CH 26

When she came to her senses by the sound of what just happened… Lelia saw her hand holding the doll tightly and Julianna on the floor.

“Ouch, it hurts…”

Julianna frowned and looked down at her palms.

Oh, there was a little scratch on one hand and blood oozed out of it. Lelia went back in front of her.

“Aiya…”

Julianna blew the wind on her palm with a tearful face. She scratched herself on the wooden floor when she fell down.

“Oh, my God! It’s bleeding!”

“Are you all right, Julia?”

Cedric and Damien’s faces turned pale when they found drops of blood on the floor.

“That’s all right, big brothers…”

Julianna spoke cheerfully to calm the two worried people.

“Let’s go to the castle now. Climb on my back!”

“That’s not the order!” Julianna, who didn’t want to get carried, pushed Cedric away, who was showing his back.

Then he rose slowly and approached Lelia, who was frightened by her doll.

“I’m sorry. I was just looking at the doll because it was cute…”

“…”

“But who are you? I think I saw you before.” asked Julianna with a curious face. The wrinkleless attitude made Lelia feel strangely shabby.

In fact, Julianna had no intention of stealing the doll, but she felt guilty about being treated like a thief by Lelia.

Besides, she had hurt Julianna anyway.

“…”

It was when Lelia hesitated to answer.

“Who, her? She is the daughter of the woman who tormented my mother.” Cedric, whose face was distorted, replied instead.

“What?” Julianna seemed confused by the words, but Damien wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

“Julianna, it’s none of your business. She is a vicious devil’s blood.”

“By the way… why are you here? I was wondering who was staying here… so it was you?”  Cedric snorted and looked around. Seeing the well-organised bed, his anger seemed to soar.

He shouted, frowning, “You are the daughter of a murderer, who killed my mother, and you are eating and sleeping comfortably?! Isn’t it too unfair?”

“And you were trying to hurt her? Do you have any idea what punishment it would be to harm the Imperial Princess?” Cedric and Damien walked slowly towards Lelia.

Even though they were still young, the two were much taller than Lelia. It felt intimidating enough for Lelia.

“…”

Lelia seemed to be blank in her head.

Rather than the hurtful words of those children, there was a sense of anxiety that this space might be taken away.

And it was as expected.

“Anyway, this is ours from today. I’m gonna fix it to a place where I can see constellations! I’m going to give it to Julianna for her birthday present. So you get out of here right now!”

Cedric raised his chin and commanded.

When Julianna was about to step up, Damien stopped her and said, “Wait, you can’t go out yet. You didn’t apologize to her, did you? You dare to treat the Imperial’s princess like a thief and hurt her?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But I’m fine, big brothers…”

Damien cut off Julianna and explained in a calm friendly tone, “Julianna, I know you are kind, but you can’t let this go. You are too kind to the maids too. You are the Imperial Princess now.”

“…Hmm”

“And that girl is the daughter of the woman who bullied my mother, or maybe even killed her.”

“…”

At those words, Julianna mumbled helplessly. Cedric flicked his finger at Lelia.

“Come here, the daughter of a murderer.”

Lelia blinked blankly. It was similar to the scene she read in the novel.

Things have changed, but the results are the same.

“Come here, kneel down and apologize. You deserve to be punished by imperial law, but if you sincerely ask for forgiveness, I will spare your life.”

“…”

Lelia had a blank face.

[It’s the story…]

She was trying to stop this from happening… And what’s gonna happen now? Lelia was in the dark.

“Hurry up, won’t you?”

But it was also for a while.

At Cedric’s roar, Lelia gave up and approached Julianna. She then knelt down slowly.

Her eyes ached, but she didn’t want to cry.

“I’m sorry, Princess…” Cedric and Damian’s facial expressions seemed to ease a little as Lelia apologized.

But relieving anger didn’t change anything.

“Just repeat it 100 times.”

