Chapter 39 The Day I Became A Princess Knight
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In Babellion’Prison (Dite)’s office room filled with torture devices and various other tools.
”Yeah, here’s the food and the brush.”
Azuriela handed her a mushed-up, cold meal that looked like cat food, along with a deck brush. Elaine took it, nodded slightly, and gripped the handle tightly.
She wasn’t wearing a dirty rag like before. She was in a neatly fitted pants-style prison guard uniform. There were no handcuffs on her arms anymore. Just a collar, maybe to remind her of her position, but it was different from when she was a captive. It was made of leather and looked more like a stylish choker.
It had been five days since Lucia reunited with Alfred.
From the day she held onto Azuriela’s hem, indicating her submission to Babellion, Elaine’s treatment changed. Instead of being chained and put in a cell, she was given a small private room with a bed. She no longer suffered at the hands of the prison guard, but instead became a tormentor to Alfred.
For now, Elaine became one of Azuriela’s subordinates, working in this ‘Prison (Dite)’. Her main tasks included cleaning, inspecting supplies, and taking care of Azuriela’s personal needs.
For Elaine, who was born into a noble family as a Marquis’s daughter, it was like doing the work of a maid. But she was grateful to have warm meals and baths every day, clean clothes to wear, and the other prison guards treated her like a colleague. It was enough for her, and she felt a sense of fulfillment being able to move around not as a prisoner, but as a coworker.
”You know what to do, right? Use the hose to clean up the mess and then put food in the dish.”
”I understand.”
When Elaine nodded in agreement, Azuriela pointed with a worried look and said,
”Just so you know, you can’t show your anger openly.”
Everyone knows that Elaine really hates Lucia. Azuriela could sense that Elaine’s reaction was a bit aggressive, and she worried that Elaine might lose control.
Azuriela has a plan for dealing with Lucia. Especially since Charles enjoys it and he’s the one who will ultimately benefit. If Elaine messes things up, she won’t get away with just apologizing.
But in reality, Elaine didn’t feel that way. She still has a strong anger burning inside her because she was betrayed and the truth was ignored… and she hasn’t lost her fear of Azuriela either. In fact, now that they spend more time together as boss and subordinate, she feels Azuriela’s power even more strongly.
”In princess-chan mind, her last memory about you is after the arena, right? Even though she’s feeling crushed by guilt, if you show an obvious attitude change, it’ll be reset.”
Right now, Lucia is strongly blaming herself for betraying Elaine. But if she feels like she’s the one who was betrayed, it would create an escape route.
”Do we need to whip her?”
”Do you want to? But whipping is not good.”
Azuriela shook her finger, saying “No, no.”
”From my gut feeling or past experience, I feel like using a whip on that type would backfire. Princess-chan is the type who doesn’t care even if she’s physically hurt. So, I want to mentally corner her and break her spirit.”
Using a whip doesn’t make everyone obedient.
Azuriela thought Lucia was the type who could handle pain. A type that wouldn’t yield even if punched or kicked. She might obey to avoid pain, but she wouldn’t truly submit from the bottom of her heart. In fact, she might even turn pain into rebellious spirit.
Torture is not just about using a whip. It’s about understanding the person’s personality and traits, and using the most effective method to break their spirit. It requires skill to keep them alive but also to make them suffer. Azuriela believes that experience and observation are key.
”So, first, we will degrade her by making her release bodily waste. When you go to Princess-chan, make sure she takes a bath and sprinkles some perfume on herself to smell nice.”
Lucia is strong when it comes to pain, but at the same time, she can’t let go of her noble identity. Lucia is a knight, not a soldier or a general. There is a noble spirit within her.
”You were her side knight, right? I think that makes you someone who knows princess-chan well.”
”Hmm, I think it will be effective.”
Elaine nodded in agreement to Azuriela’s question.
”Lucia is indeed a tough knight, but she is also a princess in her own right.”
Azuriela was wide-eyed with curiosity as Elaine, without even using honorifics, referred to her former lord.
”That’s an interesting story. Tell me more.”
”Lucia may have a tomboyish personality, going to the battlefield as a woman, but that doesn’t mean she completely abandons everything and changes clothes in front of the soldiers without a care. She even brings perfume to mask the smell on the battlefield. And despite appearances, she enjoys the kind of theater that noble ladies who are fans of hero and princess love stories would like.”
Lucia wasn’t born as a princess knight. It was a concept born out of her desire to become one, a concept she had to embrace and hide her former self within, like a fur coat.
