The Legend of the Reclusive Princess Zuicho of the Rikan Empire ~She Escapes From The Palace Everyday and Works as a Capable Government Official.~ - Chapter 00: The Beginning

“Oh my, look at that. A smelly commoner is running around so early in the morning.”

“How awful. She has ruined the fresh morning air. I always wondered what she was doing, locked up in her room every day… and now she’s out here at this hour, like a child.”

“Look at those plain clothes. There is not a single piece of decoration. Doesn’t she feel embarrassed?

“Hehe, maybe she wants to show off how modest she is. But with that plain cloth over her head, the Emperor won’t even notice her.”

The women giggled together in light voices.  As they moved, the shiny jewels they wore sparkled in the light.

“Maybe she wants to hide that messy blond hair.”

“She’s not hiding it at all, though. How did someone with such a lowborn color of hair even get into this noble palace?”

“She’s really a nuisance. This is the glorious inner palace, full of beauty and honor. If someone so poor-looking is among us, people might start to doubt our dignity too…”

Even though they covered their mouths with beautiful fans, their loud whispers were clearly meant for her.

Kyosui Saya heard all of it, but she didn’t let it bother her. She simply hurried ahead.

(I have to take care of that stack of approval documents today…)

In her mind, she pictured the mountain of work waiting in her office. Some papers were simple to approve; others needed to be sent back. All of them were waiting for her judgement.

These were not the usual problems for a woman of the inner palace, whose job was normally to look pretty.

As she crossed the courtyard filled with colorful flowers, her mind was fully focused on work.

(The documents from the provinces never make sense… If it’s a budget issue, I’ll send them back immediately. But what about that report…? Should I just fix it myself and return a better version? It’ll save time…)

She had a clearly beautiful face, even though she kept it hidden under a cloth that covered her blond hair and eyes. Her slim figure and graceful shape stood out, but her simple outfit and dull belt did nothing to show it off.

Saya walked quickly toward her destination, not caring if her hem lifted a little.

She had hoped to avoid being seen, but she was too busy to worry about that now.

After all—no one would ever imagine that the “lowly” woman they looked down upon left the inner palace every day and worked as a government official.

(It’s already been five years since I came to this world, and no one suspects a thing… As long as I have food, clothes, and a safe place to sleep, this is the perfect hiding spot).

Yes.

To Saya, the inner palace was nothing more than a temporary home in the strange world she had accidentally entered five years ago.

(…It’s annoying to keep hiding my real black hair as it grows out, though…)