Reborn After Betrayal: The Frail True Princess Decides to Give Up-Chapter 20 : Please Don't Come Near Me

Sophia's face was extremely close to Celitia's, almost nose to nose.
Celitia could even feel the strands of warm breath from Sophia's respiration passing over her cheeks and entering her nostrils.
Her skin was very fair, but unlike Celitia's, it was a porcelain white with a rosy glow, soft, plump, and moist, clearly showing good complexion—evidently someone who had grown up being cherished.
"...Mmm..." Sophia murmured with her eyes closed, smacking her lips. "...Little cake... so fragrant and sweet..."
Celitia was momentarily speechless—was this princess still eating desserts in her dreams?
But then again, Sophia sleeping was much cuter than her usually haughty appearance.
Sophia seemed close to waking, her body stirring as she hugged her life-sized pillow tighter.
Only then did Celitia notice that they were pressed firmly together.
Sophia was wrapped around her like an octopus, even with one leg draped over hers, causing Celitia's leg to lose all feeling.
That wasn't all—while Sophia muttered "little cake" in her mouth, she tightened her arms around Celitia, opened her mouth, and was about to take a bite with an "aom" sound.
In that critical moment, Celitia quickly pulled out her left hand, blocked between them, and pressed her palm against Sophia's face, pushing that drooling mouth away.
"Wah!"
With her head forcibly pushed out several inches, Sophia finally woke from her dream.
The hand holding Celitia's shoulder finally released, grabbing her wrist instead:
"Who? Who dares to hit me?!"
Celitia didn't move, allowing Sophia to grip her wrist as she raised her misty eyes to look at that not-yet-fully-awake face:
"Your Highness, that's what I should be asking—would you please let go of me? My leg has lost all feeling."
Suddenly realizing how poor her sleeping posture was, Sophia's cheeks exploded with a blush.
She hurriedly released her hands and feet, shrinking back as if electrocuted, while defensively arguing:
"Well, you used my arm as a pillow all night too! My arm is also numb!!"
"So," Celitia was silent for a moment before finally asking, "why exactly is Your Highness sleeping beside me?"
Celitia's memory stopped at the point where Sophia used magic to bind her and carried her racing downstairs.
She had no recollection of anything after that.
Where was this place, why was Sophia hugging her while sleeping... Celitia was thoroughly confused.
Only one thing was certain—during that long night, in her unconscious moments, she hadn't encountered any danger.
The warmth that pervaded her body in that dream, and the inexplicable sense of security, Celitia still remembered clearly.
After her rebirth, almost every night, Celitia repeatedly had various nightmares.
Memories belonging to Sercis and those belonging to Celitia, past and present intertwined into countless chaotic fragments, repeatedly troubling her in the dead of night.
But last night... it seemed she had only a brief nightmare, then slept peacefully until the bright daylight.
Despite it being the new moon when the curse activated, she had experienced a rare night of peaceful sleep, which was truly surprising.
But appreciation aside, it didn't mean Celitia could calmly accept being held in the arms of a complete stranger while sleeping.
Celitia stared intently at Sophia, making her cheeks grow increasingly red.
"It-it's because you were sick, your body was cold as ice, and even being under the blanket couldn't warm you up. This young lady was afraid you might die, so I helped warm—warm..."
The phrase "warm the bed" was too embarrassing for Sophia to say out loud. Her face flushed bright red, almost steaming.
As the noble princess, it was others who should flatter her, not her lowering herself to warm someone's bed.
Sophia admitted that her choice yesterday had been somewhat rash, considering their relationship hadn't reached that level.
But... wasn't it because she had felt that ice-cold hand, seen that tear, and heard her sorrowfully call "don't go"?
"Um... I brought you to the hospital and asked Sister Mahee to examine you. She told you to rest well."
Unable to say what she really meant, Sophia changed the direction of her explanation.
"This young lady, in her great mercy, looked after you for a while, then became somewhat tired and just—just fell asleep!"
Celitia continued staring at Sophia, hearing from her awkward words that she wasn't lying.
Misty currents swirled in her purple-gray eyes, and Celitia slowly lowered her eyelids, hiding the slight ripples within.
"...Thank you," she said softly.
"Eh?!"
Sophia was very surprised, her already round almond eyes widening even more.
From the first time she met Celitia, Sophia felt that her mouth was quite disagreeable.
Like a little hedgehog with all its spines extended, rejecting all kindness, wanting to isolate herself from everyone.
Unexpectedly, she could hear the word "thank you" from that mouth.
That this person could have such a frank moment truly surprised Sophia.
"So your mouth can produce ivory after all. This young lady accepts your thanks."
Sophia instantly became smug, her eyes and brows exuding an air of arrogance.
"How about this: this young lady will allow you to be my roommate, and we'll call our past issues settled. You don't need to slave away to repay me. Just keep this young lady happy, and there will be plenty of benefits for you in the future—"
"Your Highness."
Celitia didn't wait for Sophia to finish, abruptly interrupting her, her voice clear and cold.
"You may have misunderstood something—I don't plan to approach you, and I ask that you don't approach me either."
Celitia slowly sat up on the bed, the tucked blanket sliding down with her body, revealing slender and thin shoulders and arms.
Turning around, with her back to Sophia, she sat on the other side of the hospital bed, her toes touching the cold floor. That sudden stimulation made Celitia involuntarily shiver slightly.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
If the academy tacitly approved the arrangement and they truly became roommates, there would be many days of cohabitation ahead, and boundary-crossing situations like today might not be the only ones...
This princess appeared arrogant and domineering, but her thoughts were surprisingly quite pure.
While Celitia herself carried too many burdens: a heavy past, the secret of rebirth, and an unpredictable curse.
They were like people from two different worlds, with no need to draw close to each other.
Otherwise, Celitia wasn't sure if one day she might also drag Sophia into the abyss.
She needed to establish clear boundaries with Sophia before the situation spiraled out of control.