Volume 3

Chapter 157.1

Chapter 157 . 1 : The Awakening of The Second Princess

It was the second morning after Rio killed Lucius and coincidentally saved Flora, who just happened to be in that place, in a really bad condition . As Flora’s condition necessitate emergency treatment, Rio stopped on a rocky area that was slightly disconnected from the main route to help heal her . This rocky area could be found to the southwest of the Paladia Kingdom, and since he happened to have a rock house which could blend in with the area, he decided to stop there .

Thus, Rio decided to nurse Flora in that well-camouflaged house . And though it was called nursing, Flora’s condition was getting better and better during her unconscious state ever since he fed her with the elven-made medicine, hence the only thing he did was watch over her .

That was why as soon as he woke up in the morning, he went to Flora’s current room, and checked on her . Flora was still there, breathing peacefully on her bed .

She’s been asleep for a few days, but her condition is getting better . I guess it’s about time for her to wake up .

Rio thought that, yet he still placed his hand on her forehead to check . However, it was truly an unnecessary worry as her complexion looked better than before thanks to the effect of the elven-made medicine . Another sign of her healing was the mark on her nape .

Hmm, the mark is smaller than yesterday..it should not leave any trace once she’s completely healed..

The bluish mark that had almost encroached her whole body and face before, now looked smaller and lighter . Since that was the case, he only needed to wait for her to be conscious .

Well then, I guess I should make my breakfast now .

Rio thought and stretched lightly after he left Flora’s room .

◇　◇　◇

Ten minutes later .

「U-Uhm........」

Flora’s body made a slight movement .

After that slight movement, she finally opened her eyes and woke up . It might be because she was in a very weakened state, but she felt that it was hard for her to wake up even though her body should have almost been fully healed . And, although Rio had adjusted the lighting in the room she was staying in, she still squinted her eyes . Though the reason might be because she was not used to the lighting yet since she has been asleep for a few days straight .

Where...... Am I?

When she could properly see, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling reflected in her eyes, making her looked around the room . From what she could observe, she could only conclude that she was in a neat and tidy room, but she knew nothing else aside from that .

Where is this?　I remember that........

Flora thought, trying to remember why she was sleeping in this place even though her memories was still cloudy .

I’m sure that when I went to meet my dear sister......

She remembered . When she went to meet her elder sister, she was ambushed in the magic vessel by two unknown men who had suddenly appeared in there . And the next thing she realized, she was already teleported to the Paladia Kingdom’s forest .

「!!!!! ? 」

Flora tried to lift her body up in panic, yet she was unable to do that . Her body felt too heavy as if she was encased in lead . Even though her brain sent her body signals to move, her body couldn’t accomplish that order .

Since she was unable to do that, she abandoned the thought of moving for the moment, and chose to continue observing the room instead . The only conclusion she could draw from that was one fact .

There’s...... . No one .

After confirming she was alone in that room, the strength that her panicked state had given her left her body, making her collapse as if boneless . All that was left within her was the thought of her current situation . She had to think and sort the information she had on hand even if it was only just a little .

I was, in a village, and then I tried to slip out from that village in secret..

Then in the middle of the road, she used up all the strength she had managed to scrounge up and fell . After she fell, she remembered some villagers arrived there and agreed that she had contracted a dangerous disease, and choose to abandon her . Soon after, she was carried by the young men of the village and thrown away right at the entrance of the forest . While she was absent-minded at the time, she was still aware of her surroundings, thus right now she had remembered everything .

「........」

Flora was silent when she finished recalling up to that point . Her face darkened as a hard to describe psychological pain suddenly assailed her heart .

She had no intention to blame the villagers . After all the troubles she kept bringing them, it would have been unreasonable of her to resent them for abandoning her when they thought that she carried a dangerous disease .

If there was someone she hated, it was her own weak self who couldn’t do anything . Her pitiful, pathetic, and coward self was the one in the wrong, and she really hated that side of her .

Right now though, wasn’t the time to immerse herself in those feelings . First things first, she had to find out where she was, and what she had to do next .

This is..not the village chief’s house, of that I’m sure . Is this place the mansion of one of the Paladia Kingdom’s nobility?

Flora pondered as she looked at the splendid furniture placed in the room . Yes, she expected that she was already in the enemy’s hand .

In that case, things were already heading in the worst direction . The future that she was headed for was only to become their hostage and be used against her Kingdom . While feeling resigned, Flora gradually recalled what had happened before .

..Oh yeah . I was thrown away at the forest, and then someone returned . The one who took me out of the forest..were Will-san and Donner-san, right? But, there was another man’s voice . The voice of the man who sent me out to this place..

She remembered that voice very well, therefore as soon as she was taken out of the forest, she managed to recognize it in an instant . It belonged to the man who sent her out to the Paladia Kingdom . Hence why, when she heard that voice, she kept quiet, but she still heard everything that was spoken, including the cruel things that was said by that man . It was the most miserable experience she had in her entire life, considering that she had always lived as a Royalty who never experienced much hardship .

That was why she was on the edge of despair at that time . She had already resigned to her fate, had given up at that point, and had even wanted to die . But .

After that..Were there more people who come after that?

She wondered, recalling back to that moment . Indeed, she remembered another voice speaking . That voice brought her some slight hope that there would be a chance for her to be saved, so with the last bit of strength she could muster, she opened her eyes to see the owner of the voice .

There she saw the man who teleported her to the Paladia kingdom . He was conversing with a black haired youth . Although this part of her memories was a bit blurry, but..she was sure it was a black haired youth..

「Yes..It’s –O . I came..to kill you . 」

――was what he said .

........ . . Black hair .

She couldn’t remember his face, it was all hazy in her mind . The only thing she was sure of was that he was a black haired youth, and he was the one who confronted that hateful man with his cold piercing voice .

Unfortunately, after that she could only overhear the laughter of the man she hated so much before passing out soon after . And that was as far as she could remember .