Chapter 1 - Part 1
Seeing Perseus with a shocked expression on his face, felt somewhat refreshing. However, it wasn’t all pleasant feelings.
Every corner of her chest ached.
Lelia realized that the more she tried to hurt Emperor Perseus, the more she hurt herself.
Still, that wouldn’t stop Lelia.
“The former Emperor Lydios was always afraid that Prince Leo would be assassinated. So he needed a doll to send instead. That’s how I was chosen.”
“…Doesn’t make sense… .”
“Even though Prince Leo came from time to time and kicked and bullied me, I was just thankful for getting something to eat. If I could eat normal food, what would I be afraid of?”
Lelia poured out her past scars without hesitation.
Emperor Perseus had a pained expression, as if an arrow had pierced his heart.
She seemed to have realized something, and said.
“Now that I think about it… In a way, former Emperor Lydios was my lifesaver. If it weren’t for him, I would have starved to death in this vast castle.”
“…Ahhh…”
Emperor Perseus sat down in his seat. He bent over and grabbed his chest.
He exhaled painfully, as if he couldn’t breathe properly.
His eyes were red as if they were about to shed blood. The dripping tears were like drops of blood.
“At the time, I never dreamed it would hold me back.”
“….”
“Because the former Emperor Lydios cast a spell on me.”
“Ahhh…”
“Still, now I have solved the spell… I also met friends, who are the most precious people in my life.”
“…Wha-”
“Emperor Lydios was like a benefactor to me. I was the happiest in my life when I was in the neutral zone as Prince Leo.”
Emperor Perseus was now lying on the floor and began to cry.
The emperor of an empire was on his knees, bowing his head and weeping bitterly.
“So when I met His Majesty… I got down on my knees and prayed. I hate being hungry, because I am afraid of starving. It’s too terrible to have to eat dirt again… It was for this reason that I ran away from the Imperial castle.”
“Stop, stop…!!!”
“So this place is like hell for me. Do you still want me to stay here?”
Perseus sobbed with a roaring sound. It was terrifying to see him pounding and clenching his chest.
Tears eventually flowed down Lelia’s eyes.
She thought everything would be okay.
She spit it all out of her mouth… But it was like slashing her own body.
Rather, she was the one who was hurt.
Lelia looked at the Emperor Perseus like he was her bleeding heart.
***
Princess Julianna realized too late that the rumors she had heard were misunderstandings.
It was too late for her to regret her actions.
When she went to the emperor to belatedly make excuses for her behaviour…
“Princess Lelia came first?”
“Yes, Princess…”
As she pushed the disgruntled servants and knights out of her way and entered the office, she saw her father kneeling on the floor and crying.
Even from the back she could tell that Lelia was looking at him coldly.
Julianna was frozen in place, as if struck by the lightning, then she left the office.
“It’s me, because of me…”
[Editor: Everything isn’t about you honey.]
Her legs became weak and she sat down on the spot.
Her heart throbbed as her father, who was the strongest and most powerful in the world, collapsed and cried.
It hurt her heart to see him cry so painfully last time too…
Tears flowed uncontrollably as she looked more distressed than before.
‘It’s all my fault.’
Without knowing the facts, she was not going to visit Lelia or say anything.
She thought Lelia was trying to get revenge on her now.
‘The meaner I am to Princess Lelia…’
The more she does, the more Lelia will bother her father.
“Oh, no… no… no.”
Princess Julianna shook her head while shedding tears.
***
Her body was exhausted and it was difficult to even walk.
The moment she was about to return to her tattered place and enter the room.
“Lelia.”
A low voice came from behind.
When she turned her head, Romeo was standing there with a dark expression.
When Romeo, who always had a bright expression on his face, had that kind of expression on his face, she felt anxious.
“…What’s the matter?”
“Let’s go in and talk.”
She was tired, so she wanted to say they can do it later, but Romeo’s expression didn’t look very good, so she nodded.
As soon as they entered the room.
Suddenly, she felt Romeo coming closer behind her back.
“Romeo?”
Romeo hugged Lelia from behind, very lightly and gently.
“.…”
For a moment, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Lelia laughed sadly.
“You didn’t cast a wiretapping spell on me again, did you?”
“…Right. This time, it’s not on you, it’s on the Emperor.”
Lelia sighed and closed her eyes.
Romeo seemed to have heard all of the conversation she had with the emperor.
She felt fortunate that he didn’t have a wiretapping magic tool attached to her.
“…Why did you wiretap the emperor?”
“I’m worried about what the emperor will do to you.”
Romeo rested his forehead on Lelia’s shoulder. As his warm body temperature spread, she felt comforted.
She felt comfortable and calm.
“Lelia.”
“…Hmm?”
“I didn’t know you had such a difficult time.”
“….”
“You pretended to be strong, so I thought you were really strong,” Romeo said softly.
Lelia felt her heart ease at his soothing words.
