Chapter 3 – The Dangling of the Garden Lake Part 1

Elle’s daily life hasn’t changed even after hearing that her husband was unwelcome and that he was hiding during the day because the people perceived him as a monster.

Although I sympathize with him, we’re still strangers to one another, so there’s no way that our relations will change that quickly. Besides, it’s not the time to worry about others when my own future looks bleak.

“Lari…”

“Lady Elle, were you sleeping again?”

Elle’s sole contact was Lari because she was the only maid for the Second Prince’s Palace, a dingy place on the far side of the Imperial Palace.

Strictly speaking, how can you call a Palace with only a single maid? There’s no one other than Lari to serve me, so the 24 hours wasn’t enough to work here on her own.

No one seemed to want to come to this Palace, which influence has dramatically declined. Thanks to Elle’s wake-up time, it was hard to notice these things except at mealtimes.

I was able to learn about it after I observed Lari preparing for all my meals, including snacks, and it would be ambiguous to say that Lari is a dedicated maid considering she looked like she’s already at her limit.

After Lari woke her up in the morning, Elle fell asleep after taking a bath. Lari woke her up again before lunchtime while pointedly reminding her not to fall back asleep. The dreary, poorly lit palace was the worst place for the already depressed Elle.

I already have no appetite since waking up, so I couldn’t eat properly.

“We’ll go for a stroll outside and then have lunch in the garden.”

“Hah, it’s too troublesome.”

“You’re not going to eat the meals I’ve prepared if I left you in this room again.”

“Even if I go, I still have no appetite…”

“It’s just in case, and we’ll only walk for a bit.”

“……”

This is tough. I don’t want to do anything.

I know that I’m already doing nothing, but I don’t want to do anything more intensely.

Moreover, it seems like my body felt as heavy as lead, perhaps because I haven’t moved for far too long.

“Lady Elle! Come on!”

Lari’s urging had somehow compelled me to rise from my bed, but when the moment I stood up, I immediately collapsed to the floor.

Lari was alarmed and rushed in to help me up.

She was fussing and asking if I’m okay and where I’m feeling hurt while inspecting my body up and down like she could see through my heavy clothes.

It’s not because I’m sickly, it’s because my body’s physical strength has been deteriorating. It wasn’t this bad at first.

Compared to Rennes, a prosperous Southern Empire, the Desert Kingdom was desperately barren. Despite that, the Desert Kingdom is known for its military power and warmonger aristocrats, so Elle, a Duke’s daughter, had to exert enough physical strength to survive in a bloody place.

Simid, the female protagonist, was not gentle nor meek. She was from a family of Knights, aiming to be a female Knight herself.

Elle also learned swordsmanship from a young age, but she had no talent.

So the Duke gave up raising Elle as a knight and tried to make her a queen.

Elle wanted to do the same for herself.

Even though being a knight was out of reach, Elle’s self-training was extensive.

The lightly tanned skin that was always beautifully burned on a well-toned body was reminiscent of a sound beauty. After I took over this body and didn’t even exercise once or manage my diet, the signs of weakening came with a vengeance.

If you think giving an excuse of ‘But I already exercised in the past so no need to do it again’ is fine, then you are making a mistake.

“If you’re not feeling well, would you like to take a little rest?”

“…… Is that so?”

My eyes slightly glint at the word ‘rest’, and my mood brightens, thinking I’m no longer going for a stroll, but why does it feel like she was emphasizing the word ‘little’…

“I’ll bring in the soup.”

Elle nodded briefly at Lari’s words.

* * *

After consuming a little bit of the soup that Lari brought, Elle was stretched out on the bed as the sun was ready to set.

At the same time, Lari was seen bringing in dinner, however…

“The last time I’ve eaten steak was fifteen years ago…”

What is this? Am I going on a death row? I hadn’t been given exquisite food since I came here. It was always fig pies and crackers.

“Pardon? You were saying?”

“No, nothing….”

“Tonight’s dinner is good for alleviating dizziness. There’s a soup made of lem fruit and a steak with plenty of lem sauce. There’s also juice. I’ll make you some tea after you’d done eating.”

Even with all that, I still have no appetite. In Korea, this would already be a feast of luxurious food that would have been eaten to the point of getting a food coma, but I don’t know why I always felt uncomfortable here, so my appetite has left me.

Still, Lari was thoughtful that she brought it for me, so I forced myself to eat.

“… Have you eaten already?”

As Lari asked, Elle found herself still cutting the steak. It was in tiny pieces now, so she took one bite and ate it slowly.

“Lari.”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to eat together?”

“Pardon? How dare I.”

“Come on, How can I eat this alone while you’re standing there?”

“No, never.”

I’ve suggested it several times, but Lari has been inflexible. Dinner was always a habit of eating with my family.

The food itself was too greasy, so I, a natural-born Korean, wanted to eat kimchi, finally, put down the fork, and asked.

“Are there any spicy food?”

“Do you like spicy food? There is! I’ll tell the chef tomorrow.”

“How about rice? Do you have any rice?”

“Rice? What kind of food is that? Is it from the Desert Kingdom?”

“…… Chinese cabbage?”

“…… I’m sorry.”

“No, there’s nothing that Lari is sorry for…”

I went to lie on the bed, still thinking about spicy food and looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch.

As soon as Lari caught me lying down again, Lari went to collect the dishes while nagging.

Ugh. I closed my eyes and blocked my ears.

* * *

It must be too early when I slept last night that I woke up early at dawn.

After lying on the bed for some time, Elle was lost in thought while blankly staring at the canopy.

I’m a home-bodied girl, the type of person that isn’t fond of going outside, and I always acted appropriately in front of the guests.

But no matter how much I like staying indoors or acted out of character, I wouldn’t want to do something like this. I never want to sleep like a log.

It’s already been a month since I entered the novel. I never said it, but I missed my parents.

I wonder if I really died back then.

If so, what are my parents doing now?

Can I go back if I die here? If that happens, my body might already be inside the coffin.

“……”

I liked it when I slept all day because I couldn’t think of anything else, but complex thoughts would plague my mind whenever I couldn’t sleep.

Elle, who had a headache, had somehow left the room. Whether it was dawn or in the middle of the day, there’s not much of a difference. The palace would always be as silent as the dead horse as if advertising that an unwanted child lives here.

There wasn’t a single light in the hallway, and Lari was still in bed after she finished her job late. I shivered as the morning air enveloped my exposed skin, so I tightly wrapped the shawl around me.

The end of the hallway, which I looked at it inadvertently, was as black as a void that would likely swallow Elle whole, but I didn’t even think it was scary.

I’ve walked towards the dark hallway as if it was beckoning me to go this way. Thanks to Lari, I’ve visited the garden a few times and even went a bit far, so I probably won’t get lost.

“……”

I used to walk only at the entrance of the garden, which was always somewhat orderly, but I didn’t notice that there’s a part that was quite wide. While walking without even realizing how far deep I was in the garden, I stumbled on an artificial lake.

As expected of a lake, the surrounding area was full of lush greeneries, and the soft light of the dawn was shining through the cracks of the bushes as if the sun was about to come out. Only then I came back to my senses when something flashes in the corner of my vision.

“…… A dog?”

At the edge of the lake, there’s a white, large dog sitting quietly without moving and just stared at the lake in front of it.