Chapter 53
It was thanks to a new policy introduced by the second princess, Itar.
—The royal family of the Ezan Kingdom cares more than anyone about its people. Even if they are orphans.
It was a tool to prove that sentiment, and Zel already knew that.
She had only ever seen it from afar, so when she finally entered, the people inside were delighted and amazed. But not Zel.
Zel, who harbored a fundamental discomfort toward nobles and the privileged, knew why they had invited her.
“To them, we’re just decorations. Something to show off.”
Having already gone through two broken engagements, Zel knew the noble class better than anyone, and all she felt was resistance.
But none of the orphans paid any attention to her words.
“So what, you’re not going in?”
“Yeah! And you shouldn’t either!”
“No way. They say there’ll be a ton of delicious food and fancy clothes! The King and Princess Itar are so kind!”
“Right. Zel, you should come in too.”
At some point, the orphanage director, who had joined the children’s chatter, looked at Zel with a distinctly displeased expression.
She didn’t like Zel, the twisted, uncooperative child who refused to go along with her wishes.
“Director, we’re not their toys. Why should we do what they want? I don’t want to. Whether they’re royalty or nobles…!”
Smack—
With a sharp sound, Zel’s head snapped to the side.
“Shut your mouth, Zel. If you don’t want to go in, that’s fine. But if you let that light, useless mouth of yours run again, I’ll make sure you never speak again.”
“……”
“Alright kids, we’re leaving Zel here. Let’s go in.”
“Yes, Director!”
Zel, lips tightly sealed after the director’s threat, glared at them before abruptly turning away.
“As if I care.”
Being dragged in like some toy and forced to act how they want? That was the worst.
So Zel, after watching the well-dressed director and her friends enter the palace, walked slowly along the outer wall.
They said there’d be a meal too, so they definitely wouldn’t be coming out anytime soon.
“Go ahead and regret it later.”
But walking alone, an unknown sense of anxiety began to rise.
Even as she grumbled bitterly about being abandoned, Zel was tempted—should she go in after all?
Just then.
Someone lightly tapped her shoulder from behind.
“Hi. Aren’t you going inside?”
Startled by the sudden voice, Zel leapt back.
“Eek! W-Who are you?!”
“Me! I’m a princess!”
The girl smiled brightly and waved at her. She looked somewhat like what the director and her friends had described royalty to be. But Zel had heard that royalty always stayed inside the palace—this was outside.
“Liar!”
Zel quickly stepped back and pointed at the girl.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Who do you think you are, pretending to be a princess?!”
“I really am! I’m a princess.”
“Which one?!”
“I’m the third—Priya!”
“Really? You’re really a princess?”
Zel stared at the small girl who had appeared out of nowhere.
She was quite small and pretty. Not scruffy like the kids in the orphanage.
She wore clothes only the truly wealthy could afford.
Not only that—her hair and eye color matched those of Ezan’s royal family. But even Zel hadn’t seen all the royals before.
When the royal family held a procession, commoners had to press their heads to the ground.
“Really…?”
“Yep!”
“I can’t believe it. Then why are you outside the palace? And where’s your crown? Don’t princesses wear those?”
“My sister took it!”
The girl grinned innocently as she replied.
Zel, thinking she might be a bit dim, quickly lost interest.
“I see.”
“So hey, wanna play with me?”
Zel flinched and backed away at the unexpected suggestion.
“…You said you’re a princess! Don’t you have tons of people to play with?”
“I am a princess, but maybe not a real one! Come on! Honestly, there’s more fun outside the palace than inside!”
Still smiling brightly, Priya grabbed Zel’s hand and started dragging her away. Since it seemed like the others wouldn’t be out for a while and she had nothing to do, Zel, though grumbling, followed along.
The two of them arrived at a small flower garden behind the palace, where no one else was around. They spent a long time having fun there.
“So why didn’t you go inside?” Priya asked.
“Huh?”
“Everyone else went into the palace, right? Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want to act like a puppet just to please them. It’s not like they invited us out of kindness.”
“Ah! I see!”
