TSKSML 11

CHAPTER  11

“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop….”

Standing in front of her was a black-haired boy, who looked to be about the same age as Liriana.

Liriana felt embarrassed and angry, but as the boy said, he had no reason to intentionally listen in on her prayer.

Even if she wanted to say something to him, Liriana couldn’t act self-righteous—after all, she had secretly come to the temple to pray.

“Is it true… that if you pray to the Sun God, you can talk to someone who’s died?”

Zighardt didn’t want to admit he had overheard her prayer—but more than that, he desperately wanted to know if what she’d said was true.

If he could speak to his deceased father, then manners and appearances didn’t matter at all.

Liriana had been about to scold him for bringing up the contents of her prayer, but the boy’s red eyes looked so terribly sad.

And she realized—that the emotion he was feeling now was the same as what she had felt during the hardest moment in her life.

“…Maybe.”

Liriana forced her voice to sound cheerful as she answered.

She didn’t want to lie and say “yes” to a boy drowning in grief.

Maybe.

It wasn’t a sure thing, but even that small possibility was enough for Liriana to keep praying.

“Still, when I say it out loud like that, I miss my mother a little less.”

“I see…”

Zighardt found comfort in Liriana’s honest and calm reply.

Just as he was about to clasp his hands together in prayer, he noticed the girl still standing beside him.

No matter how much he missed his father, he couldn’t bring himself to pray in front of a girl he’d just met.

Sensing this, Liriana stood up to give Zighardt some space so he could pray.

“My name is Zighardt.”

“I’m Liriana—Liriana Emeldia.”

At last, they introduced themselves properly.

Who would’ve thought that the boy she met back then was none other than the heir to the Grand Duchy of Revladian?

The next day, at the funeral held in the imperial capital for the late Grand Duke of Revladian, whom she attended with her father, Liriana nearly screamed in surprise when she saw Zighardt again.

How could she have acted so casually toward someone who would soon become the Grand Duke of Revladian…

At the solemn royal funeral, Liriana couldn’t even lift her head—but unlike her, Zighardt greeted her as if she were an old friend.

Their time in Repia had been brief, but Liriana and Zighardt had spent every day together.

Each afternoon in the deserted main temple, after their prayers, the boy and girl would talk for hours.

The boy said he wanted to become a swordsman to protect people, and the girl wished for everyone to be happy.

On the day Zighardt returned to his territory, Liriana had planned to see him off—but she couldn’t leave in time because her father suddenly collapsed that morning.

By the time she ran to the harbor, their promised meeting place, the Revladian ship had already disappeared into the sunset on the distant sea.

Liriana waved both hands high toward the ship, saying farewell alone.

Afterward, Zighardt became the Grand Duke, and to fulfill the duties left behind by the late Duchess, his stepmother moved to the capital, Repia.

Though Zighardt visited Repia several times to see his mother and stopped by the temple often, he never saw Liriana again.

He heard rumors: that the Emeldia family’s situation had worsened, that she had a stepmother now, and that her father had passed away.

Eight years later, Liriana and Zighardt finally met again.

Hearing her story, Helene was shocked.

That Liriana and Zighardt had such a history?

The original Helene wouldn’t have known even in her dreams, and the original novel <Perfect Princess Angelina> hadn’t mentioned any of this.

In fact, Liriana’s name hadn’t even been properly introduced in the original work.

More than that…

The role Liriana played—comforting Zighardt in his grief after his father’s death—was strikingly similar to what Angelina did.

Angelina, too, had lost both parents in an accident. Zighardt, seeing her sincerely comforting him, thought of her as an angel sent from heaven.

“…It’s a silly story, isn’t it…”

Though no one had said anything, Liriana blushed and hastily fanned herself, trying to finish the story quickly.

Unbelievable. Liriana clearly had genuine feelings for the Grand Duke.

And the Grand Duke wasn’t just any love interest—he was one of the top contenders for the male lead, right up there with the Crown Prince.

By this point in the timeline, Zighardt must have already fallen deeply for Angelina.

But Helene couldn’t bear to trample on Liriana’s rare, fluttering feelings.

