Chapter 2 — The State of the World
Chapter 2 — The State of the World
Translation: Godtl
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty."
Lelia, getting to eat proper food for the first time, nodded at whatever the Emperor said.
Though the Crown Prince would sometimes come and kick and beat her, she endured the pain in silence.
The Emperor even had someone cut her hair short. Just like the Crown Prince. Still, Lelia didn't care.
'As long as I can eat proper food, what does it matter?'
And so Lelia came to the neutral zone, disguising her identity as the Crown Prince's substitute.
Perhaps thanks to the marking on her palm, none of the priests suspected that Lelia was not the Crown Prince.
And they would suspect even less that she was a girl.
On the surface, she pretended to be ten years old—Crown Prince Leo's age—but in reality, Lelia was still seven.
Since it was not yet time for secondary sexual characteristics to appear, it wasn't a problem.
Fortunately, the Temple was being as considerate as possible toward the imperial family. Moreover, Lelia's current status was no mere imperial, but the Crown Prince himself.
Lelia was able to use a large, luxurious private room complete with a shower.
Even so, the Emperor, concerned about potential dangers, tried to send a knight disguised as a maidservant with her, but that was impossible.
The Temple blocked it. The Temple's position was this:
"The Five Empires have entrusted us with their precious future leaders, trusting in the Temple. We will educate them to become as independent and exemplary adults as possible. Therefore, we cannot accept servants to attend to them."
In short, they meant to let them learn to take care of themselves.
Still, while there were no servants constantly attending at their side, lesser priests and servants working at the Temple handled most matters.
The Emperor felt anxious about not being able to send a separate servant.
'Damn it... What if they discover that child is a girl? The Temple, those damned bastards.'
However, since he could not reveal his hidden motives, he couldn't press the matter further.
But one needed insurance.
The Emperor placed a binding spell on Lelia through the imperial mage.
It was safe to assume the child's identity would not be exposed by others.
'No one would dare peek at the Crown Prince's naked body.'
What if an assassin appeared and killed the child, revealing she was a girl?
'That would actually be fortunate.'
His son would live, and the Temple wouldn't dare protest. They wouldn't be able to escape responsibility for failing to maintain security, so raising the issue would only hurt themselves.
The problem was Lelia's mouth.
He had to prevent young Lelia from verbally revealing her identity or writing it down.
So the Emperor used the binding spell.
"Bastard..."
Lelia bit her lip as she recalled the face of Emperor Lydios, who had sent her here.
If she herself revealed her identity and violated the binding spell's constraint, she would...
'Die vomiting blood.'
The binding spell was typically a fearsome magic used on spies entrusted with important missions, but the Emperor paid that no mind.
And so, a seven-year-old girl came to bear a terrible secret that was no different from a curse, arriving at this Holy Neutral Zone—the Kreuz Sanctuary.
Lelia washed up and changed into priest's robes.
While staying at the temple, young royals and nobles from various countries all wore these white robes.
Many children were dissatisfied with this, but Lelia was actually satisfied.
The fabric was far better than the old rags she used to wear.
'How did I live here in the original work again...?'
In the original work, Lelia had also come here in the crown prince's stead.
But the details weren't really mentioned. Because the original female lead and male lead didn't come here.
In short, this wasn't the main stage for the protagonists. So she couldn't know the hidden stories that didn't appear in the original work.
In the original work, this place's story was mentioned in a slightly different way.
'Later, the original male lead hears stories about this time from his expedition comrades.'
They were key supporting characters in the novel and the main heroes who defeated the Mad Dragon. In other words, men who would fall deeply for the original female lead.
They were staying right now at the temple in the neutral zone where Lelia was residing.
In the original work, the male lead who joined the expedition late hears about what happened in this neutral zone.
Did her story ever come up in those conversations?
'Not at all.'
Lelia was a consumable character in this novel. A minor character with a very unfortunate fate.
She absolutely couldn't die like that.
Lelia chewed her lips as she worried.
'First, live well here for 3 years... And after returning to my home country, I'll be careful not to die.'
She'd avoid every single pond, and if possible, just don't walk around at all!
'Dying from slipping? I'm not an idiot, seriously...'
It was rather fortunate. How terrible would it be to be assassinated by someone?
'I do get involved with the original female lead... but I can just avoid that much.'
Lelia organized her thoughts and left her room, heading to the dining hall.
It was right around mealtime.
'Come to think of it, I'm starving to death.'
The royals and nobles gathered here lived like young priests. Though their living standards were completely different given their precious status.
When she went to the front of the dining hall, servants working at the temple opened the doors for her.
Inside, dozens of large wooden tables were placed. Lelia went to an empty seat and sat down.
Soon servants brought and set up the meal.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Just as she was about to start eating. At the clear voice coming from beside her, Lelia turned her head.
"......"
It was a pretty boy with blonde hair. He was sitting next to Lelia, smiling brightly.
"Looks like you've come to your senses?"
"...Uh, yeah."
"Did you know? I'm the one who saved you from nearly drowning after falling in the water."
"...Uh, um. Thank you."
Lelia smiled awkwardly. Despite being only ten years old, that child boasted incredible beauty.
'But his mouth is a bit foul.'
