Volume 7, Chapter 6 – The Beginning of Abnormality

“This is where we live now…”

The thin young female elf, dressed in patched short clothes, came to a halt. She stole a timid glance back, her eyes filled with a subservient fear.

The living quarters the woman spoke of were no different from the hovels Fia had seen earlier. Anastasia stepped forward to lift the curtain, revealing a space of only three or four square meters cluttered with daily necessities. There were wooden racks and piles of brushwood for fire, a simple bed made of a few rags and dry hay, and earthenware jars for holding water and food. Every item was stained with the yellow mud accumulated from long-term use, and a foul stench of sour sweat and stinky shoes wafted from the shack—something no one would pick up even if it were thrown onto the street.

There were several more hovels like this near Fia. According to the woman, because a single shack could only fit six or seven people at most, Grand Duke Herr’s party had built several of them. Even if they let in the wind in winter and leaked in summer, it was still much better than the poor souls who were exiled alone. Since they had many people, they didn’t have to worry about their hovels being stolen once built, whereas a solitary exile faced the constant risk of their home being forcibly occupied.

“Your Highness, I will go inspect the other tents.”

“Mm.”

Nodding gently to give Anastasia permission, Fia turned her gaze toward the emaciated woman holding the infant.

Grand Duke Herr’s account of driving Erin Slate out did not differ from Erin Slate’s own description, save for the addition of the Grand Duke’s many repentances. After casting Erin Slate out, Grand Duke Herr had not only gone out to search for her but had even erected a headstone for her in the Land of Exile, visiting it every year to pay his respects.

Once he heard Fia’s promise that the bloodline of the Herr family would not be severed—that she would take the infants, children, and the mother of the infant out of the Land of Exile—the Grand Duke stopped pestering her. With a look of sincerity and relief, he thanked Fia for helping him so much.

It should be noted that Grand Duke Herr had also made two presumptive requests. The first was to beg Fia, for the sake of their ancestors once being heroes of the Kingdom, to execute only him as the patriarch and spare the others. Fia had considered this but did not agree. Fleeing exile was a capital offense. Had they not fled, Fia might have considered it, but since they chose to escape knowing full well that they would be executed if caught, they had to be prepared for the consequences. As adults, they had to take responsibility for their own actions.

As for the second request, Fia had promised to convey Grand Duke Herr’s repentance to Erin Slate. The Grand Duke begged that, if Erin Slate could forgive him, he hoped Fia would go to his headstone after his death and tell Erin Slate not to hate him anymore. Although Fia felt the hope was slim, she still agreed to the Grand Duke’s final request.

And so, it led to the current scene: the woman with the infant was packing her belongings and mementos, preparing to leave the Land of Exile.

The woman’s timid manner as she held the baby stirred Fia’s pity. She hadn’t originally intended to release any adult criminals, but after seeing the wailing infant and the weeping woman, she changed her mind and let the mother stay as well.

She thought of Veronica and the Eldest Princess. In the Shining Era where she lived, people didn’t need parents to grow up healthy; it even reduced many personality flaws caused by improper parenting. But this era was different. A child leaving its mother would lack a loving environment. Just like the Eldest Princess—though her family was wealthier than anyone’s, her personality was colder than anyone’s. She didn’t want this infant to repeat the Eldest Princess’s tragedy.

“Aren’t you going to pack your things?”

Seeing the woman remaining motionless, Fia thought she was afraid to move because she hadn’t given the order.

“As long as you don’t leave my sight, hurry up and do what you need to do. Once we leave the Land of Exile, I will settle you in Blossom. You can live there under assumed names, and I will have someone remove the marks on your faces.”

“I… I have nothing to pack…” Still speaking in a timid voice, the woman held the baby tight and turned slightly, not daring to look at Fia. “When we fled… we already took everything. Anything of value.”

Though the speech was broken, it was understandable.

“Nothing at all? Are you Erin Slate’s sister? Or someone else?”

“A cousin, I suppose…”

A cousin?

Erin Slate was around one hundred and forty years old. The woman before her looked about the same age as Estelle, though her body was even thinner and smaller than Estelle’s.

