adbindia Chapter 262
Chapter 262
Chapter 262
11: The Timing Was Just Right (4K)
All the personnel responsible for treatment inside the bedchamber had been temporarily cleared out and asked to leave.
Perhaps it was because the Queen had arrived and they needed to avoid her, or perhaps the King’s condition had already stabilized for the moment, making their continued noisy discussions unnecessary.
Of course.
The most likely situation...
was that even if they stayed here, they would still be powerless, unable to reverse the inevitable.
Sheffy looked around. Vast emptiness stretched in all directions—it was already nightfall. The windows were sealed tight, and the walls, though adorned with precious materials, felt desolate.
A few sparse stone pillars held Light Magic Crystals that emitted a faint glow, like lamps set out in prayer, leading all the way to the bed where the King lay flat.
The Queen sat slanted at the bedside, her eyes lifeless, tightly gripping the hand that extended from beneath the covers—it was icy cold.
It could be seen that the old man lying on the bed had graying hair, a pale face, and tightly shut eyes. Only his faint breathing proved that he was still alive in this world.
King Celt Aurus was indeed advanced in years, but the last time before leaving the Royal Capital, one could still see in him a trace of battlefield heroism, and a measure of imperial majesty that ruled over all.
But now, he was nothing more than a frail old man, weaker than a candle flickering in the wind, on the verge of going out.
He did not wake.
Livra had already called out to him several times. The Princess tried her best to maintain a smile, using a trembling voice to keep her playful tone from collapsing, hoping he would open his eyes and, as usual, respond in surprise to her return.^
But he did not answer.
Night had fallen..
“Father King...?”
On many nights, Livra had always worried about there being no stars./
“Father King... why aren’t you saying anything?”
But she always comforted herself—if there were none today, tomorrow would surely be clear._
Yet there was always a kind of growing up that came in a single moment of sudden understanding.
No stars today, a clear sky tomorrow—but the day after, the one who once counted the stars with you since childhood would be gone.^
The vast sky full of stars was too immense; to gaze at it alone made one feel unbearably small.
Fear.'
Would there come a time when she lost even the courage to look up, unable to bear the weight of the night sky?
At this moment, a bloodstained white feather seemed to sweep past Livra’s eyes again, letting out a mournful cry before falling into a fragile stream./
Livra kept smiling, smiling—until her face gradually stiffened and turned pale.
The Princess, who had almost never cried since birth, weakly knelt by the bed. Choked sobs slipped through the fingers covering her face, wave after wave of sorrowful cries that shattered hearts and left a deep loneliness, as if no one knew how to comfort the growing pains that must be endured.
Sheffy silently closed the doors of the bedchamber, sealing them tightly so that no sound could escape.
She walked slowly and quietly to the bedside, gently patting Livra’s back with her small hand. The motion was clumsy, and beyond that, she had no wiser choice.
Given Sheffy’s identity—no matter which one—it seemed she had no standing to speak here.
But as Sheffy lowered her head and looked at the girl curled up and trembling in tears, she ultimately could not hold back. Tilting her head, she spoke to the Queen.
“Your Majesty the Queen, His Majesty’s condition... is it not optimistic?”
“He... is about to leave.”
Like fallen flowers, like a broken branch.
The sorrow of accompanying the King for decades could not turn into tears; it could only become that lingering sense of loss when sitting alone in the back garden at dusk.
The King had never taken concubines in his life, yet he had many children. Heaven’s favor and lifelong vows could be seen from this.
As early as noon, the Queen had already heard the final judgment from the Royal Palace’s chief magician.
“At most... until tomorrow at dawn. Soon, the messengers delivering letters to the various royal families will set out. When the sky begins to lighten, they will kneel there in a row to see Celt off. By then, whether they cry or laugh, it will all be over.”
If the old ruler died, the younger generation would inherit titles and ascend in rank. After the grief, whether it would become a feast of celebration for them—the Queen did not wish to hear any of it.
She only hoped that those juniors who had received so much of his grace would remember that Celt had spent his entire life on the battlefield, once pointing his sword toward the vast expanse.
Ah... how she missed the days when she followed him on campaigns to the east and west.
Back then, he had even said he wished to be wrapped in horsehide after death, to be carried back to the Royal Capital in glory—just to see whether the winds and rains of the entire city would sway for him, and whether the drums throughout the city would sound for him!
“I resented you for always saying such ominous things.
You laughed at me for not understanding the sharpness of a blade’s edge.
But now... why are you like this, refusing to hold on?
Where... where has your pride gone?”
Tilting her head to look at the treasured sword hanging on the wall, Queen Maqiya’s vision blurred as she tightened her grip on that icy hand.
—She was still unwilling to accept it.
The messengers should have already set out.
But even now, Maqiya delayed, refusing to give the final order.
Yet how could many things in this world be decided simply by one’s unwillingness to accept them?
“Livra.”
“Ugh... Father King, wake up...”
“Livra!”
“!”
The sharp rebuke rang out—when had Maqiya ever shouted like this at her most beloved daughter?
