The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 107

When I first took over the job, everyone said no one cared about the Princess’s Palace budget—and that was true.

 

“But still, since it’s part of the imperial budget, wouldn’t someone eventually investigate how it was spent?”

 

“Who knows? I doubt that’ll happen.”

 

When I occasionally ran into my predecessor and asked her about it, she would just shrug, as if it were nothing.

 

“Sure, the money used by the Emperor or the Crown Prince gets attention because it’s significant. But who really cares about the money spent by the Princess? It’s a tiny fraction of the entire imperial budget. Even if it’s a bit much, they’ll just assume she bought some dresses or jewels.”

 

Her words echoed as I recalled all the things I’d bought without a second thought.

 

“…Alright.”

 

This is what people mean when they say their vision goes dark. The two of them stiffly nodded in response, barely managing a reply.

 

“You both don’t look well. Are you feeling sick?”

 

“N-No, Your Highness.”

 

“There’s no problem, Your Highness.”

 

The Princess asked, puzzled by their pale faces. Diana and Sarah answered in unison.

 

“The temperature’s been all over the place lately. It’s easy to catch a cold. Please take care of yourselves.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness…”

 

“I think the audit will begin tomorrow, so prepare the ledgers for submission. Also, make sure the treasury is in order.”

 

“We will follow your instructions.”

 

The two walked out of the Princess’s chambers looking utterly defeated.

 

“What do we do, Diana?”

 

“We’ll just have to write up the ledgers now…”

 

Sarah asked anxiously. Diana replied with a sigh.

 

“Do you remember the exact amounts? We bought so many things… and we didn’t keep records or receipts. I have no idea how we’re going to fix this.”

 

“We just need to make the balance match. I doubt they’ll check every item line by line.”

 

Diana said resolutely.

 

“We’ll list essential palace supplies, and say Her Highness bought dresses and jewels. We’ll pad the salaries a bit too.”

 

“Will that be enough?”

 

“There’s no other way right now. We’re the only ones managing the records—how would anyone else know? Even Her Highness just told us to submit the ledgers; she won’t actually look at them.”

 

“I’ll trust you, Diana.”

 

Sarah had a sinking feeling that it wouldn’t be that simple—but there were no alternatives. She nodded uneasily.

 

The door opened, and the elders filed into the meeting room. Grace, who had already been seated, slowly rose from her chair.

 

“Good day. I’m Grace Winstaine.”

 

“Ah, Madam—you’re already here.”

 

“It’s been a while.”

 

The elders approached and extended their hands for a handshake.

 

Grace shook hands with them one by one.

 

“Please, have a seat.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

They gestured for her to sit, and once she did, they took their seats as well.

 

“This must be your first meeting like this, Madam Winstaine?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Not only was it her first time attending such a gathering of elders, she had never even been involved in military matters before.

 

“We’ve heard quite a bit about your accomplishments. Lord holds you in high regard.”

 

“I wouldn’t call anything I’ve done remarkable… I’m not even sure I’m fit to be a commander.”

 

Grace lowered her gaze slightly as she spoke.

 

“It seems Lord recognized your potential. If he recommends you, we have no reason to doubt.”

 

“Oh… thank you. I only hope I don’t disappoint.”

 

“If anything, we should be thanking you for taking on the role—it must be a heavy burden.”

 

It is a burden…

 

Grace swallowed the words rising to her throat and managed a polite smile.

 

She had originally intended to decline the position of commander. With the enormous responsibility of healing the Emperor already weighing on her, taking on another major duty felt overwhelming.

 

But Lord, perhaps anticipating her hesitation, came to her room personally to ask.

 

“The Empire needs you.”

 

Grace wavered.

 

It was the fact that the leader of Panbion—a group she had only recently been a small part of—was now asking her for help.

 

That he was saying she was needed.

 

Frederick had warned her not to be swayed by such words. He feared she wouldn’t be able to refuse when people tried to manipulate her by saying things like that.

