/
[Siana’s POV]
It happened when Siana was ten years old.
Siana left the castle and went to a popular resort in the south.
It was a place where every step one stepped on was said to be beautiful, but Siana had never fully enjoyed it.
“Princess Siana is not feeling well and is resting at the villa, Your Highness.”
Because at the words of the new queen, the king would nod his head with a nonchalant face as always.
“Don’t think of making trouble just because you’re alone, and stay calm in your room.”
“Yes.”
At the king’s words, Siana put her hands together and answered politely.
Looking at Siana, the new queen, and her two younger siblings giggled and rode in a fancy carriage.
Soon the carriage began to leave the villa.
Perhaps today they will dine at a restaurant with direct views of the emerald-green waters and do extravagant shopping in the streets lined with high-end shops.
Leaving Siana alone in a quiet villa.
‘How sad the little princess must be. Maybe she’s burying her face in the pillow and crying.’
The new queen may giggle thinking so, but Siana was not sad at all.
‘Even if you go out together, you’ll be bullied by your new mother and two younger brothers. It’s much better to be alone.’
Besides, Siana, who came here every year, had her own way of enjoying her vacation.
Siana, who secretly escaped from the eyes of the attendant and maid, headed to the forest behind the villa.
After leaving the walking trail and walking a little further to a corner, a small log cabin appeared.
It was three years ago that Siana discovered this place.
PLEASE Read only at PM Translations
An abandoned log cabin found while wandering in the woods after successfully escaping from the villa.
It was covered in cobwebs here and there because it had not been properly maintained for a long time, and there was a creaking sound every time the door was opened, but Siana liked this place.
‘No one bothers me here.’
Siena felt much more comfortable in a small log cabin than in a fancy royal palace or lavishly decorated villa.
‘It’s been a year, so it must have accumulated a lot of dust, so let’s clean it up first. Then I’ll lie down on the clean bed and read a book.’
Siana opened the door, planning a precocious vacation uncharacteristic of a young princess.
However… …
A small child was crouching in a small hut that should have been empty.
The child’s appearance was disastrous.
There were disheveled silver hair, torn clothes, and small wounds all over the body.
On top of that, his pale face and his bare feet were full of scars, as if he would collapse at any moment.
The moment the child widened his eyes and was about to say something, Siana opened her mouth first.
“Are you all right?”
“… …”
“You don’t look very well. I’ll get someone to help you.”
At that moment, the child shook his head desperately.
“N, no.”
“What are you talking about! After getting hurt like this.”
“N, no. If they know I’m here, they’ll definitely come for me. Then this time I will die.”
“… … !”
Siana covered her mouth at the horrible words.
I don’t know what happened, but the child seemed to be being chased by someone.
Siana looked at the child with a confused face and nodded as if she had made up her mind.
“All right. Then I’ll help you.”
“… … .”
Siana began to move quickly.
First of all, I cleaned the top of the bed in the log cabin (even though it was a wooden plank that was embarrassing to even call it a bed) and laid the child down.
After that, I ran to the villa and got my things.
Bandages and medicines, blankets, and soft bread.
“Let’s treat the wound first.”
Siana moved closer to the child and examined the wound. Wounds on the face or feet were superficial abrasions. However, the blue bruise on the child’s thin neck was shaped like a human hand.
It was clear that the child had been strangled by someone.
“Who in the world has done such a terrible thing….”
Siana muttered with a shocked face, then came back to her senses and said.
“Fortunately, there are no festering wounds and no fever. Apply the medicine and you will be fine in no time.”
Siana carefully applied the medicine over the child’s wound and bandaged it.
The child who had been looking at Siana with hazy eyes said in a small voice.
“You look skilled.”
“I get hurt often too. My stepmother is a little strict.”
“… …”
Siana ignored the child’s wide-eyed expression and tied the end of the bandage tightly.
After that, she tore the bread into small pieces and brought them in front of the child.
“You couldn’t even eat properly because you had a slim stomach, right? I’ll feed you because you shouldn’t have an upset stomach after eating in a hurry.”
“… … Eung.”
Fortunately, the child didn’t ask for food and quietly accepted and ate the bread Siana gave.
