A familiar voice, yet one she had never heard before.
This description might seem contradictory, but it was exactly what Fia thought.
It was this deep sense of familiarity that stopped Fia from immediately breaking free from the other person.
Otherwise, with her strength, she could have easily broken free, likely causing the other person to suffer a fracture.
Noticing that Fia in her arms was gradually calming down, the woman who had been resting Fia’s head on her knee finally relaxed, her voice softening.
“I know you want revenge on the humans, Your Highness, but there are too many of them.
Attacking now would be unwise.
Our priority should be to return to the kingdom and report your safety to the King and Queen.”
She was an acquaintance of the Elf Princess.
Fia’s mind raced.
Although the woman had only spoken a single sentence, it was enough to deduce a lot of information.
For instance, the woman was on the Elf Princess’s side, possibly even her servant.
“Your Highness?” The woman asked, as if confirming whether Fia understood her words.
Fia’s response was a gentle nod.
The Elf Princess’s servant couldn’t possibly harm her.
The woman still didn’t know her true identity; in her eyes, Fia was still the brilliant First Elf Princess.
“Phew, that’s good.”
The owner of the voice sighed in relief, gradually loosening her grip on Fia, allowing her to turn around while crouching.
Their eyes met.
Lively, almost speaking, blue eyes.
That was Fia’s first impression.
The woman wore a hooded cloak similar to Fia’s.
Compared to the Elf Princess’s fourteen-year-old youthful appearance, she was clearly a few years older, at least eighteen, the age of adulthood.
Under the purple hood, golden hair peeked out, fitting the typical image of an elf.
Her face, though not as exquisite as the Elf Princess’s, wasn’t far off.
A blue line pattern near her left ear added an exotic charm to her face.
The girl’s lively blue eyes stared into Fia’s, and though she said nothing, Fia could read the joy of reunion and the relief of survival in them.
Her eyes were slightly red, with tears glistening, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
Moreover, Fia felt an indescribable sense of closeness.
Her body’s instincts told her she could completely trust the girl in front of her.
They remained silent.
After a brief moment of silence, the girl could no longer contain her emotions.
She wrapped her arms around Fia’s neck, pulling her into a tight embrace.
If Fia hadn’t been prepared, she would have been knocked to the ground.
“Dorophilia!” Afraid that Fia might run away, the girl hugged her tightly, rubbing her cheek against Fia’s, her voice choked with sobs.
“You’re alive… Thank goodness… Thank goodness…” No, the Elf Princess was already dead.
After a brief moment of confusion, Fia answered in her heart.
She couldn’t bear to interrupt this reunion, which was obvious to anyone, and didn’t reveal the truth.
The girl was trembling violently.
She must have been terrified of the Elf Princess disappearing.
Although Fia could feel the warmth from the girl, she had no other thoughts, only sympathy and a hint of loneliness.
She sympathized with the girl, who didn’t know the Elf Princess had died, and felt lonely because the girl’s emotions weren’t directed at her.
Fia had never experienced familial love, which was why she felt a sense of longing for this emotion.
Her few remaining memories were clearly marked by the fact that she had no family.
So, when she saw the girl relieved by their reunion, she felt particularly alone.
Even though she had been reincarnated into another world, this aspect hadn’t changed.
She was merely an outsider, not someone starting a new life from infancy.
When she felt it was enough, Fia gently moved her shoulders, pushing the girl away.
“This isn’t the place to talk.
Is there a better location?”
“Yes… yes.” The girl gradually came to her senses, quickly wiping away her tears and regaining a serious expression.
“Please follow me, Your Highness.”
Though she used a respectful term, the girl took Fia’s hand, facing the road, and cautiously retreated step by step, away from the city gate.
Unlike the Elf Princess’s delicate and slender hands, the girl’s hand conveyed a firm and strong feeling.
Just holding it gave a sense of security—these were the hands of someone who often wielded a sword.
Even without calluses, Fia could make this judgment.
Led by the girl, they left the roadside bushes and quickly moved through the overgrown outskirts in silence.
Perhaps considering the Elf Princess’s stamina might not match her own, the girl occasionally slowed down.
Avoiding the soldiers’ surveillance on the city walls, the girl led Fia to the downstream of a river running through the city.
Finally, they stopped at an inconspicuous spot by the riverbank.
After softly chanting an obscure spell, the ground, originally covered in dirt, disappeared, revealing a sloping underground passage.
It was earth magic.
Fia quietly took in the scene, knowing without guessing that this tunnel must lead into the city.
They entered the tunnel.
The journey was silent.
