My Childhood Friends Are Trying To Kill Me…

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Ko - fi & Pateron

Table of Contents

  • 1. Chapter 1 - Part 1
  • 2. Chapter 1 - Part 2
  • 3. Chapter 2 - Part 1
  • 4. Chapter 2 - Part 2
  • 5. Chapter 3
  • 6. Chapter 4
  • 7. Chapter 5
  • 8. Chapter 6
  • 9. Chapter 7
  • 10. Chapter 8
  • 11. Chapter 9
  • 12. Chapter 10
  • 13. Chapter 11
  • 14. Chapter 12
  • 15. Chapter 13
  • 16. Chapter 14
  • 17. Chapter 15
  • 18. Chapter 16
  • 19. Chapter 17
  • 20. Chapter 18
  • 21. Chapter 19
  • 22. Chapter 20
  • 23. Chapter 21
  • 24. Chapter 22
  • 25. Chapter 23
  • 26. Chapter 24
  • 27. Chapter 25
  • 28. Chapter 26
  • 29. Chapter 27
  • 30. Chapter 28
  • 31. Chapter 29
  • 32. Chapter 30
  • 33. Chapter 31
  • 34. Chapter 32
  • 35. Chapter 33
  • 36. Chapter 34
  • 37. Chapter 35
  • 38. Chapter 36
  • 39. Chapter 37
  • 40. Chapter 38
  • 41. Chapter 39
  • 42. Chapter 40
  • 43. Chapter 41
  • 44. Chapter 42
  • 45. Chapter 43
  • 46. Chapter 44
  • 47. Chapter 45
  • 48. Chapter 46
  • 49. Chapter 47
  • 50. Chapter 48
  • 51. Chapter 49
  • 52. Chapter 50
  • 53. Chapter 51
  • 54. Chapter 52
  • 55. Chapter 53
  • 56. Chapter 54
  • 57. Chapter 55
  • 58. Chapter 56
  • 59. Chapter 57
  • 60. Chapter 58
  • 61. Chapter 59
  • 62. Chapter 60
  • 63. Chapter 61
  • 64. Chapter 62
  • 65. Chapter 63
  • 66. Chapter 64
  • 67. Chapter 65
  • 68. Chapter 66
  • 69. Chapter 67
  • 70. Chapter 68
  • 71. Chapter 69
  • 72. Chapter 70
  • 73. Chapter 71
  • 74. Chapter 72
  • 75. Chapter 73
  • 76. Chapter 74
  • 77. Chapter 75
  • 78. Chapter 76
  • 79. Chapter 77
  • 80. Chapter 78
  • 81. Chapters 79
  • 82. Chapters 80
  • 83. Chapters 81
  • 84. Chapters 82
  • 85. Chapter 83
  • 86. Chapter 84
  • 87. Chapter 85
  • 88. Chapter 86
  • 89. Chapter 87
  • 90. Chapter 88
  • 91. Chapter 89
  • 92. Chapter 90
  • 93. Chapter 91
  • 94. Chapter 92
  • 95. Chapter 93
  • 96. Chapter 94
  • 97. Chapter 95
  • 98. Chapter 96
  • 99. Chapter 97
  • 100. Chapter 98
  • 101. Chapter 99
  • 102. Chapter 100
  • 103. Chapter 101
  • 104. Chapter 102
  • 105. Chapter 104
  • 106. Chapter 104
  • 107. Chapter 105
  • 108. Chapter 106
  • 109. Chapter 107
  • 110. Chapter 108
  • 111. Chapter 109
  • 112. Chapter 110
  • 113. Chapter 111
  • 114. Chapter 112
  • 115. Chapter 113
  • 116. Chapter 114
  • 117. Chapter 115
  • 118. Chapter 116
  • 119. Chapter 117
  • 120. Chapter 118
  • 121. Chapter 119
  • 122. Chapter 120
  • 123. Chapter 121
  • 124. Chapter 122
  • 125. Chapter 123
  • 126. Chapter 124
  • 127. Chapter 125
  • 128. Chapter 126
  • 129. Chapter 127
  • 130. Chapter 128
  • 131. Chapter 129
  • 132. Chapter 130
  • 133. Chapter 131
  • 134. Chapter 132
  • 135. Chapter 133
  • 136. Chapter 134
  • 137. Chapter 135
  • 138. Chapter 136
  • 139. Chapter 137
  • 140. Chapter 138
  • 141. Chapter 139
  • 142. Chapter 140
  • 143. Chapter 141
  • 144. Chapter 142
  • 145. Chapter 143
  • 146. Chapter 144
  • 147. Chapter 145
  • 148. Chapter 146
  • 149. Chapter 147
  • 150. Chapter 148
  • 151. Chapter 149
  • 152. Chapter 150
  • 153. Chapter 151
  • 154. Chapter 152
  • 155. Chapter 153
  • 156. Chapter 154
  • 157. Chapter 155
  • 158. Chapter 156
  • 159. Chapter 157
  • 160. Chapter 158
  • 161. Chapter 159
  • 162. Chapter 160
  • 163. Chapter 161
  • 164. Chapter 162
  • 165. Chapter 163
  • 166. Chapter 164
  • 167. Chapter 165
  • 168. Chapter 166
  • 169. Chapter 167
  • 170. Chapter 168
  • 171. Chapter 169
  • 172. Chapter 170
  • 173. Chapter 171
  • 174. Chapter 172
  • 175. Chapter 173
  • 176. Chapter 174
  • 177. Chapter 175
  • 178. Chapter 176
  • 179. Chapter 177
  • 180. Chapter 178
  • 181. Chapter 179
  • 182. Chapter 180
  • 183. Chapter 181
  • 184. Chapter 182
  • 185. Chapter 183
  • 186. Chapter 184
  • 187. Chapter 185
  • 188. Chapter 186
  • 189. Chapter 187 - The Final Chapter
  • 190. Side Story - 1