”And that long hair of hers? She uses excuses like the court sparrows being noisy, but she never neglects to comb it every night and apply scented oil. Despite her strong personality, she’s just a girl on the inside.”
”Okay, it seems effective. Let’s do it properly.”
Azuriela had a creepy smile on her face. It was a mix of knowing that her eyes were correct and the joy of realizing that her plan, which had led to the desired result of submission, was not wrong.
Inside the office after Elaine left, Azuriela put her hand on her chin and growled for a while. Various plans were swirling in her head, from cruel ideas that she thought of but didn’t execute, to every possible method.
”Hmm, that’s the type, huh? For that type, the best thing to do is to g**g-r*pe her.”
Such mutterings disappeared into the cold wall without being heard by anyone.
* * *
Several days had passed since Lucia reunited with her beloved brother, Alfred. However, Lucia, imprisoned in a dungeon without sunlight, had no way of knowing the time. Initially, she counted the number of meals, but now she was losing the ability to even think about anything.
On the day Lucia met Alfred, things changed a lot for her. She was treated much worse as a noble’s prisoner. She wasn’t given enough food, and had to crawl to a dish on the floor.
But the worst part was going to the bathroom. She wasn’t even given a basic bucket, and had to go right there, like a baby or an animal.
Some people might not mind, but for Lucia, as a princess, it was unbearable and humiliating. Every time she had to go, it felt like her dignity was being destroyed, and she even wished to be killed instead.
Lucia quickly realized that Babellion was serious about breaking her. She didn’t know if he was enjoying her downfall or if he wanted something after she fell, but she was sure that he was serious.
But the long time in captivity was definitely eating away at Lucia’s mind and wearing down her strong spirit.
Lucia found herself trapped in a dark prison, devoid of sunlight. In this dim and gloomy world, where there was no concept of time and only the eternal glow of a never-ending torch, she stared at the walls, unsure of how much time had passed. As days turned into what felt like an eternity, Lucia’s mind began to deteriorate.
Despite feeling tired, she couldn’t fall asleep, and even when she did manage to sleep, she would wake up early, unsure of how long she had slept. Combined with the decrease in food intake, which resulted in a decrease in brain activity, Lucia no longer knew if she was awake or asleep. It became a daily struggle, where pain became the norm.
However, when Lucia let go of her consciousness, she strangely started to have dreams. With the lowered brain activity, one wouldn’t expect dreams to occur. But as Lucia stared at the wall, as if she were dead, various scenes started to appear in her eyes.
These scenes showed the person Lucia tried to save, Alfred, and the person she had sacrificed, Elaine.
Every time Lucia sees their faces reflected in her eyes like a hallucination, various emotions come up. Especially when she sees Elaine, whom Lucia abandoned, feelings of guilt and despair overwhelm her.
When she sees Elaine’s joyful smile, that image always transforms into a face after a trial. It burns into Lucia’s mind and never leaves: Elaine’s face, filled with despair and hatred, and the words that pierced Lucia’s heart, calling her a “liar.”
For Lucia, Elaine was just as important as Alfred. They met when they were very young and grew up together like sisters. They fought and played pranks together… Despite their difference in status, being master and servant, they truly grew up together like real sisters.
That’s why Elaine was always Lucia’s confidante. She could vent her frustrations to Elaine, even things she shouldn’t say out loud. With Elaine by her side, Lucia felt like she could do anything, and in a way, she was more open with Elaine than with Alfred… but Lucia abandoned Elaine. And in the worst way possible.
Lucia thought that choosing the crown prince, Alfred, over Elaine as Princess Lucia was the right and obvious choice. Even Lucia knew that.
But it’s another thing for emotions to go along with a rational choice. Even though she tells herself that her choice wasn’t wrong and she doesn’t regret it, just thinking about Elaine’s face tears Lucia’s heart apart with guilt and self-blame, causing her real pain.
”Ah, why…”
It’s become like a delirious apology, and Lucia doesn’t even know how many times she’s said it, or who she’s apologizing to. But no one is there to accept her words.
Once, Lucia Ravendora Harenamerehta was just a normal girl, not the second princess of the Ravendora Empire.
Of course, being a princess doesn’t fit the broad sense of “normal”… But unlike now, when she’s known as a princess knight in the surrounding countries, she was completely unnoticed about ten years ago.
It was all because of her older sister, Seimia.
The first princess Seimia was known as a stunning beauty throughout the continent. She was never called cute. Since her debut at a social gathering at the age of ten, she was a beautiful princess. Her beauty captivated the desires of adult men, with no hint of girlishness.
