Chapter 75 - 2: The Sharp-tongued Little Princess

Chapter 75: Chapter 2: The Sharp-tongued Little Princess

Looking at the dilapidated little hut that barely had enough room for her, Lilia sighed inwardly.

She had originally chosen a noble start to enjoy a few good days, but unexpectedly, she had ended up as a pitiful little princess. The empty room not only lacked furniture, but the windows were also drafty. The fact that she hadn’t died of illness after sleeping here for so long was a testament to her good constitution.

Footsteps echoed from outside the door; it was probably someone delivering her food. No matter what, she was still a princess. Even banished concubines had food delivered every day; there was no reason for her to be denied such basic treatment.

The footsteps soon stopped at the door, followed by a loud BANG BANG BANG on the wood, accompanied by some rather foul cursing.

"Come out! Are you dead in there?!"

Lilia remained silent.

During her time in Lien, she had been pampered for so long that the people around her couldn’t even bear to raise their voices at her. It had been a long time since she had experienced the feeling of being scolded. Before the other party could spit out dirtier words, Lilia opened the door.

Standing at the door was a fairly young woman, looking to be under thirty. She wore a black and white uniform and was likely a maid of the Royal Court.

Upon seeing Lilia, the woman immediately put on a condescending expression. "What incredible arrogance. You get food delivered every day, yet you always look so dissatisfied. Don’t think that just because you have the title of Princess, everyone should treat you like a master. I’ve seen plenty of people here with their heads in the clouds and their lives in the gutter!"

"So what? At least I’m still a princess. I don’t need to bow and scrape to serve others every day," Lilia replied, her eyes narrowing into a smile. "Blowing up at me for no reason—your life must not be going very well lately."

The girl’s smile was radiant, but every word she spoke carried a blade. "How pitiful. Your status is so low that the only person you can bully is a teenage girl like me. That ’life in the gutter’ description probably suits you much better."

The maid’s eyes widened. Left completely speechless by Lilia’s words, she pointed a rough index finger at the girl’s nose, stuttering "You, you, you..." for a long time without managing to form a single sentence.

"What about me?" Lilia tilted her head. Dappled sunlight fell into her eyes, making her delicate face look exceptionally innocent and cute.

The maid couldn’t help but freeze for a moment. When she finally snapped out of it, she wanted to slap herself. Was she crazy?! How could she possibly think such an uneducated wild brat was cute!

"Save your smart mouth!" The maid angrily shoved the food into Lilia’s arms, though her averted gaze clearly exposed her lack of confidence. "What does winning an argument against me count for? If you’re so capable, go pick a fight with the stewards and properly exercise your rights as a Princess!"

The remark was intended as a mockery, but to her surprise, the girl’s smile grew even brighter.

"Mhm," she smiled. "I’ll do my best."

After all, her goal was to achieve the happy ending of Lucian’s route. If she wanted to leave this place and head to Lien or Ovis, she had to find a way to improve her strength and status.

The maid stared at her blankly. Had this girl been bullied in this tiny place for so long that she lost her mind?! She had always heard that strange things often happened in the palace. Unnerved by the thought, she didn’t even bother to hold Lilia accountable for her insults; she just snorted weakly, turned around, and ran off.

Her frantic pace made it seem as if a ghost were chasing her. Watching the maid’s back disappear at the end of the path, Lilia smiled and opened the food box in her hands.

Then, her smile froze.

Frowning slightly, Lilia leaned in and sniffed the container. ...Sour. She was prepared for poor food, but she hadn’t expected this to be completely inedible. Over the past decade, she had certainly encountered bread mixed with bran or hot soup that was actually dishwater, but this was the first time she had been given straight-up spoiled food. As a little princess, her treatment in the Royal Court was poor. But for it to be this bad was simply unjustifiable.

Lilia walked around the path with the food box but couldn’t find a single trash can. As for just tossing it somewhere... She might be lacking in morality, but she wasn’t lacking in basic decency. Having no choice, she returned to her little hut, temporarily placed the lunchbox at the door, and prepared to find a tool to dig a hole by the tree roots to bury the spoiled food. She could consider it her contribution to nature’s material cycle.

After searching the practically destitute room, Lilia finally found a relatively sturdy wooden board. Just as she stepped out, she saw a tiny figure crouching at the door, frantically stuffing the moldy bread into her mouth.

"Wait!" Lilia called out.

The little figure jumped in fright, dropping the bread which bounced twice on the ground. Seeing Lilia holding a wooden board, the panic in her eyes became even more pronounced. Flustered, she tried to scramble back but tripped and fell to the ground.

"I’m sorry! I’m sorry!" She wrapped her arms around her head—a defensive posture she had learned only after being beaten far too many times. "I shouldn’t have stolen your food! Please don’t hit me! Please! Please!"

For the first time, Lilia was left somewhat speechless. She pursed her lips. Just as she was about to step forward, she noticed the girl shaking even more violently. She had no choice but to halt her steps and wait for the girl to calm down on her own.

After begging for mercy repeatedly for a long while and seeing Lilia making no further moves, the girl opened her eyes a sliver to secretly observe her expression.

"I’m sorry, I was just so hungry. I haven’t eaten in two days... Thank you, I will absolutely never do it again..."

Muttering her apologies, she scrambled up from the ground and, without waiting for any reaction from Lilia, stumbled away.

Her footsteps faded into the distance. Lilia looked down at the fallen bread. It was almost entirely covered in mold spots. Even if someone were to eat it, they would at least have to pinch off the moldy parts and comfort themselves with the thought that unseen mycelium simply didn’t exist. But that girl hadn’t done that. A person who had starved for two days didn’t care about mold spots. And given her level of education, she probably didn’t know what mycelium was, either.

Suddenly, Lilia sighed silently. It seemed she really had to go out and find some food.

***

Meanwhile, the King’s parlor welcomed a special, distinguished guest that day.

"Welcome, Mr. Rockwell!"

The King of Light was nearing fifty but was very well-maintained; at least on the surface, he appeared quite robust. He personally stood at the parlor’s door, ushering the man inside.

The man looked to be only in his early twenties. He wore a simple robe, and his nearly pure white-blonde hair cascaded down to his waist, tied with a hairband at the ends. Despite his handsome and youthful appearance, the King didn’t dare underestimate him in the slightest.

Victor Rockwell—a Great Mage who had become renowned far and wide in recent years. The King never expected that this youthful genius, rumored to be only one step away from becoming a Holy Mage, would proactively offer to visit him at the Royal Court.