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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 96 – The Rose (8)
“You must be mistaken… Whether you cure this illness or not, I couldn’t care less.”
Empty eyes.
The girl, who had fallen silent for a moment, then poured out the depths of her bitterness.
They were words soaked in the stinging agony of her existence.
“I told you from the beginning. I don’t want to be treated.”
In other words—
“I have no desire to live.”
Perhaps it was because her life had been filled with despair.
She had endured a horrific curse.
The imperial family, once a warm embrace, had abandoned her without hesitation.
Confined to the palace like a bird in a cage, completely severed from the outside world, she spent her days in crushing solitude.
Only endless suffering remained by her side.
Amid pain that tore through her insides, she had lived a decade unable to either die or truly live.
It was enough time to break anyone.
'Because she has lived like this her entire life.'
The girl didn’t know what comfort was.
She had never experienced it.
I had a vague sense of it before, but the Rose’s heart had rotted far more than I had imagined.
Her pitiful words tugged at my heart.
And yet, at the same time—
I knew those words were a lie.
—Ah, ah…?
—It… doesn’t hurt, but… why, why do I feel like this…?
I remembered it clearly.
Our first meeting.
The moment her attack stopped, as if by some miracle.
Though it passed like a fleeting mirage, for a brief instant, her transparent green eyes had shone.
Those emerald irises had sparkled.
They were unmistakably the eyes of someone who wanted to live.
“You’re afraid, aren’t you?”
Her words, claiming she didn’t want to live, were nothing more than a lie.
Elise was simply terrified of hope.
After countless nights plagued by nightmares and endless betrayals of her fragile expectations, even the faintest hope had worn away into nothing.
I met her despair head-on in silence.
“Shut up.”
“Are you really satisfied with that?”
“Stop talking like you know me. Just let me die in peace.”
“Princess Charlotte would be heartbroken.”
“...”
The Rose froze, momentarily silenced.
She hadn’t expected me to bring up her sister here.
Before she could recover, I pressed forward.
“Her Highness cares deeply about you.”
Even though she’d spent her entire life in a lonely cage, Elise was not entirely alone.
The Little Prince had never once given up on her.
Despite the imperial decree forbidding access to the annex, Charlotte had defied it outright, her care for her sister overriding all else.
She’d even gone so far as to search tirelessly for a cure for Elise’s illness.
Knowing just how far Charlotte had gone, Elise couldn’t help but think of her.
Even if her attitude was frosty most of the time.
'At least she’s her one and only ally.'
It wasn’t true hatred.
There were even mentions of a time before Elise’s personality became so twisted, when she had looked up to her sister.
It was difficult to believe she truly despised her now.
She was likely rejecting her sister for some deeper reason.
“...Why are you suddenly bringing her up?”
Elise grumbled, her brows furrowed.
Her tone was indifferent, but there was an edge to it that even she couldn’t hide.
“I’m merely voicing a concern.”
The Rose had raised all her thorns.
To break down such a rigid wall, I needed to prod her like this.
I slipped into the opening I’d created.
“What would you do if she really left you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m speaking of Princess Charlotte. She has already sacrificed so much for you. But now, hearing that you’ve abandoned your will to live despite her efforts, don’t you think she might grow weary and leave you behind?”
“That’s exactly what I want. I don’t need such a bothersome person in my life.”
“Do you truly mean that?”
I smiled faintly.
There was a bitter edge to it, almost mocking.
“If that happens, you’ll really have no one left.”
As I said, if the Little Prince abandoned her, Elise would have nothing left in this world.
Only a lone, desolate Rose would remain.
Even Tanya, who was currently assigned to care for Elise, had been placed here by Charlotte herself.
If Charlotte left, Tanya would likely leave as well.
And in that case, no one else would step foot into this place again.
“Is that truly the ending you wish for?”
“...Yes.”
Her reply came slower than usual.
