She had definitely matured beyond compare since I last saw her. Yet, her old face still remained quite apparent.

I couldn’t possibly think this was a mere illusion or coincidence. Right in front of me stood none other than Yuli herself.

So, what on earth was she doing here, and what kind of life was she living after losing her memories?

That was something I didn’t even need to ponder over.

The facility located underground.

Her golden hair shone brightly under the reflected lighting, adding to her deep azure eyes.

How many beings would possess such traits and the authority to come and go freely in a place like this?

A princess.

There was no doubt that Yuli, having lost her memories, had grown up as the empire’s princess.

‘…The Third Princess, perhaps.’

The First Princess and Second Princess had both passed away six and three years ago, respectively.

Their causes of death were ambiguous at best, and oddly enough, there was no serious investigation into the royal deaths; instead, it seemed like a cover-up.

Even more suspicious was the fact that both girls died on the same date, giving rise to the strong possibility of some conspiracy being involved.

I recalled a conversation with Rubia about this.

“Who on earth would do such a thing? I can’t help but wonder if the same thing will repeat itself on that fateful day a few months from now…”

But that wasn’t what mattered right now.

After all, the important thing was that Yuli was right in front of me.

It was evident that the empire was more suspicious than ever.

Whatever schemes the emperor and the pope were concocting, it was clear that keeping her here was not beneficial.

‘I need to get her out of here.’

I would explain the situation and hopefully gain her cooperation. It wouldn’t be an easy task, but…

Maybe I didn’t need to worry so much.

After all, she was Yuli.

My dear blood and bone. The adorable and mature girl who had been the only source of vitality in that bleak and dark world.

She was kind and filled with understanding.

Building a bond and earning her trust shouldn’t take too long.

I gazed at Yuli with such hopes.

But what caught my attention next was…

“Are you blind or something?! Are your eyes just for decoration?!”

The sight of a girl scowling at me, irritated and yelling, was jarring.

In that moment, the rumors I’d heard while living in the palace about the Third Princess’s personality flashed through my mind.

A sense of dread washed over me…

But it was too soon to jump to conclusions.

That was my fault for bumping into her, after all. Her anger was a natural reaction.

So, I reached out my hand to help her up and get my apology in.

But before I could say anything, she looked at my face and opened her mouth.

“I know who you are. You’re Zion, right? Acting all superior while you can’t even manage your own brats.”

Her words were laced with a crass critique.

Things like “messing around” and “getting involved with anyone” weren’t something I could have ever imagined coming from that innocent girl.

While I was still stunned by her words, I could hear hurried footsteps approaching from a distance.

A princess surely should have some guards around her—

But, it appeared they were really in the area, as the frantic expression of a nearby knight caught my eye.

Surely, if anything were to happen to royalty, their head would be on the chopping block.

Seeing her on the ground would’ve made any knight’s heart race with concern. They might even have had a near-death experience just from that sight.

“Y-Your Highness! Are you hurt?!”

The voice was filled more with urgency about their necks than loyalty to the crown.

They were clearly worried.

But Yuli responded with…

“Keep it down and get lost.”

She frowned and shouted back.

While they were merely concerned, her sharp response left the knight dumbfounded. Yuli didn’t stop there.

“Are you deaf? I said get lost!”

She yelled even more irritably.

What a temperament.

No, it was more than just mood swings; it was a downright hostile reaction that was completely incomprehensible.

With that, she glared at both me and the knight in turn, looking displeased for reasons unknown to me, and stomped away.

So it seems…

The cute and mature girl had darkened quite a lot in these ten years.

*

And there I was, messing things up once again.

When she yelled earlier, the knight’s expression while looking at her was all too familiar—like they were saying “Of course.”

Today, another story regarding the infamous Third Princess would surely spread like wildfire.

That damn brother of mine.

The Second Prince, blessed by the goddess of victory and soaring to greatness was bound to have adverse effects on my already shrinking circle.

But…

There was nothing I could do about it now.

Involuntarily, a groan escaped my lips.

My legs went weak and I plopped unceremoniously to the ground.

A woman’s voice echoed incessantly in my head, giving me a headache.

And that damn hair.

The golden locks that symbolized royalty were losing their shine, gradually turning black.

‘Why…’

Why do I have to go through this?

Why must I suffer from an attack at a time like this?

Why would a demon cast such a curse on me?

Tears flowed down my cheeks involuntarily as I wrestled with my sense of injustice.

I shouldn’t be breaking down here.

Despite feeling the symptoms of the attack, I had rushed over here rashly, pushing everyone away.

But there’s always a chance for the worst to happen.

I couldn’t make a sound. I had to hide my sobs to avoid being discovered.

Ultimately, while I covered my mouth, the tears kept streaming down.

I realized that these daily struggles would likely continue for a lifetime. I would always have to bear this anguish alone.

I just wanted to talk to someone.

To tell them that all those rumors were misunderstandings. I didn’t push people away out of malice.

But I couldn’t do that.
I couldn’t repeat the same mistakes.

I still remembered.

I still recalled what happened to the attendant I had confided in when I was younger.

The girl with blue hair.

When reading a storybook that ended sadly, instead of turning to the last page, she would weave a happy ending from her imagination—a pure-hearted girl.

She was the one I thought I could trust and confide in, my first friend.

She was dead.

Crushed by my father’s hand.

She turned into a bloody mess.

The reason was simple.

[Didn’t I tell you? You must hide the curse.]

The secret was almost revealed.

My father said the attendant tried to sell her secret to outsiders.

Had that not been caught, she would have been branded a cursed witch. She would have faced certain death at the hands of the people.

I couldn’t believe it.

That gentle, innocent girl would betray me.

Even in her final moments, she boldly lied, claiming she didn’t know anything and had no intention of speaking.

And even now, it’s the same.

Thinking about that incident hurts my heart and makes my head spin.

Did that girl really betray me?

Or was there some kind of misunderstanding?

The more I think about the questions I now have no answers to, the more I suffer.

But if there’s one thing I’m certain of…

[Remember, that girl is the one you killed.]

The girl who was crying as she called for her mother, transforming into a bloody hunk of flesh.

The responsibility lies on her shoulders.

I shouldn’t have said anything.

I should have kept it hidden from everyone.

Even if it was painful, I shouldn’t have thought to lean on anyone. That ugly desire led me to kill the girl I once considered a friend.

Thus, the girl wiped away her tears.

Being lonely was okay.

Being hated didn’t matter.

It was better than losing my precious ones. I didn’t want to lose anyone like that again.

If I didn’t trust anyone, I wouldn’t be betrayed.

If I had no precious people, I wouldn’t lose any.

Sure, it was lonely.

A bit sad.

But I had resolved to accept that much in the past.

So, it was alright.

…I should be alright.

With that, the girl completely dried her tears, brushed the dust off her skirt, and took another step into that daunting and fearful world.

And so began another day just like always.

It should have been that way…

But something. Something was very wrong.

The Third Princess stood there, mindlessly letting out a dazed groan… then quickly rubbed her eyes.

Yet, doing that wouldn’t change a thing.

The abnormal scene before her eyes remained unaltered.

Her white hair was sparkling as it reflected the sunlight.

Was it a sign of some side sibling’s royal nature? Even her ocean-deep blue eyes remained intact.

In other words…

Zion was standing right in front of her.