Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

“Where did Dane go?”

“I heard he left his palace for work. Something big happened in the palace he was working at so he became very busy.”

That was a relief.

In the end, he could no longer take me pretending to have sore arms and let me lower my arm. But since he had not relieved his anger yet, he continued to torment my head.

I heard that experiences made people. If I had left the palace for three days and nights earlier, there would not be enough space in my palace for my brothers to go ham on me. Obviously, the revelation of my ‘secret’ played a part in their calm response. Because they would have nothing to say in response if I told them that I had no choice but to leave if I did not want to die.

I had not wanted to use that as an excuse but I was touched by their efforts in trying to understand me.

“What’s the reason you’re going this far for? Did you have to leave the palace? I told you I would do everything for you. Don’t you trust me?”

“No, I mean I thought that’s what dull men say… Well, it’s nothing to do with whether I believe you or not.”

“Then, what is it?”

“Brother. From what I know so far, I know that I would not be able to avoid my death if I don’t go this far.”

I added as I feigned confidence and alternated my gaze between the lord and Fleon.

“I know. To avoid your death, you would have to put yourself through more danger.”

Looking for the place where Rusbella and Castor would meet for the first time was linked to my future deaths.

“I know. You have to do at least this much to avoid it.”

It was because of that I had to go there. The problem was that I went alone but I had to go some way or another. And if he was referring to my wounds, I had been hurt countless of times before trying to avoid death. If I continued to be scared of small things, I would ever overcome the bigger problem that was my death.

“It’s not that easy. Is that all?”

“To sum it up, stop making that expression.”

“How noisy.”

I thought if I smiled calmly, he could relieve his anger but it felt like I was getting myself deeper into trouble when his expression only became more contorted.

“Damn it, damn it… Jupiter, why’s it you?”

Well, he was right. I was curious too. For what reason was god doing this to me?

“I’m alright, Fleon. It might be difficult but please understand me. Don’t think too much about the fact that I left the palace. Because I could not help it.”

A smile might not solve my problems but it did comfort him.

“Shit. Don’t you think the problem is that it’s because you never reflect on yourself? That guy, Dane, is usually good at dealing with these kinds of things but he’s not here now…! Just watch. We’ll build a fence around here or lock you up.”

“Don’t think about wasting money on things that haven’t even happened yet and just use that money for the people in your palace. Alright? It’s already so hard to serve you so some welfare would be good.”

The serious atmosphere felt heavy and suffocating.

“Try hitting me again. Remember, I’m a patient.”

Only then did Lord Ray stop him. I could still hardly move because of the bandages so I leaned on Lord Ray’s arm and rubbed my face against him.

“… The princess…”

When I lowered my hand and raised my hand, I spotted his navy blue eyes and his indifferent gaze through his hair.

“Is someone who definitely manages to crawl out of here even though there’s a fence. She does whatever she wants.”

Since I already know the path into the Forbidden Forest, I could tell that he was baiting me.

‘He was changing the subject, right?’

Don’t tell me, he did not expect me to understand? I stared at him but he shrugged his shoulders lightly.

“Try coming back tattered next time. I’ll seriously build a wall around this palace then.”

In the end, it was not until evening before I could finally send Fleon off. He did not forget to sincerely threaten me when he returned.

“This is seriously twisted.”

I did not tell him to leave. Did the fact that I was dying suddenly haunted him?

The sky was that of a dark night. I opened my diary and thought deeply.

“This is really the world inside the original novel.”

That ‘device’ I saw in the clock tower was the same one I read about in the original novel. That was that but the world also had things the novel failed to mention.

The original thread began to get tangled when I found out that Amor was not the sweet and friendly prince I thought he was and it began to snowball when I met Rebecca before the knot became the largest when I found out about Hernan.

Why was I reborn here?

My life. I did not want to think that the life of the princess, Ashley Rosé would be any less valuable than this world’s main character. Even if the creator might not think so, I believe so.

“It’s not that I’m not trying to remember but something’s interfering.”

Castor used his powers to make me forget. For what reason? The memories he made me forget were both important to me and yet not at the same time.

“The fact that Hernan tried to save me…”

I was shocked but realistically speaking, it was not something that changed the current situation too drastically. It was not like he tried to save me during all the attempts but he only tried to help four times. But that lonely feeling did not hurt or change anything. But why?

“… Is it not you?”

The diary remained quiet.

“It answers everything I never ask for. It only remains quiet during times like this. It’s so cheap.”

Hernan and Castor. I was given a new problem to solve.

I fiddled with the back of the book with my uninjured arm.

It felt like I saw something but with this stupid head of mine, I was not confident that I could draw a picture using the countless pieces I had just yet.

“Ah… that really hurts.”

I fell down from the balcony and I could hear the crackle of the bushed beneath me. I could hear the sounds of footsteps.

“Are you not going to sleep?”

