The Tragic Life Of A Princess

Several months had passed since Ambassador Hartz of the Leman Federation returned. It was already July, and while Ian had been on the throne for two years by training, it had been exactly one year since he was officially crowned king.

In that time, Ian hadn’t done anything grand as king. He lowered the excessively raised taxes, rooted out some corruption, made diplomacy more flexible while increasing trade volume, beautified the cities, and worked to strengthen the military.

If one asked whether the Polia Kingdom had greatly advanced because of these actions, the answer would be no. It was merely recovering a portion of its deteriorating finances and temporarily quelling widespread dissatisfaction.

Still, many experts responded positively to Ian’s efforts. In a way, the Polia Kingdom had entered a period of peace it hadn’t seen in some time. Internal unrest was subdued, and foreign diplomatic relations were improving smoothly.

Even the war debts incurred during the previous conflict were gradually being paid off—proof that the country was finally moving toward normalcy. What especially delighted economic experts was the suppression of the nobility’s excessive extravagance.

Far too many luxury goods had been imported, draining wealth directly overseas. Cutting back on that helped the national treasury. With fewer lavish parties, nobles were forced to seek other forms of entertainment.

As a result, various new amusements emerged, and the money began to circulate domestically. While Ian might not have been exceptionally talented, simply steering the nation with common sense was achievement enough.

Meanwhile, in the royal palace’s dining room, Ian was caught off guard by something his mother said during a family meal.

“What? Marriage?”

“Yes. You’re already 21, aren’t you? On top of that, you’re the king. Rumors are bound to start if you still don’t have a queen.”

“I don’t think there’s any need to worry about such talk. I plan to marry a bit later.”

Ian replied firmly, prompting Emily to hesitate for a moment before gently asking her son.

“Is it because you can’t forget that girl from before?”

“That girl? Who? No, I’ve completely forgotten about Lady Michelle. She’s someone else’s fiancée now.”

That someone being none other than the third prince of the Magnia Empire. Ian had never truly loved her, and now that she had chosen another, he had no reason to hold feelings for her. He had never even seen her as a woman. Besides, he wanted to focus on his duties as king for the time being before thinking about marriage.

But unlike Ian, his mother Emily was worried. A king without a woman beside him was bound to stir troublesome rumors—perhaps even indecent ones about his preferences.

“As the one who has reopened the royal line, it’s your duty to revive the royal family. Why don’t you at least meet someone? You might feel differently after that.”

“No, it’s fine. I like things as they are.”

Ian was beginning to feel irritated by his mother’s insistence on setting him up with women. He had a bad feeling this would go on for quite a while. Just as he lifted his wine glass for a sip, he heard something that made him spit it out with a pfft.

“You’re not into men… are you?”

“Cough, cough! What are you saying?! How could I possibly like men?! I like women!”

Ian was stunned to hear such a thing from his mother. Like men? Him? Never. He was a perfectly healthy man—just thinking about such things caused his body to react as expected.

“You’ve been putting off marriage so much, people are starting to say things.”

“I don’t know who’s spreading such nonsense, but I’ll find them.”

Ian was even willing to enlist the secret police, the Mauter, to track down the source of those rumors. At that moment, his younger sister Charlotte chimed in.

“So, you do like girls, huh, Brother?”

“Ahem. That’s not something for you to say.”

“Pfft, I know everything. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“You’re 11. You’re still young.”

“No way. I’m all grown up. I even know what love is.”

Though she was growing rapidly and starting to show signs of becoming a young lady, in Ian’s eyes she was still his innocent little sister. But wait—she said she knew about love? Surely she didn’t have a boyfriend already?

He briefly considered asking, but quickly decided it wasn’t the kind of thing to bring up. Instead, he changed the subject.

“Anyway, how’s school going?”

Charlotte was attending Traveler School, just like Ian had. Naturally, the treatment she received was incomparable to before. Charlotte had become the center of the school, and everything revolved around her.

“It’s really nice. Everyone treats me well.”

“They should. Are you still getting along with the friends you made back then?”

“Of course! Some of them still hang out with me and protect me from annoying people.”

“Those are good friends. Keep getting along with them.”

“I will!”

“Will you not listen to me?”

Hearing Emily’s voice from the side, Ian realized that if he stayed any longer, he’d have to endure more pestering about meeting women. Fortunately, the meal was nearly finished, so he quickly got up and feigned urgency.

“Ah, now that I think about it, I was supposed to meet with the chancellor. I completely forgot. Mother, Charlotte—please enjoy your meal. I’ll be going.”

Emily watched Ian rush out with a disheartened look. It was clearly an act to escape the conversation. The doors closed behind him as he left the dining room, and Leni approached to clean the wine-soaked table.

Though now the head handmaiden by Ian’s appointment, she still took care of all the minor and troublesome tasks for his family.

“His Majesty seems to have no intention of marrying anytime soon.”

“I see. He says he likes women, but I just don’t understand him.”

“He must be too busy with royal duties.”

Leni spoke in Ian’s defense, but Emily shook her head.

“You know that the more time passes, the stranger it will seem. Honestly, I wonder if he’s taken against his father when it comes to women.”

“Isn’t that actually a good thing? I think I’d be heartbroken if His Majesty had turned out like that.”

“…I agree.”

The behavior of the former king toward women had left them with deep scars. Emily especially could never forget that horrible day—the day Ian was born, when the king, drunk, had tried to force himself on her. It was a nightmare she could never erase, no matter how hard she tried.

