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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: A Lost Sanctuary
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Just to be safe, Lellia spent a long time surveying the area around the cabin. Thankfully, no one was watching.
‘I’ve wasted too much time.’
Lellia clicked her tongue in annoyance and quickly tried to push open the cabin door.
*Thump!*
But the door was locked.
‘Emperor Perseus…!’
That scoundrel! How could he lock the door?
But a part of her had expected this. Lellia finally pulled a thin metal rod from her bag.
She had to force the door open today, even if it meant breaking in. An opportunity like this wouldn’t come again.
*Click!*
‘It’s open!’
She fumbled for a bit, but she managed to get the door open. After a quick glance around, Lellia slipped inside.
Though the cabin must have been empty all this time, the air inside was warm. Perhaps it only felt that way to Lellia because this place was like her mother’s embrace.
Lellia savored the warmth of the interior before shaking herself back to her senses.
‘This is not the time.’
She first checked the spots she had memorized, thinking, *I’ll look there next time I go.*
But unlike what she’d imagined, there was nothing of note in those places.
The dressing table drawer held accessories and some jewels, but none of them looked like magic stones imbued with special power.
‘There’s nothing….’
How can there not be a single one?
She’d heard there were many wondrous magical tools….
‘Did Emperor Perseus already take them?’
That was possible. It was the most likely possibility. He always missed his wife, so he would probably gaze at her belongings to soothe his longing.
‘Too much time has passed.’
Lellia had to leave the cabin, feeling empty-handed. After erasing any trace of her search and locking the door behind her, her legs felt weak.
Feeling like she was about to cry, Lellia deliberately walked back toward the tower with a more determined stride.
But as she neared the tower…
‘What’s this?’
She sensed that someone had been there.
Noticing a presence completely different from usual, Lellia hurried inside. As she expected, someone had invaded her home.
“…What are you doing here?”
“Oh!”
“……”
The first thing she saw were Cedric and Damian, their faces scrunched into deep frowns.
They were struggling to open the small door that led to the top of the tower. It seemed they had come to see the stars.
And beyond them, the ends of Yuriana’s hair came into view.
‘Did Cedric and Damian bring her here to show her the stars?’
The thought of someone invading her safe space was unpleasant. But before she could even process that feeling…
‘My doll…!’
She saw Yuriana, her face full of curiosity, holding the rabbit doll from the bed.
The fear of losing her doll spurred her into action before she could think.
“That’s mine!”
Lellia rushed forward and snatched her doll from Yuriana’s grasp.
But in the process….
“Are you crazy?!”
“Hey!”
Cedric and Damian’s angry voices rang out.
“……!”
The shouts snapped her back to her senses… and she saw her own hand clutching the doll, and Yuriana on the floor.
“Ouch, that hurts….”
Yuriana winced and looked down at her palm.
Her heart sank. A small cut on one hand was beading with blood. Lellia’s world went dark.
“Ouch….”
Yuriana blew on her palm with a woeful expression. She had been scraped by the wooden floor.
“Good heavens! You’re bleeding!”
“Are you okay, Yuriana?”
Cedric and Damian’s faces turned pale when they saw the red drop of blood.
“I’m fine, brothers….”
Yuriana spoke bravely, calming the two who were worried about her.
“Let’s go to the physician right now! Get on my back!”
“It’s not that bad!”
Yuriana pushed away Cedric, who was offering her his back.
Then, she slowly stood up and approached Lellia, who was trembling as she hugged the doll.
“I’m sorry. I just thought the doll was cute and wanted to look at it….”
“……”
“But who are you? I think I’ve seen you before.”
Yuriana asked with a bright face. Her innocent demeanor made Lellia feel strangely shabby.
Guilt washed over her for treating Yuriana like a thief when she had no intention of stealing the doll.
And regardless, she had been the one to hurt her.
“……”
Just as Lellia hesitated, about to answer…
“Who is she? She’s the daughter of the woman who tormented our mother to death.”
Cedric answered for her, his expression twisted.
“What?”
Yuriana looked startled by his words, but Damian wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“Yuriana, you don’t need to worry about it. Not about a vicious devil’s spawn like her.”
“Anyway… why are you here? I was wondering who was living here… it was you?”
Cedric scoffed and looked around the interior again. The sight of the neatly made bed seemed to fuel his anger.
He scowled and shouted.
“How dare the daughter of the woman who murdered our mother eat and sleep so comfortably! How is that fair?”
“And you even hurt Yuriana? Do you even know what punishment you face for daring to harm the empire’s princess?”
Cedric and Damian slowly walked toward Lellia.
Though still young, they were both much taller than her. To Lellia, they felt sufficiently threatening.
“……”
Lellia’s mind went blank.
More than the boys’ cruel words, it was the fear that this space would be taken from her that washed over her.
And her fears were realized.
“Anyway, from today, this place is ours. We’re going to fix it up as a place to watch the constellations! It’s a birthday present for Yuriana. So get out, now!”
Cedric commanded, jutting his chin out.
Just as Yuriana was about to intervene, Damian stopped her and added.
“Wait, she can’t leave yet. She hasn’t apologized to Yuriana, has she? For daring to treat the empire’s princess like a thief and even hurting her.”
“Right, of course.”
“Brothers, I’m really fine….”
Damian cut Yuriana off, explaining in a calm and gentle tone.
“Yuriana, I know you’re kind, but you can’t let things like this slide. You’re so kind to the maids, too…. You’re the princess of the empire now.”
“…Mmm.”
“Besides, that girl is the daughter of the woman who tormented our mother—no, who might have even killed her.”
“……”
At that, Yuriana mumbled as if she had no choice. Cedric flicked his fingers at Lellia.
