Chapter 13

Chapter 13

[ Ellie ]

Thoughts: It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left the Princess alone, but this is a matter of safety. I have to scold her strictly even if she starts to hate me.

“It’s fine for Your Highness to go out anytime you would like, but please promise to tell me first in the future. It’s dangerous.”

Ellie didn’t hate Siervian. Rather, she was very worried.

In an instant, Siervian calmed down a little. It was becoming a habit of hers to relax after reading the words on the status window.

“Okay, hicc, I pwomise, hiiicc.”

She made two promises today. She’d never been close enough to anyone else before to make such promises with them.

Siervian gradually calmed down and wasn’t sobbing as hard anymore.

“These flowers… Did Your Highness go out because you wanted to see some flowers?”

It wasn’t until Siervian made a promise with Ellie that the maid turned to what Siervian had offered earlier.

[ Ellie ]

Thoughts: If the palace was staffed properly, the Princess wouldn’t have been left alone. What should I do from now on?

Plucking her courage, Siervian reached up to offer the Cassia flowers again. The status window caught her eye, but Siervian was in a hurry. She couldn’t wait to give this medicine.

Because even the roots were pulled, the remaining soil fell from her arms and to the floor.

“Eri, hiic, this, this!”

“Did Your Highness rush here just to give this to me?”

Ellie’s worries abated the moment she saw that the Princess was safe. Now relaxed, Ellie carefully accepted the flower from Siervian’s small hands.

“This is medicine!”

But Ellie soon grew curious because of what the princess said.

“It’s… medicine?”

“Eri said your sibwing is swick!”

“Ah…!”

Only then did Ellie remember that she mentioned her younger sibling in passing… Was that why the princess rushed outside in the middle of the night?

“Princess…”

Suddenly, Ellie burst into tears. She felt so sorry that a good child like Siervian suffered for such a long time.

Unknowingly, Ellie embraced Siervian dearly, in the same way that Siervian hugged the flowers that she gave.

[ Ellie ]

Thoughts: A flower as pretty as the Princess… I’ll put these in a vase.

But as Siervian saw these thoughts, she was frantic again.

Of course, there’s no way anyone would believe a child who brought flowers and called them medicine for their younger sibling. It was too unbelievable from the start.

Perhaps it’s because of her lopsided body and mind synchronization, but it seemed like Siervian was making so many mistakes like this frequently.

“I heard it when I visited His Majwesty.”

So she decided to tell a white lie.

She was afraid that she’d get in trouble again if Ellie heard that she met Karmen, so she used her father as a crutch instead.

“It’s a weally good medicine for fever. You have to use it, okay?”

“His Majesty said so?”

Cassia was known as a fever reducer anyway. Even if Ellie showed it to a doctor, she’d still be able to feed it to her sibling without any problems.

[ Ellie ]

Thoughts: Is it a real medicinal flower? Then maybe my sibling…

“Yup! Eri, too, make a pwomise!”

Ellie’s eyes wavered when Siervian mentioned her father.

The child gingerly held up her little finger and entangled it with the maid’s. Ellie’s heart became strangely warm.

“Shall we go?”

“Yeah!”

After a while, Ellie noticeably became a more cheerful person.

Just in case, Ellie had sent the flowers that Siervian gave her to her family’s house.

The doctor, who received the Cassia flower, didn’t expect much results. He also said that although it has some fever reducing properties, it might be of little use.

”Princess, my sibling—my sibling… His fever went away…”

However, her younger sibling surprisingly improved after only three days of ingesting tea made from Cassia flowers.

”Thank you… Thank you so, so much, Princess…”

Ellie had been left all alone with her younger sibling after their parents passed away too early.

While working at the palace, their neighbors volunteered to take care of him. But then a year ago, her sibling fell ill with a fever and couldn’t even stand up.

Now, her worries were all gone.

“Eri, you have to go see your sibwing…”

“It’s alright, Your Highness. They’re not sick anymore.”

Siervian thought that Ellie would file for a vacation leave right away to go home, but strangely, she didn’t leave the palace.

‘Is there still a staff shortage?’

She was bothered by the staffing problem that she found out through Ellie’s status window that night. The Princess’ Palace was still very quiet at night.

Ellie couldn’t take care of everything like this, so Siervian started to worry.

“Are you alright, Princess?”

“I’m fwine.”

Beyond Siervian, who was shaking her head, Ellie looked over to the fierce snowstorm outside the barrier made of mana.

The temperature in the north was cold all year round, and blizzards like these were also frequent. Nevertheless, it was warm inside the mana circle that acted as a barrier. The weather inside was thriving, enough that bees would come out.

Thanks to this, sometimes a curious sight would unfold. The snow covered the sky and rendered it while, as though it was a canopy over a bed.

“Please let me know if Your Highness is having a hard time.”

[ Ellie ]

Thoughts: You haven’t been eating well lately either…

Siervian truly had been eating more these days, but Ellie continued to worry over her more after the Cassia flowers had been given. Siervian tilted her head to the side, but then started to walk forward again.

The place she was about to visit today was close to the southern gate of the palace.

‘Is there a clue here?’

