Chapter 168

“Princess Her Highness, among the noble children of the entire kingdom, you may choose at will. Whomever Princess Her Highness fancies, regardless of their office or rank, shall be dispatched to the Demon Domain to serve under your command. How about it?”

Huh? What are you even saying?

Oh, oh, I get it now.

Sheffy only froze for a moment before recalling a rumor that circulated widely in the noble circles.

It was said that within the royal families of various nations, there were always a few arrogant, wanton individuals with twisted tastes, who plundered and extorted at will. Some would even take notice of someone with a pleasing appearance and directly seize them, raising them as slaves. Even if they were not made into slaves, they would still be subjected to abuse like sadistic playthings. Whatever they wished, they did, all for the sake of indulging in those bizarre, perverse pleasures.

Ew... what are you taking me for?

And as for you nobles, don’t all show me those frightened, worried looks. I’m so kindhearted I can’t even bear to kill a fish—so gentle, without a shred of cruelty in me!

Anyway, to get to the point.

Sheffy had no interest at all in the king’s proposal. In fact, she even felt a little nauseated.

“No need. We of the Demon Clan have no interest in you humans. Cooperation is cooperation. As long as our goals align, there is no need to involve unnecessary matters.”

“I see... Princess Her Highness is far more straightforward than I imagined.”

“Same goes for you.”

The conversation should have ended there.

But who would have thought... the king seemed to have already expected Sheffy to answer this way.

He was not surprised.

He truly was not surprised.

But Sheffy, on the other hand, was quite surprised!

For the king suddenly stepped to the side.

He no longer blocked the view, allowing the Kingdom’s Third Princess, Livra, to meet Sheffy’s gaze from afar.

Amid the puzzled expressions on both sides.

Though the king’s eyes carried worry and reluctance, he still chose to speak words that astonished everyone.

“Princess Sheffy, I have understood that you do not wish to choose among the nobles of the kingdom, and I shall not mention it again. However... allow me to say just one more thing. What about my daughter, Livra? Would you be willing to keep her by your side, to guide her a little?”

“Father...?!”

“......”

Uh...

This old king, just what medicine are you hiding in that gourd...?

Look, the nobles had only just let out a sigh of relief...

And in the blink of an eye, you went and sold off your own daughter?!

---

76. The Safest Place

“Your Majesty the King... what do you mean by this?”

“Princess Sheffy, please do not take offense. It is only that Livra has too little experience and still requires tempering...”

“......”

If there was anything that sounded especially jarring in the quiet air—

then it must have been the sound of the medal falling from Xiarette’s hand.

Just moments ago, the king had also awarded the Wright Family members with the Medal of the Guardian of the Kingdom.

This was supposed to be an honor held tightly in one’s grasp, but Xiarette simply failed to grip it properly, letting it crash to the ground.

Thud.

“Sorry.”

She did not feel the slightest bit troubled by it.

Xiarette bent down with cold eyes and picked up the medal. Not only was she unfazed, she even ignored the puzzled looks of the surrounding family members.

Her behavior was uncharacteristic, yet no one dared to ask her about it.

Because Xiarette’s current state was strange...

Her aura seemed to say: no one should dare provoke her.

Xiarette put away the golden medal, then took several deep breaths to steady herself.

One must know, she hadn’t been deliberately angry, nor did she even understand why her hand had just trembled.

She only knew that the medal had fallen at the exact moment the king spoke of letting Princess Livra follow Sheffy.

And her rising blood pressure had never once subsided.

Haa... Your Majesty the King, please do not imitate the foolish decisions of senile monarchs of the past!

No—seriously! Where on earth did this proposal of yours even come from?!

Sheffy didn’t really know either.

But when she saw the sudden expression of happiness and eager anticipation on Livra’s face, she just wanted to complain.

Livra, your own father has just sold you off.

What the hell are you smiling for!

The nobles all felt a pang of bitterness. They looked at Princess Livra’s smile, shook their heads, and sighed, lamenting the cruelty of the wheel of history.

Such a talented and virtuous princess... and now she was to become a political sacrifice, handed over to the witch as a mere plaything. How could this be only lamentable? It was utterly tragic!

The royal family members also broke into an uproar, frantically urging the king to retract his decision.

But the monarch of this country was still Celt, after all.

Once spoken, his words could not be taken back.

With a sweep of his royal robe, the king looked forward toward the blazing pillar, and instead appeared far more at ease.

“Princess Her Highness, do you know of the Loxie Bird, that kind of magical beast?”

“I suppose... I do?”