“Get over here. Daughter of a murderer.”
Lellia just blinked blankly. The situation was similar to a scene she’d read in the original novel.
The circumstances were different, but the result was the same.
“Come here, kneel, and apologize. By imperial law, you should be punished, but if you sincerely beg for forgiveness, we’ll spare your life.”
“……”
Lellia’s face was numb.
‘It’s just like the original story….’
She had tried so hard to prevent this from happening…. Does what’s meant to be always happen in the end? Lellia’s vision swam.
“Hurry up!”
But that thought was fleeting.
At Cedric’s roar, Lellia resignedly approached Yuriana. And slowly, she knelt.
Her eyes stung, but she didn’t want to cry.
“I’m… sorry, Your Highness.”
As Lellia obediently apologized, Cedric and Damian’s expressions seemed to soften slightly.
But their softened anger changed nothing.
“Repeat that 100 times.”
In the end, that day, just like in the original story, Lellia only found freedom after repeating ‘I’m sorry, Your Highness’ 100 times.
Lellia felt wronged, but she had no time to feel miserable.
By the time her apology was over, servants from the main castle swarmed in. Cedric had summoned them using a magic tool.
They opened the door to the top of the tower and, under Cedric and Damian’s orders, began to clear out the inside.
“W-wait…! You can’t do that!”
For Lellia, it was a situation where she was losing her entire home in an instant.
The servants gently pushed Lellia away as she clung to them.
“N-no….”
Lellia could only watch helplessly as her belongings were carried out of the tower like garbage.
Meanwhile, Cedric, Damian, and Yuriana had climbed to the top of the tower to watch the stars. Cedric and Damian had brought Yuriana here to calm her nerves about her first large-scale banquet as a princess.
It was a night with a full moon, and the stars were exceptionally bright.
In the end, Lellia had no choice but to start gathering her precious belongings.
The letters from her friends that she’d hidden, the fountain pen, the doll, the robe, and so on.
They were all things related to her time at the temple.
“Now that you’ve packed, please leave. You’re in the way of us moving the furniture.”
At the servant’s cold words, Lellia had to turn away.
“……”
As she exited the tower, she saw her old bed and desk, which had been moved in front of the building.
The items looked so shabby, like real trash. Just a moment ago, they had been hers.
Honestly, she was dumbfounded.
In the original story, another child had been the one to get in trouble for hurting Yuriana, but in the end, that fate had become hers.
Not only that, but her only sanctuary had been taken from her.
“…This is absurd….”
Lellia slowly raised her head.
The sound of cheerful laughter drifted down from the top of the tower.
It was the friendly voices of the three siblings, gazing at the stars.
Yuriana’s laughter was lovely, and the two brothers’ voices as they spoke to her were gentle.
“……”
Lellia clenched her fists. Her throat felt hot, as if boiling water had been poured down it.
After standing there for a long time, Lellia slowly began to walk.
With weary steps, she headed for Elizabeth’s cabin.
‘If Emperor Perseus finds out, he’ll kill me….’
Lellia let out an empty laugh.
‘If that happens, then there’s nothing I can do. I’ll just have to accept my fate to die.’
She trudged on like someone who had given up on everything.
Once she reached the cabin, she picked the lock with the metal rod just like before, went inside, and bolted the door shut.
It was a cold space with not a single light on, but to Lellia, it still felt warm.
Her mind was still numb, like someone who had just been through a major accident.
As soon as she entered the cabin, Lellia collapsed onto the floor.
‘Mom….’
It felt as if her deceased mother was welcoming her home, holding her in an embrace.
‘Yes, maybe this is for the best.’
Wiping away the tears that streamed down her face, Lellia decided to think positively.
That tower was too old anyway. Besides, this place still had traces of her mother’s touch, and it probably wouldn’t be cold at night, so it was a better home.
Of course, she might be killed if Emperor Perseus found out… but if he heard it was because of his own sons, there was a chance he might even assign her a better place to live.
‘But if that happens, I’ll end up in that strange marriage.’
And if she had people watching her then, there would be no way to escape. She would rather die.
Lellia opened her bag and took out the things she had packed.
The fountain pen with its magic stone removed, the letters, and the cute rabbit doll.
Seeing the items related to her friends seemed to cheer her up for a moment.
But despite that, the tip of her nose tingled, and tears began to flow again.
‘There’s no need to cry.’
Lellia told herself.
‘It’s okay. Why are you crying over something so small? There’s nothing to be sad about.’
Yuriana has her brothers, but I have my friends. The heroes who subjugated the Mad Dragon are my friends.
But strangely, the more she tried to comfort herself, the more the tears wouldn’t stop. Soon, Lellia’s shoulders began to shake as she cried.
She didn’t want to cry like a child, so she desperately held back her sobs, which only made the tears stream down her face silently.
‘I have my friends… I’m not alone.’
To force herself to stop crying, Lellia read the letters she had exchanged with her friends.
Oscar: I’m having trouble sleeping lately. Are you guys okay?
Calix: I fall asleep as soon as I lie down.
Griffith: I heard that simple-minded, dumb kids sleep well.
Calix: Do you want to die?
Romeo: I can’t sleep well either. I miss our time at the temple.
Reading the letters they had exchanged before the magic stones were separated, she felt her heart break in two.
Lellia felt the same way.
She couldn’t sleep deeply whenever night fell.
Because memories of her time with her friends would surface one by one in her mind.
‘If I had known back then, I would have treated my friends better….’
She didn’t know back then.
That her memories with those children would become all she had.
Lellia buried her face in her knees, her shoulders trembling for a long time.
