I Became the Narrow-Eyed Character in the Little Prince Game-Chapter 148: For Elize (2)

"It doesn’t feel real."

The carriage rattled along the road toward the Imperial Palace.

Gazing out the window, the Rose muttered absentmindedly.

Her calm eyes mirrored the endless green of the summer forest.

At the sound of her voice, I asked,

"What do you mean?"

"Just..."

Elize’s response was dismissive, as if it were nothing of importance.

And yet, the air around her remained unusually still.

Since our conversation last night, she had been like this—

As if lost in thought, something within her wavering.

Then, she spoke softly.

"The curse I carry."

"Strictly speaking, it's a disease."

"Yeah, a disease. But now that it’s about to be cured... I can’t wrap my head around it."

A cure.

Perhaps that word felt foreign to her.

Her expression was particularly conflicted.

"I understand."

I nodded.

She had spent her entire life suffering, drowning in pain—mere words wouldn’t be enough to make it feel real.

For now, rather than joy, the situation must have felt surreal.

With an awkward smile, Elize sighed.

"It’s just making my head a mess."

"It’s alright. In time, things will settle into place."

A brief exchange.

As we idly passed the time, two others joined the conversation.

None other than Charlotte and Elize’s personal maid, Tanya.

"I never thought this day would come..."

"Truly? Is it really happening? Will Her Highness finally...?"

Charlotte's usual vacant eyes gleamed with emotion, while Tanya, already teary-eyed, barely held back her sobs.

A life of pain and loneliness—

They had been the only family to stay by Elize’s side.

Having endured her darkest times together, the hope now so close before them naturally overwhelmed them.

In response, I smiled.

"Of course."

Their joy became even more palpable.

Elize, on the other hand, shook her head as if she couldn’t stand it.

"You’re all making such a big deal out of this."

"You're happy too, aren't you?"

"...No, I’m not."

"Your Highness is terrible at lying."

"And you must be thrilled. Unlike me, you’re exceptional at deception."

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment."

Despite her grumbling, the conversation carried on.

As always, the Rose leaned her body against my shoulder.

I absentmindedly ran my fingers through her loose crimson hair.

Then, in a detached tone, she suddenly asked,

"Do we really have to go to the palace?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Does the thought trouble you?"

"It’d be a lie if I said it didn’t. I spent my whole life trapped there. And now, I have to see my so-called father’s face."

"Your father... You mean His Majesty?"

"As if there’s anyone else I could be talking about."

Her voice gradually cooled.

The deliberate choice of father rather than His Majesty—

A clear sign of the resentment she harbored toward the emperor.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

After all, he was the one who had locked her away in that lonely cage.

Carefully, I asked,

"Do you resent him?"

"I don’t know... Honestly, I barely remember his face. My memories from that time are hazy."

"I recall you mentioning that you never saw His Majesty again after being confined to the palace annex."

"Maybe he couldn’t stand the sight of his cursed child. He seemed like a decent person before, but the moment I got sick, he completely changed."

"Changed, you say..."

I repeated the word under my breath.

Elize let out a bitter laugh.

"If he was going to treat me like this, he shouldn’t have had me in the first place."

"Your Highness."

"I used to think that a lot when I was younger. Back then, just surviving felt unbearable."

"As your physician, those words pain me."

"I don’t think like that anymore, so don’t make that face."

"I understand your pain. How could I possibly smile at that?"

"I’m fine now. I don’t see life as a burden anymore. If anything... I’m glad I’m alive."

And, as if that weren’t reason enough—

"Because I met you."

Elize tilted her head slightly.

Our gazes met.

In her deep green eyes, not a single trace of doubt lingered.

At some point, our hands had naturally intertwined, fingers laced together as if melting into each other’s warmth.

With a faint curve of her lips, the Rose smiled.

"So, I’m fine."

Words that had become her life itself.

A voice that bloomed with unwavering conviction.

It took me a moment before I finally nodded.

A faint smile lingered on my lips.

