Chapter 3
The king’s eyes widened at the resolute tone—he had expected something, but not this.
“Successor? Surely not.”
“Yes, it’s Lelina. She shows far better academic achievement and creativity than I do. She will likely become a wise ruler following in your majesty’s footsteps.”
“……”
“I’ve long known that Your Majesty has been torn between my accumulated experience and Lelina’s genius.”
In fact, given the age difference between Shairin and Lelina, Shairin should have been appointed crown prince long ago. It would be better to appoint an already adult eldest daughter as successor rather than wait for a younger royal to grow up.
But the king had not done so. It was an imbalance caused by one side’s abilities being too abnormal.
“I have already accepted reality. So I hope you will proclaim as soon as possible that Lelina is the one worthy of the next throne.”
The king looked at Shairin. She was far too composed.
For someone who had run toward a single goal for twenty years.
“……I wish to ask. What suddenly made you think this way?”
“Do you know what happened the day before I mentioned the idea of being a carefree idler?”
“I heard you overexerted yourself studying and fell ill.”
“Did you know, Your Majesty, that was my maximum effort?”
While Lelina walked leisurely, Shairin had to run.
The misery she felt back then no longer affected her much, but the emotions were still vivid.
“Accepting defeat is also a duty of royalty. So I’ve decided to let go of my ambitions before I become any uglier.”
“……”
“I’m tired of resenting that lovely child. Wouldn’t stepping aside cleanly and blessing her be a better way to end things well?”
The king felt a slight pang of sorrow seeing her—she almost looked relieved.
He realized he had been too ignorant of his daughter’s true feelings.
“……I understand your will, Shairin.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Shairin smiled brightly.
Now she could finally take her first step as an idler!
…At least, that’s what she thought—that her father would accept her wishes.
After all, how could such a heartfelt plea be ignored?
But she had no idea he would stab her in the back like this!
A few days later, at the morning council where all the nobles gathered, the king dropped a bombshell.
“From today onward, Princess Shairin will assist me and take charge of part of state affairs.”
“Y-Your Majesty?”
“What is this all of a sudden…?”
Everyone was thrown into an uproar at the king’s official declaration, since he had never given any hint about a successor.
Of course, no one was as shocked as Shairin herself.
‘Ah, Your Majesty?!’
She had clearly communicated her stance. That she had no desire for the throne, that she supported Lelina.
So why was this happening?
“This is a test. If Princess Shairin fails to carry out her duties properly, she will be permanently excluded from the succession.”
That was somewhat fortunate, but… why was he making such an unreasonable move all of a sudden?
She couldn’t understand.
It felt as if he was forcing her to become king against her will.
‘What is he thinking?’
Shairin kept her usual indifferent expression, but inside she was troubled. She secretly bit the inside of her cheek.
Most nobles seemed to think, “So the claim that she wouldn’t inherit the throne was all a lie after all.”
She could feel suspicions rising like wisps of smoke that she had thrown a tantrum to the king, but at this moment, there was only one thing Shairin could say.
“……I will do my best, Your Majesty.”
“Further details will be discussed at the next noble council.”
With those words, the king left the council chamber. Shairin immediately followed her father.
She wanted to confront him right away, but unfortunately, she was weak with her family. That was an influence from her past life.
In the end, she said nothing and entered the dining hall.
It was a late breakfast, so the queen and Lelina were already seated, waiting.
“Welcome, Shai.”
“Yes. Good morning, Mother.”
“The day before yesterday, yesterday, and today—I’m always doing well, dear.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
If there was one change from her past life, it was this morning scene.
Right after her regression, following that tearful (?) meal, Shairin came to the dining hall every morning to eat with her family.
Since lunch and dinner were usually eaten alone in their own rooms or offices due to busy schedules, breakfast was the time they all gathered to spend time together.
Shairin, who had isolated herself in her past life, now headed to the dining hall right after waking up, to reassure herself that this was not a dream.
And so, as usual, a table was set for four.
The queen smiled and moistened her throat with water.
“I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have breakfast together like this.”
