NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 225: Target of Public Criticism
Amidst a paradise of joyous laughter and bliss, she had been born into this world with a golden spoon in her mouth. Draped in swaddling clothes and enveloped in her mother’s embrace, her formative years were filled with happiness, courtesy of the diligent care provided by her family and the deferential demeanor of her attendants.
As an energetic and lively young girl and direct member of the royal household, she was obligated to attend etiquette lessons. Her instructor, who consistently wore a stern expression, had always been her natural adversary. The countless dreary and monotonous etiquette sessions often left her feeling dazed, as if trapped in a never-ending nightmare.
Following a reprimand, she would always find solace in the companionship of her eldest sister and the caring attention of her aunt.
Having been a young and inexperienced greenhouse flower oblivious to the ways of the world, she had quite the extensive record in causing and finding herself in trouble.
Every time she got into trouble and faced her mother’s rebuke and punishment, she could anticipate those gentle lustrous eyes and words of consolation that felt as refreshing as gentle drizzle and soothing breeze.
Her Aunt Felina was known as the ‘Holy Maiden’ of the Asiatic Cat race, a rare existence that would not appear in a thousand years. Despite having no children of her own, she had always regarded her as her own flesh-and-blood.
Guided by her sharp and forward-thinking political mind, she had handled affairs with maturity and decisiveness. Balancing compassion and strength, she had been blessed with both innate talent and a strong bloodline, all while exuding a magnanimous spirit and a personality as gentle as water.
Even the concept of perfection in this world had paled in comparison to her.
Like a crane amidst a flock of chickens, those remarkable accomplishments were conspicuous and eye-dazzling. And it all belonged to a princess, of whom the king was immensely proud of.
To young Lil’ Sha, her aunt was the epitome of perfection and the subject of admiration from many.
Her opulent and lavish childhood speedily passed by.
As she grew older and gained some understanding of the world, Lil’ Sha gradually realized that her aunt had changed.
She would display a touch of indecisiveness when handling affairs, while her astute eyes would regularly lose their focus, drifting away from the piles of paper documents on the long table, to the fluttering pear blossoms in the courtyard.
While her gentle nature still remained, the way she managed her responsibilities made her seem like a different person.
Lil’ Sha had always believed that her aunt had caught some inexplicable disease. Until one day, she candidly broached the subject with pure, childlike candor.
She recalled that Felina had only paused briefly before tenderly caressing her head with a sigh.
Perhaps she had kept these feelings in her heart for so long and felt a strong urge to confide in someone. She opened up to Lil’ Sha: “Little Sha, I believe your aunt may have, you know… fallen in love…”
As she reached the end of the sentence, her voice became nearly inaudible.
“Love?” The young Lil’ Sha cocked her head and furrowed her brows in confusion.
Even though she did not know the meaning and significance of the word, she could discern the pensive look on her aunt’s face.
She surmised it was unlikely to be anything good.
“Do you have someone you love, Aunt Felina?”
“…Mhm.” Who could have thought the usually astute and decisive heiress, who was first in line to the throne, would actually reveal such an indescribable bashful expression?
“I’ve been troubled by this matter for a long time… But I couldn’t bring myself to discuss it with my Royal father, especially considering his old age. I don’t want to let him down,” Felina explained, her voice tinged with helplessness, as she stroked Lil’ Sha’s hair.
“…What exactly does that person look like?” Lil’ Sha suddenly found herself intrigued. She wondered who that remarkable young master with extraordinary talents was to have gained Aunt Felina’s favor.
He was truly in luck.
“Uuuhm… H-He’s an extremely dull person of few words, yet he’s remarkably decisive and principled in his actions while staying true to his promises. Although he can be quite rigid and stubborn, he’s truly a nice guy…” Felina’s joyous tone carried a touch of nervousness, as she spoke and gesticulated.
However, despite her best efforts to describe him, Lil’ Sha remained thoroughly bewildered, as she failed to grasp the essence of her words.
“Aunt Felina, can I meet him soon?”
“Eeeh?? W-Well, you certainly can… Just remember not to pester him or say anything inappropriate, alright?” Felina asked with a serious expression on her face.
“Mhm!”
On the day of the negotiations, Lil’ Sha’s wish had been fulfilled when she finally met the person that her Aunt Felina had described as her dream partner.
She found him to be surprisingly ordinary.
She could not help but wonder why someone would wear such a thick suit of body armor to a banquet. Other than ‘eccentric and stubborn’, there seemed to be no other way to describe him.1
Her eyes were fixed on the pair from afar.
Despite how her aunt had portrayed herself with an air of refinement and courtesy, Lil’ Sha could see, from where she was standing, her tightly clenched fists tucked away behind her back.
She imagined that her aunt must have been incredibly happy at that moment…
‘Forget it. He might be an odd guy, but he’s surprisingly polite. Even when Aunt Felina invited him, he didn’t react at all.’
‘I hope this odd fellow can bring a happy smile to Aunt Felina’s face.’
Thought Lil’ Sha as she conveyed her silent blessings to them.
However, disaster and calamity often sneak up on people during peaceful times.
The tragic news of Great Princess Felina’s demise at the hands of a human during the negotiations quickly circulated and proliferated extensively across the Asiatic Cat Kingdom.
In the wake of the King’s absence in detention and the death of their eldest princess during negotiations, the entire kingdom briefly descended into chaos and panic.
Her mother, whose abilities greatly paled in comparison to Aunt Felina, had been forced to assume the throne. Shortly thereafter, they received news of humans seizing the border.
Marred by desolation, the frail kingdom subsequently found itself being invaded by a troll army.
Their grand civilization was reduced to ruins in one fell swoop.
Under a blazing torch, the memories of the past and her homeland had transformed into unattainable and illusory mirages.
From that moment onward, her title as princess had become a relic of the past and she began her wretched life as a vagabond.
All these calamities could be attributed to a single individual— The malevolent man who had ended Aunt Felina’s life and started the war!
Lil’ Sha could never erase him from her memories. The recurring nightmares that rouse her up from her sleep always featured his silhouette…
The passage of time had done little to diminish the memory of the dark-silvery armor; If anything, it had grown even clearer in her mind…
How could she forget about it??
It dawned on her — they both possessed that same peculiar and quiet demeanor, projected the same moralistic appearance, and served as knights of humanity… How could she have missed this all along?
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“…Let me go.”
“Are you alright?”
“Let me go!!”
His arms, meant to loosely encircle Lil’ Sha in a hug, was easily pushed aside.
She moved backwards incessantly, her beautiful countenance lost of its color. Her eyes shot wide open, reflecting a look of horror and disbelief in them.
“The man in magical armor? …The man in magical armor…” She repeatedly murmured these words to herself before falling to the ground with a ‘thud’.
The psychological blow she received made her lower her head, as if she had come to terms with an utterly incredulous and unbearable truth.
It was then that the members of the Restoration Society gathered around Lil’ Sha. Some of them held their weapons firmly in their hands, their gazes on Ji Bai revealing a mix of fear and vigilance.
“Your Highness Sha, please hang in there…” Nael enveloped Lil’ Sha in her arms, who seemed to have lost all her strength. At the same time, she gradually began to make her way to the back under the protection of the crowd.
“Hmph! What did I say, huh?” Fishbone spat viciously. He didn’t bother concealing the hatred and delight in his eyes as he looked at the dark-silvery figure.
Silence settled over the scene.
TL Note: Changed the tone to third person to make it more consistent.