PLTSVA 06

Clatter, tick, clatter—

“Ugh, damn it! Why does it keep getting stuck here…?!”

In the end, I didn’t escape alone. I had a conscience, after all. I just couldn’t bring myself to go through with it.

Besides, it would’ve been difficult to visit the high and mighty Duke of Rayes’ estate without a proper reason—unless I was bringing back the long-lost crown prince, or something.

But I had absolutely no intention of being found dead from starvation a week later.

Instead, I waited until everyone was asleep and started desperately trying to pick the lock with a wire I had.

Earlier that morning, I had told the kids I wasn’t feeling well and would be resting in the storage room all day, so no one came looking for me.

Though… I figured Luca might’ve been a little surprised that I hadn’t shown up all day.

But it’s not like he could go and tell Miss Loyola.

“Just wait a little longer, Luca.”

Thankfully, this place was far from Loyola’s room, so I didn’t have to worry about waking her. Still, I moved carefully and quietly.

Tick, tick—

“Ugh, why won’t it work… Please!”

It was already my umpteenth attempt.

Tick, tick—click—

“Huh?”

Did it work? I stopped twisting the wire and reached for the doorknob.

Click—

“…?!”

Oh no. That wasn’t me. Someone was opening the door from the other side.

I slapped both hands over my mouth to muffle my scream and quickly backed away from the door.

‘Is it Loyola? Is this how it ends? Am I going to end up crippled just like in the original story?’

Before the door fully opened, I dove into a pile of clothes nearby.

Bang—

The door opened just a heartbeat later.

The person who entered quietly shut the door again and walked toward where I was.

‘Please, please just pass by…!’

But then I heard a familiar voice that immediately put me at ease.

“Ria, I know you’re in here.”

‘Luca…?’

I scrambled out of the clothes.

Luca’s familiar hand reached in to help pull me out.

“Luca, how are you here? You haven’t even fully recovered yet—did you leave the infirmary?”

Luca looked down at my battered, scratched-up hands and said softly,

“I thought you were going to leave me behind.”

His red eyes, unusually vivid in the dark, stared straight at me.

His voice was calm, but the slight tremble in his grip told me he must’ve been really scared when I disappeared.

“I’d never leave you. I said we’d go together.”

Though I had hesitated… a little.

“But wait—how did you open the door? You didn’t have a key.”

“…I just kept fiddling with the wire, and it opened.”

Huh? I couldn’t open it even after trying for over thirty minutes. Do protagonists get lockpicking buffs or something?

I was on the verge of tearing up at the injustice of this world when Luca suddenly hugged me tight.

“Don’t ever disappear in front of me again. There won’t be a next time.”

His desperate whisper rang in my ear. I gave a small nod.

“I promise.”

As we slowly pulled apart and met eyes again, his blood-red irises were completely focused on me.

I looked at him and asked,

“Luca, are you ready to go outside?”

“Did you find a way out?”

“Yeah. We can leave anytime now. The world outside is waiting for us.”

Originally, I hadn’t planned to escape right away, even after securing the passage. But the desire for freedom was blooming inside me like ink spreading in water.

Besides, it wasn’t often that both Luca and I had a chance to sneak into this off-limits area late at night while everyone was asleep.

All we had was the open passage and our two healthy legs, but my instincts were screaming at me to run for it.

However…

“You know, there might be even harder times ahead.”

Even if he returned, there wouldn’t be a warm welcome waiting for him—no palace, no family.

The Empress had collapsed after he went missing, and his only sister had left the Empire to find him.

Maybe I made too big of a decision for him, too easily.

I probably didn’t look much like a kid who’d just found a way out. My face must’ve been a mess.

Luca looked at me with a soft smile and finally spoke.

“My feelings haven’t changed. Wherever you go, I’ll go with you.”

The passage felt spacious to me, but it seemed a bit tight for Luca. He must’ve grown a lot.

“Wow…”

As we exited the short tunnel, the world outside looked so much more…

“Beautiful…”

At my whispered words, Luca looked up at the sky alongside me.

