The Dark Princess’s New Life

“Ahahahahahaha——”

The deep, resounding laughter of a woman, arrogant yet immature, echoed through the dimly lit underground palace. If time had reversed to yesterday, I would never have believed that this voice could emanate from my own throat!

Yet, I admire my own ability to get into character so quickly! Just twelve hours ago, I, a mundane sixteen-year-old boy whose name I barely wanted to mention, transformed into a lithe and graceful girl with a pair of long, arrogant black twin tails and flawlessly straight hair!

Perhaps I wasn’t ugly to begin with; even as a boy, I was relatively slender and refined. But that’s irrelevant now.

I have no time to follow conventional logic and express the shock, fear, regret, or even the slightest excitement that these chaotic emotions have caused due to my transformation!

Currently, I am dressed in a revealing black leather outfit and a minimal amount of elegant, dark gold armor, both unsuitable for a girl of my age. Before me, kneeling, is a vast array of monsters, each capable of devouring three of me in one gulp!

Just a few hours ago, I was discovered by these monsters, believing my short life was about to end, or worse, as the price for triggering this forbidden spell. Yet, they all knelt before me, calling me ‘Princess!’ with utmost reverence!

What’s going on? Why are these fearsome beasts obeying a defenseless twin-tailed loli like me?

At this critical moment, fragments of memories, clearly not belonging to my former self as a boy, surfaced. It turns out that my name is Coolie, the daughter of a Dark King, the leader of this dark world, the Dark Princess Coolie, who apparently has a significant reputation this generation!

Rumor has it that children dare not cry at night upon hearing my name!

Am I really that scary? At least, I don’t look it in the dimly lit amethyst mirror!

But if these man-eating underground monsters fear me, it’s better than me fearing them!

So, I quickly got into character!

‘Your Highness!’ A voice, hoarse and eerie, belonging to a giant skeleton warrior wearing a tattered crown and ragged armor, knelt on one knee. He seems to be one of my trusted generals, named Skeleton King Leo X, who spoke to me, ‘What joyous event has brought such laughter to Your Highness? You have never laughed like this before.’

‘Is that so? Ahah… Eh?’ My expression froze, and sweat beaded on my forehead. ‘Cough, cough, is that so! I, I mean, Your Highness feels that in the past, there was a lack of dignity. When I think of those stupid lowly humans above ground, I can’t help but… give a lethal mockery, ahahahah… Leo X, go fetch me a few virgins, Your Highness is hungry!’

The Skeleton King and the surrounding demons exchanged doubtful glances, though Leo X had no eyes to do so.

What? Did I say something wrong again?

‘Your Highness, you jest! Those filthy, lowly humans make you nauseous just by looking at them. You usually only eat vegetables and fruits!’ A tall, muscular old man with a white beard, dressed in a black suit, stepped forward and bowed. He is the steward of my princess’s underground palace, Seth Nolenberg.

‘What? Vegetables and fruits? Are you trying to deceive me? There’s no good meat?’ Though my forehead was dripping with sweat and I felt uneasy, I knew I had to act more assertively to avoid suspicion!

‘Seth, you’re mistaken. You see, recently, many of our tribes have suffered unneccessary dangers due to my whimsical tastes. Your Highness feels remorseful, and from now on, I should eat more meat.’ I spoke with a straight face, spouting nonsense.

The entire assembly fell silent, making my hair stand on end. Could it be that I’ve already been exposed?

‘Your Highness——!!’ A group of burly demons were all in tears, bowing their heads in gratitude! Did I say something that moved them?

‘Seth, you’re mistaken. You see, recently, many of our tribes have suffered unneccessary dangers due to my whimsical tastes. Your Highness feels remorseful, and from now on, I should eat more meat.’ I spoke with a straight face, spouting nonsense.

‘Your Highness, that is the fault of those lowly humans! If our esteemed Dark Princess of the Underground City cannot even enjoy vegetables and fruits, it would be a disgrace to my million-strong legion of spirits! If only I could walk into the sunlight… sigh!’

‘Your Highness is so considerate of us rough demons! Your Highness, rest assured, I, Uguru, will command my army of cave giants to plunder a large quantity of vegetables and fruits for Your Highness! Please do not speak of eating meat again! Just enjoy your vegetables, Your Highness!’ A giant, standing at seven or eight meters tall, with a single gray eye, wept loudly from the back of the crowd of demons.

‘Eh? Haha, haha… Your Highness is deeply moved.’ I forced a smile, but in truth, I really wanted to eat meat…

The dark underground city stretches for thousands of miles, with interconnecting passages. It is a world of fear and mystery to humans. Behind the Dark Princess’s Palace, in the deepest part of the underground city, lies the private chamber of the Dark King’s daughter.

‘Huff…’ Finally free from the demons, I leaned against the amethyst mirror in the room, breathing heavily. The eerie yet exquisite decorations, the black bed with white silk sheets, and the strange crystals emitting a seductive purple and crimson glow. Is this where I am to live now?

