TFVZ 06

Chapter 6

“I ask for your forgiveness, and I sincerely apologize. Even if you can’t forgive me, even if you come to hate me, I’ll understand.”

Of course, there was still a long way to go before Lilia became strong enough to protect me. Even so, her words put my heart at ease.

Just knowing there was someone in this fortress who didn’t hate me, someone who cared about me, was enough to comfort me.

“But someday, I want to earn your forgiveness.”

After saying those lovable words with her lovely face, Lilia looked at me as if asking for permission.

Deep down, I wanted to tell her, Thank you for saying that. I wanted to apologize for snapping at her when she had been the first to welcome me upon my arrival.

But I was Penelope Lloyd.

The same Penelope whom Lilia Swidy ground her teeth at and couldn’t stand.

‘A poor baron’s daughter who can’t even afford a single dress to attend a party. Someone like Swidy might be used to living like this, but I’m not.’

Even while fleeing, Penelope constantly bullied Lilia whenever she had the chance and picked fights over every little thing.

‘Stop hovering around me!’

While climbing the mountain, she had put Lilia in danger several times.

Of course, Lilia wasn’t the type to silently endure it.

‘It’s true that my family isn’t wealthy, but that doesn’t mean I’m used to living like this either. I’m only enduring it because of the circumstances. Unlike you, Your Grace, I don’t want to inconvenience everyone else just because of myself.’

‘Your Grace, it’s dangerous, so please don’t push me. Besides, I already told you that if you wanted to go first, you should simply take the lead.’

Lilia always answered back proudly instead of letting herself be trampled, and because of that, Penelope only tormented her even more. Before long, they had become bitter enemies.

So I had assumed Lilia hated Penelope as well…

Yet here she was, genuinely worried about Penelope and even apologizing first.

There was no way anyone could hate a Lilia Swidy like this.

“Miss, then please grant me just one favor. If you do, I’ll forgive you.”

I deliberately set a condition.

“…What kind of favor?”

Lilia looked at me with a slightly frightened, flustered expression. She seemed hopeful that she might truly be forgiven, yet worried that I would make an unreasonable request.

…An unreasonable request.

It certainly was.

But if I wanted to save that genius—the Crown Prince’s close friend, who should be spending the night atop a tree watching the zombies’ movements right about now—it was absolutely necessary.

The only people suited for this task were Lilia or Uben.

Still, despite the circumstances, how could I ask that of a child who was only nine years old? The child barely reached my waist, with tiny hands and feet. I simply couldn’t bring myself to ask…

Besides, he probably wouldn’t agree anyway.

Which meant Lilia was my last hope.

“I need your blood. Quite a lot of it.”

The Crown Prince couldn’t lose blood because he had to leave the fortress. The Grand Duke couldn’t either, since once the Crown Prince departed, he would become the fortress’s only real fighting force.

He regularly had to patrol around the castle, and if he carried the scent of blood, the zombies would swarm toward him.

The only people who could safely bleed were Uben and Lilia, who stayed inside the fortress.

Of course, I would also remain inside the fortress, but I was a zombie. My blood had no effect whatsoever.

“…My blood?”

“I heard His Highness is leaving the fortress tomorrow. Zombies react strongly to human blood, so if we use that…”

“They react to blood?”

Lilia repeated my words in surprise. It was a fact the protagonists hadn’t discovered yet.

“Yes. So if you can spare a little blood, His Highness should be able to return safely.”

“…So His Highness is leaving the fortress.”

It seemed she hadn’t even heard that Idorian was going out.

Quietly repeating my words, Lilia slowly blinked as she fell into thought.

“Then… the reason you want my blood is for His Highness?”

“…Yes.”

For some reason, her question seemed to carry a hidden meaning, making it difficult to answer.

But under the circumstances, all I could do was nod.

“I understand, Your Grace.”

After thinking for a moment, Lilia nodded as though she had made up her mind.

“But, Miss… I’d like you to keep it a secret that I asked you to do this.”

Once again, Lilia nodded without saying anything.

If the Grand Duke or the Crown Prince found out, they would surely tell her not to suffer for this and insist that I draw my own blood instead.

Since I couldn’t feel pain, bleeding myself wasn’t difficult.

But as I’d said before, my blood was completely useless.

“I saw some small glass bottles in the kitchen. Would filling one of those be enough? How many would be needed for His Highness to return safely? Would… three bottles be enough?”

“…One is enough.”

As if trying to remind me of the bottle’s size, Lilia gestured with her hands while searching her memory.

Since it was for Idorian, she clearly wanted to help however she could.

“Thank you.”

Lilia’s hands, which had been moving through the air, froze awkwardly at my sudden words of gratitude.

Her mouth hung open in surprise.

Penelope would never have felt or understood these emotions, so she never would have said such words.

But I truly wanted to thank her.

Deliberately wounding herself and collecting enough blood to fill a bottle could never be an easy task.

Especially not for Lilia, the beloved youngest daughter of a noble family.

Yet she willingly agreed to my request.

And despite knowing she would probably receive nothing but criticism for it, she had still approached me first and reached out her hand.

I was grateful for all of it.

“…Your Grace?”

“It’s nothing.”

Hurriedly pushing the bewildered Lilia out of the room, I pressed the bandages Idorian had given me into her hands.

“I’m tired, so I’m going to rest.”

“What about the blood?”

“Once it clots, it’ll be useless. Tomorrow morning.”

“Then… shall I bring it to you tomorrow morning?”

Lilia somehow looked happier than before.

I stared at her blankly for a moment before finally nodding.

“A-And please make sure to drink the tea. It should help settle your stomach a little.”

Lilia quickly reached out and reminded me.

When I nodded to show I understood, she spoke again.

“But you haven’t been able to eat anything for days. Will that potato really be enough? If you’d like, I could make you some soup.”

“…It’s fine.”

“If you feel sick or need anything, please come find me.”

She pointed down the hallway.

“My room is over there.”

Unable to ignore Lilia’s bright, pale green eyes silently asking me to remember, I leaned halfway out the doorway and looked where she was pointing.

“It’s two rooms down from yours, Your Grace.”

“…I understand.”

Seeing that she seemed to be waiting for an answer, I nodded.

“If what you said happens, I’ll come.”

“Ah, that’s not because I want you to get sick, Your Grace!”

Lilia hurriedly shook her head and waved both hands.

“I know, Miss.”

Only then did Lilia finally calm down—or perhaps she’d simply run out of things to say.

Still, her persistent gaze suggested she wanted something more.

“Is your room comfortable?”

Eventually, she managed to come up with another question, making me let out a helpless laugh.

It seemed she wanted to keep this conversation going for just a little longer.

Lilia was clearly showing me affection.

It was probably because of the thanks I’d just given her…

To think there was someone who could erase all the resentment built up over so long with nothing more than a single word of gratitude.

She’s so gentle… How is she ever going to survive in a world this harsh?

I couldn’t help worrying.

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m really fine. More than anything, I’d just like to rest.”

“Ah, right.”

Just as I gave a small nod to the finally retreating Lilia—

“See you tomorrow, Your Grace.”

Lilia said those words to the closing door.

At that moment, I truly felt that coming to this fortress had been the right decision.