Chapter 1 - Part 1
Perseus could not say anything, his brows twisted. He was amazed.
Was it because of the food? Because she was hungry?
Finally, he saw the space inside the tower.
This tower was built as small as Elizabeth’s hut. However, it looked old and shabby.
He knew that she was living in a tower, but….
“You don’t have anyone to cook for you?”
He hadn’t asked before because he never wanted to know if there’s anyone who can take care of this child or what she was doing. However, he took it for granted that at least someone was taking care of her as she was still a member of the royal family.
But…
The space inside the tower looked old and shabby, but it was neatly organized giving the impression of being cozy. It felt like it was organized by someone else’s hand.
This kid couldn’t have cleaned it up all by herself.
“…….”
Emperor Perseus lowered his head again and looked at Lelia. The child looked thinner than the last time he had seen her.
When Lydios died the other day, the man who had been looking after the child seemed to have left. Has she been starving ever since?
Emperor Perseus clenched his fist bitterly.
No matter how much he hated her, he was also a father. He was not such a cruel person as to get angry when he heard the child was hungry.
Moreover, this child was the same age as Juliana, whom he cherished.
She looked sick compared to his daughter.
And when the child said those words, “I didn’t steal anything,” it must be true.
If she had stolen anything from the hut, Carius would not have let her go.
“Didn’t anyone take care of you after Lydios’s death?”
“…”
Lelia quickly raised her head at his words. Emperor Perseus’s voice seemed a little less angry.
“They didn’t know that I came to the neutral territory under the orders of Emperor Lydios.”
Well, it was more likely that all those who knew about it were killed by Lydios’s own hands, as that was his nature.
“…I’ll send someone here. But if you go there again, you’ll have to follow your mother.”
Having said that, Perseus turned his back and went away.
[I can’t believe you’re sending me to my mother. Well, do you think I’ll die so easily?]
Lelia deliberately criticized him more openly.
Emperor Perseus’s threat was frightening, but Lelia planned to go back to the hut.
[Of course, I should be more careful not to get caught this time.]
She couldn’t help it. The food was not the only problem, but she also had to find a way out of the imperial castle.
Lelia was so surprised that she had to lie curled up under the futon for a while to calm her heart again.
***
Contrary to the decision, Lelia had a hard time going to the cabin for a while. It was because a maid began to go back and forth to her tower the very next day after Emperor Perseus visited her place. The maid brought food once a day and that too with a frown on her face.
It was just stale bread and slightly rotten fruit, but she wondered where it came from.
It was surprising to know that the cabin even had emergency supplies.
However, Lelia couldn’t leave the tower because of the maid, who came to see her whenever possible, at an unspecified time every day.
[Maybe Emperor Perseus sent her to keep an eye on me…]
If the maid found no one in the tower, she would report it to Emperor Perseus immediately. For this reason, Lelia had to wait all day for a maid, not knowing when she would come.
But one day…
“I have to attend tomorrow’s banquet, so I won’t be able to come. That’s why I brought you enough food for tomorrow as well in advance, just so you know.” The maid explained impatiently, but it was good for Lelia.
She wanted the maid to come once every few days, but she had to hold back.
She may do so and buy the maid’s suspicions or forget them forever. She didn’t say anything because she was still getting this food to eat everyday.
[Isn’t it on purpose to see if I’m going to the cabin or not?]
Lelia suspected that it was a trap.
However, contrary to Lelia’s expectations, the maid’s job was to “prepare meals” from the beginning.
There was no mission to monitor Lelia.
Lelia, who didn’t know that, had no choice but to be careful about her actions.
It was not long before the next day dawned.
Lelia wandered near her home early in the morning. Fortunately, what the maid said seemed not to be a lie.
The banquet seemed to be really happening, and the servants were busy.
It was probably a party for Julianna to make friends.
It had been a long time since the doll incident, so it was almost Juliana’s birthday.
And before that, a banquet was held so that Julliana could get along with children of her age.
There was an incident in which one of the aristocratic boys, who attended the banquet, pushed Julianna away.
[It was a pretty serious incident.]
A scratch on Julianna’s palm causes the boy tremendous misfortune.
It was because Cedric and Damien, who loved and cared about Julianna too much, did not forgive the child.
Around this time, Cedric and Damian protected Julianna too much, perhaps even more than Emperor Perseus.
It must be amazing and cute to have a younger sister for the first time.
It was also the banquet where the hero would meet Juliana for the first time.
The two become close friends after today’s banquet and will develop into lovers in the future.
[It’s none of my business.]
It was a day of opportunity for Lelia.
An opportunity to spy on the cabin in peace.
Emperor Perseus will also be distracted by Juliana’s banquet, and Lelia will be off guard for a while.
[I have to find it today.]
So after dinner, Lelia waited until the banquet began.
By the time the banquet began, a faint sound of music was heard from the garden.
[Now, let’s go.]
Lelia packed her bag and carefully left the tower.
***
Just in case, Lelia looked around the cabin for a long time to make sure no one was around. Fortunately, there was no one around to watch her.
[I spent too much time.]
Lelia, sticking her tongue out, quickly tried to open the cabin’s door.
Boom!
But the door was locked.
[Emperor Perseus…!]
[Bad guy! He locked the door!]
However, it was already a little predictable. Lelia eventually took a thin iron stick out of her bag.
She had to open the door by force today. Opportunities like today won’t come again.
Click clack!
It opened!
Despite being a little lost, Lelia succeeded in opening the door. She looked around and quickly went inside.
The air in the cabin was warm, even though it must have been empty the whole time. Maybe Lelia felt that way because this place was her mother’s arms.
Lelia came to her senses belatedly after enjoying the warmth inside.
[This is not the time.]
At first she looked at the places she memorized, thinking, “I should look there next time.”
But contrary to her imagination, there was nothing special about them.
There were accessories and jewelry in the dresser drawer, but it didn’t look like a mana stone with special magic.
[None…]
How can she not see a thing?
She had heard there are many interesting magic tools….
“Did Emperor Perseus already take it?”
She didn’t know it would be the case. It was most likely. He always misses his wife, so he’ll look at the things and try to calm himself.
[It’s been a long time.]
Lelia had to leave the cabin in such despondency. She erased the traces of searching here and there, locked the door and left the cabin, and her legs relaxed.
For some reason, she felt like crying, so Lelia headed to the tower more vigorously.
But when she arrived near the tower,
What is it?
There was a trace of someone coming to the tower.
Lelia felt completely different from her usual self and quickly went inside. As expected, someone had broken into her hut.
“…what, you?”
“Uh!”
“…….”
The first to discover were Cedric and Damien, who frowned heavily.
They were whining to open the little door to the top of the tower. Probably came to see the stars.
And behind them, she could see Julianna’s hair.
[It looks like Cedric and Damien brought her to show her stars, I guess?]
She felt unpleasant at the thought of someone breaking into her safe space. But even before this, she felt that feeling.
[My doll… !]
Julianna was seen holding a rabbit doll on the bed with her curious face looking around.
Lelia’s body moved first when she thought she might be robbed of the doll.
“It’s mine!”
Lelia quickly approached her and strongly snatched her own doll from Julianna.
But she was so…
“Are you crazy?!”
“Hey!”
Cedric and Damien’s angry voices were heard.
“…!”