Chapter 702

Empress Harriet walked the palace grounds with Priscilla, having left the Spring Palace.

Indeed, Priscilla was a troublemaker, but the root cause was the persistent torment she suffered at the hands of Amelia since her early childhood.

"It doesn't make sense in the first place. If she hates Mom and me so much, why doesn't she just stay at the temple dormitory or live with her mother in the Holy Empire?"

As Priscilla pointed out.

It was Amelia's choice to live in the Spring Palace, even though she always claimed she couldn't stand the sight of them.

There were plenty of places to avoid them if she didn't want to see them.

Therefore, Priscilla could only think that Amelia was staying in the Spring Palace solely to torment her, nothing more, nothing less.

Listening to her daughter's complaints, the Archmage silently gazed at the distant sky.

"Priscilla."

"What?"

"Do you remember when Rune first arrived?"

"…Yeah."

Prince Rune was the Archmage's daughter, but in reality, he was the Emperor's illegitimate child brought in.

However, the Archmage accepted Rune without question or hesitation.

At the time, Priscilla was seven years old.

"I’m glad that you adored Rune. But has there ever been a time when you were upset with him? Even just once?"

"…"

Priscilla had been both surprised and delighted by her sudden new sibling, finding him utterly adorable from the start.

He was simply too lovable to hate.

But was there never a time she felt even a little jealous?

Watching her mother constantly following Rune, taking care of him, paying attention to him, and doting on him.

Could she truly say that she never felt a strange sense of unease?

"…I guess I did feel a bit like that."

"How so?"

Priscilla quietly looked up at her mother.

She didn't want to admit it, but she had no choice but to accept a certain kind of bitterness, akin to sorrow.

"I felt like… Mom was stolen away from me."

"I see."

Empress Harriet smiled faintly and gently stroked her daughter's head.

"Thank you for enduring it so well until now."

At the sudden praise, Priscilla's face turned red.

"…But what does that have to do with Amelia?"

How did her jealousy towards Rune have anything to do with Amelia? Priscilla pouted her lips, and Harriet carefully knelt down to be at eye level with Priscilla.

"You see, when the Holy Empress gave birth to Amelia, she was so busy with many tasks that she couldn't raise the child herself."

"…"

"So, for a while, I raised Amelia."

Only then did Priscilla understand what her mother was saying, and her eyes widened in realization.

As the Holy Empress of the Holy Empire, Olivia had far too many responsibilities.

Not only did she feel threatened for her own safety, but she also struggled to raise her child properly amidst her numerous duties.

That's why Amelia was raised not in the Holy Empire's central palace, but in the safest place—the imperial palace, by Harriet.

"So, in fact, Amelia has two mothers: the Holy Empress and me."

"…"

"When Amelia turned three years old, I became pregnant with you."

Harriet gently caressed Priscilla's cheek with a sad expression.

"After giving birth to you… the Holy Empress finally had some free time and took Amelia back to the Holy Empire."

As Harriet's expression turned sorrowful, recalling that time, Priscilla felt an indescribable heaviness.

"It's not your fault, but Amelia must have felt… that you had taken her mother from her.”

Olivia had longed to spend time with the daughter she couldn't raise herself.

After giving birth, Harriet couldn't bear to be apart from Priscilla.

However, from Amelia's perspective, she had suddenly been separated from the mother who had raised her.

That's why Amelia couldn't help but think that Priscilla had stolen her mother from her.

There had been a reason for Amelia's tormenting of Priscilla since the days she couldn't remember.

It wasn't Priscilla's fault, but Amelia couldn't help but resent her.

Amelia was young, and still quite immature.

She couldn't let go of that resentment.

"Then, why does call Mom a witch?"

"It's because she feels left out. It's not that she hates me... she just loves me too much."

If she did that, she would get attention.

Because she would be noticed.

Finally, Priscilla seemed to understand, at least to some extent, why Amelia had been sobbing in her mother's arms, pretending to hate her so much.

"So, don't take Amelia's words about Mom too seriously. Amelia doesn't hate Mom."

In the end, Priscilla discovered the reason Amelia stayed in the Spring Palace.

She couldn't help but find out why she didn't live in the Holy Empire, and why she stayed in the Spring Palace instead of the Temple dormitory.

She didn't want to be apart.

"I don't know, I want to get along, but she started it first, so I don't know what to do."

"..."

Just knowing the reason for hatred doesn't mean it can be resolved.

That's why Harriet could only smile sadly.

"And when Mom and the Holy Empress finally meet, you two always fight."

Priscilla's sharp observation made Harriet's expression contort with discomfort.

In reality.

Although they respected each other when apart, when they met, they still bickered constantly.

While it didn't go as far as the petty squabbles between Amelia and Priscilla, their relationship was similarly inherited.

"Is... is that so...?"

"Mom, are you telling us to get along when you can't even get along with each other?"