“Then what about you, Princess? Why are you out here all alone?”
“My family doesn’t like me!”
Priya smiled bashfully, and Zel felt a pang in her heart.
Who says something like that so easily?
“Doesn’t it bother you? Being hated?”
“I’ve been hated since I was born.”
“…So you don’t care?”
“Nope! Even if I stay out all night playing, no one notices.”
Zel had thought that being royalty—or a princess—meant having an easy life. After all, she was an orphan with dead parents. They were worlds apart.
But to hear that no one cared?
Even she, an orphan, had people who came looking for her if she was late. Even the greedy director showed that much concern. The other kids too, at least pretended to care.
But this princess in front of her was different. She had no maids by her side, and the occasional knights who passed by didn’t even acknowledge her.
A princess, playing with flowers on the ground…
It shocked Zel.
As the sun began to set and the surroundings grew dark, Priya looked up at the sky.
“Shouldn’t you go back now? The others probably already returned.”
“Oh! Right!”
“What about you, Princess?”
“Me? I’ll just go in when I get sleepy.”
“…Do you eat well? You look skinny, Princess.”
They had just met, but Zel found herself worrying. The girl wore fine clothes, claimed to be royalty, yet looked skinnier than herself.
“No one cares about me. If I come back late, the meals are already cleared!”
“…What the heck. Is that normal for a princess?”
“Nope! Just me. But don’t worry! If I go to the kitchen, they’ll give me something. That’s enough.”
“…You’re kind of a boring princess. Do you not have any friends?”
“Nope! I’m not supposed to.”
Hearing these incomprehensible words, Zel turned sharply.
“Are you always here?”
“Yup!”
“Then I’ll come again. I’ll be your friend!”
Like the flowers swaying in the garden, Priya’s face lit up with joy. Her very first friend.
“Yay! Great!”
Zel, for some reason, didn’t want to leave Priya alone.
She didn’t really care whether she was a real princess. But behind that bright smile, Priya looked deeply lonely.
From that first meeting, Zel came to see Priya every day.
She often got scolded by the orphanage director for coming home late, but Zel never missed a day.
Over time, she learned about Priya—the third princess of the Ezan Kingdom, her appearance, and how she was unloved.
Priya even came out to play when she had a fever. When Zel asked if she had seen a doctor, Priya just said she almost never had.
And so, the two of them grew up together.
“Princess, I heard it’s your birthday today.”
“…Yeah.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting lots of presents?”
“This is… my first gift ever!”
“…Why?”
“Because no one ever gave me anything before. Thank you, Zel. For being my friend, for visiting every day, and for giving me this.”
“Now that you mention it, it’s weird. Why don’t you have a party or something?”
That wasn’t the only strange thing Zel had noticed.
Now fifteen and able to think more clearly, she had read many books about Priya. Most were about royal history—even if a royal baby died at birth, their name was still recorded.
Priya was clearly listed as a princess.
‘Then why doesn’t anyone celebrate her?’
Princess Gaya and Princess Itar both had grand palace parties every birthday. But not Priya.
Even with her birthday approaching, there was no talk of a party. Zel checked multiple times, but it was definitely today.
“Yeah! I’m not allowed to have one!”
“…That’s ridiculous.”
Looking at Priya—three years younger than her but small enough to seem five years younger—Zel bit her lip.
“But I have you, Zel!”
“…You’re pitiful, Princess.”
“No, I’m happy because I have you!”
“That’s why I made up my mind.”
Zel had given Priya a small stuffed bear she could hug while sleeping. It was actually a gift from the orphanage director, which Zel had stayed up all night modifying with her own tiny stitches.
“Huh? What did you decide?”
“I’m going to stay by your side. I was lonely too, and so are you.”
“Great!”
“Really?”
“Then I’ll tell my father! If I ask for this, he might say yes!”
Grinning wide, Priya stood up as if determined.
She hugged the awkward little teddy bear and disappeared inside, telling Zel to wait.
But Zel didn’t see her again for days.
It was three days later that she finally saw Priya again.
