“Sorry, Dolores, I have to go…”
Albeco pulled the wide brim of her hat low, bidding farewell to Dolores.
She had promised to give Dolores some help, but it would only be a little—aside from items like the one that could reduce favorability within the system. Albeco’s promise was limited to not telling anyone and helping Green.
This was already a decent outcome for Dolores. The fact that Albeco, who once liked Green, was willing to help her and not take Green’s side was a significant gain.
It was just a pity to involve a child of Albeco’s age in the mess between her and Green.
Dolores’s desire to survive was genuine, but she had used fabricated dreams to earn the other girl’s trust. Trading falsehoods for someone’s sincerity gave Dolores a faint sense of guilt.
But…
Watching Albeco turn to leave, Dolores suddenly called out, startling the girl so much she nearly jumped.
“Thank you, Albeco.”
Albeco felt her nose tingle with an urge to cry, but she quickly adjusted her state. Lowering her voice, she said, “I didn’t say I agreed with your ideas! If you complete it, you complete it, but if you fail, I won’t risk my life to help you!”
With that, Albeco turned and fled as if she were trying to escape, seemingly afraid of hearing more words from Dolores that might soften her heart.
‘Thank you, it’s always “thank you.”‘
‘Even though I’ve done nothing, even though I’ve only done small things, she still says thank you.’
‘Silbell was like this, and now Dolores is too…’
‘Do they think I’m some kind of good person? Do they really consider me a friend after spending so little time together?’
Albeco pulled her hat even lower and walked a few steps away. Suddenly, she turned back to the standing Dolores and reminded her, “I’m going to the neighboring city of Hegeholin. I’ll bring you the things you asked for within two days. If anything happens to you before then, I can’t help you.”
“Keep that Protective Necklace I gave you on. Don’t take it off no matter what happens. Wait for me to come back.”
Without waiting for a reply, Albeco pulled the door shut. Dolores immediately heard the sound of her hurried footsteps fading away.
She opened the door only to see Albeco’s retreating figure in the distance.
Once she confirmed the girl had left, Dolores sat down on the edge of the bed alone, feeling somewhat lonely and lost in thought. A child like Albeco—full of initiative and kindness—was exactly like the passionate girls she had read about in books.
In contrast, she felt like a villain who exploited the kindness of others.
Her behavior moments ago had been somewhat coercive. She couldn’t ignore the nature of her actions just because of her gender. Albeco was still just a child.
Dolores, on the other hand, should have been a mature adult; her mental age was already over thirty. She felt she wasn’t being rational enough.
Whether she blamed it on the influence of her physical body or the trauma of death, transmigration, and her environment, such excuses were meaningless now. Those justifications were meant to be spoken aloud to seek validation from others.
But right now, she had no one to listen to her, and no one from whom she could seek approval.
Dolores sat for about twenty minutes until the movement from Vesserian on the bed startled her back to reality.
“Vesserian, how are you feeling now?”
Dolores called out to her. Near the crater, when Green was comforting Dolores, she had heard Vesserian’s name from his mouth. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to stop mid-sentence because she didn’t know the maid’s name.
“Princess, my wounds are nearly healed. I only exhausted too much of my strength. As for the injuries on my body… the physical recovery speed of our Elf race far exceeds that of humans.”
As she spoke, Vesserian revealed her injuries. The puncture wound on her shoulder was now nothing more than a scar. The dried blood had already fallen away, and it seemed the scar itself would vanish in a short while.
“Princess, I had no intention of hiding my race. I chose to stay by your side years ago because of a promise to your mother. I will stay with you from birth until death, until your soul is buried in the ancestral lands.”
“That was the content of my agreement with your mother. You were too young, and to avoid the controversy my identity might bring, I kept my status as an Elf a secret,” Vesserian explained, seemingly worried that Dolores might overthink things.
Elves had long lifespans. If Dolores did not transcend the mortal ranks during her lifetime, she would have a lifespan of a few hundred years at most. For Vesserian, who could live for 2,000 years, that was not long.
However, it was curious what kind of price Dolores’s mother had paid to make an Elf accept a guard mission that lasted centuries.
But Dolores didn’t care much about such things right now. Vesserian sensed her thoughts and stood up from the bed, moving her limbs to show she was fine.
At the same time, Vesserian used magic to hide her pointed ears again. She prepared to change back into her maid uniform; because of her injuries, she had been put into a white dress by the female doctor.
Dolores turned her gaze away slightly. Once Vesserian finished dressing, Dolores whispered another thanks.
A smile played on Vesserian’s lips. After dressing, she walked over to Dolores’s side.
“I can tell you some things about your mother now. Actually, your mother is not the current Queen, Princess Lorelei. You and the First Prince and the other prince are half-siblings.”
“I knew your mother long before she met Felz IV. After you were born, I intentionally tried to stop you from getting close to Princess Lorelei and viewing her as your mother.”
“I originally planned to tell you everything after you married and had your own family, but now I feel I should tell you part of the truth early.”
“I hope that one day you can find your mother, Dolores Halley. She is a lovely woman with white hair and green eyes, just like you.”
Dolores listened silently. She was surprised by this information she hadn’t known, and she realized she had indeed never seen her titular mother during this time.
The Queen of the Rand Kingdom, her father’s wife, was Princess Lorelei from the Lorelei Kingdom. She had visited her eldest and younger sons recently, yet she was the only one who hadn’t met with Dolores.
If she wasn’t the Queen’s biological child, then everything made sense.
Seeing Dolores’s reaction, Vesserian knew the message had been received. Her face and tone lost their icy rigidity, softening considerably.
Looking at Dolores’s face and thinking about her actions and reactions, Vesserian felt that this cute and kind child was exactly the person she wanted to protect.
Yet, someone wanted to hurt her. Vesserian would never allow such a thing to happen.
Dolores prepared to open the window to let in some air. Since the dragon disaster in the early morning, the day outside had long since turned to night.
The palace was situated on higher ground than the surrounding area, allowing her to see buildings in the city that were still burning. This involuntarily made Dolores mentalize the ruined streets she had just traversed.
A strange sense of sorrow filled her heart.
Vesserian placed a hand on Dolores’s shoulder. The latter was about to advise the injured woman not to move around, but Vesserian asked, “Princess, no matter the circumstances, I will protect you.”
“You’ve already protected me many times. I won’t use ‘duty’ to dismiss your actions… You should rest a little longer,” Dolores said softly, feeling that Vesserian had already done enough.
Vesserian nodded.
However, for her, it wasn’t enough.
Dolores Halley had trusted her and entrusted her child to her care. This Dolores trusted her, cared for her, and was the child she had watched grow up.
These were reasons enough for her to take risks.
The Princess’s current unease and fear all stemmed from Green.
As long as the source disappeared, the Princess’s worries would end.