TPHW 09

Chapter 09

“Anyway, our Andy is really amazing.”

I admired her once again.

Actually, before we got here, in the village where we stayed for one night, two thug-like men had tried to bother me.

They smelled like alcohol and were staggering around while trying to grab my arm.

When Andy saw that, her eyes turned wild, and she immediately took them down with shoulder throws one after another!

Her gaze turned sharp like a sword in an instant, and her movements were ruthless.

The men who were slammed to the ground couldn’t even groan properly. They were trembling on the dusty ground, curled up and shaking.

‘Wow. Andy was so cool back then.’

I admired Andy’s strength, even though she looks young and has visible abs.

It was amazing how such power came from her thin arms.

And I made a promise. After everything is over, I will definitely buy her a mansion in the capital of the Snow Kingdom.

Andy said, looking annoyed, that if I was grateful, I should stop going to the Riston Empire and go back before I got into dangerous trouble.

Her face was full of real concern, and her eyebrows drooped sadly.

She even said that if I was scared of assassination, I should just leave the palace and live in her family’s home.

Saying there was no safer place than that.

That was true.

If I stayed in that sword family, assassins would be cut down the moment they tried anything.

But I had no intention of hiding and living like that, Andy.

“Blanche Glanse Pass”

Using Andy’s surname, I was now Blanche Glanse.

I held the document with the stamp of entry permission for the Riston Empire and happily stretched as I walked out of the building.

My stiff shoulders relaxed, and I could hear my spine cracking as it stretched.

Finally, the Riston Empire.

“Finally, it begins!”

“…You really don’t listen. So you were serious.”

Andy sounded sad.

Her slumped shoulders and sighing voice looked like she was facing the end of the world.

She kept trying to convince me, but when I refused, she complained that she should not have listened to Queen Mary when she was younger.

Regret filled her eyes.

“Since we’ve started, let’s do this with excitement. We’ve got pride, so we’re not turning back.”

“Alright, seriously…”

Even while complaining, she reached out and removed a flower petal stuck in my hair.

Her touch was gentle, and the petal was carried away by the wind.

Isn’t this something only a male lead would do?

‘Then is Andy Glanse my prince?!’

I laughed to myself, and Andy shivered, saying she felt creeped out and stepped ten paces away from me.

Her face twisted slightly as she rubbed her arms.

We wanted to head to the capital quickly, but the sun had already started setting, so we decided to stay near the border checkpoint for one night.

The orange sunset painted the sky, and long shadows stretched across the ground.

Wow.

Since I grew up in a divided country like Korea, I thought border areas would be dangerous places like the DMZ with barbed wire.

But this place was completely different from what I expected.

It was a large trade city because it handled imports and exports by land.

It’s much bigger than I thought.

Looking around, there were shops twice the size of the Snow Kingdom’s palace.

Bright signs sparkled in the sunset light, and even the stone road itself looked different.

Smooth, polished granite was laid out evenly, and every step felt solid under my feet.

The level of this country is different.

Even the people walking in the streets looked confident.

Their backs were straight, their steps were light, and their clothes were neat.

Merchants shouted lively advertisements, and the sounds of wagon wheels and horse hooves created a rhythmic street noise.

“Fresh bread here!” “Come see the finest silk!”

Even people who looked poor did not walk with bent backs.

Even in worn-out clothes, they held their heads high, with lively eyes.

The Riston Empire was not just described as a strong military country.

I couldn’t find exact GDP information, but just looking at it, the economy was clearly strong.

The goods displayed in shops were high quality, and people were buying a lot.

Good. This is perfect for making money.

My fingers itched with excitement. I curled and relaxed my fingers, smiling slightly.

The busy street in front of me looked like a gold mine.

While I was looking around with greedy eyes, Andy suddenly shouted.

“Princess! Come this way!”

People around us turned their heads.

Passersby stopped walking, and shop owners looked at us. It was probably because she called me “Princess.”

I quickly covered Andy’s mouth.

“Don’t call me princess. From now on, call me Blanche.”

Andy’s eyes widened in shock.

“Your name?”

“Yes. We share the same surname now, right? Let’s go as sisters. You’re the older sister, I’m the younger one.”

Even though Andy was blonde and I was silver-haired, we didn’t look alike at all, but we decided on that plan anyway.

Different hair color, different eye color—but whatever.

Andy calmly said, as if accepting our fake sister plan:

“If I had a younger sister like Princess… no, Blanche… I would have killed her already. Not listening like this… sometimes violence really is the answer. Hehe.”

Her lips curled dangerously, and her fingers cracked loudly.

…I’m glad I’m a princess.

I suddenly realized a serious mistake and shouted quickly.

“No, wait. I’m the older sister! Look at Andy’s face, obviously I’m the older—”

Andy’s eyes flashed dangerously.

The air instantly turned cold.

I had just triggered her insecurity about looking young.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

I forced a smile.

“Ha… ha… ha… of course I’m not the older one. Who would act like an immature older sister like me?”

“…Let’s just be considerate of each other.”

Her voice was like ice. Her hand slowly moved toward her sword.

“Y-yeah.”

After our useless argument, we arrived at a large inn in the city and asked the owner for a room.

The old wooden counter was covered in dust, thick enough to leave marks if touched.

Behind it, room keys hung on the wall. Heavy keys clinked together, and a faint smell of metal filled the air.

The innkeeper looked us up and down and gave an unpleasant smile.

The smell of cigarettes hit my nose, and his yellow teeth were exposed.

“You’re from the Snow Kingdom, aren’t you?”

I raised my eyebrows.

Since this was a trade city, he must have seen many foreigners, and he probably recognized us by appearance.

But why was he smiling so unpleasantly?

His grin looked like a hyena finding prey.

Does he have a grudge against the Snow Kingdom?

Feeling annoyed, I decided to test him slowly.

“How did you know we are from the Snow Kingdom? I’m curious.”

I made my voice sound innocent on purpose.

“Well, your pale skin, light hair, and eyes… people from a snowy country look like that.”

He pointed at us with a finger. Dirt was stuck under his fingernails.

“Oh, really?”

“I’ve worked here for ten years. Of course I know. People from the empire have darker coloring. And the royal family has completely black hair and black eyes.”

After his unnecessary explanation, I spoke again.

“Hmm, but isn’t it dangerous to judge people only by appearance? My sister’s eyes are actually a deep cocoa color.”

I pointed at Andy.

But Andy looked like she was about to grab the man by the collar at any moment.

Her hand moved toward her sword, and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Shh!”

I stopped her before she could act.

I tightened my grip on her arm.

The innkeeper crossed his arms and looked down at us with a mocking smile.

He lifted his chin and laughed like a villain.

“Being picky and asking too many questions… that’s also a trait of Snow Kingdom people. I’ll keep that in mind.”

What is this guy?