TPVSR 11

Chapter 11

“…I did it.”

The moment I returned to my room, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I threw myself onto the bed with a flop.

My feet kicked the air on their own.

I couldn’t even explain why I was this happy.

It felt even better than the day the Emperor filled my room with rare roses as a present for my seventh birthday.

This is only the beginning.

There was almost nothing I didn’t know about controlling demonic energy. Food was only a small part of it. I knew every health regimen and medicinal herb that could help.

I had gathered all that knowledge for one reason—to help the Emperor, to earn his trust. I’d spent countless hours searching the Imperial Library and used every means available to collect information.

Who would’ve thought I’d use that knowledge like this?

It was strange.

The information I’d gathered for the Emperor was now being used to save the imperial family’s greatest enemy.

If I keep trying little by little, he’ll be in much better shape six years from now.

Even if Carlos were to lose control—which hopefully would never happen—his body would at least be strong enough to survive.

That’s enough.

For the first time, I truly believed he might live.

Hugging a pillow tightly, I grinned.

“Not bad,” he’d said.

Those simple words kept replaying in my head.

It wasn’t even anything special.

He had only eaten it because it wasn’t poisoned.

And yet…

Why did it make me so happy?

I rolled around in bed under the blanket for a while, savoring the feeling.

“Ugh…”

A groan escaped me.

A dull ache suddenly flared in my arm.

When I raised it, I saw blood soaking through the bandages.

“I guess the bandages weren’t enough.”

It seemed reopening the wound to make the red refined crystal for Carlos had done more damage than I thought. I’d had to remove the bandages Mia had wrapped before digging into the injury.

Normally, after about a week, it would stop bleeding altogether.

This time, though, it seemed to be healing much more slowly.

Maybe it’s because this body is only thirteen.

Back when I was the Imperial Princess, I was so used to drawing blood that even deep cuts on my arm healed quickly.

This body apparently wasn’t trained to that extent yet.

The pain itself didn’t matter.

I could endure it.

But if the blood soaked through my clothes and someone became suspicious, that would be troublesome.

I think the infirmary is… on the first floor of the annex.

I remembered something Mia had mentioned in passing a few days ago.

There weren’t any servants stationed there, so it should be empty by now.

I’ll quietly apply some medicine and come right back.

It didn’t take me long to decide.

I quietly stood up.

The path to the annex was silent.

You’d believe no one lived here.

Even in the main residence, I rarely ran into servants apart from Mia, who constantly followed me around.

But this path felt completely deserted.

The road seems well maintained, though…

As I walked along the neatly paved stone path, I suddenly stopped.

Beyond an arched trellis covered in wisteria, the annex came into view.

And something about it felt… strange.

“So this is… the annex?”

I’d expected an old, abandoned building.

Instead, while smaller than the main residence, it looked cleaner and more orderly.

The three-story ivory-colored building sparkled beneath the afternoon sun, and its roof was painted a vivid red, as though it had been freshly coated.

The lawn surrounding it had been trimmed with obvious care.

Why is it maintained so well?

Especially when the main residence feels so cold and lifeless.

I stood there blankly for a moment before slowly passing beneath the wisteria and entering the building.

“It doesn’t seem like anyone’s here.”

Brilliant afternoon sunlight streamed through the large windows.

Everything was peaceful and drowsy.

Only the soft click of my shoes echoed across the white marble floor.

Halfway down the corridor, I suddenly stopped.

There was a problem.

“…So where exactly is the infirmary?”

None of the many doors lining the first-floor hallway had nameplates.

“Hmm… this is a problem.”

An unexpected obstacle.

Should I just ask Mia after all?

After a moment’s thought, I shook my head.

Knowing Mia, she’d interrogate me the moment she saw my wound.

Why are you hurt? Where did you get injured? Why didn’t you tell me?

I could already hear her voice in my head.

In this cold, lifeless Grand Duke’s estate, she was practically the only person responsible for making a fuss and meddling in other people’s business.

“Well… I don’t have much choice.”

If I opened every door, I’d eventually find it.

I began checking the rooms one by one.

Most were empty.

Some appeared to be guest rooms or storage rooms.

Then I suddenly stopped.

Huh?

At the very end of the hallway stood a large door painted a pale sky blue—the only one of its kind.

“What’s that?”

Even now, I couldn’t explain why I started walking toward it.

Before I knew it, my hand was already gripping the doorknob.

It probably isn’t the infirmary…

Of course not.

Who would put an infirmary at the very end of the corridor and even paint its door a different color?

And yet…

I couldn’t bring myself to turn around.

I couldn’t even let go of the handle.

For some reason, I wanted to see what was inside.

Was it because, despite running away from the Emperor and living here as a guest, I still hadn’t shaken the habits I’d developed as the Imperial Princess—doing whatever I pleased?

It didn’t matter.

“You never know.”

Making an excuse that even I found ridiculous, I slowly turned the knob.

The first thing that greeted me was the soft scent of fabric.

A curtain of brilliant sunlight mixed with floating dust, obscuring my vision.

Only after blinking several times could I make out the room.

Then, without realizing it, I parted my lips in surprise.

What is this place…?

A large window overlooking the garden.

A soft rug.

Sheer chiffon curtains.

A hanging mobile.

A small pink bed in the center of the room.

A single glance was enough.

This was the room of the missing Grand Duke’s daughter.

Why have they kept it all this time?

It looked as though it had been cleaned regularly.

There wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere.

Silently, I looked around.

Directly ahead stood a tiny bed fit for a two-year-old child.

The rocking horse by the window was still polished to a shine.

The room overflowed with toys and stuffed animals.

This… could have been my room.

The thought struck me out of nowhere.

If the Emperor hadn’t kidnapped me…

I might have grown up here.

I might have fallen asleep in that little bed.

Ridden that rocking horse.

Run through the garden outside the window.

Something twisted deep beneath my ribs.

It felt similar to the day I’d wandered through the Grand Duke’s estate and seen the White Rose Garden.

What… is this feeling?

An indescribable emotion rose to my throat.

Was it sadness?

Regret?

Or something else entirely?

How much time had passed?

As though waking from a dream, I suddenly stumbled backward.

It was pure instinct.

What’s wrong with me?

There was no reason to dwell on the past.

It was over.

Nothing could change it now.

I hurriedly shut the door and turned to leave the annex.

Then—

“What are you doing?”

The sudden voice made my heart nearly stop.