Chapter 256: Princess 256’s Wish
"I..."
Liz opened her mouth but only managed to utter one word.
At that moment, the young princess’s face was full of confusion, as if she had stepped into a fork in the road of life, and she was a child without anyone to lead her, not knowing which way to go, or whether this path would lead her astray.
To this, Reiger was not surprised at all.
This young princess was clearly a sheltered young lady, unfamiliar with the ways of the world, and at only 15, how could she make such life-altering decisions?
She was really not good at speaking, and Reiger’s direct questions about her own thoughts made it normal for her not to have a ready answer.
"Then let me put it this way," Reiger asked bluntly, "Do you still want to go back and continue being a princess?"
At this question, Liz immediately reacted.
"I, I don’t want to...!"
Liz responded in a very soft voice, but her face was filled with fear and resistance.
"I don’t want to be a princess at all!"
Yes, she didn’t want to be a princess at all.
Since she was brought into the palace at the age of 7, Liz’s life had completely changed.
She was not allowed to contact and interact with others.
She could not appear in public often.
She could not defy the commands of the King and some other important figures.
She could not say whatever she wanted or do whatever she wanted, but instead had to abide by many rules and learn countless manners. Apart from practicing swordsmanship, doing anything else was a great struggle and very exhausting for Liz.
Compared to that, life before the age of 7, though tough and harsh, where she had to avoid many dangerous creatures and struggled to survive, was better because at least she had people by her side and wasn’t trapped in a cold room, unable to do anything.
To some extent, Liz’s current character could be attributed to nearly ninety percent by the life and environment in the palace.
Liz didn’t understand anything too profound; she only knew that since the age of 7, all she thought about was not wanting to be this so-called princess.
Being a princess was really too hard, much harder than practicing swordsmanship.
"...I see."
Seeing Liz like this, Reiger finally understood what Marilyn had said.
Indeed, everyone longed to become a member of the royal family, to become a princess, but the real princess might not wish to be one at all.
"I think I understand what you mean," Reiger said to Liz, "but I must tell you in advance that if you become my Attendant, no one will take care of your daily needs from then on."
"I am also dependent on others right now, and if I leave the Franzer family in the future, I probably won’t have a fixed home and might lead a nomadic life."
"I am not one to sit still; my favorite thing to do is to seek thrills. Once things are settled here in the capital, I may set out on a journey."
"Then, you will have to wander with me, and not only take good care of yourself but also look after me."
"With that, do you still think it’s okay?"
Reiger tried to make his situation clear, to avoid misleading her.
After all, she was a princess, accustomed to a life of luxury; it seemed unlikely that she’d withstand the hardships of a nomadic life, right?
Not to mention that Reiger was such a restless person; he knew what type of person he was. Once outside, he’d inevitably seek out places thrilling and dangerous enough.
In a past life, Reiger was already such a person and even if he couldn’t escape all restraints, he’d struggle to achieve what he could, from wilderness survival and overseas wandering to extreme sports and more, always scaring those around him.
In this life, Reiger was determined to break free and live freely; thus, he’d fully embrace his true self even more.
Honestly, he was very much looking forward to it.
He looked forward to what sorts of thrills and adventures awaited him in this continent named Akasha.
Surely, it would be more interesting than the so-called extreme sports of his past life, right?
But because of this, Reiger had to admit that his chances of encountering danger would greatly increase.
Thinking this over, having an Attendant to look after each other seemed indeed very necessary.
Of course, whether that person would be Liz was still up for discussion.
Even though Marilyn had persuaded him and he was somewhat inclined, he still wanted to respect Liz’s personal wishes.
Serving as an Attendant might be an exciting prospect for these princesses, but whether he was the person in whom Liz saw worthy of trust and allegiance, that was still up to Liz to decide.
All in all, everything depended on Liz’s own choices; Reiger would only respond accordingly. Otherwise, he would not simply agree to a situation facilitated by someone else’s interference.
As Reiger was pondering this, he was surprised to find that upon hearing his words, Liz did not shrink back but instead, her eyes shone brighter.
