The Young Princess's Troubles

Leonora had been very troubled lately.

It was not a trouble of daily life. As a princess of the Radiant Empire, while her lifestyle might not be called extravagantly luxurious, it certainly surpassed that of the vast majority. The academy had assigned her the best room in Silverwing Hall, her three daily meals were prepared with specially supplied fresh ingredients, and even her school uniforms were made of fabric that was a few degrees softer than everyone else's.

Nor was it a social trouble. Although everyone had kept a respectful distance when she first enrolled, she had now made friends like Irene, Lorraine, and Celine—friends who did not pay excessive heed to her status as a princess. The four of them practiced magic together, ate lunch together, and occasionally gathered in the small parlor of Silverwing Hall after classes to chat until late into the night. Her days were much livelier than they had been in the imperial palace.

Our young princess was troubled because of a specific person.

In a corner by the window on the third floor of the library, Leonora had a copy of Chronicles of the Radiant Empire spread out in front of her. She had been staring at the same page for nearly half an hour without taking in a single word. Her gaze drifted over the top of the book, landing on the person sitting at another table not far away.

Erich was looking down, flipping through a thick magic book and occasionally jotting something down on paper. The afternoon sun made his silver hair gleam brightly.

Leonora was almost certain that Erich was the one who had brought her out of the Abyss, the one who had guided her through the mine shafts, and the one who had fought to the death for her at the Return Platform—her knight.

Lately, Leonora had been asking Irene about Erich every day—what he liked to eat, who he usually hung out with, what spells he was learning. At first, Irene had answered honestly, but later, perhaps sensing something, her answers became vague. Eventually, she simply showed a troubled expression whenever asked.

But this was exactly the effect Leonora wanted. She knew Irene would definitely tell Erich about these inquiries. In fact, she had seen Irene rushing toward the Morningstar Class F classroom after class several times. Irene was indeed her friend, but she was Erich's friend first and foremost. Any information Leonora pried out of her would undoubtedly reach Erich's ears word for word.

This was the young princess's plan: to let Erich know that she had recognized him.

So, come find her already.

She hoped and waited, day after day.

But why? Why hadn't Erich come to find her yet?

Leonora gripped the pen in her hand tightly.

She had recently figured out the basic trajectory of Erich's daily routine. He skipped his morning theory classes nine times out of ten, either sleeping in or coming straight to the library to claim a seat. After lunch, he would return to his dormitory for a nap. Once awake, he would either head back to the library or go to the training grounds to practice magic. His nights were the most absurd—he actually went to the academy's graveyard and stayed there until dawn with an old gentleman.

As for how the young princess knew all this so clearly?

It certainly couldn't be because she had stalked him for an entire week.

Cough, anyway, that wasn't the point. The point was that Leonora was certain Erich already knew from Irene that she was asking about him. Wouldn't a normal person show some sort of reaction upon hearing that a princess of the empire was inquiring about them?

Yet, he showed no reaction at all, acting as if nothing had happened.

Every day, he still skipped classes when he should, read books when he should, and went to the graveyard when he should. On the rare occasions they passed each other in the corridor, he even managed to keep his eyes straight ahead, not sparing her so much as a single glance.

She was the only one left here, worrying herself to death in vain.

Leonora lowered her head and drew on the parchment in front of her. It was a sketch of a youth's face—flowing long hair, a sharp jawline, and eyes that always carried a hint of laziness. After the young princess's subjective beautification, the Erich on the paper was ridiculously handsome, looking like a character who had stepped right off the cover of some knight novel.

As she drew, Leonora couldn't help but sigh again.

Did he save her in the Abyss just in passing? Were all those shared experiences so insignificant to him?

No, no, no, definitely not.

Then, was it because she had put a bounty on him a while ago, and he minded? Leonora admitted that she had initially put a bounty on him, but there was a reason for that. After all, Erich Edmond was such a bastard, and she had only done it in a fit of anger...

But she didn't know it was him back then!

She could explain. She could apologize, make amends, and she had already withdrawn all the bounty orders long ago.

Or was it because he didn't want to get into trouble?

After all, she was a princess being hunted. The empire was unstable, her royal father's health was deteriorating by the day, and those coveting the throne had long begun their covert moves. As one of the royal bloodlines, danger was never absent from her side. Perhaps Erich was afraid of being targeted if he drew too close to her?

No, no, no, that definitely wasn't the reason. If Erich were that kind of person, he wouldn't have saved her in the first place. When facing those black-clothed men in the Abyss, he had a hundred opportunities to abandon her and flee for his life, yet he hadn't.

Then... was it because of Sister Isa's death?

Leonora's pen paused on the paper. A drop of ink bled outward, landing precisely beneath the eye of Erich's portrait, resembling a tear.

But she hadn't wanted Sister Isa to die either. If possible, she would rather have been the one to die. No, she would rather everyone be alive, returning happily to Radiant City. Once the storm of the Edmond family exiling Erich blew over, she could have officially dubbed Erich as her knight, and Sister Isa could have been her personal guard. The three of them...

What would the three of them have been like? Leonora didn't know either. She just felt that if that were the case, everything would be different.

But Sister Isa was dead, and her knight was alive, yet refused to recognize her.

Leonora recalled her years in the imperial palace. She was a princess, never lacking servants, but those she could truly talk to were few and far between. Her imperial mother was one. Her royal father was busy with state affairs year-round, and her siblings plotted and fought among themselves for the throne; none of them had time for a young girl. Yet, her brief time spent with Isa in the Abyss had given the young princess the most selfless warmth from a peer that she had never felt before.

But now, one was dead, and the other, though clearly close at hand, felt as distant as the ends of the earth.

The young princess, who had grown up in the palace with few friends, sat in the corner of the library, feeling more and more aggrieved the more she thought about it.

Sister Isa was dead. Didn't she only have him left? He clearly knew. He had seen everything—her pathetic state, her terror, her crying without any semblance of dignity. He had seen her at her absolute worst, yet still chose to protect her. How could someone like that just walk away, acting as if they didn't even know each other?

Tears welled up unconsciously, blurring her vision.

A tear fell onto the paper, splashing right onto the corner of the mouth of Erich's portrait. On that face, which the young princess had drawn far too handsomely, the smile was smudged by the tear, making it look as though he were crying too.

Leonora clumsily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, then slumped onto the table, burying her face in her arms.