In his third life, Liam had a one-eyed wolf that he kept with him.

It was so fierce and one-eyed that a merchant was about to kill it, but Liam bought it and kept it with him, and it became his guard dog.

The creature, which was said to take 3 years to grow, was not even fully grown, but it was so large that people did not come near Liam.

That wolf had just its front paws blackened.

“Princess, go ahead first.”

Liam shook his feet and detached Falken. While threatening him with the scabbard to keep him from approaching, Liam sent me ahead first.

It was clearly Falken.

The creature that guarded Liam’s side had many scars. It was because he had survived alone in the wild and had a rough time until he was captured by humans.

“Let’s go.”

Liam took big strides. The frightened Falken yelped and retreated, falling down the slope.

From the rustling sound, it seemed he wasn’t seriously hurt. Liam started walking.

I followed Liam, taking comfort in the sound of fallen leaves from the bottom of the slope.

But our connection was not over with that.

“That wolf pup.”

Liam turned to look at me with a frown. More precisely, at my feet.

Falken persistently followed us. Strangely, he growled and bared his teeth at Liam, but wagged his tail at me.

‘Why me?’

Liam might have killed the mother wolf and that scent could make him wary, but there was no reason for him to be friendly towards me.

As I stopped and looked, Falken leaned his small body against my calf while being wary of Liam.

Although it didn’t touch directly because of my dress, I felt a warmth being transmitted.

“Did you feed it?”

“Pardon?”

“Well. We don’t even have food for ourselves, so you couldn’t have. It’s strange. A wild pup shouldn’t follow humans.”

As Liam approached me, Falken growled again. Liam looked down at Falken intently, wondering what to do.

I was reminded of the third life.

Liam, who seemed to have burned to ashes, was cold to Falken too, but sometimes he would unconsciously pet him.

At those times, a faint warmth would seep into his eyes and emotions would surface. A faint smile would linger briefly before disappearing.

Falken was a friend Liam could trust with his back.

If we parted here, would Falken and Liam meet again?

Had I changed their meeting?

“Liam.”

Even if I saved his younger brother, I didn’t know how his life would turn out in the future.

I wanted to return Falken to him, the only one he had attached himself to.

“Could we raise him at the Grand Duke’s residence?”

“You want to take this one with you?”

Obliviously, Falken bit Liam’s calf. He didn’t even look down at the fearless wolf pup attacking him.

“In this situation?”

“I’ll carry him.”

I was barely keeping up with him.

Just following was making me breathless and my heart was pounding as if it would burst. It was hard.

Although our pursuers weren’t visible yet, we needed to meet the Imperial army quickly, so my words might sound absurd.

Still, I didn’t want to leave Falken behind.

In a hurry, I picked up the pup who was growling and trying to bite Liam’s ankle.

He was white and fluffy like a cotton ball, but surprisingly heavy enough to make me hesitate for a moment.

I had to support his bottom to carry him.

I was worried he might bite me belatedly, even though he had been wagging his tail at me. But his eyes, which had been narrow with wariness, rounded and became full of affection when he saw me.

His tail moved quickly.

Liam, who was about to approach in surprise, also stopped.

“He’s being docile.”

“Someone who can barely manage their own body wants to take on a burden?”

“I can take him with us.”

His words were right, but Falken had followed us to survive.

Falken, who was looking up at me with an innocent face and wagging his tail, was warm.

“I won’t help you.”

His tone suggested that I would give up first anyway due to exhaustion.

“Yes! Thank you. That’s great, Falken.”

“You’ve already named it.”

Being a wolf pup, he fit snugly in my arms.

It felt strange as it was my first time holding an animal. In the royal palace, my elder brothers kept animals, but I wasn’t allowed to.

I was also afraid.

As people said, I couldn’t raise one for fear that my misfortune would touch it and it would die quickly.

I couldn’t even think about it in the Olan family, and in other lives, I didn’t have such freedom.

Liam’s prediction that I would give up soon was half right.

Both my hands were occupied. Unable to grab trees for support on the rough path, more strain was put on my legs. The fatigue increased.

The weight, which felt heavy even when I first picked him up, became heavier and heavier.

It was already difficult for me alone on this rough mountain path.

I was out of breath, like when I ran through alleys being chased by people in my first life. The humid mountain path made me sweat more.

The breath I exhaled was hot.

Heat gathered inside my eyes and my head felt dizzy.

Liam glanced back to see if I was keeping up well, wondering when I would declare surrender.

Out of stubbornness, I smiled at him.

Ironically, as my body struggled, I acutely felt that I was alive.

I’m still alive, so I feel this tired, hot, and humid, and even irritated.

Although part of me wanted to escape into a comfortable death, I was happy in this moment when I felt like I could collapse at any time.

How powerless had I been in my previous lives?

I wasn’t a helpless, trapped person anymore, but even though it was hard, I was moving my legs, holding Falken, and taking steps towards a slightly better future.

I might not be able to change my death, but I was trying to be of help to Liam later.

“I can see the village.”

He stopped walking and stepped aside, revealing a village of about a dozen houses. There was a settlement deep in the mountains.

“Just a little further.”

As I took a step, my body collapsed and my vision turned black.

I held Falken tightly, afraid he might fall. I felt Liam’s hand supporting my body.

