Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 25: Cassia's Side Story

25-1. Cassia's Side Story

A man in his mid-thirties lay in a dilapidated state. Though just entering middle age, he was prepared for death.

"Dad! I'm here. I brought so dicine, so take it quickly."

"..."

A girl with a bright smile burst into the shop.

My daughter.

My only daughter, the most beautiful in the world. The one my beloved wife asked to take care of until the very end.

"Dad, here's so water."

He couldn't easily take the water she offered.

It was already difficult to go to the bathroom, so they had brought in a chamber pot, but he wasn't so weak that he couldn't lift a cup of water. It was just that guilt weighed heavily on his hands.

"Drink it quickly. You need to get better."

His daughter pressed the dicine and the cup of water into his hands.

He had been bedridden for over six months. Yet this kind daughter hadn't abandoned her sick father.

How did she get this dicine? Should he keep swallowing the dicine his daughter worked so hard to get for his dying body?

In the end, he couldn't resist her urging and forced down the dicine again today.

His daughter emptied the chamber pot filled with excrent and carefully cleaned his body with a wet cloth. It was no longer an embarrassing daily routine.

After cleaning him, his daughter would watch over the shop in front of their room.

It was a shoe shop, but no custors ca. No one would buy shoes made by a sick cobbler.

He knew she pretended to mind the shop while taking brief naps on a small cot she had placed there.

His daughter went out every night. She still tried not to wake him, but he had known for a long ti.

Though he reproached his wretched, collapsed body out of guilt, nothing changed.

Was she working at a tavern? But would any tavern operate so late at night?

Orville was a big place, so there might be one sowhere. A cobbler who spent his life making shoes without any friends wouldn't know such places.

He wanted to believe that.

He thought of his wife. She was beaten to death by thugs in the back alleys for trying to keep her money. Maybe they struck her in a vital spot because she died on the scene, and they said her last words were to take care of their daughter.

To strangers, even until her last breath.

"I should die."

He tried to care for his daughter who lost her mother, but it wasn't long before he fell ill and was bedridden.

His daughter hadn't shed a tear since he was bedridden. The child who cried several tis after her mother left now hid her tears in front of him.

She even hid what she was doing from him.

"Dad. Eat your al and then sleep."

It was dinner ti again. Even with nothing to do, his pathetic body demanded two als a day. He wasn't worth even one.

His daughter made porridge and placed it in front of him. He didn't want to eat it, but if he didn't, his daughter would worry.

With trembling hands, he ate the porridge.

"There's a lot of trouble in the Conrad Kingdom down south these days."

His daughter shared stories she heard, to keep him from getting bored.

"Eric de Yeriel? I think? Anyway, so prince tried to eliminate his half-siblings by mobilizing soldiers."

He nodded quietly.

"Trying to change his place in the line of succession. Nobles really have no heart, huh. Even if they are siblings."

His daughter shook her head in disbelief.

He wanted to say sothing to his daughter before he died.

"In the end, whether he succeeded or not, there's no news of those siblings who were driven out, but he was acknowledged as the successor. To go to such lengths for the throne..."

In the end, he didn't say anything. If he spoke, he might unintentionally bla, interrogate, get angry, or make her cry.

Night fell.

Pretending to be asleep, his daughter snuck out.

He painfully got up and crawled onto a small stool.

A low ceiling. A place where he had spent his life making shoes and sleeping. A place where he lived with his beloved wife and raised his beautiful daughter.

And the place where he would finally hang his neck.

He had fallen off the stool several tis while trying to set up the noose, but eventually, he managed.

For the last ti, he lay down on the bed and caught his breath.

He had woken up at dawn yesterday.

He heard his beloved daughter just coming in. She checked to make sure he was asleep and washed herself in the shop.

Through the narrow door gap, he saw his beloved daughter repeatedly cleaning her groin.

The knot hanging from the ceiling beckoned.

"I should die."

An immobilized father had driven his daughter into the abyss. He shalessly swallowed the dicine she painstakingly obtained.

Nothing he said to her would matter. Advice from a bedridden man who ate, took dicine, and soiled himself was light.

Would she have wanted to do such work?

If he died, she would stop.

She would find her own life.

She was a smart child. Smarter than soone like him.

Would dying like this be cowardly? If he could write, he would have left a letter.

He quietly hung himself.

"Cassia... I'm sorry. Be happy. You must... live well."

25-2. Childhood Friends – Priest Event

"Cassia, you wretched woman!"

Leo fud inwardly. Even though another scenario had started, his anger hadn't subsided. But he had to postpone his outburst because Lena was chattering beside him.

Right. Let's focus on this Lena for now.

"Brother Leslie told that—"

The third childhood friend scenario had begun.

In the first one, he had married this Lena. Back then, he didn't know it would repeat, thinking that one ti was everything and pursuing his happiness.