“I will be by your side for the rest of my life. Above all else, you will come first.”
“.…”
At that moment, she remembered the words Griffith had said to her.
“You think I’m the only one like this? The other three are the same.”
“Think about it. We participated in the war and since reuniting, we have lived for you…”
“For your revenge.”
“Then we found out you were alive.”
“We even found out that you’re a woman. So how do we feel? Of course…”
“Don’t you like us in a different way?”
“I’ve lived for you all my life. That’s a matter of course, Lelia. That’s enough.”
“Well, this is what happened… I can stand it. Sharing you with other guys.”
“You need to be responsible for us, Lelia.”
As she recalled those words that came as a great shock, she felt like she was suffocating.
“Romeo.”
“Don’t say it.”
Did he notice what questions she was about to ask? There was nothing to say in response to Romeo’s firm answer.
“.…”
That was when.
- I have a special recipe from <Romeo>, who is the subject of special favoritism! Shall we check the recipe now? ( •̀ᴗ•́ )و ̑̑
A sudden message popped up and she was shocked.
Suddenly, she said ‘OK’, and the contents of the new recipe appeared.
- Special Recipe: Unknown Potion
※A potion that everyone needs! Give it to me right now! (´•᎑•`)♡
[What, what kind of drug is that, can’t you tell me?]
Lelia frowned and turned her body to stand.
Romeo looked at her expressionless face as Lelia escaped from his arms.
“…Romeo, are you sick?”
Romeo’s eyebrows twitched in response to the question raised by an uneasy feeling of anxiety.
“…Do I look sick? Where are you going?”
“….”
“Even if I endure everything, I can’t resist treating you like a crazy person, like Kalix.”
Laughter erupted at the absurd remark.
However, the name of the medicine in the recipe was strangely annoying.
Looking at the past recipes, the special recipes were all medicine for each of her friends.
[For Kalix it was the cure for his eyes, and Griffith was… let’s omit that…]
[Anyways, this medicine is something that Romeo needs…]
After reading the description of the recipe, she thought that it had to be given to Romeo, even if she didn’t know what kind of medicine it was.
Maybe it’s about his magic.
[Romeo is a wizard who is more enthusiastic about learning than anyone else, or it’s more important to him than anything else.]
Anyway, in order to make the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’, this item had to be crafted at least once.
It was a system where achievements were accumulated only after crafting.
Lelia looked at Romeo sitting on the sofa in her parlor, and checked the required crafting materials.
[Wait, maybe again… Right?]
Unknown potion
– List of required materials
∙ Liar Phantom Thief Lupin Secret Card (30/1)
[Huhhh?]
Unexpectedly, she already possessed the stuff she needed.
It was a reward card that you can receive every time you clear the quest of the in-game guest, ‘Phantom Thief Lupin’.
In her past life, there were a lot of quests for him, so she had an ample quantity.
Lelia immediately pressed the craft button, and as soon as she was done she took it out of her inventory.
She then sat down across from Romeo.
She was worried because she didn’t know what the drug was.
[Alchemy, this must be a strange drug… It isn’t a drug that hurts the body, is it?]
- Eh? ∑(;°Д°) An naive and kind Alchemy cannot make such a medicine! ｡ﾟ(*´□`)ﾟ｡
*(It’s impossible right now… but I want to develop a 100% lethal poison right now. ( ᴗ_ᴗ̩̩ )…)*
[I don’t think it’s a dangerous drug.]
Lelia sighed in relief, pondering when to hand him the medicine.
At that moment, Romeo, who was worried, opened his mouth.
“Emperor Perseus is going to marry you to a nobleman in the capital. That’s why I thought he was going to keep you tied up here.”
“.…”
Those words caused her to sigh.
[Why the heck was he thinking about doing that?]
“You can also get engaged in advance, so you don’t have to deal with any fussing.”
“What?”
“If you need someone to use, I’ll be happy to help.”
“….”
“Of course, don’t even think of touching me.”
As if Romeo was being dishonest, he wrapped his arms around himself in an X around his shoulders.
Lelia let out a laugh.
“Take this.”
His mood was not bad, so she smiled and handed her medicine, Romeo gladly accepted.
Her vial had an unknown letter written on it. It was weirdly cursive and Lelia could not read.
“I don’t know what drug it is, but it says you need it…”
“Your alchemy spirit?”
“.…”
Lelia shakily nodded her head.
Not long ago, Romeo had asked her about her alchemy, so Lelia was unsure.
Then, Romeo seemed to have accepted the existence of ‘Alchemy’ as a spirit.
“Do you know what the drug is?”
“Ummm…”
Romeo looked at the writing on the medicine bottle and smiled.
“Are you sure you aren’t a real wizard or an alchemist?”
“…What?”
Romeo nodded with a hmmm sound.
He was certain that she could not read the language of wizards and alchemists on the vial.
Romeo grinned.