Chapter 45…
The Sunflare Princess Resolves.
What should I do?
The thought that someone might be aiming to take my life is terrifying. Yet, I want to know the truth, and I cannot allow the culprit to remain free, putting others around me in danger. Especially if that person is Yoan… all the more reason. But if seeking the truth itself is dangerous…
As Felicia wavered, Yoan’s words pushed her forward.
“I believe that the attempt on your life and your brother’s death are not unrelated.”
──The moment her brother’s face surfaced in her mind, the frustration she had kept buried in her chest and the unease she could never shake at that time came back vividly.
Her brother had been very healthy until suddenly falling ill and swiftly passing to the afterlife. The strong bond they had built, supporting each other through their mother’s death, had been abruptly severed.
If her brother’s once-promising future had been taken from him by someone else, how deeply must he have regretted it? He was gentle, wise, and dearly loved. If there was a secret hidden in his death, she wanted to uncover the truth and clear her brother’s unfulfilled regrets.
Felicia lifted her chin and looked Yoan squarely in the eyes. Her gaze radiated unwavering determination.
“Lord Yoan, will you lend me your strength?”
Yoan returned her gaze and nodded firmly.
“Of course.”
Since she was little, the realm of the afterlife had always seemed to loom close to Felicia, waiting.
Her mother, her brother, and herself… she had come to believe it might be inevitable to depart for the afterlife at any time. Having lost both her mother and brother, she had resigned herself. At times, she had even thought that if the afterlife called, that would be enough. That her powerless life had no value at all.
(If such a fate does not exist, and this is a calamity brought by others, then I must stand against it. I must fight, for the brother who can no longer fight.)
Standing there was no longer the ethereal Sunflare Princess, but a woman who stood firm.
Yoan narrowed his eyes, as if looking at something dazzling, and grasped Felicia’s hand tightly.
