CHAPTER 602: THE PRINCESS AND THE TREASURY

Graceful, elegant, refined, and most of all orderly. That was how one typically described life at the Imperial Palace.

However, at this very moment, all of that had been thrown into the bin.

Chaos.

There was chaos everywhere.

Forget about walking with dignified, proper strides when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through every corridor. The palace that once breathed discipline now sounded like a marketplace during a fire sale.

And well... safe to say, there was an emergency.

While the citizens of the Empire were busy reeling from the newest Star Net posts about the goods they had finally managed to purchase, the ruling family and their most loyal personnel were contending with a very different kind of crisis.

"Your Imperial Highness, what about this one? Do you think it would be suitable?" asked one of the aides from the Imperial treasury, his hands trembling as he presented a long-sealed case.

On the raised throne sat Princess Nina herself, legs dangling, her expression furrowed in grave seriousness. Everyone—yes, everyone—waited with bated breath, including the Emperor and Empress themselves.

The atmosphere was suffocating. Anticipation thickened the air like the seconds before a verdict was read. The aides leaned forward. Even the Imperial Guards, usually as rigid as statues, shifted nervously. All eyes were fixed on the small princess, who squinted hard, rubbed her chin with her tiny fingers, and hummed thoughtfully like a monarch deciding the fate of kingdoms.

But the reality?

All of this was simply about coming up with a list of suitable gifts Xavier could hand over to show his sincerity.

"Hmm... what is the great chipmunk supposed to do with that? Can it be sold?" Nina finally declared, her small finger pointing decisively at the opened case.

Every head snapped toward the object in question.

It was the late Empress Dowager’s tiara. An Imperial treasure. A priceless relic.

"!!!"

Gasps erupted across the hall. Murmurs broke out like ripples across a pond.

"Did she just say sell it?"

"But it’s the tiara—"

"A relic—"

"Unthinkable—"

"...but can it be sold?"

Even the Emperor himself was starting to sweat.

Xavian glanced at his wife, panic edging into his eyes. This was already the eighth suggestion their daughter had dismissed outright. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Their initial, most confident suggestion had been to grant deeds to several prosperous planets. A grand gesture. A noble inheritance. They had been so proud when the offer was presented.

But then Nina’s little face scrunched up, and she shook her head. "I don’t think that would be a good idea. That sounds... troublesome."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Most were taken aback. How could planetary ownership be troublesome? It was an unimaginable gift.

Empress Gisella, however, placed a hand to her chin and nodded slowly. "It is understandable. Being given planetary deeds also means governance, and we cannot simply expect to dump such responsibilities onto someone, can we?"

The nobles and aides murmured in agreement, relieved by her reasoning.

Only Nina herself thought very differently.

Brother Chipmunk’s place is already better than any planet I’ve ever seen.

So why would he even want something like that?

She puffed her cheeks, unimpressed, while the rest of the palace scrambled in panic to find another treasure suitable enough to pass her judgment.

However, the concern in the room grew worse when their little princess started rejecting things left and right.

"Imperial furniture will not do," Nina declared with a huff. "There is not enough space."

The aides gasped.

"The best clothes will not do either. When would they even be used?"

The Empress’s hand twitched.

"As for custom mechas, that would not be appropriate. It would not be enough."

The Emperor paled.

"And jewels... the best chipmunk does not seem too interested in those."

Her tiny arms folded across her chest as she puffed her cheeks, looking as though the weight of the Empire rested upon her shoulders. To everyone else, it seemed like the child was unraveling tragic truths one after the other. But really, Nina was simply frustrated. In her mind, what could they possibly offer to someone who already had better?

She sighed, and the collective shiver that went down everyone’s spine nearly knocked them over.

Because in their minds, a story had already taken shape.

Furniture would not fit... because the house was too small. Because the prince’s beloved was impoverished.

In truth, Nina was only thinking about how they could not exactly switch out the furniture in the dorms, and the cottage already had furniture made from spiritually infused materials. Imperial furniture would not only fail to fit, but it would look clunky compared to what her brother already had.

Clothes were rejected... because the future Crown Princess probably never attended events and could not. The poor beloved had no opportunity.

In Nina’s mind, it was much simpler. Students wore uniforms every day. Useless dresses were pointless.

As for the mecha, everyone in the room now believed that gifting one to the Crown Prince’s beloved would only be cruel. Surely this person was fighting to survive each day, and the burden of maintaining such a machine without funds would crush them.

But Nina’s real reason? Who would give a mecha to a famous mechanic who could build better ones himself? Not to mention, Brother Chipmunk already had someone similar to Sid.

The room grew heavy with guilt. They were not mocking Xavier’s beloved at all. They were horrified by their own thoughtlessness, imagining that had they gone ahead with their original plans, it would have looked like they were insulting the future Crown Princess.

And the more grave Nina’s expression grew, the more their imagination spiraled.

They began picturing the beloved as a pitiful, destitute chipmunk. Some even started to believe that the nickname came from the fact that this person lived in the wilderness.

"Does the beloved... live in a forest?" one aide whispered nervously.

Nina’s eyes widened slightly. She said nothing.

The room erupted in horrified gasps.

Sure enough! The future Crown Princess must be struggling terribly in some backwater woodland. How hard must life be for her?!

Finally, Empress Gisella, trembling with maternal urgency, asked, "My child, what about money? Do you think that would be an appropriate gift?"

Nina blinked. She thought about it.

She remembered the day she had seen her big brother Xavier shopping on Star Mall, buying everything on sale. At first, she thought their family must have been having financial difficulties. But then Xavier explained that it was because Luca loved saving money. It was important to be frugal so that money could grow faster.

Her eyes sparkled. "Mother! That is a splendid idea! I believe the best chipmunk would like it!"

The room fell into stunned silence.

Everyone’s hearts grew heavier.

The future Crown Princess truly was in a tough situation.

The Emperor broke the silence, his voice uneasy. "But would that really be appropriate? Normally, one avoids giving money directly. It looks like a bribe. And with Xavier still contending with rivals for this person’s hand, would that not reflect poorly? Our son is already cold... would it not harm him further?"

Empress Gisella straightened her back, her tone firm. "Yes, but if it is survival, then who cares about customs or etiquette? There will only be a future if the person manages to survive. Our son asked us to wait, and he barely asks us for anything. And you remember that smile? Even if we handed him the entire Empire, do you think we would see it again?"

The Emperor stiffened. "...No. Definitely not. A scowl would be more likely."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gisella demanded. "If it is money, then is that not exactly what we are good at? If all they need is the ability to build wealth, then should we not provide it?"

Agreement swept through the hall, the aides nodding furiously, hearts aching for the pitiful chipmunk in the wilderness.

Meanwhile, their daughter sat cross-legged on the throne, rubbing Mr. Quackers’ head as she thought to herself, If it is like this, then surely Brother Chipmunk will like them better, right?

And that was how Imperial Crown Prince Xavier Aeric Theron Solaris woke up the next morning to the sound of his adjutant screeching about what could only be described as an Imperial treasury heist.

Because just how did that amount disappear from the treasury?!