The Beloved Youngest Daughter of the Lord Family - Chapter 16
At that very moment, Walter, who was handling duties on the battlefield in Lord’s stead, was utterly miserable.
Right after Vlad departed for the Black Forest, hordes of monsters—previously quiet—suddenly stormed into camp.
Though the desperate last-ditch ambush ended before dawn even broke, the real problem lay in the aftermath.
They had just fought a massive battle the day before and were finally catching their breath.
Juggling both command and staff duties alone, exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave.
Disposing of the repulsive monster carcasses and updating the loot inventory were among the most tedious tasks.
‘There’s never been an expedition like this from the start.’
The Chepesu Kingdom had begun dealing with monsters appearing along the so-called “Boundary”—their border region—right after the Endless War concluded.
That war, involving humans on the surface, demonkin, and even the demons who ruled the Demon Realm, had left the entire continent nearly razed to the ground.
As the continent fragmented into the Empire and numerous smaller kingdoms, a bizarre phenomenon emerged: swarms of monsters flooded the borderlands between the Chepesu Kingdom and the Empire.
This became the present-day Boundary—a place rumored to house an entrance to the Demon Realm and guarded by an immensely potent magical barrier.
‘If only this region didn’t exist, life would’ve been far easier—with no reason for disputes with the Empire.’
Naturally, as a borderland matter, anything concerning the Boundary held the potential to escalate into a sensitive diplomatic issue between the two nations.
The Empire had initially reached out first, proposing a joint force to eliminate the growing monster hordes—but Vlad flatly rejected the offer.
He’d long realized that, despite the fancy title of “alliance,” allying with the shrewd Empire would bring no benefit to the Kingdom.
In the end, Vlad proceeded by enlisting Elga’s aid to monitor the Boundary and periodically launching expeditions to control the monster population.
From the Empire’s perspective, this was like blowing one’s nose without lifting a finger—so they had no choice but to treat the Chepesu Kingdom with even greater respect.
After all, if the Kingdom ever abandoned its Boundary duties, the one who’d suffer most would be none other than the Integra Empire.
“…Just what is Lord thinking?”
Was the Kingdom truly bearing such heavy losses solely because he disliked forming ties with the Empire?
Yet Vlad was not one to easily voice his intentions—and even less so to reverse a decision once made.
Perhaps the only time he’d ever changed his mind midway was for Princess Bella.
Ever since Queen Daphne’s passing, Vlad had regarded the barely breathing princess as little more than a living doll.
“Sigh… Better get back to work.”
He wished Lord would just hurry back so he could head over to Rose Palace.
Was Sione still very angry?
Just as he imagined her pouting face and unconsciously fought to suppress the smile tugging at his lips—
a portal suddenly opened before him, and his eternally troublesome superior popped right out.
“Yaaah! Lord! Without any warning, what on earth— Wait, who’s that boy?”
Walter’s eyes widened as he spotted an unconscious youth slung under Vlad’s arm.
“That’s Benian. Just shove him somewhere into the loot inventory.”
“Huh? You really found him there? But he looks… uh… He’s not dead, is he?”
“Not sure. His breathing seemed unstable, but who knows. If he’s dead, just bring him back to life.”
No matter how revered Lord was, how was he supposed to resurrect the dead?
‘He really is heartless, as always.’
And that wasn’t all.
Vlad himself was the very one who’d assigned Walter so much work right before this expedition that he’d had no chance to even whisper a word to Sione.
He’d even issued a strict order forbidding any notice of the expedition from reaching Rose Palace.
Despite knowing full well Walter’s long-held feelings for her, Vlad acted as though he couldn’t care less about what might happen between them.
‘I’d just begun to think maybe things could finally get better between us…’
Muttering resentfully with his lips jutted out, Walter crouched down to check the boy’s condition.
Though the youth had multiple broken bones and was covered in bruises, he seemed merely unconscious—his life not in immediate danger.
“I’ll provide basic treatment and isolate him for now. We should probably shackle him too—Benian’s exceptional physical prowess is quite famous, after all.”
“Handle it as you see fit.”
“But are you sure that’s wise? If you take him to the capital, plenty will covet him.”
He was asking which noble house would ultimately receive the valuable Benian.
Upon an expedition’s conclusion, all loot was distributed according to merit and contributions.
But countless people would undoubtedly scramble fiercely for just this one boy.
“If you’ve got time worrying about that, go fix up the barracks instead. The place was an utter mess—I almost regret leaving it to you, Walter.”
“That’s unfair, Lord! Do you have any idea how hard I’ve worked? Look at these dark circles under my handsome face—I haven’t slept a wink in days…”
“Enough idle chatter. While you’re tidying up, start packing the tents too. It seems it’s about time to conclude this expedition.”
As soon as those long-awaited words left Vlad’s mouth, not only Walter but all nearby soldiers visibly brightened.
“In two days, the entire army returns to the capital.”
