Chapter 7

***

“Are you really okay, Princess?”

It was a worried voice. I turned around and saw the maid looking ahead, biting her lips.

“Why? Are you worried that I’m trying to use magic?”

Of course, there was a sudden request for magic. Because I was only going to get counseling today. However, the moment I heard about the possibility of my legs being restored, I had no intention of stopping this quest.

“If the law is a concern, don’t worry too much, we’ve already done enough against the law. Besides, that sorceress is someone my father introduced a long time ago. He said that I can entrust the quest at any time according to my choice.”

“I’m not worried about anything else. I am worried about the three tragedies that will happen to the princess.”

“…”

“Why don’t you think about it for a second? It’s presumptuous, but the legs are uncomfortable, but haven’t you gotten used to it? On the other hand, I am worried about not knowing what the three tragedies will be and how they will hurt the princess.”

I quietly listened to the maid’s words. The tone was similar to my worries, so I smiled a little. The maid stopped talking and looked at me. I spoke to her.

“Thanks for your concern, Sophie. But I…… ”

“…”

“I have been engulfed by the tragedy that happened to me all my life. Three tragedies mean nothing to me, if only I could get out of that tragedy.”

There was a good reason why I accepted the sorceress’s condition at once.

It was true that at first, as Sophie said, I was worried, but no matter how many tragedies came, I thought that it would be worthwhile to try if I could compensate for the years I suffered after losing my legs.

If I accept the condition, I can have my legs fixed.

If I don’t accept the condition? I can’t fix my legs.

In the end, the condition of the three tragedies was only two options for me. Besides, if I took over the Duke’s title, I wouldn’t be able to do anything with my current state.

After the accident, I remembered everything the vassals whispered to each other behind the scenes. Princess Aileen became a crippled. The fall of the beautiful princess. Now who will be the successor to the duke..…

They tried to pull me off the seat of the next successor.

In the first place, Sebastian was supposed to take over the position of head of the duke’s family for this reason. Because I was an unhealthy princess. Because I couldn’t be trusted with the future of the Duchy.

So the first thing I had to fix was my legs, nothing else.

“Thank you for your concern. But maybe even if I thought about it more, my heart wouldn’t change.”

“If you really think that way, there’s nothing I can do about it…”

Sophie nodded her head as soon as she thought she could not break my will at my clear answer.

At that moment, the sorceress’s voice was heard.

“It’s ready. Can you come?”

“I’ll be back, Sophie, see you with healthy legs.”

I greeted Sophie lightly, then rolled the wheelchair and made my way forward. I felt excited.

***

A triangle was drawn inside a large circle.

At the three vertices of the triangle, three candles that had been extinguished were placed one by one.

I rolled the wheelchair and stood in the center of the triangle. The sorceress continued to speak kindly.

“You can stay here. Don’t get out of position.”

“…Okay.”

I decided to accept the magic with a light heart, but I couldn’t help but be nervous.

Will It hurt a lot? Will I really be able to have healthy legs if I go through this pain? My heart was pounding hard with mixed emotions. The sorceress said as I was biting my dry lips.

“You are nervous, Princess.”

“… Will it hurt a lot?”

I asked the sorceress in a cautious voice.

“It’s about reviving the legs that were already dead. You will experience pain like you have never experienced before. Because that is fate.”

“….”

“Tell me when you are ready. We’ll get started right away.”

After the sorceress finished speaking, she stepped out of the area where I was sitting and stood with Sophie and the knight. Then she looked at me as if waiting for my answer. I looked down at my legs.

After the day of the accident, my legs became useless.

My legs were paralyzed and unable to move. My legs, which I always hated and resented.

I imagined that these legs would move like normal people again. Like Bianca’s legs that were moving healthy.

I will be able to get out of this wheelchair. I can be confident. I will be able to live without any more trembling.

It reminded me of my parents who would be more than happy to see my legs move healthily again. I thought of the vassals who would look at my legs with broken eyes. I remembered the people of the world.