Perhaps this elf wasn’t even an adult yet. While this wasn’t rare on the continent of the World Tree, seeing it with her own eyes still made her sigh.

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Gurgle—

The woman’s stomach let out a growling sound. Her filth-stained face went stiff instantly, and her waist bent even lower.

She likely hadn’t eaten in the day and night since they fled. Now that she had calmed down, her body finally had the energy to protest. Fia took several paper-wrapped biscuits out of the spatial bag Claire had given her. After a moment’s thought, she placed them on a nearby stone. Throughout the process, the woman’s eyes followed the biscuits, her throat constantly swallowing; it looked as if her hands were about to reach out from her eyes, desperate to eat the biscuits with her gaze alone.

Once a noble, now reduced to such a state. If I handed them to her directly, she might not even dare to eat them.

I feel nothing toward killing and corpses, yet I can’t stand sights like this. I really am a strange one, Fia sighed long and hard.

“Take them if you want to eat. I’m going to look elsewhere. If you have any problems, you can find the soldiers on the street. I’ve instructed them to protect your safety. But let me make this clear—if you choose to run, you won’t get a second chance. Anastasia, let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Anastasia, who had been inspecting the tents, returned to Fia’s side. The two of them walked back toward the alley they had come from. They hadn’t gone more than a few steps when Fia heard the sound of ravenous devouring behind her, accompanied by the crying of the infant and the woman’s low sobbing.

“Your Highness, aren’t you afraid that by taking her back, she will raise that child to seek revenge on you when it grows up?”

“As long as she has even half a brain, she won’t do something as futile as striking a rock with an egg,” Fia whispered, stealing a glance back at the woman squatting on the ground and gulping down the biscuits. A sense of bitterness rose in her heart. “Anastasia, do you think I should release Grand Duke Herr and the others? They’ve suffered enough; the purpose of punishment has been served. It’s not too late to stop the executioners.”

“Rebellion is a capital offense. Back then, His Majesty showed great face and was exceptionally lenient by not executing Grand Duke Herr directly. Today, you are violating Imperial law to save his bloodline—that is already a monumental kindness. To ask for more is greed; you have already done more than enough.”

“…I suppose so. Speaking of which, Anastasia lived in the Land of Exile before. Do you remember where you stayed? I’d like to see it. If you don’t like the idea, then never mind; don’t worry about me.”

“Hehe,” Anastasia let out a light laugh, her long golden hair shimmering under the hazy sunlight of the Land of Exile. “Though I suffered quite a bit here, I also learned many things. Not to mention, this is where I was saved by you. Rather than bitter memories, I feel mostly relief and gratitude.”

Gratitude…

As if savoring the word, Fia murmured softly.

“If only I still had my old memories. To be honest, hearing Anastasia talk about our meeting makes me feel like you’re talking about someone else. It’s a strange feeling.”

“Then should I mention it less in the future?”

“There’s no need for that.”

After all, that meeting was unforgettable for Anastasia. Rather than having her mention it less, Fia wanted to do something that would be even more unforgettable for her—to create memories of the present.

But though she said so, she didn’t know where to start in practice. The only thing she could think of was to face Anastasia’s feelings for her head-on. However, doing so would lead to the same problem she had with Nola. She said she wanted to try and change her perspective, but a change in perspective requires a catalyst; it’s not something that changes just by saying so. For example, someone who views food as either sweet or salty—a person who likes sweet things will never change their view until they taste a truly exquisite salty dish. That exquisite salty dish is the catalyst. She lacked such a thing.

Thinking of this, Fia stole a glance at Anastasia. Ever since Anastasia found out that Nola had confessed to her, the distance between them had grown slightly—only a tiny bit, impossible to tell unless one looked closely, but it still spoke volumes. Perhaps Anastasia was feeling self-conscious; Nola’s confession had pushed her away, making her feel she should just continue being a servant.

She has no idea how important she is to me…

Possessed by a sudden impulse, Fia leaned toward Anastasia. Her hand tentative for a moment, she then firmly grasped Anastasia’s hand. Anastasia’s body stiffened instantly, her azure eyes going wide.

