Volume 1, Chapter 9 – Acknowledgment and Explanation

“Not the Elf Princess?” Anastasia’s voice rose sharply, her body swaying slightly as she knelt on one knee. She suddenly lifted her head, her vivid blue eyes filled with fear. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

Fia spread her hands helplessly. Though the words she was about to speak were cruel, there was no other choice.

If possible, she would have loved to play the role of the Elf Princess, to experience the familial love and friendship she had never known. But she had none of the princess’s memories. While her appearance could be disguised to deceive others, her habits, favorite colors, tastes, unconscious mannerisms, and even her attitude toward others would inevitably give her away.

Rather than pretending to be the Elf Princess only to be exposed within a day, it was better to explain the truth from the start. That way, she might at least earn their goodwill and have a chance to sit down and talk things through. As for the possibility of them seeing her as an enemy—well, she possessed absolute power and had no reason to fear for her safety.

How pathetic.

A wave of irritation surged within Fia. In her current state, she could effortlessly destroy an entire city, casually unleash the most powerful ninth-tier magic this world had ever seen. Even if Anastasia turned against her upon hearing the truth, she posed no threat.

“The Elf Princess you knew is dead. The person standing before you now is nothing more than an empty shell wearing her body.”

“Hah… haha, Your Highness, what kind of joke is this? You’re still you, aren’t you?”

An uneasy laugh escaped Anastasia, but her usually reliable expression betrayed her—her heart was wavering.

Fia averted her gaze from Anastasia to the floor, her heart aching at the other woman’s reaction. She felt like a skilled doctor standing helplessly over a desperate patient, unable to offer a cure. Swallowing her reluctance, Fia rephrased her words.

“Hmm… You were there when the Elf Princess was wounded on the battlefield, weren’t you? I mean the moment she was pierced through the chest by that purple javelin.”

“Yes, I was by your side. My failure to react in time, to shield you from the sneak attack by the humans’ ‘Unsinkable Moon’—that is the disgrace of the Royal Guard Captain… of me. I won’t make excuses for my dereliction of duty. Had I realized sooner that it was the sacred relic ‘Unsinkable Moon,’ used by the Holy Kingdom to protect the Pope in the Holy Capital, the outcome of the battle wouldn’t have been so… humiliating.”

As she spoke, Anastasia bowed her head deeply once more.

“That’s not what I meant,” Fia shook her head. “What I’m saying is, Anastasia, do you think it’s possible for anyone to survive having their entire chest pierced like that?”

“With healing magic—!”

“Exactly,” Fia raised a hand to stop the frantic protest. “Healing magic can mend such wounds. High-tier healing magic can even regenerate lost limbs. But once a person is confirmed dead, no amount of healing magic, no matter how advanced, can restore their consciousness. The Elf Princess died less than half a minute after being struck by that human magic. You know this, don’t you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had her body transported by carriage.”

Gulp.

Reаԁ оn ΚаtRеаⅾіngCαfе

An unmistakable swallow from Anastasia confirmed that Fia’s words were undeniably true.

Yet, a sliver of hope still lingered in Anastasia’s heart. She shifted from kneeling on one knee to both, her knees scraping against the floor as she inched closer to Fia.

“But… but you’re right here in front of me, alive! Dofilia, you’re not dead, you’re not,” her voice trembled toward the end, her hands clutching the hem of Fia’s cloak as she buried her face in it, sobbing. “This isn’t a dream…”

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Anastasia jerked her head up. Her bright blue eyes were filled with desperation and hope, reminding Fia of a terminally ill patient clinging to life.

“It must be because I failed to protect you, so you’re blaming me, right? That’s it, isn’t it? Dofilia, I can’t live without you! You can despise me, curse me, vent your anger on me—ah, I’ll bear all of your wrath, but I can’t lose you. I swore to you, I would fight for you with every breath in my body. You can always… trust me…”

Her voice broke into sobs as Anastasia bowed her head, drowning in endless guilt and regret.

She had promised to protect Dofilia forever, yet in the end, she was the one who lived while Dofilia died. Now that Dofilia stood before her again, how could she dare repeat that oath so shamelessly? It was laughable.

That was why, as she uttered those words again, they felt so unbearably hollow. In the face of reality, oaths were fragile.

“No…”

Fia answered softly.

She didn’t know what to say. Anastasia wanted forgiveness from the Elf Princess, but Fia couldn’t give her what she desired. Just as she had said from the beginning—the princess she had protected was already dead.

As if deaf to Fia’s voice, Anastasia remained kneeling, quietly weeping.

There was nothing left to do but explain further. Pretending to be the Elf Princess and telling Anastasia to rise—that was something Fia couldn’t bring herself to do.

Damn it.

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

If the situation allowed, Fia would have cursed aloud. Instead, she took a deep breath and spoke as gently as possible, laying out the truth.

“This isn’t a dream. I must have possessed the Elf Princess’s body long after her death, reviving in her form. To be honest, aside from the faint memories she left me, I know almost nothing about you, Anastasia. I don’t even remember Dofilia’s parents—what they looked like or what their names were. All I know is my own name: Dofilia Alexia Yushir.”

