Chapter 22

Fakes don’t want to be real

~ 22 ~

“That child has nothing to do with me.”

The usual little girl with her pink ponytail standing out, where nowhere in sight.

Instead of a child, there stood a middle-aged sorcerer with her green eyes, brilliant blonde hair, reaching to her shoulders.

As if her face was melted because of fire, her face was horribly burnt.

Returning to her real form, she had a poisonous aura that anyone wouldn’t breathe easily around her.

But, Verndia didn’t care about such.

“Then, back then why-”

“I was merely curious. That’s all in it.”

Therefore, he better shut his mouth if he still wants to live.

Lia gave a cold warning through unsaid words.

If it was different time, he could have put her in a tight corner.

Verndia noticed. If he still provoked her more than he did, he would need to fight with her whether life or death.

So, he didn’t say the words stuck in his throat.

And because he had something to ponder about, he sent Isolet off, telling him not to touch her (Pyschke), and walked on the street alone.

He had been swearing at him since dawn, but it paid off. Verndia got the answer he wanted.

The ability that only Silkisia has, not melting ice.

And a fake princess that has the power on top of that, Psychke.

And Lia’s liking for her and the hostility he just saw.

The scattered puzzles were put together to create a picture.

The haphazard evidence gathered together to draw a clear conclusion for him.

“Haa….”

Verndia slowly organized his thoughts, covering his eyes with his hand. The truth he had just unraveled was just ridiculous.

Psychke Silkisia was no such thing as a fake princess.

She was the real one no one could have thought of.

* * *

Around the time when Verndia met up with Lia.

Psychke was having a nightmare.

“It’s cold…… I’m hungry……”

She had become a child and was lying flat in a dark prison in her dream.

“Why isn’t he coming… Is it because of the curse…. Did he run away…?

She didn’t have the energy to cry.

Her face was already in a mess, covered with her own tears. The young Psychke touched her starving stomach and bent over.

The chains cluttered. The chains tied to her hands and feet made an unpleasant noise.

She was unable to move properly, and all she could do as a child was to run away in her dreams.

Even though everything didn’t go her way.

I genuinely hope that you have a good dream today. And the young Psychke closed her eyes afterwards.

And she opened her eyes in reality.

“I think she’s going to wake up!”

“Are you awake?”

She lifted her eyelids that felt heavier than a lump of lead.

The first thing she saw were unfamiliar people in maid clothes, and the second thing she saw was an unfamiliar pattern on the ceiling.

“What about the Duke?”

“He’s not here, Miss.”

Echoing voices from afar haunted her eardrums. She felt chill and cold sweats poured from her forehead like rain.

‘Where am I?’

Her eyes clouded like a mist. Remnants of her nightmare remained, and her head was dizzy.

Her whole body was heavy, as if buried in the dirt. Psychke closed her eyes slowly to restore her view and repeated the same.

“Bring Sir Isolet!”

Isolet.

The direct assistant to the Duke of Verndia.

As the incomprehensible words were lined up, a familiar word was heard for the first time.

It acted as a catalyst, and her consciousness that had been fragmented like fragments stuck together one by one. A light came on in her darkened soul.

Therefore, Isolet hurriedly opened the door to the room where she was,

“Sir Aide?”

Psychke succeeded in calling him with her dry lips.

Whether she was crying or smiling at him.

With a strange expression on her face, Isolet approached her. When he appeared, the maids in the room remained silent and moved away.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Where…”

“This is the estate of Duke Lestir.”

The accident turned slowly.

His words didn’t make sense, so Psychke blinked with a hazy face.

Then, after Isolet reminded me one more time with a nervous expression, ‘It’s Duke of Lestir.’

“…….Pardon?”

She sounded shock. She desperately wanted to get up instantly, but her deflated energy didn’t let her.

“I, Princess. Should I asked you a question after you woke up, please forgive me.”

In a tone of longing for something from her, Isolet grabbed her hands tightly like a praying person.

“Have you suffered any harm from our Duke?”

“Pardon?”

Psychke repeated the same thing like a fool. It was simply because she didn’t understand Isolet’s question.

“About that…”

It was hard to pinpoint what to say, so Isolet was weeping.

It was then that a voice like frost pierced her ears.

“I guess, I must have been an untrustworthy in your eyes, Princess.”

“Ugh.”

Isolet, who was caught at the scene, made a suffocating sound.

Verndia suddenly appeared in her doorstep with his ruffled hair, wild face which looked annoying as ever with everything he does.

Even though he beckoned to leave, Isolet only glanced at him and did not intend to leave.

As Psychke stared at Isolet, wondering why the hell he was doing that, Verndia sighed and pressed his hands to his temples.

(TN: At least Isolet is kind enough to be considerate to her…)

“Let the princess talk. Did I do something weird yesterday?”

“Something weird?”

“Why did you arrive last night late?”

Last night, Verndia, who escaped from the auction house, returned with the unconscious Psychke at dawn.

