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Chapter 8
An Unexpected Truth (3)
After Livius left, Elia could not easily fall asleep because of the uneasy feeling lingering in her heart. Now that she knew Livius had once been Elia’s fiancé, she realized there were probably many important things she still did not know.
Of all people, she had possessed a character who was only briefly mentioned by name in the original novel.
If only she had possessed Lotte instead, she could have prepared the quickest path toward a happy ending with Aaron. Everything about Lotte’s past and future had already been written clearly in the novel.
But Elia was different.
The information about her was so small that she felt like a complete mystery.
“The only thing I know is…”
The fact that the owner of this body was Llewellyn’s half-sister only appeared during the parts where his inferiority complex grew stronger. Whenever Llewellyn made even the smallest mistake, the nobles would compare him to her.
“If it were Her Highness the Imperial Princess, she would have handled it perfectly.”
They would always say things like that with regret.
There was only one Imperial Princess in the Rier Empire, so everyone naturally knew they meant Elia even without saying her name directly.
Even after becoming Emperor and purging every noble except those who supported him, Llewellyn still lost his composure whenever he heard the words “Imperial Princess” or “Elia.”
The one who suppressed that inferiority complex was Lotte, and that journey alone probably took up half of the original novel.
“This really is all I know.”
No matter how hard she forced herself to think, there was a limit to what she could remember.
Elia was not an important character in the novel, nor did she even appear directly.
If she wanted to work toward Aaron’s happy future, then she first needed to understand her own situation.
She already knew she was like an abandoned duck floating alone in the Nakdong River, but what mattered was whether there were other obstacles waiting for her.
Just as Livius had suddenly become an unexpected problem, it would be troublesome if there were more hidden enemies.
“Ugh.”
The moment she tried to continue thinking, a sharp pain suddenly throbbed through her head.
Apparently, not only was her body weak, but it was also vulnerable to stress. Even after thinking only a little, a headache overwhelmed her.
Soon after, her breathing gradually became faster.
“Hah… ngh…”
At the same moment her body collapsed, the chair she had been sitting on tipped over with a loud crash, and the cold floor pressed against her skin.
Unable to move at all, all she could do was curl her body up and writhe in pain on the floor.
“I… can’t… breathe…!!”
The indescribable pain continued.
And until the moment her eyes finally closed, not a single person opened the door and came inside.
Even though the sound of the chair falling had definitely been loud enough for everyone to hear clearly.
When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer on the cold floor but lying in bed.
It seemed a maid had changed her clothes, because she was no longer wearing the casual outfit from before but soft sleepwear instead.
Her pajamas were damp with sweat.
“So someone did come in after all.”
Elia slowly breathed out and weakly reached toward the bell resting on the table before ringing it.
Ring—
“Your Highness, you’re awake! Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”
The nanny hurried into the room and rushed to Elia’s side.
When the nanny stayed beside her constantly, Elia often wished she would disappear somewhere for a while. But now that it had been so long since she had seen her, she strangely felt happy.
Ever since Aaron visited, the nanny had been leaving her side more often.
People said you only realize someone’s absence after they are gone, and those words fit perfectly.
Back when she was alone in hospital rooms, she had desperately longed for attention. But now that she had grown used to someone staying beside her, she had started having spoiled thoughts without realizing it.
“Ugh… cough… yes. I want to wash up and change clothes.”
The moment she tried to answer, her voice cracked harshly, making her cough lightly.
She did not know how long she had been unconscious, but her throat felt terribly dry.
Her heart briefly began beating faster after coughing, but thankfully it soon returned to normal.
Frightened, Elia slowly rubbed over her chest and took deep breaths.
She never wanted to experience that pain again.
“I will first prepare your medicine.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
She hated bitter things, but with such a fragile body, she could not afford to complain about bitterness anymore.
Sadly, she had to feel grateful that she could at least care for her body this way.
At the nanny’s signal, a maid hurried out to bring the medicine while the nanny soaked a towel in water and gently wiped Elia’s face.
The warm towel felt surprisingly comforting.
Soon, the maid returned with the medicine.
Perhaps because they heard she had collapsed again, the medicine tasted even more bitter than usual.
What exactly had they added to it this time?
