The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 58: The Princess’ Duty

Chapter 58: The Princess’ Duty

After a week, Eve completely recovered. She didn’t remember the moment when she attacked Gideon. The hunter chose to keep it from her in the meantime, in order not to cause emotional stress on Eve.

But he warned the people in the Stormholt Manor not to let her drink wine or any liquor. He just told them that Eve was allergic to those kinds of drinks.

Eve only stayed at Stormholt Manor, tending to her medicinal garden every morning and doing her archery training in the afternoon.

[ Where is Sera? ] Eve asked Marie and Claire.

Eve had noticed that Sera had changed. She had become more distant from her as if she had been avoiding her.

"Your Highness, Sera left this morning. She said she would be visiting her family. She will be back in the evening," Marie replied.

The three of them were in the kitchen, preparing some snacks for the knights.

"Your Highness! The cookies are ready. We will go and distribute the snacks to our mighty knights!" Claire blurted out excitedly.

Eve nodded and scribbled on her pad.

[ Let me join you. I want to talk to them and bond with them. Staying in my room makes me bored. ]

Eve lamented, pouting her lips. She’s been in her room for a week because of her fever. But now, her complexion has improved. She also gained a little weight.

Marie and Claire just giggled after seeing her adorable expression.

"Okay, Princess. Come with us."

The three ladies headed to the spot where the knights were stationed to guard the manor. Upon seeing Eve, they immediately stood up and courtly bowed. They greeted her politely.

"Princess Eve prepared these cookies for everyone!" Marie declared to them.

The knights rejoiced upon hearing that. Eve’s culinary skills were top-notch. They loved eating the food she cooked.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" They said in unison.

As Claire and Marie served the food, everyone settled down on their respective chairs. They were gathered at one large table.

[ While eating, can you tell me more about yourselves, and the 5th Battalion? I want to get to know everyone. ]

Randolf scratched his face, smiling shyly. "Your Highness, nothing is interesting about us. We are just warriors who fight for our kingdom."

"The truth is... all members of the fifth battalion came from the slum. We are all commoners. Being a knight is our source of living to support and provide food to our poor families." a knight spoke up.

The other knights nodded in agreement to their comrade’s remark.

"Unlike the other noble knights, they had more benefits from us. Even in the distribution of shields and weapons. They only get high quality weapons. But for us, we have to settle on the things the Master of Arms provides us."

Hearing their sentiments, Eve realized that these knights were being discriminated against just because of their poor status. She could relate to them.

’I want to change this system. Nobles or not, these men are sacrificing their lives just to serve and protect the kingdom. I want to do something for them.’ Eve thought to herself, her eyes filled with determination.

"But don’t worry, Princess Eve. We are not blaming the royal family. It’s happening not just in our kingdom, but also in other kingdoms," Randolf added when he noticed the changes in Eve’s expression. He thought their words might have hurt or offended her.

"We are already grateful that we could earn something and support our families."

Eve gave them a faint smile.

[ I would like to visit the slum! Can we go there one of these days? I want to see the situation of our people in the slum area. ]

She was still a princess of Kingdom Averion so she felt the need to care for the people of Averion. As their princess, she wanted to do something for her people.

Meanwhile, the knights and the female servants were stupefied at Eve’s requests. They didn’t expect that Princess Eve would show interest in visiting the slum.

Not even the crown prince, the king, and the queen had visited that area. Nobles had been avoiding the place, afraid of getting robbed by people living in the slum. They thought that people living in the slums were all dangerous, dirty, and disgusting.

"Are you sure about that, Your Highness? Aren’t you afraid of the people living in the slum area?" Randolf asked her expectantly.

Eve shook her head vehemently and wrote.

[ No. Why would I be afraid of my people? I have the duty to care for them. Furthermore, my husband also came from the slum, just like you. You are all good people! The real heroes of this kingdom! ]

Knights of low rank were often sent to the battlefield first. They were always on the frontline as if they were always the sacrificial lambs. That’s the harsh reality.

However, Eve’s kind and sincere words boosted their morale, deeply touching them.

"Your wish is our command, Your Highness. We shall visit the slums in the coming days. We will ensure your safety," Randolf reassured her.

They were still in the middle of their conversation when a messenger knight joined them.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Good news! General Alaric and his army have safely arrived today at the palace!"

Eve’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of her husband’s name. Deep inside, she had been missing him and praying for his safe return.

She couldn’t hide her joy as soon as she heard the piece of good news.

"Your Highness, we should prepare your dress. There will be a grand banquet at the palace tonight to welcome the Crown Prince of Eldara. You and General Stormholt will attend the banquet. He might even fetch you later," Marie excitedly blurted out.

Eve nodded with a smile. She didn’t care about the banquet. But she was looking forward to seeing her husband again.

’He kept his promise. He returned after three weeks.’ Eve’s face brightened up at that thought.

"Hmm. It seems that Her Highness had missed our Lord a lot. She is blushing!" Claire added, teasing Eve.

Everyone joined in the teasing, making Eve’s face even more flushed.

However, Eve was oblivious to Sera’s action which would stir a conflict between the married couple. Unlike the other knights, Sera received a prior message regarding Alaric’s arrival.

She had left the Stormholt Manor today to meet Alaric at the palace. She would reveal Eve’s secrets to Alaric.