Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 340: Childhood - The Royal Family of Yeriel
"Uh... should we treat him?"
"...No. Let’s go for now. I’ll go up first."
Honestly, it was a relief that he fainted. Leaving the unconscious Sir Bart behind, Rev and Lena climbed out of the well. The well wasn’t too deep, and it had grooves carved here and there, making it easy to climb out.
Once outside, Rev boldly walked forward.
Although the garden had trees, they weren’t dense enough to provide complete cover for movement. Besides, trying to skulk around would only make them look suspicious to the guards patrolling the castle walls.
So instead of hiding behind trees:
"Who are those people? Their clothes look strange."
"Maybe they’re here for a family visit. Or perhaps they hired more maids and servants."
Blending into the mundane seemed the better option.
Lena, evidently enjoying the situation, was flushed and breathless as they walked.
"You look like a proper thief! A carefree master thief at that."
"Heh. Let them think about what they will do. But be careful. If we get caught, it’ll be trouble for Lean."
Eventually, they arrived beneath the castle's stone walls and began searching for the prince’s room.
The room that Eric de Yeriel once used faced south. It jutted out slightly like a terrace, so it wasn’t hard to spot after a short walk.
"Let’s see. He said he’d bury a bell somewhere around here. Ah! Over there."
It was obvious where the ground had been dug up. Rev knelt and quickly unearthed the bell with his calloused hands.
Now to throw it.
"Do we just toss it and wait?"
"Seems like it. Then... here goes!"
Though it was only three stories up, the palace’s height made it seem daunting. Rev aimed carefully and threw the bell, ensuring it landed right at the window.
"Haha! You’ve arrived!"
A hand caught the bell midair. It was the prince, Lean de Yeriel, leaning on the windowsill and looking down with a smile.
Apparently, he’d been watching the whole time. Well, it made sense—he had {Tracking Skills} as well.
"Lena’s here too. Wait a moment; someone will come for you soon."
Though they couldn’t make out exactly what he said due to the height, his gestures conveyed the message clearly.
From the direction Lean pointed, a young man began approaching.
He was a servant, but not Santian Rauno—he was someone their age whom they hadn’t met before.
"I’ll escort you to the prince."
"Ah, thank you."
As a servant of the prince, he was likely of noble birth. Rev kept his words to a minimum.
Moreover, with Lean being a strong contender for the throne, it was highly probable he was of legitimate lineage rather than an illegitimate child or a second son. Unsurprisingly, the young man carried himself with confidence.
While escorting them, he collected Rev’s sword and offered some advice.
"I’m not sure why His Highness invited you, but you’d do well to conduct yourselves properly. Don’t think of yourselves as too special."
"...Why do you say that?"
"It’s His Highness’ hobby. Alongside the princess... Well, this isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last. Consider yourselves lucky to meet him and enjoy an extraordinary day. That should be enough."
"And who might you be?"
"Why do you ask?"
"So I can remember the name of someone who gave me such valuable advice."
"...Hmm. I am ‘Debi Arne.’ Now, if you’ll excuse me."
The black-eyed young man scrutinized Rev briefly before turning away. Meanwhile, Rev reflected on the name and gleaned insight into the political landscape of the Conrad Kingdom.
This man was the eldest son of Marquis Dennis Arne. In the original timeline, the Arne family wouldn’t have been seen in the capital, but clearly, things were different now.
The fact that the Arne heir served as Lean’s attendant hinted at changes in the palace’s power dynamics. Previously, Duke Tertan had dominated the political scene as the head of the only faction.
If the Arne family was now aligned with Lean, it could mean Duke Tertan supported Prince Eric de Yeriel instead. Sending his son to serve Lean suggested a deliberate choice to back the prince.
Not that it concerned him.
As Lena admired the intricate woodwork of Lutetia Palace, exclaiming in awe, Rev walked quietly, lost in thought.
Eventually, they reached the second floor. Lean de Yeriel was already waiting for them at the base of the staircase leading to his room.
When they saw him, however—
"Whoa?"
"Rev, it’s good to see you. And you too, Lena."
"Have you gotten taller?"
"Huh?"
"This insolence!!"
"Hahaha! Debi, stop. He’s not someone you can handle. Rev, I ask for your forgiveness."
Though the ceremonial sword Debi wielded wasn’t particularly lethal, Rev was an unarmed commoner. Even so, Debi turned bright red and stormed off when Lean intervened.
Rev shrugged. "He seems quite fond of you."
"Not really. He nags more than you’d think. Anyway... haha! Yeah, I’ve grown a bit taller."
"You’re even taller than me now? Wow... I never thought I’d see the day. Oh, right, I ran into Sir Bart on the way here."
"...Oh dear. Where did you leave him?"
"In the well."
"I shouldn’t have sent Debi. Wait here in my room for a moment."
Lean left to "deal with" Sir Bart, while Rev and Lena headed up to the prince’s quarters.
"It’s amazing!"
"Hmm... I didn’t think Lean had this kind of taste. Or has he changed?"
The Lean Rev remembered was an extremely frugal prince.
Lean was rarely in a position to afford luxury, and even when he had the chance, he’d spend it on his younger siblings rather than himself.
