CHAPTER 27: CH:27 WHEN KINGS KNEEL

"Princess... please let me clean you," the one maid about to clean her pleaded softly, gently dipping the cloth into warm water with trembling hands.

Dila blinked slowly, then said it flatly without emotion:

"No."

The maid froze mid-motion, hand hovering in the air.

Another heartbeat passed.

Suddenly, her eyes widened with fear, and she dropped to her knees, panicking.

"I—I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Your Highness! Please forgive me—I didn’t mean to offend—!"

She kept bowing rapidly, her forehead nearly smacking the polished floor with each motion, her voice trembling in anxiety.

Dila sat up awkwardly, tugging the blanket to her chest. Her eyes darted around the room in disbelief.

"Wait, no—! Stop that," she said, voice stiff and unsure. She reached out a hand, a little too late, flinching from how uncomfortable the situation felt.

"That’s enough bowing. I said that’s enough...!"

The maid stopped mid-bow, frozen like a statue, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Another maid, trying to break the tension, hurried over with a silver tray. On it, a perfectly peeled pineapple gleamed under the morning light—cut neatly and artfully arranged like blooming flowers.

Dila stared at the fruit.

Then blinked.

Then frowned just a little.

"...Pineapple? In the morning?" she muttered under her breath.

She squinted suspiciously at it, then sighed to herself.

"This is gonna give me acidity."

☆ Pffft—ahaha~ ☆

Nari’s laughter burst out inside her mind, like a sprinkle of bells.

☆ You survived a battle that cracked streets, took a strain in your lungs because of your boost spell potion, and fight a masked lunatic’s freak face—and now you’re whining about pineapple causing acidity? Hahahaha~ ☆

Dila groaned in her mind, cheeks slightly puffed in annoyance.

Haha... laugh all you want, system gremlin...

She took the tiniest bite of pineapple anyway.

Dila gave a small, reluctant smile and said softly, "This is good."

The maid’s eyes lit up instantly. She bowed deeply, her face beaming with joy.

"Thank you! Thank you, Princess!"

Then, to Dila’s surprise, the maid backed away carefully, still bowing as she retreated down the hallway—like a graceful dance, one step at a time.

Dila watched her go, shaking her head with a small, amused smile.

She’s so earnest...

Nari’s voice chimed softly in her mind, ☆ Looks like you’ve got some loyal fans already, Master. ☆

Suddenly, Dila’s sharp ears caught the sound of footsteps—three sets, slow and deliberate.

The heavy wooden double doors creaked open, revealing two guards flanking a tall figure walking straight into the room.

The man stopped in front of her, face serious.

"Princess... you’ve finally been found."

Dila blinked, looking him up and down with a smirk.

"Who are you? And what exactly have I been ’found’ from?"

King Harvey’s eyes widened in surprise. He raised his hands, trying to stay calm.

"Wait, wait, wait—you don’t know me?"

Dila gave a cheeky grin.

"Nope. Not a clue."

Inside her mind, Nari burst out laughing, ☆ Hahaha! Are you really that dense, Princess? ☆

Dila shot back, "Nari! Stop calling me Princess!"

King Harvey suddenly dropped to one knee, dramatically throwing his head back.

"Oh nooo!"

Nari whispered with mock awe, ☆ That’s a king, Master. You might want to show some respect! ☆

Dila rolled her eyes and muttered,

"I know, I know. I just don’t know his name yet."

King Harvey stood tall again, the weight of years written across his face. With quiet steps, he approached Dila, who still lay nestled beneath the thick, luxurious blankets. The maids held their breath. Even the guards stiffened as the king slowly knelt beside her.

His voice was soft but heavy with meaning.

"Your father has been searching for you... for five years now."

Dila blinked.

"Five what now?"

The king let out a long sigh and dragged a hand down his face, visibly exhausted.

"...Looks like this is a serious case of memory forgetfulness."

He stood, shaking his head lightly, and gave her a polite, shallow bow.

"Please... take care of Princess Dila. Nurse her back to full health."

With that, he turned, walking out of the room, his cloak brushing the floor. The guards followed without a word, the heavy door closing behind them with a soft click.

Dila stared at the ceiling, brows furrowed.

"What is he talking about? I don’t have any father like that..."

In her mind, Nari gave a soft sigh. ☆ I... don’t know about that, Master. I don’t have an answer for you right now. Sorry... ☆

Dila let out her own sigh, this one long and confused.

"Great. Now I’m royalty with a missing memory and a weird king bowing at my bedside..."

She tugged the blanket over her head.

