Third Loop: The Nameless Princess and the Cruel Emperor Volume 1, page 1
Table of Contents
Copyright
Character Page
Chapter 1: The Time Loop of the Nameless Princess
Chapter 2: The Nameless Princess and the Mysterious Knight
Chapter 3: The Nameless Princess and the Fluffy Tiger
Chapter 4: The Nameless Princess and the Golden Dragon
Chapter 5: The Nameless Princess and the Crown Prince
Chapter 6: The Nameless Princess and the Courtiers
Chapter 7: The Nameless Princess and the Cruel Emperor
Chapter 8: The New Life of the Named Princess
Chapter 9: The Trial of the Named Princess
Chapter 10: The Named Princess and Her Father
Side Story: Ming Ming and That
Side Story: The Polaris Princess and Her Divine Guardian Beast
Other Series
Third Loop: The Nameless Princess and the Cruel Emperor Volume 1
AIUE Iota
Translation by JCT
Illustration by Misa Sazanami
Title Design by Arbash Mughal
Editing by Shana Vodhanel
Proofreading by A.M. Perrone and Charis Messier
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Third Loop: The Nameless Princess and the Cruel Emperor Volume 1
©AIUE Iota 2021
First published in Japan in 2021 by
Futabasha Publishers Ltd.
English translation rights arranged with
Futabasha Publishers Ltd.
English translation ©2023 Cross Infinite World
All rights reserved. In accordance with U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email below.
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First Digital Edition: October 2023
ISBN-13: 979-8-88560-099-6
Chapter 1: The Time Loop of the Nameless Princess
CHIEF Lady in Waiting Mion furrowed her brow while looking at the young girl before her. Based on the report, the girl should have been wearing a Yulan one-piece dress. However, she was wearing pajamas.
Deflated, Mion glared at a palace lady sitting at the table. This maid had passed the information along to her. She’d even asked to become Mion’s personal handmaid in exchange for the report. Now, the maid’s shoulders trembled beneath Mion’s cold gaze.
Well, what else did I expect? Mion thought. I’ll have to change my line of attack. Still, it’s impossible to find good help these days.
Mion shifted her gaze from the palace lady to the homemade cakes in a row on the table. She sighed in exasperation. Cake was a rare delicacy in this country. The empress had died three years ago, but she’d brought this foreign dessert to Jinlong when she’d first married the emperor.
“After the empress’s death, the emperor decreed three years of mourning,” Mion said. “Yesterday marked the third anniversary of her death. Even so, when I heard the outrageous rumors of people celebrating, I came to check in disbelief. Is that cake you’re eating? I’m disappointed in all of you…”
As a departure from usual, two knights were accompanying Mion. Both glanced at the cake on the table. Afterward, they observed the faces of the wet nurse and the palace ladies seated there.
Mion kept her tone gentle. She’d been a loyal servant of the emperor since before he’d usurped the throne. Since there was no empress, she was put in charge of the inner court. Everyone trusted Mion as the chief lady-in-waiting. Thus, no one would ever suspect her of abusing a young girl. While brushing aside her long, jet-black hair, she turned a look of disappointment on the girl in front of her.
That girl had light pink hair.
Why do I have to see Mion at the beginning of a loop?! the girl wondered, anger seething in the pit of her stomach. I just died after being betrayed by someone I trusted! I didn’t even have time to grieve! This is all Mion’s fault! Usually, she only brings palace ladies, but today, of all days, she brought knights too. Is this woman seriously trying to accuse a three-year-old girl of a crime? She had it out for me even at this age, huh? Ugh, now I’m pissed! If I’m going to die no matter what I do, I’m done groveling to this woman!
The young girl had made up her mind. This was her third time loop—in other words, her fourth life. When she timidly lifted her head, a rainbow-colored luster shone from her teary, azure eyes.
Take this! Baby Ming Ming’s signature move: “Adorable little girl on the verge of tears, BEAM!”
During the young girl’s first loop, a married couple who owned a bar took care of her. That couple had been parents to a three-year-old girl named Ming Ming. Even at that age, everyone in the bar already adored her. No ruffian stood a chance against her cuteness. Everyone had doted on Ming Ming, obliging her every request. Whether she’d wanted to be held, placed on someone’s shoulders, or ride someone like a horse, no one had ever turned her down.
On the other hand, I wasn’t the least bit cute as a child, the young girl thought. I was so expressionless that no one ever doted on me. But this time, I’ll take a leaf out of Ming Ming’s book. Time to squeeze out some sympathy!
Tears formed in the young girl’s azure eyes, threatening to spill down her chubby, peach cheeks. Her buoyant, light pink hair was as airy as cotton candy. Shockingly thin limbs peeked out of her shabby white clothes. Cocking her head in a troubled manner, she turned her gaze on Mion and the two knights behind her. At that moment, she seemed ready to burst into tears.