Even though the girl refused to change her stance, her green eyes wavered ever so slightly.
I seized the opportunity to stoke the fire.
“Understood. I’ll report this directly to Princess Charlotte. I’ll do my best to convince her to honor your wishes.”
“Convince her…?”
“To stop looking for you. If I tell her it’s for the sake of your treatment, I’m sure she’ll agree.”
It wasn’t an empty threat.
Charlotte had already sworn to follow my advice completely. If I told her it was necessary for Elise’s treatment, she wouldn’t hesitate to comply.
In this way, I had the means to isolate the Rose completely.
“Think it over carefully.”
Though I had no intention of tormenting her like that, I spoke as if I did, pushing her forcefully.
Anything less, and she wouldn’t even flinch.
I smiled subtly and lifted my head.
The slender wrist was now wrapped in fresh bandages.
“The ointment has been applied. Be careful not to touch the wound, or it may worsen. At least for tonight, please restrain yourself.”
“...”
“I’ll take my leave now.”
The crimson-haired girl lay motionless.
Leaving behind the weight of her silence, I exited the room, tangled in my own thoughts.
Even until that very moment—
Elise didn’t say another word.
***
When I finished her treatment and left the room, night had already fallen outside the window.
I walked through the darkened hallway for a while.
The unusually cool air brushed past me like a gentle breeze.
Lost in various thoughts, my footsteps eventually brought me to a familiar sight: the palace garden at the end of the corridor.
Step, step.
I moved toward it with ease.
For the past few days, once my schedule was complete, I’d taken these light strolls to clear my head.
It was the perfect way to unwind from the chaos.
'Another day survived, I suppose.'
I slowly crossed the greenery.
Though simple for a princess’s residence, the garden’s lack of grandeur gave it a subtle charm.
Each time the grass brushed against my legs, a soft rustle followed.
The haven of life, with its intertwined plants, seemed almost alive under the tranquil moonlight.
Rustle, rustle.
“Haah… I hope things work out.”
I let out a faint sigh, tinged with unease.
My thoughts, of course, revolved around the Rose I’d left behind in the room.
Planning my next steps, I walked on.
Immersed in my thoughts, I barely noticed the wind tousling my hair.
I glanced up without meaning to.
“...”
A backdrop painted in jet black.
The wide expanse of sky was studded with countless glittering points of light.
As I gazed at the particularly radiant stars tonight, a voice buried deep in my memory surfaced unexpectedly, coloring my thoughts.
It was a memory rusted over with time.
—Oppa! I want to wish upon a star too!
How foolish I must seem.
Even after five years, I still hadn’t let go of that memory.
The past ignited like a single cigarette.
As I exhaled a breath that felt heavier than smoke—
Step.
“...?”
I noticed an unfamiliar presence.
Turning instinctively, I saw a man walking into the garden.
He paused briefly to look around before making his way toward me.
Our eyes met as we silently observed each other.
'The annex is supposed to be strictly off-limits.'
It was a sealed secret, directly ordered by the Emperor.
The space where the Rose resided was meant to be inaccessible to nearly everyone.
Yet the man walked confidently, undeterred.
As I studied his face, faint wrinkles and distinctive features suggested he was past middle age.
'That man… surely not…'
Blue eyes gleaming faintly in the light.
Platinum hair, unmistakable.
An air of dignity carried in each step, unshaken even in the shadows.
And finally, the imperial crest embroidered on his clothes.
Piecing the clues together, I had no choice but to kneel where I stood.
My movements were meticulous, full of respect.
Kneel.
The man stopped in front of me.
Bowing my head, I maintained a proper posture and offered a formal greeting, my voice steady.
“I greet the most exalted Sun of the Empire.”
The Exalted Sun.
The man nodded lightly.
“Mm.”
Valcaros Lantana von Staufen.
The father of the princesses—
And the ruler of this Empire—stood before me.
'What on earth.'
Why is he here?
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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