"...I just wanted a normal quest and maybe a nap."

As the door fully closed and the maid is just standing in the corners and now silence returned to the room, Dila let her head fall gently back into the plush pillows. The weight of everything was pressing down now—titles, memories, royalty, and apparently... a lost me and searching by my father?

"I just want to have a normal life...." She said in her mind.

And then, softly in her mind, Nari spoke again.

☆ Unfortunately, Master... there’s no such thing as a "normal" life in this world. It’s filled with unknown entities, uncharted lands, and don’t forget—the Veil Crystals. They can infect people, turn them into demons. ☆

Dila gave a dry exhale, barely a sigh.

"Yes, I know. But I’m not asking for a perfect world..."

She closed her eyes.

"I just wanted a life here. A simple one. No dramatic flair, no ’lost princess returns,’ no ancient evil masked elf nonsense... Just... peace."

☆ If that’s what you wish, Master... ☆ Nari replied gently. ☆ We’ll try to make it happen. But please understand... that path may not be easy to walk. ☆

Dila smirked a little under the blanket.

"Yeah, yeah... Demons, entities, shadowy powers—whatever. I just need to rest for now."

☆ Okay... ☆ Nari responded softly, her tone fading into a whisper. ☆ Rest well, Master. ☆

And for the first time since her awakening, Dila felt something almost close to peace.

Meanwhile, deep within the marble halls of the castle, King Harvey was walking with a heavy stride.

His boots thudded against the polished floor, echoing through the long corridor leading back to the throne chamber. His face was stiff. Jaw locked. His brow shadowed in thought.

"This is bad... very, very bad," he muttered, almost growling under his breath.

He reached the grand throne, and dropped into the seat with a tired sigh, leaning back with one hand pressed against his temple.

"What do I do...?"

He stared ahead at nothing, the weight of diplomacy and war clouding his mind.

"If King Albedo—the King of elf and ruler of Eldor—finds out that his daughter has lost her memory..." He paused, dread crawling up his spine. "She might be found, yes, but he will not be pleased."

Harvey clenched his hand on the throne’s armrest.

"He already suspects me. He thinks I’ve been hiding her. That I had something to do with her disappearance... if he hears she woke up with no memory, he’ll think one of my Tower Mages cast a spell on her."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his voice dropping to a whisper only the throne room’s silence could hear.

"What do I do... if war breaks out over this?"

His fingers tapped nervously against his lips.

"I have no plans left. No strategies prepared. If this turns into a political disaster, I’ll be a sitting duck."

His thoughts turned darker, bitter almost.

"I’ve already lost countless soldiers fighting near the Veil Crystal corruption zone... Villages falling, people turning into demons. We burn supplies just to keep the monsters out of our borders."

He leaned back, voice heavy.

"This is just... unlucky. And if this keeps up... our kingdom’s treasure vault will run dry. The treasury can’t keep feeding a losing defense."

He shut his eyes for a long second, and whispered to himself:

"And Why now... Why she has become like that..."

The hall was silent but for the crackle of the torches mounted on the stone pillars.

King Harvey stared at the marble floor beneath his boots, eyes distant, thoughts spinning.

"Come to think of it..." he muttered, his voice low. "What is that Veil Crystal even made of?"

His brows furrowed in frustration.

"I’ve sent knights to fight the monsters it spawns. Sent mages to seal the corrupted zones. But not once... not once have I gathered enough proper research team to study it."

He leaned forward again, elbow on his knee, fingers against his lips in deep thought.

"Is it a mineral? A cursed artifact? Or some remnant from the age of ancient gods?"

The idea of untapped power lingered in his mind like a dangerous temptation.

"It might be valuable. Maybe even more than we imagine. High risk... high reward," he whispered.

But then his shoulders sagged, his voice turning tired.

"Too dangerous."

He clenched his fist.

"I should’ve prioritized my people. Not the crystal. Not the damn borderlines. Not the possibilities. But the real cost—our villages, our children, our soldiers."

The weight of regret hung heavy on his words.

He stood slowly, eyes narrowed toward the towering stained-glass window of the throne room—a painting of the ancient human guardians holding up the sky.

His voice hardened.

"I need answers. About that crystal... and about the berserker that kidnapped Dila while in her unexpected return... and about what really happened to the Princess of Eldor."

Then, turning toward the door, he called out sternly.

"Summon the Tower Scholars. I want every scrap of history on the Veil Crystal—legends, sightings, myths—everything."

And as the echoes of his command carried down the halls...

The war of decisions had already begun within the king’s heart.