

“Lady Sophia, please visit our town anytime!”

“If you come back, I’ll give you the finest tuna for free!”

The fishermen also called out to us with warm words.

To see us off, they had even taken the day off from fishing.

“By the way, Your Highness, may I ask something…?”

The mayor hesitated, rubbing his hands together as he spoke.

“What is it?”

“There is a rumor among the townspeople… that the princess of the Luminar Kingdom, who was taken hostage after the war, might actually be Lady Sophia…”

The mayor carefully chose his words.

Though phrased as a question, he seemed almost certain.

Of course, neither Alto nor the knights had revealed my identity.

I, too, had avoided speaking about my origins.

Alto had told me, “If you can’t explain it fully, it’s better to stay silent.”

I understood his reasoning.

Many imperial citizens still held animosity toward the Luminar Kingdom.

Naturally, after spending a few days here, people would ask, “Who exactly are you?”

In such cases, I would answer, “I am an ordinary person with rare demonic magic power.”

Even so, some people figured it out.

Especially in this town, where many outsiders came and went.

“It’s true. Sophia is the princess of the Luminar Kingdom.”

Alto answered directly.

The townspeople murmured in surprise but seemed to accept it as confirmation.

“However, she is no longer a hostage. She is now the most important figure in our empire. She holds more value than a vassal king, more than a duke, and even more than the ruler of an allied nation.”

Alto declared in a firm tone.

“T-The most important person…! T-That means…!”

“She possesses demonic magic power and willingly aids in the empire’s peace and stability. Mayor, you just mentioned how she quickly reduced monster attacks here. For someone with such abilities, calling her ‘the most important’ is entirely appropriate, don’t you think?”

“Indeed…!”

The townspeople, even those who had spoken ill of the Luminar Kingdom before, nodded in agreement.

“Even if you are the princess of the Luminar Kingdom, our opinion of you won’t change!”

“That’s right, Lady Sophia! Please visit us again!”

“Next time, let’s go catch some cutlassfish together, Sophia!”

The townspeople’s warm words moved me, and my eyes grew misty.

“Thank you, everyone…! I’ll definitely come back!”

“Well then, Sophia, we should get going.”

“Yes, Alto!”

We boarded the carriage, and one of the knights closed the door.

“Prince Alto, Lady Sophia, safe travels!”

The mayor bowed deeply.

The townspeople waved and called out, “Take care!”

Alto and I waved back from the carriage window.

“Your Highness, we are departing!”

A knight signaled, and the carriage slowly began to move.

After some time on the road, Alto spoke.

“It will take a while to reach our next destination. Sophia, if you’re bored, you can sleep.”

“Hmm…”

I frowned, remembering the last time I had dozed off in the carriage.

According to Alto, I had slept with my mouth open.

Worse, I had drooled a little.

The knights later told me something even more embarrassing—

Before waking me, Alto had gently wiped my mouth clean.

When I found out, I thought my heart would explode.

“Don’t worry. If you fall asleep with your mouth open again, I’ll hold your chin shut.”

Alto teased with a grin.

“I-I won’t open my mouth! I won’t make that mistake again!”

“Haha, I’m joking. Either way, get some rest while you can. I won’t wake you.”

“No, please wake me up!”

“I refuse. I’ll probably be sleeping too. Besides, your sleeping face is rare, so I want to see it.”

“That’s embarrassing! Absolutely not!”

I pouted, and Alto chuckled in satisfaction.

The gentle atmosphere made the carriage ride feel more comfortable.

Maybe because I was relaxed, I started feeling sleepy.

“Well… maybe I’ll sleep a little…”

I closed my eyes.

“Goodnight, Sophia.”

Alto whispered softly.

His voice was soothing, and I quickly drifted off to sleep.

I didn’t know how long I had slept.

Cheering from outside woke me up.

The carriage had stopped.

Alto, reading a document, glanced out the window.

“Sophia, you’re awake?”

“Yes, have we arrived?”