Because of this, Lucia always hid in Seimia’s shadow. However, she never felt resentful, but it was true that she felt inferior. Even so, nothing seemed to change, and until that day, she continued her days as the second princess without any change──
”Your Highness, Lucia-dono!!”
As she was called, her shoulders were shaken.
”…What is it?”
She asked in a voice devoid of emotion, not even knowing who it was. But as soon as she spoke, her consciousness seemed to be brought back, and right after that, her black-and-white vision suddenly became vividly colorful.
”Your Highness, Lucia-dono!”
And once again, called by the same voice,
”…Ela.. ine, is that you?”
Lucia’s aquamarine eyes widened with a look of surprise, as if she had encountered the ghost of an old friend. About to ask why she was here, Lucia noticed that something was different about her.
”What’s the matter? You have such a surprised expression on your face.”
Your Highness, Lucia-dono, with a youthful appearance about five years younger than Lucia’s memory, tilted her head cutely. It was an adorable gesture befitting her age. Before she knew it, the dim stone dungeon had transformed into a beautiful flower field under the blue sky. Lucia and Elaine sat on a floral-patterned cloth laid on the ground, playing with flowers.
As Lucia recognized this, her hazy consciousness gradually became clear. It felt as if a burden had been lifted.
”Oh, nothing. I guess I was just sleeping or something.”
Lucia blushed and smiled shyly, as if she had just woken up from a long dream.
”Wow, Your Highness, you’re quite skilled to be able to sleep with your eyes open.”
Elaine giggled, placing a small hand over her mouth.
”Stop it, it’s embarrassing.”
”No, I’m praising you. I wish I could keep my eyes open during boring study time too.”
”Oh, who’s the sleepyhead here? It’s obvious if you pretend to sleep while learning with your tutor.”
”Indeed.”
Elaine said, wide-eyed. However, she seemed a bit embarrassed after saying something odd.
Watching Elaine’s reaction, Lucia couldn’t help but find it amusing, and the two of them burst into laughter with loud voices. It was quite improper for noble young ladies to laugh so loudly, but they couldn’t help it.
”Oh, please look at this.”
How much they must have laughed. Just as the laughter began to subside, Elaine wiped away her tears with her finger and handed the flower crown to Lucia.
”I present this to Your Highness.”
Elaine called Lucia’s name as she placed a handcrafted crown, carefully woven with flowers from the flower garden, on Lucia’s head. With this act, Elaine’s face blossomed with a beautiful smile.
”Well, as expected. A tiara of white flowers suits Your Highness’s hair very well.”
”Is that so?”
”Yes, it truly does. Please wait a moment.”
As Elaine turned around, a servant who had been waiting at a distance approached, carrying a hand mirror.
”Here you go, a mirror.”
As the sunlight reflected off the mirror, which Elaine had turned around, Lucia instinctively turned her face away with a small gasp. Then, as she rubbed her eyes as if to wipe away the lingering reflection of the sunlight, she looked at herself again in the mirror.
However, the reflection in the mirror showed a slightly older version of herself… Lucia was a bit surprised and widened her eyes at the sight, which was different from what she had imagined.
Lucia noticed that the world around her was changing at the same time.
The location was from the garden to the castle, and she didn’t see Elaine with the mirror anymore. Instead, there was a strong and dignified older man standing in front of Lucia.
At that moment, Lucia realized, or maybe she had already realized. It was like she was transferring herself into her past and going through her memories like a movie. She was sure of it.
It was the day Alfred became the crown prince. In the empire, it was customary for the eldest son to become the crown prince at the age of six.
It was spring when Lucia was twelve, and that day was also the day when the second princess Lucia became the knight Lucia.
”Louvin.”
”Oh, Lucia-dono. My granddaughter always in your care.”
The man called Louvin turned around and kneeled.
His name was Louvin Crayscott.
He used to be the leader of the imperial guards, and now that he had retired, he occasionally trained others while living a quiet life in his territory. To Lucia, he was also known as Elaine’s grandfather.
”Louvin. I have a favor to ask of you.”
”A request…?”
Louvin tilted his head in confusion at Lucia’s words. But quickly, Lucia looked directly at Louvin and said confidently,
”Teach me how to wield a sword.”
She expressed a wish that could change her life.
Louvin, who was taken aback by Elaine’s request, or perhaps due to his age and failing hearing, shook his head a few times.
