Chapter 102

“Prince Siphiel.”

 

It was Siphiel, who had stepped away saying he was going to get some food. He seemed to have sensed the commotion after seeing the crowd gathered near the terrace doors and rushed over.

 

“Are you alright, Vice-Head Leader Lilithia?”

 

Siphiel’s gaze fell upon my captured wrist. His eyes darkened with an ominous intensity for a split second before the expression vanished. He turned back to me with a look of deep concern.

 

“It would be best for you to head inside and be treated by a healer immediately.”

 

Treating the cloaked man as if he were a mere ghost, Siphiel took hold of my wrist and tried to lead me back into the banquet hall. However, his movement was cut short by a cold, displeased voice.

 

“Let go of that hand.”

 

Siphiel’s brow furrowed sharply. In that moment, a golden gaze and a brown gaze collided in mid-air, sparking an invisible, violent friction. And I was the one caught in the crossfire of their confrontation.

 

“Ugh…”

 

My wrist, already swollen from the drunkard’s grip, was now being pulled between Siphiel and the cloaked man. The renewed pain forced a groan from my lips.

 

Instantly, the hands gripping my arms vanished.

 

“Go to a healer this instant.”

 

“Let us go get you treated, Vice-Head Leader Lilithia.”

 

Both the cloaked man and Siphiel stepped toward me, their voices laced with worry. Their attention was pinned on me in a way that felt like being asked to choose between a mother and a father. Their exchange was rapidly moving beyond my understanding.

 

Siphiel glanced sideways at the cloaked man and asked, “Is this someone you know?”

 

“I don’t actually know him, but…”

 

“A stranger…?”

 

As I hesitated and stepped back, Siphiel moved to block me from the man.

 

“Then it seems a stranger was acting quite insolently.”

 

“If you don’t know me, it would be best for you to stay out of this.”

 

‘But why are these two fighting…?’

 

The sharp tone of their voices made it feel as though a fierce battle was about to erupt. Clutching my aching wrist and darting my eyes between them, I met Siphiel’s gaze.

 

“Vice-Head Leader Lilithia. Does your wrist hurt?”

 

“A third party should step back,” the man interjected.

 

“The ‘third party’ seems to be the unidentified individual here, not me,” Siphiel countered.

 

Escaping this situation was my first priority.

 

“Prince Siphiel. Could I ask you to escort me to the healer?”

 

“Of course.”

 

The corners of Siphiel’s mouth curled up in a triumphant smirk. The cloaked man knit his brows in frustration. Taking Siphiel’s offered hand cautiously, I followed him.

 

Choosing Siphiel was the “correct” answer in this scenario. In the vast, uncertain ocean of the royal court, the only person I could rely on was Siphiel, whom I already knew.

 

And yet, why did my footsteps feel so heavy? Instead of following Siphiel, a sudden, surging desire to stay by the side of that cloaked man bloomed within me.

 

It was strange. He was a stranger. So why did he remind me of Freyer so much?

 

His hair color was different, his eye color was different. Was I simply missing Freyer so much that I was seeing him in others?

 

“This way.”

 

At Siphiel’s call, I dragged my heavy feet forward. As he led me toward the resting area, he gestured toward the terrace to the knights stationed in front of the banquet hall.

 

“There is an uninvited guest over there. See to it.”

 

“We will handle it immediately, Your Highness.”

 

“And call a healer to the lounge.”

 

The knights glanced at me clutching my wrist, gave their affirmation, and hurried off. I followed Siphiel into the lounge.

 

 

***

 

 

Not long after we arrived at the lounge, a healer appeared. They applied a cold ointment to the swelling and wrapped it in a bandage.

 

“It’s just light swelling. You should be fine by tomorrow.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

The healer left shortly after. I stared at my bandaged hand, then stole glances out the window.

 

‘It wasn’t Freyer.’

 

A corner of my heart felt uneasy and strange, and a flood of thoughts rushed in. The shadowed face hidden beneath the cloak remained in my mind like a lingering knot.

 

“Is he on your mind?”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“The man from earlier. You seem concerned about him.”

 

Was it concern? Or was it a need to confirm? I was still holding onto a sliver of hope that, somehow, it might have been him.

 

“I think you might be mistaken, Prince Siphiel. That man was the one who rescued me.”

 

I tried to correct him, thinking he viewed the cloaked man as a harasser, but Siphiel’s response left me looking bewildered.

 

“I know.”

 

“You knew…?”