“……”
“I hope we can always have breakfast together like this from now on.”
“Yes. Until the day I leave the palace, I would like to have breakfast together every morning.”
As Shairin casually said this and sat down next to Lelina, the queen looked startled and asked back.
“Shai, what do you mean? Leave the palace?”
“I conveyed my opinion to Your Majesty that I would yield the throne to Lelina.”
“……”
“So once Lelina is appointed crown prince, there would be no reason for me to remain in the palace, would there?”
Shairin, who wanted to live leisurely in a quiet place, vehemently denied reality.
Of course, the king had sharply cut through her reality-avoidance tactics.
“Lelina may indeed inherit the throne and run state affairs admirably, but as for me, I also had to recognize your abilities. It was an unavoidable choice.”
“……”
She wanted to sigh, but she couldn’t say she didn’t understand the king’s choice.
Shairin herself knew the future where she had inherited the throne, so she could say such things, but most people would think it was nonsense if she shouted, “The country will be ruined if I become king!”
Or they would ask if the burden was really that heavy.
‘I wish I could just say I regressed…’
The king silently swallowed the salad that came out as an appetizer and continued.
“And have you asked Lelina for her opinion?”
‘Oops.’
She had been so desperate to avoid the throne that she almost became the irresponsible older sister who dumped everything on her beloved half-sister and ran away.
And come to think of it, although the nobles around Lelina were making a fuss, neither her stepmother nor her sister had ever officially spoken about this matter.
“Lelina.”
“Yes, Father.”
Lelina, with golden eyes like Shairin’s, looked at the king.
The child’s gaze held a mix of slight difficulty and slight bewilderment.
“What do you think about the throne? Do you want to succeed me?”
“Hmm……”
As if she had never thought about it, Lelina was lost in thought for a while.
Then, after pondering until the pre-meal soup grew cold, she lifted her head.
“I have never thought about the throne, Father.”
“Why not?”
“Because it is not a position allowed to me.”
Does having a good head make one a king?
Lelina knew very well that she was a genius, but she also knew that alone did not qualify her to be king.
She knew her half-sister’s efforts and aspirations.
She had seen her study so hard that she made her nose bleed every other day.
She had always watched her run toward her goal with all her might, even when her body burned like fire.
Whenever she saw that, Lelina felt as if her sister was someone born to be king.
Lelina could not live like Shairin.
For her, studying was merely one of the means to enjoy pleasure.
“But your sister has named you the next successor.”
“It is far too undeserved a position.”
“Not at all, Lelina.”
Shairin quickly answered Lelina’s denial.
“Father is merely giving me a ‘head start’ because I am older. You are more than capable of surpassing me.”
The eldest daughter had various experiences in state affairs but only average academic understanding and achievement. And the second daughter had a genius intellect but no experience in the former.
But wasn’t that statement saying that if the latter also gained experience, she could easily surpass the former?
“So discard the notion of ‘permission.’ You, too, are qualified.”
“……I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good.”
Shairin, having lost her appetite from the king’s bombshell declaration, only picked at her soup before rising from her seat.
“Oh, leaving already?”
“I’m not very hungry today. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mother.”
“Alright. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Shairin received her family’s farewell and immediately returned to her room. She flopped onto the bed and clicked her tongue.
“A complete negotiation failure.”
She had failed to get her way and had instead been tied even more tightly to her duties.
She didn’t want to be king.
To her, it was a symbol of failure and incompetence.
“……Haah, this is going to become a lot more troublesome.”
Now that she had to act as the king’s deputy, she would get busy.
And not only that.
She now had to create situations where she could highlight her own incompetence while making Lelina’s competence shine.
Just thinking about it gave her a headache.
“Sigh.”
A sigh escaped her. She would have to discard all her existing plans and redesign the future.
Since there was no guarantee this miracle would happen again, she intended to do her best to make this opportunity bloom.
‘Many people will come to this year’s birthday banquet. Then, at that time…’
Just then.
“Princess, the Marquess of Kirishit and several counts have requested an audience.”