Maybe he thought it was a simple task for someone who has been taking care of his granddaughter, Elaine. However, when Louvin caught sight of Lucia’s determined expression once again, he realized she was serious.
”I want to become strong. I want to become a knight who can protect Alfred, the future Emperor. As long as I’m here, no one will be able to harm Alfred. I want to become a knight who can make everyone believe that.”
Before the ceremony, Emperor Fredrin II gathered his wife Almaria, daughter Seimia, and daughter Sofia. Then he spoke words that would greatly change Lucia’s life.
’Alfred will become the Crown Prince from now on. He will be in a responsible position. Difficulties may arise at times. There might be hardships waiting ahead. He may not open his heart to everyone. But family is different. You all support Alfred’s heart and protect him as a family.’
The loyalty of the vassals is not absolute. They may betray at times. But family is family, no matter what happens. Fredrin II, as a father, entrusted Alfred’s future to everyone, saying that they all can truly support and protect him.
At that moment, Lucia’s heart found a pillar. It was a determination to protect Alfred. She strongly wished for a life where she wouldn’t just grow old without doing anything, getting married somewhere and raising children, but rather to walk through life as a knight who can be the support of Alfred’s heart and protect him with her own hands.
”I apologize, Your Highness…”
”Sir Crayscott. Please.”
Lucia didn’t ask, she wished. It’s the same thing, but it’s completely different. This is not something a member of the imperial family would do to a vassal. However, Lucia’s desire to learn from him, even though she knew it was unreasonable, made Lucia lower her head.
”Please lift your face.”
When Lucia lowered her head, the servants and knights around her were surprised, but Louvin asked her not to panic and asked her to raise her head.
”I understand Your Highness’s feelings…but there is a point. I must ask His Majesty’s permission.”
Lucia tried to argue with those words, but Louvin stopped her with a grin.
”However, I will persuade him to proceed.”
Louvin placed his hand on his chest again.
Even in his old age, Louvin is still a knight. A knight is someone who protects his master. Louvin’s eyes, who had seen many things in his long life as a knight, felt a flame of determination and readiness that would never disappear deep in Lucia’s eyes. And above all else, he saw the spirit of a knight who would sacrifice his life to protect those he cared about.
”If that’s the case…”
”Yes. Your Highness, I understand your determination. Please allow me, this old body, to serve you.”
On that day, Lucia put on a lifelong armor called the Princess Knight──
”Cough.”
Lucia’s consciousness was abruptly brought back to reality as cold water was poured over her head.
The world had returned from the imperial capital’s castle to a dark prison cell, but there was someone in the reality that should have been empty, just like in her dreams…
”…Elai…ne?”
It wasn’t a dream. In front of Lucia stood Elaine, as real as can be.
Lucia called out her name as if to confirm if the dream had become reality, or to ask why she appeared wearing a prison guard uniform despite being a prisoner.
But Elaine didn’t respond to Lucia’s call. Without making eye contact, she silently began her work as if nothing was there.
Sprinkling water from the hose onto the floor, washing away the foul smell of excrement, and scrubbing the floor with the deck brush she held in her hand.
In the dream, the Elaine Lucia was with is different. The Elaine in front of her is the Elaine who despaired of Lucia. The Elaine who felt betrayed by Lucia. The Elaine who make her been blaming herself over and over again.
She always thought she had to tell her. In her own words, she thought she had to explain everything. she had decided in her heart to do so if she could actually meet her again.
But when Elaine was in front of her, her mind went blank. Worse nervousness than when she first went to the battlefield, and intense nausea.
She doesn’t know what to say, and she doesn’t know where to start.
Elaine, scrubbing the floor with a deck brush, moved away from Lucia’s sight, shaking her shoulders while opening and closing her mouth. Only the sound of scrubbing the floor echoed from her back──
Lucia’s perspective changed again.
It was the grand hall of the imperial capital’s castle. She’ll never forget what happened at Alfred’s birthday party.
In a corner of the grand hall, Lucia was standing tired, resting her weary body. Even though Alfred was the star of the party, a newborn baby wouldn’t stay in the party for a long time. The spotlight would be passed on to Alfred’s sister, Seimia, and naturally, the nobles would gather around her.
As Lucia watched this scene with a hint of envy, she heard a voice calling her name.
”Hello, Lucia-dono, you look lovely today.”
When she turned around, she saw a man in a well-fitted formal attire with a strong physique.
”Hello there, Knight Crayscott.”
The man’s name was Persild Criscott. He served as a captain in the imperial guards’ knight order.