“Stand up! When dawn comes, you must take the crown! Suppress those siblings of yours who each harbor their own schemes—stop wearing that grieving face! Go, go outside and wash your face. Tell everyone you’ve returned, and then take that sword into your hands!”
“Mother Queen...?”
“Go now!”
Livra looked up, two lines of tears falling onto the floor in shock.
For a child not yet fully grown, witnessing her mother’s helpless resolve was heart-wrenching.
She understood.
She was very smart—of course she understood everything.
If there truly was no turning back, then at the final moment of her Father King’s life, she would choose to obey him one last time.
【Livra! How many times have I told you—stop climbing over the walls to sneak out! If something happens to you, what am I supposed to do? Have some awareness! Sigh... this child.】
【That wall... is too high.】
【It’s easy to climb out, but returning again—how could that ever be simple?】
Yes.
Now she understood.
The wall really was too high.
But... the blood flowing in her veins was the same as Maqiya’s. If Maqiya refused to accept it, how could she so easily resign herself to fate?
She did not want this to be the last time she ever obeyed.
Wouldn’t that be too absurd?
At the very least... she still wanted to tell Father King where she had dug a hole in the wall. He had always been puzzled by it, and even now he still did not know.
She had not told him yet—she still wanted to take him to see it.
To walk out of the city gates openly and proudly, to see the streets beyond the castle—something worth climbing over high walls for.
And beyond those streets lay the very battlefields where Father King had once ridden freely on horseback.
You have returned, and I am following the path you once walked.
If you must leave, there is no need for it to be so sudden!
“Mother Queen! I think... I think Father King can pull through! I’ll find a way—I’ll think of something right now! I’ll look for medical books! I’ll ask the physicians!”
“Do you still think that as long as you use your brain, everything can be solved...?! Your Father King feared exactly that about you—that you don’t know the limits of heaven and earth, Livra! There are things we simply cannot fight against! For example, when your Father King sent you to the Demon Domain, do you think he was willing to do that at the time—”
“I know! I... I know...”
This time, as she was interrupted, Maqiya did not continue scolding her.
Instead... she lowered her head silently, filled with sorrow and helplessness.
Yes... you know.
Mother Queen knows as well.
But it was still the same sentence.
There truly was no way left.
Maqiya personally took down the sword symbolizing royal authority from the wall, holding it with both hands as she tried to pass it to Livra.
Yet with every trembling movement forward, the pain pierced straight through her heart.
Each time the sword was extended, it struck against Livra’s longing for the freedom of the blue sky, burning away the wings she had to soar.
It was not that the sword was too heavy.
It was that the human heart sank like a falling star—life’s countless flavors, the coldness of the world.
If she took the sword—
from that moment on, the carefree Princess would disappear forever. Like a fledgling that had lost its father, she would be forced to hold in her hands the magnificent cage known as royal power.
Livra was not afraid of responsibility, but she feared taking that sword—once she did, her family would be gone, and her life would change forever.
She reached out her hand, feeling as though her mind was stretched to the very brink of collapse, slowly moving closer toward the sword.
Closer...
And more suffocatingly silent...
—But then.
Whenever one looked up at the starry sky at night, was there always, intentionally or not, one star that never stopped shining?
Even on cloudy days, it was still there.
【Really... before you give up, why don’t you ask me whether I have a way?】
Drip—drip—drip.
Like water droplets falling onto stone, crisp and clear.
The young voice that echoed directly in her mind seemed to freeze time itself. Livra suddenly withdrew her hand that was about to touch the sword hilt.
She turned her head in shock. Everything around her seemed to fall into a pure white stillness, as if time itself had stopped flowing.
Only she remained.
And herself.
Miss Shaya...?
Within the boundless space and time, Livra stared blankly into those eyes.
Deep violet—profound, unfathomable, like an abyss.
It was a kind of beauty that, once fallen into, one could never escape. Livra had always understood it—it was dreamlike, deeper than the ocean floor, higher than the vault of the heavens.
That’s right...
Why didn’t she ask Miss Shaya whether there was a way to save Father King...?
Was it because her mind had been stretched so tight that she forgot something so simple?
Or was it because, at the peak of despair, she no longer had the strength to think of any solution?
Perhaps... it was neither.
“You’ve always been like this.”
“When you were little, you were almost killed by mountain bandits. Even when the blade was right at your neck, you didn’t cry out for help.”
“Do you know why?”
“Because you... are a coward who likes to run from fate. Everyone ignored you, isolated you—you thought dying might not be so bad. Back then, you never really wanted to live.”
“When your father is dying, you’re actually hesitating whether to save him, because you’re still disappointed in this world. The bird you raised was smashed to death by bandits—you’ve already seen the ugliness of human nature. You think your Father King is already too tired. Even if he’s saved, he’ll only bear heavy burdens and suffer endless illness. You think that if he lets go like this, and you take everything upon yourself in his place, that might be fine.”
“You’ve always been selfish, just like me... arrogant, thinking you should bear everything. Even if you run away, you’ll still constantly think about whether you should go back.”
【That’s not true...】
“Isn’t it? You’re saying... you’re not the same as me?”