In the deep night, surrounded by lush trees, soft grass underfoot, a cool breeze, and a sky full of stars and the Milky Way—

“It really is beautiful…”

Loyola said the outside world was full of danger. And she wasn’t entirely wrong.

The world was dangerous—especially for kids like us.

But still… it was beautiful. I was speechless for a long time.

“It really is,” Luca echoed.

The hand holding mine was warm.

Right—this wasn’t the time to just stand here.

“First, we need to get out of this forest. But where even are we?”

The Griffen Empire, as described in the books, covered over half the continent and had countless cities.

Even the original story never mentioned where exactly the orphanage had been.

The unfamiliar surroundings left me completely lost.

Then, Luca—who’d been staring at the sky—tugged my hand.

“I think it’s this way.”

His back as he led me looked so reliable.

Yeah, right now, I’d trust his protagonist buff over any compass.

As we walked through the forest, fireflies began to glow softly around us.

‘I’ve never seen fireflies before—not even in my past life.’

I watched the lights in amazement as they danced through my open hand.

I turned to Luca, who had been watching me, and suddenly asked,

“Luca, you said you didn’t want to see your family, the ones you don’t even remember, right?”

“I did.”

“Do you still feel that way? What if they’re desperately looking for you?”

His sister, Princess Rachel, had even left the country to search for him.

“My family has always been just one person—Ria.”

I mean, we all spent two years together in that orphanage… is he heartless, or what?

Still, was it really okay to send him back to the palace?

“If needed, I’ll return. I’m sure it’ll take time, but…”

At those words, I gently bumped his shoulder, finding him admirable.

In the original, after returning to the palace, Luca underwent harsh imperial training, earned the Emperor’s approval, and eventually took to the battlefield.

He put an end to the Griffen Empire’s civil war and united all the small nations into a peace alliance.

That crown prince—who would go down in history—was standing right next to me. It almost felt like meeting a celebrity.

The story originally began with a weak start, but thanks to the heroine’s help, Luca would surely achieve great victories in battle, hold his coming-of-age ceremony, and become an exceptional emperor.

‘And he’ll fall in love with the heroine, of course. Since she has healing magic, she’ll soothe the dark magic that torments him…’

The problem was always me.

Every time I thought about my flimsy plan, I sighed deeply.

Enter the Duke of Rayes’ mansion, become a noblewoman, rescue the other orphanage kids, save up money, and then search for a cure for my incurable disease—

‘At least I saved my legs…’

That alone had already broken the original plot. I should be thankful.

I looked down at my healthy legs as I walked beside Luca, feeling a wave of relief.

But just as I did—

‘There it is again—the heat.’

Recently, the symptoms of my illness had begun flaring up again.

The red blotch on my abdomen, which had suddenly appeared one day, would burn like fire and then subside just as quickly.

Right now, I could feel that burning sensation again, but it was still manageable.

Luca, maybe sensing the tension in my hand, asked worriedly,

“Should we rest for a bit?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Thankfully, the forest wasn’t rough, and my sock-covered feet weren’t getting hurt.

Luca had carefully treated my feet the night before, and I was bandaged up.

It had been so long since I walked this much—probably the first time since my previous life. I actually felt… glad.

Just when I thought Luca’s luck was a bit too powerful, he turned to me and said,

“You were right—stars really are a map of the night sky.”

He must’ve remembered a book I once read to him. A constellation map? He memorized that?!

I stuck out my tongue, amazed at his freakish memory.

“I feel bad I couldn’t say goodbye to the kids. I promised Terry I’d play with him all day if he helped me…”

Luca chuckled playfully at my guilty expression.

“Then we better get back as soon as possible so Terry doesn’t stay mad.”

Right. I couldn’t be getting discouraged already. Especially not when Terry had helped me despite the risk of Loyola catching us.

Matching my quicker pace, Luca widened his stride too.

The Duke of Rayes’ estate would soon open its doors to guests.