Celebi de Pirineus

Her name wasn't well known in the Empire.

And the same went for her evil deeds.

She was one of the many who were pa.s.sionate about the third son of the Emperor, a beautiful prince considered to be a savior and a gift from G.o.d. Amongst the admirers, she stood out because she was the Prince's childhood friend and was a horribly jealous person. If the Prince so much as glanced at any of the maidens in the palace, she would be overwhelmed with jealousy. She was always around the Prince and never went long without watching his every move.

To put it simply, she was a stalker.

Despite her constant courting, the Prince was never interested in her and only gave her cold glances.

Since it was rare for women in this day and age to take the initiative, she became used to the gossip behind her back. Especially when she snuck into the Prince's bedroom at night. The story of her being thrown into the cold with only her underwear on was still a popular tale among the people.

After listening to all of this you would be speechless too. I personally don't care if it weren't for one thing…

I don't know why, but I am now Celebi.

"What the h.e.l.l…"

I looked into the mirror and glanced at myself over and over again. After nine long years of living as a functioning member of society, my original appearance is gone and is replaced by a beautiful girl with silver hair and violet eyes, sitting on a fantasy-style chair and wearing a nightgown. Under her eyes were tears that could draw people in. Eyes that were described exactly like the novel. Is she in the middle of her teens?… Maybe younger even.

It was Celebi Pirineus's own face that I saw in the novel before falling asleep. Though I could've been any girl with silver hair and violet eyes, it didn't take me long to crush that hope. Celebi's physical appearance isn't her only distinguishing characteristic. She is the only one I know who would have in her room a life-sized cut out of the one she likes.

Crushed, I looked out the window knowing I'm no longer in my world. I was in despair after knowing I became Celebi. Why did it have to be her? After all… she dies so cruelly.

It's hard to believe, but if I'm right about this world being inside a novel, then I'll live a short life here. The hero of this munchkin fantasy is, of course, the Prince and the heroine isn't me but the Queen of Elves that the Prince will meet when he's 18.

And unfortunately, Celebi is the most malicious character in the novel. Without knowing her true ident.i.ty, Celebi jealously acted out against the Elf Queen and was in turn subjected to a lot of humiliation as punishment.

That never stopped her from giving up on the Prince, and she continued her ways until the Prince eventually cut her throat. The novel ended with the human empire making an alliance with the elven state to create a utopia with everyone living in harmony. Looking back at the plot from Celebi's perspective, she barely made it to the end.

No way.

I will never die that miserably.

I made my pledge as I held my fist up. Then the door opened and a slightly elderly woman in a medieval maid outfit came in with some other maids trailing behind.

"Mistress, now is the time for… what?"

Her eyes bulged as she looked at me sitting in the mirror. She kept staring in disbelief until I couldn't stand the awkwardness any longer.

"h.e.l.lo, good morning."

"Oh, mistress"

It was a normal greeting, but the maids covered their mouths in surprise. Celebi used to have a hard time waking up so she would always be in a hurry getting ready. She also never greeted her servants with respect. All her attention was only on the Prince.

"Can you please bring me my breakfast?"

No one responded and they all looked confused. One eventually left. If Celebi wasn't so focused on love, she would've treated her maids better.

I heard a commotion coming from the door. "Why are you out here? Did you wake her up properly?"

"She was already awake. She even asked us for breakfast and greeted us. 'h.e.l.lo, good morning' she said."

"What? That's ridiculous." The second maid firmly answered. As I was listening in, the conversation got further and further away.

Well from the novel I could guess how Celebi wasn't a good person, but now I was able to get a rough idea of how she actually is.

"What dress would you like to wear today?"

"Dress?"

"What dress do you want to wear… For work."

"…work?" I was a little refreshed and confused to hear that familiar word in this setting. So I have to go to work here. Did this world have a concept of a n.o.ble lady going to work? I made a dissatisfied face and the maid flinched back. I cleared my mind and made my face expressionless. The maid then let out a small sigh of relief.