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“Your Highness, you—”

Anastasia struggled to pull away from Fia, but Fia’s next words made her behave.

“Is there something wrong with a Sister holding her sister’s hand? Anastasia says that Grand Duke Herr’s punishment is only right, yet when you saw him being led away, your eyes dimmed. In the end, you still don’t want to see someone who was once kind to you killed.”

“I have already repaid Grand Duke Herr’s kindness. I owe him nothing more. I was simply unable to bear it just now.”

Saying this, Anastasia turned her head away, her lovely profile written with reluctance. Fia couldn’t help but smile.

“I thought Anastasia would be as heartless as Erin Slate. My impression was that you always do things by the book when dealing with outsiders, for fear of bringing a stain to my name. So seeing you unable to bear it was a bit novel.”

“Th—That is my duty. If a servant makes a mistake, the master loses face. It’s just that I, like Grand Duke Herr, was once a criminal. I received your favor and was taken away from this place of despair, while Grand Duke Herr’s only end is to die here. As a fellow exile, I feel a bit of sorrow. If I hadn’t met you back then, I probably would have died here long ago…”

“So, is Anastasia trying to say I’m being unfair?”

“No, I didn’t mean that at all!”

Anastasia grew flustered, which was exactly the effect Fia wanted. She had been mischievous on purpose to bridge the gap between them.

So cute.

If she weren’t past Liti’s age, she would surely be clinging to Anastasia’s arm and acting spoiled like a real sister right now.

Thinking about it, Nola was truly incredible. Even as an adult, she could still hug her, enduring the shame to sniff here and there; even if Fia said teasing things, she would just turn red and never let go. If it were Fia, she would have long since been flying around the sky in embarrassment to vent her emotions.

“Your Highness is far too mischievous.”

Realizing Fia was teasing her, Anastasia scolded her with a blush, her grip on Fia’s hand tightening slightly.

“Then does Anastasia think the old me was better, or the current me?”

Fia looked up at Anastasia from below, her shimmering red eyes full of expectation.

“Why is it this question again…”

“Because I really care, of course.”

“That… I think both are very good.” Anastasia quickly changed the subject. “How do you plan to handle Miss Nola’s feelings? Since His Majesty and Queen Yulisha both approve of Miss Nola, then Tilulu should be put on the agenda as well. In that case, will Miss Nola be the Second Consort, or will Miss Tilulu be the Second Consort?”

Anastasia, your subject change is way too forced.

Although Fia wasn’t good at matters of the heart, she was still more than a match for Anastasia, who was even worse at expressing herself. She deliberately adopted a light tone.

“Shouldn’t it be Anastasia? Anastasia has me in her heart, and I have Anastasia in mine. Since we’re trying to make sure no one is left with regrets, that surely includes Anastasia as well. Besides, Anastasia’s personality and appearance both suit my tastes perfectly. You hold an irreplaceable position in my heart. If it weren’t for Claire, I surely would have been infatuated with you long ago.”

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“What—Wh-What are you saying?! Please do not play such jokes on your subordinate! If Miss Claire heard this, she would surely overthink things!”

Anastasia had become so stiff that even her walking posture was unnatural. Fia pressed her index finger to her chin, continuing to tease her with an indifferent expression.

“Claire won’t mind such things, you know. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so indecisive.”

“That is still out of the question! At the end of the day, this is not something that should be spoken of so casually,” Anastasia replied with a serious face, doing her best to remain composed. “You just had a massive row with His Majesty because of me. The fact that His Majesty allows me to remain by your side is already an act of immense leniency. If His Majesty heard your remarks just now, he would surely faint from rage.”

His Majesty would never, under any circumstances, allow his daughter to be with Clark’s daughter.

Anastasia added this in her heart, perfectly imagining the scene of Yelido and Fia arguing.

Fia curled her lip repeatedly.

“So what? Father isn’t the same man he used to be. You won’t believe me if I say it, but when I went back last time, I happened to see Father and Mother Yulisha on a secret tryst. Without the shackles of Veronica, he’s become much younger than before, and his mindset has changed too. By the time we return to the Royal Capital, he might have already realized that Anastasia isn’t at fault at all.”

