Chapter 242
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She—Princess Puffy—is brilliant.
This refers not only to her intelligence but also to her beautiful and dignified conduct as the Princess of Arcana, as well as her character.
With her outstanding appearance and virtues like compassion and humility, she receives nothing but praise from nobles both domestic and foreign.
Being brilliant, she has clearly understood her position since childhood.
In her memories, she has always been the center of attention.
Everyone watches her every move. While many are moved to breathlessness by her gestures and conduct, there are also a non-negligible number of eyes waiting for her to make mistakes, seeking to catch her slip-ups.
However, these are inseparable from her position as royalty. Royalty represents the authority and symbol of the nation, and even children cannot escape this yoke.
Puffy accepts and understands this.
But she is just a little tired.
While she isn’t so cynical as to mock herself as a bird in a cage, she still feels an unavoidable suffocation.
Yet naturally, she recalls the origin of everything she has received—her meals, the excellent education provided to her, the residence where she never feels too hot or cold, and the finest clothes and decorations that common people could never obtain. She thinks—or rather, has come to think—that the suffocation she feels is extremely disrespectful to the country, its history, and its people.
Even though thoughts should be free.
Even though just thinking should be free.
She, being serious and sincere, doesn’t understand this.
And though she never shows it—or rather, hasn’t noticed it herself—she despairs at the long life ahead of her.
The overwhelming reality lies before her, impossible to change: she will continue to perform as the beautiful and brilliant Puffy Augusta von Arcana, and when the time is right and the harvest is most bountiful, she will either marry into a noble family to strengthen ties between the royal family and nobility, or wed a prince from another country as proof of international friendship.
However, Puffy does have times when she can be herself. These are the moments when she is reading.
She loves tales of adventurers. She turns the pages with excitement as these free spirits face dangers armed with wisdom and courage. She also adores the mystery novel genre written by transferred individuals, feeling deeply satisfied by these intellectual games that fully satisfy her curiosity.
She also enjoys various other stories, from biographies to non-fiction.
But her favorite genre is what’s popular among common urban women—to be more precise, romance stories.
Because some would consider it vulgar, she secretly obtains these books through trusted messengers.
On days when a messenger brings her a new book, she fidgets all day, eager to immerse herself in the story’s world.
Though she maintains perfect composure—so perfect that not even her father, mother, or other relatives notice—her mind is filled with thoughts of the yet-unread romance.
Among the many romance stories, she has one absolute favorite book.
Read and reread countless times, while never explicitly stated, it could rightfully be called her bible.
Its content is an embarrassingly cliché 「Romance of the Summoned Hero and the Princess.」
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Along with Chancellor Madison, she, who opposed the summoning, learns of it only after everything is finished.
Her father, King Arcana, is pressured by the eloquent leader of the pro-summoning faction, who had schemed for Chancellor Madison’s absence. They insist that the time limit for using the summoning device is approaching, arguing, 「Their power is remarkable. Please approve this to save the country from danger,」 and 「If you don’t agree now and the damage spreads, resulting in many deaths, it will be irreversible.」
When she hears this fact, she feels dizzy and about to collapse. It’s sophistry. Why won’t they believe in the power of this world’s people? Why make completely uninvolved people risk danger?
When she goes to her father, she scolds him with the loudest voice she has ever raised.
However, it’s all too late.
Everything has been set in motion and started rolling.
The two summoned individuals receive the extremely rare jobs of Hero and Holy Knight, and many who witness the summoning boast, 「Our country is now secure.」
Moreover, for them to return home, they must either wait twenty years or obtain the Wish Orb, and wanting to obtain it at any cost, they accept the challenge of exploring the Newly Constructed Most Challenging Dungeon.
All she can do now is support them.
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Though she chides herself for having such improper feelings, she can’t help comparing the summoned Hero to the heroes in stories.
The Hero she has seen several times is a slovenly person.
He is the complete opposite of the heroes in stories.
The Hero gladly accepts attention from members of powerful pro-summoning noble families. She hears that he is being greatly pampered and celebrated there.
According to castle rumors, the young Hero drinks heavily even while the sun is still high, like a debaucherous adventurer, and indulges in affairs with the women provided to him.
Yet Puffy feels this must be true.
In the castle hallways, Puffy has encountered the Hero multiple times.
Every time he passes by, along with the smell from his body, his lustful, sticky gaze fixed on her makes her tremble with intense fear and disgust when she returns to her room, clutching her shaking body.
However, this fear gradually disappears.
The turning point is her meeting with the young Holy Knight.
In Puffy’s eyes, the young Holy Knight is an indomitable soul who stands up no matter how many times he falls—his eyes always sparkle with light.
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