"I'll try to get along, too! Then it'll be fine...! And I want to get along, but the Holy Empress always acts like that! What can I do?"

"That's what I just said. But try to get along anyway."

"Ugh..."

"How are you going to get along with the Holy Empress? Do you know, Mom?"

Harriet's face turned beet red and began to tremble.

"Why don't you take after your father and not speak a word?!"

"What?!"

In the end, the mother, like her daughter, exploded with a bang.

At the same time.

Holy Empress Olivia sat side by side with her daughter in the Spring Palace's garden.

"Are you getting along well?"

"...Yes."

Amelia sat beside her mother, fidgeting restlessly. Olivia looked at her daughter, who couldn't sit still.

"Do you still fight these days?"

It was obvious who she was asking about.

"Well... She started it..."

"...Is that so?"

"..."

At the Holy Empress' questioning, which seemed to know everything, Amelia eventually bowed her head.

"Why do you hate Priscilla so much?"

"..."

Amelia couldn't answer.

But even without saying it, she already knew.

Why she hated her so much.

However, she couldn't blame her daughter, knowing that it was her own fault for not being able to be with her when she needed her most during her childhood.

In fact, after returning to the Holy Empire, Amelia cried every day.

She wanted to see her mother.

She wanted her mother to take her back.

And so, the Empress reluctantly had to bring Amelia to the Spring Palace from time to time.

When that happened, the same situation would unfold.

She didn't want to go back to the Holy Empire.

With a newborn Priscilla in her arms, Empress Harriet didn't know what to do, and Olivia couldn't help but be dismayed.

As they repeated these unwanted goodbyes, Amelia came to believe that Priscilla was the cause of everything.

She began to believe that none of this would have happened if it weren't for Priscilla.

"Priscilla is your family, too. Even if you can't cherish her, you shouldn't hurt her."

"... She's not my family."

"..."

"My father is the only connection we have. Why is she my family?"

"I see. So that's how you think..."

At Amelia's words, Olivia gave a bitter smile.

She didn't even consider Priscilla her family.

No, she was envious of Priscilla.

Because Priscilla was the true daughter of the Archmage.

That's what she envied.

'Is it because I'm not your real daughter? So now that you have a real daughter, you don't like me?'

'It's not like that, Amelia... It's not... I'm sorry. I'm sorry... But if you act like this... If I act like this... I will be sad... Amelia...'

Olivia had seen her crying in Harriet's arms, shouting these words from afar.

As she cried and didn't know what to do, Olivia could only watch from a distance.

And still.

Amelia did not call Olivia "Mother."

It was as if the word just wouldn't stick to her tongue.

When she finally managed to utter it, her own face would contort with discomfort.

Having spent such crucial time apart, there was a part of Olivia that she couldn't make up for.

And so, both mother and daughter found each other difficult.

They didn't want this, but it happened.

That's why, when her daughter said she wanted to go to the Temple and live in the Imperial Capital, Olivia reluctantly agreed.

Knowing that Amelia's true desire was to stay in the Spring Palace, not to go to the temple.

Still, now that they knew why things had turned out this way, Amelia also felt guilt and remorse towards Olivia.

That's why Amelia froze like this whenever Olivia came to visit.

Their relationship was filled with nothing but guilt and remorse for each other.

Olivia didn't scold or blame Amelia.

Olivia stared at her stiff daughter's face and gave a sad smile.

"Actually, even if you had always been with me in the Holy Empire, I don't think things would have been any better than they are now."

"...What?"

"Just... that's what I think."

Olivia looked up at the sky quietly.

Due to circumstances, Olivia had no choice but to leave her daughter in Harriet's care.

But would everything have been fine if she hadn't?

Olivia sometimes thought about it, but now she was more pessimistic.

"Do you know that the Archmage is from the noble family of the Duchy of Saint Owan?"

"Ah... yes. I heard she was from a famous noble family..."

"And what about your mother's background?"

"..."

Amelia couldn't answer her mother's question.

It wasn't that she didn't know.

She just couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

“You know, I, your Mom was an orphan.”

“…”

“I was adopted by a foster father when I was young, but he wasn't a good person. He was someone who tried to accomplish something great by using me. I always had to live up to his expectations. I always had to be kind, gentle, and exceptional.”

“…”

“It felt like… I was living a life that was forced upon me without reason.”

Amelia didn't understand why her mother was telling her this story.

“So, I don't really know what a warm family is like or the proper behavior parents should have towards their children.”

Somehow, Olivia smiled like an innocent child.

“So, even if you had spent your childhood with me, there's no guarantee that it would have been better. I might have treated you terribly or failed to do the things I should have. You might have hated me even more than you do now.”

“I... I don't... hate you, Your Highness...”

“Really? That's a relief. Maybe we managed this much because we lived apart?”

Hehe.

Olivia laughed mischievously.

