TBFP 13

Chapter : 13

“If I were 5 years old, wouldn’t I be too young to understand death……”

“Why wouldn’t you understand?”

“Babies don’t understand what death means.”

“Ah, that’s why I’m not afraid.”

In truth, Chamuka wasn’t particularly skilled at conversing with others.

To begin with, he rarely initiated conversations, and when he did, they usually ended with confused looks and awkward silence.

It seemed he used to be more social before his mother fell into her sleep……

“You don’t need any of that. No one understands us anyway.”

After Astrid collapsed, Chamuka’s grandfather Gaien said that.

Of course, Hilda, who heard this, told Chamuka not to take after his grandfather, saying ‘That’s why Gaien got divorced.’……

‘How can I not take after him?’

Chamuka recalled the portraits of past Grand Dukes of Basilinte displayed in the corridor.

They all looked identical.

And even looking at the records left by past Grand Dukes in the archives, their personalities were so similar it could have been written by one person……

“I am scared too. Because I know what death is.”

“You don’t sound scared.”

“I am scared, but if my death means this land can live, isn’t it efficient for just one person like me to die?”

Chamuka nodded unconsciously. It felt like they understood each other.

But the prince’s premise was wrong.

“If that were possible, yes, but Hilda said it’s impossible. And when it comes to curses and magic, Hilda knows more than father.”

“But His Grace might be right. And even if he’s wrong, what does it matter? Nobody loses anything except for me who dies anyway.”

The prince added calmly, in a way Chamuka could understand.

***

“But there’s nothing beneficial in it for you.”

That’s what Chamuka said to Leticia. About Leticia’s death.

It was quite different from the Herta Imperial family who ordered Leticia to die as a fake prince.

Leticia clearly remembered Emma’s expression when she arrived at the annex on Chamuka’s back.

A look that couldn’t understand why she wasn’t dead yet.

‘If I die, it won’t be for Herta’s sake.’

Thinking this, Leticia shook her head at Hilda’s offer to ‘assign knights to prevent the former Grand Duke from kidnapping her again.’

“It’s fine, Hilda.”

Hilda looked at Emma, who stood beside Leticia, with uncomfortable eyes. As if asking whether she had forced Leticia to answer that way.

Though Emma’s coercion was part of it, remembering the previous kidnapping incident, it seemed unlikely that knights could stop the former Grand Duke anyway.

“If Your Highness insists, I’ll station knights on the path outside the annex.”

Leticia deliberately glanced at Emma and nodded.

And two days later.

The expected visitor slipped into Leticia’s room. In broad daylight, suspiciously managing to enter so stealthily.

A middle-aged man with familiar bright silver hair and a beautiful face that left no doubt about his bloodline.

It was Gaien Basilinte.

Leticia, who had been slowly chewing on tough smoked meat for three hours to avoid getting sick and starving again, jumped to her feet.

“Hello, Lord Gaien.”

And politely bowed her head in greeting.

“……”

Though outwardly expressionless as he looked down at Leticia, he was momentarily speechless at her reaction, which was quite different from what he had expected.

Leticia calmly wrapped the smoked meat back in cloth and set it aside, then gestured to the chair opposite her.

“Could we talk for a moment? I won’t scream or call for anyone.”

“……It wouldn’t matter if you did.”

“But wouldn’t it be more convenient if I quietly followed you? It will only take a moment to talk. If I make even a little noise, you can take me away right then.”

At those words, Gaien sat in the opposite chair.

Seeing this, Leticia smiled politely with her hands clasped.

‘He’s kind.’

Though the person himself would disagree, Leticia genuinely thought so.

Kindness didn’t come from gentle words or smiles. It came from respect for others.

And the people of Basilinte never dismissed the words of children.

“What do you want to say?”

“Um… I was curious. Where are you planning to take me?”

“The lake in Astrid Forest.”

“Where you took me last time?”

“No. That was the lakeshore, not the lake.”

Did he mean to take a boat into the lake?

Leticia asked again to Gaien, who responded in an emotionless tone without inflection.

“What do I need to do at the lake?”

“You don’t need to do anything. Prince, submerging you in the center of the lake is my task.”

“What will happen when I die that way?”

“……”

Gaien missed his moment to answer.

His golden eyes mixed with doubt as he looked at Leticia, who neither cried nor screamed in fear.

Due to his years of life, Gaien knew a bit more about ‘normal human reactions’ than others in the family.

Yet the reaction of the child sitting before him was anything but normal.

“……The curse will disappear. At least weaken.”

“Hilda said it wouldn’t. Chamuka also said it’s impossible. Since His Grace knows less about curses and magic than Hilda, her words must be right.”

“But Hilda is inferior to Astrid. What I suggested came from Astrid.”

To be precise, it was what Astrid had told her husband Ferik, and Ferik had told Gaien.

“Astrid said ‘offering a royal descendant to vast waters would suffice,’ and Herta is renowned for its royal bloodline on the continent. And Herta’s founder is the one who placed this curse.”

“……”

“Therefore, I believe we need to offer the bloodline of the human who placed this curse to this land’s only lake.”

At those words, Leticia understood what had happened in the forest.

It seemed Gaien thought the lake in Astrid Forest was sufficient for the ‘vast waters’ Astrid mentioned, while the Grand Duke believed it needed to be more water, leading to their dispute.

While Leticia was silent, reflecting on the past, the Grand Duke asked.

“……Do you have anything else to say?”

“Then why doesn’t Hilda believe His Grace or Lord Gaien?”

“Because Astrid denied it before she collapsed. She lost consciousness after saying that no matter what we do, this curse will never be broken.”

Though the conversation flowed peacefully, everything just discussed seemed clearly confidential.

‘Perhaps they’re telling me everything because I’m going to die anyway?’

Leticia found it somewhat fascinating. These people seemed to have no way of keeping secrets.

She couldn’t tell if this was just toward her or if it was their natural disposition.

“Is it… okay to tell me all this?”

“The person who has to die deserves to know why. Though being a baby, you probably can’t properly understand everything I’ve said……”

It was clear that absolutely none of the Basilintes believed Leticia’s stated age.

Leticia considered saying that she wasn’t that young but kept her mouth shut.

It was better this way, when they knew nothing about the fake prince they were going to kill.

That way, they’d feel less guilty.

‘The path to death might be a bit lonely… but it’s okay since I’ll meet my brothers and sisters after I die.’

As Leticia’s silence lengthened, Gaien stood from his chair, lifted Leticia, and sat her on his arm.

“Well, since you seem to have nothing more to say, let’s go.”

Gaien naturally climbed through the window and landed softly below.

As Gaien started walking toward the forest as peacefully as if going for a stroll, Leticia hurriedly grabbed him.

“Um, just a moment please, before that.”

“I’ll put you to sleep before putting you in the lake, so it won’t hurt.”

“Ah, thank you. But that’s not it, could you burn me first, just for a moment?”