Do you think I would get angry at you? You look like a mouse that I caught for dinner…

Worrying over her, I just remembered something. I forgot but Celebi is actually a soldier. In this fantasy world, there is a special army that the munchkin Prince founded at the age of 12 called Distin. And of course, he's the commander-in-chief of that army.

A commander-in-chief at 12 years old. He also held the strongest position in the world. What did I do when I was 12?

Anyway, despite not having any physical capabilities Celebi enlisted in the army to increase her time with the Prince. Ordinarily, this would've been impossible, but she made it possible. It was also written in the book that she never properly trained her body or mind because she didn't want to lose her ladylike body and wanted to appear fragile in front of the Prince. She never relented on clinging to him and was treated as a nuisance so she was naturally hated. I also knew that she always went to the army wearing dresses instead of uniforms… Feeling dispirited. I apologized.

"Just a plain… normal dress please."

"Do you want to wear this?" The dress that the maid picked emphasized the chest and was unusually tight on the waist. It looked so uncomfortable.

Did I say it right? I repeated myself louder.

"You asked for an ordinary one?"

"Even if you asked us that…"

The maids bowed their heads with a grim expression. In the end, I decided to choose my own dress from the closet…

Celebi is a 16 year old no matter how immature she is, but this is a bit much. If it wasn't for work, I would've left her clothes alone, but since she has a job now…

With a sigh I said, "Please throw away all these clothes."

"Yes?"

"No, I love those dresses so much…" One maid mumbled, but instead of replying, I got dressed in the plainest dress with another maid and wrapped myself in a shawl.

As soon as I opened the door, I was coldly stared down by the Prince. Wow…

The Prince before my eyes was more beautiful than I could imagine. The novel described him as blindly beautiful and they weren't wrong. Beautiful blonde hair and seductive eyes like an incubus. Even if you never saw him before, with one glance you can tell his n.o.bility. But his real dignity didn't come from his appearance or status.

The Savior of the Empire, the first dragon slayer of mankind, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Distinian Special Operations Military Unit. The Prince of the Fourteen Murders has transcended beyond the imagination.

I swallowed from the tension. His eyes swept over me in a way that didn't break the atmosphere.

"Today you're more subtle."

"…Yes?"

"Everyday you come in here with a dress you can barely move in."

I knew that he hated Celebi but I didn't think he would be so hostile. The resentment towards her was deeper than I thought. I was wondering how to change this destiny, but this isn't good.

I smiled gently. "…"

But this guy… Why does he sound so c.o.c.ky when he's talking to me? I knew the Prince often complained about Celebi, but it was completely different reading about it and hearing it in person.

After the Prince spoke, his men behind him let out a low rumble of laughter.

It seemed that they didn't care if they were heard. They knew that even if a woman was angry, she couldn't stay mad against the Prince with his high status and rank. Not to mention, in the military, rank is more important than status so they're able to find this funny. I sighed. If I was the real Celebi, I would be mad at the Prince and his men.

But that's exactly what he wants. The Prince intentionally ridicules her in front of his men in order to reduce her dignity. Celebi never realized it, but in my eyes it was so obvious.

I looked at him as he stared back with a sly smirk. It seems he still expects me to flush in anger and squeal out something along the lines of, "Raven! How could you say that to me? What are you laughing at? Are you making fun of my looks?! What's so funny for you all to laugh at a n.o.ble!"

For the men in the army, the Prince is their pride so using his name casually is enough of a blow to them. In the empire, a woman's authority is low, but in the Distinian army, their standing is to the ground. I am not treated as a n.o.ble here unless the Crown Prince, the Commander, sees it so. Moreover, the Prince considered Celebi's existence a nuisance so he'll never listen to her. Even if I cry here no one will listen to me. If I leave now I'll just look even more ridiculous which is what the Prince wants.

I just want to go in now.

"I'm sorry sir. I'll correct myself from now on," I replied plainly.

"…What?" The Prince looked disturbed. Since he seems to be doubting his ears, I spoke again.

