The Princess Who Saw the Fall of Her Homeland Strives to Change Fate by Becoming the Cold Prince's Bride! - Chapter 36

“Alright, let’s start the investigation right away!”

“Yay! ”

Thanks to Abel’s words, Elze found a breakthrough and jumped into action.

As usual, she dressed up like a servant and slipped outside with Chiffon.

“>Chiffon, I want you to find out where Princess Luise is. I think she’s probably over there… ”

Elze pointed toward a relatively new building.

It looked small and cozy, but even from the outside, you could tell it had a refined beauty.

It was Lavendel Palace—built by the current King of Ernstahl when he welcomed the Empress, Princess Luise’s mother.

Even now, the Empress and Princess Luise lived there, so Luise was most likely inside.

But even if they were dressed as servants, wandering around randomly could still get them caught for acting suspicious.

So Elze planned to have Chiffon find Luise’s location first and then quickly check it out herself.

“Okay, I’m off! ”

“Good luck! Be careful not to get caught! ”

Elze watched Chiffon hop away full of energy, and her thoughts drifted back to her own childhood.

(When I was seven… what kind of things did I want back then?)

Back then, Elze followed her older brother and sister around like a little duckling.

The two of them always played with her kindly and never pushed her away.

Elze especially loved it when they read books to her.

Being a descendant of the ‘Foreseers,’ she had never left the country, so stories about the outside world she hadn’t seen made her heart race.

(It feels so nostalgic… I wonder if they’re doing well.)

Just as a bit of homesickness started to hit, she heard a familiar set of footsteps.

“Chiffon! ”

Looking over, she saw Chiffon just coming back.

“I found Princess Luise! ”

“>Really!? That’s amazing! ”

“>Yeah! She’s that small girl with brown hair in a dress, right? I saw someone like that! ”

“Thank you. Can you take me there? ”

“Yup! ”

Elze, feeling a bit nervous, followed behind Chiffon.

Since they were dressed like servants, no one stopped them as they entered Lavendel Palace.

They moved quietly to avoid being seen, eventually reaching the back of a quiet building.

“She’s in the room above this one! ”

“Got it… alright! ”

Elze spotted a good tree nearby, rolled up her sleeves, and grabbed the trunk.

She then quickly climbed up.

“Wow~ Elze, you’re like a monkey! ”

“Thanks… I think? ”

Her mother often scolded her, saying, ‘That’s unladylike, stop it!’ But Elze loved playing outdoors.

And before she knew it, she had grown into a princess who could still climb trees easily, even at this age.

(I didn’t expect it to be useful in a place like this, though.)

Elze climbed along the branches and got close to the window. She hid among the leaves and quietly looked inside.

Luckily, the window was open, and she could peek into the room.

“Princess Luise, next is the dress for next week’s garden party—”

A few women, probably handmaids, were bringing in dresses.

At the center of them stood… a young girl.

(That must be Princess Luise…!)

Elze stared intently at the princess she was seeing for the first time.

A sweet girl with brown hair.

(She’s so cute! She doesn’t look like Richard at all…)

If only Richard had even one percent of this cuteness…

While thinking about such things, Elze watched what was happening inside.

Princess Luise began looking around with a slightly troubled face.

“>So I should pick a dress…? ”

“>Yes, Princess. You’ll soon be turning seven years old. It’s time for you to choose a dress suitable for the occasion. ”

(Wow, it must be hard being a princess in a big country…)

When Elze was seven, there was no way she could have picked an ‘appropriate outfit for the occasion.’

If she had chosen her own clothes for a party, it would’ve ended in disaster.

“Umm, umm… Oh! This one’s cute! ”

Princess Luise suddenly lit up as she looked at one of the dresses.

It was a lovely dress with flower patterns.

The design was simple, but it would surely bring out Luise’s natural charm as a child.

Most of all, the design looked easy to move around in—perfect for a girl her age.

(That’s adorable.)

Imagining Luise wearing the dress, Elze smiled.

The young maid who prepared the dress also happily spoke up.

“Oh my, Princess! Do you like this dress? I’m sure it will look lovely on you—”

“Stop right there! What are you saying?! ”

But the oldest maid suddenly cut in sharply, and both Luise and the young maid froze in surprise.

“What is that unsightly dress?! How dare you try to dress Her Highness, the proud Princess of Ernstahl, in something so plain, like what commoners wear! That’s an insult! ”

“I-I’m very sorry… ”

“Hmph, honestly. Young people these days… It’s sad they don’t even know the basics. ”

The young maid bowed her head and took the dress away, and Princess Luise looked down sadly.

Seeing that, Elze couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

(There’s no need to go that far! Sure, sometimes the right outfit matters, but ignoring what Princess Luise likes is just wrong…)

The dress the older maid brought instead was like the ones worn by high-ranking noblewomen such as Gloria.

It looked like an adult’s dress shrunk down to a child’s size. Elegant and flashy, sure—but it seemed a bit uncomfortable for a child to wear.

“Is this alright, Princess Luise? ”

“…Yes. ”

Luise nodded slightly, looking down.

Her sadness made Elze feel heavy-hearted too.

But at that moment, Elze had a realization.

(I was also too focused on appearances…)

During this whole selection process, all Elze thought about was how to compete against Gloria’s fancy boat.

That made her no different from that maid in front of her.

(…That’s not right. Before the selection or anything Elze, this is Princess Luise’s birthday.)

So the most important thing should be making Princess Luise happy.

Now, she finally understood what Abel was trying to say.

(Alright, the investigation continues!)

With a fresh mindset, Elze kept watching Princess Luise carefully.