#82. Let’s Live Together!
Until now, she had simply lived because she was alive.
There was no clear purpose, no desire for anything. To be precise, she couldn’t even wish for such things.
She had to hide. All she had from her parents’ final words was that she had to hide from something she didn’t even understand—and that had been her entire reason for living.
But now, that was no longer the case. It couldn’t be.
There was no one left to protect her child. And Sugar herself no longer wanted to hide.
A god, she thought. Could anyone hide from such a being?
She had heard that not only she but also her ancestors had been marked. But what had become of those people?
“If we had offered the proper sacrifice, our family wouldn’t have fallen apart so miserably! Just one person in that generation! If only one had been offered, by now the empire would be Levoir, not Bolsheike!”
She had certainly heard that. Not offering the proper sacrifice meant, in essence, evading the eyes of the god.
And yet… so what?
Sugar didn’t want to live trembling her whole life, disguised as a girl, always terrified of when the god’s gaze might fall upon her.
She didn’t know what to do or where to go, but this much was certain.
The only problem was that this was the only thing she was certain of.
The intelligent child understood her own situation perfectly.
She had nothing, no abilities, and even being born into a fallen noble family left her unable to live a normal life.
Come to think of it, her family owed a huge debt to the Taren family, and to repay it, she had to work as a servant for the Tarens.
“If I asked to be taken in as a servant for the Taren family…”
With no other ideas in mind, Sugar muttered to herself, as if trying to step into the position her brother had detested so much. Her ears perked up.
The outside, which had been deathly silent until now, had grown briefly noisy, only to fall silent again.
Blinking wide-eyed, Sugar cautiously approached the door.
-
Knock, knock-knock.
“P-please, come in.”
Startled by the loud knocking, Sugar blurted out permission and immediately covered her mouth in surprise.
But the moment she gave it, the door opened, and a pink head suddenly appeared.
Sugar, dumbstruck, stared as Olivia entered, her familiar yet fantastical red hair—like something from a storybook—flaming behind her pink-tinted hair.
Frozen from the sight of the red hair, Sugar bent forward in haste but managed to steady herself, bowing properly as her parents had taught her when she was very young.
“Your Highness, Princess.”
“Almost perfect etiquette. But really, no need to be so formal—raise your head.”
The light praise, followed by a friendly remark anyone would hear as warm, made Sugar struggle to hide her inexpressible expression.
Olivia, noticing this, chuckled and teased lightly.
“No need to show such courtesy to a kidnapper.”
“My apologies.”
Yet even such a joke was too much for Sugar, and her face paled instantly as she bowed deeply.
Olivia could have tapped her shoulder reassuringly, saying it was just a joke, but instead she swallowed a soft sigh.
No matter what she said now, the child would react similarly. Just because a difficult person says, “I’m not difficult,” doesn’t suddenly make them easy.
Being with Cryer had dulled Olivia a little, but she was still very much the next emperor of the empire.
And really, the only person she could truly relax around was Cryer.
Well… it was a little strange to treat a princess who clung to her pant legs so formally on their first meeting.
Olivia was pulled back to reality by Ambre. From the moment she entered the room, Ambre had been restless, staring at Sugar as if she might break from the intensity of her gaze.
When Olivia paused, Ambre, unable to contain her impatience, asked:
“Your Highness, may I introduce myself?”
“Oh, of course. This is, as you’ve heard, Sugar Levoir. The only bloodline of the Levoir family.”
At those calm words, Sugar’s jaw tightened. “The only bloodline…” Her father, who had betrayed the natural order, was already gone.
Just as Sugar’s face was about to turn not just pale but green, Olivia stepped aside and gestured to Ambre.
“And this is Miss Taren.”
Before Olivia could finish, Ambre hurried up to Sugar and asked:
“You said you’re Sugar of the Levoir family, right?”
“Yes. Sugar Levoir.”
Feeling the weight of Ambre’s sparkling gaze, Sugar instinctively leaned back but answered sincerely.