Seeing the face of the child who munched while eating the bread I gave him, a strange emotion flooded Siana.
‘Uwaa. I guess this must be why people feed animals.’
One side of my heart tickled.
It was the first time I felt it.
After the meal was over, the child took a sip of water and began to doze off.
Seeing that, Siana said.
“You look very tired now. Let’s take a nap.”
“… … But.”
“If anyone follows you, I’ll tell you right away. So sleep tight with confidence.”
Siana spoke in a friendly voice and pulled the blanket up to the child’s chest.
There was nothing he could do because she even patted it with her small hand.
The child’s wary eyes began to close.
The child, who had fallen asleep as if dead, woke up a few hours later. Siana could be seen through the orange sunset light coming through the window.
“Did you sleep well?”
The child blinked at Siana’s soft voice and spoke.
“… … I thought you were gone.”
“I told you earlier that I’ll see if bad guys come or not. I keep my word.”
Fortunately, today the king and the new queen were returning late at night to watch the fireworks on the beach.
PLEASE Read only at PM Translations
But it wasn’t all that easy.
It was because even the maids, no matter how thoroughly disinterested in the young princess, were looking for Siana in the evening.
I had to rush in.
“This is a place where there is no owner, so take as much rest as you want. Then…”
The child grabbed the hem of Siana’s skirt as she was about to say goodbye.
The child said to Siana, who opened her eyes wide.
“Will you come tomorrow?”
In fact, the child’s circumstances seemed too complicated for Siana to handle.
From his appearance to being unusual and being chased by someone.
You don’t know what kind of trouble will happen if you get involved.
Even so, the purple eyes looking at me were so desperate that Siana nodded.
“Eung. I will.”
After that, Siana sneaked out of the villa and went to a log cabin whenever she could.
Carrying a handful of food in both hands.
Siana enjoyed being with the child.
It was because no matter how trivial the things Siana said, the child focused with his eyes sparkling.
It was completely different from my family who never listened to me.
Siana was so excited that she talked about everything she wanted to say.
Among them, there was a story I made up.
“The little bird finally succeeded in cutting down a piece of the sun. The princess, who received the sun as a gift from the little bird, was very happy. It wasn’t cold anymore even if she went outside. So the princess lived happily and well.”
The child who had been listening intently to Siana’s words suddenly smiled.
“I get cold a lot too. I envy the princess.”
The face was so pretty that Siana blushed a little.
However, the cozy time of the two children did not last long.
This is because the king and the new queen, who returned earlier than scheduled, noticed that Siana had been sneaking out.
The new queen exclaimed with a ferocious look.
“Is that what a princess should do to secretly go out and play like a rat without permission from His Majesty and me!”
“I, I’m sorry.”
The new queen spoke in a shrill voice to the shivering Siana.
“Looks like I let you go too much just because you were on vacation. Roll up your skirt right now.”
The fear that would follow made Siana feel like she was losing her mind.
But Siana had nowhere to run.
The king was watching Siana with pathetic eyes from the side of the new queen, and the two younger siblings were twinkling their eyes as if they had found something interesting to see.
There was no one on my side.
Siana bit her lip and stood in front of the new queen. Suddenly, the queen had a cane made of leather in her hand.
The new queen swung the whip with her eyes wide open.
Swish.
Siana gasped in pain and let out a small scream.
The hand holding the hem of the skirt trembled.
Before I could completely recover from the pain, the cane flew again.
After that day, Siana could no longer leave the villa.
It was because the beaten leg was so painful that it was difficult to move, and the maids who saw the new queen’s anger strengthened their surveillance.
PLEASE Read only at PM Translations
After a few days, on the day she returned to the palace, Siana escaped from the villa to avoid being watched by the maids.
Siana, limping on her leg that hadn’t healed yet, went to the log cabin where the child was.
‘How did you eat while I was away? What if the wound got worse because I couldn’t apply the medicine?’
‘……I wonder if you’ve been waiting for me the whole time.’
However, when the old door was opened, Siana could only put on a devastated expression.
The child was nowhere to be seen.
TL/N: Childhood troupe confirmed!