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“…Huh? Y-You mean… you’ve lost your memories?”

For a brief moment, confusion flickered across Anastasia’s mature, resolute face—before being replaced by overwhelming hope. Her entire demeanor brightened, her eyes no longer dull. She sprang to her feet, seizing Fia’s wrists with desperate strength, her grip so tight it hurt.

“Please, let me check your ‘Mana Surge’!”

“Mana Surge?”

“You’ve forgotten even what that is…” Guilt flashed across Anastasia’s face again. “It’s the diamond-shaped crystal on your right arm. For us elves, it’s the source of our magic.”

“I suppose that’s fine.”

Under Anastasia’s intense gaze, Fia slowly pushed aside the cloak covering her arm, revealing a flawless red diamond crystal.

Pure, unblemished, its radiance restrained. If it were a gemstone, it would be priceless.

“No cracks, and the color is exactly the same as before,” Anastasia murmured as she examined it, her expression growing brighter by the second. “See? You’ve only lost your memories. Ah… thank goodness…”

Like a family member outside an operating room hearing news of a successful surgery, the tension drained from Anastasia’s face as she exhaled in relief.

“Wait, Anastasia, I really am not the Elf Princess.”

“No, you must have just lost your memories. The ‘Mana Surge’ is the source of an elf’s magic, but it’s also part of our body. If it leaves an elf’s body, or if its owner dies, it turns to ash and vanishes.”

“This process can’t be reversed, even if the elf becomes undead. If you had truly died, Your Highness, your Mana Surge would have either disappeared or been cracked and damaged. But yours is flawless—that deep red is unique to the royal family. You are still you.”

Here, Anastasia bit her lip hesitantly.

“Perhaps you used some kind of magic to preserve yourself before being struck by ‘Unsinkable Moon.’ Or maybe it was a miracle. If what you said were true—if your soul had changed—your Mana Surge wouldn’t be in such perfect condition. As for your memories… they must have faded after being in a deathlike state for so long.”

Was that even a plausible explanation?

Fia fell silent.

She already knew the truth.

Rеαⅾ оո КαtRеαⅾiոɡCafe

“I—”

“Captain.”

A faint set of footsteps approached from outside the door, followed by a woman’s voice.

It seemed another member of the elven forces had arrived.

Recognizing the confusion in Fia’s eyes, Anastasia quickly wiped the tears from her face and straightened her clothes.

“That’s another member of the Royal Guard. The Royal Guard is a force directly under the royal family, and I am the captain of its second division—as well as your personal attendant. Originally, I should have escorted the carriage carrying you myself, but we were intercepted by the Holy Kingdom’s Yuna Knights, forcing me to split from the convoy to draw their attention.”

It looked like there would be no chance to finish their conversation.

Fia sighed inwardly.

She wasn’t foolish enough to continue this discussion in front of everyone.

Steeling herself, Fia spoke reluctantly.

“Let them in.”

“Yes.”

Clenching her right hand into a fist over her chest, Anastasia gave a formal salute before walking to the door and opening the simple wooden panel.

Five elves filed in.

Men and women alike, their attire varied—some wore luxurious robes, while others were draped in tattered rags, their necks even adorned with iron collars, their hair a tangled mess. They looked like slaves.

Yet their reactions upon entering were identical: shock, followed by indescribable joy. Some even had tears in their eyes.

“Pr… Princess!”

Rеаⅾ оn КаtRеаⅾіngСаfе

“You’re alive!”

“By the Elven Gods, I’ve seen you again!”

“At last, we can rest easy.”

Their words were nearly identical to Anastasia’s, but that only proved their sincerity. Every one of them truly saw Fia as their sovereign.

Without needing Anastasia’s orders, the five elves lined up and knelt on one knee, bowing their heads before Fia.

“Welcome back, Your Highness, the First Princess.”

Should she tell them to rise?

Fia hesitated.

She wasn’t ready for this.

Fortunately, Anastasia stepped in. Unlike the gentle tone she used with Fia, her voice now carried authority.

“Rise. Her Highness has suffered an accident. Your actions may trouble her.”

“An accident?”

A male elf in his thirties looked up.

“Her Highness fell into a deathlike state after being struck by ‘Unsinkable Moon’ and has lost most of her memories. By my authority, I hereby alter our primary mission. From now on, our top priority is ensuring Her Highness’s safe return to the homeland.”

Anastasia turned back to Fia. Only now did Fia see the bearing of a true commander in her—resolute, decisive, and commanding.

“Your Highness, we will now discuss how to escort you back to the homeland. Would you prefer to rest, or…?”

“I’ll rest first—no, prepare a change of clothes for me. Something to conceal my hair color, too. It’s still early; I need to go out.” Seeing Anastasia about to protest, Fia cut her off coldly. “You were going to say ‘It’s too dangerous,’ weren’t you? But I have my reasons. If you and your people can move freely in this city as elves, then so can I—as long as I disguise myself properly.”