Chapter 463

Tell me why you did it.

I couldn’t calm myself to think. What happened in front of me distracted me too much. I couldn’t even understand what others were saying.

What just happened?

After being caught by Assisi and pulled out forcibly, I tried to enter the mansion again, but there was no way I could overcome the knights of Agrigent who were guarding me.

The mansion collapsed, and I grabbed onto Assisi and screamed.

“Assisi, how could you do this to me? I keep telling you that dad is in there! Dad is on the other side of that door!”

With a gloomy expression, Assisi bowed.

It would have been better if he said something. Seeing his expression, which told me that he was ready to accept any blame, I couldn’t even shout at him. I just sobbed.

It wasn’t Assisi’s fault. I knew that in my head.

However, I couldn’t hold my emotions.

“It is His Majesty’s command. To place the princess’s safety as our…”

Another knight who couldn’t watch me in pain answered. However, he couldn’t complete it as Assisi glared at him.

I looked at the other knights. The fact that my father gave them such an order was like a dagger through my heart.

That idiot!

I bowed my head before I could realize I was already wailing so hard that I couldn’t breathe. Assisi held onto me as I was about to fall to the ground.

It felt as if the world around me was collapsing.

The thought that I could never meet my dad again only made me lose my balance. Every ounce of energy in my body disappeared right then.

I had no energy left to stand up, yet the tears didn’t stop. Choking up on the cries, I managed to mutter one word.

“Dad…”

Dad’s words of love on me kept lingering in my ears. It seemed like those would be the last words I heard.

How did it come to this!?

This, really…!

I was the one who always said that I loved him.

I never hated it; I wasn’t upset or annoyed, but I felt a little sorry. I would always say ‘I love you,’ and Caitel’s reply every time would be a simple ‘me too,’ but sometimes, I could hear him mutter it to himself. However, now that I heard it, it was like a thorn down my throat.

However, why did I have to hear such a word at desperate times?

The first time my dad told me that he loved me.

Why did he have to wait for the end to say it? Foul!

I couldn’t see what to do, but I could neither stop my tears nor could I get myself to find my dad’s ashes. Since the mansion was still collapsing, I couldn’t even get close to it because of the knights stopping me.

‘Dad…’

My dad’s face, who pushed me out, was fading from my memory. I wanted to calm down, just a little calm, and I could think of something. However, I couldn’t get myself to calm down.

“Master!”

A voice called for Assisi.

Something was happening. I raised my head to listen, but the man rushed and whispered something in Assisi’s ear.

What?

I couldn’t even hear what they were talking about, but I felt like something else was happening. Assisi seemed clearly shocked.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, someone was brought out, and the doctor…”

“Who was it?”

“Your Majesty…”

What?

A very familiar word made me calm down. I didn’t even realize it, but my sobbing stopped.

As I swallowed the tears, I wiped my cheeks back and forth.

While I was looking at them, Assisi bent down to speak to me.

“What is it, Assisi? It is about dad, right? Tell me. Huh? what happened?”

I grabbed onto Assisi’s hand and asked.

Although I asked Assisi, he found it hard to open his mouth and answered me. I wished he would say something back, but his stiff attitude was making me go crazy.

What the hell!?

“Princess, you need to return to the Imperial Palace right away.”

A serious voice.

Why were they trying to kick me out of here? Wiping away the tears, I looked up at him and asked.

“Why?”

“…”

It seemed like they were trying to trick me. Like they were trying to hide something I shouldn’t know. I wanted to ask for clarification, but Assisi’s gloomy face made me choke up.

If he was so messed up with the news, there is no way he would say anything to me.

“Don’t want to. I’m not going.”

“Ria…”

I really wouldn’t go. If I left the place, I would surely be safe, but I would lose my only chance to get my dad back. I knew that it wasn’t the time to act foolishly, but I couldn’t give up on the only family I had.

‘What would dad have done?’

“Take the ships Ferdel sent and go back.”

Assisi said with a severe expression. As if he had to get this task done at all costs, he was so determined that I couldn’t say anything. It was my first time seeing Assisi look so determined.

I wanted to hear what they knew regarding dad, but I couldn’t ask. I was scared of the answer, so I thought it would be better not to ask, but if I did ask and the response was… I was scared that I would never have my dad on my side.

It scared the shit out of me.

“Please trust me. Your Majesty will definitely come back for you, princess.”

‘He will?’

Although the odds were slim, I wanted to believe that—an excuse not to accept the worst.

Did Assisi know something?

There was no reason why Assisi would lie to me.

Knowing that only reassured me, I nodded, holding onto his hand. I was curious to know about my dad’s rescue, buried in rubble, but I didn’t ask. I felt terrible for Assisi, who was already going through hell.

Assisi was never wrong.

If he was wrong about something, it was to accompany me on my foolish journey.

Stupid Ariadna, everything I did caused this situation. I was the reason for everything that happened.

