I Became the Narrow-Eyed Character in the Little Prince Game

The extermination order for Vanity—carried out in a single night.
A pillar that had stood with the continent throughout history collapsed beneath the dawn.

If one were to invoke some tired truth, perhaps they'd say that permanence is nothing but a fantasy.
I found myself thinking amidst the desolate snowfields.
The bitterness in my mouth was hard to ignore.

‘It’s cold.’
Our side handled the final cleanup of Vanity.
Ordinarily, since it was a coup-related matter, it would’ve been proper to hand it over to the Imperial family...

But that would’ve left a foul aftertaste.
We managed to wrest permission from the Emperor—after much effort.
Surprisingly, he granted it more readily than I expected.

‘Should I say… I’m relieved?’
A season where only chilly winds remained.
Emilia, surveying the now-empty estate, wore a complex expression in her eyes.

Perhaps it was because she was finally feeling the weight of her family’s demise.
Her dazed, hardened face simply drifted from place to place.
I couldn’t offer any words of comfort.

‘...It must have meant a lot to her.’
I knew it.
How proud Emilia had been of her bloodline.

And how deeply she had admired the noble stories of those who came before.
To the villainess, "Vanity" was more than just a name—it was a landmark of life itself.
Losing that must’ve been agonizing.
‘She’s a gentle person.’

No matter how firmly she pretended to stand—
No matter how mature she tried to appear—
The wounds beneath remained unchanged.

She was merely enduring the phantom pain of what had been severed.
Unable to reveal the frailty beneath.
—I'm fine.

—I wanted to carry the name of Vanity, so I must become someone worthy of it.
—It’s just… I think I’m a little worn down from everything right now.
—So please, don’t worry about me.

Her voice had clearly trembled.
It was impossible not to feel pity at that.
But I had no intention of toppling her faltering steps.

No matter how precarious the road she walked.
Because—
—This is my pride.

—I will not be like you.
It was the road she had chosen.
If she wanted to walk it, all I would do was remain by her side.

Leaving all the other stray thoughts behind, I ran my hand across the bookshelf.
The scent of old paper tickled my nose.
Thunk—

"Ah."
And then, a sensation caught on my fingertip.
I gently peeked beyond it.

After rummaging through the study for quite some time, it seemed the effort had paid off.
Having combed through countless bookshelves one by one, I finally discovered something.
Hidden behind one of them was a device sealed with mana.

I muttered.
"Found it."
Bingo.

I focused mana into my index finger and unlocked the mechanism.
With a soft touch, the barrier dissolved smoothly.
Behind the shelf, a small opening revealed itself.

No—rather than a mere hole, it was shaped more like a drawer.
I carefully took hold of the loop.
‘Just as I thought.’

It was just like in the original.
In the game, after clearing Deron’s route, players could find this mechanic by investigating the study.
Inside this “Secret Drawer” was a special item.

You could call it an Easter egg.
"Hmm."
Rustle—

It wasn’t especially powerful, nor was it a valuable item.
To a player watching from a distance, it would look like nothing more than a scrap of paper.
But in this moment, it was more important than any other item.

For someone grappling with loss, it would be something they needed.
I slowly opened the drawer.
Creeeak—

Inside was a paper envelope.
It was remarkably well-preserved.
Careful not to leave fingerprints, I picked it up with caution.

Then, I checked the contents to make sure it was what I was looking for.
"…Thank goodness."
A brief sigh of relief.

I had been a bit fuzzy on this part of the story.
But thankfully, the item I needed had been carefully stored.
I tucked the letter away carefully.

Because there was someone I had to deliver it to.
[Last Will of Driven Vanity]
The will of the former Duke.

Or perhaps, simply a letter.
With it held close, I began to walk—
Toward the girl still tormented by loss.

***
Emilia Vanity.
Ever since that day, the girl had been gripped by a persistent melancholy.

Perhaps it was the knowledge that she had shattered the traces of those who came before.
The peacock couldn’t shake the restlessness in her heart.
One phrase continued to echo in her ears.

—I will gladly carry that name.
—Because this is my pride.
The path.

The one she had chosen for herself.
Her stomach churned.
Had she truly made the right choice?