In the second, he aid to make Lena a princess but was kidnapped by thugs on the way to Nevis Monastery.

"What should I do this ti..."

No clear solution ca to mind.

His swordsmanship skills hadn't improved significantly since Lena was kidnapped. He had internalized what he gained from his abilities, but he still needed to retrain to match this Leo's body.

For now, he could handle two or so thugs. If he had a two-handed sword.

He had acquired {Cooperative Fighting} in the previous fiancé scenario, but it was useless without a partner to fight with.

And this ti, the reward was {Seduction Skills}...

His anger towards Cassia flared up again. He would never put such a thing to use.

"It's frustrating..."

There was too little information. {Rules of the Underworld} provided general knowledge but didn't specify what to do.

From the previous childhood friend scenario, he only learned that the two princes of the Oren Kingdom were scum.

What should he do to make Lena a princess in this cramped village?

"Should I take Lena and leave again?"

He had enough travel funds.

{Starting Funds} were always in his pocket.

And he could show his hunting skills to his father and get a considerable amount of money for a new journey to gather information.

Just like last ti...

Lena, as usual, chatted cheerfully beside him.

"Saint Azra was an ordinary farr. But one day, he left the land he had been cultivating all his life and went to the capital of the Arcaea Empire..."

He had heard this story several tis already.

There were few new stories to hear in a remote village. So most of what Lena talked about were things she heard from the church, mixed with her own thoughts.

Her stories always contained a common longing for the central church and its clergy.

Suddenly, he felt sorry for Lena. Twice, he had prevented her from going to the central church she longed for so much.

Once because he wanted to live happily with Lena, and once to make her a princess and escape.

"Should I send Lena to the central church?"

Then she would beco a priest.

Her dream would co true.

But if I did that, I wouldn't be able to escape and would have to repeat the sa worries.

I can't live repeating this endlessly. Thousands of lives making Lena a priest? No matter how happy, it was no different from hell. Lena would surely find it horrifying.

Anyway, I had to make her a princess.

"This ti, let's just send her off to beco a priest while I travel alone and gather information."

Leo made a realistic compromise. After all, he didn't know how to make Lena a princess, and it seed almost impossible at the mont.

If he had to gather information anyway, it seed better to wander alone without Lena.

Then Lena would be happy, and I could promise myself for later.

Moreover, the central church was in the capital Lutetia of the Holy Kingdom, so there might be an event where Lena ets the prince while studying at the church.

Whether she would choose the prince, wanting to beco a priest, was questionable, but it was a possibility.

Leo made up his mind and repeated to himself.

"Send Lena off and travel. Send Lena off and travel. Send Lena off and..."

While Minseo's mind was still sowhat clear, he engraved the broad outline of this scenario.

Lena scolded him for mumbling to himself.

*

The weekend ca.

"Leo~"

"Oh! Wait a mont. I'm almost done eating!"

For the first ti, Lena didn't go to the church.

Early that morning, having weeded and let go of her dream of becoming a priest a little, she naturally ca to Leo's house.

"Today, I should go pick wild mushrooms. And I have sothing to tell Leo..."

Lena loitered in front of the door, thinking of Leo.

Lately, Leo's gaze had changed. It was hard to pinpoint exactly, but it felt like he was looking at her with a sense of longing.

"Did he notice what I gave up?"

If it were Leo, he might.

Because he's a friend.

If he had already sensed it, it might be easier to tell him that she would stop studying to beco a priest.

What would Leo say? Would he encourage her not to give up? Or would he be pleased?

After confessing to becoming a priest as a child, there had been so distance between them. Around that ti, they seed to have stopped holding hands as they always did. It was probably because priests couldn't marry.

Back then, I was so imrsed in my dream that I couldn't see Leo's feelings.

Young Leo must have been very heartbroken...

"Lena! What's up so early in the morning?"

Leo ca out, grinning broadly.

He looked like he knew sothing she didn't.

"Hmmm~? Your expression is suspicious. Are you trying to prank ?"

Leo's left ear twitched, a habit only Lena knew he had when he was flustered.

"If you do anything weird, you won't get away with it."

Lena threatened.

When she did this, kind Leo didn't play pranks.

Today is a serious day. Leo, you fool!

"No, I was just happy to see you..."

"Really? Anyway, if you prank today, you're dead!"

She shook her fist threateningly. Leo's slightly deflated look was cute.

"Got it... So what's up?"

"What are you doing today?"

"I'm free today. Do you want to go sowhere together?"

"Yeah! Let's go pick wild mushrooms."

"Sure. Wait a minute."

Leo went inside and quickly ca back out.

It was as if he had been ready.

"You're really fast at getting ready?"

Leo's left ear twitched again, making Lena squint her eyes.

"You're hiding sothing, aren't you?"

"What, what? No?"

"Not true. You're definitely hiding sothing. Give the bag."

Leo had a hard ti clearing her suspicion.

