“I’m fine. Don’t worry too much, I can get treatment quickly once we escape the building.”

Though her whole body ached all over, Veronia smiled gently at the child as she spoke lightly. But smiling with a face covered in blood only made her look more pitiful in Ted’s eyes.

“But what should we do? The teleportation scroll has burned up.”

“Ugh… Argh!”

Not only the scroll, but Veronia’s hand was also burned and hideously disfigured. Seeing this, Ted bit his lower lip, trying to swallow his tears, but it wasn’t easy. Sobs kept escaping between his lips.

“Oh dear… don’t worry. We’ll both be able to escape here safely!”

Where did such strength come from? Though her body was torn and burned all over, Veronia sprang to her feet.

Roughly wiping away the blood flowing down her forehead with her sleeve, Veronia covered Ted’s head with her jacket. As she picked up the child, he clung tightly to her neck.

“From now on, I’m going to run with all my might, so you need to hold on tight so you don’t fall off. Can you do that, Ted?”

“I can do it.”

“Close your eyes tight and count to 100 in your head, and it’ll all be over.”

“Okay.”

Veronia quickly moved her feet. The interior was already thick with smoke. As she couldn’t let the child inhale the smoke, she moved while bending her waist as low as possible.

‘I can do this! I must do it! I have to save this child, and I have to live! Neither Ted nor I are destined to die here.’

Ted weighed about the same as Jediel. Thinking of her son who would be waiting for her at home, Veronia made a vow.

‘Jediel, Mom won’t die! I’ll definitely get out of here! We’ll meet again for sure!’

Though her arms and legs were battered all over, Veronia gritted her teeth and walked forward. She had to crouch to avoid touching the burning walls, and walk carefully to avoid tripping over bricks and wood pieces scattered on the floor.

‘Quickly! Faster! Keep going!’

There was no time to waste if they were to escape before the building completely collapsed. Veronia took each step forward with all her might.

‘…Finally!’

A small door leading outside came into view. Now, just thirty steps, no, twenty steps more and they could completely escape this building.

“We’re almost there, just hang on a little bit longer!”

Though she was speaking to Ted, it was actually also words for Veronia herself.

Just a few more steps forward and they could escape this scorching heat and acrid smoke. They could be free from the things threatening their fragile lives.

Veronia’s steps quickened. The pain she felt with each step was now dulled. She stretched her legs forward, eyes fixed only on the door.

At that moment, a terrible thing happened. With an enormous boom, the exit door collapsed. The path connecting to the outside was completely blocked.

“Ah… No!”

Thump thump, Veronia’s heart pounded fiercely. Now they were truly at a crossroads between life and death.

‘Do we have no choice but to climb over that pile of burning wood and bricks? With this body… is it even possible?’

She suppressed her desperate feelings and steadied her breathing. They had come this far, there was no reason they couldn’t go further. Just a few more steps and it would be over.

‘So I can do it! I must do it!’

Just as Veronia was about to move her halted legs again, clenching her molars tightly.

“…Ah!”

The wood and bricks blocking the exit began to move one by one, slowly revealing a passage. And then a familiar voice was heard.

“Hurry! Move faster, I say! Lady Nia is still inside! Quickly, quickly!”

Tears burst forth at the voice she had longed to hear so much.

‘Killian, I’m so glad you’re safe! Thank you for coming to save me!’

With Killian by her side, there was nothing to fear. She felt certain that she would not die, but live.

But time was not on Veronia’s side. Behind her, with a cracking sound, the ceiling began to collapse.

There was no time to wait for the exit to be completely cleared. Veronia held Ted tightly and ran straight ahead.

‘This is really the last push!’

She stomped her foot hard and leaped up, beginning to climb over the pile of burnt wood and bricks.

Sometimes she stumbled when the wood she stepped on broke, and sometimes her knees were scraped as she slipped on shaky bricks, but still she didn’t give up. Veronia kept climbing and climbing over the piled debris.

After repeatedly climbing, slipping, climbing again, and falling, she finally manages to reach the outside air. Just then, a strong arm stretched out and pulled her into an embrace in one swift motion.

“Nia!”

“Killian!”

The joy of embracing the returned Veronia soon disappeared.

Killian’s heart sank at her terrible condition. Sticky blood was smeared all over her head and face, and there were many scratches on her face, neck, and shoulders.