As Liriana and the Grand Duke’s story unfolded like something out of a romance fantasy novel, Han Yena—the romance-fantasy-obsessed soul within Helene—began to stir.

Helene grabbed Liriana’s shoulders and, before she could change her mind, declared boldly:

“Liriana, I’ll make you the Grand Duchess of Revladian!”

Morning at the Herbiant Castle.

Inside a canopy bed draped in white lace, a girl stretched and rubbed her eyes as she woke up.

How could anyone not fall in love with her?

With golden hair shining like sunlight, bright blue eyes like a summer lake, and fresh rosy cheeks like a blooming rose—just one look at Angelina and anyone would understand why she was called “The Angel of the Empire” or “The Wingless Angel.”

Even a fellow woman might fall in love with her at first sight.

Marisol, the maid who had been staring at Angelina in a daze, quickly came to her senses and handed her two envelopes.

Each envelope was sealed with wax: one bore the crest of the Crown Prince of the Hersen Empire, and the other, the Grand Duke of Revladian.

It had only been a month since both the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke had returned to the capital, Repia, after finishing their studies in Herbiant.

The two letters were as different as their personalities—Zighardt’s was filled with detailed daily reports like a journal, while the Crown Prince’s was scribbled with playful handwriting and jokes.

But there was one opinion the two letters had in common:

They both wanted to host Angelina’s birthday and debutante ball—her eighteenth summer—at the Imperial Palace.

Though Angelina was the most beloved noble lady in Herbiant, they worried her debutante ball might be lonely without her parents.

Despite being rivals, the two men had somehow perfectly agreed on this one point and were united in their efforts to convince her.

After carefully folding both letters, Angelina beamed and called to Marisol.

“Let’s prepare to leave for Repia.”

The story of <Perfect Princess Angelina> was now entering its midpoint.

Helene hated mountain climbing.

In this life—and her previous one—she had never understood people who did it for fun.

Her life was already a mountain, steeper than the Himalayas—why would she voluntarily climb another?

And yet, here she was, climbing a mountain.

A wild, untouched mountain full of breathtaking natural beauty.

Since the mountains of this world were undeveloped, the paths were steep and treacherous.

There was a chance of wild beasts appearing—or worse, monsters.

For someone like Helene, who had no special abilities, it was incredibly dangerous to be here.

But she had to find “it.”

How long had she been climbing?

In such a dense forest, it wouldn’t be surprising to find a hundred-year-old ginseng plant, let alone the thing she was actually looking for.

She’d heard the sun set quickly on this mountain, so she had to find it and get back down as soon as possible.

That was when it happened.

The sound of rustling started.

It grew louder—it was definitely coming toward her.

Could it be a beast… or a monster?

She’d come all this way determined to live a better life—dying to a beast or monster would be so unfair, she wouldn’t even be able to rest in peace.

Helene swallowed nervously and looked toward the shadow emerging from the bushes.

The silhouette looked very familiar.

Jaina?

Jaina wore clothes even more casual than usual and had a fox-fur scarf that could easily be pulled over her face. A crossbow was slung over her shoulder.

Helene knew from the original story that after she (Helene) died and the Emeldia family collapsed, the second sister, Jaina, became a hunter who lived in the mountains.

But she had never imagined that Jaina had already started working as a hunter at the age of seventeen.

Even so, for a noble girl from a prestigious family to hunt—not as a hobby, but as a profession—it was bound to hurt her reputation.

“Jaina…?”

Even as Helene called out, Jaina didn’t flinch.

She stood completely still, not even breathing.

Then, with cold, emotionless eyes—like she was staring down prey—she raised her crossbow and pulled the string.

Only then did Helene recall the thought that had been lingering in the back of her mind.

The original Helene had been a truly terrible parent.

Without her permission, her sisters could do nothing. Because of her, the three sisters lost their wealth, their family, and even each other.

Was there really no way for the Emeldia sisters to break free of Helene?

If only Helene were gone, everything could be resolved.

Had Jaina never once thought of that?

Jaina released the string.

The arrow flew straight toward Helene.