Moments later, she heard words she hadn’t expected, and all her previous worries, the pressure from the princess’s sudden visit, everything evaporated.
“Hmm, hmm. Perfect! Let’s live together!”
“…What?”
Ambre’s bold exclamation left Sugar dazed, and Olivia pressed a hand to her forehead with a sigh.
“Miss, saying it like that sounds like a proposal.”
“Oh? I don’t have any intention of living with such a young heir just yet!”
“Right. Let’s put aside your future plans for now, Sugar Levoir.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Olivia explained what had happened before Ambre had dashed in to blurt that out.
Before Ambre nearly ran into the room where Sugar was staying:
“What? A missing servant from our family committed treason?”
Ambre tilted his head in confusion at the news that the missing servant would suddenly face the highest punishment for treason.
But then, quickly:
“How dare they entertain such ill thoughts about Your Highness! I—I swear, our family would never! I am loyal to Your Highness, always!”
“I know. Enough.”
Ambre had puffed his cheeks in anger, then suddenly ranted about his loyalty, making Olivia chuckle.
“It’s an honor that Your Highness acknowledges me. Then…”
Ambre, smiling brightly, hesitated.
“And what about the child? The one you were hiding…”
“Ah, that child…”
Olivia summarized the situation briefly. Ambre jumped up.
“What, that wretch! No, I mean, then I will take the child!”
“You, Miss?”
“Yes! There must be a reason Your Highness doesn’t keep the child in the palace.”
Even without mentioning the brand, Ambre accurately grasped the unspoken details from Olivia’s words.
“You said the child is the knight’s daughter—or, not a son. So you’re not keeping the child in the palace because you worry people might misunderstand?”
With a pure expression, Ambre concluded:
“So leave it to me. I want to help Your Highness! And also the child who parted ways with that wretch!”
Olivia finally bent slightly, meeting Sugar’s gaze.
“Miss Taren thinks that, but take your time. I want to hear your answer. No need to decide or think about everything at once. Just one thing first.”
Sugar’s dark-red eyes, previously shaking like a small boat in a storm, gradually steadied like calm, blue waters.
“You can go back to your old home, or to the Taren family. And if you wish, you can stay in the palace.”
Olivia paused, glanced at Cryer, and continued:
“There’s only one reason I don’t want you in the palace. It’s because there’s a high chance you’ll be in danger.”
Though she didn’t elaborate, Sugar vaguely understood that this “danger” was connected to the terrifying knight, someone else with a mark like hers.
Olivia swallowed a bitter smile, watching Sugar blink slowly.
A child of the Levoir family, marked by a pact with an ancient god. Greta doesn’t yet know of the child, but inevitably, the longer Sugar stays in the palace, the more likely Greta will learn of them.
A child with the same eye color as Cryer.
Would Greta leave them alone? If she already knew, things would be even worse.
The moment Greta interferes in the child’s life, Sugar’s life would become a mud-soaked mess.
Even though the child already bore the mark and couldn’t live an ordinary life, Olivia didn’t want them exploited by someone like Greta.
“Now, where do you want to stay?”
Sugar answered neither quickly nor slowly:
“If I want to know about the ancient god, the mark, the cost, and the bargain… where should I be?”
Olivia chuckled and answered calmly:
“Anywhere. I’ll tell you everything.”
“Y-you’ll tell me?”
“Yes… Miss?”
Ambre, beside Sugar, raised his hand energetically, begging to be acknowledged. Olivia couldn’t ignore him.
“Yes! Tell me too!”
“You already know enough,” Olivia said.
“I only know that Your Highness is fighting against a cruel god!”
“That’s enough.”
Olivia tried to cut him off, but Ambre, never one to back down, remained. Kneeling formally with a noble expression, he spoke seriously:
“You saved my life. I want to use it for Your Highness.”
“You don’t have to.”
Ambre refused to step back.
“I want to!”
“No, really, you don’t have to.”
“I will!”
“Miss.”
“I’ll use it! Let me! I will!”
