“Princess! Are you all right?!”
The Royal Knights, who had rushed over from the Northern Palace, heard the commotion at the East City Gate and changed their destination midway.
At this moment, the Little Prince was also with them. Although he did not know what had happened, he immediately saw the Princess, whom he could trust.
“Sister? And Viseliane — ” Prince Hoyt walked up, frowning as he looked at the deep pit behind them and the scorched ground.
“What happened here?” he asked.
Viseliane patted Dolores on the shoulder. The latter turned around and saw a face filled with regret and avoidance.
“Princess, please explain what happened to your brother… I am going down to save Grin.”
Dolores grabbed Viseliane’s hand and said, “You will die, Viseliane.”
She was no fool; there was no way she could ignore Viseliane’s terrible physical condition. To allow her to take such a risk would be irresponsible. Dolores could not stand by and watch her friend walk into danger without trying to stop her.
“Princess, the blood Mr. Grin spat out was because of me. I was awake when you were talking to Lady Alberke earlier. I heard your conversation.”
Dolores’s hand stiffened as Viseliane continued.
“Princess, I originally wanted to help you resolve the matter regarding him. I once spoke with Hagel about this, and I stubbornly argued against him. He didn’t believe Grin had bad intentions and thought it was likely a misunderstanding.
“After all, Grin saved us, and he even earned your mother’s approval… I might have truly misunderstood him. Perhaps Hagel was right, and I am the stubborn fool.”
Viseliane gripped Dolores’s hand, looking her in the eyes.
“If I sit back and do nothing now, perhaps everything will just end here… But if it really is a misunderstanding, I might not be able to live with my conscience for the rest of my life.”
If she survived, she might have thousands of years of life ahead of her.
Viseliane had once been saved by Doroth, and she had transferred that favoritism to Doroth’s child, making a century-long promise.
Grin had saved her several times, and Mr. Grin had instinctively pushed them away from danger. His weight in her heart was no less than that of the friendship she shared with Doroth, which had accumulated over time despite being less eventful.
Because of that long-standing bond, Doroth had seemed more important than Grin.
“So, Princess, can I be selfish just this once?” Viseliane placed her hand on top of Dolores’s in a pleading gesture.
“I — “
A look of extreme hesitation flashed across Dolores’s face. The sudden influx of information made her feel slightly dazed.
Viseliane had been vague because her brother was nearby, but Dolores was not stupid enough to miss the meaning. Viseliane had intended to murder Grin for her sake, even resorting to poison. But her conscience was eating at her, so she intended to risk her life to save him.
Reason dictated that Dolores should not agree to Viseliane’s suggestion. She should have her brother and the Royal Knights hold her back. Viseliane had been kind to her, and she could not bear to watch her go to her death.
But…
Dolores turned to look at her brother behind her. She knew that Hoyt, as the Little Prince, was a Class-holder, just like his brother, Horn.
Dolores spoke. “Brother, have the other Royal Knights follow Viseliane down to save him. Having you here to protect me is enough. I will explain everything that has happened recently.”
“Viseliane, stay safe.” Dolores stepped forward and gave Viseliane a brief hug before letting go.
Dolores did not have the habit of comforting others with hugs. This was an exception because she felt a faint sense of unease deep in her heart.
However, she had no way to stop Viseliane.
Viseliane had only acted because of her, believing information that would seem completely absurd to anyone else. It could be said that Viseliane had acted out of unconditional emotional trust. Unlike Alberke, Viseliane did not understand the coded language of mutual trust in their dialogue. Viseliane could not comprehend what Dolores was truly referring to.
But she was a Viseliane who believed in her, not a cold-blooded executioner who followed orders. Like Dolores, she had a conscience.
Furthermore…
Dolores herself, who had hesitated long before Viseliane, had even less right to stop her. If Dolores hadn’t hesitated, she could have pretended to be ignorant back at the East City Gate near the Royal Brewery and let Viseliane participate in the encirclement of Grin. Once Grin was dead, everything would have been over.
But… Dolores hadn’t been able to harden her heart.
To attribute her own hesitation as the sole cause for Viseliane’s current risk would be too self-absorbed. Dolores knew she wasn’t that noble. But to claim it was entirely unrelated would be self-deception. After all, the desire to kill Grin had come from Dolores herself, and she hadn’t completely abandoned the thought even now.
‘Is it just hesitation…?’
‘It’s normal, right? Viseliane is likely a kind child at heart.’
But as for Dolores… she felt her actions were driven more by the moral concepts she held from her previous life. She knew perfectly well that hesitation led to missed opportunities and increased accidents and risks.
Yet, time and again, she showed a soft heart toward Grin. She had several opportunities to kill him and could have overcome the System’s influence to do so, but her morality stopped her.
Dolores released the hug and watched as Viseliane led the other knights down.
Before descending, Viseliane glanced back at her. Her purple eyes held a rich and complex emotional depth that Dolores had never seen before.
All Dolores could do was wait. Beside her, her brother, who had witnessed everything, suddenly spoke.
“Viseliane is heavily injured. You should have stopped her, Sister. It’s dangerous,” Hoyt advised honestly.
“My emotions wouldn’t let me stop her. At least the knights following her can bring her back if things get dangerous, right?” Dolores said, her mood turning somber.
Hoyt rubbed his chin. “From what I can feel and understand, as long as Viseliane doesn’t run around aimlessly once she’s down there, safety shouldn’t be an issue. The knights can at least bring her back.”
“This place… it used to be our Land of Land’s Underground Seal. However, the entrance to the Past Kingdom at the very bottom hasn’t been opened yet.”
“I am more curious about the people you encountered, Sister. Do you know who they are?” Hoyt asked.
Dolores nodded. “I know some of it. I’ll tell you what I’ve experienced.”
***
Several hours later, there was finally new movement from The Hollow. One by one, the Royal Knights climbed out from below.
Dolores watched intently, trying to find a familiar figure among the armored silhouettes.
The movement stopped. No more people came up.
She still hadn’t found her.
Dolores stepped forward and grabbed the armor of the nearest knight, shouting in a mix of panic and anger.
“Where is Viseliane?!”
In an instant, the surrounding sounds went quiet. The dead silence pierced Dolores’s heart. She stumbled back a few steps and tripped, falling to the ground.
The knight wore a hesitant expression. When he finally spoke, his words made Dolores’s heart feel even more desolate.
“I’m sorry… Princess.”