'Darn... I should've just done nothing. She's too quick-witted.'

Each Lena he t in different scenarios had completely different personalities.

The Lena who was a childhood friend was smart and witty, the fiancée Lena wasn't very smart but was a strong warrior and very stubborn.

The Lena who was a beggar sibling was young and uneducated, making it hard to evaluate, but she had outstanding talent and was sowhat lazy compared to the other Lenas.

The other Lenas were so diligent that she was compared more, but the little sister Lena clearly slept longer.

Whether it was because she was young or because she was pretty and slept a lot...

'I should be careful from now on.'

The childhood friend Lena seed smarter than Leo and even Minseo, who was in his late twenties. She only lacked education and information but had good deductive skills.

It was the sa when they went to Nevis last ti. Even without any information, she vaguely sensed that life in Nevis would not be easy.

Eventually, Lena and Leo arrived at the foot of the mountain, and the subsequent progress was almost the sa as before. The only difference was in the conversations Lena had while picking wild mushrooms.

They picked wild mushrooms and then settled down.

"Ah~ open wide"

"Ah~~~"

"Chew, chew..."

"Chew, chew..."

Now, Lena was going to say she would give up studying to beco a priest.

Leo waited.

"I think I'm going to give up studying to beco a priest. I can't even get to the central church, and I need tuition fees... Even though they provide food, lodging, and clothing, I would still need so living expenses."

Lena stretched her legs and adjusted her sitting position, pretending to stretch.

Cute. She was doing this because she was embarrassed to open up. It's impossible to dislike Lena.

At the sa ti, Leo's body tensed.

"I don't want to leave my mom and dad behind... I also want to keep wandering in the woods with you... Do you want to go study to beco a priest? Or do you want to stay?"

Even though he knew the future, his throat went dry.

Leo liked Lena.

He couldn't help but be thrilled by her confession.

He was glad he had prepared his words in advance.

"Not... I an, not going and staying with is good too, but I don't want you to give up."

Leo's face burned, and like last ti, he bowed his head deeply and scratched at the innocent wild mushrooms.

"Really~? Why~?"

When Lena mischievously asked, his jaw stiffened, and he forgot where to put his arms.

"Why... Why are you asking that? Why are you asking such things?"

Sweet emotions swirled inside him.

Get a grip. I have to part with Lena.

But when Lena's hand touched his confused one, the reason he had tried to grasp flew away without a trace. He couldn't let go of her hand.

*

As the heat subsided, Leo beca more conflicted. When this sumr ended, the priest heading for the central church would arrive.

During that ti, Leo didn't go hunting and spent as much ti as possible with Lena.

Sotis, Lena would suddenly grab his hand. Each ti, Leo's heart skipped a beat, and their long friendship was on the verge of blossoming into a romantic relationship.

One day, after gathering food with Lena in the field, they returned to find a priest and Brother Leslie waiting at the village entrance. A female priest and an old man were with them.

Leo shuddered.

The ti had co.

"Lena! You're here!"

"This is it! It's divine providence!"

Brother Leslie exclaid brightly and ran to Lena.

Leo closed his eyes.

'I have sothing to do. Send Lena off and travel...'

The female priest smiled kindly at Lena and asked if she would like to co along.

"Is this a dream? Le..."

When Lena looked at Leo with a dumbfounded expression, silence fell.

The previous Lena had given up her dream and refused this event for Leo.

If he stayed silent, the sa result would follow.

Leo swallowed his regret and opened his mouth to send Lena off. But the words that ca out were different from what he had planned.

"Can I co too?"

After all, wasn't he going to gather information in the Holy Kingdom? If he followed, it would be better. He could reach Lutetia with Lena and study together there.

The central church didn't just raise priests. They also trained holy warriors who would beco the sword and shield of the church, and Leo had {swordsmanship} skills.

God?

If he could be with Lena, he would believe. He would believe deeply and praise the grace that allowed him to et Lena.

"I lack theological knowledge, but I will work hard. And I have learned so weaponry from my father. I want to beco a holy warrior. I also have so savings. Is it possible?"

Leo pleaded earnestly.

"Leo..."

Leo's family revered hunting as sacred, and Leo had always wanted to beco a great hunter like his father.

Lena felt touched by Leo's sacrifice for her and held his hand, caressing it.

The middle-aged female priest, Ophelia, looked at the two youths before her.

She could tell what their relationship was.

'This reminds of the past...'

On the day she left to beco a priest, Ophelia had also parted with a friend with whom she shared subtle feelings.

During her years of theological study, she missed him a lot and increasingly devoted those feelings to God.

Now, after many years, it was a cherished mory.

Ophelia beca lenient.

It wasn't difficult to give one more person a ride, and with such earnestness, he could grow into an excellent holy warrior.

"It should be..."

"No, it cannot be."

The old man beside her spoke sternly.

All eyes turned to him.

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