But the reflection in the mirror showed someone barely over 1.5 meters tall, about 10 centimeters shorter than my already short stature. As for weight, judging by this figure, it must be around 40 kilograms. After all, the tight black leather hugging my chest had no noticeable bulge.

‘A cup? Or A-?’ I muttered to myself in front of the mirror, feeling a rush of heat to my brain. Sorry, but I must examine this body of the Dark King’s daughter. I urgently need to understand various aspects, such as the differences in physical structure between the Dark King’s daughter and human girls.

I tried to explore this tight, form-fitting leather suit, which was as flexible as a one-piece swimsuit. It was incredibly elastic and close-fitting, but I couldn’t take it off. I turned around and realized the zipper was in the back. This is trouble; it doesn’t seem easy to handle. If I take it off halfway and can’t put it back on, and then the muscular steward bursts in, smirking and saying, ‘Hmph, hmph, so our Princess was doing something indecent,’ how would I recover from that?

Phew! I calmed myself down. Such a scenario is impossible in real life!

I strained to reach the zipper on my back, pulling it down with great effort.

‘Your Highness——!!’ Suddenly, the door to the Dark Princess’s chamber burst open, freezing me in the act of pulling down my zipper, exposing a strip of pale back!

‘W-what? Your Highness, caught in the act…’

What? Is this really happening?

Wait, the voice behind me, why is it so high-pitched and seductive?

I turned around and saw a tall, horned woman with black wings and a heart-shaped tail, wearing a maid uniform at least three sizes too small. She had brown skin and was standing behind me.

What’s this? A maid? I have a maid?

Seeing this succubus, a memory not my own immediately flooded my mind. She is from the Abyss, a high-ranking succubus, seemingly the queen of some conquered nation. On one of my birthdays, my father, the Dark King, apparently gifted her to me, and she has been my companion and maid since then, named Be, Be… the memory breaks off here, and I can’t recall her full name.

‘Oh, what’s your name again? Your Highness has been busy and forgetful lately.’

‘Hum, Your Highness has become quite witty. I am the queen of the conquered Ayella Demon Kingdom, the unlucky Beth Daisy, gifted to you by your father, the Dark King.’ The succubus maid embraced her massive breasts, turning her face away as if I had done something improper to her.

Looking at this succubus maid, who would make any former boy’s blood boil, I felt a void and a sense of loss below.

‘Oh, I am Anz Urgon.’

‘Eh? Your Highness, what are you saying?’ Beth Daisy’s seductive face showed confusion.

‘Haha, haha… nothing.’ I replied with a grim expression, feeling the world’s greatest pain is having everything and yet being unable to enjoy it.

‘Your Highness!’

Suddenly, another figure appeared at the door. This time, it was truly the muscular steward. I was startled, my hair standing on end, and quickly turned to face the bedpost.

‘W-what!?’ I asked, blushing with embarrassment.

‘Cough, cough, I apologize, Your Highness. The situation is urgent, and I have been rude. Please come to the council chamber as soon as you are done.’ The silver-haired, silver-bearded old man cleared his throat to ease the awkwardness.

Done with what! Don’t act like you know everything with that wise old look. You make it sound like I’m doing something!

‘K-know!’ I sighed in resignation. ‘Wait for me outside.’

‘As you command, Your Highness.’

The muscular steward, Seth, left, and I turned to face Beth Daisy. ‘Help me zip up.’

The pitch-black, twenty-four massive stone pillars supported this majestic Gothic council chamber, a hundred meters on each side. On either side, purple magical flames burned eternally, casting an eerie, solemn glow over the heart of the underground world.

Suddenly, the magical barrier at the entrance flared, and a small imp rushed in. It stumbled and reported, ‘N-not good! H-humans… they’re… they…’

‘Calm down! This underground city is constantly besieged by countless human adventurers. What’s the big deal about this small matter that you have to sound the golden alarm and disturb Your Highness’s rest!?’ Seth scolded.

‘N-no, it’s different! It’s… it’s that woman… the first layer guardian, Lord Bak, has been badly injured…’ The small imp gasped for breath.

‘Which woman?’ I leaned back in the giant black throne, several times wider than me, resting my face on my hand as I looked at the small imp.

‘J-just… j-just…’

‘Calm down, take a deep breath! Speak slowly!’ Seth said.

The small imp straightened its hunched back, took a few deep breaths, and exhaled a weak yellow flame before continuing.

‘T-the granddaughter of the Empire’s Duke Slayer, the legendary girl born with pure holy light, who at only seventeen led an expedition to defeat the Lich Belamont, the Empire’s youngest holy knight—Heavenly Glow Kiori!’

‘Mmm… Ha——!!?’ I nearly hit my face on the hard armrest, my expression frozen, then shifting through a complex mix of surprise, blush, anticipation, regret, and resignation…

H-Heavenly Glow Kiori?

N-not possible!!