”Today, I would like to introduce you to my daughter.”
Persild took Lucia’s hand, kissed the ring, and gestured for a young girl standing behind him to come forward.
”Elaine, my daughter.”
A girl introduced as Elaine peeked out from behind Persild. She was about the same age as Lucia, dressed in a peach-colored dress, and a delicate girl that no one could have imagined to be the daughter of Persild or the granddaughter of Louvin.
However, the girl remained completely still, not moving at all as she gazed at Lucia. It was only natural that she should introduce herself if her father introduced her; failing to do so would be nothing short of disrespectful. But the girl remained frozen, as if turned into stone.
”Elaine? Say hello.”
Persild said, furrowing his brow and tapping the girl’s back. It seemed a bit too strong for a young girl, but still, the girl didn’t even flinch.
After a few seconds, when Persild was about to raise his voice at the strange behavior of the girl, she finally opened her mouth and said,
”How beautiful lady you are.”
The girl blurted out words that seemed like gibberish, not a greeting or an apology.
”…Beautiful?”
When Lucia tilted her head in response to the girl’s words, the girl finally snapped back to reality.
”Oh, sorry for being so sudden.”
She probably thought Lucia was angry. She shook her head at the girl’s hurried apology.
”No, I was just a little surprised… It’s the first time someone called me pretty.”
”Really, was it?”
Seeing Lucia genuinely surprised, the girl put a hand to her mouth and said,
”Well, I think Lucia-dono’s face is prettier than Seimia-dono’s.”
”Elaine, that’s too much!”
But it’s not right to criticize the appearance of royalty without even greeting them. So, Persild grabbed the girl’s arm, raising his voice.
”I-I’m sorry.”
”It’s okay… I was really happy.”
For Lucia, the word “beautiful” was reserved exclusively for her big sister Seimia. Although she couldn’t claim to have never been called beautiful, Lucia understood that it was not a compliment meant for her.
Nevertheless, the girl looked at Lucia and immediately called her beautiful. Even young Lucia could tell that it wasn’t a flattering or calculated remark. It was because Elaine, who was looking at herself, had the same expression. She had the same face as the nobles surrounding her sister Seimia.
For Lucia, her sister Seimia was the embodiment of beauty and someone she admired. Despite being close as family, Seimia felt like a distant figure, almost too distant to envy.
But somewhere deep within her heart, a tiny sprout of jealousy towards her sister Seimia existed, even though Lucia herself was unaware of it. The constant attention from others always focused on Seimia instead of herself, and it felt dull.
However, the girl called Lucia beautiful. She looked at Lucia with eyes that resembled the way she looked at her sister. That simple act made Lucia incredibly happy, as if her happiness could soar into the sky.
So Lucia restrained Persild, whose eyes were raised, and held the hand of the girl Elaine, who apologized profusely.
”Hey Elaine, will you be my friend?”
Upon hearing Lucia’s words, Elaine’s face lit up and she replied,
”Of course!”
And just like that, their hands clasped together──
Then her view returned to the prison.
As Lucia heard the sound of a deck brush brushing behind her, she trembled with dry lips and said,
”Elaine…”
The moment she called Elaine’s name, the sound of the deck brush stopped. Elaine, standing behind her, didn’t move a muscle. The silence enveloped the two in the prison, so intense that it felt like ringing in their ears.
”Are we… um… still friends?”
Lucia asked, her back turned without looking back, as if an extension of the dream she had witnessed. There was a pause of about ten seconds before Elaine responded,
”Friends, huh?”
Elaine’s hand holding the deck brush remained still.
For Lucia, the fortunate thing was that Elaine was behind her. If she had seen Elaine’s face now, with eyes that were not meant for human interaction, but rather for her master, Lucia’s heart might have shattered right then and there.
”…Oh, what a nostalgic sound. That was His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday party, wasn’t it?”
Elaine’s voice overflowed with nostalgia. The softness of her words made Lucia’s heart soar.
”But now, there’s a difference in status between me and Your Highness.”
Lucia said, and with those words, she was suddenly dropped to the depths of the earth.
”There are many people who wish for his return. Perhaps even His Majesty the Emperor will come to your aid with the Crown Prince… But I no longer have a place to go back to, nor anyone who would be happy for my return.”
”That’s not true.”
”It is true. For someone like me, who is tainted in body and soul… I no longer…”
In response to Elaine’s trembling voice, Lucia tried to argue…
”That was forced by the prison guards──”
”No, that’s not it!”