Once again, tears started to flow. This time my tears show no sign of stopping soon. No one said for sure about a specific person dying, but I knew it. Surviving there would be a miracle.

As I began to weep again, Assisi’s expression softened. I wanted to stop crying, but I didn’t know how. Assisi, who was silent for a moment, handed me over to the driver.

“Take the princess into the floating ship.”

A knight with a winter moon symbol guided me.

I headed to the tower of Uprichit to move to Agrigent, the same way I came from Ancief to Shertogenbosch.

I managed to stop my tears, but my entire body trembled in fear.

I was nervous.

There was something unknown to me happening here, and they were keeping me in the dark.

Looking back, I didn’t even know what was happening. In the end, I walked to the floating ship while the knight guided me.

Fortunately, when I stepped into the ship, a familiar face greeted me.

“Valer!”

Valer was there with a stiff expression. Once I saw him, I went into his embrace while he stroked my head. He would have asked why, but he knew that I had been through hell.

“Ria.”

His low voice shattered me.

I tried to raise my head, but once I saw Valer, my tears began to flow again. I barely stopped crying.

I had to say something, but in the end, an endless sob greeted him.

Why was I tearing up? Damn it.

When I cried in silence, Valer decided to comfort me.

How long had I cried?

As I cried it out, my tears began to subside. Valer patted my back and asked.

“Fine now?”

“No.”

“Right. I asked for courtesy. Nothing looks okay.”

At my answer, Valer nodded. This guy!

Then, why did he have to ask!? He knew that my situation wasn’t good.

I wiped my tears off. Princesses never cried like that.

As I was quiet, Valer turned severe. It had been a while since I saw this guy, who would joke around, get serious.

It felt new, but I knew the situation was dire when I saw Valer look that serious.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know either.”

I thought he knew something, but I was wrong. My head was starting to ache with all the thoughts.

“I don’t know.”

All I knew that I left my dad. My dad was under the rubble and ash.

I thought about the door, which wouldn’t open even after constant banging; it made me tremble. Seeing me cry again, Vale became shocked.

“It is alright not to know.”

I felt sick, but seeing the boy in front of me, I knew that something changed.

There was something different about him. I couldn’t figure out when he changed, but I felt it.

When I returned to my senses, I saw him clearer.

What? Something happened!

“What is with your expression? Did something happen?”

“… you don’t need to know.”

Avoiding to answer.

He didn’t want to talk, and I wasn’t willing to dig, but I knew it. Something happened.

“Father is waiting.”

‘Father? Ah, Ferdel!’

When Ferdel mentioned that, my insides twisted.

Was Agrigent okay?

Remembering Ferdel made me tremble; I had been away from home for a long time.

“What is Ferdel doing now?”

“This and that, but the most important thing is that you need to be there to handle it.”

Huh?

What should I handle?

I felt puzzled. Valer avoided a direct answer, and even if I asked, he wouldn’t tell me the details.

After all the weeping, the ship moved over the sea towards Agrigent. I knew the place I saw from the window.

“Is it a huge mess?”

“Huh.”

“What should I do?”

There would be a lot of people to meet. I was worried about what would happen. I wanted to correct myself by looking into a mirror, but I saw nothing like that.

I just washed my face.

As I was lost in thought, Valer laughed as if he knew what I was thinking.

“It is alright. No one will know that you cried a little.”

“Liar.”

“Well, maybe a little.”

Yes, I wish it was only a little.

I was out of energy and didn’t care about my appearance. I only wanted to look at me out of habit.

As I was about to get off, other worries took over me. I thought I managed to calm down, but I trembled.

“Dad…”

I couldn’t say it.

Closing my eyes, I wanted to say it, but it felt like my dad would die if I said it out loud. I wasn’t sure that he would be okay, but I couldn’t say it out loud. I wouldn’t believe my dad’s death until I saw his corpse with my own two eyes.

‘Caitel is dying. Well.’

“It will be alright. Your Majesty, I mean.”

“He will be?”

Maybe being aware of my anxiety, Valer tried to comfort me. I held both my hands firmly.

“I mean it, Your Majesty will not die unless you die first.”

“I hope so.”

My face hardened at his calm voice. I was trying to act strong, but Valer was different. Very different.

“What is it?”

“Sorry.”

“Huh?”

What was he talking about?

Before I could even ask, the ship stopped. Accordingly, Valer reached for my hand.

“Get off. We’re here.”

Time didn’t stop for me.

I sighed at the thought of facing people.

I felt scared, but when I held onto my hand, I felt comforted, and the door of the ship opened.

As I walked out of the door, I saw the view from the tower, a familiar scene, and a person I never thought I would see.

“Uh?”

It shocked me; the other person naturally lowered his head. At that moment, silence filled around us.

At that moment, even the wind felt heavy.

“Welcome, princess.”

It was Ferdel standing there with a stiff face.