Chapter 18

“Sir Rupert, come here and sit for a moment.”

The voice of the princess calling me to her side with arms crossed clearly held an unmistakable joy.

‘What is it? Why is she so excited so unsettlingly.’

I, merely the second son of a provincial lord without any title yet, couldn’t resist royal magic.

Thus, I knelt on one knee before the princess and bowed my head in response.

“I apologize deeply. Please withdraw your command for me to sit before Your Highness.”

Is this etiquette correct? Since I rushed here, I wasn’t sure, so I subtly glanced at the Head Attendant whom I knew.

The white-haired, fussy old Head Attendant gave a slightly satisfied smile upon seeing me.

‘Thankfully, it seems I didn’t get the etiquette wrong.’

But I had only cleared one hurdle. There were still plenty of landmines ahead, so I had to stay alert.

“I personally grant you permission to lift your head.”

“I am grateful for the Princess’s grace.”

Only after the princess’s permission finally fell did I dare raise my head.

Then, I finally saw the face of the princess I’d only seen in pictures.

Her black hair and eyes, like stars scattered across the night sky, stood out immediately as a feature of the ‘Bell’ family of the imperial household.

But what struck me more was her stunning beauty.

Dressed in a gorgeous and elegant gown and adorned with fine jewelry befitting a member of the royal family, most noble ladies would struggle to carry such attire.

Yet, the princess overshadowed the lavish outfit with her own beauty, making it look almost ordinary.

‘Indeed, the title ‘Flower of the Empire’ isn’t misplaced.’

Even in the original novel, there’s a scene where men argue over whether Amelia or the princess is more beautiful.

Truly, she was one of the most beautiful women in this world.

“Do you know why I called you?”

The princess looked at me directly and asked immediately.

Clearly, the letter mentioned that we’d discuss “The Little Mermaid.”

“I believe it’s about questions regarding The Little Mermaid.”

“Yes, I precisely want to ask you about The Little Mermaid!”

“Please inquire, Your Highness.”

“What happened to the prince after the mermaid returned to the sea?”

“Pardon?”

I thought she summoned me because she didn’t like the ending, but this sudden mention of the prince caught me off guard, leading to an inappropriate response due to confusion.

“I already know everything. Surely, as the author, you must have thought through the subsequent stories?”

But I haven’t!

*

“So, the prince misses the little mermaid…”

“Ah, now that makes sense! That sounds plausible, continue.”

Third Prince Edric could only stare dumbfounded at this unprecedented sight.

“Who is he?”

“He is Sir Rupert, the second son of Count Somerset.”

“Somerset?”

At Aiden’s reply, Edric recalled the name from the list of noble families in his memory.

“The house of lords from the Southern Goldfull Valley region.”

While an ordinary person might not remember hundreds of noble families in the empire, it was possible for the third prince.

“Why is he here, and why does my sister seem so enthusiastic talking to him?”

Confused about where to start, Aiden eventually explained everything that had happened from the beginning.

“Fairy tale books… I’ve heard rumors, but I didn’t expect Sister to be so into them.”

It was hard for Edric to imagine the meticulous princess being so passionate about children’s books.

“I’d like to see them too.”

“I’ll bring them for you.”

When Edric expressed interest in the fairy tale books, Aiden instructed a palace maid to fetch the books from the princess’s room.

*

Human experience truly matters. Thanks to that time when my senior in the military made me tell a funny story during guard duty, this skill comes in handy now.

“That’s right. What I was curious about was exactly that! If the prince can’t forget the mermaid and even goes to the witch to become a merman…”

Seeing the princess clap her hands saying how romantic it was, I finally relaxed.

Suddenly asking about the sequel to The Little Mermaid, I couldn’t say I hadn’t written it, so I used superhuman abilities to improvise a story on the spot.

‘The prince suddenly recalls the memory of falling into the sea.’

‘And then?’

‘Realizing that the one who saved him wasn’t the neighboring kingdom’s princess but someone else, the prince…’

A good storyteller is indeed a great liar. My childhood talent for flawless lies turned out to be quite helpful.

Fortunately, the princess seemed pleased with my hastily concocted story and listened with a smile.

However, catering to the princess’s taste for strange parts wasn’t easy.