Isolet was surprised to see them in a mess as they walked in. It was only natural for Isolet, who didn’t know the whole situation, to be worried at them.

Verndia mumbled softly.

“I just took a walk until late because the night breeze was good.”

Ah, she guessed that he has already said the same way. Psychke adjusted her voice.

“Right. I took a walk.”

“…… Is that really all? The Duke didn’t threaten you?”

If the princess changes her words after returning to Silksia, there would be a problem between the families.

Isolet did not readily believe.

“Yes, he never did.”

“…. All right.”

But Psychke’s expression was also serious, and the duke was glaring at him with a fierce look, so he reluctantly left the room.

“Are you all right?”

She was looking at the assistant walking around helplessly, whistling, and Verndia asked as if tossing his question nonchalantly. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“Do you know how surprised I was when you suddenly fell on the ground?”

“No, I don’t feel good.”

She’d say she’s fine if she was. But she was really feeling unwell.

Her eyes were dizzy, her limbs twitched, and her stomach rumbled.

“Why did you fall? Do you have any chronic diseases?”

“… Yes.”

She could not tell the truth that she collapsed while trying to suppress her ability to run uncontrollable

.

Psychke avoided his gaze and bit her lips.

‘Why?’

It wasn’t the first time she had used mana to use her sword, but it was the first time she had fluctuated like this, so it was confusing.

‘I’m glad I managed to stop it somehow.’

She was worried that it would remain like this. She strained her hands under the blanket strength.

Verndia was immersed in his own thoughts just as she was.

‘It’s a disease. Maybe her body was born weak.’

It’s because the most talented people in history usually have excellent stamina. He wondered if she had chronic disease.

He didn’t ask further because the look on her face was implying that she didn’t want to reveal what kind of disease she has.

Verndia rolled her curtains to her window. The warm afternoon sun poured into the room.

“I think it was darkened on purpose to get a good night’s sleep. The body needs to be in a bright place though…. What are you doing?”

Psychke, who stood up with a grin, answered him.

“I have to go.”

“Where are you going?”

“To Silkisia.”

Because it was dark in her room, it was a failure to hear Vendia words ‘It’s already late.

He thought it was night, but it was day. Even the sun goes down there!

She told Aiden that she’d be back. Is he still there?

No, he won’t be. ‘Cause it’s been almost a day.

If so, did he go back to Silkisia alone? He lost the princess he had to escort?

“I have already sent a letter.”

“……!”

Though he had taken care to justify her fiancée’s stay, Psychke’s complexion grew paler.

It was no different from what the Duke himself admitted that Aiden had not been escorting her diligently.

“Please lend me a carriage.”

“Princess.”

“It’s alright if you can’t do so. I can just go out and call a carriage.”

Aiden would have been punished, but in order to avoid that, she must not delay anymore.

She got up with her luggage on the bedside table. But she couldn’t even take three steps, and her legs lost strength and she stumbled.

“Please rest a little more-”

“You can go back and rest. I have an urgent business to go back.”

She spoke well, so she was reckless even if she went to rest. After that, Verndia exhaled briefly.

He has grown to like Psychke without realizing it.

Regardless of whether he was good or bad, he was very reluctant to see that a person with a weak body moved.

It was even more so because he was the one who provided the cause.

He thought that Psychke’s fight with the mercenaries was the problem, and she’d be fine if he had just joined quickly. But it was not polite to keep holding on to someone who said she was going home.

“Let’s go.”

He supported Psychke with an unwilling face.

* * *

She could have just rented a carriage.

What did I do to have us ride together in this carriage?

Psychke pretended to be looking out his window and glanced across from him.

She was so sick that he wanted to close her eyes. But she couldn’t do that because of the other person’s presence. She was very uncomfortable, as if she was sitting on a cushion of thorns.

Whether he know her feelings or not.

Verndia, who looked out the window with his chin on his palm, was always indifferent. From immediately after his departure until now, he did not open his mouth.

This stillness was uncomfortable.

Psychke leaned her head against his window and let out a small sigh.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

At that breath, Verndia opened his mouth.

He had a lot of things he wanted to ask, but he was already tired, so it was because he was taking care of her.

It was useless because she didn’t rest well enough.

“Yes.”

“Then let’s talk for a moment.”

Verndia, leaning forward, sensually crossed his legs.

He tilted her head crookedly, pressed his chin, and fixed his dazzling purple eyes like a dangerous beast. Then, even if he stands still, he emits light and merges with his appearance, and if other young ladies saw him, his posture should be left as a picture. The decadent appearance was completed.

But instead of Psychke admiring him, she tensed her back straightened it. Then she bent over, groaning due to the pain in her chest.

He looked at her openly. Her reaction that returned to him was disastrous.

Verndia grinned at her.

“Am I so uncomfortable, Princess?”

“Un… comfortable?”

Why is he asking such an obvious question?

Psychke replied at him shakily.