Elaine shouted loudly, drowning out Lucia’s words. Elaine’s voice was filled with so much anger that it seemed like she might lunge forward and attack. However, Elaine still didn’t move from behind Lucia and instead stared at the ceiling, hesitating for a few seconds before speaking.
”I willingly offered myself.”
”What… do you mean?”
Elaine’s words rushed out like a response to Lucia’s earlier remark. Elaine hadn’t intended to say them out loud. She had meant to keep them inside.
Lucia’s color drained from her face as if all the blood had rushed from the top of her head to the tips of her toes in an instant. But Elaine continued without stopping her words.
”…You were indeed my friend, my sister, and my respected lord. That’s why I made a deal on the day I was captured. I offered myself in exchange for not laying a hand on Your Highness…”
Lucia, who was so shaken that she couldn’t find the right words, couldn’t stop the words pouring out of Elaine’s mouth like a bursting river.
”But Your Highness abandoned me. That’s why Azuriela-sama doubted the deal. It’s only natural, isn’t it? There’s no value in a deal with someone who can be easily discarded.”
”Uh…”
In contrast to Lucia, who couldn’t express herself anymore, Elaine’s words kept flowing. It was no longer an act. She simply poured out all the words she had kept in her heart.
”That’s why I made the deal again. In exchange for giving up my humanity and pledging loyalty to Babellion, I want them to swear again not to lay a hand on Your Highness… the first deal.”
”What…what do you mean?”
”Please look at me.”
Elaine jumped into Lucia’s line of sight, and for the first time, Lucia saw Elaine’s eyes clearly. They were different from the Elaine she knew—strange, twilight-colored eyes.
”I’m not human anymore. But I’m not a demon either… I’ve become something in between. Now, I can only live in this Babellion.”
Elaine mocked herself, saying that she had no place to go back to after selling her soul to Babellion. She turned her back on Lucia.
There was a moment of conflict that lasted for about ten seconds.
Elaine turned back towards Lucia, her face filled with despair. It wasn’t the face of a vengeful avenger, but the expression of a friend and younger sister who once admired Lucia as her lord.
”So, Your Highness, I have something to ask… No, there’s something I must tell you.”
Lucia and Elaine’s gazes crossed paths.
”Wait, Elaine!”
Feeling a sense of unease and sensing that something needed to be stopped, Lucia called out to Elaine with a strained voice. She desperately tried to move closer, but the chains only made metallic sounds, unable to stop Elaine’s words.
”Lucia-dono… I, Elaine Crayscott, am here to end our servant-master oath. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
With a bow on both knees, Elaine cut off her relationship with Lucia using her own words.
For a few seconds, Lucia couldn’t understand what had happened. But gradually, the situation that had unfolded started to sink into her brain, and there was nothing she could do about it anymore.
”Wait, wait!”
Lucia desperately tried to stop her, but Elaine seemed to ignore her completely. She poured the meal she had in a bucket next to the wall into a food dish, turned her back on Lucia, and walked away.
”I’m sorry, forgive me, please… Elaine!”
Elaine opened the prison door.
”Who should I talk to about my worries? Who should I vent my frustrations to? Who will be by my side from now on?”
With a harsh and merciless clink, it felt like Elaine’s heart had been completely shut, indicated by the sound.
”Stop, I was wrong…don’t go, Elaine. You’re my precious and only friend…”
Shaking and rattling the chains, Lucia desperately tries to stop Elaine. She tries to weave words to hold Elaine’s heart in place.
But Lucia betrayed her one-of-a-kind friend. And she did it by rejecting the helping hand that she had extended herself────.
”I’m sorry…”
It was a small, feeble voice. It was Lucia’s words but not really Lucia’s words. It was the words of a girl in a dress with a flower crown, pouring out from the shattered knight’s armor.
It was a word she had to say all along. Even if the word didn’t make sense, she knew she had to convey it as a friend, as a sister, as a liege.
But her evasive heart that tried to justify itself got in the way. She refused the contradiction of telling herself that there was no mistake in her choice while begging for forgiveness.
But even when she finally managed to say it, it was already too late.
”I wished… I had heard those words sooner.”
Leaving behind a voice devoid of emotion, Elaine turned her back.
”Thank you for everything until now, Your Highness.”
It was the final expression of gratitude, a complete farewell to someone irreplaceable who had spent over a decade together.
Immediately after, tears streamed down onto the floor along with bursting emotions. Lucia’s wail echoed in the cold world of stone and iron of ‘Prison (Dite)’.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.