Chapter 20.1

I still couldn’t get out.

On one side of the room was a pile of unopened gifts and letters of regards. Some were sent by nobles who maintained a close relationship with Celina, but more than half were sent by the imperial family as an apology.

Seeing the splendid emperor’s seal made me feel strange. Celina wasn’t originally a character who boasted this much importance.

I’ve read Ingrit’s letters, which were mostly saying sorry, but it seemed that Elijah and the emperor had some sort of meeting about measures for future emergencies. The very narcissistic Grand Duke Samuel must have also been there.

Elijah had not appeared since he left the room in that manner at dawn. I heard he disappeared as soon as he heard from Ingrit that Celina had been kidnapped.

The place where he reappeared with his daughter covered in blood was a temple. Mikael heard Elijah’s message and was already waiting there.

Except for himself, no one knows who the archmage encountered in between. Well, it must have been Zeno.

This morning, Ian came back to Elijah’s room to pick me up. Mikael was still with me at the time.

Ian was limping slightly. It was obvious that he was trying not to show it, but he couldn’t hide it completely.

I leaned against the bed in Celina’s room and put down the spoon instead of eating the porridge. There was no way I would be hungry.

“Young Lady?”

Ian reacted immediately.

“That’s violence.”

I mumbled to myself. He noticed my gaze and shrugged his shoulders.

“Lord Elijah always does the right thing. It’s the same this time.”

“There is no one in the world who can only do right things. Even if that were the case, he shouldn’t punish you like that.”

“No. I couldn’t protect the Young Lady. Rather, it was merciful that he left it at this.”

Beyond the glasses, the deep-blue eyes were calm as usual.

“Was it a place where you could have expected that to happen? Didn’t Ingrit take me there too because she was sure it was safe?”

I said nervously. It was ridiculous. When the princess dragged me away, everyone let me go and thought nothing of it.

“And if you put it that way, isn’t it my father’s fault in the first place? He was in that castle with me.”

“No. It’s definitely different. It was my duty to protect the Young Lady.”

He was stubborn.

“I’m really fine. So, I hope you won’t worry anymore about what is right.”

“… That. Is it getting better?”

Maybe it was because of the lukewarm reaction of the other person, but I suddenly lost my strength.

“Yes. I’ll be fine soon.”

“Yeah. Alright then.”

I picked up the spoon again and silently scooped the porridge. That’s right. What’s the point of wasting my emotions on this illusion? Let’s hurry up and eat this, take medicine, and get out of here.

***

The bathroom was filled with a breathtaking floral scent. The bathtub, which made more sense to be called a swimming pool, was filled with bubbles of many colors. The maids’ gestures were as nimble as ever, without superfluousness.

“I want to be alone for a moment. I’ll call you later.”

It was the first thing I said when I thought it was almost over. Fortunately, in my memory, Celina enjoyed taking a relaxing bath alone.

The maids, who had been busy exchanging glances among themselves for a moment, left a uniquely shaped bell nearby, then politely bowed and withdrew from the bathroom.

I sat on the smooth stone floor and dipped my toes in the water. I stood up after staring blankly for a while at my petite feet without any calluses.

The large pillars here and there were all filled with elaborate sculptures, the same as the ceiling of Celina’s room. I could hear the sound of water flowing continuously from a small lion fountain right near me.

It’s a place that was roughly described in a majestic way in the novel, and it was very well implemented here. So, no matter what, it was far from my imagination.

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The center of the giant bathtub, which could be reached through several steps that were around it, was deep enough to drown a person. It is said that you can die just by putting your nose in shallow water, so won’t it be easier if there’s plenty of water?

(T/N: , lit. to die with your nose in the dishwater, is a saying used to express how easy it is to die.)

[I definitely told you I don’t recommend it.]

It was a chat window I hadn’t seen in a long time. Ever since we met, Celina had barely spoken to me.

“I hate this. I’m definitely leaving.”

As expected, there was no answer. When I was ready, I took a deep breath and walked slowly. The only reason I could do this was that I knew clearly that this place was not reality.