CHAPTER 495: IF STORY - THE INITIAL DRAFT (3)

0% “Princess! Happy 15th birthday~!”

“They say puberty usually starts around fifteen...”

“Hey, there are some things you shouldn’t say in front of Her Highness!”

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and before she knew it, Clana’s fifteenth birthday had arrived.

“...T-Thank you.”

Surrounded by maids, Clana found herself receiving an unexpected birthday celebration.

“Ta-da! We prepared a cake just for you, Princess! It was made by the empire’s finest baker, so the taste is guaranteed!”

“We also prepared lots of steak, since we know you love it!”

For the first time in her life, a feast was laid out before her, covering the entire table.

“Th-This much... Am I really supposed to eat all of this?”

“Pardon?”

“W-What if there are leftovers...?”

Looking nervously at the abundant food, Clana asked hesitantly.

“If there are leftovers, then... there are leftovers?”

“It’s supposed to have leftovers! Even as a princess, if you ate all of this, it’d be a disaster!”

“And besides, it’s actually good for us if there are leftovers because we usually—mmph!”

Before the clueless new maid could finish speaking, the other maids quickly covered her mouth and smiled.

“So please, eat as much as you like. Don’t worry about anything else.”

“That’s right! It’s a day that only comes once a year, after all.”

For the maids, it was a simple act of kindness.

But for Clana, sitting at the table with a birthday hat on, it meant so much more.

“...”

“Princess?”

There was no longer anyone who would beat her for leaving food on her plate.

And that wasn’t all.

Her meals now consisted of tender steak and warm soup instead of rock-hard bread that was impossible to eat even when soaked in water.

Gone were the dull, colorless garments she used to wear—her wardrobe was now filled with beautiful dresses.

Though she still had to keep her identity hidden, there was no one keeping her locked inside her room anymore.

“...Hngh.”

“”...!?!?””

But that wasn’t the biggest change.

More than anything, Clana had found allies.

The tutors Frey had assigned to her weren’t just ordinary teachers—they were seasoned experts in high society.

And she even ventured outside in disguise and made friends.

And when she revealed her true status, she unknowingly started forming her own faction.

Most importantly, she now had maids who were wholly devoted to her and a black-haired butler who, despite being impossible to read, always made sure she had everything she needed.

Her life had turned 180 degrees from what it had been just a year ago.

“Ugh...”

As all these thoughts surfaced, Clana’s delicate hands, which held her knife and fork, trembled.

- Drip...

A single teardrop, round like a pearl, fell from her eye.

“P-Princess? What’s wrong all of a sudden?!”

“You! It’s your fault! You said something unnecessary—!”

“I-I’m so sorry, Princess! I-I won’t eat any of the leftovers, so please calm down—!”

As the maids panicked and flailed about, the new maid who had been blamed hurriedly knelt down in apology.

“...I’m sorry.”

But before she could fully kneel, Clana spoke first.

“The steak... it’s just so delicious. I couldn’t help myself.”

“”...””

Tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she spoke, while the warm morning sunlight streamed in, illuminating her.

“...The princess looks really beautiful right now.”

“Yeah...”

For the first time since her mother passed away, Clana smiled.

That smile, blending with the golden rays of sunlight, created an almost mystical atmosphere.

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“Ummm, is he here...?”

A few hours later.

“He seems to be quite busy these days...”

Standing in front of Frey’s door, Clana hesitated, clutching a letter in her hands, her footsteps timid as she paced.

“Today, I must thank him properly.”

In truth, despite spending a whole year as Frey’s wife, Clana had not grown close to him.

Even though he had invoked the Oath to secure their marriage, the time they actually spent together was minimal.

At first, she hadn’t thought much of it.

But over time, she realized—

He was deliberately avoiding her.

“...But what if I go in and get hit for no reason?”

Determined to finally speak with Frey today and have an honest conversation, she couldn’t shake the lingering fear she felt toward him.

Over the past year, Frey’s notoriety had only grown.

Now, nearly everyone despised him, and he made no effort to conceal his reckless, mad behavior.

“Do not act recklessly.”

“...”

“If you act alone and ruin things...”

“Hic.”

“You’d better be prepared for the consequences.”

Most of all, she could never forget the cold voice that had whispered into her ear the first day she had wandered around the mansion.

His hands had wrapped around her throat.

If he had decided to squeeze and snap her neck at that moment, no one would have stopped him. It wouldn’t have even been considered a problem.

“...Ugh.”

Unsure of what to make of Frey, Clana continued pacing in front of his door, caught in her own thoughts.

“Are you out of your mind!?”

“...Eek!”

A furious scream suddenly erupted from behind Frey’s door, making Clana flinch.

