The Forgotten Princess Wants to Live in Peace

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'Calling this a stew is an insult to all stew.'

The stew has a whole carrot floating in it and was quite watery. Other ingredients weren't included as if it was a leftover.

The amount of food has been ridiculously reduced since that First Prince said, "Give them food enough for them not to die." At first, it was a tad bit tolerable, but three days ago, she couldn't recognize anything that looks edible. It was clear that he was deliberately throwing a mess on them on purpose.

The light that squeezed through a palm-sized window used as ventilation barely shone on Eluana. Green eyes shone subtly in the sun.

Eluana gathered her tangled golden hair and tossed it behind before picking up a bowl of stew on the floor. A tiny groan came out between her dry lips as hair that had been tangled and clumped after not being able to wash it for a long time brushed against her back.

Her back seems to be burning. She barely swallowed the groans that were about to burst one after another and slowly breathed out. 

Since entering the prison tower, Eluana has been beaten every day. The increasing number of hits per day has become more and more unbearable, and the back has long been filled with marks.

'It doesn't hurt. I can stand it. It's okay.'

Eluana, hypnotized and barely conscious, glanced back.

Six-year-old brother Louie was lying crouched in a damp cot. After confirming that he hadn't woken up, Eluana took half of her stew and moved it to Louie's bowl. Then she filled her bowl with water.

The water-diluted stew was transparent and visible. But if you eat it like this, it feels like you ate the stew, not water. The smell of the Mulgan Stew was overpowered by the stench of the prison's mold. She ate honey rice cake stew and left some on purpose. 

When Louie wakes up, she says, "You ate first." 

"You should eat too."

'I'm hungry.'

Obsessed with the desire to chew something, Eluana chewed her hair. It tasted like dust, but she was satisfied because she could feel the chewing. She hoped all the hair turns into honey bread.

The color is similar, but will it change?

As she chewed her hair hard, the clock tower bell rang. Ding. Ding. Ding. The twelve bells ringing meant that the sun had risen above the sky.

Stumbling toward the window, Eluana looked outside.

Today, she saw a new hung head. Frightened eyes were pointing somewhere, and the wide-open mouth still seemed to scream. Drops of blood flowed along the walls, not long after they had been cut off.

Eluana knew who's head was hung. It looked so visible from here since she was trapped on the top floor of the prison tower.

"…Mary."

She was suffocating and her heart fluttered. They were not close. She had it difficult just like Eluana, a noble, but she could not be friends even though they're the same age. She looked cute when she smiled.

She'll never see her again.

"What's wrong?”

Louie's voice penetrated behind Eluana's back.

Louie, who had just woken up, was rubbing his eyes. His chubby cheeks became thin in a few days, and his squishy pink eyes were lifeless.

Eluana tried to keep her tears from spilling, pretending to be calm.

"Mary was hung.”

It was a poor explanation, but Louie immediately understood the situation. One of the young'uns had her head cut and hung on the gate again.

"…Why?"

"It must be another ridiculous reason."

There are many reasons why the Empire's first prince, Regis Pegimul Portona, killed people. Because the decorations were covered with dust, because it rained, because he felt dirty, or the food was bland, and something like a servant didn't say his greetings.

'Crazy first brat.'

It was hard to believe that such a man would become an Emperor, even if the empire was ruined.

Eluana and Louie's neck are intact because they have the surname "Vita." They are an aristocrat who could not be executed without a trial, although they had no title or land. His father's name "Ron Vita" had also gained fame with his sword "The Brilliant Endless Night and the Silence of the Black Sun," which was sold at the auction for 1,000 gold.

Louie wriggled his brackish hands and grabbed the hem of Eluana's clothes.

"Don't go. Stay with Louie.”

Her heart pounded. This was because Louie's anxiety was entirely conveyed to her. Eluana forcefully raised her lips and laughed.

"There's nowhere to go in this palm-sized prison.”

"Mom and dad, too. They went to heaven. If you get caught... they're cutting your throat.”

Louie started to cry and said, "You might be placed beside Sister Mary."

Eluana raised her tone and said, "They won't cut my neck. Your sister will not go to heaven until Louie grows up, gets married, gives birth to a child, and the child gives birth.”

"Really?"

"Yeah, that's what I just decided. I'll stay with Louie until he says that he's annoyed by my presence.”

"Is that a promise?”

"Promise."

Even after receiving a pinky promise, Louie could not hide his nervousness. The trembling eyes were directed several times toward Eluana's back.

Eluana spoke in a brighter tone to change the subject.

"Your sister ate first because she was hungry. Hurry up and eat, too."

Louie's eyes turned to the stew bowl on the floor. He must have been very hungry that he drank the whole bowl without using a spoon. She didn't have to worry about him getting a lump stuck in his throat since there are no ingredients.

Louie looked at the finished bowl for a long time. It was far from enough for Louie, a growing man. Eluana ruffled Louie's pink hair in pity.

