Chapter 1 - Part 1
Thank you Roodle for the kofi! (2/3)
***
“……”
At Lelia’s words, Sena struggled to blink her eyes.
“If you’re having a hard time, you don’t have to talk. First of all…”
“I remember.”
“…”
“It was a man… Tall… “
It was a man with hellish eyes. She remembered the blue eyes that were shining brightly.
“Stop, you don’t have to remember it all right now.”
Lelia calmed down and said, just in case Sena would collapse again. It didn’t matter if the clues were collected slowly. First of all, it was important for her to regain her lost memories.
“Yes, but here…”
“This is the Superion territory. Do you know where that is?”
“… I’ve heard of it, but why am I here?”
“You said you lost your memory, right?”
“Yes.”
“It may be shocking, but this is your home.”
“…”
Sena looked as if she had heard something very strange. Lelia held back that she wanted to call her mother right away. She wanted to give her the medicine to recover her memories right away, but she was afraid that she might not be able to wake up again due to the side effects of the medicine. So, she thought it would be better for her to adapt to this place and recover her health for now.
“We’re all your family… And you…”
“Lelia is my family?” Sena blinked surprisingly.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“…I thought I didn’t have a family. What do you mean Superion territory? This far away, I….”
Sena crumpled her forehead. It seemed that she had never dreamed that she would have a family. She instinctively ran away, thinking that she barely survived a dangerous place, perhaps because of the burn marks left on her body. And she judged that the temple was safe and hid there.
She was even more relieved because she could borrow the name of another priest. But she couldn’t believe her family was this far away… She didn’t remember anything…
In addition, this young, royal family member that she saw in the temple is her family. She had thought Lelia was not a real royal family member. She was curious about what made her come there by borrowing the crown prince’s name… She also felt a sense of unity because she, too, had used a fake name and hid behind someone else’s identity. But if she’s her family… What’s her relationship with them?
“Then, what kind of relationship do we have?”
While asking the question, Sena blinked. Come to think of it, Lelia is…. Strangely enough, she resembles herself as if looking in a mirror. To the extent that it is easy to believe that they are a family. To the extent that it is curiously taken for granted.
“That’s…” As Lelia carefully tried to speak out, Sena opened her mouth first. “Did I have a very young sister?””
“…”
“Daughter… It doesn’t make sense… I hope I didn’t get married, “Sena said jokingly. However, as soon as she spit out the word “daughter,” something went wrong. Suddenly, she felt…
“I’ll speak slowly.” Lelia said with a smile.
She had a smiling face, but tears fell from her eyes. Maybe it was because she knew that she was her family, and seeing those tears, Sena’s heart seemed to break. She wiped away those tears without realizing it.
“… Don’t cry.”
At her touch, Lelia bowed her head and began to cry. Sena reached out and hugged her. It was an action that happened unconsciously. And the moment she hugged Lelia’s shoulder, Sena instinctively realized it.
‘Oh… It’s my daughter. This is the child I gave birth to.’
A long time ago, there was a child who she had helped change clothes with her own hands in the temple. The little girl who wiped her forehead telling her to wake up quickly, who was strangely affectionate,.
‘You were my daughter.’
Strangely, her heart was burning hot and tears flowed down.
***
“Any news about Oscar? Did you hear anything?”
At Romeo’s question, Griffith shrugged as if he was not interested. Kalix didn’t know either. Romeo breathed out a stuffy breath. Is it because Lellia was talking so anxiously? He was worried if he was really hurt.
“If he hears from Lelia, he’ll come to her on his own. He’s supposed to come back eventually. I hope he didn’t die.”
Griffith didn’t mean it. Romeo changed the subject while pondering his answer for a moment.
“Are you really going to make Lellia successful?”
No matter how much he thought about it, it was crazy. Griffith, who calmly created such a crazy idea, was satisfied. He knew he was crazy, but… He didn’t expect him to do this. He got goosebumps because Griffith was trying to fool the whole world.
“Tell me if there’s a better way.”
“…”
When Griffith said it shamelessly, there was nothing to say. Romeo couldn’t think of any other way either. To be honest, there was also a way to let Lelia stay in the territory as she wanted. Romeo thought that it would be better.
‘Emperor Perseus won’t stay still…’
As long as they were there, Superion’s territory could not be afraid of war. But watching a war break out, it was clear that Lelia would suffer. It was true that there was no better way to keep Emperor Perseus quiet since no one in the five empires could invade the Kreuzt Neutral Zone. And the same was true of Oscar. If Lellia stays here… Oscar will try to kidnap her again.
