Volume 1, Chapter 19 – An Unexpected Conflict

Glancing at the sky outside, Anastasia, who was in the first-floor servant’s room, resumed her pacing. Soon, it would be time for her to lead the team in safely escorting Fia out of the city. All she had to do now was wait for the scouts she had sent ahead to return and confirm the path was clear.

The reason for such caution was that magically excavated tunnels were not safe. Every use of magic left traces of mana, much like fingerprints left behind when a person touches something. The magic chanters of Aurora City could sense the residual mana to detect nearby magical activity and even determine what kind of magic had been used.

The reason their side had managed to dig a tunnel leading directly from the city to the outside in just a few days was precisely because of earth-based magic. If the Aurora City garrison discovered this tunnel and set up an ambush outside, leading Fia into it recklessly would be like walking straight into a trap.

Thus, they had to wait for the scouts to return before setting out.

“Captain, shouldn’t we inform Her Highness the Crown Princess?” asked an elven soldier who, like Fia, had been waiting in the cramped room of less than ten square meters.

At the mention of Fia, the stern expression on Anastasia’s face softened slightly, and the corners of her lips curled into a faint smile.

“Let Her Highness sleep a little longer. Her spirit has been unstable, and she needs the rest.”

Reαd оn ΚatRеaԁingСαfе

“I agree. This is the first time I’ve ever heard Her Highness wailing—”

Before the soldier could finish, he abruptly clamped his mouth shut. A closer look would reveal that Anastasia was glaring at him with a particularly severe gaze.

“Hmm? Did that happen?”

“N-no, Captain. I meant… I meant to say that Her Highness has become more human lately, very… very adorable.”

“Exactly. Before, Her Highness rarely spoke, and her tone was always cold. Now, it’s like she’s a different person. When we kneel to salute her, she even tells us to ‘rise.’ In the past, we wouldn’t have dared to imagine such a thing.”

“Though her old, serious and quiet demeanor was also cute, the current Her Highness finally acts like a girl her age.”

With these words, the tense atmosphere in the room quickly gave way to levity. The elven soldiers’ faces were filled with emotion.

Rеad οո КаtReaⅾiոɡСafе

Anastasia did not stop them. Just as these royal guards had said, even though Fia’s behavior was a result of her lost memories, it didn’t change the fact that she was now even more endearing.

In the past, burdened by the weight of becoming the Elven Queen, Fia had rarely smiled. As her older sister, Anastasia often blamed herself for being unable to change that reality.

But now, Fia had become cheerful and emotionally expressive—to the point of crying in front of her. Most importantly, Fia sought her out, needed her. This filled Anastasia with immense satisfaction, finally giving her a sense of being an older sister rather than just a subordinate.

As for Fia’s persistent worry about “the elf princess not being the elf princess,” Anastasia saw no reason for concern. In fact, she found Fia’s anxiety itself rather adorable.

Anastasia’s confidence stemmed from two things: the unchanged mana surge and Fia’s retained habits.

First, if an elf’s soul were replaced or altered, their mana surge would inevitably change. The mana surge was essentially the external manifestation of an elf’s soul—a truth that had held for tens of thousands of years without a single exception. Even in myths, not even the gods could replace a soul while keeping the mana surge intact. And Fia’s mana surge remained completely unchanged.

Rеαԁ οn KαtRеaⅾiոgСαfе

Second, certain subtle details about Fia had not changed despite her memory loss. Aside from Fia’s parents, no one was more qualified to judge this than Anastasia herself. Whether it was the way she unconsciously twirled her hair when deep in thought or her tendency to keep her worries buried deep inside, these habits were identical to those of the Fia from before.

Even if, against all odds, the mana surge had somehow malfunctioned, Fia’s personal habits were more than enough proof that she was still herself. As for the “memories that don’t belong to her” that Fia mentioned, Anastasia speculated that they might be remnants of another soul that had clung to Fia’s when she was injured by the Holy Kingdom’s national treasure, the “Unsinkable Moon,” and fell into a deathlike state.

Though the idea of a foreign soul attaching itself to Fia infuriated Anastasia to no end, it did nothing to diminish her feelings for Fia. Whether a fragment of that soul had merged with Fia’s or merely left behind memories, Fia was still Fia.

The Fia of the past had been too strong and too clever, leaving Anastasia unable to help her. But now, she finally had the chance to repay Fia’s kindness—to protect and cherish her like a true older sister.

At this thought, Anastasia couldn’t help but recall how Fia had slept soundly in her arms the night before.

It was so unbearably cute that she had almost given in to the urge to secretly kiss her.

If Fia’s admirers ever found out that the cool, aloof, and ever-composed Crown Princess had fallen asleep in her embrace, they would surely be consumed by jealousy—enough to tear her apart and preserve her skin as a treasure simply for having once held the Crown Princess as she slept.

Rеaԁ on KatRеaԁіոgСαfe

Tap, tap.

Just as the room was filled with this relaxed atmosphere, the wooden board at their feet suddenly emitted a rhythmic knocking sound.

The relaxed atmosphere vanished instantly. At the sound, everyone tensed, stepping back in unison, their hands instinctively moving to their weapons.

Every member of the Royal Guard underwent rigorous training in coded signals, ensuring they could convey messages even in a state of impaired consciousness through muscle memory alone.

But now, the knocking from beneath the board made one thing clear—whoever was below was no ally.

They had walked into an ambush.