"I apologize and will correct all the things that have disturbed the discipline of the army and the damage I have caused to the Commander's dignity for not wearing the appropriate uniform befitting my military status," I stated and bowed deeply with perfect decorum.

The Prince was silent. Well isn't that surprising. It's strange that he looks so embarra.s.sed after receiving my formal apology. Huh~

After a moment that felt like forever, or however long it took for my waist to start hurting, he finally ordered me to be at ease. The Prince looked at me in confusion before turning away. I was able to relax and breathed a sigh of relief. It's a good thing the Prince is so forgiving. If he was the same 18 year old at the end of the novel, I would have no chance against him. Brain, mind, and power. The 18 year old Prince far exceeds me in every aspect. But no matter how much of a genius he is, right now he's only 14 years old.

I just thought of something. Before the story starts, I should try my luck and see if I can avoid my death. I might even be able to take advantage of the situation. Right now, it seems that he really hates me, but it would be a piece of cake to change a child's mind. It would only take a while.

Anyway I was just dismissed so where do I go now?

I stood idly by like a loner in the military base. Celebi usually did whatever she wanted and was the only salary thief in the army. The book didn't mention anything about her job. She always just stuck to the Prince as if he was a treasure to claim.

Celebi wasn't able to train like a normal soldier because she was weak and she didn't have a genius-like brain like the Prince. To put it simply, she was born and raised like a princess with below average stats. Beauty is also meaningless since Celebi's rival was the Queen of the Elves whose beauty has transcended beyond humanity.

Well, is there anything I can do?

For the time being, I'll stay away from the Prince. I need to take my time to change my image for the better.

"Oh."

Someone ran into me since I was standing in the middle of the hallway. As I fell to the ground moaning, the person stopped and turned around. Except for the Prince, he was the youngest person I've seen here.

"Hey! You're in the way!"

I was angry at his disregard for me, but I endured it and calmly said, "Yea, I was."

"I see you're a n.o.ble lady. Are you the one who keeps on chasing after the Commander?"

I was going to introduce myself, but it seems he already knew who I was. He doesn't seem to be an ordinary soldier nor one of those who are openly hostile to me. Technically, I've never chased after him, but since what he said wasn't entirely wrong I nodded my head. His face suddenly distorted and his tone of voice softened.

"What are you doing standing there? You're going to get run into again. Unless you're chasing after the Commander?"

"I was looking for work to do."

"Work?"

The man looked at me strangely.

I nodded and exclaimed, "If there is an area with shortage of hands, I want to help!"

The man observed me and then said, "I have a good idea. Follow me."

I followed after him. I don't know who he is, but there is one thing I can be sure of. This man is thinking of giving me something difficult. He must not have a high opinion of Celebi and my reasoning is even though Celebi is a n.o.ble, he doesn't treat her that way. I don't know what his rank is, but he treats me like another one of his men.

In the military, even if rank has a higher priority, it's completely different for a girl with status. The soldiers of the Distinian army all harbor some resentment for Celebi. They trained hard whereas she relaxed during teatime. She also mocked them during their training and would pretend to fall to look weak in front of their boss.

The man stopped at the kitchen. Hmm, right. It was a amazing how he was able to come up with a place in such short notice.

"The kitchen is always short-handed. There are rarely any soldiers here that want to cook."

Being a chef is one of the hardest occupations in the empire because they have yet to develop the technology to make cooking, especially the slaughtering of animals, easy. Also, because the chefs have to clean up after all the soldiers finish eating, not many want to work here. Not to mention n.o.bles have lived their lives far away from the kitchen so many of them have never set foot in one. That doesn't include me though.

"This is good, cooking is my specialty."

I cooly rolled my sleeves up and went inside the kitchen. I almost felt embarra.s.sed for the man who brought me here to discourage me.

Oh, the tools here are pretty good. I'll have a good time cooking here.

The man came up to me and said, "How boring, you're not as weak as I thought."

"Today is pretty… luxurious." Prince Raven said with a slightly perplexed face while looking at the table.

