Chapter 39

The corners of my mouth crept upwards as I gently patted the sleeping Haniel as she snuggled into my arms.

Though I was surprised that I am smiling even in this situation, I was more fascinated that I did not feel an ounce of loneliness that I always had.

“…”

PAT PAT. My hand wrapped carefully around her wings, and as I placed my fingers on her, I could feel her little heartbeats.

As expected of her to be the same bloodline as her brother, their hearts beat relatively fast…

“Cough cough!”

[Madam!]

“Selene, you know, I’ll raise our princess very well. I have the responsibility over anyone else to raise her beautifully and safely.”

[…]

“And, so.”

I could not control my overwhelming emotions and even expressed my unquestioned decision. I clung to Selene’s feet, who was instinctively trying to get away from this.

“Pack your bags. Let’s move!”

To put it nicely, it was moving. But honestly, it was no different from a daylight escape.

It was the second day, and I had been making careful preparations without anyone noticing.

There might not be a lot to pack, but since we are a family of three, including baby Haniel moving our base, there was still quite a few baggage to take with us.

I now understood why mothers back in Korea had their hands full of bags while carrying their kids.

“We must take a blanket for Haniel. Though she’s a white cygnet, they are still unable to maintain their body temperature.”

[Madam.]

“Oh, let’s pack all the fish jerky dried out on the roof and the bird feed. We can’t let the young one starve while looking for a new lake.”

[You said there was none when I asked for more previously.]

Selene grumbled as she brought out the blanket with her beak and threw a scowl at me.

As I was in a hurry, she had no choice but to follow my pace, but still expressed her discontent.

[Will you even leave? You didn’t budge even though Lady Rania had bullied you so much.]

“I have nothing else to lose to her, but it’s not the case with the Emperor.”

[Just what happened between you and His Majesty?]

“…Nothing.”

I avoided Selene’s eyes and hurriedly packed Haniel’s ribbon.

Strangely, it was always at such moments that Selene moved so fast that her head appeared from under the ribbons.

[What really happened? Please tell me.]

“Well, he’s just huge, scary, and sturdy.”

[Sturdy? Where?]

“The empire’s economy.”

Although it was unintentional, if Selene had touched the Emperor’s chest, there was a high possibility that she would have ran away, wanting to live alone.

Selene started raking the ground violently as she could not stand seeing me rolling up ribbons hurriedly and pretending to not hear her.

[We’re running, and yet you’re packing ribbons?]

“Seriously. I’m not packing just ribbons, but taking along Haniel’s cuteness. If you’re a nanny, act like one and widen your outlook.”

[Besides that, have you decided where and how we’re going to wherever we’re heading to? Lady Rania won’t let us off so easily.]

Selene took on a practical stand out of the blue.

[Lady Rebecca pops in occasionally as well. It doesn’t matter if Haniel and I are not around, but they’ll find out if you disappeared.]

“I suppose so. Since I’ll have to show them that I’m still around.”

[You knew that, and yet you want to run away?]

“What else can I do then? Keeping myself alive comes first.”

It did not feel like I was living at the thought of facing the Emperor and the lake, while unsure when he would return.

“It’s been a while, Duchess.”

“I, I committed no crime, Your Majesty!”

“Which did you mean? Kidnapping, or sexual harassment?”

“Ughhh.”

Just last night, I had a dream of the Emperor gesturing with his middle finger, calling for me.

The saying of even living a cursed life is better than living a sinned life, was not for naught.

“This isn’t the only lake anyway. Though we won’t be able to get out of the Northern Lands overnight, but we’ll be able to find a small lake using the map you gave previously.”

[Did you think Lady Rania won’t be able to find her way there? She even has the wizard who cursed us with dark magic.]

“We’ll have to move from one to another. I have thought about it, once we’ve left the Northern Lands, the huge risk will be reduced. Since we are not allowed to intrude on other regions besides the Emperor, I think we’ll have to either head east or west.”

I never expected the knowledge I got from Lady Melleo would come in handy now.

The Emperor was in the center of the empire, much like the egg yolk, and the other regions surrounding it.

Even under the powerful authority of the Emperor, only the four lords in their respective territories were recognized and acknowledged for their long time efforts against invasions from other countries.

“It would be a loss to Rania as well if she uses dark magic in the territories of other lords. She wouldn’t risk it.”

[Even so…]