She asked curiously whether Riven also liked lilies of the valley. But the young man had already turned away in loneliness. A bitter smile curled at the corner of his mouth. And then he said lightly, "My former family liked them."
In his voice, the little princess could not hear too much emotion. Yet she could feel an almost inescapable despair in it. It was just like every time she had wanted to get close to the crown prince. Even though she knew that getting close to him was no different from a moth flying into a flame, even covered in wounds, she still rushed toward him without hesitation. She could not stop loving her family, just as Lowina had taught her. Love was never supposed to ask for anything in return.
Over the next few days, the little princess pestered him every day to see that magic book. Unable to withstand his younger sister's repeated soft pleading, Riven finally returned the magic book to the girl. But no matter what, the young man had never expected that his younger sister would find a way back so quickly.
It was a bright and beautiful afternoon. The little princess was quietly sitting in the courtyard reading. The breeze gently lifted the girl's long hair, yet she was reading with unusual concentration, because she had found a magical spell. According to the description, as long as the magic circle was completed, one could immediately be teleported to the side of the person who missed them. The little princess could not wait to give it a try. She firmly believed that Lowina must still be thinking about her.
At that moment, however, Riven suddenly appeared.
"You're working hard."
A trace of admiration flashed through the young man's eyes, and the little princess said playfully that she just did not want to trouble him anymore. She had already found a way to go back. After saying that, the girl began reciting an incantation on her own.
Under Riven's shocked gaze, a strange portal appeared out of thin air. The little princess was also preparing to leave with the help of magic. She could not bear to part with Riven, this handsome and gentle older brother. But in the end, Lowina was the family member who had taken care of her for a full ten years. Thinking of this, the girl activated the spell to go home.
But she had not expected that Riven, who had always indulged her in everything, would disregard the danger and hug her tightly. No matter how the little princess struggled, the young man refused to let go. And of course, he had his own reasons for doing so. Most teleportation magic came with danger, and with his younger sister's weak body, she simply could not withstand it at all. Under such circumstances, the slightest carelessness could cause her to be reduced to ashes. So no matter what, Riven would not let his younger sister take such a risk.
Unfortunately, the little princess did not understand her brother's intentions at all. She only knew that Lowina was still waiting for her. The girl desperately reached toward the portal before her. Yet in the next second, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. It was as if someone had fiercely poked her there. In the blink of an eye, that magic gate disappeared.
Watching Lowina's gradually shrinking figure, a wave of overwhelming despair instantly surged up in the little princess's heart. If this attempt failed, perhaps there would never be another chance. Thinking of this, she ignored all attempts to stop her and cast magic again. In an instant, stretches of grass spread rapidly from beneath her feet like melting snow. And both she and Riven were swept into a gorgeous space where she saw Lowina's phantom. It was standing right in front of her, and she had clearly been only a little bit away from going home.
"Can you hear me?"
Thinking of this, the girl trembled as she lunged toward that phantom. But behind her, Riven shouted loudly. Judging from the current situation, the entire spell was already on the verge of going out of control. His younger sister might die. But the little princess could not listen to a single word of it. She wanted so badly to return to Lowina's side. Even though the pain caused by the magical backlash made her whole body tremble, she still struggled forward step by step toward that phantom. Even if she had to crawl, she would crawl back to Lowina's side.
Yet in the next second, a wave of intense dizziness suddenly swept through her brain. In an instant, the world seemed to darken. The unguarded little princess fell heavily just like that. But the pain she had expected never came. Riven caught her steadily. The young man carefully gathered the girl into his arms. Looking at his younger sister's unfocused eyes, his heart was left with nothing but deep self-blame. If he had not stopped her, perhaps the girl would not have suffered such serious internal injuries.
But he also had hardships he could not speak of. Riven let out a bitter sigh, and his expression gradually softened as well. After spending these days together, he had already grown fond of this optimistic and cheerful child. He still remembered when she had first arrived. Because she lacked a sense of security, she always liked to curl up alone in a corner. She also always ate very little of the food prepared for her, as if enduring hunger had long since become her instinct.
And yet she was so kind. He had only given her a little concern in passing, yet that child had been so moved that she cried tears of gratitude. All these strange behaviors made Riven feel that this sensible child seemed never to have truly been treated kindly by anyone. In little Lodi, Riven could always see his former self. That was why he hoped even more that the girl could obtain happiness.
Because of her brother's obstruction, the little princess suffered magical backlash and fell unconscious. At this moment, she was lying weakly on the bed. Her pale little face looked as if she might stop breathing the next second. Riven stayed by her side, taking care of her with heartache, but because the girl's injuries were too severe, she had still not woken up for a long time.
At this moment, she was having a long, beautiful dream. In the dream, many people were desperately looking for her. Lowina, the knight Ashwin, and even the crown prince. They were all worried about her. At the end of the dream, her brother seemed to cry. That kind of sadness was like having lost the most important treasure. So, were those really tears her brother had shed for her?
In the next second, the little princess woke from the dream. But where was there any sorrowful crown prince before her eyes? By her bedside, there was only Riven, carefully taking care of her. At this moment, the girl's heart, once full of expectation, instantly sank. She should have understood it long ago. The crown prince would not miss her with considerate Lily by his side. Her brother probably still did not even know that he had lost her.
The little princess hid the disappointment in her eyes with a bitter smile. Then she gently nestled into Riven's arms. Seeing that the little princess, who had been unconscious for days, had finally awakened, how could the young man still care about maintaining the elegance of a noble gentleman as usual? He gave his younger sister a long, nagging lecture. Only after confirming that she was not in serious danger did Riven's hanging heart finally settle. He gently told the little princess that tomorrow's breakfast would include her favorite raspberry sandwich, so tonight she absolutely had to rest well.