ICTFF - Chapter 5






Be more desperate than anyone else to get a chance (5)

The person who hid at a distance and followed me until I left the garden.

It was my father.

“Why is a person with an unhealthy body here?”

“I was just about to go in.”

My father looked closely at my face. My cheek area, to be exact.

'Ah...'

He's worried about the last time he put his hands on me. It was my first time receiving corporal punishment.

I waited in silence, but my father never said anything.

My father was this kind of person.

Honest and brave, but incapable of saying warm words.

When my brothers or I made a mistake, he was the type to strictly discipline them rather than scold them.

It must have been so bad that my mother lamented, wondering how he, so stiff, could not be seen by His Majesty the Emperor.

My father and I were polar opposites. I was scared when I was young, and the gap didn't narrow even as I grew up.

My mother tried to console me by saying that my father was a man who proved himself through his actions rather than his words, but to me, it just sounded like a cowardly excuse.

The already tense relationship between my father and I became irreversibly strained after I lost my eyesight.

“Come in.”

I reached out my hand to my father, who was turning around.

“Please bring me in.”

"...I?"

“If you’re busy, I’ll go with Nadia.”

“...I’m not that busy.”

My father awkwardly held out his arm, then paused. Then he carefully grabbed my hand and placed it in his arm.

His thick arms were as hard as rocks.

Even though he was over 50 years old, he was still a knight who did not neglect his training.

“They all came.”

The father, who had been hesitating in front of the bedroom for a while, was finally about to open his mouth when the butler suddenly appeared.

“That day...”

“I apologize for interrupting you. Miss, His Highness the Third Prince has arrived.”

My father was silent for a moment and then stepped back.

“Go and see.”

"Father."

“Hmm? Do you have anything to say?”

“Something will be coming into the house soon. Don’t burn it, just leave it as is.”

"...What?"

I held my father's hand as he asked again. It was rough and hard, but warm.

“I know you are very disappointed in me. You want to give up on me.”

“...”

“I won’t make excuses. Just watch over me.”

My father's stubborn eyes opened wide for a moment, and then he clenched his jaw as if suppressing his emotions.

“You are mistaken.”

"Yes?"

“No parent gives up on their child.”

Bam.

My father grabbed my shoulder lightly, let go, and turned around.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

I watched my father walk toward the office and then head to the living room.

A man in his early twenties was sitting on the sofa in the living room.

Soft platinum blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes. Hia delicate features gave off the sensitive sensibility of a struggling artist.

The sight of him elegantly drinking tea with his long legs crossed is picturesque.

He also looked quite tall. His body had not been trained, but one that had been honed with care.

'That's what he looks like.'

He was so handsome that it seemed like Sierra fell in love with the Third Prince's appearance.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel any emotion.

As I entered the living room, he jumped up and came towards me.

“Millenia, do you know how worried I was? How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

Third Prince Oslo Royal Antiete's acting was better than Sierra's. Not only his voice, but his expression was full of worry.

Things that are no longer useful should be thrown away. If you leave them alone, they will just give off a rotten smell. So don’t blame me too much.”

I suddenly became curious. What kind of expression did this man have when he said that?

In the beginning, humans who were suffering from demons came together to establish a nation, and God was greatly pleased with this and sent three guardians to the world.

'He who walks first', 'He who protects', 'He who saves'.

Guardians may all appear in the same era, or none at all.

They must also exercise their abilities for the cause and maintain political neutrality.

In my past life, my cause was the Third Prince.

Everyone was against it because it violated the duty of neutrality, but I could not agree.

In the future, I confirmed, the Emperor was the Third Prince. Why should I be criticized for simply following the set path? I was convinced that I was maintaining neutrality.

Not knowing that what I saw was not the future but a warning.

A stern warning that the Third Prince must not ascend to the throne.

The true duty of the 'one who walks first' was not to see the future, but to change the future. By the time I realized that I had already handed over the throne to the Third Prince.

“Sit down. I’m worried you might fall over.”

As we sat down on the sofa, Nadia offered us some warm tea and quietly left.

As soon as the living room door closed, he ran his thumb over the back of my hand.