And I remembered Sebastian.

Sebastian always pulled my wheelchair while staring at me with hateful eyes.

What expression will he make when he sees my healthy legs?

It felt like a surge of motivation. If only I could get back to normal and healthy legs. If only I could go back to the old me.

… I can handle anything.

I turned to the sorceress and nodded.

It meant it was okay to start.

The sorceress smiled and nodded, then closed her eyes and began to concentrate.

An unknown spell flowed from her mouth.

At the three candles placed at each vertex of the triangle, smoke slowly began to rise.

A flame rose.

The flame that grew bigger and bigger, filling the triangle shape, began to surround me.

As I watched the fire rising from the bare ground with nervous eyes, I felt a sensation in my legs. It was a burning sensation, a very painful and clear sensation.

“Ugh…… ”

The legs did not appear to have any superficial changes. But a growing pain was engulfing my legs.

The pain became so intense that in an instant, it became dark in front of my eyes. My moans gradually turned into screams.

“Arghhh!”

Birds sitting on the tree flew away. Tears flowed. Unbelievable pain. It felt like my legs were burning and my bones were breaking. Even when my legs were injured, it wasn’t that much of a pain. I was sweating all over. The sorceress said it was a pain I had never experienced before, and she was right.

Beyond the flickering flames, I looked at Sophie as if asking for help. She was watching me with tears in her eyes.

I looked at the sky. The moment when the pain intensified and even my voice did not come out. It was a moment when I thought that death was right before my eyes.

The flame flared up once, and then went out. The surroundings became quiet.

The pain stopped. 

“Princess, Princess! Are you okay? Gosh…… ”

Smoke was coming from everywhere in the desolate land. Sophie ran through them.

Sophie picked me up as I fell out of the wheelchair. There seemed to be a cry, but I couldn’t answer.

My consciousness had already been extinguished beyond the darkness.

****

I had a dream. In the dark, Sebastian’s figure slowly came into view. He was dancing like a golden hawk.

I made eye contact with him and he slowly approached me. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket.

“Are you okay, Princess?”

A beautiful voice echoed in my ears. Sebastian’s figure disappeared.

The next scene appeared. The time I spent with Sebastian unfolded before my eyes.

He hated me, but he continued to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband. He slept in the same bed as me every night and always pushed my wheelchair. When it was our wedding anniversary, he would leave work early to celebrate the anniversary.

Of course, I knew he did all that because of Bianca.

Deep in my heart, there was always a feeling of guilt. Guilt for ruining Sebastian’s life for my greed. More than that, I felt guilty about taking Bianca away and keeping him by my side. 

So I tried not to expect it. His touch was not for me.

I dared not mistake his touch.

But nevertheless.

Only once.

Just once, I wanted to feel the feelings of a couple with him.

On the second wedding anniversary, after blowing out the candles on the cake and finishing the anniversary party, Sebastian picked me up and laid me on the bed.

As always, I was getting ready to go to sleep.

Maybe it was because I drank quite a bit of champagne that day. I had the courage I never had before. I impulsively hugged him as he lay me down.

He stopped in an awkward position. I grabbed his collar and pulled him closer to me.

“I want to sleep with you, Sebastian.”

“….”

Sebastian hadn’t hugged me once since we got married.

No one said that I couldn’t have s*x in the first place, but as it should be, there had never been a deep contact between us.

I just thought the hurt legs were a good excuse. Because there was no other man in the world who could easily embrace me with my stiff and immobile legs.

I didn’t even dare to try to sleep with him.

But….

“I… I love you. Sebastian.”

“…”

“I know that everything you do for me is not sincere. I don’t expect anything from you. But….Just once…. I want to feel the feelings of a married couple.”

‘If I can feel something, it doesn’t have to be s*x.’

What I wanted was that. Just once he would move for me, not for Bianca. Just like the moment at the ballroom, breaking through the crowd and handing me the handkerchief.

Even just once, I wanted to have an exchange that only him and I could share.