The absence of a home—of a place to stay—pressed down on her.
No matter how much she pretended to be an adult, she was still of an age where she hadn’t yet even undergone her coming-of-age ceremony.
Emilia was being eaten alive by quiet, creeping grief.

And then, just as she was beginning to sink—
"…You said you had something to give me?"
The boy came to find her.

As always, the snake approached with that empty, unserious smile.
He hovered beside her, then offered something forward.
A neatly folded letter.

"A letter…?"
"Found it by chance, you see."
"What kind of wind suddenly blew you to do something like this…"

Emilia fiddled with the envelope.
Soon, her blue eyes stopped on a single line.
It was the short phrase written in the recipient field.

For a moment, her breath caught.
[To my beloved children.]
There was no sender listed.

But the girl knew at once who it was from.
Despite the fine quality of the paper, the handwriting resembled that of a crawling ant.
Not noble at all—yet written with care, each stroke pressed deliberately into the page.

Emilia murmured the writer’s name without meaning to.
"…Father?"
Driven Vanity.

The former Duke. The father of the twins.
That familiarly awkward scrawl confirmed it.
After injuring his arm on the battlefield, his handwriting had always come out like that.

The peacock fidgeted with the letter, momentarily forgetting any reaction at all.
Then turned to look at the boy who’d handed it to her.
"You seem surprised."

The snake was smiling.
But it didn’t feel like his usual, amused grin.
There was a hint of bitterness—and sorrow—hidden behind it.

For some reason, the villainess’s eyes began to burn.
"I found it while organizing the study—specifically, the bookshelf. I glanced at it briefly, and figured… it was something you ought to read."
The boy explained softly.

But before he’d even finished speaking, Emilia was already unfolding the letter.
From beyond it, a familiar scrawl greeted her.
The gentle scent of paper brushed her nose.

And in her watery irises, a shadow appeared.
《To Emilia, and to Ruska.》
The first line read:

Hands trembling naturally.
The girl steadied her breath and slowly began to read the letter.
《I don’t know how long it’s been since I last wrote a letter like this.》

《As you both know, my handwriting is terrible.》
《But… there are words I must pass on, so I picked up the pen.》
《Because I don’t have many days left.》

Emilia couldn’t take her eyes off the letter.
The tone—it was as if he knew death was approaching.
A strange confusion drifted across her vision.

《This will likely become my will.》
《Still, I’m grateful.》
《Thanks to a stroke of fortune, I get to say goodbye to you both.》

《Gaston Galimar. I should be thankful to that unpleasant old man, too.》
《If not for him, I wouldn’t have been able to choose this ending.》
《For all his grumbling, he’s a good man.》

Nothing but incomprehensible words.
Her mind was a mess.
Yet even those jumbled lines felt warm to her.

The father she had missed and admired for so long.
The letter he left for her—his awful handwriting, his gruff tone, the ink smudged clumsily by hand.
The scent of the past clung thickly, stinging at Emilia’s eyes.

She swallowed the lump in her throat.
《That was a lot of rambling.》
《I was never good with words. Nothing poetic comes to mind.》

《But… I wanted to say that I’m worried. About you, left behind.》
《You’ll probably face nothing but hardship from here ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) on out.》
《I hoped you’d live your lives without ever having to suffer…》

Ssshh—
The letter began to glow softly.
And then, like mist, the air around her swirled.

After a brief flicker, the scene came into view—two familiar faces standing in the haze.
None other than the former Duke and Duchess. Faces the girl had longed to see again.
The illusion shimmered before her eyes as if it were real.

The voice reached Emilia’s ears with vivid clarity.
"I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you."
"Father…?"

"You two were so small, and now you’ve grown… even become adults. I wanted to be there for every day of that journey. I’m only sorry I left too soon. I pray that you grow into kind and proper adults."
"...."
The image was strikingly clear.

As though her deceased parents had returned.
The gentle sound of their voices made her chest tighten.
"Don’t doubt the path you choose to walk."

If you believe it’s right, do not hesitate in your steps.
As I did, as those before me did—never lose the pride you were born with.
And if you ever feel the path is wrong, then stop.

Look around you, gather yourself, and find a new way forward.
You are children of the snowfields—each of your steps will be blessed by the snow.
I won’t tell you not to cry.

