Chapter 145-146 – Come Visit Me Again Next Time
[POV Change]
"Dayke… Dayke…!"
A voice called out to me while I was doing pull-ups in a corner of the parade ground.
She looked around to make sure no one was watching. Then, from behind a tree, Princess Iril appeared.
"Princess?"
I was surprised.
She wasn't wearing the usual mask and hood she always used to disguise herself as the forest witch.
Noticing my gaze, she quickly explained, flustered.
"Ah! Sue—the forest witch—had an issue, so I came instead. She said she lost her mask, and her hood is being washed…"
It was a clumsy lie, but I let it pass without saying anything.
"I see. So, what brings you to the parade ground?"
"I heard you returned from Lake Village. I actually wanted to come earlier, but I was busy with exams…"
She was probably talking about the succession exams for becoming the next queen.
"You don't look hurt. You had been there for nearly three months, right? You have no idea how worried I was that something might happen to you."
I felt grateful that she cared so much about me, especially when most elves didn't.
But at the same time, my heart grew heavy. Because the person she was worried about was filled with thoughts of harming her own mother.
"Thank you for your concern. I think I managed well thanks to your warning before I left."
"Then I'm glad. I feel relieved now that I've seen you. Oh, and I heard Kiella is planning to return to the castle. That means you won't have to go back to that village anymore, right?"
"Whew, that's a relief."
She let out a deep breath, but my chest was tight with emotion.
I couldn't believe someone so kind and considerate was the daughter of that ruthless queen.
I was glad she didn't inherit her mother's temperament.
"By the way, I have something for you."
She handed me a tool shaped like a flashlight.
"What's this?"
"It's a magic light. Press here, and it'll turn on."
I pressed the slightly raised button on the side as she instructed, and light beamed from the front.
"You heard from the Forest Witch, right? That if anything happens, you should come to her. But she never told you how to contact her, did she?"
She hadn't realized that until just now. No—rather, I should say I was glad she finally knew now.
"If you need my help or want to talk about something, shine this light into the window of my room. I'll recognize it. But be careful not to let anyone see you."
"I'll keep that in mind."
After we exchanged a few more words, the princess spoke again.
"Then I'll head back now. You seem to be doing well so far, and I believe you'll continue to be fine. But if anything happens, don't suffer alone. Promise me you'll ask for help. Understood?"
"Yes, Princess. But… you didn't bring any vegetables today?"
"Vegetables?"
"I thought you brought them as gifts, like the forest witch used to."
Whenever she came to see me, she would bring vegetables she didn't want to eat and call them gifts.
"Well… these days, the head maid has become stricter. She scolds me a lot if I leave anything uneaten. She says a princess of the kingdom shouldn't be picky about food…"
So she ended up eating everything just to avoid being scolded?
It wasn't something serious, but she looked so disheartened that I felt guilty for asking.
"Life isn't easy for a princess either."
"I know… But it's nothing compared to what the knights go through. Anyway, I'll go now. If I stay away too long, the head maid might notice."
"Yes. Please return safely."
The princess, still looking a bit down about the vegetable situation, smiled brightly before vanishing into the forest.
........
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That same night, I quietly left the barracks and hid in the backyard of the royal castle.
My goal was to meet the princess, tell her that I was Alvin from her past life, and reveal my plan to take revenge on the queen.
I didn't expect her to understand. After all, who could easily accept the idea of harming their own mother?
Still, the hope that she might be different—a princess more considerate and kind to humans than anyone else—led me here.
Of course, I knew the chances were slim. I wasn't going to bring it up right away. I would see how things go. If it didn't work out, I'd just return quietly.
'Is this the place?'
I looked up in the direction the princess had indicated earlier.
A large window stood about three stories up.
I pointed the magic light she gave me at it and turned it on.
'No reaction? Did she fall asleep?'
Just then, the window opened slowly, and the princess appeared.
She placed a finger over her lips, signaling me to stay quiet, then disappeared back into the room.
We had confirmed each other's presence—but now what? Was she planning to sneak me into the castle?
As I stood there wondering, something suddenly dropped from her window.
It was a long, rope-like line, tied together with knots. It looked like she had used several blankets to make it.
Then the princess appeared again and waved at me.
'Is she telling me to climb up using that?'
I stepped forward and grabbed it. Surprisingly, it was strong and stable.
Thanks to that, I was able to climb up and slip through her window into her room.
"Welcome, Dayke. I didn't think you'd actually use this method."
The rope made of blankets was tied securely to the bed legs beside the window.
It was a large, sturdy bed—fitting for a princess—so it easily supported my weight.
