The Princess Wants to Live

Olivia’s whisper tickled Cryer’s ears as he bent down under the silent pressure.

 

“Why are you here?”

 

Of course, that voice and tone were never ticklish.

 

“The work is finished, isn’t it?”

 

As his eyes glanced at Ambre, Olivia nodded as well.

 

“Well, the matter with Lady Taren is over, but why are you here?”

 

There was no way Cryer would not have known the meaning concentrated in Olivia’s facial expressions, gestures, and voice as she asked the exact same question as before, ‘I thought you told me not to get noticed by Lady Taren?’ But instead of answering, Cryer said something strange.

 

“The work is done, so it’s okay to do it.”

 

“What?”

 

At her out-of-text words, Olivia tugged at her head as she tried to run away and asked,

 

“It’s something that might come out of a novel, a play, or a children’s book.”

 

Her eyes were hidden by her messy hair, but the corners of his mouth were clearly drawn.

 

“What… uh? Huh?”

 

Before Olivia could ask again, Cryer lightly squeezed her wrist and made her walk with long strides. Olivia, who had suddenly caught up with him, quickly looked behind her and waved her hand.

 

“Let’s go in first. It really helped me a lot today!”

 

As Olivia’s words fidgeted, Enbouche’s expression brightened as she agonized over whether she should run now. When she saw the suspicious-looking man who appeared out of nowhere and told her not to worry because he was someone she knew, she just watched Olivia being dragged away. She even said that Her Royal Highness said I was of great help today.

 

“Yes! Have a good time!”

 

The brightly blooming Engrav waved her hands and waved goodbye to Olivia.

 

* * *

 

Cryer grabbed her wrist and she stumbled. Olivia, who had been walking in step with him, shifted the center of her body as far back as possible and she stopped.

 

“Wait a minute, wait a minute.”

 

He could easily pull her, even if she stopped with her entire body weight, but her cry also meekly stopped.

 

“What on earth are you doing?”

 

At Olivia’s bewildered expression and her accusatory voice, Cryer simply shrugged her shoulders.

 

“I didn’t even pick you up because I told you not to be noticed.”

 

“What, I endured this much after doing something so obvious! Why are you protesting?”

 

Olivia shook her head and asked, holding the back of her neck as she tried to leave again.

 

“More than that, what on earth are you doing this for?”

 

“As I said before, I’m going to try using common material from novels, plays, and children’s books.”

 

In response to his answer, Olivia blinked her eyes for a moment and then tilted her head sharply.

 

“So what you’re saying is…”

 

“Haha, I can’t complain, but at least I can avoid working.”

 

His answer was so simple that Olivia was at a loss for words. That’s what Cryer said.

 

‘A man and a woman in love disguise themselves and secretly go on an outing.’

 

Words get out, it’s the day after all… Even Ambuch’s last words come to mind so timely. Olivia had to let go of her stubborn hold on the back of her neck. Good, what? What a good time? Of course, Ambuch probably didn’t know anything when he gave that greeting. It must have just been said as a greeting. But if we follow what Cryer said now… Olivia reflexively looked up at Cryer and just as he was about to turn her head towards her, she quickly dodged away. And she grumbled because her own actions were shameful. Of course, Olivia wasn’t the only one murmuring inside her. She had already seen him grab the crotch of her pants and hang on to her during their first meeting, so what was the point of keeping the story related to him and moaning about it?

 

“What a good time it is, it’s ridiculous.”

 

Although her words were incoherent, Cryer’s steps slowed as she opened her mouth.

 

“No, I mean you and me. It’s a partnership now…”

 

Cryer didn’t bother to ask again because he could tell without having to listen to what she said. Instead, she just stood tall. She followed him and this time, Olivia stopped in her confusion and was about to open her mouth.

 

“Don’t make it complicated.”

 

The man with the most complicated situation in the world whispered.

 

“For now, let’s have a good time.”

 

Olivia’s furrowed eyebrows also relaxed at her low whisper mixed with laughter. So Cryer and Olivia started wandering around without a destination in mind.

 

“You’re buying this? You have terrible eyesight, really.”

 

Due to Olivia’s attack, Cryer put down the items he had picked up.

 

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

 

In response to Cryer’s merciless evaluation, Olivia also returned what she was holding. The two, who had been disparaging each other’s perspectives as they walked through the crowd, were suddenly holding hands. I didn’t really feel very shaken. Even when our fingertips brushed against each other, we didn’t feel a tingling sensation, nor did we fidget while holding each other’s hands. Just naturally, Cryer grabbed Olivia’s hand and pulled her away as she was being pushed around by the person, and he held her to prevent such incidents from happening afterwards. The warmth they touched was lukewarm, neither fiery hot nor tense, but that would have been enough. Thanks to the disguise that was close to transformation, they did not attract people’s attention. However, if strangers saw the two, it would have been a perfect date. Of course, Olivia and Cryer didn’t think that way about half a kidney bean. No, if someone had said that, I would have denied it with a straight face. Don’t talk nonsense or bullshit, without even a moment of hesitation. During a date where both of them said absolutely nothing, Olivia licked her dry lips.

