At the bustling scene seen through the crack in the door, Latil tightly clenched her small fists.
Her heart pounded with anxiety, and without realizing it, she bit her lip. She couldn’t believe the huge mistake she had made.
“But I had no choice.”
Latil weakly pulled her knees together and curled up, sniffling as she buried her face in her knees.
“I don’t want to take the holy classes anymore.”
The prophecy that descended upon the empire long ago.
The future sight from the Star of the Magic Kingdom, foretelling the arrival of a new ruler in the empire.
Latil had heard that story since she was too young to even remember.
So, Latil thought that perhaps she might be that ruler.
But she had never desired that position.
The ruler of the empire. Just imagining it made her heart sink.
Sitting on a golden throne like her mother, wearing a fur cloak as thick as her wrist, looking down at everyone with arrogance.
“That’s ridiculous. I could never do something like that.”
The thought of all those gazes focused solely on her was terrifying. Just imagining it made her feel nauseous, like she might vomit.
So, there was no way Latil could be the ruler of the empire.
Yet, she had studied just in case. Not because she wanted to be the ruler, but because she didn’t want to disappoint those who loved her, including her parents.
No one had ever forced Latil to take the position of ruler. But she never wanted to hurt anyone in this world…
“I studied so hard… Why do I find the holy classes so uncomfortable?”
Contrary to her busy mind, the lessons became more burdensome by the day.
Latil had not even a speck of talent for the holy classes.
Her teachers could never have imagined it.
On the surface, Latil was such a good student.
They just didn’t know how much sacrifice Latil had to make to become that good student.
To be the perfect student, Latil constantly had to whip herself.
Being naturally timid, she was extremely meticulous, and she feared making mistakes more than anything.
She was always diligent in her lessons, as dozing off during class felt like committing a crime against her teachers.
With her strong sense of responsibility, she often stayed up all night struggling to read books that were mentioned in passing.
Even though she found the holy classes boring. She pushed herself beyond her limits.
“Maybe that’s why things exploded like this.”
Latil, who had been gazing sadly at the window, buried her head in her knees again. Her heart felt heavy, as if she had swallowed dry, crumbly bread without water.
“I’m truly hopeless.”
Self-doubt welled up inside her. Her eyes stung and grew hot. She wanted to cry out loud, but it felt like she didn’t even have the right to do so. She bit her lips tightly, letting the silent tears fall.
“Why was I born a princess of the Holy Empire? Am I really my parents’ daughter?”
Dana and Banessa.
The feared iron-blooded figures, known and dreaded by many.
When she looked at the two of them, there were times when it felt overwhelming, like facing the sun.
Even though they were her beloved parents.
Just as the bright midday sun shines brilliantly upon the world, but the weak-hearted cannot face it.
It was because they were too different.
A rabbit born among predators often feels burdened by the encouragement of those predators who love it.
Her parents were so impressive as predators. So why wasn’t she one?
Why didn’t she have sharp fangs?
At some point, Latil began to wonder. Was she born wrong?
Maybe, before she was born, her soul was switched.
There must have been a child more suited for Dana and Banessa.
Someone as brilliant yet cold as Dana, and as fierce yet cheerful as Banessa.
Someone who, in any case, would have overwhelmed everyone.
But somehow, the soul was swapped.
So here she was, born in the imperial palace when she should have been living a quiet life somewhere, grazing on grass. She had taken a spot meant for someone brave, someone who should have become the ruler of the empire…
No one knew, but such conflict had long been brewing in Latil’s heart. The guilt and anxiety of sitting in a position far too grand for her abilities.
That was why she had always given her best in everything.
To shake off the guilt. Because she was an inherently flawed child. She had to work harder. She couldn’t embarrass her predator parents. She had to avoid being a burden to the empire…
But it was too much.
In the end, she had run away.
“I’m the worst.”
Latil staggered as she got up. Even then, she didn’t consider asking for help from her parents.
She already knew how they would react. They would say, absolutely not, that Latil was a precious child.
They might even blame themselves for not noticing her struggles. They would go to great lengths to comfort her and gauge her feelings.
