Chapter 256: Lizbeth's Past and Wish

Chapter 256: Lizbeth's Past and Wish

"What do you think about being my attendant?"

Riezel looked directly into Lizbeth's eyes as he asked.

"Don't think about the royal family, nor the person who instructed you to do this."

"I want to know your own thoughts."

"Do you really want to be my attendant?"

"..."

"I..."

After being silent for a moment, Lizbeth opened her mouth but only managed to utter a single word.

At this moment, her face was full of confusion, like she had reached a fork in the road of life and was a lost child without anyone to guide her. She had no idea which way to go, and she didn't know if she would get lost if she kept walking.

Riezel, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all by her reaction.

Anyone could see that this little princess was an inexperienced, sheltered young lady. Added to her young age of only fifteen, how could she possibly make such an important decision that would shape her future?

Moreover, she clearly wasn't good with words.

Riezel's direct question, aimed at uncovering her true thoughts, left her unable to come up with an answer.

"Alright, let me put it this way... Do you still want to go back and continue being a princess?" Riezel asked straightforwardly.

As soon as she heard the question, Lizbeth immediately reacted.

"I-I don't want to!"

Lizbeth responded in a very soft voice, but her face was full of fear and resistance.

"I don't want to be a princess at all!"

Indeed, she truly didn't want to be a princess.

Ever since she was taken into the royal palace at the age of seven, her life had been completely changed.

She wasn't allowed to interact with or talk to others.

She couldn't go outside and make public appearances.

She couldn't disobey her father or the orders of certain important figures.

She couldn't say whatever she wanted to say or do whatever she wanted to do and had to follow countless rules and learn all sorts of etiquette. Except for practicing swordsmanship, every other activity made her feel extremely tired and exhausted.

Compared to that, her life before the age of seven was tough and full of hardships, having to avoid all sorts of dangerous creatures just to survive. Still, at least back then, she had someone by her side and wasn't locked in a cold, empty room where she couldn't do anything.

In a way, the life and environment in the royal palace were probably ninety percent responsible for shaping Lizbeth into the person she was now.

She didn't understand too many complicated things; she only knew that since she was seven years old, the thing she had been thinking about was that she didn't want to be this so-called princess.

Being a princess was just too hard for her, much harder than practicing swordsmanship.

"...I see."

Seeing Lizbeth like this, Riezel finally fully understood what Marilyn meant.

Indeed, almost every girl dreamed of becoming royalty, a princess, but the real princess might not have actually wanted to be one.

"I think I get what you mean..."

Riezel nodded calmly to Lizbeth.

"However, I have to tell you upfront that if you become my attendant, no one will take care of you anymore."

"Um..." Lizbeth's expression turned a bit sad. "When I was seven, Grandma Mia, who was already eighty-eight, finally couldn't continue the journey and passed away..."

'Passed away from old age, huh?' Riezel sighed.

Although it was unfortunate, at least it wasn't due to some kind of accident. Otherwise, this princess would probably be more than just sad.

"What about your mother?" Riezel continued to ask.

Weirdly, Lizbeth looked confused when she heard this question.

"I've never seen my mother..." Lizbeth shook her head. "Grandma Mia told me that my mother passed away after giving birth to me. She took care of me because of my mother's dying wish, and when I was seven, Grandma Mia somehow managed to contact Father and had him take me away."

Apparently, this was her complete life story as she remembered it.

When she was born, she not only lost her mother, but her father wasn't around either. She only had a grandmother and a sword to accompany her as they wandered everywhere.

A grandmother and a little girl not even ten years old, wandering around like that—it was easy to imagine how tough and difficult their life must have been.

However, when Lizbeth brought up the matter, there was surprisingly no hint of resentment in her eyes. Instead, she looked nostalgic and even happy.

It seemed the hardships of those days had now become cherished memories in her mind. At the very least, compared to being confined within the royal palace, she preferred that kind of life.

Even if it was tough, even if it was difficult, she didn't think it was something unbearable. In fact, when Riezel mentioned that they might live like that again in the future, she looked both eager and delighted.

He could easily imagine that there were many things this little princess held dear before she turned seven.

Needless to say, that journey wasn't just filled with hardships but also had beautiful moments.

Lizbeth knew of that beauty, and naturally, Riezel did as well.

Understanding this, Riezel let out a genuine smile and spoke up.

"Well, since you put it that way, I won't say more."

Upon hearing this, Lizbeth's expression became one of anticipation.

"Then...?"

Lizbeth's face was filled with nervousness and anxiety.

Before this, she had only tried to become Riezel's attendant because of the royal family's command, or rather, because of her father's command. However, after hearing Riezel talk about his future plans, she was already leaning toward doing it willingly.

In her life so far, she had experienced only two phases.

One was the time before she turned seven, while the other was the time after she turned seven.

The time before she was seven was full of hardships, but it also filled her with happiness.

The time after she turned seven was more comfortable, but it was filled with suffocation.

If becoming Riezel's attendant meant leaving the royal palace and wandering as she had before, then for her, it would be like regaining her previous freedom.

However, the person beside her this time wouldn't be Grandma Mia, who had raised her from childhood, but instead a handsome, kind, and powerful young man.

With such belief, Lizbeth couldn't help but want to be Riezel's attendant with all her heart.

However, Riezel didn't agree immediately because he knew very well that what he needed to do wasn't finished yet.

"Why don't you go back for now and wait for my news, okay?" Riezel said with a smile.

"O-Okay..."

Lizbeth felt a bit disappointed, but she quickly stood up, gave Riezel a deep, respectful bow, and left the Frenzel residence.

Riezel watched the princess's back as she left, his eyes flickering before his figure disappeared from sight a moment later.