No—instead, cry your heart out.
Collapse, despair, weep, and rage at the world.
But when morning comes, rise again as if nothing happened.

Live your life with pride, as though you had never lost it.
That is the path we sentinels have always walked.
"Please, never lose your pride."

Fwaaa—
The letters blazed with brilliant light.
And then, the letter rose like a single snowflake.

Leaving Emilia’s hands, fluttering through the air.
Her eyes, soaked in blue, simply followed it upward.
"So this is the end already, huh."

"...."
"Feels like I ended up nagging too much. Sorry about that. But… this, at least—this much is truly my heart."
The snowflake, too, gazed down at the girl.

A fleeting glance in a passing moment.
Emilia’s eyes welled with heavy tears.
The emotions she’d tried not to show had reached their limit, trembling at the edge.

And finally—
《I love you. More than anything in the world.》

When she read those words—
When she heard that voice fading away—
The peacock could no longer hold back her tears.

A hot line traced down her pale cheek.
Her chest heaved.
"Ah…"

She was afraid.
After her parents died, everything had gone wrong.
She was betrayed by those she trusted.

She and her brother had lived simply to survive.
Even so, they fought desperately, nearly going astray more than once.
In the end, she had killed her uncle. Crushed the long-standing legacy of her ancestors with her own hands.

She had severed a piece of her own identity.
And yet—
‘I can’t cry.’

She didn’t want to cry.
She didn’t want to shake.
She was an adult now.

The last bloodline that would lead Vanity.
She had resolved to build a wall inside her heart, to bear the weight of her responsibility.
But those suppressed emotions spilled over.

"…Ugh."
And this moment—broke her.
The radiant beauty bloomed too bright.

Emilia carefully caught the drifting snowflake in her hand.
By then, her parents’ illusion had already scattered into the wind.
Only then did she understand.

‘Illusion magic.’
It had been an illusion.
Someone had crafted this vision to match the letter’s words.

So that a proper farewell could reach her, even beyond such frail handwriting.
Emilia breathed in the sharp scent of the snow.
If anyone could have done this...

"Lady Emilia."
Of course.
It could only be you.

Even as she wiped her tears, Emilia looked up at the golden snake.
Behind her glassy eyes, the white silhouette before her wore the same warm gaze as always.
That voice, gentle enough to thaw a frozen heart.

The girl couldn’t stop herself from seeking comfort.
Her body stumbled.
Woomph—!

"Whoops."
She was caught gently in an embrace.
Emilia clung tightly to the boy’s body.

"If you show affection like this, even I’m at a loss for words…"
A joke tossed out in that familiar, teasing tone.
Normally, she would’ve scoffed.

But today, even his mischief felt comforting.
A soft rhythm pulsed faintly against her chest, as if her heart had caught a fever.
The girl buried her face in his warmth.

His cool, familiar scent brushed her nose.
"Don’t cry."
"Ugh… ngh…"

"It’s going to be okay now."
Emilia struggled to swallow her tears.
A faint sob slipped out.

A quiet thought.
‘Why are you…’
You always tease me.

Make me flustered.
Make me squirm.
But sometimes, you hold me like this.

Offer such gentle comfort.
Believe in me like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Stay by my side so I don’t waver, so I walk the right path.

Why do you do all this, for someone like me?
—You can do it.
—Because you’re Lady Emilia.

You gave me a new life.
You saved me—and Ruska—from the chains of our family.
When I was about to fall apart, you smiled like you’d fall with me.

And when you reached your goals, you celebrated purely, without pride or pretense.
How could anyone not feel something for a person like that?
Emilia felt the beat of her tear-soaked heart.

She held on tighter.
"You…"
If—

If she were to give this feeling a name—
"…Thank you. For everything."
It must be love.

She spoke the words.
Her half-broken voice scattered with the snowy wind.
Emilia steadied her breath, but delivered her message.

To the one who saved her life—with heartfelt affection.
It was the clumsy first love of a young girl.
"Think nothing of it."

The snake smiled gently.
And whispered a quiet promise beside her ear.
Holding her warmth close—

"I’ll always be on your side."
And so, the two of them stood there.