Time passed quickly.

Before she knew it, two days had gone by, and the day of her escape had arrived.

Lilliana placed a few changes of clothes into a cloth bag.

After setting it beside the door, she picked up the small pouch containing the pendant and gemstones.

As she reached to fasten the pouch to the cord already tied around her waist, her hands began to tremble.

She had imagined this day hundreds of times.

Yet her heart still pounded violently.

Her hands.

Her legs.

Her entire body trembled.

“Hoo…”

“Calm down.”

Lilliana took a deep breath.

The tension didn’t disappear completely, but it eased enough for her to steady herself.

“Are you coming or not?!”

Tartan’s shout echoed from outside the room.

Lilliana stopped taking deep breaths and immediately opened the door.

Standing lazily at the end of the hallway, Tartan glanced at her before turning away.

Lilliana followed him downstairs.

As she entered the dining room behind him, the aroma of freshly prepared food reached her nose.

On the wooden table sat fragrant bread, soup, salad, and roasted meat.

But what caught her eye most…

Was the empty seat waiting for her.

Along with a plate prepared just for her.

It was the first time in more than ten years of living with the Parvane family that she had ever been treated this way.

Now that she had become useful, she had finally been invited to a family dinner.

“Sit.”

At Paien’s commanding voice, Lilliana quietly took her seat.

It felt…

Strange.

Paien.

Sevia.

Tartan.

Sharing a meal with the very people who had never once treated her like family.

Dinner began.

Yet Lilliana couldn’t bring herself to pick up her utensils.

She felt utterly uncomfortable.

Even as they ate, her family’s eyes never left her.

Their constant stares weighed heavily upon her.

“Eat.”

At Paien’s urging, Lilliana slowly picked up her spoon.

She carefully took a mouthful of soup.

A rich, savory flavor spread across her tongue.

It wasn’t anything exceptional.

But it was decent enough.

“Quit picking at it and eat properly.”

Seeing her slowly savoring only the soup, Tartan muttered coldly.

The look in his eyes was enough to send chills down her spine.

“If you can’t eat it yourself, just say so. I’ll shove it down your throat.”

“Tartan.”

Sevia stopped him just as he looked ready to lunge at Lilliana.

Tartan sneered at the sight of her shrinking into herself.

“Relax. I was only joking. Can’t go damaging the merchandise, after all.”

“That’s enough, Tartan.”

Even Paien stepped in.

Tartan finally fell silent and resumed eating his meat.

“Have some meat as well.”

Seeing that she continued eating nothing but soup, someone slid the plate of meat toward her.

Lilliana slowly raised her head.

It was Paien.

The man who had never cared what she ate or what she thought…

Was offering her food.

“At least you’ve turned out to be of some use to this family.”

Her stomach churned.

“We’ve raised you all these years, so don’t think too badly of us. You’re not being sold. Think of it as us receiving proper compensation.”

Nausea rose in her throat.

“Besides, won’t it be good for you once you meet your destined partner? Don’t you agree, Sevia?”

“I do. They say a Cero is meant to meet their destined Uno. And most Unos are people of noble birth.”

“Then you ought to be grateful to us.”

“You’ll be living a life far beyond your station.”

She felt as though she might vomit at any second.

“Exactly! Lilliana, once you become the Cero of someone so noble, don’t forget about us. Understood?”

“That’s right. Don’t hide from us like Leshi did.”

“No matter where you are…We’ll find you. Understood?”

A pounding headache began to build.

They expected gratitude…

As though everything they had done to her had never happened.

Not once during all her years in the Parvane household had she ever considered them family.

But today…

They were worse than ever.

She hadn’t expected an apology.

But if they possessed even the slightest shred of humanity…

If they truly considered themselves family…

They wouldn’t even have been able to meet her eyes.

They were nothing but demons wearing human skin.

Their voices blended together with bursts of laughter, buzzing relentlessly in her ears.

She couldn’t listen anymore.

“Enough!”

Lilliana shot to her feet.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward her.

Ignoring them, she slowly closed her eyes.

As she imagined darkness spreading through her mind…

Heat began rising from the soles of her feet.

When she opened her eyes again…

Her power had already been released.

Paien.

Sevia.

Tartan.

All three remained seated at the table, staring at her.

Completely motionless.

Like statues.

A faint smile spread across Lilliana’s lips.

It had worked.

The moment she awakened as a Cero, the knowledge of her power had naturally settled into her mind.

Just as naturally, she knew how to use it.

As though she had possessed it since birth.

It wasn’t an overwhelming power like those of the other races.

But against ordinary people…

It was more than enough.

The ability would likely last for about a day.

That was more than enough time to escape.

Lilliana hurried back to her room, grabbed her cloth bag, and left the Parvane household without looking back.

At long last…

Her wretched ties to the Parvane family had finally come to an end.

Having escaped the Parvane household, Lilliana immediately took out a robe and slipped it on.

The pitch-black robe was frayed at the edges, but it was more than enough to conceal her small frame.

With the hood pulled low over her black hair, she quickly melted into the darkness.

Winter evenings were as dark as night itself.

Even so, the carriage rental office at the entrance to the village remained brightly lit.

Peeking through the outdoor service window, Lilliana spoke softly.

“Is it still possible to rent a carriage?”

Busy noises drifted through the narrow opening in the window.

A moment later, a middle-aged man with a thick brown beard cracked the door open and stepped out.

The carriage master’s face immediately tightened into a frown when he saw the small girl hidden beneath a robe.

“Night fares cost twice as much as daytime fares. Still want one?”

“Yes.”

The carriage master wasn’t entirely comfortable dealing with someone who refused to reveal their identity.

Even so, he decided to take the job.

Judging by her small stature, even if she tried to run off without paying, catching her wouldn’t be difficult.

“Hop in.”

After a short wait, a small carriage pulled up, drawn by two horses.

Opening the carriage door himself, the carriage master asked,

“Where to?”

“Um… is it possible to leave the kingdom?”

“Not with this carriage. I can take you to a station where you can hire one that travels beyond the border. Which direction are you heading?”

“South.”

“Understood.”

“Oh… and once it’s morning, could we stop by a jeweler as well?”

“Very well.”

As soon as Lilliana climbed inside, the carriage door closed behind her.

Not long afterward, the carriage began to move.

Only then did she finally breathe.

It didn’t truly feel real until now.

I did it…

I really escaped.

Covering her face with both hands, Lilliana trembled with joy.

She might have become a fugitive…

But she had never felt so light.

Overcome by the relief of finally leaving everything behind, tears streamed down her face.

“Hic…”

“Hic…”

The sobs she desperately tried to suppress quietly filled the carriage.

It was over.

All the pain she had endured…

It was finally over.

She might one day face another kind of suffering.

But for now…

That alone was enough to make her happy.

Even if this happiness lasted only for a moment…

Even if this freedom was fleeting…

It was still freedom.

The freedom she had waited for all those years had finally found its way to her.

No more beatings.

No more backbreaking labor.

After wiping away her tears, Lilliana leaned back against the seat.

The inexpensive carriage wasn’t particularly comfortable.

Even so…

She didn’t mind.

The belongings she had brought with her were few.

Yet her heart had never felt fuller.

Now that the unbearable tension had finally lifted, drowsiness washed over her.

Hugging her cloth bag tightly against her chest, Lilliana drifted peacefully to sleep.

For now…

It was time to enjoy a pleasant dream.

💝 Support the Team

strawberrymilk

✍️ Translator

🍵 Ko-fi