Without realizing it, Amelia's mind wandered as she looked at her mother's face.

She was the most difficult person in the world, but Amelia often thought her mother was also the most beautiful.

“Anyway, unlike me, an orphan, the Archmage was the youngest daughter of a great and noble family.”

“A good father, a kind mother.”

“And she had three older brothers who adored her.”

“So, I heard she used to be a very arrogant, ill-mannered, and haughty child...”

“Well, she eventually learned, you see.”

“What good parents are.”

“How good parents should behave, what a good mother is, you know.”

“I tried studying and learning about it, but I could never truly understand. But she knows.”

“So, she, the Archmage was probably a much better mother than me.”

“That's why you cried and wailed for days, wanting to go back to her.”

At Olivia's sad words, tears welled up in Amelia's eyes.

“I'm sorry...”

Amelia knew her mother hadn't done anything wrong.

That's why, looking back on her own words and actions, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

“No, it's because the Archmage cared for you and loved you so much. I'm grateful for that. Why would I resent her, or you?”

“Did you think you were the only one crying?”

“She cried a lot, too.”

“She said it felt like she was forcibly taking someone else's daughter away, watching her cry.”

“Anyway, that much...”

“She must have loved you like her own daughter.”

“She's a very grateful person.”

“How much did she cherish you that my own daughter treated her real mother worse than a stranger? Huh?”

At the teasing words, Amelia finally began to shed tears.

If I had raised her from the beginning...

She had thought about it countless times, but now it seemed ridiculous.

Not even knowing what a good parent was, if she had raised Amelia herself, things might have turned out even worse.

That's what she had come to think.

“I'm sorry. I... I was wrong...”

As Amelia began to cry, realizing that she was causing her mother the greatest pain, Olivia silently watched her daughter.

At the point of feeling apologetic, she already knew what had gone wrong.

Olivia knew that was enough.

While talking about someone's tears,

more than you cried,

more than Archmage cried,

she wouldn't say that she cried the most.

In places where no one could see, she cried alone.

Because such words would not make anyone happy.

"I'm not scolding you, Amelia."

"..."

"I don't want to say I'm hurt either. I mean, I haven't exactly been great to you either."

Olivia looked up at the sky.

"Do you appreciate Archmage?"

"..."

"You should."

"I do... appreciate her..."

Despite her almost tantrum-like remarks and even betraying her by calling her a witch, Harriet couldn't do anything but smile awkwardly and sadly.

On the days when Amelia would explode, she would, without Priscilla’s knowledge, secretly come to her at night and stroke her hair until she fell asleep.

But it wasn't enough.

And it was still sad.

Amelia had never been sincerely scolded or reprimanded for her constant tantrums and making life difficult for her own daughter.

She knew she should be grateful for that alone.

It's just that it hadn't been expressed in actions and words.

"Archmage loved you like that, even though you're not her real daughter, right?"

"...Yes."

"She loved you, who's not even her family, that much."

If Priscilla, who only shared a father with her, wasn't family, then naturally, Harriet and Amelia weren't family either.

She wasn't her real mother either.

Yet, she loved her like a real daughter.

"So, Amelia."

"...?"

"You have to return the love you received to Priscilla."

Because she received that kind of love.

Instead of trying to repay Archmage for her love, loving Archmage's daughter as a real sister was the repayment.

"Then, she will love you even more than she does now."

"..."

She would love her even more.

She would smile not because she was thankful and happy, but because she was really happy, and so she would love her even more.

However, in the end, it was the Holy Empress herself who spoke the sad words.

While hiding her own feelings, Olivia playfully smiled and patted her daughter's head.

"I'm not asking you to love me, but if you want the love of the woman you consider your mother, will you refuse my request?"

At Olivia's mischievous and sorrowful question, Amelia finally wiped the corners of her eyes.

It wasn't a demand to love her.

If you want the love of the person you consider your mother, you must do as she says.

In the end, Amelia knew too.

Even though they hadn't spent much time together, her mother truly loved her very much.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'll do as you say..."

So, Amelia forced her trembling lips to move and speak.

"I'll... I'll do as you say, Mother."

At those words, Olivia smiled brightly as if satisfied.

"Good, that's my daughter."

"..."

Olivia carefully embraced Amelia.

"But."

"You know."

"If we don't kill off the temper now, it might crawl back later."

"Just like someone."

"So, don't let your guard down too much."

"Because she's your sister."

"You have to treat your sister properly, right?"

At the Holy Empress's words, which were spoken with a playful laugh, Amelia couldn't help but feel taken aback.

"Yes...?"

"Be affectionate most of the time, but if she's acting up, scold her. You must establish a clear hierarchy."

It was impossible to tell whether she was saying to scold or not to scold.

"Understood?"

"Uh, yes..."

She knew that she herself was a bit strange.

But Amelia couldn't help but think that her mother was truly an odd person.

[One more chapter...]