If someone else had led her into a pitch-black place, she would have refused no matter what.
Fia quietly observed the girl walking briskly ahead, a head taller than herself.
But this girl was the Elf Princess’s confidante—on the way, Fia had already recalled where her sense of familiarity came from.
It was from the Elf Princess’s memories, like a revolving lantern, left to her.
When the Elf Princess was pierced by a human’s purple spear, the panicked people around included this girl.
She must have been separated from the group escorting the Elf Princess’s body after the incident.
However.
After deducing her identity, Fia found herself in a dilemma.
How should she respond to this girl, who was utterly loyal to the Elf Princess? If she were truly the Elf Princess, she would be moved by their reunion and accept the girl’s loyalty.
However, she wasn’t the Elf Princess.
Even if she pretended to be, she would soon be exposed due to a lack of the Elf Princess’s memories, in her habits and speech.
She didn’t know what kind of person the Elf Princess was.
Rather than being exposed after a clumsy disguise, it was better to tell the girl the truth from the start.
That is, the Elf Princess was dead, and she had only come to inhabit the Elf Princess’s body by accident.
Of course, since the body was now hers, she wouldn’t return it.
The body wasn’t a tradable item; returning it would mean her death.
Even if it would undoubtedly sadden the girl, even to the point of heartbreak, it was an unavoidable reality.
She could only try to comfort the girl who helped her enter the city—Fia was the type who couldn’t help but feel sympathy at the sight of tears.
Thinking of this, Fia couldn’t help but look at the hand holding hers.
This was truly embarrassing.
Regrettably, she had never held a girl’s hand before.
Her impression was that she had always been alone.
Like the person sitting in the far corner of the class, always on the fringes, only watching others plan weekend outings.
Although the touch wasn’t as delicate and soft as imagined, it was still a girl’s hand holding hers.
Especially the tight grip, as if afraid she would get lost, made Fia’s usually calm mind feel at a loss.
The unprecedented experience made it hard for her to concentrate.
She seemed to smell the girl’s fragrance through her hand, making it difficult to discern whether she was embarrassed by the opposite sex or longing for familial affection, causing her to be unable to let go of the hand tightly held by the girl.
The bond was as intoxicating as a drug.
This is what they call people always seeking what they don’t have.
Fia pressed her lips together.
For a moment, she couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be if she were truly the Elf Princess.
Or, how happy it would be to blend into their world by pretending to be the Elf Princess.
This isn’t a lust for the flesh of the opposite sex, but a yearning for a deeper emotional connection.
Unfortunately, this moment didn’t last long.
Before long, Fia felt herself and the girl starting to ascend a slope.
The sound of noise gradually reached her ears, and finally, some light appeared in the dark, narrow passage.
Eventually, the girl stopped, and after confirming there were no other sounds outside, she quietly released Fia’s hand, lifted a wooden board, and led Fia out of the passage.
“Your Highness, we’re safe.
This is a temporary hideout that I and others found.
The merchant managing this place said you saved his life, and he’s willing to assist us.”
“Ah…” The warmth that disappeared from her palm quickly calmed Fia’s scattered thoughts.
She swallowed and gave a vague nod in response, then turned to observe the hideout.
Rather than a hideout, it was more like a bedroom.
It was like a medieval inn made entirely of wood.
In the room, which was less than ten square meters, there was only a bed and a table, with a large, obtrusive wooden pillar in the center supporting the roof.
The window was so high that one would have to stand on tiptoe to reach it, and the only light came from a candle lamp hanging on the wall, making it look extremely simple.
“I’m sorry for the fright, Your Highness.
Anastasia Yushir is willing to take full responsibility for the failure of this battle.”
Without waiting for a response, the girl removed her cloak, revealing pointed ears and long golden hair under the hood, and knelt on one knee before Fia.
As Fia initially guessed, this girl named Anastasia was around 18 years old, bearing some resemblance to the elven princess in appearance, but her demeanor was entirely different.
The elven princess had a noble and elegant aura, while this girl exuded a sense of determination, reliability, and maturity.
The straight sword at her waist indicated her profession; she was a swordsman.
Undeniably, if the girl wore a formal dress, combined with the deep blue markings on her left cheek, she would certainly have a unique charm.
As if feeling ashamed, the girl’s face turned red, and she gritted her teeth as she asked, “Are you… are you alright?” This moment was inevitable.
As long as she remained the elven princess, she would always have to face it.
Her body stiffened for a moment, and Fia couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
She hesitated for a while, then pretended to be calm and said, “Anastasia, huh? It’s a good name.
But I’m no longer the elven princess.”