Only after swallowing both the medicine and the pills beside it while frowning deeply was Elia finally able to wash herself properly.
After silently finishing her bath, she returned to the bedroom and laid herself beneath the soft blankets.
If this had been reality, she would have needed to lie back down on damp sheets until a nurse arrived.
At times like this, being an Imperial Princess was nice.
“How long was I unconscious?”
With only her face peeking out from beneath the blanket, Elia finally broke the silence while watching the nanny tidy the bedding.
“You woke up after fifteen days. His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and His Highness the Crown Prince were all worried about Your Highness.”
The nanny answered immediately, as though she had been waiting for the question.
Worried?
Whether they had merely pretended to worry on the surface or whether the nanny simply made it up to comfort her, Elia did not feel happy hearing it.
Because either way, it was a lie.
“I should probably tell them I’m alright… but I still want to rest a little longer.”
Thinking she should at least respond somehow, Elia spoke words she did not truly mean.
Even though she had consumed nothing except medicine, her stomach still felt nauseous, but she forced herself to smile anyway.
“They will understand. Your Highness must care for your health first.”
“Okay.”
“Excuse me.”
With those words, the nanny’s lukewarm hand gently touched Elia’s forehead, and her eyes slowly drifted shut on their own.
She fell asleep again.
And when she opened her eyes the next day, her condition felt much better.
However, it seemed this world had no intention of allowing her peace for long.
“Llewellyn?”
Elia blankly stared at him after his sudden visit.
This was only their second meeting since she possessed this body, but it was the first time he had personally come to her room, making the shock feel even greater.
“Are you refusing to let your half-brother enter?”
Although Llewellyn smiled brightly while speaking, his tone sounded almost threatening.
Shouldn’t a normal person ask about her condition first?
Ah, right.
He was not normal.
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, another question immediately followed.
Why had Llewellyn come to visit Elia?
Surely he had not boldly come here just to kill her.
“Of course not. Come in.”
Although Llewellyn threatened Elia’s life, he was still technically her only younger brother.
And even if she refused him, he was not the type to quietly leave.
Once Elia sat across from him, the maid hurriedly began preparing tea.
“What brings you here, Llewellyn? You actually came to my room.”
“I heard you collapsed again during a time when you should have been resting peacefully, so I came to check on you because I was worried.”
After seeing Livius before losing consciousness and now seeing Llewellyn after waking up, Elia felt dizzy all over again.
Of course, she could not say such thoughts aloud.
After quietly taking a deep breath, Elia smiled gently.
“I guess I’m sensitive to stress. But thanks to your concern, I’m feeling much better now.”
“That is fortunate.”
Elia was certain Llewellyn held absolutely no concern for her health.
If anything, he probably wished she would quietly disappear from this world.
So what exactly had he come here to confirm?
“Is there anywhere you still feel uncomfortable?”
Although she knew it was probably a simple question, Elia could not answer immediately.
Instead, she found herself wondering what hidden meaning lay behind it.
“Noona?”
“Ah, yes. There’s nowhere uncomfortable.”
Even if there was, she had no reason to answer honestly to Llewellyn.
Quickly calming her shaken thoughts, Elia forced a faint smile.
The question itself was simple enough, so why had she become so nervous?
Even she could not understand her own feelings.
“That is good to hear. But if anything troubles you, please tell me comfortably. We’re family, aren’t we?”
“We’re family, aren’t we?”
“…Yes. That’s true. Thank you for worrying about me.”
“It’s nothing.”
After Llewellyn’s short reply, silence filled the room for a moment.
He clearly had something he wanted to say, so why was he dragging things out like this?
Should she wait until he spoke first?
Or should she guide the conversation herself?
If she wanted this meeting to end, then she needed to resolve whatever business Llewellyn had here.
“Llewellyn.”
“Yes?”
Clink.
Just as she was about to speak, a teacup and saucer were placed onto the table.
Even though she had been fully aware the maid was still present, she momentarily forgot, causing her body to flinch slightly without realizing it.
Feeling Llewellyn’s gaze carefully watching her every movement, Elia pretended nothing happened, cleared her throat lightly, and finally spoke.
“What business did you come here for?”