There were four gates in the palace, and the north gate would only be opened when knights were dispatched for monster subjugations at Mt. Sol.

The south gate, on the other hand, would lead directly to the Imperial capital. Just as Karmen said, a carriage must pass through this gate first before getting to the slums.

‘What excuse can I make so I can go there?’

The south gate was also the one used the most often, that’s why Siervian, in her previous life, rarely went there, too.

The troubled Siervian headed towards a small garden near the south gate with Ellie.

‘There’s so many people.’

Near the south gate was a building where bureaucrats worked, so there were also many people visiting this small garden.

Feeling nervous, Siervian suddenly hid behind a big tree.

‘I really didn’t want to come this way.’

It might perhaps be a useless worry since her life had changed a lot compared to her previous life. But still, it could be more dangerous for her since she’s actively trying to investigate the situation.

Even so, she didn’t want to be misunderstood again. What should she do?

“You’re having a hard time, aren’t you, Your Highness? Would you like me to carry you?”

“Noo, it’s okay… It’s jwust that… there’s so many people…”

Hesitantly glancing around the garden, Siervian continued feeling anxious as Ellie watched her from the side. Then, they heard some commotion going on over there.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

“Hm.”

“I greet Your Imperial Majesty.”

Greetings for the Emperor could be heard from far away. Was her father here?

But his office was at the Central Palace, and that was far from this place. Siervian could feel a hint of curiosity.

‘Did he go outside?’

His silvery hair could be seen from a distance. Siervian, who was behind a big tree, momentarily folded into herself more.

‘It’s like I’m hiding.’

There were a lot more people now, so her nerve-wracked body moved on its own. After slipping completely behind the tree, she sat down on the grass.

It’s fine. Her father might be going away soon.

“Siervian.”

But then she heard the Emperor’s voice right above her head.

“Your Majwesty.”

Surprised, she pulled herself back up.

When she greeted her father, a status window suddenly popped up.

[ Alderuan Erveldote ]

Favorability: 90,986,984

Thoughts: I wonder until when will you call me that.

Siervian wasn’t sure what that meant. Was it because she didn’t call him ‘Father’?

“What a coincidence. I was also out for a walk.”

“Yees.”

But she couldn’t figure it out because the status window flashed once more. Instead, something entirely different from what he said emerged.

[ Alderuan Erveldote ]

Favorability: +100

Thoughts: Just as reported. I’m glad I came out to see you.

Her father came to see her? He wasn’t just on his way out for something else? Hex, the Chancellor who was always by the Emperor’s side, spoke.

“Truly, what a co-in-cidence! His Majesty is so busy with state affairs, and he just happened to come for a walk here.”

“Yes. A coincidence.”

[ Alderuan Erveldote ]

Favorability: +100

Thoughts: That’s what you wore last time as well. It looks good on you, of course. Well, that dress makes my Siervian look more like a fairy.

After reading his thoughts, Siervian grabbed the skirt of her dress. Even as Ellie sighed every time she looked at the closet, Siervian deliberately wore her clothes more than once.

‘Of all days, I met my father wearing this again.’

Among her clothes, her pink dress was her favorite. She liked simple dresses because she could walk outside for a long time. It was even nice to know that he thought she looked good in it, so she was a bit encouraged.

“Do your legs hurt, that’s why you were on the ground?”

[ Alderuan Erveldote ]

Thoughts: Why didn’t you ride a carriage? This is too far from your palace—just what are your maids doing? It’s natural that a small child like you would get tired. Those impertinent servants.

“I’m okay.”

She couldn’t get the courage to ride a carriage yet. Besides, if she rode a carriage, her movements would be too obvious.

“Then why were you on the ground?”

[ Alderuan Erveldote ]

Thoughts: Were you hiding from me…?

He might have seen the exact moment she hid behind the tree. Because of this, she felt like she was being interrogated by her father.

Anxious, Siervin wrung her fingers together. She should have made herself more convincing when she said she’s okay…

But then Ellie, who was standing next to her, suddenly knelt down in front of the Emperor.

“Her Highness seems to be feeling shy because there are a lot of people, Your Majesty…”

[ Ellie ]

Thoughts: His Majesty shouldn’t misunderstand again that the Princess is hiding from him.

Like Siervian, Ellie’s hand was shaking as she clutched the skirt of her dress. Seeing this, Siervian suddenly felt more brave.

“Umm.”

At the sound of her shy voice, the Emperor turned away from her at once.

[ Alderuan Erveldote ]

Thoughts: You’re still so cute when you’re shy. It can’t be helped. It’s a shame, but I guess I’ll need to leave, too.

It was impossible not to notice the status window as he turned away.

‘Because I’ve seen his back so many times in my previous life.’

Before her father turned back completely, Siervian reached out.

It’s going to be okay.

It was okay last time, too.

“Siervian?”

As he was held back by a small hand clutching his clothes, the Emperor looked back at his beautiful daughter with wonder in his eyes.

Looking into his blue eyes, Siervian felt even more brave. Just like Ellie earlier.

“Twogether.”

“…Together?”

“Yeah. Let’s go twogether.”

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