"Isn't it clever? I was wondering how I could bring you in," she said, proudly placing her hands on her waist.
Then she covered her mouth and laughed.
"I feel so excited. It's like I'm doing something forbidden. If Momma finds out, she'll be furious… But it's fine as long as we don't get caught, right?"
"I guess so… right?"
After our brief greetings, we quickly erased any signs of my climb with her help.
"Come, sit down, Dayke. Why did you come here so soon after we just met?"
I sat beside her on the bed as she asked.
She was wearing a cheerful smile, despite meeting someone who seemed to have come with worries.
"You look like you're in a really good mood."
"Oh? Can you tell? I was always worried about you, living alone as a human. I'm just so happy that I can finally help you. That's probably why I didn't even realize how excited I am… Hehe. Go ahead, tell me. What's on your mind?"
Seeing someone smile so brightly just because they could help a stranger stirred something deep in me.
Instead of jumping into the real reason I came, I asked her something that had been bothering me for a long time.
"Actually… It's not really a worry. I just have a question. Why are you so kind to me?"
This wasn't something I had only recently begun to wonder.
It was a question that had lingered ever since I was called Alvin—long before I was reborn in this new body as Dayke.
"That's because… Dayke is a good person."
"Me?"
"Yes. It couldn't have been easy to adjust to a foreign land without a single companion, yet you've lived honestly without a single complaint."
"…"
"I didn't have to say anything, but I couldn't just ignore you. Especially when people treated you so unfairly. It reminded me of Alvin. Oh, Dayke probably doesn't know much about Alvin, right?"
I stayed silent and then gave a slight nod.
"Yes. I've heard you helped a human named Alvin fight the Demon King…"
"Alvin was a lot like you. No matter how cruel my mother was, he never got angry. Instead, he worked harder and lived more sincerely, trying to be accepted by those around him."
To be honest, back then, I was simply powerless and cornered. I had nowhere to go and no strength to change anything. I lived in despair only because I had no choice.
If I'd had the chance, I would've fled the kingdom without a second thought. But the princess, who didn't know any of that, continued in a softer voice.
"Alvin even gave his life to defeat the Demon King and save our people. He did it for the same elves who had treated him so cruelly…"
The reason she believed that was probably because of what the queen told her. The queen would never admit to her daughter that she betrayed and murdered the hero.
"That's why it breaks my heart whenever I think of Alvin. He was kinder than anyone, and yet he left this world without receiving anything in return. I can't bring Alvin back, but… I hope you won't end up like him. That's what I want. That's why I care about you."
The princess's eyes shimmered with tears as she spoke of my past life.
Seeing her like that made me afraid to tell the truth. Afraid that her warm, kind gaze might grow cold if she knew who I really was.
Afraid of breaking her gentle heart.
"…Thank you."
"Thank you. But is that really the only reason you came? If something's bothering you, you can tell me. I'm on your side, Dayke."
"No. That really was the reason I came."
"Chi… I was hoping I could help you solve a real problem or something."
The princess pouted, disappointed.
But the truth was, she had already helped me more than enough—both in this life and the last.
"Well, since you're here, can you tell me more about yourself, Dayke? You said you came from across the sea, right? I'm curious what it's like there!"
Since the part about me crossing the sea was a lie, I told her stories from my life in Korea instead.
From her point of view, she interpreted it as if it were tales from beyond the Sea of Elora—a distant and mysterious land, not from Earth.
We kept talking, not even noticing how quickly time was flying by.
The curious princess lit up with all kinds of expressions and reactions, and I didn't hold back in telling her stories.
In a way, it felt like I was giving something back to her—repaying her kindness, even just a little.
We talked for nearly three hours, and it was only at the break of dawn that we decided to stop.
"That was so fun. It's the first time I've talked and laughed with someone for this long."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"Come hang out again next time, okay?"
"Yes, I will."
After a short farewell, I left the castle the same way I had entered.
I hadn't told her the truth yet, but for now, I felt like I could put that burden down for just a little longer.
........
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[POV Change]
It was a quiet afternoon, just a few days after Dayke had visited Iril's room.
Queen Nermediah was sitting in her office, silently reviewing documents.
"…"
Lately, she had been feeling a deep sense of discomfort.
The source of her irritation was clear—Dayke had returned safely to the castle, even after being assigned as an escort to Kiella, who was known for her awful personality.
Although her fury had settled slightly over the past few days, a cold resentment still lingered.
'How much longer do I have to tolerate that filthy human roaming freely in my kingdom?'
Knock… Knock…
"Your Majesty."
"What is it?"
The servant's voice came through the door, and what she said made the Queen immediately rise from her seat.
"Kiella has returned."