[This is the timeline separator]Word of the expedition’s return reached Rose Palace the next afternoon.
“Lord is finally coming back! It feels like half a year’s passed already—time really flies.”
“The royal palace will be bustling! I wonder what gifts he’ll hand out this time?”
I watched the excited maids huddled together, chattering animatedly, and took a large spoonful of custard pudding.
‘It’s rather surprising he shares loot even with ordinary palace staff.’
And not just trinkets—each item held considerable value, so everyone eagerly awaited this moment.
Compared to the Empire, which confiscated all spoils of war straight into the state treasury, it was like heaven versus earth.
‘Still, it’s probably just another political maneuver to keep public favor.’
In conflicts between nations, land and assets were seized for profit—but expeditions to annihilate monster legions operated differently.
Dispatching expedition forces periodically required enormous military expenditure and manpower, surely burdening Father greatly as well.
Thus, distributing the acquired loot freely won people’s hearts, while rewarding noble houses with honors and decorations granted them both tangible benefits and prestige.
Even though vampires instinctively pledged loyalty to Lord, once they formed a structured nation, they had to attend to such details—no different from humans.
Just as I was lost in these thoughts and scooped another wobbly spoonful of pudding into my mouth—
a knock sounded, and a splendidly dressed knight entered.
“Pardon my intrusion. Are you Her Royal Highness Bella Akard Chepesu?”
“…Yes, that’s me. But without prior notice, what brings you here? As you know, outsiders aren’t permitted to enter.”
Sione stepped protectively in front of me, eyeing the man warily.
She seemed visibly angered by his rudeness—arriving unannounced and immediately demanding confirmation of a royal’s identity.
“I am Mikhail of the Royal Knights. I’ve come to deliver a letter from Lord.”
“From Lord… addressed to the princess?”
“Yes. It’s somewhat urgent—please forgive the abrupt visit. Confirming Her Highness’s identity was merely procedural; I hope you won’t take offense.”
Sione’s expression flickered with surprise as she opened the envelope he handed her.
“It’s an invitation to the royal banquet. Then… might Lord have lifted Rose Palace’s confinement order?”
“No, not at all. By custom, all royals attend the homecoming celebration of the expedition. Lord specifically instructed that Princess Bella must be present.”
“…I see. Thank you.”
Of course, the thanks were purely ceremonial.
Sione’s disappointed face clearly read: “Should I really be grateful for this?”
“I shall take my leave now. I still need to deliver invitations to other palaces and noble houses.”
“It’ll be quite the gathering—an official banquet hosted by Lord himself after so long!”
“Indeed. Not just the capital—hundreds of influential nobles from other regions have been invited. It’s shaping up to be a grand event.”
The brown-haired knight bowed politely to Sione and me before departing the palace.
While Sione fell deep in thought, everyone else seemed delighted by the unexpected news.
“A banquet hosted by Lord! How long has it been? I’m so excited!”
“And it’s Princess Bella’s first official appearance before the public too! Oh dear! We must immediately order new dresses and jewels. Aren’t you thrilled, Lady Bella?”
“Huh? Oh… sure.”
I replied halfheartedly, glancing down at my clothes and shoes.
The fine silk infant dress and gleaming calfskin shoes were far too lavish for a confined princess—but those around me apparently thought otherwise.
‘A banquet… Honestly, I don’t feel like going…’
I knew I’d eventually have to appear before people—but the timing felt wrong.
Thanks to eating and sleeping diligently to seem older, I’d grown a tiny bit taller—but I was still very much a little child.
‘And that’s not the only issue.’
My speech still lisped due to a short tongue, and my chronic mana deficiency meant I always had to move carefully—hardly ideal conditions for a grand debut.
I’d hoped to wait a bit longer and present a perfect version of myself, so this felt slightly disappointing.
“But… do I really haffa go?”
The moment I showed reluctance, Rosa flinched in surprise and knelt apologetically.
“Oh! We didn’t realize you disliked the idea—we got carried away on our own! I’m so sorry, Lady Bella.”
“No, it’s awright. But… if I don’t go, wha’ gonna happen?”
“A royal who can’t attend must send a proxy of equal status. But right now, there’s no one suitable in Rose Palace…”
Rosa trailed off, stealing a sideways glance at Sione’s reaction.
She seemed worried her words might imply I was a princess with no one to rely on.
Sure enough, Sione bristled immediately, blurting out the expected reply.
“If you don’t want to go, you absolutely don’t have to! That silly royal decree—I’ll find some way to handle it…”
Panicked that Sione would defy royal orders again, I frantically waved my hands and instantly changed my tune.
“No no no! I wanna go—I reawy, reawy wanna go! I’m suuuper excited to wear a pretty dress!”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
Claimed to love the mother, but ignored their own child…. how great.
Oh, what’s happening? My poor baby Bella! I hope someone comes to help her quickly 😭💔
This is a very mean place to stop
I want to know what Support she gives!!!!!!!!!