“The Loxie Bird is born a rare creature. If, upon passing its juvenile stage, it fails to take flight, it will fall from the cliffs and die, never to recover.” The king suddenly spoke on this topic, abrupt as it seemed, but his words continued without pause: “Yet most Loxie Birds cannot survive this trial of life and death. Very, very few make it through alive. This magical beast is extremely rare. If Princess Her Highness does not disdain it... cough... cough cough... if you do not disdain it... the kingdom still keeps a few Loxie Birds, and they shall be gifted to you as well.”

“Uh... thanks? Hmm...?”

Suddenly.

Sheffy raised her brow.

A thread that had been left unconnected in her mind just now, suddenly snapped into place.

Oh oh... so the old king’s words carried another meaning.

It seemed like he was talking about something else, but in reality—this was still about Livra.

Indeed...

The king had already made his decision: he had chosen Livra as his successor, the next ruler of the kingdom.

He could feel his body growing weaker by the day. That was why he so urgently wished to nurture Livra, to let her stand on her own. He no longer had the strength to conceal his favoritism, his bias toward her, almost laying bare before everyone his choice of the next heir.

As a result, it brought calamity.

Livra was born as that exceptional “Loxie Bird,” while he himself was the gale that wished for her to take flight too soon.

But the wind blew too fiercely. Instead of lifting her skyward, it nearly sent the bird tumbling off the cliff.

At any moment, she could be dashed to pieces, doomed beyond redemption.

Was the rebellion of the Second Prince not proof enough of this?

His impatience had already caused one of Livra’s own siblings to desire her death...

That matter had been quelled.

But the king could not guarantee that, while Livra had yet to ascend the throne—or even after she did—these children before him, who now appeared so gentle and obedient... would not, like the Second Prince, harbor ambitions and schemes to vie for power?

If that happened, Livra would be as good as dead.

And the very wind that was meant to help her soar would instead become the culprit that cast her into an abyss.

King Celt Aurus did not want this.

So, he had to devise a way to temporarily secure Livra’s safety.

Amid his countless worries, he saw it.

On the high platform of the arena.

When the magic crystal cannon blasted...

That drifting black feather.

—This was Livra’s only hope.

Only by staying at the Demon Clan Princess’s side would her own kin have no thought of harming her.

Only if the kingdom cooperated with the Demon Clan would the Demon Princess refrain from doing her harm.

Two conditions that should have been impossible to fulfill at the same time—yet today, they had been realized.

Thus, this was the perfect chance to send Livra away, to the place safest for her, and to bring her back at the right time to govern the kingdom.

The only uncertainty was...

Would the Demon Clan Princess treat her kindly?

She would not kill Livra, but suffering and hardship would be unavoidable.

At the very least, in the end, let her father whisper to her once more.

Because “the most fitting time to welcome you back to the kingdom”—

might very well be the day her father left this world.

“My daughter... do not blame your father for being ruthless. There are some matters in which your father has no choice...”

“Father... I understand. You must take care of your health.”

Livra’s eyes brimmed with tears, her expression of happiness resembling that of a daughter who believed she was about to be married off.

But the king knew... she was only forcing a smile! How could one possibly be happy at the thought of following the witch!

Livra wiped her tears, leaving behind only a smile for her family.

“I promise... every two days, I will return to the palace to visit you. I’ll never be late. And for my royal brothers and sisters... I’ll bring you souvenirs.”

“You foolish child... once you leave like this, how could you possibly come back again...”

“I can come back! I’ll climb the wall!”

“Ah... you’ve always been this naive... but this wall, it’s far too high.”

“Hm?”

Yes, that unintentional tilt of the head in confusion—

it was exactly like the innocent, carefree look you had as a child.

Her father only wished that she would not end up battered and broken, that as long as she could protect herself, it would already be the best outcome.

Livra clasped tightly onto her father’s frail, trembling fingers, let out a sob, then turned away. Her ink-black hair swept through the air like a river of stars carved in resolve.

At that moment, whether it was the nobles who had once whispered that the Third Princess was useless, or the royals who had once held prejudices against their sister—

all could not help but stand in solemn respect.

Their gazes carried both reverence and awe.

Princess Her Highness.

Your sacrifice shall be recorded in the annals of history.

Your unyielding spirit, we shall remember for all eternity!

The king slumped into his chair, staring blankly at Livra as she ran toward the witch. He wished to reach out and call her back, yet not a single word could leave his lips.

She never once looked back.

My daughter... in this moment you bore no complaint, no resentment toward the kingdom’s unfairness to you.

Remember this.

Your father is proud of you.

Livra ran to Sheffy’s side, smiling softly as she greeted her.