🔊 TTS Settings
CHAPTER 54……………
From the hole, someone’s hand grabbed my waist.
“Minte!”
I struggled, reaching for her, but Minte leapt straight back into the darkness.
The black power that had been holding up the rubble began to crumble.
“No…!”
But the instant Kallion and I were pulled up to the surface, the falling debris suddenly froze in midair.
Half the building itself was suspended above the ground.
It was magic—on an entirely different scale from what I had used.
Cradled in the arms of the knight who had dragged me out, I could only gape like a fish.
“Who—?!”
“Elysion!”
Even through the cloud of dust, a man’s voice rang out clearly.
The one and only person whose presence alone made me feel safe.
“Cough—Father!”
I threw out both hands and clung to him.
As his strong arms lifted me into a tight embrace, the thought struck me: everything would be all right now.
But when I saw his face, my body froze.
His jaw was rigid, his crimson eyes twisted with fury.
I had never seen him this angry before.
…Is he angry at me?
A sharp rebuke suddenly echoed in my ears—the same words I’d heard on Caron, right before dying.
“Why are you so late?!”
My heart dropped.
Was he angry with me too, because I was lacking again?
“Father…!”
But just then, from beneath the ground, Minte’s booming voice rang out.
“…I’ve found two children! Bringing them up now!”
At those words, people all around cheered and hurried to help.
With a groan, Minte sent up two children first.
Selina Nestor—and a human boy with green eyes I had never seen before.
Father’s gaze shifted to them, but in his voice—heard only by me—there was a faint crack.
The hands holding me trembled.
“…Why must you resemble your mother in this, too…”
“F-Father…”
“Hurry. Go back first. Quickly.”
As king, he had to remain here to the end.
I felt some relief when Minte finally hauled herself out safely, but then my eardrums throbbed with the pounding of my pulse.
My head was a mess, as though my very sense of self were splitting apart.
Who am I right now?
Was I the Saintess who died in Caron?
Did I fulfill my mission of creating paradise?
Am I… am I—
“Your Highness!”
Rete’s trembling voice snapped me back.
She, too, was covered in dust and scratched across the face.
She took me from Father’s arms, holding me tightly with one hand while pulling Kallion along with the other.
Chaos raged all around, but our guards swiftly led us away from the wreckage.
Only then did the nausea rise, and I clapped a hand over my mouth.
Ugh, I feel sick.
My vision spun, the tang of blood filling my nose.
Even so, I stroked Rete’s cheek and whispered,
“Rete, it’s all right—”
“Your Highness, why did you do that?!”
“Eh…?”
As Rete clung to me, crying, my mind went blank.
No, it had already been blank even before I went down there.
I only did what I’d always been taught.
What I did back in the Holy Nation…?
I saved people—so why was Rete crying?
Through her tear-streaked face, she whispered,
“How could you take the lead when it was that dangerous?”
“But—But the children—”
“Why didn’t you wait…? There were so many adults there!”
“That’s… the children would have—”
They would have died if I hadn’t stepped in.
But before I could even say that, Rete hugged me tighter.
“You are still a child too, Your Highness…!”
“…!”
“Out of all those children, you were the youngest one there…!”
Rete’s sobs were so full of grief that I clamped my mouth shut, stunned.
My head buzzed as though someone had struck me.
A child…?
Inside, I still felt twenty.
Since my family’s death, I hadn’t once received this kind of “adult’s worry.”
No one had ever held me this way.
Not the temple people. Not High Priest Yulipos.
Not Talos.
Not anyone back in Caron.
They only ever scolded me for being too slow.
For hesitating over miracles that could be done instantly.
But now…
Rete turned on Kallion as well.
“Prince Alcyone, you are no different!”
“L-Lady Epikus…”
“Even if you’ve been appointed a retainer, Your Highness, you are only eleven! What were you thinking, following her in?!”
“But—!”
Rete had never spoken to him so emotionally before, and Kallion flinched.
In desperation, he whispered,
“I had to… I had to do something…!”
“…”
“If I can’t help Lady Sion, then what am I here for…?”
His voice dwindled into nothing, and Rete bit her lip hard.
But just then, the backlash from my magic struck harder.
“Ugh—!”
“Princess!”
Dizzy. So dizzy.
All strength left my body, pain tingling at my fingertips.
Blood trickled from my nose, nausea rising sharply.
The world spun so fast that I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Hold on, Princess! The physician is nearby!”
“Mm…! Hrk!”
I clamped my hands over my mouth, desperate not to vomit here of all places.
Forcing my eyes open, I caught a glimpse of the children wearing the knights’ coats.
Why are they staring at me like that?
And strangely…
I thought I could hear people calling my name in cheers…
When we returned to Persen Palace, the place naturally turned upside down because of my condition.
After the court physician fussed endlessly, I was banished to bed by force.
My situation felt utterly miserable.
If only… if only I didn’t have this kind of body.
If only I weren’t the type to collapse just from using a little power!
And if I had to live a second life, why couldn’t it have been as an adult?
If I were old enough to bear full responsibility for my actions, how much easier it would be.
So I wouldn’t have to feel so guilty over everyone’s reactions.
Fidgeting under the blankets, I tried slyly speaking to Rete, who was cooling a pot of brewed herbs beside me.
“Um, Rete. What about Ares?”
“Lord Ares is recovering well after treatment. Incredibly, not even a single bone was broken.”
“That’s good… What about the others?”
“They were injured, but nothing lasting. Though many are still shaken.”
“Thank goodness…”
At my words, Rete frowned deeply.
I pulled the blanket up, watching her nervously.
“Rete… that event was a mistake, wasn’t it…?”
Even with Father’s help, so many people had been hurt.
But Rete shook her head slowly.
“No, Your Highness. Judging by the results… we can’t say that.”
I tilted my head at her hesitant words.
Buildings collapsed, people were hurt.
And yet—she said the event wasn’t a mistake?
“What do you mean?”
“Because everyone saw you rescue the children.”
“…Huh? Oh—!”
Only then did I remember the voices shouting my name before I blacked out.
I had thought it was some kind of hallucination.
Were they cheering after seeing me bring the children out?
It felt just like something the temple would orchestrate, but… perhaps it worked.
Still, Rete’s face was clouded with unease.
And in a voice almost too soft to hear, she muttered,
“…Even so, the duke…”
I pricked up my ears, stealing glances at her.
The duke… Drakon? What did he do?
I wanted to ask, but…
I was still timid after seeing her cry so hard because of me.
I don’t want to see her angry at me again…
Twisting my hands, I whispered in a tiny voice,
“Um, Rete. Hey.”
“Yes, Princess?”
“Can I… go see Ares and Kallion?”
Now that I was feeling a little better, I missed my boys terribly.
Was Ares truly all right?
And Kallion—before I fainted, he had looked so downhearted.
It’s still evening… maybe I could at least see their faces.
But Rete stroked my hair and cut me off at once.
“You may not, Princess.”