Chapter 1 - Part 1

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 1 - Part 2

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 2 - Part 1

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 2 - Part 2

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 3

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 4

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 5

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 6

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 7

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 8

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 9

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 10

Lelia wanted to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. To do so, she needed assurance to protect herself. 

 

[I’ll go back in a few days…]

 

It was likely that the emperor would continue to travel back and forth from the cabin for several days until the relationship between him and Juliana was resolved. 

 

Emperor Perseus used to find comfort in that cabin when he felt tired and exhausted.

 

And now it was the same for Lelia.

 

That cabin was a cherished and beloved place for Emperor Perseus and Young Juliana, but to Lelia, it was like the arms of a mother. 

 

So Lelia had no choice but to grumble about going back to the tower.

 

***

 

It was, as expected, a few days later.

 

Lelia witnessed the servants of the Imperial Castle carrying all kinds of dolls.

 

[Wait, then…]

 

Lelia’s forehead wrinkled.

 

It was time for the officials to begin to discuss what to do with Lelia.

 

In addition, it was also when she had to say ‘I’m sorry, Princess’ 100 times to Juliana.

 

But that won’t happen because Lelia had no intention of stealing Juliana’s doll.

 

[Even if I avoid the incident, the officials will still have the meeting.]

 

Emperor Perseus did not want to hear Lelia’s name, so he delayed the meeting until later. 

 

Lelia bit her lips in anxiety.

 

She was anxious about what she would do if Emperor Perseus changed his mind. 

 

He might suddenly feel sick and ask her to marry a strange guy. 

 

It’s a good thing to marry after becoming an adult. In this world, however, there were cases in which a son-in-law or daughter-in-law was brought in from a young age in order to learn the customs of the family in advance.

 

If Emperor Perseus tries to drive her out quickly like that because he doesn’t want to see her…

 

[Should I kneel down in front of him?]

 

In any case, the emperor would have married Lelia to a normal man. 

 

[Because he doesn’t know that I’m his daughter and he hates me.]

 

Besides, after leaving the Imperial Palace, it was clear that the surveillance would be worse and stricter than before. 

 

Rather, she thought that she may miss these days when no one cared about her, and she was happy. 

 

[Oh, that’s terrible!]

 

That afternoon, Lelia packed her bag and left the tower. She wanted to search the cabin as soon as possible and find some magic tools that could be of any help.

 

[…Okay, there’s no one.]

 

Lelia slowly approached the cabin, confirming that there were no signs of activity around it. 

 

She looked inside through the window just in case.

 

[Thank God.]

 

For the time being, Emperor Perseus will not come here.

 

[Because he’s just starting to become an idiot for her daughter, he will be busy playing with Juliana. The same goes for those two brothers.]