"I, I don’t see a problem!" Liz leaned forward slightly, her voice carrying a rare excitement: "I used to wander around a lot before, and Grandma Mia taught me how to take good care of myself and survive in the wilderness!"
"What?" Reiger was immediately surprised and said unexpectedly, "You used to roam around regularly?"
"Yes." Liz nodded, admitting somewhat shyly: "I was brought into the palace when I was 7, but before that, I always ran around with Grandma Mia."
Nobody knew about this, not even Marilyn.
However, Reiger had heard from Yuri’s lips that Liz was the illegitimate daughter of the current King Hemulinp, living outside and not growing up in the royal palace before she turned seven.
What Liz’s life was like before she entered the palace was something only the King and his confidants might know.
Only now had Reiger learned part of her past life from Liz’s own lips.
"Grandma Mia?" Reiger mused aloud, "Was she the one who raised you?"
"...Yes," Liz said with a nostalgic expression, "Ever since I became conscious, only Grandma Mia and Moslo were by my side. I wandered everywhere with Grandma Mia daily."
Reiger suddenly glanced at the sword in Liz’s arms.
So, this sword, which felt so extraordinary, wasn’t a gift from the royal family but something she had carried with her since childhood?
"What about Grandma Mia?" Reiger asked, "Is she no longer by your side now?"
"...Yes." Liz’s expression turned somber as she said softly: "When I was seven, Grandma Mia, who was then 88 years old, could no longer endure the journeys and passed away."
That meant she died a natural death, right?
Fo rtunately, it wasn’t due to some accident; otherwise, the young princess would have felt more than just sadness.
"What about your mother?"
Reiger asked this question.
However, Liz looked confused.
"I have never seen my mother," Liz said, shaking her head, "Grandma Mia told me that my mother died after giving birth to me. She raised me because of my mother’s dying wish until she somehow managed to contact my father when I was seven, and he took me away."
This was the complete story of Liz’s life as she remembered.
From birth, not only did she lose her mother, her father was also not present, only an elderly woman and a sword accompanied her, wandering everywhere with her.
An elderly woman and a girl not even ten years old, such a pair wandering everywhere, one can imagine life must have been very tough, very hard.
Yet when Liz spoke of this, her eyes did not show any resentment but continuously held a look of reminiscence, suggesting that those difficult times had now become cherished memories in her heart.
At least, compared to being confined in the royal palace, Liz would rather live that kind of life.
Even if it was tough, even if it was difficult, she did not feel it was unbearable, even showing anticipation and joy when Reiger mentioned they might live like that in the future.
Reiger could imagine that in this young princess’s life before the age of seven, there must have been many things she cherished.
After all, not only hardship but also beautiful scenery was part of the journey.
Liz acknowledged this beauty.
And so did Reiger, naturally.
So, Reiger smiled.
"Since you say so, then I won’t say more."
Upon hearing this, Liz’s face showed anticipation.
"So, I ...?"
At this moment, Liz was filled with nervousness and unease.
Previously, Liz was motivated to become Reiger’s Attendant because of the royal decree, because of her father the King’s command.
But now, after Reiger spoke of her future life plan, Liz was somewhat inclined to voluntarily join.
Thus far in her life, Liz only had two experiences.
One was her life before the age of seven.
One was her life after the age of seven.
Her life before seven was tough, yet also beautiful.
Her life after seven was affluent, yet it was stifling.
If becoming Reiger’s Attendant meant having to leave the royal palace and wander as before, it would mean a sort of liberation for Liz.
Although the person at her side would no longer be Grandma Mia who had raised her from childhood, it would be a handsome, calm, and powerful master.
Thus, Liz couldn’t help but want to volunteer.
However, Reiger did not agree outright.
Because he knew very well that his task was not yet completed.
"Go back today and wait for my message, how does that sound?"
Reiger said this.
"Okay, okay."
Liz was a bit disappointed, but she quickly stood up and bowed deeply to Reiger.
Afterwards, Liz left the Franzer household.
Reiger watched the young princess depart, his eyes flickering, and soon after, he vanished from the spot.