Chapter 216 - 3−20
After the dragon destroyed the top floor of the tower, Her Imperial Highness the Princess and I continued our descent down the stairs.
Relying on a faint light, I leaned against the wall for support, guiding us toward the exit as quickly as my trembling legs would allow.
"Your Imperial Highness, we're almost out. Please, stay with me."
The Princess’s strength had clearly reached its limit. Her legs gave out multiple times, and it was only because I caught her that we had made it this far.
The spiral staircase was open in the center, and a wind began to whistle up from below, tossing my hair. The ground floor couldn't be much further.
Suddenly, my hand brushed against something hard on the wall. When I pressed it, a dim orange glow flickered to life.
It seemed the magic stone was part of a lighting system. The lights that had been extinguished when the top floor collapsed were now functioning again. Until now, we had been wandering in the dark, barely knowing where we were. Even this faint light was a massive relief to my exhausted body.
With the area illuminated, I could see the number "5" carved into the wall.
"Oh, this is... we're on the fifth floor. Thank goodness... we've made so much progress. Your Imperial Highness, the exit is just a little further!"
"Rachel, I'm sorry... I... I can't..."
In contrast to my attempt at cheerfulness, the Princess looked terrible. Her face was ghostly pale, and her lips had turned a shade of purple. Now that the lights were back, I could see her entire condition, and I realized how serious it was.
"Your Imperial Highness, let me see your right leg."
The right side of her dress was stained a deep crimson. I knelt and lifted the fabric to find her calf swollen and bleeding from a nasty wound.
"This injury... how long has it been like this?"
I tore a strip of fabric from my own tattered dress and pressed a clean section against the wound to stop the bleeding.
"Since the first debris fell."
"What? You've been enduring this the whole time..."
Why didn't she say anything? Why did she suffer in silence?
I started to scold her, but the words died in my throat.
No. She didn't stay silent because she wanted to; she stayed silent because she felt she couldn't speak. She likely thought this was all her fault and didn't want to be a further burden to me.
To think this small girl had endured such pain without a single complaint. I felt a surge of guilt for my own lack of awareness in my rush to escape. I bit my lip, my brow furrowing.
"Your Imperial Highness, that must have hurt so much. You did so well to hold it in."
I checked the wound; the pressure had finally stopped the bleeding. Keeping the cloth in place, I pulled the Princess into a tight embrace.
I felt her body hitch with a sob against me.
"I... I really wanted to change... but I just caused more trouble again..."
She buried her face in my shoulder, her voice muffled. I spoke to her as gently as I could.
"It's alright. You certainly have a bit of a wild streak, but I've always thought that was charming. We have plenty of time. You can grow up at your own pace."
I rubbed her back slowly until her breathing steadied. When I pulled back to look at her, her eyes were brimming with tears.
"...Hey, Rachel."
"Yes? Oh, are you in pain? Here, lean on me more. I'll carry you on my back."
As much as we were in a hurry, it was too much to ask her to walk down the stairs in this state. I turned my back to her and crouched down.
After a moment of hesitation, I felt her warmth spread across my back.
"Sorry. I'm heavy, aren't I?"
"You're light as a feather."
Even though carrying another person down stairs was difficult, I kept my voice bright so she wouldn't worry. I moved with extreme caution, one step at a time, knowing that a single slip could be disastrous.
In the silence, the Princess spoke up again.
"You know... I was happy. Earlier."
"Your Imperial Highness?"
"I was born into such a horrible world... my environment was the worst, a living hell. Living was so painful that I thought about ending it many times. But I was always too scared to die. I couldn't give up. Yet, earlier, I felt like I wasn't myself... I thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it ended like this. Oh, I didn't mean it, of course."
She started hesitantly, choosing her words with care, but soon the emotions began to pour out of her.
She paused, as if debating whether to continue. Then, her grip on my shoulders tightened.
"But you grabbed my hand, Rachel. You said you’d never let go."
"Of course I did."
"In that moment, I... I didn't want to die. I wanted to live. I mean, someone I barely know, someone who isn't even family, was trying so hard to save me. I realized that things like that can actually happen if you're alive."
Her tearful voice made my own chest tighten with emotion.
"Because if I'm alive... maybe I can have friends, or someone I love, right?"
She spoke bluntly to hide her embarrassment. I nodded vigorously, my eyes stinging.
"Yes, exactly! I'm sure you'll find wonderful friends and someone to love."
I had been just like her once. I had surrounded myself with false friends and a love that wasn't really love, failing to see what was truly important. But if you change, and if you look closely at the world around you, you will surely find those who matter.
"...Then, will you? Rachel, will you be my friend?"
Her voice was a tiny, trembling whisper. I could feel her heart racing against my back. I was so happy that the tears I had been holding back finally spilled over.
"Of course! Let's be friends."
The Princess lowered her head against my shoulder, and I felt her body shake slightly.
"...Rachel, I'm sorry. And... thank you."
"No, thank you for being my friend. When we get out of here, let's talk about everything. Tell me all the things you like. Oh, maybe I should learn to cook from Samuel too? Then we could have tea parties... Your Imperial Highness?"
I felt her weight shift strangely and called out to her, but there was no response.
I panicked and lowered her to the floor. Her face was white, and her eyes were tightly shut. She couldn't even sit up on her own; if I didn't hold her shoulders, she would have slumped over.
I shook her gently, calling her name in a panic.
In that moment, I felt a light pat on my head. I spun around.
"Don't worry, she's just sleeping."
Theodore-sama stood there, winking with a finger to his lips.
"Th-Theodore-sama!"
"Well now, the long-awaited savior has arrived."
His sudden appearance left me stunned. I blinked repeatedly, wondering if I was seeing a hallucination. But Theodore-sama didn't vanish.
"Theodore-sama, why are you here?"
"To save you both, of course."
Ah... he really came. He really came to save us.
The tension that had kept me going as I tried to protect a girl smaller than myself finally snapped, and my strength left me. Theodore-sama caught my arm immediately.
"Explanations later. This tower is going to collapse soon. I'm getting you both out before that happens."
"Is that even possible?"
"Miss Rachel, that's a silly question."
Theodore-sama grinned at my wide-eyed expression.
"Common sense doesn't apply to me. If something is impossible, I simply make it possible."