 

As soon as Lelia confirmed no one was there, she opened the door of the hut and carefully entered the cabin. 

 

First, she opened the door of a secret warehouse that was hidden under the wooden floor. Emergency food was stashed inside, and she packed a few glass bottles in her bag. 

 

She then began to search through the bedside and desk drawers. 

 

She made sure to be as careful as possible since it was an area that Emperor Perseus might have touched or opened. She was behaving like a cat, stealing things, for a while. 

 

Creak

 

Suddenly, in an instant, she heard the sound of the front door of the cabin opening behind her back. Lelia’s body stiffened at the sound. She was so surprised that her heart almost fell on the floor. 

 

[I’m sure I didn’t see anyone from the window a while ago.]

 

She had looked out of the window multiple times, in case somebody would come but it was futile now. 

 

Lelia closed her eyes tightly. She felt the piercing gaze behind her. 

 

[Who is it? I will have to come up with good excuses.]

 

After she made up her mind, it was then she slowly tried to turn around. 

 

“Who are you?”

 

She heard a low voice from behind that seemed very angry, which gave her goosebumps all over her body. 

 

[Is it Emperor Perseus?]

 

If so, he might execute her immediately. 

 

She couldn’t turn her head to see who the person was, as she stood there under the immense pressure on her whole body. 

 

The little child’s shoulders trembled, and the person standing behind her made it difficult for her to move.

 

Lelia turned her head around, and blinked in a daze.

 

Only then could Lelia see the person who had come into the hut after her.

 

[Who is it?]

 

Fortunately, it was not Emperor Perseus.

 

However, the man didn’t look like a member of the Imperial Palace, Imperial Guard, or an attendant. 

 

He was a young man, perhaps in his late 20s, who wore a uniform made of high quality fabric like the ones worn by the aristocrats. 

 

He looked like a knight with a sword hanging on his waist. 

 

The man placed his hand on his sword and frowned down at her. 

 

“Who are you? A maid of the Imperial Palace? Are you here to clean?”

 

“Well, I’m…”

 

He looked at Lelia from head to toe, with a gaze full of hostility. She didn’t look like a maid in those robes. The maids of the Imperial Palace wore clothes made of fine cloth. The robe worn by Lelia was what she wore at the temple. Unfortunately, she had grown a lot from when she was younger, so there were no clothes that fit her anymore other than this. 

 

“What’s your name?” The man asked, raising his chin.

 

[Should I lie?]

 

She was afraid to answer honestly because she didn’t know who he was. However, before Lelia could tell him her name, he said “No way…”

 

The man, who was looking at Lelia for a long time, stared at her eyes and smiled as if he remembered something. 

 

“…The daughter of the late Princess Iris?”

 

“…!”

 

As Lelia’s eyes grew larger in surprise, he twisted one corner of his mouth.

 

“How dare you come here? This is what Elizabeth left behind! The ex-princess, your mother, had been so hard on her and bullied her!”

 

The man was furious, which caused Lelia to sit down and shrug her shoulders.

 

She was afraid. 

 

The murderous aura of the man, a knight with a sword, was too much for Lelia, who was still a young girl. 

 

“How dare a rat like you be here? Get the hell out of here!”

 

At those words, Lelia was startled and opened the door of the cabin to run away. She didn’t turn around to look at the small cabin. Instead, she fled as if a large beast was chasing her from behind. After returning to the tower, she collapsed onto the bed.

 

There was something wrong with her body …She couldn’t stop trembling. 

 

Lelia covered herself with a blanket and calmed herself down. With memories of her previous life, it was fortunate that she didn’t act like a child. If she were a normal seven-year-old child, she might have fainted at the spot earlier. Or maybe cry or have a seizure like Oscar. 

 

Lelia instinctively hugged the little rabbit doll, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

 

“…”

 

When she thought of her friends, who had rabbit dolls like her, she seemed to calm down surprisingly quickly. Lelia patted herself on the back of her head, as she did to calm Oscar when he used to suffer from seizures. Fortunately, the tremor subsided.

 

But then, somehow, she felt uneasy, so she looked out of the window to see if the man had followed her or not.

 

Fortunately, the area around the tower was quiet.

 

[What a surprise…]

 

Lelia stroked the rabbit doll with a sigh of relief.

 

Chapter 11