Latil hated that.
Predators should live the lives of predators. Why should they suffer unnecessarily because of a timid rabbit?
“Maybe I should just hide completely.”
Latil had hidden in a storage room where food was kept. From a young age, she had enjoyed spending time alone and had created secret hideouts all over the palace.
In those places, it felt as if she could escape the pricking gazes and feel comfortable. A rabbit no longer needed to pretend to be smart.
The storage room where Latil was hiding now was also a space that brought her comfort, like a treasure.
She cautiously closed the slightly ajar door. The voices calling her from outside faded away. She carefully stepped around the piled-up food. As she went deeper, there was a spot where a faint light filtered in. She moved towards it with familiar steps.
“Let’s leave the palace.”
Far away, she would hide.
With that resolve, Latil crouched down under a shelf. Crawling slowly toward the light, she thought.
Let’s hide, let’s disappear. I’m not suited to being a princess. Maybe the true ruler of the empire will appear. That might be better… for everyone.
“…Hng.”
Having caused such trouble, for some reason, tears kept coming. Halfway through the hole, she sniffled while lying down. Clear tears sank into the ground, absorbed slowly.
[Latil. Are you crying?]
At that moment, with a rumbling sound, the dirt floor began to tremble slightly. Something poked its head up like a mole, tilting its head curiously. Latil, with tear-reddened eyes, flinched and hunched her shoulders.
“H-How did you know I was here?”
It was one of the earth spirits under Callisto’s command that had startled Latil.
Callisto, her overly doting uncle, had long ago given orders to the spirits scattered across the palace, ever since his niece first began to walk.
His golden treasure had started walking, and heaven forbid if she ever tripped! The spirits were to call him at once. If she skinned her knee and cried alone, they would not be forgiven.
In short, Latil’s safety was to be prioritized above all else. However, Latil didn’t know this. Callisto’s orders were extremely meticulous—he insisted the spirits must never act as if they were watching over her. They were to remain alert, but only intervene if Latil fell. The epitome of an overbearing superior.
“Keep it a secret.”
Since she’d played with spirits often as a child, Latil was familiar with them. With teary eyes, the little girl with her red hair tied in pigtails made her request, and the earth spirit nodded gravely.
[Of course, I will.]
“I’ll come back before lunchtime…”
[Understood. I will wait here.]
“What if my uncle comes looking for me?”
[I will tell him you went that way.]
“Thanks.”
The direction the spirit referred to was the opposite of where Latil planned to go. Incidentally, there was nothing in that direction but a tall wall. It was an obvious falsehood, but the young Latil believed the spirit’s lie without question. She might have been a prodigy in class, but when upset, she was just a little child.
[Where are you going?]
“Just… outside. Somewhere without bad people.”
[Bad people?]
“Uncle said… never follow bad people. Something terrible will happen.]
It was an abduction prevention lesson, but the “terrible thing” Callisto referred to wasn’t meant for Latil, but for whoever might try to take her. The earth spirit nodded without revealing the full truth.
[I see. By the way, you know the royals from Genos are visiting today, right?]
“I know.”
In fact, that was part of the reason she wanted to leave.
She didn’t want to show her shameful self to the Genos royals. After all, she was the most disgraceful member of the royal family.
[Hold tight.]
“Okay.”
From the spirit’s body, a branch suddenly extended. Latil grabbed it, and soon, vines wrapped around her small frame. As if accustomed to this, Latil leaned into the vines and closed her eyes. Feeling her body lift off the ground with a gentle whoosh, she felt the cold wind against her cheek and cautiously opened one eye. Her face quickly paled, and she hurriedly shut it again.
‘I’m scared.’
Indeed, adventure was not suited for a rabbit. Her heart pounded wildly as she slowly descended. When her feet touched the ground, Latil carefully straightened her back. She cautiously opened her eyes.
“Huh?”
In front of her stood a child she had never seen before. It was a girl with long black hair tied tightly, chubby cheeks, and sharp eyes. Latil blinked in surprise, but the girl frowned, clearly displeased with her hesitation. She snapped at her, speaking sharply.
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