Meanwhile, Ian, having escaped the dining room, was walking down the corridor toward his office. Though the corridor was still as luxurious as ever, he had grown used to it and passed through without much thought. His royal guards and a few attendants followed behind.

As he walked, someone approached from the opposite direction, causing him to pause. The other person stopped as well. Tilting his head, Ian spoke.

“Sister Teresa?”

She was a year older than Ian, the daughter of the Seventh Consort, with bright blue hair. Seeing Ian, her eyes widened noticeably and she hesitated. But upon seeing Ian’s appearance, along with the surrounding guards, attendants, and maids, she quickly dropped to her knees and said,

“Teresa von Avin greets His Majesty the King.”

“That’s far too formal, sister. There’s no need to kneel.”

“No, how could I possibly greet Your Majesty without proper formality?”

Ian recalled the time she had gotten drunk and caused a scene during a royal banquet. He had been deeply impressed by her bold declaration that she refused to enter a political marriage. But back then, their father, who was king at the time, had locked Teresa in a room and starved her for three days.

It was the first time she had experienced starvation. She eventually surrendered and was forced into a political marriage. Now she introduced herself as “Teresa von Avin,” meaning she had married into the Avin family and had to change her surname.

Of course, that didn’t change the fact that she was born a member of the royal family.

“Please… spare us.”

“Spare you? What are you talking about?”

“Please spare the Avin family, Your Majesty…”

“Spare you? Is there some kind of problem? I honestly don’t understand what you mean.”

“It’s just that…”

As Teresa began to explain, Ian started to understand. The influential Count Avin family in the provinces had gotten caught up in the ongoing national audit targeting corruption, and the family was now on the brink of ruin.

Watching her speak with such desperation, Ian couldn’t help but wonder if she hadn’t come on her own accord, but rather had been sent by her family. She looked terribly gaunt. He could only imagine what sort of hardships had left her in such a state.

“I married at eighteen, so it’s been three years now…”

Ian realized it had already been three years since her marriage and asked something that came to mind.

“Do you have a child?”

“Yes, a daughter. She just turned one.”

“At that age, she still needs her mother’s care.”

“Well… I haven’t seen her in over a year.”

“Over a year? What do you mean?”

Her hesitation made Ian aware that too many ears were listening. He decided to take her to his office for a private conversation.

“Let’s get up for now. We’ll talk in my office.”

“Can I… come with you?”

“The King says you may. Is there a problem with that?”

Ian’s words finally reminded Teresa that her half-brother was now the King. She hadn’t even been able to attend the coronation due to living in the provinces. Realizing this, she nodded and followed.

Inside the office, Ian gestured to the sofa, and she sat carefully, looking around the room with a mix of awe and disbelief.

For her, the King’s office had always been a sacred space—one she never imagined entering.

“Shall we continue? Why haven’t you seen your daughter in a year?”

Teresa hesitated for a moment but then, with a determined expression, began to speak. Ian’s face gradually darkened as he listened.

The story was this: After the king died and the princes began vying for power—and especially after Ian ascended to the throne a year ago—her family believed they had completely lost their connection to the royal family. Traditionally, a king’s death severely weakened the position of his children.

Even among half-siblings, their status could change at the new king’s discretion. Ian had chosen to send the princes away to the colonies or other regions, while leaving the princesses with minimal support and little involvement in court affairs.

From that perspective, it appeared that King Ian was not fond of his siblings. Teresa’s status had inevitably weakened, and before Ian’s coronation, she had even been forced to move out.

But this “move” meant her husband and daughter remained in the family home while she lived alone. Then, the Avin family began to collapse under investigation, and her husband and the family elders pushed her to go plead with the king.

“Sob… Your Majesty. I miss my daughter so much. Please, help me…”

As she spoke, emotions welled up and her eyes brimmed with tears. Ian couldn’t help but pity her. If her story were true, she had indeed lived a tragic life—and he felt compelled to help her.

“You’ll see your daughter soon. But let me be clear: the Avin family will not survive this. If they committed corruption, they’ll face the consequences. Do you still want to live with your husband?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

Even while crying, her firm rejection of her husband made Ian nod in approval.

“I’ll begin divorce proceedings. Your daughter will be returned to you. Just understand that your life won’t be as it once was. I’ll offer some support, but it won’t be luxurious.”

Of course, by commoners’ standards, the support would still be quite generous. But compared to life as a royal, it would feel insufficient. However, Teresa had changed. Living quietly with her daughter was all she wanted.

“Oh, and one more thing. You seem to be mistaken—princesses will still receive some treatment as royals. So please keep that in mind. Now, you may go. I have work to attend to.”

“Truly… thank you. I will never forget this kindness.”

“Think nothing of it. Please go now.”

Ian made it seem like it was no big deal, but Teresa couldn’t help but tear up. She could tell that, despite his words, he truly cared.

After Teresa left, Ian made sure she went somewhere other than her family home to rest. Meanwhile, he investigated the matter further.

The next day, everything Teresa had said was confirmed. The divorce proceedings began immediately. His first action was to deploy the secret police to retrieve her daughter—and thankfully, there were no issues.

Then, Ian crushed the Avin family completely. This sent a chilling message to the provincial nobility. Just like the capital aristocrats, their influence was now beginning to wane. The path toward an absolute monarchy was solidifying.