That wasn’t all. The skin on her burned hand was blistered, and there were deep scrapes from bricks on her waist and thighs.

But now was not the time to dwell on each of these injuries. Killian quickly spoke as he took the child Veronia was holding.

“We must get away from here quickly. The building looks like it’s about to collapse.”

Killian firmly grasped her arm and waist, supporting her as he began to run forward. They had just reached the back garden, completely escaping the building.

Crack, boom! Crash!

With a thunderous noise, the entire building collapsed all at once. Veronia and Killian kept running and running, leaving the blazing castle behind them.

“Wow!”

“I’m so glad you’re safe!”

“Thank you for saving our Ted!”

“Thank you so much!”

The orphanage teachers and children bowed their heads deeply towards Veronia, expressing their gratitude. They shed tears of joy that the two had returned safely, and shed more tears of sorrow at their terrible condition.

Just then, one of the teachers standing in the back muttered softly with wide, surprised eyes.

“Could it be… Her Highness Princess Veronia?”

It was such a quiet voice that even the person next to her couldn’t hear.

The teacher stared intently, examining Veronia’s face once more. The lush golden hair, red eyes, and beautiful features were definitely those of the princess.

‘When I first saw her, she clearly had silver hair and green eyes, but now she doesn’t. And with the veil that covered her face gone, I can see clearly now. Now… it’s definitely Her Highness Princess Veronia!’

The teacher Leila was certain. Her eyes were not mistaken. There was no way she could fail to recognize Princess Veronia. Even with a face covered in blood and wounds, it was the same.

This was because Leila had ardently admired Princess Veronia since she was very young.

Leila’s bedroom was plastered with portraits of Veronia, and she had attended every local event where Veronia was said to participate.

Of course, most of the time she only saw her from afar, but very occasionally she had seen the princess’s face up close.

Not only was her face beautiful, but her gentle smile seemed otherworldly. It was such a sacred sight that one might believe an angel had descended. To think she would see that unforgettable face here again now!

‘When I heard she had passed away… I believed it couldn’t possibly be true, that she couldn’t have died so senselessly! I was right! She really… was alive!’

Tears were already streaming down Leila’s face.

“Princess Veronia… Princess Veronia!”

As if possessed by something, Leila pushed through the people and walked forward. The people were bewildered by Leila’s sudden action and tilted their heads in confusion.

“Princess Veronia… you’ve returned alive! It was Her Highness Princess Veronia who jumped into the fire to save our Ted! And she returned with him!”

Leila knelt on the dirt ground, tears falling. Not only the people, but even Veronia and Killian were greatly surprised by Leila’s behavior and didn’t know what to do.

Veronia immediately felt for the magic item piercings that should be in both her ears. But the piercings couldn’t be felt, and only a stinging pain was sensed.

‘Ah… I’ve lost all the piercings! What should I do now…!’

Veronia’s face hardened with dismay. Meanwhile, Leila, who was certain that Veronia was the princess, raised her voice, almost wailing.

“Sob… Her Highness… Princess Veronia has returned alive! Sob…”

The people who had been standing with puzzled faces slowly began to grasp the situation. Murmurs could be heard here and there.

“That person is Princess Veronia? The one who passed away 5 years ago?”

“Someone who died coming back to life… that’s impossible!”

“But you know, Teacher Leila was an ardent supporter of Princess Veronia. There’s no way Teacher Leila could have mistaken her.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Just as people were still looking around with expressions that showed they didn’t quite understand what was happening, Windler approached Veronia and knelt down. He had spent many years as Killian’s aide. He had seen the princess’s face up close dozens of times. The woman before his eyes was indeed the princess.

To think that the woman who had once hidden behind silver hair, green eyes, burn scars, a veil, and the name ‘Nia’ was actually the princess! Swallowing the tears of emotion that suddenly welled up, Windler cried out in a trembling voice:

“We are in the presence of Her Highness Princess Veronia!”

The watching knights stirred and began to kneel one by one. Some of them had seen the princess’s face up close before, and others who didn’t know her face trusted Windler’s judgment.

Once all the knights had knelt, the orphanage teachers and children also knelt down. And everyone shouted in unison:

“We are in the presence of Her Highness Princess Veronia!”

“We are in the presence of Her Highness Princess Veronia!”