Chapter 34
The Prince Died, So I’m Starting Over!
A few hours earlier, I had gone to find the servants in charge of sewing, on behalf of the ailing Third Prince. In my hand was his ceremonial robe.
“Ah, g-good day, my lady!”
“Hello. Are you busy right now?”
“N-no! N-not at all, my lady!”
For some reason, they looked extremely tense.
With my best “innocent little girl” smile, I handed them the Third Prince’s robe.
“Wh-what is this?”
“Unfold it.”
“Wow! It’s His Highness’s formal robe! Is this for the engagement ceremony? It’s absolutely beautiful!”
“Right? But there’s one problem.”
“P-problem? Wh-what kind of problem?”
Their eyes went round, as if they’d suddenly become schoolchildren listening to their teacher.
“It’s a little short. So I’d like you to lengthen the sleeves and pants—about one handspan.”
“L-lengthen it?”
“Mm-hm. And maybe loosen it a bit around the torso, if possible.”
“Uhh…”
They looked at each other nervously, their eyes trembling like leaves in the wind.
“E-excuse me, my lady…”
One of the braver maids raised her hand timidly.
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
I nodded for her to speak.
“Isn’t that… the kind of thing only, um, commoners do?”
“Oh.”
That’s when I realized the difference between what I meant by altering clothes and what they thought I meant.
They were picturing a patchwork job—crudely sewing scraps of cloth together so you could barely wear it again.
“That’s not it. I meant undoing the seams at the hems and—hmm, no, that might be too difficult.”
Nobles were extravagant. They almost never bothered to alter clothes that no longer fit.
So the robe had been made perfectly tailored, with not a scrap of fabric to spare.
“Do you have any leftover cloth from this robe?”
“N-no, my lady. W-we could order more from the merchants, b-but this fabric is imported from another kingdom. Orders have to be placed at least f-four months in advance…”
“Then could you just add a similar-colored fabric to the ends?”
“Th-that’s…”
One of the younger servants suddenly burst into tears.
He started muttering about how pitiful the Third Prince was before another servant clapped a hand over his mouth.
What the heck did I do wrong…?
They were looking at me like I was some kind of villain trying to ruin the prince’s perfectly good robe.
It was unfair, but how could I possibly explain? It wasn’t like I could say “The prince suddenly grew an entire handspan overnight.”
“So you can’t do it?”
“Th-th-that’s not what we—”
“Never mind. I’ll be going now. Thank you.”
I had no choice but to turn away.
It seemed the only option left was for the Third Prince to wear the robe with his ankles showing.
Actually… that might be kind of cute.
For some reason, nobody in this world ever even imagined wearing short pants.
In the Empire, only those too poor to buy new clothes each year exposed their ankles.
But short clothes had their own kind of lively charm.
The Third Prince was adorable—almost fairy-like. Slightly shorter pants would just make him look even cuter.
Surely, even the people of this world, fictional or not, had eyes. They’d notice something cute when they saw it, right?
…But he’ll be embarrassed. He’s already so self-conscious about what people think.
The problem was, the Third Prince was still a product of this old-fashioned world. He’d definitely find showing his ankles shameful.
And he cried so easily.
If everyone stared wide-eyed at his outfit, he’d probably burst into tears out of sheer embarrassment.
Alright then. In that case…
Maybe it would be better if I took those stares instead.
“No! Absolutely not, my lady!”
And that’s how I ended up here—arguing with Anna, who was holding the dress I was supposed to wear to the engagement ceremony.
Anna simply couldn’t understand why I wanted to ruin such a beautiful dress.
“Think about it, Anna. It might not be as bad as you think.”
“I hate it! You’ll just become a laughingstock, my lady!”
“No way. Look at me. I’d look pretty even in a burlap sack.”
I firmly believed that Hariela—my current body—was the most beautiful woman in the entire world.
No matter how weird her outfit was, she’d make it fashion.
“Still, a proper dress would be far more beautiful!”
Anna wasn’t giving in.