"Just hang in there when you're hungry."

"Why is your stew so watery?"

This bean-sized guy is sharp.

"Perhaps it was because I accidentally poured water in it? Louie, you drink water, too. You're not full.”

After clearing the suspicion, Louie poured water into the bowl and drank it again.

"Sleep a little longer when you're done eating. You'll get hungry when you move."

Eluana laid Louie in bed naturally after finishing today's meager meal. Louie gently closed his eyes when she dragged the smelly blanket over him.

"My stomach is pounding."

"Maybe it's because you drank a lot of water."

Louie needs to go to bed soon. Deeply if possible. It could have been better to pass out. Twelve bells rang just a moment ago, and soon Regis will come. That crazy guy.

'A piece of crap.'

Why do you go on a picnic on a rural estate where there is nothing to see?

There was an imperial villa behind the Imperial Palace. I heard that it was 100 years ago that they came on a tour with the imperial family. If you were to leave it empty like that, you should have to shave it all off and plant corn, but surprisingly, Regis came to visit.

Whether it was an earthquake or a storm as an excuse, you should have done it and planted corn. That would have kept the peace in Aden.

Eluana and Louie would have had a peaceful life without being imprisoned. She would have been looking for Louie, who was hiding in the blacksmith's closet or running around like a thunderbolt. Come to think of it, she should have delivered the sword to the top bidder by today. Well, to hell with the auction date when you don't even know if you're able to get out of prison alive?

What's that devil doing? The first prince was taking so long.

'Daddy, if it's hard to drag a monster to Aden, just drop a bolt of lightning.’

She was making a wish to Ron, her father who was in heaven when suddenly she heard footsteps coming up the stone stairs. In an instant, her nerves were on edge and her whole body has trembled with fright.

"Stay still under the covers.”

In a small whisper, Eluana put the blanket over Louie's head and approached the bars.

Sure enough, Regis and his servant appeared at the end of the hallway, still looking sleazy. As always, Regis had a thin branch in his hand.

Glass powder was applied on the tip of a lupus twig, and every time she was beaten, the glass will dig into her flesh and penetrated the wound. The elves have a real world tree, so even if you bend any part of it like the branch, it won't break. Thinking of hitting a person with a world tree branch, the elves will strike the earth if they knew.

Eluana held the bars in her hands as she watched Regis approaching from afar. Just staring at his bloody hair and eyes, her body screamed in pain.

'I wish this prison door won't open.’

Then at least they can avoid today's beating.

The hold on the bars gave her strength by itself. Her heart was beating violently, so she felt nauseous. She had to hold the bars harder because her legs seemed to give out.

Regis stopped at a moderate distance from the bars.

"Are you good now? Are you ready to tell me where Ron Vita is?”

Today he asked where Eluana's father, Ron Vita, was again. Eluana's answer hasn't changed a bit as usual.

"I don't know. My father never leaves his destination. He's on a journey to find new inspiration. He doesn't have any schedule, nor destination."

Of course, it's a lie. The creator of Regis's search for "The Brilliant Endless Night and the Silence of the Black Sun" sword was Eluana.

Last spring, Ron Vita was killed in a carriage accident and Eluana became the head at the age of 14. There was nothing a little girl could do in her name. So she sold the sword she crafted and borrowed the name of her father.

Eluana had to do it moderately, but the problem was that she became famous because of her crazy talent. That's why Regis went on a tour and was the first to visit the blacksmith's shop in Aden. He wanted to place an order directly from a new rising blacksmith.

Even after hearing that Ron Vita was out, Regis shrugged and picked up the sword she had displayed to test it for strength. Then the Crown Prince thrust his own sword, which was known to have been made from the dwarves. It is said to be a mithril sword.

Until then, Eluana did not worry much even if her sword breaks. She only complained about something like 'I have to make a new sword because of this damn man.'

However, it was the 'Crown Prince's Sword' that was broken.

“Hex! She used witchcraft! Otherwise, the Crown Prince’s sword cannot be broken!”

Regis got bitter and did other things.

“You deceive me, the Crown Prince with a heart of gold! Throw them into the prison and get Ron Vita!” He screamed.

She got angry even when thinking about it.

There was no way the Dwarf's Mithril Sword could break. If that is enough to be broken by a sword made of iron, shouldn't you be suspicious of it being a fake? Dwarves couldn't just play with their swords, so it was obvious that the Imperial Family had misplaced them.

What bad luck.

Now, if Eluana revealed herself as a blacksmith, her neck would be cut off at once, so she had no choice but to earn time with the lie that 'Father is on a trip'.

Buying time doesn't mean that you can get an extra service charge.

“I really don’t know.”

"Really? Then I can't help it if you don't know.”

Regis's bright red eyes were glaring at Eluana.

“Are you going to be all right for today? Today will be the eighteenth.”