If the plan was successful, it would be safer than now, and he can’t kidnap her like before. Nevertheless, Griffith’s attitude was uncomfortable. This is because he said it in that way — as if the four of them would share Lellia.
“After making Lellia successful? What are you going to do?”
When Romeo asked, Griffith replied as if he were asking about the obvious. “What do you mean? We all stay in the neutral zone as we did when we were young, and when Lelia says she wants to come here, we come together.”
“…”
“Let’s be together forever, as Lelia wishes. Is there a problem?”
Griffith responded calmly as if he were speaking common sense. However, Romeo felt the shady intentions under those words. So, it’s hard to express it in words…
“Your method is weird.”
At that time, Kalix, who had been silent all along, said. Griffith laughed at him.
“Then is your method right? Lelia doesn’t even think about getting married. She’s getting married. She’s singing”.
Even with sarcastic remarks, Kalix was upright.
“… Lelia is free to marry her loved one.”
“That’s not what you’re saying, is it?”
Griffith’s expression wrinkled. His face looked like he was really crazy. Kalix nodded as if he was right with his arms folded. He was also… Romeo shook his head.
“Lelia… Oscar… She’s going to marry Oscar, too.”
At that time, Kalix murmured with conviction. Griffith replied with a smile as if he had heard a joke.
“That’s fun. Well, it’s not hard if Lelia wants to. Anything will be possible if it’s booming. However…”
“However, what?” Romeo asked.
Griffith blinked for a moment and said, “The moment one tries to monopolize Lelia, we’ll die and kill each other.”
“…”
“Lelia wants that? Wouldn’t it be better to take turns dealing with four people every day and maintain the same peace?”
Lunatic. Romeo looked at Griffith with hateful eyes. Griffith’s eyes were full of confidence. He believes that the crazy nonsense he talks about is true. But as Griffith said, what if someone really monopolizes Lellia?
Romeo swallowed the bitter water. It was okay. Even if Lelia says she loves Kalix and marries him, Romeo will accept it. However, he intended to remain next to Lelia as a friend for the rest of his life. It didn’t matter if Lelia fell in love with others, as long as she could stay with them.
Even in the case, although it may never happen, but even if Lelia marries Kalix and gives birth to his child… He would be able to endure it. He will be a good uncle to her child. If she could just stay next to him… He was lying to himself now because it was hard.
‘Of course, I would be happier if the position was mine.’
What do you mean, Lelia with Kalix’s child? His heart ached just by imagining it. But unconscientiously, when he put his hand on his chest, it was wrong to say that Griffith’s method was not tempting.
“Let’s be together forever.”
They were seductive words.
***
For the next few days, Lelia felt like what she had hoped for had come true. The days she spent with her family at the Superion territory were like a dream. Mother’s memory did not return, but she was slowly adapting to life here.
Her grandmother’s health improved a lot, and his face gradually became brighter. The same was true for her uncles and aunt. They often made a sad face when they saw her mother who had no memory, but they looked happy. In particular, Uncle Karius repeatedly cried and laughed every day. A few days ago, it was when Lelia drank tea in the greenhouse with her mother and uncle Karius. Maclia was served as a dessert. When she saw it, Lelia remembered a story that her uncle had told her before.
“Your mom especially liked this dessert. Your mother and I had similar tastes. My sister and I liked this so much that we competed with each other to see who eats more. So when you eat this deliciously…”
“Ah! That’s why your uncle cried then!”
“… It’s not to the point of crying… Yeah, I’m shy, but yes, that’s the reason.”
When she saw maclia, which her mother had liked, she was happy. It was a dessert that only two people in Superion Castle liked, Lelia and Karius. Perhaps that’s why when the uncle and niece had tea time, the chef always made this dessert, his specialty.
“What kind of dessert is this?”
“This is maclia.”
“It’s my first time seeing it.”
Sena looked at the plate with curious eyes. The round dessert was sprinkled with chocolate sauce. It looked delicious at a glance. Lelia served some onto her mother’s plate. She carefully looked at the maclia and put it in her mouth. Suddenly, her eyes got bigger and bigger, and as soon as she swallowed, she said, “It’s so good. How can it be so delicious?”
Her mother smiled brightly. At the same time, Karius, who had been silent, broke down.
***
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