My Childhood Friends Are Trying To Kill Me

Lelia wondered if Oscar had experienced such a scary event again, and she wanted to see him…

“By the way, who was he?”

Lelia remembered the scary man she had just met a while ago. 

Yellowish-green eyes with reddish hair.

A young man in his late 20s.

“There’s only one person I can think of…”

As Lelia tried to remember, she became more certain. 

“He’s the brother of my mother, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth’s family was the Duke of Superion, which protected the northwestern region.

Elizabeth died and Lydios became emperor, but she was still a noble in name and reality.

“In the end, I’m very confused, but…”

Elizabeth had several brothers and sisters. The man from earlier would have been one of them.

[I think he came to meet his nephews, the twins.]

The Superions also helped Perseus regain the throne. However, he failed to achieve this goal and soon returned to the northwest.

Having completed Elizabeth’s revenge, meant that everything was meaningless.

Emperor Perseus felt indebted to them.

“The Superions had a grudge against Emperor Perseus for failing to protect Elizabeth…”

However, since Cedric and Damien, who will succeed the throne in the future, are Elizabeth’s bloodline, it will not lead to a bad relationship.

“Come to think of it, he’s actually an uncle to me…”

For a moment, Lelia thought of asking for help by revealing the facts.

However, she gulped immediately.

He wouldn’t believe her anyway. Also, if she angers him like before, she might faint because she gets really scared in front of him. 

“He would rather kill me.”

Lelia shook her head and shudder.

[I was so scared.]

Perhaps he loved his late sister very much. Seeing Lelia, he knew that she was the daughter of the late Princess Iris, who had bullied and tortured his sister, which made him angry.

His angry face, which may have resembled her mother a little, caused Lelia to feel depressed as she recalled his expression. 

***

The same was true of Carius Superion, the one who got angry at Lelia.

“…”

He looked grimly at the well-organized hut.

It was about time for Perseus to return to his territory, as he had safely ascended the throne and his nephews were safe.

He had come today to say goodbye to his sister for the last time. Emperor Perseus had mentioned this place to him, who had to go on another long journey. Elizabeth was on good terms with her brothers before she died. 

“Sister…”

Carius grimaced. It was not long before tears flowed down from his eyes. 

The fact that he could not protect Elizabeth from Lydios was a painful wound and disgrace to all the Superions.

Carius also had a deep sense of guilt.

He swallowed the pain and wiped away his tears. Then he remembered the little girl he saw earlier.

He had initially felt uncomfortable with the child, being a Superion, but this level of discomfort was strange.

“It’s because of those yellow-green eyes.”

The reason for the discomfort is probably because she has the same eyes as his sister. The man who fell in love with Princess Iris had similar eyes to his sister.

He shouted at her momentarily, but he also felt a subtle sense of guilt, and said to himself, “Did I get too angry?”

This feeling, as well as the discomfort, was evident due to those yellow-green eyes.

But the girl’s worn-out robes, slim figure, and small face got on his nerves.

‘No one’s taking care of her? That might be true.’

She was a thorn in the eye for Emperor Perseus.

Without a serious injury, no one would step up and take care of the child. It was even hard for Perseus, who had just become the emperor, to look at the child.

‘What a strange fate she has.’

She lived a poor life because she was the daughter of that woman, Iris. 

He recalled the meeting he attended this morning.

It was because of the court meeting that he participated in today that he was able to quickly find out who she was after seeing the child.

That kid just happened to be mentioned at the meeting.

The ministers discussed how to dispose of the child, and the discussions were so disastrous and disturbing that it was annoying to hear.

“However, she is part of the imperial family, and they are trying to send the little girl to the place where aristocrats are sent to work.”

Emperor Perseus ordered the child not to be mentioned for a while, saying he didn’t want to hear her name.

‘Eventually, she will be disposed of per one of the suggestions that came up in today’s meeting.’

The life of the royal family, who had been cut off for a long time, was miserable.

And Carius had a mission to keep the fate of his two remaining nephews from becoming like that child.

‘Who is worried about whom? Damn it.’

Carius swore quietly and left the hut.

Now the revenge for his dead sister was over.

Cedric and Damien were now the only traces of Elizabeth in the Superion family.

For the sake of Elizabeth, he had to keep his two nephews safe.

He stepped out of the hut to go say goodbye to his nephews as their affectionate uncle, neatly erasing traces of his tears.

And somebody in the distance was watching Carius heading towards the forest.

The man had been standing there for a long time observing.

“…….”

So, of course, he even witnessed Lelia run away from the hut.

He moved his steps forward, crumpling his forehead.

It was in the direction of the little tower where Lelia was staying.

***

At that time, Lelia, who had barely calmed herself, was arranging things in her room. 

Bang!

However, the things that had been arranged in front of the door got messed up again when someone kicked on the door. 

Lelia fell on her back in surprise as if she had been struck by a thunderbolt.

It was a huge adult man who opened the door with a grim face.

Lelia clenched her fist in tension.

She had just been wondering what to do if Elizabeth’s brother was angry with her earlier. 

[Emperor Perseus…?]

It was Emperor Perseus who visited the tower.

He was alone without an attendant or a bodyguard.

“…”

Perseus approached her with a far more intimidating expression than the man she had just met earlier.

Lelia held her breath. 

She was glad that it wasn’t that man, but maybe he was better…

Perseus closed his eyes quickly and opened them again.

“Why did you go to the hut? How did you find it? Did Iris show you the place when you were young? That palace is…!!”

He couldn’t speak as if he had been badly hurt by the damage done to his precious belongings. Dark emotions such as injustice, resentment, grief, and hatred could be felt in his tone and expression.

Perhaps he had seen Lelia coming out of Elizabeth’s cabin.

“…”

The face of Emperor Perseus looked so bitter and woeful that Lelia could not bear to answer.

He’ll be angry no matter what she says.

Perseus said, pressing down on his anger, “It’s not a place where the blood of Iris can go. Answer me, why did you go there?”

It was a firm tone. She could feel that he won’t ask again. 

Overwhelmed by his presence, Lelia knelt and bowed her head subconsciously.

Let’s be honest.

[No, I can’t be completely honest, but…]

“Well, there was nothing to eat… So…”

Lelia said carefully. This was a fact and it wasn’t just a lie.

“What?”

“I was so hungry… I went to find something to eat. But I didn’t steal anything! I just looked around and came out right away!”

[Actually, I stole the food. I lied.]

When she found out Elizabeth had magically preserved food, she had stolen those glass vials. But now, she was really afraid that Emperor Perseus would kill her. 

[I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.]

If Lelia died at the hands of Emperor Perseus, it would be a great loss for him, too.

Eventually, Emperor Perseus will know that Lelia is his own blood.

In the story, Perseus later had such a hard time even though Lelia had died in an accident. How hard would it be to know that he killed her with his own hands?

So Lelia clasped her hands and begged. 

She has to live somehow.

“I was wrong, but I didn’t steal anything. Forgive me, I’m sorry…”

“…”