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 17

The next morning.

As the sky began to lighten, Saya woke up and stretched in bed.

“Fwaaah… I slept so well…”

Last night, after quickly lighting a fire from the embers and boiling the stored water, Saya took a slightly hot bath and went straight to sleep.

Normally, all these preparations would be done by court maids, but Saya preferred to keep people away from her room as much as possible. So, she only asked them to handle basic things like cleaning, bringing water, and preparing the fire, while she did the rest herself.

At first, when she made such a request, people looked at her strangely, wondering what she meant. But when she explained that she wanted to bathe her pet Ichiru, they easily accepted it — though that made her feel a little complicated inside.
Well, for someone like her — a consort of the lowest rank — being low-maintenance was probably considered a blessing.

(And besides, His Majesty the Emperor has no interest in the harem anyway.)

So, Saya had become something like a recluse within the palace — a ghost consort that even the court maids seldom approached.

“Alright. Time to get ready.”

Her small palace room, often mocked by others, was actually very convenient and cozy for Saya. She quickly folded up her bedding and changed out of her nightclothes into her official uniform. Then, she put on a plain outer robe for women and secured it with a sash.
Next came her hair.

Her long, black hair reached down to her waist, and towards the tips, it turned into a near-blond, white-gold color.

(I really just want to cut it all off…)

Taking care of it was a challenge, as the ends tangled easily, making every morning a struggle.
She had to carefully braid it every single day, which was quite taxing.

Saya ran a comb through her hair, then split it into two sections and began braiding. Despite the tedious nature of the process, she had already grown accustomed to it. She quickly braided up to her nape, then made thick plaits and wrapped them around her head like a headband. She left the remaining blond part hanging down.
Doing this on both sides, she completed her fake blond pigtail style.

Then she pinned everything securely and covered it with cloth to fix it in place… Saya moved skillfully as she finished dressing herself.

At that moment, a large beast suddenly landed softly beside her without a sound.

“Ah, Ichiru. Morning!”

“…Grrr…”

With her hands still busy with her hair, Saya smiled, and Ichiru, with his fluffy white fur, rubbed up against her.

She called him her pet, but Ichiru wasn’t always in her room. From the high window ledge, he could freely come and go, so he actually spent more time outside rather than inside the palace. Still, Ichiru always sensed when Saya was awake or getting ready. Once he finished greeting her, he would disappear once more.

He was truly a mysterious being but to Saya, he was her only ally in this place. Thanks to him, she never felt completely alone.

As she enjoyed her slow, peaceful morning…

Knock knock knock…

“…Ah… Yes!?”

“Good morning, Lady Saya. I am an official from the Palace Administration. May I have a moment?”

“Uh, um… Please wait just a second!”

The job of the Palace Administration officer was to enforce discipline within the inner palace. Caught off guard by this unexpected visit, Saya quickly hid her hair and stood up. At the same time, Ichiru leapt lightly up to the window and slipped outside. Even the maids who were used to him couldn’t stay calm around Ichiru. They would always end up teary-eyed with fear.
It couldn’t be avoided.

(He’s so calm, cool and fluffy… but I guess to them, he’s just a terrifying beast…)

Despite Saya’s assertion that he was merely a dog, people’s instincts continued to warn of danger.

Ichiru, too, seemed to understand this well. He always made sure to keep his distance and never caused trouble.

Saya checked in a hand mirror to make sure her hair was completely hidden.

“Sorry to keep you waiting…”

When she opened the door, a maid with neatly tied blonde hair stood there. The woman bowed deeply and her expression was calm.

“Thank you for allowing me to visit on such short notice… Lady Saya, did you happen to drink alcohol last night?”

“…Eh? No… I didn’t drink anything…”

“Do you have any alcohol in your room?”

“No. If you ask the kitchen maids, they can tell you. I’ve never asked them to bring me anything.”

As she answered, the lively scene from last night’s party in Lady Taruhi’s palace came into her mind.

“Thank you. That matches the information I received, so I’m relieved. The truth is, there was an incident last night. Someone acted without proper restraint, and it has become a problem.”

Saya thought, Ah, I knew it was about that… But she kept her face blank.

“Oh… is that so?”

“Yes. One of the ladies drank far too much and became so visibly drunk that she still hasn’t woken up. The situation has been deemed serious, and officials from the Ministry of the Inner Palace have already stepped in.”

The maid bowed again.

“This is the imperial harem — a place meant to offer peace and comfort to His Majesty. It is our duty to maintain a calm and restful atmosphere here. I kindly ask you, Lady Saya, to remain diligent and uphold discipline as well.”

With those words, the maid took her leave.
It seemed she had been going around reminding everyone to stay in line.

(Well, I never drink in my room anyway, so it doesn’t really concern me… More importantly, I need to review those records on Taga Province…)

As another maid arrived carrying her breakfast tray, Saya’s thoughts quickly turned toward her work duties for the day.

…Little did she know, this incident was going to cause more trouble than she could imagine.