“You could have just asked for help……”

I could hear his faint voice, but soon my memory cut off.

* * *

Of course, I asked for help many times.

“You’re old enough to take care of yourself now.”

“The Queen is busy.”

“Prince Noyer is different from you, Princess. Boys develop slower, don’t they? Do you want to be praised that much? How can a child be so attention-seeking?”

The reactions that came back with sighs were always signs of annoyance.

As they were servants working in the royal palace, some would listen to the princess’s requests, but others would criticize me by putting down cups loudly or giving me looks.

I wasn’t supposed to make requests, and if I gave orders, they would ignore me saying they needed to ask the Queen or a superior.

When such incidents pile up over a month, a year, several years, it becomes difficult to make requests.

Because I know I’ll be rejected anyway.

Because they will ignore me.

Because my voice doesn’t reach them and isn’t heard.

As resignation becomes familiar, the word ‘request’ sinks deep in my mind.

So how could I speak?

Liam said from the beginning that he wouldn’t help.

“I told you before, don’t you remember?”

“No, I said it’s not possible before. Ugh, how tiresome.”

“You should have listened well when I spoke, Ormia.”

People can inflict violence with words as much as they want.

They got annoyed, clicking their tongues, saying I was making them repeat what they had already said.

Even if I straightened my back and raised my head, the Ormia inside me kept getting smaller.

Even though I now have strength and am trying to change, the already shrunken me often showed the weak appearance of my previous life.

‘It’s okay though.’

I’m getting better little by little.

That’s enough.

The Ormia inside me is still small, but she raised her voice in front of the dukes to escape through the city gates, and even planted addiction while giving blessings.

I abandoned my family and those around me on my own, and I had goals I wanted to achieve before dying. And I left Glishia and arrived in the Empire.

‘You’re doing well.’

I know.

While knowing that I’m doing well on my own.

Even though I had vowed not to be swayed by others’ words anymore, not to let myself be shaken.

Even after going through all that.

“You could have just asked for help……”

I was still weak.

There were many more hurtful words that criticized more harshly, but I became sad at just one word from Liam.

I thought I could now hold my head high and stand up proudly, but there was still a wounded young Ormia curled up inside me.

‘Because I was a denial of God.’

Even though I now know that’s not true, I sadly end up denying myself.

The smell of dry grass wafted up.

It wasn’t a luxurious seat filled with cotton or fur, but a bed stuffed with rough reeds, and the reeds poked through the sheet, dully pricking my skin.

It was a shabby but lived-in room.

My body was too heavy to even think of getting up, and I barely managed to turn my head.

My eyes met Liam’s. Next to him was Hal, whom we had parted with at the border.

“If her condition was like this, you should have waited! No matter how much resentment you have towards the Beltoas, how could you make a woman who had fallen into water walk through forest paths!”

“Hal.”

“No matter how much she said she was fine, you should have stopped her, Sir Liam! The princess isn’t a knight who can march for days without sleep!”

“That’s enough.”

“I know you don’t like being nagged, but now learn a bit about women while engaging in social activities! You said you’re taking the princess to the Grand Duke’s residence, right?

There’s the blessing. If Glishia tries to take her back again, and she gets sick, who knows what they might say using that as an excuse. Can’t you think of cherishing her a bit!”

“The princess is awake.”

Hal looked at me with a surprised expression.

When our eyes met, he retreated. His movement was as quick as when people make a hated black bug disappear.

“…Hah, I have things to do, so I’ll be going now.”

Before leaving, Hal just poked his head through the door to urge Liam.

“And tell her that thing is not possible. Absolutely not.”

After Hal left, silence descended.

Liam didn’t open his mouth, but his uncomfortable feeling was transmitted to me as well.

Before reason returned to my hot head, the biased words Hal had left behind echoed in my ears.

“No matter how much resentment you have towards the Beltoas……”

“If she gets sick, who knows what they might say using that as an excuse……”

Although I had goodwill and was trying to help him, to Liam I was still just a dubious stranger.

I want to help Liam, and Liam wants to save his younger sibling. We were just two people whose purposes happened to align.

Liam sighed softly, ruffling his hair, and sat down beside the bed.

His appearance reminded me of the servants and maids who would sigh first when having to attend to me.

“I’m sorry. We’re delayed because of me. I won’t bother you anymore from now on.”

My condition was worse than I thought.

My voice was terribly cracked and rough, and just speaking made my throat hurt as if it would break.

“I thought my body was fine… We can leave tomorrow. I’ll get better quickly from this much.”

The day I’ll die is set, so this much is still okay.

Is my word not enough?

Is he disappointed in me?

Liam didn’t open his mouth for a while.

It doesn’t matter what he thinks of me.

As long as I save his sibling and help Liam.

“I’m sorry for not understanding.”

My feverish, hazy mind stopped thinking.

Having lived three lives, I had thought about it.

What did I want from my family, the dukes, the people of Olan, and others who resented me?

I ignored and turned away from even revenge because it was bothersome, but the lump in my chest didn’t dissolve.

“They should apologize.”

Just one word of apology would have been enough.

One word acknowledging my pain would have been sufficient.

“It must have been hard, I’m sorry.”

Liam let me know that.