Chapter 52: The Princess and Her Oath (Additional Update)

“Mona? What happened to her?”

Liliya hesitated for a moment, suddenly realizing something, her eyes widening.

“Wait, you don’t think that little girl has aspirations for the throne, do you? Don’t kid around; she’s only 12! No matter her mental state or skills, according to the kingdom’s traditions, she’s nowhere near the age to inherit.”

In fact… Liliya herself was still two years shy of the legal age for succession, which is 18 in their kingdom, but this small gap was not much of an issue for a princess whose prestige and abilities far surpassed her brothers.

But if it’s 12-year-old Mona, that’s definitely not enough—there’s no way she could gain public support. Plus, since Liliya is her half-sister by the same mother, she never considered that this little princess could be a competitor.

Other princes likely shared similar thoughts.

“Well, that’s not exactly what I meant. Actually, before coming to see you, I happened to overhear…”

Then, Vilyric briefly explained how she stumbled into the sixth princess’s chamber and overheard a conversation in the backyard.

“What? Someone poisoned Mona?!”

Liliya sprang up, knocking her chair to the ground, clearly shocked by the news. But she was no longer the immature little girl she had been when she first met Vilyric; she quickly regained her composure and fixed her chair before sitting down again.

“Are you sure it was people from the Throne of Immortality?”

“Hmm? What do you mean? They didn’t explicitly state their identity, but come on, besides that infamous organization, where else would undead come from?” the Priestess tilted her head in response.

“I’m not sure… But right now, the capital is too chaotic; all the factions are mixed together. I can’t just assume that because someone is an undead, they must be from the Throne of Immortality. What do you think, Vilyric?”

“Well…” Vilyric wasn’t sure; she hadn’t considered much. But since they had already marked the abducted maid, she figured they’d find out who was behind it when they had time.

Regarding this point, she also informed Liliya that the princess’s intention was…

“Don’t rush; take your time… Once I gather some people, I’ll handle this myself. Also, Vilyric, about the struggle for the throne—if the enemy doesn’t bring out any unconventional or overpowered opponents, please don’t help me too hastily, okay?”

It seemed the princess genuinely cared for her family; this was evident as the princes had repeatedly tried to trip her up and even threaten her life, yet Liliya hadn’t resorted to counter-attacks, and she was particularly tense about her little sister, Princess Mona.

Those who targeted Mona could indeed be exploiting Liliya’s weakness. If it weren’t for Vilyric accidentally stumbling upon this, Liliya would have been in for a huge surprise when the showdown came.

But… was this really so simple?

Little princess Mona, after all, was of royal blood, and she surely wouldn’t be naive. Though only 12, as Liliya’s clever sister, could she really not notice the ploy of taking medicine for seven consecutive days?

Either she trusted that maid completely, or… she was deliberately keeping quiet, waiting to see how things played out?

Was that a possibility?

Vilyric did not share this thought with the princess; her perspective on the situation was different. Observing from a half-outsider’s viewpoint gave her broader clarity than Liliya, who was deeply involved.

Therefore, it would be better to detach from Liliya’s influence and gather information on her own, especially since the princess had indicated not to interfere too much.

She had already helped Liliya a lot; if in the end, she still failed in the competition for the throne, it merely meant that the princess wasn’t suited for that position. Vilyric wouldn’t force her way to the throne, at most ensuring she remained alive.

Of course, if someone truly caused a chaotic situation far beyond human levels, the Priestess wouldn’t mind teaching them what cruelty meant.

“Alright, let’s go with what you said. I’ll head back tonight, here’s the address of my inn. When you’re ready to act, just send someone to find me.”

Vilyric placed a pre-written note on the table, holding it down with the corner of a book.

“Huh? So soon?!”

The princess, who had been deep in thought, jumped in surprise, hastily standing up and grabbing the black-haired girl’s pale hand, trying to hold her back in a soft voice.

“What’s so great about the inn? Vilyric can just stay in my Mingluan Palace! As long as you want, you can have anything prepared by the servants anytime. It’s all small issues. Can’t you stay a bit longer with me~?”

The Priestess, caught off guard, couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

“No, thank you. I’m not really someone important to Liliya. Staying here would only cause you trouble. Plus, after wearing the mask, no one recognizes me, and the same goes for you. Explaining would be a hassle. Or should I say, I wouldn’t mind revealing my identity~?”

“Umm… well…”

Seeing the young and cute princess with tearful eyes reminiscent of a puppy about to be abandoned, Vilyric could only reach out and stroke the princess’s soft blue hair.

As a pampered princess, Liliya’s impeccably smooth hair felt just like satin — no less impressive than Xiao Guang, a pureblood dragon. The Priestess couldn’t resist running her fingers through it a bit more.

It wasn’t until Liliya started making peculiar noises of contentment that Vilyric snapped back to reality, hurriedly pulling her hand away, glancing back at the princess with a regretful expression, awkwardly laughing a little.

“Ahem, anyway, during this time, I’ll be moving freely in the city, quietly watching as Liliya works hard. Just like you said, unless it’s a special situation, I generally won’t intervene.”

“So, even if it means not disappointing me, you must secure victory and become the esteemed Your Majesty!”

“Mm!”

Liliya took a few deep breaths to calm her slightly rapid breathing, her complexion transitioning from flushed to normal as she nodded seriously.

“I will definitely win, even if it’s for you, Vilyric!”

The Priestess, still immersed in the delightful sensation from earlier, didn’t catch the subtle difference between these two statements and simply assumed the princess was getting pumped up and smiled satisfyingly.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave for now. Don’t worry; if there’s a chance, I’ll come look for you often. Don’t miss me too much, okay?”

Waving goodbye, Vilyric put on her cognitive obstruction mask, turned, and vanished as soon as she opened the door.

After the girl had left for a long while, Princess Liliya, dressed in luxurious clothing and a crown, with her long blue hair cascading over her shoulders, still stared blankly in the direction she had departed, motionless.

After a moment, she retrieved a thick manual and a bound notebook from her spatial ring, gently stroking the black cover of the manual with a soft expression.

Liliya opened the notebook filled with meticulously written small characters; this was her copied version of the manual translated into the royal language, which she painstakingly transcribed while using Vilyric’s borrowed translation glasses.

To keep this unique secret between her and Vilyric, Liliya had completed this all by herself. For these past few months, aside from training and doing her duty, most of her free time was spent on scribing translations.

She never intended to monopolize the magical translation tool, so she had long prepared for this—especially since Vilyric hadn’t mentioned when it would be returned.

Since she had given the glasses back to the Priestess, the now indecipherable manual was naturally useless, but the princess didn’t just toss it aside; instead, she carefully placed it in a sparkling crystal box she had prepared, then stowed it back in her ring.

Liliya took out a pendant hanging around her neck, warm to the touch and carrying a hint of the girl’s fragrance, and lightly brushed it against her cheek, breathing out contentedly as she smiled.

“Vilyric, even for you, I will definitely become queen.”

In the empty room, she repeated her long-held promise, the blue-haired princess’s eyes filled with determination… and a sense of longing.

   

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