The Unwanted Princess Becomes Loved in the Werewolf Kingdom and Becomes Queen!

Chapter 66: Whatever you want

Ivan was a man of his word. He really did end the battle in no time at all upon the arrival of reinforcements.

And in a truly rare occurrence, he decided to rely on his subordinates this time around. Swallowing his pride, he asked Silvestor if he could go back first with a cheerful smile, to which he obviously agreed.

❂

“Who are you?”

It took Ivan a little time to realize that it was his own voice. He was consumed by rage that burnt all his thoughts and stared ferociously at the woman in front of him with a fierce blue glow.

“…Have you forgotten? I’m Ermengard.”

Even faced with the imposing spirit that could make even battle-hardened warriors cower in fear, the woman remained expressionless.

This only fueled Ivan’s rage even more. He couldn’t forgive the fact that she could lie so blithely with the same face as the only woman he had ever loved in the world.

“Do you think you can fool me with such a bad act? When did you switch places? … Where did you take my wife?”

The desk he grabbed let out a scream and cracked under his grip. Despite the ominous sound, the woman returned his stare with her deep green eyes without flinching.

Their opposing passions clashed, filling the room with an oppressive silence. The woman was the first to sigh and averted her gaze, shrugging her shoulders.

“…I didn’t expect to be seen through at a glance. Yes, I’m not your Ellie.”

For a woman who had been caught in a deadly lie, her demeanor remained as aloof as ever. Ivan, frustrated by her calm demeanor, silently takes his hands off the desk and adjusts his composure.

“My name is Ermengard. I am the real Ermengard, born and raised as the first princess of the Bral Empire.”

As soon as her confession registered in his mind, there was a loud knock on the door. Ivan thought it was opening without permission, but someone stumbled in, gasping for breath.

“Wait a minute! Ivan, don’t you dare touch that person. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life…”

Johan, his glasses slipped down his nose, but even in his frenzy, he seemed to sense the icy chill between the two.

“Oh… you have noticed. Here, then. I have summarized the report that the spy brought back just yesterday.”

Ivan took the parchment handed to him and scanned through it from beginning to end. The record was a series of outrageous acts that were hard to believe.

In the imperial family of Bral, twins are considered taboo.

Princess Ermengard was actually born as the older twin, but her younger sister, Ernesta, was thought to have been killed. In reality, she was taken in by a scholar and raised as a commoner.

This marriage led to Princess Ermengard running away and Ernesta taking her place as a substitute. In return, Ernesta promised to provide medical treatment for her adoptive mother.

The fact that his wife’s many actions were unlike those of a princess made sense once he learned who she really was.

The fact that she never showed any fear of werewolf tribes, farm work or insects, and her ability to skillfully peel fruits, make candy and perform other commoner-like tasks was also remarkable.

And above all, the reason why she always seemed sad became clear.

Ivan said he believed in her. He said it not to reassure himself, but because he truly believed in her.

Suppressing the urge to crumple the parchment, he raised his face with a deeply angry expression. They had gathered enough information to come this far, but now he had no time to spare for his friend.

“…I feel nauseous. You’re no better than the animals. How could you commit such atrocities against your own family?”

“Yes, that’s right. I have no words to reply.”

For the first time, Ermengard lowered her gaze in regret. The fact that they were twins began to sink in, and Ivan stared at the woman in front of him as if glaring.

“Still, how did you figure it out? We look exactly alike. We didn’t intend to give you any opening to question us with confidence.”

“Don’t underestimate me. Everything is different, that’s all.”

Ivan knew at a glance. There was an inexplicable difference that could not be expressed in words, but it was clear that they were different people.

Above all, his wife never smiled like that. She is more honest, more flustered, more caring. If her husband returned unannounced from war, those lovely eyes would widen, and she would be immediately overjoyed that he was safe.

“I ask you again, where is Ellie?”

The voice was low and filled with absolute power.

He didn’t care about the conspiracy. He just wanted to see her face again and convey what he had to say.

“Well, I don’t know. Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

“What did you say?”

“She’s just an innocent person who came all this way for her foster mother. I take full responsibility, so punish me alone. I won’t let you touch her.”

Ermengard’s attitude, which had been like a cloud until now, was replaced by the dignity of a princess emanating from her entire body.

It seems that this woman, being the daughter of the Bral Emperor, possesses a consciousness of being a leader. However it only increases his frustration.

“Don’t make it an annoying game of cat and mouse. I just want to see her.”

Johan was completely out of the picture, but this time he took a breath.

The pressure emitted by the Werewolf King was so intense that even sweat came out on Ermengard’s temples.

“…I see. But what about her? Even if you want to see her, does she wish to live as the queen of this country?”

Ivan felt a sharp pain in his chest from that remark.

She was just one of the kind people in the country. No matter how much Ivan wanted to be with her, she might choose to live back home.

But still.

“Then I’ll beg her to come back.”

He couldn’t do anything. He knew she was suffering, but he couldn’t help it.

He didn’t know when it started, but ever since this feeling had taken hold in his heart, there had always been a warm sensation that was both itchy and comforting.

It was dear to him. He didn’t want to lose it. That’s why he was scared and couldn’t take a step forward.

He mocked himself as a coward. He might have been undeserving in her eyes, but such a pathetic man still cared for her deeply.

“I may be rejected, but I’ll still go see her… She’s someone important.”

With heartfelt determination, Ermengard’s eyes shone with a quiet light. The princess, whose eyes were somewhat similar to those of her sister, whom she had missed, averted her gaze, displaying a soft bitter smile.

“Really, I’m at my wits’ end. I tried to protect that her, but I ended up becoming a villain. It seems like I was being too meddlesome.”

Ermengard’s words, muttered as if chewing, were vague, and while she was perplexed, a book was thrown at her. Ivan received it smoothly and carefully looked back at the person who threw it to him.

“What book is this?”

“I am not qualified to keep it, so I offer it to you. Please read it.”

Ivan opened the book as instructed. On the first page, the following words were written in easy-to-read letters.

[Month, Date

I started writing a diary today. There are several reasons for this: to remember what I’ve seen and learned, to study by myself… those are the only two. Anyway, I will do my best to write it.]

As soon as Ivan finished reading that sentence, he was amazed. It was easy to tell who wrote it without even thinking about it.