Perhaps, unconsciously, Rev had expected Lean’s room to reflect that same simplicity.
"Is this... a gem?"
"It’s not a gemstone, just a raw crystal."
However, Lean’s room was undeniably luxurious. The space matched the warm, refined aesthetic of Lutetia Palace, its walls and furniture primarily crafted from richly colored wood. But embedded here and there were large, uncut crystals.
The crystals were dark and unpolished, blending seamlessly with the wood unless closely inspected. It was luxury that didn’t scream for attention but made itself known to the discerning eye.
While Rev was trying to reconcile this subtle opulence with Lean’s personality, and Lena was busy exploring the prince’s room in wonder, the door suddenly burst open.
"Brother! I just woke up from my nap—oh? Who are you?"
Rev and Lena froze.
Rev was stunned by the change in Lerialia’s appearance, while Lean...
"...Hah!"
...was trembling, overtaken by a surge of emotions.
The nightmarish princess-duchess from her dreams had returned. Lerialia’s golden eyes gleamed like the sun, her seemingly innocent smile laced with cunning.
Lena stepped back, hiding behind Rev as her hands trembled. However, Lerialia seemed more interested in Rev than the frightened girl.
"Hmm. I’m certain I’ve seen your face in a dream before. Is your name... Rev?"
"...It is, Your Highness."
"Really? It is? Wow! You’re a commoner, right?"
"Yes."
"Haha! In my dreams, you weren’t always one. How fascinating... Anyway, it’s nice to meet you! I’m Lerialia de Yeriel."
"It’s an honor to meet you, Princess. I’m not sure how you know me, but my name is Rev, and this here is Lena."
Lerialia gave Lena a curt nod.
"Nice to meet you too, whoever you are. But... What are you doing here? This is my brother’s room."
"His Highness invited us. He stepped out briefly, so we were waiting for him."
"Really? Hmm... got it. I’ll ask him about it later. Nice meeting you!"
With that, Lerialia spun on her heel and left.
The moment she was gone, Lena collapsed onto the obsidian-studded wooden floor.
"Lena! Are you okay?"
"Yeah... I’m fine. Just startled. She... hasn’t changed one bit."
"..."
Rev didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t agree that Lerialia hadn’t changed because, to him, she had.
That bright, radiant smile.
The shadow that used to hang over his fragile little sister was gone. The shy, wary girl who rarely spoke had grown into someone vibrant and self-assured. Rev, to his surprise, felt a surge of pride.
Lena, on the other hand, had only seen the fully grown Lerialia. She couldn’t imagine the younger version Rev remembered—a scrawny, mud-covered child. No matter what had happened in the previous iterations, Rev found it in himself to forgive her.
If he felt a pang of sentimentality, akin to a father watching his daughter leave for marriage as her heels clicked away, well... that was his secret to keep.
Rev helped Lena to a seat and quietly massaged her arms. Lean returned a little later than expected.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go."
"Huh? Go where? We still have things to talk about—"
"You’ll see when we get there."
Without any preamble, the prince grabbed Rev and began leading him away.
As they descended the stairs, Rev grumbled. "You’ve got a bad habit, you know. You don’t listen to others and just do as you please."
"I know. You want me to tell you how to defeat Astroth based on the last iteration, right?"
"Yeah, so—"
"I think I’ve already figured it out. I’ve been observing Orville closely since you woke me up. Astaroth’s mistake was changing the war to involve the Aisel Kingdom."
"...Why?"
Turning around, Lean explained, "Because I’m a prince of Conrad Kingdom. Because Gilbert Forte is the son of Isadora and Count Herman Forte. And because I’ve figured out what Marquis Tatian is after!"
Lean burst into laughter and resumed walking, leaving Rev seething with frustration.
Rev wanted to smack him, but the palace’s security was tight. As they neared the center, the guards and knights grew more numerous, forcing Rev to suppress his irritation.
Eventually, Lean brought them to...
"The Audience Hall?"
The space was located on the palace’s 3.5th floor—a grand room where the king and queen greeted dignitaries. As Lean approached, the massive doors opened automatically, revealing a dazzling sight.
Inside was a luxurious audience chamber, furnished with white sofas adorned with Zanel flowers. Two stunning women and the ruler of the kingdom were seated within.
The king, who had been bedridden in previous iterations, sat tall. Queen Ainas de Yeriel, who had often been deceased, was alive and vibrant, seated beside the king. Next to her was Queen Consort Nedostia Yeriel, radiating beauty yet carrying a commanding air.
Standing off to the side was none other than Eric de Yeriel, Lean’s older brother. He was watching the newcomers with serene, clear eyes.
Leaning slightly, Rev noticed Lerialia peeking out from behind the king’s chair, laughing at some joke Eric had whispered.
And Lean, with an exaggerated smile, proclaimed:
"Father, Mother, Queen Nedostia! I have brought them—the strongest knight of our kingdom!"
"???"
The grand chamber, resplendent with golden decor and precious Conrad marble, seemed to weigh down on Rev.
His worn leather clothes and scuffed canvas shoes were out of place here, but he moved closer to Lena, hoping she wouldn’t feel too self-conscious.
He really, truly wanted to smack Lean.
.
!
Chapter 340: Childhood - The Royal Family of Yeriel
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