“Why didn’t you contact me? I missed you.”

“I wasn’t feeling well.”

“Haa, my heart ached so much when I heard that you had collapsed. Why did we have to go through this?”

I naturally took my hand away from him and fumbled to grab the teacup. Oslo glanced at my hand and sighed deeply.

“It’s my fault. A powerless person like me loves you.”

He said he was sorry and thankful for me meeting the powerless Third Prince as if it were a habit.

Then, feeling sad and sorry, I will use all my abilities to help him.

How much was given for a single word that didn't even contain the slightest sincerity?

“But why are you alone? I don’t see the friend you used to be with every day.”

“Are you talking about Sierra?”

“Her name was Sierra, wasn’t it? Sorry, I’m not good at remembering Lady’s names.”

“Do you know why His Majesty didn’t hug you? Your empty eyes were too disgusting to hold. When he was with you, you were so excited that he almost got tired.

Sierra came to the prison and giggled as she said this.

You're already sleeping together, but you don't know each other's names. I feel sick at your natural acting.

“If you are referring to Ms. Sierra Coelho, I don’t think we will be interacting with each other very often in the future.”

“Did you fight?”

Sierra must have run to Oslo and told him about the fight we had.

I scratched it on purpose, but isn't it too easy?

“Ha, why do women fight so often? I don’t know what’s going on, but you should give in first. She's a precious friend who even endures the criticism of being a maid for your sake.”

Oslo convinced that it was a fight even though there was no answer, spouted nonsense disguised as advice.

'You should give in because I am a dear friend who stays by your side even at the risk of being called a maid.'

It's so similar to Sierra's argument that it's almost surprising.

“I appreciate your advice, but this is my personal life. I will take care of my own problems.”

“Are you jealous of Miss Sierra?”

“Me?”

“Of course, unlike you, she is bright and cute. She has no disabilities. But you are the one I love. There is no need to be jealous.”

“...”

“You’re going to hear people say that you have a sense of entitlement towards the disabled because you’re basing your pride on useless things. I’m giving you this advice because I love you, so do as I say.”

Listen to me, I love you.

It's something I've heard so many times it's become a nuisance.

Is it really that great of a thing to love me? So much so that I should give in to any demand? I was so angry that I stopped talking.

“Is that why you came here to say that?”

“Ah, the prophecy you told me about last time. That an epidemic would spread throughout the Duchy of Eldern.”

“Did I do that?”

“Don’t you remember? You told me before.”

I have already given some indications of the future, and Oslo has used them to position himself.

Among them, the plague in Eldern was an event that later helped Oslo to rise above the powerful successor, the First Prince.

“I remember now.”

“It’s good that the epidemic is spreading, but the cure is the problem. We have to figure it out before they do...”

“I can't see it.”

“Still? Ugh, it’s frustrating. I can’t come here every time and ask... This can’t go on like this. Millenia, let’s stay together.”

“I don’t intend to do that.”

“Well, it’ll be hard to escape since your family’s surveillance is getting tighter. Don’t be too upset. I have a ‘good idea.’”

He cupped my cheek as if he was going to kiss me and whispered sweetly.

“Do you know how much I love you? I will do my best so that we can be together as soon as possible.”

Actually, I had no intention of taking revenge on Oslo.

I am just as evil as him. Do I really have the right to take revenge on him?

It was my fault for being deceived, and being executed was the price I paid for abusing the prophecy.

But when I actually met him, my mind changed.

All sorts of gloomy and sticky emotions surged through me. My whole body trembled as I tried to suppress my murderous intent toward this man.

If this man had once thought of me as a human being and not as a tool of power, my end would not have been so miserable.

'No, rather, is it a good thing?'

In that land of death, I learned of the existence of a benefactor.

"Your Highness."

“Shh, let me kiss you.”

“Please stop.”

“You’re nice, but you always reject me. A woman who rejects others is unattractive.”

His breath touched my lips. In an instant, the hairs on my body stood on end and I felt nauseous.

I shook off his arm and swung my hand.

Slam!

Oslo's beautiful face turned around.



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