‘She thinks the mermaid, having been hurt already, will reject the prince’s advances.’

‘Indeed, Your Highness has a remarkable insight into the hearts of men and women.’

‘But the prince becomes more obsessed with the mermaid’s aloofness, and moved by his suffering, the mermaid begins to waver…’

This woman, since last time when she complained about the ending, seems to crave very stimulating stories.

How anyone could think of such a sequel after reading The Little Mermaid is beyond me.

Nevertheless, by agreeing with her imagination, I successfully crafted a story that pleased her, leaving the princess greatly satisfied.

“I expected excellence from you, but you’ve exceeded my expectations.”

With a satisfied smile, the princess forcibly seated me opposite her.

Tzzz…

Though I felt the elderly Head Attendant glaring at me, I couldn’t refuse the princess’s order and sat uncomfortably.

‘But isn’t that guy Edric?’

Beside the Head Attendant, a handsome young man with black hair was avidly reading the fairy tale book.

If someone in the palace has black hair, they’re probably royalty, and if male, definitely one of the princes.

The sole reason I thought this guy was the protagonist of the original novel, Third Prince ‘Edric Bell,’ was simple:

‘He’s ridiculously handsome.’

I thought my reincarnated body, Rupert, was pretty good-looking, but this guy was a statue.

Just reading a fairy tale book made it feel like he was shooting a photo spread.

‘Damn, why is he here? Is this all because of that cursed monkey’s paw?’

Meeting characters I hoped to avoid keeps happening, which is undoubtedly the work of that cursed monkey’s paw.

“Sir Rupert, I’m very pleased today and wish to reward you.”

“No, Your Highness. Being here itself is an honor for my family.”

The reward will probably be some useless plaque or something.

“No, even so, I must reward my personally invited guest. Tell me what you desire.”

Damn, I really want money. But if I said that, they’d call me greedy and dishonorable.

Should I ask for flowers or a handkerchief given by the princess? As I pondered, a good idea popped into my mind.

“Your Highness, may I humbly share my thoughts?”

“Speak freely.”

“I wish for a world where all the citizens of the empire can read the fairy tales I create.”

“What?”

“My books are made for children, hoping to help the future pillars of the empire grow into upright individuals.”

“And?”

“With my limited capabilities alone, it’s impossible. But with Your Highness’s grace, I hope even poor commoners’ children can access books.”

Did it work?

I marveled at my spontaneous idea. Asking outright for material things was impossible, but promoting book accessibility?

This request might just pass under the radar.

Since I raised the issue for public benefit, the princess couldn’t call it rude or dishonorable.

“Indeed, you understand my thoughts!”

Huh?

“I also believe these books should be read by many children. Unfortunately, many commoners cannot read.”

“Yes, it’s unfortunate, but true.”

“Surely what you’re suggesting is using your accessible books to reduce illiteracy among our people?”

“Wait… Your Highness! That’s not what I meant!”

No, I just wanted to promote book distribution and get money; I wasn’t aiming for anything as grand as eradicating illiteracy.

Why is she scaling this up so much?

“How wonderful that your thinking aligns so closely with mine. Truly, nobility must always consider those beneath them.”

How did wanting to distribute books turn into eliminating illiteracy? I couldn’t stop the princess’s runaway train.

Desperately seeking help, I looked toward the Head Attendant, but he only stared back with a perplexed expression, offering no assistance.

‘Just give me the damn money!’

Crying out internally did no good.

*

‘Am I losing my ability to judge people?’

Edric observed Rupert discussing book distribution with the princess.

Though confident in his ability to judge people, Edric found Rupert suspicious—a sneaky, greedy type.

His cold demeanor while speaking to the princess contrasted starkly with his sycophantic words, creating cognitive dissonance for anyone watching.

But Edric was proven wrong.

When the princess mentioned rewards, Rupert’s change in eye expression confirmed Edric’s suspicions—until…

-“I wish for a world where all citizens of the empire can read the fairy tales I create.”

Unexpectedly, Rupert spoke not of money or material gain but of educating the populace.

He sincerely expressed his desire for royal assistance to make books affordable for the poor.

‘I misjudged him. Who would have thought he harbored such grand ambitions?’

Edric resolved not to hastily judge people in the future.