Chapter : 4. Everything Was a Lie. (4)
‘He was probably worried that the sacrifice might develop thoughts of her own.’
Elia forced herself to swallow the dreadful feeling, her stomach churning.
From beginning to end, he had deceived Elia and driven her to her death. From the very start, there had never been anyone here who truly considered her family.
For a long time, Elia had trembled alone in fear. Starved for love and attention, even the smallest kind word from them would make her unbearably grateful.
‘Too weak. Too kind. Too foolish.’
Elia let out a self-deprecating laugh. She probably would have been happy even being treated like a clown. That was how lonely she had been, her mind cornered to the edge of a cliff.
“Um… there’s something I’d like to ask.”
Elia spoke cautiously. Unlike her earlier bright and elegant demeanor, she now looked fragile and somewhat sorrowful.
“What is it? It’s the first time my daughter has asked me for something. Of course I should grant it, no matter what.”
The Emperor acted as if there was nothing he wouldn’t give her.
Then how about this?
Suppressing a scoff, Elia opened her mouth.
“I want to meet Count Rapasha.”
“…What did you say?”
The moment Elia mentioned the Count, the Emperor’s face hardened.
Before he could grow angry, Elia quickly continued,
“Your Majesty is my real father. This is my home, and my family is here.”
Her eyes quickly filled with tears, as if they might spill at any moment.
As though the Emperor were her savior.
No—she had to make him believe that.
“Then why do you wish to meet the Count? Is there something here that displeases you?”
The Emperor’s mood softened slightly at her tears, though his gaze remained sharp.
“I couldn’t say a proper farewell to him. It all happened because no one knew the truth… but until I learned I was Your Majesty’s child, I believed I was his daughter.”
Elia had been practically dragged out of the Count’s estate by the imperial side.
After that, she had never once been allowed to see him again.
‘Instead of coming to the imperial palace, he was given fertile land and mines.’
The Count had secretly come to see Elia after she became an adult.
He claimed it was because he missed her—his former daughter, even if they weren’t related by blood.
‘Though that wasn’t the real reason.’
In truth, he had squandered all the wealth he received from the Emperor. And Elia, pitying him, had shared her own fortune.
In short, the Elia of her past life had been the biggest fool of all.
〈Elia. Even if we are not bound by blood, we are still family. Never forget that.〉
After she helped them once, the members of the Count’s household continued to pester her.
Give us money. Buy us a castle. Fund our business.
Elia never once complained and gave them everything they asked for.
It was all because she had been intoxicated by a fragile illusion of happiness.
But now—
Elia intended to put an end to her past mistakes.
“Once I say my goodbyes and settle my feelings, I think I’ll be able to truly live as a member of the imperial family. Please… may I?”
Elia pleaded with tearful eyes.
Seeing her sincerity, the Emperor hesitated for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
“…Fine. If that is truly your wish, I cannot refuse. Just once. Only one day.”
“Thank you so much, Your Majesty. No… Father. Mother.”
Elia smiled brightly, her eyes still glistening.
The Emperor coughed awkwardly, slightly flustered by her expression.
Then the Empress spoke gently,
“You must return immediately. Understood?”
But Elia could clearly read the disgust hidden in the Empress’s eyes.
“Of course.”
One day.
Elia inwardly mocked them, along with the short time she had been given.
She had no intention of returning to the imperial palace within that limit.
A few days later, preparations were made for Elia.
For the first time in her life, she was allowed to leave the palace.
‘How many attendants and knights did they assign?’
Sitting in the moving carriage, Elia glanced outside.
Inside sat her maid, Rebecca, while imperial knights surrounded the carriage for protection.
‘To protect the Princess, they say.’
Elia scoffed at the Emperor’s orders.
It was merely a convenient excuse—to safeguard a precious sacrifice that might be needed in the future.
‘That’s why he couldn’t use one of his own children.’
The Emperor had despaired upon hearing the prophecy that demanded a royal blood sacrifice.
Desperate, he sought another solution from a seer, and the astrologer divined once more.
〈The Emperor is the sun. The Empress is the moon, and the royal descendants are the stars. But something is strange… there is one more star than there should be.〉
There should have been only two royal children—but there was one more.
The symbol of royalty was purple eyes.
But they were not present at birth.
At first, each child had different eye colors, but around the age of eight, their eyes would begin to change.
The Emperor searched and found a hidden child he hadn’t even known existed.
And thus, Elia was raised as the sacrifice meant to prevent the tragic prophecy.
‘So he never even considered me his child.’
Elia let out a hollow laugh as she recalled the contents of the book.
She had struggled desperately to be loved.
And yet—it had all been meaningless.
The ending had been decided from the very beginning.
“Your Highness, we have arrived.”
The coachman announced their arrival at the Count’s estate.
With assistance, Elia stepped out of the carriage.
The sunlight poured down brightly.
Rebecca hurried to hold up a parasol, but Elia refused.
“That’s fine.”
The warmth of the sun felt good.
Just stepping outside the palace felt like she could finally breathe.
However, there was one blemish in this refreshing scene—
The mansion before her.
‘It hasn’t changed.’
Elia gazed at the Rapasha estate, lost in thought.
It seemed a bit more lavish than when she had lived there.
In truth, even back then, she had never really looked at the mansion like this.
‘Because I was always locked inside.’
She had spent most of her time hiding from others, never properly feeling the sunlight.
Perhaps that was why, even as an adult, her skin had remained unusually pale.
As Elia looked out at the garden—
The heavy gates opened, and the mansion’s owners hurried out to greet her.
“We greet Princess Elia.”
Count Rapasha. Lady Renoa. And their real son, Gordon.
The three figures from her distant past bowed their heads before her.
“It’s been a while.”
“Your Highness…”
When Elia spoke politely, a knight stepped in to correct her.
Royals did not use honorific speech toward nobles.
But Elia dismissed him.
“It’s fine. Don’t interfere. Rebecca, ask them to guide you to the annex. I’ll go inside alone.”
“Pardon? But…”
Rebecca was startled, but before she could meet Elia’s gaze, she quickly lowered her eyes.
The maids had been the first to notice that Elia had changed.
But burdened by their own guilt, they had no choice but to obey.
“Please, come in.”
Following Count Rapasha’s lead, Elia entered the mansion.
The moment all four stepped into the lobby, the doors shut behind them.
Silence fell.
Elia approached the people who had once been called her family.
“You can treat me like before. Be comfortable.”
She spoke gently into the silence.
And just as she expected—
“Ah, what a relief. We thought you’d become some damned bitch.”
Count Rapasha immediately dropped his respectful act, reverting to the same cold man who had abused her.
“But she came to repay our kindness, didn’t she? You should at least take that into account. Come now, Elia, sit.”
Lady Renoa cast her a sideways glance, smiling kindly as she gestured toward a seat.
The table was filled with colorful desserts and fragrant tea—
Things Elia had never once been allowed to enjoy while living here.
“Thank you, my lady.”
“Oh my, don’t be so distant. Here, you may call me Mother comfortably.”
As Elia sat down, Lady Renoa took the seat beside her, waving her hand dismissively.
