Chapter 20
He glanced around subtly, then, with a stern expression, beckoned me over.
“Come closer.”
As I approached King Tian, he lowered his head and spoke in a small voice, just loud enough for me to hear.
“Hero… this is a secret, but… the princess has an ailment of the mind.”
“What do you mean?”
“What people are saying is… it seems the princess has gone mad.”
“Huh?”
Startled, I repeated the question louder than intended.
King Tian pressed a finger to his lips, making a “shh” gesture.
“I’ve been worried about this lately, too. If it’s alright, I’d like to move somewhere quieter to talk.”
“Sure.”
The heroine of the original story—the bold, cheerful princess—has gone mad?
Curious about what had happened, I quickly followed King Tian out of the banquet hall.
“You know, hero, I’ve always cherished and pampered my daughter quite a bit.”
After dismissing all the attendants, King Tian began to speak about the princess as if confessing a secret.
“You’ve probably heard that Queen Beatrice passed away while giving birth to the princess. I felt so sorry for the child, Arines.”
A fleeting sadness and longing passed over King Tian’s eyes.
Princess Arines.
She had grown up cheerful, a little spoiled, under the care of her father, the king. Being a late-born child who had lost her mother at birth, Arines was doted on excessively by King Tian.
“She was always the type to lock herself in her room if things didn’t go her way. But that day was unusual.”
King Tian sighed deeply, then continued his explanation.
That day was supposed to be a long-awaited outing for Princess Arines.
Yet when it was time to leave, she didn’t come out.
‘What went wrong this time…’
King Tian clicked his tongue, but, thinking it was just the usual behavior, he didn’t make much of it.
However, even after several days, Arines remained locked in her room.
Moreover, the attendants reported that the princess’s behavior had become strange.
“She refuses to speak to anyone. She stares into space, lost in thought, then suddenly mutters to herself.”
“Have you taken her to a doctor?”
“It was no use. The princess refuses to see any doctor. What should we do?”
King Tian immediately went to the princess’s quarters to speak with her.
But Arines refused even to meet her father, the king.
“I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.”
“Arines, at least get an examination…”
“I said no! Who do you think I am, a lunatic? I’m perfectly fine!”
The princess displayed extreme irritability and refused all interactions.
These symptoms continued for nearly a month.
“…But there was one person who finally caught her interest.”
The first person to pique Princess Arines’ attention was Duke Rupellen, who regularly brought her seafood dishes as bribes.
Technically, I had cooked the dishes that were delivered to the duke, but…
“Since the princess loves seafood so much, I thought she might eat whatever the duke brought. And indeed, she devoured every dish with shining eyes. She even asked who had prepared them!”
King Tian was overjoyed by the princess’s reaction.
“I secretly felt grateful to Duke Rupellen. Eventually, I found myself looking forward to the dishes he brought. Since Arines only responded to those dishes…”
King Tian sighed, brushing his hair back helplessly.
“I asked the duke to meet with her directly, thinking it might give some clue, but he refused outright, offended.”
“I see…”
The king gave a faint smile, then continued with difficulty.
“Hero… I have a favor to ask. Could you meet my daughter?”
“Me?”
“I cannot leave my daughter secluded like this. Rumors are being contained for now, but eventually word will spread that the princess has gone mad. As her father… I cannot just stand by.”
I listened silently, not responding.
“Also, I heard she showed some interest when she heard the hero had slain the dragon. She still refuses to meet anyone else, but perhaps she might meet you.”
I was curious myself why Princess Arines had suddenly developed such behavior.
Seeing the king plead as both a ruler and a father moved me.
I didn’t hesitate to accept his request.
It wasn’t a difficult task anyway.
“Very well. Then, Your Majesty, please arrange a meeting with the princess.”
“Really? Thank you! I will never forget this kindness.”
King Tian’s face lit up with a genuine smile.
It was three days before I finally met Princess Arines.
“Princess, I am the hero, Jiana Hertin. I have come to see you.”
“…Come in.”
A rough, distracted voice answered.
I stepped into the princess’s reception room with a slightly nervous heart.
The room looked nothing like I had imagined.
There were no delicate lace decorations, no fancy ornaments that princesses typically liked.
The curtains were plain gray, and not a single flowerpot decorated the windowsill.
Instead of a sweet fragrance, a smoky, burnt smell lingered in the air.
“Sit over there for now.”
In the middle of the room stood a large table, covered with papers, rulers, scissors, and various tools.
The princess sat at one side, her pink hair tied in a tight ponytail, wearing oversized glasses, fiddling with something.
‘…Is this really Princess Arines?’
Arines had pink, voluminous hair and rosy cheeks—she should have been a lively, adorable, slightly spoiled princess.
‘…should have been.’
Something was off.
The young woman before me was not charming or fresh.
One word came to mind:
‘Mad scientist…?’
She was no longer a princess, but a lunatic scientist, completely absorbed in her work, seemingly forgetting I was there.
“You’re the hero who killed the dragon, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Ah, wrong again. Why can’t I remember?”
She muttered to herself, holding scissors in one hand and pulling at her hair with the other.
“Was I always this stupid? No, attach this here, trim a little more here…!”
Finally, she lifted her head, removed her glasses, and looked at me.
“Jiana Hertin, right? I’m Arines Tian, the princess of this kingdom. Oh my, my mind… I forgot to serve tea to a guest, didn’t I? Maya!”
She clapped her hands frantically and summoned a maid to bring tea.
“My room’s a bit messy, isn’t it? I wanted to make something, but it’s not turning out as I imagined. Oh, how did you slay the dragon? Who told you about its weakness? It’s well-hidden, shouldn’t have been easy. Ouch! Maya, how did you heat this tea? I almost burned my mouth!”
She ignored my response entirely, peppering me with questions.
“Bring me some cold water instead. I prefer iced water over tea. Jiana, the king prawn grilled with salt from Duke Rupellen was amazing. Actually, that was you, not the duke, right? You killed the dragon and cooked the shrimp. The duke is lucky to have such talent! But I would’ve used coarser salt myself. That way the seasoning would have soaked in better.”
“Princess…”
“Oh! I rambled again, sorry. It’s been a while since I talked to anyone.”
I pressed my fingers to my throbbing temples.
‘Ah… I see why King Tian was worried.’
It was no exaggeration that he had said the princess had gone mad. The bright, lovely Princess Arines seemed to have completely disappeared.