That day, Lelia recited “I’m sorry, Princess” 100 times as in the original book, and then gained her freedom.

Lelia was disappointed, but she didn’t even have time to feel miserable.

At the end of the apology, the palace servants rushed in as Cedric summoned them through magic.

They opened the door to the top of the tower and began cleaning it up according to Cedric and Damien’s orders.

“Come on, wait a minute…! You can’t do that!”

For Lelia, she was in a situation where she lost her nest in no time.

The servants carefully pushed out the clingy Lelia.

“Oh, no….”

Lelia only stomped her feet as she saw her things being moved out of the tower like trash.

In the meantime, Cedric, Damian, and Julianna were on top of the tower looking at the stars. Cedric and Damian brought Julianna, who was nervous about the large banquet for the first time as a princess.

It was a full moon night and stars were twinkling brightly.

Eventually, Lelia was forced to take valuable things.

Hidden letters from friends, fountain pens, dolls, etc.

It was all about the days of the temple.

“Now, when you have everything, leave. It’s a hassle to move luggage.”

At the servant’s cold words, Lelia had to turn around.

“…”

As she came out of the tower, she saw old beds and desks moved in front of the building.

Those things looked really shabby like garbage. She was the one she used until a while ago.

To be honest, she was dumbfounded.

In the novel, another child had suffered the misfortune of hurting Julianna, which eventually became her own.

In addition, the space that was her only resting place was taken away.

“…No way….”

Lelia raised her head slowly.

She heard a rumbling laugh from the top of the tower.

It was the affectionate voices of the three, brothers and sister, looking at the stars.

Julianna’s laughter was lovely, and the voices of the two brothers talking to her were friendly.

“…”

Lelia clenched her fist. Her throat was as hot as if boiling water was poured in.

Lelia, who had been standing for a long time, walked away slowly.

The place where Lelia headed with weary steps was Elizabeth’s cabin.

[If Emperor Perseus finds out, he will kill me….]

Lelia smiled sadly…

[If that happens, there’s really nothing I can do about it. I have no choice but to accept my fate of death.]

She walked like a man who gave up everything like that.

After arriving at the cabin, she opened the door with an iron stick and locked it tight.

It was a cold, unlighted space, but it still felt warm to Lelia.

Her head was still blank, just like a person who had a severe accident.

As soon as she entered the cabin, Lelia sank to the floor.

[Mom…]

It was as if her dead mother was hugging her, saying she was glad that she had come.

[Yeah, that’s better.]

Lelia decided to think positively, wiping away tears dripping around her eyes.

That tower is too old anyway. In addition, it is a better home because there is still a touch left by her mother and it is unlikely to be cold at night.

Of course, if Emperor Perseus finds out, she may die, but… when he would come to know that it was because of his sons, he might give her a better place to stay.

[But that would end up with a strange marriage.]

There was no way to run away if someone was watching. She’d rather die than do that.

Lelia opened the bag as it was, and took out the things she had packed.

Letter, a fountain pen separated from the magic stone,  and a cute rabbit doll.

Seeing things related to her friends seemed to make her feel better.

However, the tip of her nose turned red and tears began to flow.

[You don’t have to cry.]

Lelia comforted herself.

[It’s okay, why are you crying over this? I’m not sad at all.]

Julianna has brothers, but she has friends. Her friends are the main characters who fought against the dragon.

Strangely, however, the more she comforted herself, she couldn’t stop crying. Lelia immediately shook her shoulders and began to cry.

She didn’t want to cry like a child, so she held back her voice, and shed tears.

[I’m not alone… because I have friends… ]

Lelia started reading a letter she shared with her friends to force herself to stop crying.

Oscar: I can’t sleep well these days. Are you guys okay?

Kalix: I go to sleep right away when I lie down.

Griffith: I heard that stupid kids sleep well without thinking.

Kalix: Are you going to die?

Romeo: I can’t sleep either. I miss spending time in the temple.