Mion took a reflexive step backward. Had the young girl ever shown so much expression before? No matter what Mion said or how hard she pinched her, she’d always remained impassive, if somewhat displeased.
The young girl’s tearful expression tugged on the knights’ heartstrings. “Ngh,” the brown-haired knight groaned, squeezing his chest. Though the gray-haired knight remained more composed, he still regarded her with pity. As for the young girl, she turned her gaze on Marfa—her wet nurse.
“Princess…” Upon seeing the young girl on the verge of tears, Marfa returned to her senses. “Lady Mion! Didn’t the three-year mourning period come to an end yesterday? That’s what I was told.”
“In the imperial capital, we mourn until the day the funeral ends,” Mion responded. “Thus, the three-year mourning period will end in one more week. That is common sense. Despite your claims of ignorance, I’m not sure how the emperor will respond. Though I must tell him of this, I’ll do my best to avoid inviting his misunderstanding.”
Mion let out a seemingly worried sigh. She was skilled at feigning kindness. Even now, she appeared concerned for people who’d disrespected the emperor.
“Even so, I’ll have to report on Princess That eating cake,” Mion added. Her eyes brimmed with regret and sympathy as she looked at the young girl.
The young girl didn’t have an actual name, as her father hadn’t given her one. She was called That for the sake of convenience. “Your father didn’t give you a real name because he sees you as a nuisance,” Mion explained once. “Per his orders, we must call you That.”
She’d then proceeded to abuse the young girl.
Consequently, the young girl also thought of herself as nameless. When asked for her name, she always responded, “That.” The dubious expressions this elicited always puzzled her. Furthermore, she was never called This. Only That—implying her vast distance from other people. Nevertheless, she never considered introducing herself by another name. The abuse she’d suffered as a child had drilled that type of thinking into her.
“I’m the one who made the cake,” Marfa said, attempting to defend the young girl. “The princess has nothing to do with this!”
Upon hearing these words, That realized something. Her servants in the storehouse had never referred to her as That in her first life. Or in her subsequent loops. Though she was poor at this time in her life, she was also loved.
But at this rate, each and every one of these kind people will die tragically, That thought. If I don’t receive a name on my fifth birthday, Marfa will be executed, and nearly everyone else will be dismissed. I can’t let Mion start to distrust Marfa!
Pretending to be shocked by Mion’s words, That dropped her cake. “O-Oopsie…” she mumbled, tears welling in her large, azure eyes again.
Umm, what does a person usually call their parents? That wondered. As I recall, Ming Ming called them Mommy and Daddy.
That momentarily struggled to come up with an answer. She’d never spoken to her parents before. Everyone else called them His Majesty and Her Majesty. Still, a child addressing their parents by such titles seemed strange.
Welp, I’ll just copy Ming Ming since I have no other ideas!
“I just wanted to eat something Mommy liked to understand her better…” That mumbled.
The two knights behind Mion regarded That with piteous expressions. Even Mion appeared momentarily shaken. However, she soon recovered.
“Do you miss your mother that much?” she asked kindly. “In that case, shall we visit Her Majesty?”
That’s head shot up. Had Mion just threatened to kill her in a roundabout manner?
I’ll use this to my advantage! That thought. Take this! Ming Ming’s signature move: unbridled joy!
“Yes!” That cried, nodding joyfully.
At that moment, the two knights positioned themselves between That and Mion. They’d understood the implication behind the chief lady in waiting’s words.
“That would be an abuse of your authority, Lady Mion,” the brown-haired knight redressed her with a resolute bearing.
“I’m only joking,” Mion replied with a small laugh, looking at That with ridicule in her eyes. “Besides, how could she have understood the double meaning?”
Until now, That had never talked back to Mion for fear of abuse. Regardless of how the woman had treated her, she’d always grinned and borne it. But no matter how much she bore, nothing changed. In the end, she’d wound up expressionless—devoid of emotion.
I’m not putting up with her any longer!
“Are you going to kill me?” That asked the knight, her clothes stained with cake.
Her question caused the knight to recoil. Those didn’t sound like the words of a three-year-old.
“Are you punishing me because I killed Mommy…?” That pressed. “Then let me go to Mommy and tell her sorry.”
Her tearful eyes moved the adults to tears as well.
Am I being a bit too manipulative? That wondered. Still, Ming Ming wouldn’t have held back!
Marfa dashed to That’s side and embraced her. “It’s not your fault, Princess! Her Majesty gave her life to bring you into this world. You leaving to join Her Majesty would most certainly grieve her. Who’s been feeding you such lies?!”
That looked at Mion, her eyes still watery. “No lie. Mish Mion said so. It’s true. I’m bad girl.”
In fact, Mion had said this, and That had believed herself evil for her entire first life. The people in the lower city bar had been the first to teach That how to love herself.
The knights and palace ladies regarded Mion suspiciously. At the same time, Mion found herself at a loss for words. That had never talked back to her up until now. No matter what Mion had said to her, she’d only smiled and tried to avoid further abuse.