All the chefs that used to work for the army quit because of the overwhelming appet.i.te the soldiers had. In the end, the soldiers had to fend for themselves. There are only a few people who choose cooking as a career, so it seems that they're able to eat well after a long time.

Raven satisfyingly asked the man standing next to him a question. "Did you choose the new chef?"

"No, actually Commander…"

The Prince was going to praise him if he was the one who found the new chef, but he seems reluctant to speak. The person who delivered Raven's food soured their face.

"That crazy woman couldn't have made such food. I'm sure it's poisoned-"

"A crazy woman… you're being a bit too blunt."

Raven turned his head to the familiar, yet unfamiliar voice. His childhood friend, a catastrophic pervert and parasite, stood emotionless. For a person who usually watched others do the work, her appearance was dishevelled. She was sweaty, her perfect makeup was gone, and her immaculate dress that she would wear to tackle him was stained.

Yet Celebi looked just fine.

She stared at Raven with her piercing luscious eyes. "I cooked all the food here. It sure was tough cooking for everyone."

"Tough? You're ridiculous. This amount is nothing."

"…Are you saying I'm weak?" Celebi tilted her head as if she didn't have a clue.

Raven clicked his tongue after seeing that. 'Ha! She probably did some dirty trick. I won't be fooled by her.' He barely managed to hold his temper.

He was trying to imply that Celebi's intention was to hurt him in order to put herself in prison. Whether she knew it or not, Celebi avoided his trick. Raven felt overwhelmed after remembering her previous deeds. He chewed on his red lips until they were pale.

"Don't think that I have forgotten that you tried to have my child by slipping something into my meal and sneaking into my palace like a burglar at dawn. That happened barely a month ago."

When she heard that, Celebi muttered to herself in shock. She put her hand on her forehead with a frustrated face. "No… what the h.e.l.l did you do to the Prince… you have no pride…"

The actual story behind what happened and its hidden facts were revealed in the cafeteria.

Celebi, she was willing to do a lot more for her goals than I thought she would. How am I going to fix this? It's perfectly reasonable for the Prince to doubt me. No, I'm just glad he wasn't traumatized from eating food after what happened.

How has Celebi not faced jail time yet? I face palmed and could barely lift my head.

Yet my antagonist is shooting lasers out of his eyes. He seems angry, but not because of what happened in the past.

"… For a while, I forgot what happened."

"What? You really forgot about it! Ah yes, what am I supposed to expect from you?" The Prince spoke while jerking his head to the side with an annoyed face.

Actually while I was preparing the food I held some expectations like , 'I hope I can get along with the Prince with this.' But the reason for the Prince to dislike me is so clear. Perhaps the Prince would never change his mind because of what happened in the past. Celebi's obsession towards the Prince went beyond normal, and the Prince's dislike for her was more rooted than I thought. Not to mention no one would want to be friends with someone who threatened other woman 365 days of the year!

Anyway, pushing him to eat would just make him hate me even more. I should just let it go right? But even if I say that… I can't help but feel bad.

I let out a heavy sigh, pulled a chair and sat down. "Well, I'll eat…"

"What?"

I don't care if the Prince will eat or won't eat my food, but it would be a waste of all the ingredients I used to make it.

The spoon I lifted made a loud clang.

Well, well.

Unlike the Prince and the soldiers, I don't feel embarra.s.sed or uncomfortable with my appearance or situation. The cafeteria was filled with the sound of me eating.

Crunch crunch.

Crunch crunch.

Although I was concentrating on the food in front of me, my taste buds seem to have dulled…

Gulp.

I heard someone swallow their saliva. The sound was so loud because of how quiet the room is.

I didn't miss this opportunity. "If you're hungry, you can eat."

Naturally, not one person moved.

I tried to concentrate on my food again but the Prince growled out in a bitter tone, "Who would eat anything you make? Who can eat comfortably without knowing what you put in it? I don't know what you're planning, but there is no one here who doesn't know the evil things you've done."

Oh boy, what am I doing?