I wasn’t even suggesting making it a mini dress, just trimming it enough for my ankles to peek out—but Anna resisted fiercely.
“Why are you suddenly trying to cut your dress? You’ve never cared about fashion before!”
“Well…”
“Yes, well?”
“Because that’s the only way I can steal everyone’s attention.”
Anna’s jaw dropped.
Her mouth opened so wide that a fly could have flown right in.
“Anna, I refuse to give even a single glance to anyone other than the Third Prince.”
I explained calmly.
Of course, I couldn’t tell her my real reason—but if I was sincere enough, surely she’d understand my heart.
“My lady…”
“Yes, Anna.”
“My lady…”
“Yes, Anna!”
“I think we need to call a healer.”
“…Huh?”
“They say there’s no cure for princess syndrome.”
With that muttered cry, Anna collapsed backward.
“Anna! Anna?”
I rushed to her side.
When I held a finger under her nose, I felt steady breaths.
Snore.
She was even snoring.
“Oh, you’re just asleep…”
I sighed in relief, patting my chest.
For a moment I’d thought she’d fainted from the shock, but thankfully, she was just exhausted.
Well, she had been running around non-stop for three weeks. No wonder she was worn out.
“She’ll get a backache if she sleeps on the floor, though…”
I picked up the bell to summon a servant.
But to my surprise, the person who knocked on the door wasn’t a servant—it was Sir Peter.
“Sir Peter! What brings you here?”
“I was just passing by, my lady. If you needed something done, please allow me to help.”
“Thanks. Come in for a moment?”
He was sweating lightly, probably from sword training.
Out of habit, I reached into my pocket to hand him a handkerchief—but of course, it was empty.
“Well… it’s not a handkerchief, but use this.”
I grabbed a piece of cloth from nearby and handed it to him.
“Thank you, my lady!”
Sir Peter smiled brightly and began vigorously wiping his face with the white cloth.
“Ah, that’s—”
“Yes?”
“Never mind…”
On closer look, it wasn’t a random cloth—it was a rag.
But simple, honest Sir Peter didn’t notice at all, smiling innocently as he wiped his face. I felt a twinge of guilt.
“Anyway, what can I help you—wait, Miss Anna! Are you all right?!”
As soon as he entered, Sir Peter spotted Anna.
He ran to her side, checked her breathing, and gently lifted her chin.
“Have you called a healer?”
“Not yet.”
“Then I’ll fetch one immediately!”
“No need to rush. She’s not sick. Look closely.”
He calmed down and examined her again.
“…She’s sleeping.”
He sighed.
“Yeah. Must’ve been really tired.”
“A pity.”
“Indeed. Would you mind moving her to the bed?”
“M-me, my lady?”
“Yes, Sir Peter.”
Suddenly, he began trembling all over, limbs stiff as boards.
I could even hear him gulp.
“What’s wrong?”
“I-I… um…”
“Yes, Sir Peter?”
His face went bright red, like a boiled beet.
“I-I was actually on my way to see the captain! Forgive me, my lady, but I must leave right now!”
“What? You can move her first!”
“It’s urgent business! I’ll fetch a servant instead, please excuse me!”
Spilling the words in a rush, he fled the room.
“Oh…”
Well, that was an unexpected discovery about someone’s love life.
Since when had he started liking Anna? Was it from an earlier chapter already?
Even though he said he’d call for help, I didn’t want to wait.
“She doesn’t look heavy… I can probably carry her myself.”
After a moment’s thought, I decided to do it.
Anna looked light, and though I was only eight years old, I felt confident.
And in fact, she was light—barely heavier than the Third Prince.
She’d probably lost weight from skipping meals lately.
Hoisting her over one shoulder, I carried her to her room and gently laid her on the bed.
“Oh? There’s a bump.”
While adjusting her pillow, I noticed a small lump on the back of her head.
I’d have to go get some ointment for that later.
There might be no cure for princess syndrome, but surely there was one for a bump.
…Wait, why do I have princess syndrome? It’s a fact that Hariela is the most beautiful woman in the world!