【I am far inferior to Miss Shaya... You can change many things, you can save anyone you are willing to save... but I can’t... You’re right, I’m just a weak person who could only wait to die even when facing mountain bandits. I don’t have the right to choose freedom. I should bear all of this—this isn’t arrogance... I simply can’t escape from here. This is my fate.】
“This is arrogance.”
“You’ve already changed. After being saved by me once, you don’t want to die as much anymore.”
“You climbed over that wall again and again—you were trying to change your own fate.”
“Now that you can’t escape, you want to give up again. And you make that decision so lightly.”
“If fate could really be changed so easily, if the choice between freedom and bondage were so casual, then if you aren’t arrogant, what are you? You and I were the same kind to begin with... otherwise, I wouldn’t have saved you. But now... you disappoint me a little. Taking the sword now—is that truly what you want?”
【Miss Shaya...】
“I’m listening.”
【Can you... stop saying such indifferent things...】
【If I could change all this... would I just stand here and watch Father King die?!】
But I don’t have your power!
You saved me.
You let me know that life could actually be lived brilliantly.
But I’m not as strong as you. Without you, I would have died long ago—how could I even think about saving others!
My first friend, the bird named White Feather... died right in front of me.
I couldn’t protect it.
I can’t protect Father King either.
I can’t keep waiting for that black feather to descend every single time.
I can’t make my freedom dependent on you always being behind me, pushing me forward!
If I truly thought that way, that would be arrogance.
I’m not you.
“Oh... that’s true.”
“Then, let it be like this.”
【Mm... let it be like this, Miss Shaya. From now on... I’ll properly do what I can. Inheriting the throne... that’s... that’s fine too.】
“My first friend also died in my arms—a little dog.”
【Eh?】
Faint, flickering images—
suddenly flashed before Livra’s eyes.
They were not her memories.
But... fragments of Sheffy’s memories.
Helplessness. Despair.
Fear. The unknown.
“Indeed, I can protect my friends.”
“But I have also personally hurt my friends.”
【Th-these are... when Miss Shaya saved me, was it because...】
“Probably... I wanted redemption.”
Humans were not that compassionate.
Saving someone casually might sound easy, but it still required a reason.
Weakness and strength stood far apart, yet they also complemented each other.
“I arrived a little too late back then. I didn’t save your friend. But I really wanted to know... whether you would be able to stand up again in the end.”
“And in the end, you smiled.”
“If you could do it, does that mean... I could as well?”
【Smile... that was something Miss Shaya taught me.】
“You say I taught you, but I often smiled only after you started smiling, you know?”
You knew that I saved you.
But what you didn’t know was—
you also saved me.
I deliberately waited and watched you. I wanted to see whether you would choose to give up, or continue on this unknown journey.
And in the end, what I saw was a princess dancing gracefully among countless white feathers, her smile radiant.
That was the beginning of my courage, the starting point of my wings taking flight.
Later, I forgot what you looked like, and even who you were. But I always remembered that there was once a strong girl.
Forgetting only happened because the happiness that followed in life was too abundant, and there were too many joyful things.
Seeing you was like seeing a future version of myself filled with endless possibilities.
Back then, you succeeded.
Now, you—
should stop saying willful things that go against your heart.
The frozen time seemed to gradually fade.
As everything around slowly regained its color, Livra realized—she had, without noticing, already moved far away from the sword her Mother Queen had been offering her.
Responsibility weighed heavily on her heart.
But this distance, which she should not yet cross, was her true intention.
Even if speaking against one’s heart, there should be a limit.
The word “strength”... did not merely mean the ability to fight.
Standing within this seemingly motionless space, Livra looked straight ahead.
Her emerald eyes could not help but widen.
Tears welled up, falling onto the radiant ground, shattering like pearls into brilliant splendor.
Miss Shaya...
She reached out her hand toward her.
The black feather behind her left side, under the glow of light, had turned pure white—half in darkness, half in brightness; half smiling, half sorrowful.
“You have that right.”
“Back then... when I was at my lowest, your attitude helped me stand up again.”
“So, you don’t need to be so cautious, relying on others. You truly can’t do that—because you’re very much like me. I understand how you think.”
“The ‘strength’ within you—I’ve already seen it.”
“Now, it’s your turn.”
“This time, try relying on me once more. How about it?”
Rely on her once more... rely on Miss Shaya?
【I want to see her】
【I want to see her again】
【I want to say thank you】
【If I climb out of the castle today, will I be able to see her...?】
White feathers spread their wings, breaking through the clouds, sweeping away ten thousand miles of gloom.
Wasn’t this... her wish all along?
Yes.
This time, before she could grasp her hand—
she did not want her to fly away again.
【I couldn’t wish for anything more.】
The timid yet lonely Princess, with a relieved smile, stumbled forward toward the pure white angel. She tightly grasped her hand and used all her strength to embrace her.
Please.
Save Father King.
Please...
Save my life.
“Miss Shaya... really... I’m begging you.”
“Hah, why wait until now? You should’ve said that earlier!”
But even now—
it was not too late.
The timing—was just right.