 

“I’m not hungry, but I’m starting to wonder about my mouth.”

 

Olivia’s eyes grew twice as big as she looked around her.

 

“That’s it!”

 

Without wasting time, she ran to a stand selling cotton candy and returned with two large pieces of cotton candy as big as her own head.

 

“Now, this is yours. If you don’t want to eat it, just hold it.”

 

Before Cryer could answer, Olivia opened her mouth as wide as she could and bit down on her cotton candy. Cryer, who was looking down at her, took a big bite of her cotton candy just like Olivia did, and soon after, he let out his grave sentiments.

 

“It tasted like this.”

 

“What, is this your first time eating it?”

 

“Well.”

 

It was a very vague answer, but the Cryers who gave her answer did not take Olivia or me particularly vaguely. In any case, he has no memory of the past, so he may or may not have eaten in the past. Soon Olivia, seeing Cryer eating one of her cotton candy like a crab hiding his eyes, opened her rabbit eyes.

 

“Isn’t it sweet?”

 

As if she was asking him something so obvious, Cryer answered immediately, shaking the wooden stick where her cotton candy was stuck.

 

“Sweet.”

 

“Uh? But did you eat all of it?”

 

He tilted his head at her reaction as if she was facing an incomprehensible situation.

 

“What is that reaction?”

 

“No, you’re surprisingly good at eating sweets…”

 

“Why did you think it was unexpected?”

 

“Of course…”

 

“Of course?”

 

Olivia couldn’t find the words to reply to Cryer’s question. After all, he is a blood-crazed beast. A monster, not a human. Continental raiders, etc. These were only a few of the nicknames Cryer had heard during the war, but most of the others had similar meanings. Truly the embodiment of blood, war, and death. Isn’t there a fixed image that a person like that would absolutely hate sweets? Olivia looked at Cryer again. Come to think of it, he has tried so hard to win the war or prevent the war in his four lives, but he has never heard a single piece of personal information from Cryer. She stuck her tongue out, saying that the security was so thorough at the time. It turns out that even he himself knew very little about him.

 

“I was wrong.”

 

Her words seemed to be missing something, but Cryer didn’t bother to ask.

 

“Just a little while longer.”

 

He tapped her right cheek.

 

“Huh?”

 

Olivia blinked her eyes and she traced her right cheek after him.

 

“It didn’t fall. Stay like that for a while.”

 

Cryer let out a faint sigh and stretched out her hand towards her. For a moment, his rough fingertips brushed against his soft cheek, and then he looked down at the fluffy cotton candy on his fingertips and gently licked it.

 

 

Then he furrowed his brows and spat out.

 

“It’s sweet.”

 

Olivia responded without hiding her bewilderment.

 

“Yes, it will be sweet. You just ate it too, right?”

 

“No, it’s much sweeter than that. It’s terrible.”

 

Olivia’s face suddenly became serious at his answer.

 

“What you feel would be much more accurate. Is it poison?”

 

Olivia had a point, as it was not uncommon for her to encounter ‘unfortunate accidents’ during her stealth journey.

 

“It may not be an immediate poison but something that manifests over time, but wouldn’t it be more likely that it is related to an ancient god?”

 

“Oh, that could be it. Hmm, first of all, it doesn’t make me feel sick or my throat gets hot. My tongue works well too.”

 

Olivia, wiggling her hands and feet, nodded her head.

 

“There are no symptoms of paralysis. Of course, it’s more of an ancient god than poison…”

 

While the two were talking about poison and its connection to the ancient gods, there was nothing that came to mind that was very ordinary and could make them even a little excited. It’s the same cotton candy, but it’s extremely sweet because she ate it off her cheek… Two people in disguise who don’t attract anyone’s attention and don’t pay attention to anyone. And Cryer, who suddenly realized that fact, stared at Olivia, who was in great agony with her duck mouth. Olivia was lost in her own thoughts for a while, then as if something had occurred to her, Olivia raised her head towards him and their eyes met his.

 

“Cry… uh?”

 

The eyes of the two people facing each other contained only each other. At that moment, a very small, very small blue flower bud began to stretch out on the dark red earth. 

 

* * *

 

Around the time Olivia and Cryer were mercilessly evaluating the items they had picked up. Ambuch, who was about to return to the family home in a high mood, stopped. I had work to do at a store in a corner today, but I forgot about it because other things took precedence. She quickly turned around and eventually arrived at a small place in the innermost part of the business district.

 

 – Sweet.

 

Ambuch entered the interior of the store bathed in afternoon sunlight and looked around the unusually quiet surroundings.

 

“Huh? Has everyone left?”

 

The shadow of her tilting her head was slowly being consumed by someone else’s shadow, but Ambuch did not realize it. A man who serves an ancient god and is the culprit of a series of disappearances and murders that caused an uproar in the area. He was reaching out his hand towards her from behind her engraving without making a sound. The moment when a man’s rake-like hand, slowly but without stopping, was about to grab the back of Ambuch’s neck.

 

“Miss?”

 

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Translator Note: