Episode 31. The Best Way
The handle of her bag twitched in Kelita's hand, causing it to veer off course.
"Haa, haa."
Kelita sat down on the floor and ran her fingers through her sweat-soaked hair.
The outline of the portal was slowly emerging in the distance.
"Ha. I didn't bring the portal permit. Is that okay?"
There were still two days left until the agreed-upon departure date.
In any case, their current objective wasn't to pass through the portal, but to visit the wealthy noblewoman they'd met near the portal.
"You must be Princess Kelita. It's an honor. I've always admired you, Princess. If you have time, come visit my castle. I'm ready to grant you anything you desire."
At the time, she simply thought it was a common expression of concern, like any other noble.
But now, Kelita was grasping at straws.
She needed a place to escape Gerard.
"I could die like my other brothers, without even knowing when or how."
Kelita decided to shed the sham of a Princess that had enveloped her.
She had been living in the imperial palace, wearing a pretty mask so she could meet a handsome man like Lacrahan and escape.
The only way to survive in the cutthroat palace was to present herself as non-threatening.
But now that things had come to this, Kelita had to find a way to survive.
Everyone had forgotten: she was of the same bloodline as Gerard.
The journey from the portal to Lacrahan's castle had been effortless, but walking alone to the portal was exhausting.
"Kissing in front of me? Twice! How foolish must you be?"
The image of Lacrahan and Bercheria kissing lingered in her mind.
"Bercheria!"
Kelita hadn't actually shouted because she was certain the woman was Bercheria.
She simply couldn't stand the thought of them kissing.
The thought of the people who had always loved her thinking she was a loser was unbearable, a blow to her pride.
So she chattered away. Even as she spoke, she couldn't believe it could be Bercheria.
Of course, right? Because she couldn't sense the protective aura.
"This country will perish. Certainly."
The disappearance of the goddess's protection was problematic, but the fact that it hadn't returned even though the goddess was still in this land was an even bigger problem.
"Rather than being swept away by just standing by..."
Kelita, struggling to move with her heavy bag, stopped in her tracks at the sight before her.
"Huh?"
As if she knew, a woman in a magnificent carriage was waiting in front of the darkened portal.
"What a coincidence!"
Kelita summoned the last of her strength and ran to the woman.
She was already at a loss as to where the nearby castle was, and yet she was there to greet her.
It was clear that luck hadn't left Kelita yet.
The coachman, who had spotted Kelita from afar, ran over to help her with her luggage.
Feeling relieved, she approached the carriage, where the woman sitting inside, her fan fluttering, spoke to Kelita.
"Princess. I've been waiting for you."
It was a tone that seemed as if she had been waiting for a long time.
Kelita asked back, bright and clear, without a trace of doubt.
“How did you know?”
The fan woman said with a smile.
“It’s a secret, but I have a mysterious ability that no one else has.”
“Really?”
The fan woman stepped outside and faced Kelita.
“I have an even better ability, and I really want to show you, Princess.”
Kelita answered in a bright voice.
The handle of her bag twitched in Kelita's hand, causing it to veer off course.
"Haa, haa."
Kelita sat down on the floor and ran her fingers through her sweat-soaked hair.
The outline of the portal was slowly emerging in the distance.
"Ha. I didn't bring the portal permit. Is that okay?"
There were still two days left until the agreed-upon departure date.
In any case, their current objective wasn't to pass through the portal, but to visit the wealthy noblewoman they'd met near the portal.
"You must be Princess Kelita. It's an honor. I've always admired you, Princess. If you have time, come visit my castle. I'm ready to grant you anything you desire."
At the time, she simply thought it was a common expression of concern, like any other noble.
But now, Kelita was grasping at straws.
She needed a place to escape Gerard.
"I could die like my other brothers, without even knowing when or how."
Kelita decided to shed the sham of a Princess that had enveloped her.
She had been living in the imperial palace, wearing a pretty mask so she could meet a handsome man like Lacrahan and escape.
The only way to survive in the cutthroat palace was to present herself as non-threatening.
But now that things had come to this, Kelita had to find a way to survive.
Everyone had forgotten: she was of the same bloodline as Gerard.
The journey from the portal to Lacrahan's castle had been effortless, but walking alone to the portal was exhausting.
"Kissing in front of me? Twice! How foolish must you be?"
The image of Lacrahan and Bercheria kissing lingered in her mind.
"Bercheria!"
Kelita hadn't actually shouted because she was certain the woman was Bercheria.
She simply couldn't stand the thought of them kissing.
The thought of the people who had always loved her thinking she was a loser was unbearable, a blow to her pride.
So she chattered away. Even as she spoke, she couldn't believe it could be Bercheria.
Of course, right? Because she couldn't sense the protective aura.
"This country will perish. Certainly."
The disappearance of the goddess's protection was problematic, but the fact that it hadn't returned even though the goddess was still in this land was an even bigger problem.
"Rather than being swept away by just standing by..."
Kelita, struggling to move with her heavy bag, stopped in her tracks at the sight before her.
"Huh?"
As if she knew, a woman in a magnificent carriage was waiting in front of the darkened portal.
"What a coincidence!"
Kelita summoned the last of her strength and ran to the woman.
She was already at a loss as to where the nearby castle was, and yet she was there to greet her.
It was clear that luck hadn't left Kelita yet.
The coachman, who had spotted Kelita from afar, ran over to help her with her luggage.
Feeling relieved, she approached the carriage, where the woman sitting inside, her fan fluttering, spoke to Kelita.
"Princess. I've been waiting for you."
It was a tone that seemed as if she had been waiting for a long time.
Kelita asked back, bright and clear, without a trace of doubt.
“How did you know?”
The fan woman said with a smile.
“It’s a secret, but I have a mysterious ability that no one else has.”
“Really?”
The fan woman stepped outside and faced Kelita.
“I have an even better ability, and I really want to show you, Princess.”
Kelita answered in a bright voice.
“Please show me. ”
Her face was a stark contrast to the messy hair and dirty clothes she had worn from the journey here.
The fan woman smiled and brushed Kelita’s dusty face away, causing her cheeks to flush.
Then, a rumbling sound echoed through the ground, and the portal lit up.
“Huh?”
Kelita was so startled she almost screamed.
Portals weren’t easily opened.
They required the Emperor’s permission in the capital, and with that permission, the portal manager would inject mana to open the path.
Only then would the portal on the other side light up.
That's why, even when returning, she had to stick to the prearranged schedule.
"How can you..."
Kelita's mouth fell open.
"Maybe a witch..."
Then she covered her lips with both hands.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Emperor Gerard had a terrible hatred for witches and magicians. He would imprison anyone he saw in the dungeons and starve them to death.
It was incredibly strange to hear reports of survivors still alive.
Whenever this happened, Kelita would wonder what the survivors ate and lived on.
“I don’t care who you are, Lady. You’re not like His Majesty the Emperor.”
“As expected of a Princess. It seems my eye for people hasn’t rusted.”
The two women smiled at each other.
“Come here, Princess.”
The fan woman took Kelita’s hand and approached the portal.
The portal, lit up in the middle of the night, glowed like a soft moon.
Kelita followed the woman, looking around.
“By the way, where is your castle? I don’t think I saw it when I came here.”
“Over there.”
The fan woman pointed to the back of a low hill.
“Ah. I see.”
“Do you know how this portal works, Princess?”
Kelita asked, her eyes wide.
“Of course, I do. It’s magic.”
“As expected of our clever Princess.”
The woman grabbed Kelita’s face and forced her to face the portal.
“That’s right. This is a huge amount of mana. It’s hard for humans to withstand. That’s why you need a portal permit. The Locust in the permit blocks the mana.”
“Ah. So you can’t pass without a permit.”
Her face was a stark contrast to the messy hair and dirty clothes she had worn from the journey here.
The fan woman smiled and brushed Kelita’s dusty face away, causing her cheeks to flush.
Then, a rumbling sound echoed through the ground, and the portal lit up.
“Huh?”
Kelita was so startled she almost screamed.
Portals weren’t easily opened.
They required the Emperor’s permission in the capital, and with that permission, the portal manager would inject mana to open the path.
Only then would the portal on the other side light up.
That's why, even when returning, she had to stick to the prearranged schedule.
"How can you..."
Kelita's mouth fell open.
"Maybe a witch..."
Then she covered her lips with both hands.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Emperor Gerard had a terrible hatred for witches and magicians. He would imprison anyone he saw in the dungeons and starve them to death.
It was incredibly strange to hear reports of survivors still alive.
Whenever this happened, Kelita would wonder what the survivors ate and lived on.
“I don’t care who you are, Lady. You’re not like His Majesty the Emperor.”
“As expected of a Princess. It seems my eye for people hasn’t rusted.”
The two women smiled at each other.
“Come here, Princess.”
The fan woman took Kelita’s hand and approached the portal.
The portal, lit up in the middle of the night, glowed like a soft moon.
Kelita followed the woman, looking around.
“By the way, where is your castle? I don’t think I saw it when I came here.”
“Over there.”
The fan woman pointed to the back of a low hill.
“Ah. I see.”
“Do you know how this portal works, Princess?”
Kelita asked, her eyes wide.
“Of course, I do. It’s magic.”
“As expected of our clever Princess.”
The woman grabbed Kelita’s face and forced her to face the portal.
“That’s right. This is a huge amount of mana. It’s hard for humans to withstand. That’s why you need a portal permit. The Locust in the permit blocks the mana.”
“Ah. So you can’t pass without a permit.”
“That’s right. If you enter without a permit, you’ll either die or come out as a different person with a broken mind.”
Kelita turned to the woman.
“But why are you suddenly telling me this?”
The woman stroked Kelita’s pretty brown hair.
“My pretty Princess. If there’s anyone you don’t like, I’m giving you a hint to use this portal. Just letting them enter here can make the next story clearer.”
The woman’s voice was soft and sweet.
“I’m telling you this because, looking at you now, I feel like you hate someone.”
“...Lose your life, or go mad?”
“Yes, Kelita.”
Kelita stared blankly at the portal.
The burning blue flames flickered before her face.
“Kelita,”
The fan woman whispered softly, as if tempting an innocent child.
“But before that, let’s see which side our pretty Princess is on.”
“Yes?”
Kelita’s body was pushed by a strong force and tumbled into the portal.
Whoosh!
There was no time to scream.
With a chilling sound like a snake’s tongue flicking out, Kelita was sucked into the portal.
The woman unfolded her fan and waved it gently against her face.
“Actually, it doesn’t matter which side it is. After all, the responsibility will fall on Lacrahan, the master of this North.”
The woman’s crimson lips rose softly, even more gently than her voice.
Lately, Lacrahan had been wondering if he wasn’t properly controlling his own emotions.
This was especially true after Bercheria appeared.
He had clearly lost all sense of reason around this woman.
In fact, there was a reason for his behavior.
Most of the people Lacrahan had encountered thus far had behaved within the parameters of his expectations, so there was nothing special about them, nothing to worry about.
He could read others' minds without much effort, so he had never had any expectations of anyone in his life.
Then Bercheria appeared before him.
A woman who defied all his expectations.
She had never behaved as Lacrahan had predicted. Perhaps that was why Lacrahan felt so emotionally fluctuating around Bercheria.
“Why are you running away?”
He could have calmly asked, but the words didn’t come out well.
The woman who had never dared to leave, even when she was trembling and wary of him, was now trying to flee so hastily upon his proposal, and his pride was bruised.
“Did you hate the idea of marriage so much that you ran away?”
His voice grew sharp again, without his knowledge.
His expression must have clearly revealed his displeasure.
Why didn't Bercheria look at him with a wistful expression like any other ordinary woman?
Why was her face always so dry and expressionless?
"Do you hate me?"
It was exactly three steps.
The two people, separated by that distance, were looking at each other, each with their own thoughts.
"I didn't make this offer without a plan. I said it because I believed that our marriage was the only way to save everyone."
Even after saying this, Bercheria didn't respond.
His pride was bruised.
What on earth did Bercheria think of him?
The number of families who proposed to him after his return from the war was countless.
But Lacrahan had consistently rejected them all.
So, to cut to the chase, he had never once been attracted to a woman in his life.
No one wanted him because he had lost so much in the war, and he simply didn't want to experience that feeling again.
The empty seat next to him wasn't because he was incompetent or shunned by everyone.
"Marriage."
When Bercheria opened her mouth, Lacrahan focused all his attention on her voice.
“Is this easy for you?”
“...What do you mean?”
“You were promised marriage to the Princess just hours ago. I remember that marriage, as I understand it, is something that requires a love worth risking your life for.”
“Then you should have asked. Before you ran away.”
He hadn’t thought about it.
The memories she possessed were traces of a goddess who had taken place at least half a century ago.
Lacrahan exhaled, steadying his voice, which was becoming increasingly sharp.
“I’m not arguing. Don’t worry about it.”
Sometimes, in conversations like this, he forgot how long she had spent alone.
The very idea that she needed to act like an ordinary person was a flawed prejudice.
“People have learned that you are Bercheria. From now on, the news will spread in an instant. I’ve decided this is the best way to keep the Emperor, your mother, and the people in check.”
“...Even my mother?”
“Marriage will be a good excuse for us to never be apart. I will be able to truly protect you, as promised.”
Bercheria gazed at Lacrahan with wavering eyes, as if trying to gauge whether or not she could believe what he was saying.
Lacrahan left her to observe him.
Then, a strange voice interrupted.
"Rather than that, if you come with me to Der'Ansis, everything will be resolved."
Kelita turned to the woman.
“But why are you suddenly telling me this?”
The woman stroked Kelita’s pretty brown hair.
“My pretty Princess. If there’s anyone you don’t like, I’m giving you a hint to use this portal. Just letting them enter here can make the next story clearer.”
The woman’s voice was soft and sweet.
“I’m telling you this because, looking at you now, I feel like you hate someone.”
“...Lose your life, or go mad?”
“Yes, Kelita.”
Kelita stared blankly at the portal.
The burning blue flames flickered before her face.
“Kelita,”
The fan woman whispered softly, as if tempting an innocent child.
“But before that, let’s see which side our pretty Princess is on.”
“Yes?”
Kelita’s body was pushed by a strong force and tumbled into the portal.
Whoosh!
There was no time to scream.
With a chilling sound like a snake’s tongue flicking out, Kelita was sucked into the portal.
The woman unfolded her fan and waved it gently against her face.
“Actually, it doesn’t matter which side it is. After all, the responsibility will fall on Lacrahan, the master of this North.”
The woman’s crimson lips rose softly, even more gently than her voice.
***
Lately, Lacrahan had been wondering if he wasn’t properly controlling his own emotions.
This was especially true after Bercheria appeared.
He had clearly lost all sense of reason around this woman.
In fact, there was a reason for his behavior.
Most of the people Lacrahan had encountered thus far had behaved within the parameters of his expectations, so there was nothing special about them, nothing to worry about.
He could read others' minds without much effort, so he had never had any expectations of anyone in his life.
Then Bercheria appeared before him.
A woman who defied all his expectations.
She had never behaved as Lacrahan had predicted. Perhaps that was why Lacrahan felt so emotionally fluctuating around Bercheria.
“Why are you running away?”
He could have calmly asked, but the words didn’t come out well.
The woman who had never dared to leave, even when she was trembling and wary of him, was now trying to flee so hastily upon his proposal, and his pride was bruised.
“Did you hate the idea of marriage so much that you ran away?”
His voice grew sharp again, without his knowledge.
His expression must have clearly revealed his displeasure.
Why didn't Bercheria look at him with a wistful expression like any other ordinary woman?
Why was her face always so dry and expressionless?
"Do you hate me?"
It was exactly three steps.
The two people, separated by that distance, were looking at each other, each with their own thoughts.
"I didn't make this offer without a plan. I said it because I believed that our marriage was the only way to save everyone."
Even after saying this, Bercheria didn't respond.
His pride was bruised.
What on earth did Bercheria think of him?
The number of families who proposed to him after his return from the war was countless.
But Lacrahan had consistently rejected them all.
So, to cut to the chase, he had never once been attracted to a woman in his life.
No one wanted him because he had lost so much in the war, and he simply didn't want to experience that feeling again.
The empty seat next to him wasn't because he was incompetent or shunned by everyone.
"Marriage."
When Bercheria opened her mouth, Lacrahan focused all his attention on her voice.
“Is this easy for you?”
“...What do you mean?”
“You were promised marriage to the Princess just hours ago. I remember that marriage, as I understand it, is something that requires a love worth risking your life for.”
“Then you should have asked. Before you ran away.”
He hadn’t thought about it.
The memories she possessed were traces of a goddess who had taken place at least half a century ago.
Lacrahan exhaled, steadying his voice, which was becoming increasingly sharp.
“I’m not arguing. Don’t worry about it.”
Sometimes, in conversations like this, he forgot how long she had spent alone.
The very idea that she needed to act like an ordinary person was a flawed prejudice.
“People have learned that you are Bercheria. From now on, the news will spread in an instant. I’ve decided this is the best way to keep the Emperor, your mother, and the people in check.”
“...Even my mother?”
“Marriage will be a good excuse for us to never be apart. I will be able to truly protect you, as promised.”
Bercheria gazed at Lacrahan with wavering eyes, as if trying to gauge whether or not she could believe what he was saying.
Lacrahan left her to observe him.
Then, a strange voice interrupted.
"Rather than that, if you come with me to Der'Ansis, everything will be resolved."
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