The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Triang Village (4)

***

Since I couldn't change Grace's mind, we decided to hand the bandit leader over to the academy.

But I still had one more use for him. I knocked him unconscious and left him near our campsite. When I returned, I could feel Grace's peculiar gaze on me again.

"Just drop it. I spared his life, didn't I?"

"But…!"

I cut her off before she could launch into another lecture. Anna and Lili emerged from their tents, perfectly timed.

"Yawn… Did you two have a nice chat?"

A nice chat? She had said "alone time" before.

I bit my lip, a surge of frustration rising within me.

But I had a plan, and this bandit leader was a key part of it. I took a deep breath and calmly explained the situation to Lili.

"So… it wasn't like that at all with Grace. We were just discussing the bandits' approach, exchanging glances and signals."

"Is that so?"

Lili, confirming my explanation, pointed at the bandit leader, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded, maintaining my composure.

Of course, it was a lie. A lie based on a grain of truth.

But I had to use whatever I could. There was no point in taking the difficult path when an easier one was available.

There was just one problem.

Grace's unwavering sincerity.

That's why I had sent her away with Anna, explaining the situation to Lili alone.

"Hmm."

Lili looked at the unconscious bandit, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"He's definitely a bandit. Someone with your skills would have sensed their approach…"

"Indeed, Your Highness."

Lili's gaze shifted to me, lingering for a moment, before she turned and walked back towards the campsite, where Grace and Anna were waiting.

I sighed, thinking I had managed to avoid further misunderstandings.

But as soon as she reached the campsite, she asked Grace the same question she had asked me.

Grace glanced at me, and I pleaded with her silently, Please, just play along.

Grace smiled serenely at Lili.

"There was no exchange of affection between Berry and myself."

"If you say so… then it must be true."

Grace maintained her serene smile, and Lili, after a moment of hesitation, sighed and sat down by the fire.

Her blatant attempt to pair us together was too much to bear.

"Your Highne…!"

"Anna."

What are you doing? Why are you so determined to set us up?

I was about to ask when Grace, with a knowing glance, gestured for Anna to join her.

I didn't know what she was planning, but I had to wait and see.

"Hmm…? Why…?"

Anna, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, asked. Grace suggested they switch watch shifts.

"Anna, you should go back to sleep. I can't sleep after what just happened. It makes more sense for the one who can sleep to get some rest."

"But… shouldn't Her Highness…"

"Her Highness specifically said she didn't want to, remember? So don't worry and go to sleep. Come on."

Anna looked at Lili hesitantly, but Lili, unable to refuse her puppy-dog eyes, nodded.

Grace gently pushed Anna towards the tent, then leaned in and whispered to me,

"I'll have a chat with her, so you should go get some rest."

"You? Why?"

Grace glanced at the bandit leader.

"You must be tired after all that. I'll talk to Her Highness, so don't worry and get some rest."

"You're tired too."

Grace smiled serenely.

"I'm fine. Unlike you, I haven't done anything, so I can't complain about being tired."

"But still…"

"Now, now, don't waste time here. Go on."

It was a typical Grace move, a selfless act of kindness. She didn't seem to hesitate at all.

There was no point in arguing. My words wouldn't reach her. I had no choice but to comply.

***

Crackle, crackle.

The sound of the crackling fire filled the quiet forest.

Lilisiana was deep in thought, pondering Grace's question about her fiancé.

Everyone knew that Grace could detect lies.

Some even called her the Saintess of Truth, praising her beauty, her kindness, and her abundant divine power.

So, Lilisiana carefully chose her words, trying to stay as close to the truth as possible.

But Grace, unlike what most people believed, could sense not only lies, but also emotions.

And she was puzzled by Lilisiana's words, and the emotions behind them.

"I always feel regret."

'And longing.'

Lilisiana had chosen her words carefully, trying to avoid a complete lie.

But the deep regret hidden beneath her words made Grace narrow her eyes.

Was she regretting coming to the academy?

Regretting not being able to see her fiancé? The intensity of her regret was surprising, but if it was due to her love for her fiancé, it was understandable.

"Are you regretting coming to the academy?"

"No."

But Lilisiana's answer was a sincere denial.

Then what was she regretting?

Grace took a step closer, trying to unravel the mystery.

"Your Highness, have you ever regretted something you did in the past?"

"Well, everyone has regrets, don't they?"

Lilisiana's regret intensified as she recalled her treatment of her attendant.

Of course, she didn't show it outwardly.

"That's true… I often regret not being able to save those I couldn't, due to my lack of ability."

Grace looked at Lilisiana intently.

Sharing a vulnerability, hoping to elicit a similar confession.

It was a bold move, bordering on disrespectful, asking a princess about her regrets.

But it worked.

Partly because Lilisiana was caught up in the moment, the quiet of the night amplifying her emotions.

And partly because the pain of remembering her attendant, the ache in her heart, made her want to confide in someone.

"I regret being so childish. Not my age, but my mentality."

"…."

"I regret being so narrow-minded, so blinded by my emotions that I couldn't see or think about anything else."

She looked at Grace, her eyes filled with envy, longing, and a bittersweet sadness.

"If only I had your ability, the ability to see through lies… things would have been different, wouldn't they?"

'I wouldn't have lost Finn… would I…?'

Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.

The moonlight, reflected in her tear-filled eyes, was beautiful, oblivious to her pain.

Like a puddle reflecting the moon's beauty even after a downpour, Lilisiana, despite her overwhelming sadness, was breathtakingly beautiful.

This fragile, heartbroken girl… what was she regretting so deeply?

Who was the man who had not only brought tears to her eyes, but also driven a stake through her heart?

It was a kind of love Grace had never seen before.

Love was supposed to bring happiness. It had to.

Love gave you a reason to live.

Love gave your life meaning.

'And her reason for living… is sadness and regret?'

Grace couldn't understand. She tried to organize her thoughts, as always.

First, the Princess regretted something she did in the past. The object of her regret was likely her fiancé.

Second, the regret was related to a lie.

Third, the regret was related to her childish, stubborn nature.

'This isn't enough.'

If she had done something wrong, she could apologize. If it was about a lie, she could confess and repent.

Grace, thinking logically, couldn't understand Lilisiana's lingering regret and longing, despite her deep love for her fiancé.

But who could have guessed?

That the Imperial Princess,

A girl whose beauty rivaled even Grace's,

Would choose to wear a self-imposed shackle on her left ring finger, declaring her eternal devotion to a dead man?

So, Grace voiced her question, the question that would unravel the mystery.

A question that would touch upon Lilisiana's deepest wound.

"People are valuable because they can repent and atone for their sins. But Your Highness, haven't you already repented? All that's left is to ask for forgiveness…"

"That's why I'm like this!!!!"

The Princess's voice cracked, a sob escaping her lips.

Unable to ask for forgiveness, unable to undo her mistake, she lashed out at the one who didn't understand her pain.

And Grace, realizing her mistake, took a step closer to the truth.

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