“A duke of the Empire, secretly collaborating with an enemy nation!?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Because of you, things have spiraled out of control! A war is going to break out soon!”

Clana, frozen in place, felt a cold sweat trickle down her back at the sheer gravity of the conversation.

“Do you even realize how devastating this war will be!? Do you understand the impact on an already crumbling Empire!? Do you know how many innocent people will die!?”

“Serena.”

A loud thud followed, the sound of bodies clashing.

“Let me go!!”

“Do you have any proof that I did it?”

“You’re the only one who could’ve—!”

“Do you have a single piece of evidence? Not just speculation, but actual proof.”

Frey’s voice was devoid of any emotion, and in the silence that followed, it was clear she had no response.

“Not yet... but I will find it.”

“Watching you hurl baseless accusations purely out of emotion makes me glad I broke off our engagement.”

“You...!”

With that, the tense standoff fell into a lull.

“Leave. Just looking at you gives me a headache.”

“Mark my words, Frey...”

With a voice laced with venom, Serena yanked her arm free from Frey’s grip and stormed toward the door.

“I will use every ounce of my ability and power to stop you.”

“Not the kind of joke I’d expect from the leader of the Empire’s shadow.”

“Shut up. I’m not joking.”

Standing at the threshold, Serena cast a contemptuous glare at Frey, as if looking at filth, before pushing the door open to leave.

“... It’s already begun, whether you realize it or not.”

“Ack!”

“...?”

At that moment, her gaze met Clana’s.

“....”

A suffocating silence settled between them.

“You are...”

- Dash!

Serena seemed about to ask a question, but before she could get the words out, Clana bolted straight into Frey’s room.

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“F-Frey...”

“Leave.”

The moment Clana stepped into the room, Frey’s cold voice rang out as he quickly shut the book he had been reading.

“...”

“Do you make a habit of entering without knocking?”

For a moment, Clana’s gaze lingered on Frey’s worn-out journal, but soon, she focused solely on him.

“I... I wanted to personally deliver... a letter I wrote by han—“

“I have no need for your letter.”

With trembling hands, she held out the letter, only for—

- Rip...!

“...Ah.”

Frey, expressionless, snatched it away and tore it to shreds.

“The only things I care about are your status as a princess... and your body.”

Lifting her chin with his fingers, Frey whispered as he tossed the torn pieces into the trash.

“Come to my chambers tonight.”

“...”

“Don’t worry. As always, I’ll put you to sleep gently.”

After finishing his words, he softly stroked Clana’s cheek.

“... Hmm.”

But when Clana simply stared at him blankly, her expression unfazed, he frowned slightly and took a step back.

“Regardless, leave now. I have work to do.”

Why is he lying like that?

Standing still, watching him intently, Clana quietly questioned herself as she turned to leave.

He never touched me. Not even once.

Not since that night a year ago.

To be precise, her body would become paralyzed, but her mind remained fully aware—a strange state she couldn’t explain.

Who are you really?

Yet, all Frey ever did was stay by her side, guarding her throughout the night.

What is your true nature?

- Shwaa...

As she stepped through the door, golden light faintly flickered from her right hand.

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“Hey.”

“Ah!”

The moment she stepped out of Frey’s room, someone approached her.

“W-What is it...?”

“Shh, just follow me.”

“Huh?”

Serena, who had been waiting outside, grabbed Clana’s hand and quickly led her away.

“He’s abusing you, isn’t he?”

“...?”

“I can help you. I’ll be your shield.”

While cautiously scanning their surroundings, Serena lowered her voice to whisper.

“...So let’s take Frey down together.”

But Clana wasn’t looking at Serena.

“...Ah.”

“Huh?”

A small yellow canary, a creation of the mysterious power she had possessed since childhood.

For years, while locked away in isolation, it had been her only friend—a secret she had never shared with anyone.

Right now, Clana was seeing through its eyes.

“Yeah, that’s right. Serena just took the princess away. I checked the diary just now, and there’s definitely a change. A positive one, of course.”

- Static... Crackle...

“Don’t worry about the poison. It takes five years to take effect anyway.”

Though she couldn’t hear everything Frey was saying over the communication device, she saw enough.

“Excuse me...? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“...As I thought.”

She had seen something crucial.

“As I thought, you’re... strange.”

“...Pardon?”

Through her eyes, she saw Frey carefully picking up the shredded pieces of her letter, assembling them back together on his desk.

“...Cough.”

And at the same time, dark red blood was dripping from the corner of his lips.

“I-I swear, I’m not a strange person! Let me introduce myself...”

I have to find out the truth.

Fixing her gaze on the faint smile on Frey’s lips as he read her letter—on the blood still trailing down his chin—Clana made up her mind.