 

But… I just can’t push it away.

 

Even now, Grace remained vulnerable to being told she was needed. The compulsion to prove her worth had faded, but the desire to help others—to make a difference—never left her heart.

 

“I may be lacking, but I’ll do my best.”

 

“We believe you’ll do more than fine.”

 

Even though their expectations felt like a heavy weight, Grace resolved to accept it as her destiny.

 

“Let me first share a brief update on the current situation.”

 

The meeting began in earnest.

 

“A large portion of the Imperial Knights and mages have been deployed to pursue Prince Vladimir. Only about half of our total forces remain within the Imperial Palace.”

 

“……”

 

“Therefore, we Armento intend to focus all our strength on defending the palace.”

 

There were five legions in total: one for each elder, and one under Grace’s command. Coincidentally, there were five gates into the palace.

 

“Marquis Felicen and I will take the two eastern gates. Could I ask you all to cover the two western ones? Madam Winstaine, I’d like to assign you to the North Gate.”

 

“Madam, are you alright with that?”

 

“Yes. I’ll follow your direction.”

 

Grace answered with determination.

 

“Since defending the North Gate won’t be easy, I’ll assign some of our most capable warriors to assist you.”

 

The North Gate was the largest. Although the dense forest around it made access difficult, it was also vulnerable to surprise attacks.

 

Grace was chosen for that position because her range and speed in combat were unmatched—perfect for responding to ambushes.

 

“I’ve heard the elite soldiers of the Bahorne Empire are formidable. It’s a concern.”

 

“Will our Armento forces be able to match them in combat?”

 

“I can’t guarantee it. The Empire has been at peace for too long. We’ve trained consistently, but we never truly expected to face battle.”

 

“We’ll need to make the most of the time we have left to prepare them for combat.”

 

“Yes. Please share any issues that arise immediately.”

 

With that, the meeting came to a close, the elders full of resolve.

 

The legions would be fully formed in a matter of days.

 

Each elder would lead a legion based on their elemental affinity. Grace, however, would command a legion made up of a balanced mix of all four elements.

 

I have to do well…

 

“Aaaah!”

 

Grace, heading back toward the palace, turned her head at the sudden scream.

 

Not far off, Diana and Sarah were being dragged away by imperial knights, each held tightly by the arms.

 

“We didn’t do it! We’re innocent!”

 

“We never embezzled anything!”

 

They shouted desperately in protest, but the knights seemed indifferent, silently hauling them away.

 

“A-Are you taking us to prison?! Please, let us go!”

 

“No! This can’t be happening!”

 

They screamed in agony, planting their feet to resist as they were dragged along.

 

“……”

 

Grace quietly watched them. Their struggling looked almost pitiful—like squirming insects.

 

“Madam Winstaine.”

 

Someone nearby addressed her—it was Angelina, the Crown Princess’s maid.

 

“Ah, Angelina.”

 

“Were you watching Lady Diana and Lady Sarah?”

 

Angelina glanced toward the two being taken away.

 

“Yes… Angelina, what happened to my sisters?”

 

Grace asked, her expression clouded.

 

“Ah, yes—they are your sisters, aren’t they? I’m sorry to bring bad news.”

 

Angelina offered a sorrowful smile.

 

“I heard an audit was conducted at the Princess’s Palace today. Because of Prince Vladimir’s bloodline, they’re checking whether anyone supported him financially. Those two were in charge of the budget, and since they’re being taken away, it looks like something suspicious was found.”

 

“Oh my… My sisters did something corrupt…?”

 

Grace’s eyes widened.

 

“They were shouting that they didn’t embezzle anything…”

 

“Then I suppose they’re being arrested on suspicion of embezzlement.”

 

“What will happen to them?”

 

“They’ll be taken to the Central Palace for further investigation… then they’ll face trial.”

 

“Oh no…”