'He has a lot of suspicions.' This was something the Prince had to go through to deal with his emotional distress so I couldn't help it.

I ate a baguette with a loud crunch. "… If I have poisoned the food, I would not be eating like this. Besides, what reason would I have to poison my boss and his men?"

As a n.o.ble, aside from the Prince, his men's heads could fly from that accusation.

That is if the Prince doesn't intervene.

But pointing this out would only prove that the rumors about my villainous personality are true, so I swallowed my comment. "Even so, do you think I would feed your precious people with my poisoned food?"

"…"

I dropped the baguette I was eating and looked around. Everyone was sweaty and dirty. Obviously they've been doing a lot of training.

I sighed and said, "…Although I am unfamiliar with tactics and the theory of law, I dare to speak up to you, Your Highness, the Commander-in-Chief of the great Distinian army…"

"…" The Prince crossed his arms and stared at me to wait for whatever I had to stay.

I am going to tear down his feather-light logic.

The Prince's malice-filled gaze was too burdensome, so I concentrated my gaze on my leftovers.

"…I think the most important thing for a ruler is a mind that thinks about his men."

After hearing that, the Prince spoke to me in a fierce voice that sounded barely above a whisper. "I care about my men more than anything else. If this is some sort of jokeㅡ."

"Obviously I heard that the military training for the soldiers serving under Your Highness in the Distinian army is 10 times harsher than the general soldiers."

"…"

Upon saying that, the Prince looked at me lividly. With his quick thinking, he already knows what I wanted to say without another word. It seems like he wants to slice my neck right about now. The bloodl.u.s.t from humanity's first dragon slayer is powerful and my body felt like I was in a thick pool of mud. I could barely breathe, but I continued on.

"And I know that the soldiers still have a lot of afternoon training. Tonight's training is infamous for being harsh. I also heard that the training at dawn will have the soldiers starve. If the soldiers don't eat, they will collapse."

I couldn't stand meeting his gaze anymore and was forced to look elsewhere. I tried to speak sounding at ease, but I couldn't keep my voice from shaking.

"Even if you want to prepare food now, I have already used up all the ingredients for today. And if you decide to go to a restaurant outside the palace, it will take quite a while to prepare meals for an army of this size."

As soon as I finished, the Prince spoke with chilling anger, "Ha, I know this is another one of your lies. Are you trying to intimidate me with just that? In exchange for this, you're going to ask me for something to satisfy your perverted desires. You're so obvious."

My body went rigid at the Prince's fierce words. My perverted desire? What the h.e.l.l did you ask the Prince, Celebi…

I don't know for sure, but I feel like I stepped on a land mine known as the Prince's trauma. No, to be precise, any keywords between him and Celebi were land mines.

Are you kidding me? No… no way! Please listen to the person in front of you now, Your Highness. I don't have any sort of perverted desires for you. I'm not the type of person who thinks about s.e.x¹ all the time. Please don't ignore² me.

Those words barely escaped my mouth, but I was able to swallow it down. If he heard it, the Prince will be humiliated and my head will be flying before I reach the end of the novel.

I said with utmost reproach, "No, that is false. I will never dare threaten Your Highness or your men. They are my sincere colleagues."

"Colleagues? This time you're insulting them." The Prince seemed to be so disgusted that I had to hurry and say whatever I had to say.

But I couldn't speak.

After meeting the Prince's eyes, I woke up from my stupor and said, "…I will tell you this now. It does not matter if Your Highness hates me and continues to hate me, but there is no reason to let your men suffer because of your personal feelings. I have excluded my feelings for Your Highness and I have done my job as a soldier of Distin, that is all. If you are a person standing above others, should you not be calmer than anyone else? It is the person on top, not the subordinates, that cause damage emotionally. I may not know much as a lady, but should the future king of our country act like this?"

I didn't intend to talk so intensely, but as I talked my breath gradually became heavier. I sat down and picked up a fork.

"If you think I'm wrong, I would not mind that you put me in jail for contempt against the royal family."

My stomach was already full, but I pushed a pancake into my mouth.