"Then I will do my best to meet your expectations."

Even so—

She was getting more cunning by the day, and it was becoming troublesome.

I recited a single phrase.

"For you, a happy ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) ending—without fail."

"Pfft. I’ll be looking forward to it."

The carriage continued forward.

Toward the grave where all the truths awaited.

***

It had been nearly four months since we last set foot in the Imperial Palace.

Despite the time that had passed, the scenery of the gilded cage remained unchanged.

Untouched, as if no one had ever disturbed it.

We stayed briefly in Rose’s old quarters, waiting for permission to be granted for an audience.

If my theory was correct... there was no reason for the emperor to refuse us.

I was confident enough in that assumption, so I wasn’t worried.

"Hehe... It really feels like it’s been forever!"

"It has been a while. Long enough for an entire season to pass."

"Can you even believe that you’re no longer trapped here, Your Highness?"

"It still feels like a dream. I spent nearly my whole life rotting in this room."

"Me too!"

"...Aren’t you a little too excited?"

"Am I? It just feels nostalgic somehow..."

"What nostalgia could a brat like you possibly have?"

"I-I'm not a brat!"

Tanya puffed out her cheeks in protest.

Rose, despite her indifferent gaze, reached out to pat the small girl’s head.

Behind them, Charlotte gently held onto her wheelchair, a quiet smile on her face.

The scene before me was fleeting yet peaceful.

Meanwhile—

"......"

Silence stretched around me.

I was lost in thought.

[Report on Mana Stone Consumption Disease]

[Author: Medro Andreas]

My mind was entirely focused on the report from a few days ago.

The contents were so shocking that every sentence remained burned into my vision.

I quietly mulled over its words.

A curse.

This research had been conducted based on ancient texts.

Modern medicine had no answer for this disease.

So we had turned toward the unknown, hoping to uncover something new.

I had believed that by sifting through forgotten records, we would eventually find a clue.

The spoils gathered from hunting cultists, their research materials, forbidden tomes—all of it had played a role.

Medro and the priests of Resit had also been invaluable in translating the forbidden texts.

Veterans, as expected, proved to be reliable in the field.

And so.

Three months of relentless effort.

After constant battles with cultists and the aid of the priests, we had finally found a record related to the disease.

It had been uncovered in a border outpost where confiscated relics were stored.

Barely two pages in length.

Only two documented cases.

Yet the mere fact that it existed at all was a miracle in itself.

Mana Stone Consumption Disease was that rare of an affliction.

The records contained the following information:

[Mana Stone Consumption Disease]

More akin to a curse than an illness.Ancient records describe cases where the disease’s effects were transferred to another individual through the nature of the curse.This process, known as Curse Sharing, drastically reduces the fatality rate of the afflicted.However, the curse can only be transferred among direct blood relatives.Further details on this concept will be explained separately.

So far, nothing too surprising.

But the next part—

That was the core of my theory.

[Curse Sharing]

Curse Sharing refers to the act of transferring or sharing a curse.To activate the ritual, both individuals must be related by blood.The curse, being highly reactive to blood ties, becomes stronger when transferred to a closer relative.

Of course.

As with any ritual that defied natural law, there were consequences.

According to the records, the individual who received the curse suffered extreme psychological deterioration—

Or, in some cases, lost all emotions entirely.

And furthermore—

“The side receiving the curse is the only one affected by these side effects.”

In other words—

The one taking on the curse would have to bear both the affliction and its devastating consequences.

With that, it became clear why this knowledge had been buried.

A sealed truth.

Sealed knowledge.

A category of academia that had been purged during the reign of the first emperor.

This had been among the many condemned teachings that had vanished from history.

It was too inhumane, too unnatural of a practice.

But.

Something about this didn’t make sense.

Sealed knowledge.

That meant it hadn’t been completely erased.

It still existed, preserved in the Imperial Archives for centuries.

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Why had the first emperor chosen to leave it behind?

The answer was simple.

"There are many stars, but only one sun."