What’s with her today? Mion wondered.
“Please don’t get the wrong idea, everyone,” Mion said out loud. “Surely, this child misheard or misunderstood me. I was merely offering to take her to the empress’s grave.”
“Really?” That asked. “You’ll take me?”
Take this! Ming Ming’s signature move: happiness special!
That stared at Mion expectantly. She knew full well that Mion’s hands were tied. The emperor had ostracized his daughter, for he believed her to be the cause of his wife’s death. Thus, Mion flinched. She couldn’t possibly ask for the emperor’s permission to escort That to the empress’s grave, after all.
“Yes, I’ll, um… consult the emperor on this matter,” Mion hedged, maintaining her facade of kindness.
“Shank you sho much,” That replied. “P-Pleashe do thish for me, M-Mish Mion.”
She untangled herself from Marfa’s arms, got down on all fours, and pressed her forehead to the ground. However, she hadn’t slurred her words on purpose.
The knights who’d accompanied Mion looked at her, shocked. Was a three-year-old girl really prostrating herself?
Flustered, Mion scooped the girl up in her arms, prickling with irritation. “Such reverence is unnecessary, Princess That.”
Why is nothing going according to plan? Mion wondered.
Originally, Mion had planned to let the knights see That celebrating her birthday. Afterward, she would have encouraged them to spread rumors about the girl disrespecting the empress. At this rate, Mion was putting her own position in jeopardy. To vent her irritation, she pinched That hard on the back.
“Ouch!” That squealed.
“Oh dear,” Mion said with a smile, feigning composure. “I only meant to squash a bug, but it seems I used too much force.”
As she glared at That, her eyes practically screamed, “Keep your mouth shut, girl.”
According to Mion, she’d always pinched That to “kill the bad bugs inside her”. In her first life, That believed her. In fact, she’d always been forced to show gratitude.
With tears in her eyes, That smiled and responded with the same words as usual. “Shank you very much.”
Mion smiled in satisfaction. Pain must have restored the girl’s wits.
Yet, most unexpectedly, That rolled up her jacket and showed Marfa where she’d been pinched. “Mish Mion is always killing bugs for me because she’s so nice,” she announced.
A red welt stood out on the soft spot on the young girl’s back. In response to witnessing such a painful sight, the knights looked at Mion with horror.
“Oh dear,” Mion said. “Apparently, I was too late, and the bad bug stung you. I apologize for my ineptitude. I’ll have medicine delivered here at once.”
She then departed from the storehouse with a thin smile, seeming unperturbed.
“Simply eating cake in remembrance of her mother is hardly disrespectful,” the gray-haired knight told Mion. “And it seems as though the wet nurse baked it herself.”
Mion smiled and nodded. “We should punish the palace lady who attempted to deceive us, no? Could you imagine if anything happened to poor That?”
She didn’t allow the frustration of a failed plan to show on her face. Instead, she responded as if concerned for the girl. The two knights nodded, seeming relieved.
“Lady Mion,” the brown-haired knight said. “Are you really going to ask His Majesty about the princess visiting her mother’s grave?”
Mion regarded the man with the most tender smile she could muster. “Hmm… Why don’t you ask him for me?”
The contrast between her smile and icy tone couldn’t have been starker. Immediately, the knight’s back broke out into a cold sweat.
🐅 🐅 🐅
THAT’S third loop started shortly before facing off with Mion.
I’m back here again…
The young girl woke up in a less-than-lavish bed. As a bush warbler sang outside her small window, the scent and feel of her bed brought back a multitude of memories. The royal family of the Jinlong Empire resided within the Purple Forbidden Palace. In the northernmost section of the palace, a storehouse stood on the edge of the abandoned Big Dipper Garden. According to legend, a mad princess was once imprisoned in this storehouse.
The young girl’s buoyant, light pink hair—reminiscent of cotton candy—had tangled into a bird’s nest while she slept. Resignation unbecoming of a child filled her azure eyes, which shone with a rainbow-colored luster. This unusual rainbow light served as proof of her royal blood. Despite this, she wore a coat and pants made of unbleached burlap. These days, not even commoners wore such shabby garments.
Furthermore, the young girl had no true name. After her birth, Emperor Feilong Xin Lei regarded her with scorn. His hateful expression hadn’t befitted a father looking at his newborn daughter.
“I will now dispose of that,” he growled.
Feilong had been unable to forgive his newborn daughter for killing his beloved empress. However, Marfa had prostrated herself. As the crown prince’s wet nurse and the empress’s close associate, she’d begged him to spare the child. As a result, That hadn’t been harmed.
“I’m only allowing her to live,” Feilong had declared. “The next time I see her, I’ll kill her. Do not ask me for anything more.”
When asked his daughter’s name, the emperor responded, “That will suffice.” Thereafter, everyone referred to the princess by that moniker. Even she introduced herself as such.
