The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 75: Bait-and-Switch (IX)

“Lala…”

It was at that moment Eristella realized for the first time that the warm voice calling her name could sound so frightening.

“There must be a way! I’ll find it! If you give me a little time, I will do something!”

With desperation, she shook her head vigorously while tightening her hold on the empress’ sleeve. The child’s small body trembled with the urgency of never letting go.

The empress tried to smile as she wiped the tears from her daughter’s eyes. But her smile didn’t last long.

“Lala. I don’t have time anymore.”

“…….”

“Mom and dad are sorry. I have no choice but to say this to you, who is still young.”

“It will be fine. I’m strong. I’m young now, but…”

In the end, unable to hold on any longer, the empress shed tears and hugged her daughter tightly.

“Lala. You are still young now, but you will surely become the one who supports the empire in the future. But more than that, I want you to always be happy.”

“…….”

“Even a poor mother should do that for her daughter. but… If mom and dad don’t get this last thing done…”

The tearful woman looked straight at her daughter as she released her arms from the embrace.

As the empress of the empire, not as a mother, she brought out a heavy request towards her still-young daughter.

“I’m sorry, but can we entrust the next to Lala?”

Eristella nodded her head with difficulty; eyes swollen, tears flowing.

Feeling helpless that this was all she could do for her parents.

Ultimately, Eristella had no choice but to watch her parents go on the road of no return.

“Nothing changes. Nothing changes.”

Staring endlessly even though her mother was no longer in sight, Eristella muttered helplessly.

The life in the child’s eyes was gone.

This moment was the trigger.

Where she decided to accept all the memories of her previous life.

And to be content with what she had.

“My life will not change, but I will bet everything to change just one thing. I will protect the honor of both of you. And I will get rid of those who stand in the way of the empire.”

Her empty eyes softened.

“I won’t ask for anything other than that.”

Her resolution on that day became the driving force and all that kept her alive.

*******

“…….”

Watching the events of the past in third person, Eristella noticed everything she was thinking and feeling when she was young.

In the end, everything was her past.

At that time, young Eristella, who recalled the entirety of her previous life, wished for only one thing instead of worrying about the future ahead of her.

She wanted to save her parents.

And when her parents finally left, she gave up on changing her future.

But now, suddenly, a possibility came to her mind.

‘Maybe this is an opportunity. Maybe I can change something.’

If only she could go after them and prevent what’s about to happen.

Even if she couldn’t see it. Even if there was nothing she could do here.

‘It’s something I don’t know unless I try it.’

An irresistible desire to stay here longer arose.

It was then.

Heinricion, who had been observing the strangely flowing situation, cautiously asked.

“Wasn’t it an accident that took their lives?”

Right when Heinricion looked back at Eristella.

Thud.

For a moment, it felt like his heart was sinking to the floor. Eristella’s condition was so strange.

In a state of precariousness, she was staring at her young self. It was as if she would disappear any second.

“Eristella.”

“…….”

Gradually, it occurred to Heinricion that Eristella was thinking dangerous thoughts.

And the fact that the only person who could catch her now was him.

“Eristella. Wake up. And look here.”

Heinricion forcibly turned her body around and sternly warned her.

But Eristella’s eyes were still fixed on the scene in front of her, it did not falter even for a second. She seemed to be holding back something that was about to explode.

“You can’t change it. You shouldn’t change it. You know that it’s a trap.”

“…….”

“If you change anything here, you will be locked up here. Then it’s irreversible. If you get stuck here, what about the others?”

“Who?”

The golden eyes of Eristella were already unfocused. The bright, yet dazed orbs just gazed blankly into the void. Then she spat out.

“In the place where I’m originally from, it’s as if I don’t exist anyway.”

Heinricion was speechless for a moment at Eristella’s empty answer.

“Everyone who loves me is here.”

“…….”

“I want to be with the people here.”

This experience captured Eristella’s heart. She still had regrets.

“Isn’t there someone you want to see in real life? Is there really no one?”

Unable to overcome his frustration, Heinricion urged her to answer his question.

“What about Sonia?”

“…….”

“What about Charlotte?”

“…….”

‘And me.’

Heinricion vented his frustration.

Still, his words had an effect, as Eristella’s eyes moved slightly.

“Eristella.”

“…I know. That it can’t be changed. I can’t change it.”

Light returned to Eristella’s eyes, although it seemed to disappear almost immediately, and she stared at Heinricion. However, there was still no strength in her voice. She spoke in a somewhat sad tone as if resigned.

“…….”

“I will just watch the two of them go. Because that’s all I can do now.”

‘This is not reality. There’s still work to be done.’

‘I will escape the hypnotic world.’

After making up her mind, Eristella realized there was another decision that had to be made now.

About whether she would confess the things she had been hiding so far to Heinricion, who now shared her hidden memories.

Gravely, Eristella’s lips parted, and she said,

“Cion. I have a confession to make.”

She never wanted to confess the truth. But she couldn’t escape any longer.

“It wasn’t an accident.”

The sudden death of the emperor and empress shocked the entire empire.

An unexpected fire broke out in the mansion where the emperor and empress are staying.

In addition, because of the unfavorable weather conditions, the flames quickly engulfed the mansion.

It was a sudden fire. As a result, even their bodies were not properly recovered. A truly tragic ending.

But it was all camouflage.

“They had no choice but to do that. The deaths of the two of them had something to do with black magic.”

“…….”

“…They left to die in an accident.”

This was the first time she had ever let this out of her mouth. For a long time, she thought everything would collapse the moment she uttered these words.

‘Surprisingly, nothing’s wrong.’

Calmly, Eristella continued to speak.

“But I don’t know everything either.”

Really. She didn’t know everything.

How black magic was involved in the deaths of the two.

Whether it was an attack. Or if they had joined hands with black magic.

That’s why she couldn’t tell anyone about the irregularities behind the death of the emperor and empress.

“This is a fact that even His Majesty the Emperor does not know.”

Only one person in this empire knew. It was a secret that only Eristella knew.

She firmly believed. That there was no way the previous emperor and empress would have dabbled with black magic.

However, without finding out the whole truth, if only a part of it was revealed to the world…

…Will other people believe that?

No, they wouldn’t believe so.

To ensure that there was no blemish on their reputation, she had to piece together the truth so that their lives and deaths would not be trampled on.

It was from then.

Eristella started chasing black magic.

“I will defend the honor of my family to the end.”

Those words faded away into the air as she stared blankly at the empty spot created after the imperial couple left.

‘I wish they could see how much I’ve grown.’

—I’m so sorry for that.

—Mom. Dad. I was very happy to be born as a daughter to the two of you. As the daughter of the two of you, I want to protect everything in the empire.

—I can’t stay here any longer. But it was nice to see you again.

Such words would not reach the two of them, but Eristella confessed with all her heart.

These were the words that she couldn’t tell them in person back then because she was too young and sad.

“I missed you both so much. I miss you every day. Still, I was happy because I was the daughter of mom and dad. From now on, I will smile whenever I think of the time we spent together.”

Ame: *throws tissue box* *rummaging through the kitchen for a metal spoon* AP, WHYYYY did you abandon me at this critical moment TT_TT jkjk, all the best with your new baby!