 

I couldn’t fathom his intentions as a faint smile played on his lips. When doubt clouded my face, Siphiel let out a small, soft laugh.

 

“It would be wise for you to remain vigilant. Many people come and go within the palace—especially during banquets like this.”

 

“Vigilant? Why would I—”

 

A door swinging open with a bang and a shrill voice cut my thoughts short.

 

“Lilithia!”

 

Scarlet, her face flushed with irritation, rushed toward me. She checked my body for injuries and then grabbed my shoulders, shaking me.

 

“Are you hurt anywhere? Are you really okay?”

 

“I-I’m fine.”

 

“Your voice is so tiny! You must have been terrified! Which bastard did this to my sister? I’ll kill them!”

 

Actually, more than being terrified… I was about to get dizzy from how hard she was shaking me.

 

“Sister, that’s enough.”

 

Siphiel reached out and stopped Scarlet’s movements. Only then did she pull her hands away and glare at him.

 

“I told you to look after Lilithia properly.”

 

“It was unavoidable.”

 

Scarlet’s eyes flared like fire as she clicked her tongue.

 

“To be the Knight Commander and fail such a simple task.”

 

‘Task…?’

 

I looked back and forth between Scarlet and Siphiel, confused, unable to find the point of their conversation.

 

“Wait a second.”

 

I craned my neck to ask a question, but Scarlet ignored me, crossing her arms and looking at Siphiel with disapproval.

 

“I knew I should have kept her by my side.”

 

“That would have only created more rumors. People would say she’s a hidden princess.”

 

‘Excuse me. Could someone tell me what’s going on?’

 

I was a total ghost in their conversation.

 

“Perhaps it would have been better for those rumors to exist.”

 

“That is only your opinion, Sister.”

 

“Siphiel. Are you talking back to me now? You’re not usually like this.”

 

For some reason, Siphiel didn’t answer. A heavy silence followed as Scarlet raised her eyebrows in a stern expression. I raised my hand high to mediate the situation.

 

“Hold on! Please explain to me…”

 

“She called you her ‘sworn sister,’ didn’t she?” Siphiel finally spoke.

 

Sworn sister. That was the title added when I entered the banquet hall with Scarlet.

 

“A lot of eyes were on you, Vice-Head Leader. Even more so because of how my sister treated you.”

 

The young noble ladies I had met in the kingdom all said the same thing: they wanted to be someone who caught the Princess’s eye, and they certainly didn’t want to fall out of her favor.

 

I had brushed it off lightly at the time, but apparently, being named Scarlet’s “sworn sister” meant I was the subject of endless scrutiny.

 

“Among those watching, there were those with positive intentions, and those with negative ones.”

 

“That’s why I asked Siphiel to guard you,” Scarlet added.

 

“Staying by your side was, in a way, part of that protection.”

 

The word “guard” bounced around in my head. Siphiel, who had approached me while I was picking out food… he said that even when he “left” to get more food, he hadn’t actually left; he had stayed nearby while I was distracted by the buffet.

 

“But what were you doing while this disaster was happening?”

 

“When the Vice-Head Leader went out to the terrace, I was swarmed by noble ladies.”

 

“You should have pushed them aside and gone to Lilithia.”

 

“I tried.”

 

I sat there as they argued over me. If the title of “sworn sister” hadn’t been used, this mess wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

 

I was staying at the palace to repay Scarlet for her kindness, but a tangle of unspoken words and frustrations floated through my mind.

 

I didn’t want to listen to this dizzying conversation anymore. The repulsive sensation of that man’s finger on the back of my hand crawled back, making my head throb. Even though there was nothing there now.

 

When I frowned, Scarlet asked, “Lilithia, are you in pain?”

 

“I think I’m just a bit shaken up.”

 

“I see. Lilithia, the banquet isn’t just today. Go inside and get some rest.”

 

The Princess’s birthday celebration lasted for two days, with the main events occurring on the final day. The first day was a light ball, but the last day featured a masquerade to officially celebrate her birth.

 

In my heart, I wanted to flee the palace right that second, but I tried my best not to show it as I left the room.

 

Rest. I needed rest.

 

As if escaping, I climbed into bed and curled into a ball, hugging myself. It felt like a fog had settled over my brain. Perhaps it was the stress, but my chest felt a strange, dull ache.

 

‘I want to see Freyer.’

 

He said his business in the Kingdom of Oneren would take a long time. I felt like if I could just hold his hand, all this knotted stress would simply melt away.