“That isn’t something one can just say ‘might’ happen…”

“Hoho, Anastasia seems quite expectant—wait, Anastasia?”

Fia’s teasing was only halfway through when Anastasia suddenly went limp, like a machine that had run out of power. She began to fall head-first; fortunately, Fia was there to catch her, preventing her from collapsing onto the ground.

The lapse lasted only an instant before Anastasia woke up. Her azure eyes were filled with blankness, as if she didn’t know what had happened, looking at Fia’s urgent expression with utter confusion.

“Your Highness, this is…”

“What happened to you?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’…”

The bewilderment in Anastasia’s eyes deepened.

“You suddenly collapsed while we were talking. It was the same earlier on the horse. This can’t be explained away as just not getting enough rest, can it? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No… your subordinate is fine.” Not understanding why Fia was so anxious, Anastasia looked around in a daze and said hesitantly, “I should be inspecting the tents. Why am I suddenly here?”

“The tents? We walked past them a while ago. You can’t remember what just happened?”

This display was far too abnormal. Fia switched between [Airflow Control] and [Magic Perception], even adding [See Through] to avoid any accidents. However, the results showed that Anastasia had no issues, and there were no traces of mana in the surroundings.

The urgency in Fia’s expression intensified.

“Weren’t we just talking about the Second Consort?”

“My apologies, Your Highness. Please give your subordinate a moment to recall… regarding the Second Consort, a choice should be made between Miss Nola and Miss Tilulu, right?”

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Standing straight, Anastasia wore a smile, but her azure eyes didn’t dare meet Fia’s, shimmering with a guilty conscience.

She couldn’t remember a single thing Fia was talking about. She could only guess based on her usual thoughts what she might have said. As for the “unwell” feeling Fia mentioned, she didn’t feel a thing. As Nola had said, a warrior must know their body perfectly to perform at their peak on the battlefield. As a practitioner of the Royal Swordsmanship, Anastasia’s attainment in the sword was no lower than Nola’s; if there were an abnormality in her body, she would have discovered it before Fia.

Unfortunately, her answer failed to satisfy Fia. Fia stared into Anastasia’s eyes, as if trying to seize upon something hidden within them.

“Anastasia, I order you: tell me whether or not you truly feel unwell.”

“I don’t, Your Highness. I swear it.”

Fia hadn’t obtained the answer she wanted, and Anastasia’s eyes truly weren’t lying. Fia took a long, deep breath.

“We aren’t going to see your old home. Take that woman and the infant back. Once the army has gathered the children of the Land of Exile, we’re leaving.”

“Yes.”

Anastasia stood straight and habitually offered Fia a military salute.

“One more thing.”

As if remembering something, Fia drew the slightly cracked Laevateinn from her waist. To Anastasia’s cry of alarm, she cut her fingertip and mixed the blood with a water orb created by [Torrent]. Her tone was so serious that Anastasia couldn’t refuse; the immense pressure even made Anastasia feel as if she were serving the Dofilia from before her memory loss.

“Close your eyes. Open your mouth.”

Anastasia didn’t dare refuse. Following Fia’s command, she closed her eyes and slightly parted her lips. Then, a liquid with a hint of sweetness and iron wrapped around the tip of her tongue. Under Fia’s forceful movement to tilt her chin up, Anastasia was forced to swallow the sphere of water mixed with Fia’s blood.

“Your Highness, is… is that enough?”

“It’s enough.”

She quietly opened her eyes, but what she saw was still Fia’s extremely grave expression. She couldn’t help but ask:

“May I ask what exactly happened?”

“It’s nothing. Come to my room tonight, and don’t dress too heavily.”

“Hah? How can I possibly…”

Anastasia instantly became bashful, yet Fia remained heavy-hearted.

“This is an order. Listen well: go back to the carriage right now and stay with Claire and the others. Do not come out without my command. Your duties will be taken over by the soldiers here.”

“…Understood.”

Full of hesitation, Anastasia complied with Fia’s request. Step by step, she left the alley, constantly looking back at Fia, who stood there with a deeply furrowed brow, until she reached the corner and vanished from sight.