Volume 1, Chapter 16 – Resolution

This is bad.

They’re coming over.

I need to act like I just arrived—being caught eavesdropping would be embarrassing.

With that thought, Fia quickly retreated into the hallway, smoothing her skirt and adjusting her hair to appear as composed as possible.

With a creak, the door opened, revealing three faces. Two were elves Fia had never seen before, while the third was one of the five who had knelt before her earlier. Judging by their expressions, the discussion must have gone well—all three looked pleased.

However, the moment they noticed Fia, their cheerful expressions vanished, replaced with deference as they dropped to one knee.

“Your Highness, the Eldest Princess.”

“No need for formalities. Rise. Attend to your duties—I have business with Anastasia.”

“As you command.”

Though still uncomfortable speaking in such a commanding tone, Fia managed it. This wasn’t her first time in such a situation, and she had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

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Having easily dismissed the three elves, Fia stepped into the room. Anastasia had clearly heard her arrival and stood at attention, bowing the moment Fia approached.

From any angle, Anastasia was the picture of a disciplined warrior.

“Your Highness.”

“Mm… Anastasia, do you have a moment?”

Without any preamble, Fia cut straight to the point.

Anastasia looked up, confusion flickering across her usually resolute face.

“What does Your Highness require?”

“I’d like to discuss something with you.”

“Understood. Please, have a seat, Your Highness.”

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Anastasia gestured gracefully toward an exquisitely crafted round table, inviting Fia to sit while she prepared tea and refreshments as a servant would. Her movements were flawless, honed through countless repetitions.

So this was what Anastasia had meant when she introduced herself as both the captain of the Second Royal Guard and the personal attendant to the elf princess. Fia marveled inwardly. She was both a protector of the princess’s safety and a maid who tended to her daily needs. Just watching her brew tea made it clear—Anastasia was an exceptional aide to the princess.

Once everything was prepared, Anastasia closed the door and finally took a seat across from Fia. The room fell into silence, broken only by the faint steam rising from their teacups—proof that time had not frozen.

This is… really awkward.

Fia lifted her cup to mask her nervousness.

She had come to Anastasia to finish the conversation they’d been unable to have earlier, when they’d been interrupted.

Claire’s advice had given her much to think about. At first, she had believed that following Claire’s suggestion—telling a well-intentioned lie until Anastasia and the others felt they had grieved enough—would be the best solution. Once they could accept the princess’s death, Fia could end this borrowed life, and both sides would be satisfied.

But another of Claire’s words had struck her: “Fia, you should think more about yourself.”

To be honest, could she really sever her ties with Anastasia and the others so easily once they were “ready”?

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Of course not.

The sudden loss of anyone she had grown close to would leave her heartbroken—especially now, after experiencing the beautiful things the elf princess had possessed. Cutting herself off afterward would haunt her for the rest of her life, leaving her unable to move past the grief.

Even if Anastasia’s kindness was only because she mistook Fia for the princess, she was still the first woman in this world to speak to Fia, the first to make her feel warmth. Even now, the memory of Anastasia holding her hand that afternoon lingered—the warmth, the steadiness, the sense of security.

It was a feeling she had never known before.

In the past, no one had paid her any attention—or rather, by the time she realized it, there was no one left around. Like a lone meteor drifting through the vast emptiness of space, no one sent her messages, and no one answered hers. How long had that gone on? She couldn’t remember. Perhaps by then, even the concept of time had blurred.

But today, for the first time in that endless night, she had received a reply—and Anastasia was the one who had reached out to her.

This world was so vast and vibrant that in less than half a day, she had experienced countless emotions. And this was only the beginning—more radiant things awaited her in the future.

These were treasures that the cold, lifeless universe had never offered.

Wouldn’t it be nice to just become the elf princess? That thought circled endlessly in her mind.

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She didn’t want to leave Anastasia—the woman who had given her this possibility.

But.

One shouldn’t make decisions based solely on emotion or logic. Claire’s advice was just that—advice. In the end, the choice was hers alone.

And so, to avoid future regrets, to cut through the hesitation binding her, to stand tall and unashamed as Dofilia Alexia Yushir, she had to do the one thing only she could do.

Tell the whole truth—and let Anastasia decide.

If Anastasia couldn’t accept her, she would leave without hesitation. But if she did… then from that moment on, whether in the dead of night or the heart of a bustling crowd, Fia would live with a clear conscience, striving with all her might to become someone others could only look up to.

Just as the true elf princess had been hailed as the kingdom’s greatest genius, Fia would surpass her—becoming stronger, kinder, and more extraordinary than anyone could imagine.

Perhaps this was what Claire had truly meant when she said, “You don’t have to play the role of a noble. Be yourself. Proving your worth through your own abilities is also a choice.”