It was clear that he purposely made sound when he approached because he was someone who could move like a shadow if he wanted to.

“The wind’s too cold.”

When I raised my head, I spotted Lord Ray looking down at me from the balcony.

“I couldn’t fall asleep. Why aren’t you sleeping, Lord?”

Looking from below, Lord Ray looked like a miniature version of himself.He had always been taller than me so when he looked down, it was interesting yet funny. That was why I raised my chin and smiled.

“It’s my duty to protect you at night.”

He walked towards the edge of the moonlight. As I stared at the sight of him on the second floor, something suddenly came to mind.

The movie ‘Romeo and Juliet’. It had been remade a couple of times but there was a scene where a good-looking actor was absolutely necessary. This looked exactly like my favourite scene.

“Do you like books, Lord?”

The scene when a handsome man appeared in front of the young girl who had been waiting as if it was fate. They would then say that they fell in love at first sight with each other and bicker with each other. Sadly, the man on the balcony was a knight who was too blunt to bicker with. I raised my chin and spoke.

“Do you have any thoughts on becoming the main character? Someone like Romeo.”

“Who is Romeo?”

The shadows of the tree hid his expression partially. However, part of his hair that was caught in the light looked like the colour of the sky during the dusk or at night.

“My male lead.”

“… Have you found someone you’ve fallen in love with?”

“I’m talking about the male lead in a book.”

It was funny only after talking about it. I was talking about the characters in a book right? Even though I could not stay here for long, I stayed there and laughed for a while because I thought it was funny. It looked like Lord Ray was frowning slightly in the dark.

“Well, I don’t like being the lead.”

However, the Lord Ray I called for could not be the main character and neither could I play the pretty female lead.

“You know, are you hiding anything from me?”

I was referring to Hernan. I was talking about the initial shock I had when I found out about Hernan. What if Ray was hiding a side of him that was the complete opposite of what he was showing me? I thought I could be shocked too.

“I just said it without much thought so don’t worry about it too much. I just don’t want you to do that.”

“Is your ideal type someone who doesn’t hide anything from you?”

“Are you talking about the type of men I like? Well, I guess. I’d rather them be honest.”

I spoke after thinking hard about it.

“Rather than keeping a lot of secrets, I like you more.”

Because I was already keeping so many secrets, I could not afford to share the burden with someone else. So, I thought it would be nicer to be with someone I had no doubts about.

“You yourself are not honest but you’re expecting that from your partner.”

“Do you think I’m being weak?”

“Yes.”

I was pricked by his unbridled honesty. Come to think of it, that really was a weak thing to say.

“You really are such an honest person. There’s nothing I can do. You’re not wrong.”

At the fact that I got caught, I scratched my cheek out of awkwardness.

“Alright. There’s nothing I can do if that’s what you think. I need to go somewhere later. A place in the Forbidden Forest.”

“… I can see your determination to go even though you were told not to leave.”

“You can know me well?”

He glared at me until I could feel it prick me. As if to say he was wondering why I was acting alright when I had gone through that turmoil just two days ago.

“If you think it’ll be dangerous, it’s alright.”

“… Obviously I would think that when the princess is going to a forest where a lot of people go missing.”

“You’re right. I know the Forbidden Forest is dangerous. Well, there’s a 1 in 10 chance that something might happen… But this protects me sometimes.”

I tapped on the diary before shaking it lightly so that he can see it well.

“Sometimes.”

I was generally safe but sometimes things I did not expect would happen. Like meeting Castor.

“If it’s only sometimes, that means it’s dangerous.”

I nodded.

“That’s right. And most of the danger comes from the boundary of the Forbidden Forest. Do you know the watchman?”

“Yes.”

“It’ll be nice if the Lord can protect me when that happens. You’re going to chase me anywhere I go even if it’s the Forbidden Forest, anyways, right? Moreover…”

He stopped talking before letting out a sigh slowly.

“It’d be nicer if you just watch me like what you’re doing now.”

“There’s never been a time when I haven’t been sincere.”

When he took a step closer, his figure became completely lit by the moonlight.

“And I’ll continue to uphold that.”

I could see his resignation from his calm expression.

“How can I beat you? Some things about you change and some things about you still don’t.”

“So?”

“I’ll just protect you. Take responsibility for making me like this.”

The moon rose subtly in his eyes as it was lit with a deep blue light. It made it impossible to make eye contact with me.

“Lord…?”

“Yes.”

He replied me without caring about how his words might turn people’s heads.

“Well… that’s a little… misleading in many ways.”

No matter how I interpreted his words, I could only laugh at how openly shameless he was.

I looked away from the moon in his eyes before staring at the moon in the sky. It looked like a white boat drifting alone in the sea of black. Alone against the waves of black. Today, it seems like a wave of dark clouds was close to swallowing it up. I stared at it as I thought about someone I missed, someone I wondered about and someone I was worrying about right at this moment.

Amor. The moon-like person.