“No, this is another town. It’s a peaceful place with no monster problems. I just need to check the reports, so you don’t need to get out.”

“Understood.”

A peaceful town, untouched by monsters…

Even though it was obvious such places existed, I had never known about them.

According to Alto, most towns didn’t struggle with monsters.

The empire had a well-established system for exterminating them.

Compared to the kingdom, its governance was much more advanced.

“Wait here a moment.”

Alto stepped out of the carriage.

I watched him from inside.

(Alto is really amazing…)

I admired his back as he spoke with the mayor.

Nearby, children waved at me, and I waved back with a smile.

(Oh! They’re talking about me!)

The mayor glanced my way while speaking to Alto.

Alto turned to me and gestured.

I couldn’t hear them, but it was clear they were discussing me.

“Sorry for the wait, Sophia.”

Alto returned to the carriage.

“No, thank you for your hard work, Mr. Alto.”

The carriage started moving again, and the town faded into the distance.

“Well, I guess I’ll sleep until we reach our destination.”

Alto crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

“Then, I will too…”

I tried crossing my arms the same way, but I wasn’t used to it, so I quickly stopped.

“I wonder if you’ll really be able to sleep until we arrive?”

Alto smirked while keeping his eyes closed.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You’ll understand if you try to sleep. That is, if you can sleep at all.”

“Hmph! Fine, then! I’ll sleep!”

I tightly shut my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

At that moment, I still didn’t understand what Alto meant.

◇

“Sophia, we’re almost there. Wake up.”

“I’m awake! Look, my eyes are clearly open, right!?”

“Haha!”

As we neared our destination, I was fully awake.

No, to be precise, I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to.

Our next stop, the village of Harmene, was in a high-altitude area.

Because of that, we had to travel on rough mountain roads.

The jolting was intense, making it impossible to sleep.

“If we keep talking, I might accidentally bite my tongue.”

“Then make sure not to sleep with your mouth open.”

“I won’t open my mouth, and I won’t sleep either!”

Through the carriage window, I could see the rugged mountains.

A cool breeze flowed in, bringing a refreshing sensation different from usual.

“In the Empire, villages were merged into towns for security reasons, but Harmene was one of the few that remained independent.

Because of that, many patients who can’t be treated elsewhere come here for recovery.”

Alto explained about the village.

Even with the carriage shaking violently, he didn’t seem bothered at all.

“A clinic… I’m interested.

I’ve heard that, because of this, our medical knowledge is far behind the Empire’s.”

“That’s an accurate understanding.

The Empire is determined to ensure this village remains peaceful and secure.”

The carriage stopped, and a knight opened the door.

“Your Highness, Lady Sophia, please step out.”

Alto and I got off the carriage.

The crisp air and the scent of greenery tickled my nose.

It was clear that we were surrounded by nature.

“So this is Harmene Village…!”

Small stone houses were scattered around, with neatly maintained flower beds and fields.

And in the middle of the small village stood an unexpectedly large clinic.

(Unlike Levan or the town we just passed…)

This time, there was no welcoming party.

The villagers only bowed politely from a distance.

The clinic’s doors were open, and inside, people were rushing around busily.

Even for the Crown Prince, they couldn’t afford to pause their medical work.

“First, let’s greet the village chief and review the report.”

Alto said.

Despite the lack of a formal reception, he showed no signs of irritation.

Any ordinary noble would have been furious in this situation.

“Your Highness, thank you for coming!”

Just as Alto was about to step forward, an elderly man—most likely the village chief—hurried toward us.

His desperate expression suggested that he regretted not being able to greet us properly.

“You are the village chief?”

“Yes, I am!”

“Then, let’s go over the report…”

“My deepest apologies, Your Highness!

The report is prepared, but before that, I have an urgent request!”

“An urgent request? What is it?”

Alto furrowed his brows.

I, along with the knights and mages, tensed up.

“Please, we need the knights’ help!”

“The knights’ help…? What exactly happened?”

The village chief’s face was pale.

It was obvious that something truly serious was happening.