Anyway, he wasn't someone she wanted to get close to. Because this kid was also a key character in the original work.
"Is that all you have to say for thanks?"
"......"
'But was his personality originally like this?'
This kid's name was Romeo Roseberry. He was a prince of the Roseberry Empire.
In the original work, after returning from the Mad Dragon subjugation, he was one of the typical fish in the pond who fell in love at first sight upon seeing the female lead.
'He had an incredibly affectionate and dignified personality though...?'
Lelia just blinked and looked at him.
"Don't just stare, say something. Is your mouth sealed shut?"
Affectionate... dignified...?
'Doesn't seem like it at all...'
"...Really, thank you."
Lelia greeted him halfheartedly.
"Wow. Thank you? That's it? You're the crown prince, right? But it ends with just 'thank you'?"
"...Is there something you want from me?"
"Of course. Later during prayer time, the priests will look for me, so tell them I went to your room to hang out and fell asleep. Also add that they shouldn't wake me up."
"......"
"You're a model student who pretends to be well-behaved, and you're even a crown prince, so they'll believe what you say. How about it?"
"I understand."
"We communicate quite well."
Romeo grinned and started the meal the servant brought.
At least his eating manner looked dignified.
'Though his personality seems completely different.'
The children gathered here were mostly similar in age. Children around nine to eleven years old.
Of course, she was seven pretending to be ten, but there were bound to be children with slow growth rates no matter how well they ate.
Fortunately, there were quite a few children here who were as small as her.
Moreover, Lelia's official identity, Crown Prince Leo, had an image of being sickly from childhood, so no one doubted her.
'I should eat well while I'm here.'
The best thing about coming here was the food.
If she returned to her home country, it was obvious she wouldn't be able to eat properly.
According to the novel's progression, the emperor would change again soon after she returned to her home country, but Lelia's situation remained the same.
Just then, Romeo spoke to her again.
"Do you also have a mark on your palm?"
"...Yes."
The children here forgot their status from their home countries and all lived like friends. Of course, it was forced by the temple.
Fighting was forbidden, and they had to speak informally to each other.
The priests knew well how children could quickly become friends.
Eating together, running around, playing various games.
If caught fighting, they had to pray for a whole day, so the children tried to get along with each other as much as possible.
Since they were basically children who learned good manners well, there were no major troubles.
'But why is this kid so aggressive?'
His way of speaking was just too....
"I'm curious about Auraria's mark, can you show me?"
"...Sure."
Lelia opened her palm and showed the mark. Romeo compared it with his own palm mark and seemed interested.
Just then, the dining hall entrance became noisy.
As one child entered, the gazes of children sitting at some tables turned that way.
Romeo also looked there and muttered.
"I hate that bastard."
"...Why?"
The person Romeo was talking about was someone Lelia also knew. The youngest prince of the Nikea Empire, Griffith Nikea.
He was one of the main characters of the expedition that defeated the Mad Dragon and would become the strongest holy knight in history.
'Also one of the female lead's fish in the pond.'
She had talked to him before, and he was cool-mannered but calm and proper.
Moreover, despite being young, he was very handsome and naturally captured the children's attention.
"And I hate that one too. He's pathetic and looks like an idiot."
Romeo pointed to one side with his chin.
A very small child with silver hair was slowly eating his meal.
'That's Oscar Hraesvelg!'
Silver hair and red eyes. She couldn't possibly not recognize him. Seeing that tiny child anew, wonder washed over her.
'He appears as an incredible guy in the original work... so this is what his childhood was like.'
He looked incredibly frail now, but he was destined to become an emperor called a psychopath by readers later.
'He's ten but smaller than me? That's somewhat fortunate.'
Lelia felt relieved even in this situation.
"That one too."
Lelia followed Romeo's gaze once more. It was a boy with dark skin and rebellious eyes.
Even at a glance, his personality looked nasty.
'Kalix Ascard.'
The nephew of the Ascard Empire's emperor.
And after subjugating the Mad Dragon, the one who would make the greatest sacrifice.
The ones Romeo said he hated were all key figures in the Mad Dragon expedition and would become the original female lead's fish.
'What's with this kid? Is he recognizing the competitors surrounding the female protagonist in advance...?'
Lelia looked at Romeo with a halfhearted expression.
'If I told you that those guys you say you hate... will later become your most precious expedition comrades, would you believe me?'
He probably wouldn't believe it at all. Rather, there was a high possibility he'd grab her by the collar and tell her to stop spouting nonsense.
Lelia shook her head internally. It was none of her business anyway.
The Mad Dragon subjugation would end safely, and at least these four wouldn't lose their lives.
They were guys who had nothing to do with her.
'Actually, compared to the original male lead, these kids aren't inferior at all...'
However, the original male lead had a special buff.
The fact that he knew the original female lead from childhood!
The female lead eagerly waits for the male lead to return from the Mad Dragon expedition. And after the male lead returns, after various misunderstandings, they confirm their feelings and share sweet love. And...
'Watching those two, the female lead's dad and older brothers get jealous.'
That's right. The original novel was a 'family affection' story where the female lead receives infinite love from her stepdad and stepbrothers and heals.
And the setting of that novel was none other than Lelia's home country, the Auraria Empire.