I've Suffered for Five Years, Now It's Your Turn. ~The Crown Princess Has No Intention of Forgiving~ - Episode 24

Only three days remained until the tribunal.

Preparations were nearly complete. Not only would representatives from the Harvin Kingdom be attending, but members of my own Sylvan royal family had also agreed to come.
It would be a courtroom shared by both nations.

Sitting in my chamber, I allowed myself a moment of satisfaction at how far we had come in such a short time.

“You look pleased, Lady Filia.”

Ryug poured me some tea and placed the cup gently on the table.
No longer bound by his knightly duties, his crimson eyes softened as he smiled.

“Of course I’m pleased. Everything is finally falling into place.”

“But Lady Filia… are you pushing yourself too hard?”

He suddenly lowered himself to one knee, meeting my gaze.
Then, still smiling, he said:

“Blaming others isn’t something you ever did in Sylvan. Are you forcing yourself to be someone you’re not?”

“…You noticed.”

“Naturally. I served by your side back when I first became a royal knight.”

I sipped the tea, my eyes dropping in quiet shame.
I thought I’d hidden it well, but Ryug had seen through me long ago.

He knew I was wearing a mask—acting cold and ruthless for the sake of revenge.
He knew that, deep down, I used to be a quiet, submissive woman who accepted everything that Erik and the others did to her.

“But Ryug… I’m almost there. I have to keep standing—for my homeland. Forgiveness… is not an option.”

“I understand. As one of your people, I deeply respect your resolve. But once it’s all over and you return home…”

Ryug smiled gently as he placed some sweets on the table beside the tea.
They were my favorite. I wondered when he’d gone out to buy them.

“…once you’re home, please go back to being your true self. No more forcing anything.”

“…Will you stay with me until then?”

“Of course. I will protect you.”

His words brought me a quiet comfort.
I had spent five years in solitude, but just knowing I had a reliable knight by my side now made everything easier.

“Maybe I should’ve relied on you sooner.”

Murmuring those words, I urged him to have some tea with me.
Three days from now would be the tribunal for Erik and the others. Tonight, I decided, would be a small victory celebration.

“Waiting is the hardest part, isn’t it?”

“Until the tribunal, I will keep you safe. Shall I assign Sylvan knights to guard the front of your chamber? Just to be sure?”

He was referring to the fact that Harvin Kingdom’s knights still guarded my door.
But…

“The knights of this kingdom have their pride. If I suddenly replace them with Sylvan knights just for my own protection, it’ll stir unnecessary resentment. We need allies right now, not more enemies.”

“You make a fair point, Lady Filia… but I still believe Sylvan knights would be the wiser choice.”

“Huh?”

Just as I tilted my head at Ryug’s firm insistence—
The door to my chamber burst open without even a knock.

“Filia… I need to speak with you. One last time.”

And just like that, Erik stepped into my room.

I had no idea how he convinced the guards outside to let him in… but Ryug had been right after all.
I immediately regretted not taking his advice.

“Erik, what is it? With the tribunal so close, what’s left to say?”

Kneeling on both knees, Erik looked up at me.
His pitiful form stirred a mix of anger, sorrow, and something even more complicated inside me.
Pale and gaunt, he lowered his head, his voice trembling.

“I… I’ve come to tell you the truth. And to apologize properly.”

“…”

“The reason we couldn’t have a child… it wasn’t you. It was me.”

His face twisted with pain as he forced the words out.

“As the perfect crown prince, even the slightest flaw was unacceptable. Living under that pressure my entire life… I couldn’t let anyone know the truth!”

“So you put all the blame on me to hide it?”

“I know it’s unforgivable. But I… I didn’t know any other way. I had to protect my status. I couldn’t throw away the trust and position I’d worked so hard for!”

Erik poured out his feelings like poison he needed to purge.
And I… listened in silence.

“You already figured most of it out, I’m sure. When I learned I was infertile, I begged my mother to arrange a false diagnosis for you. That way, no one would ever suspect me.”

“You told Rosaline, didn’t you?”

“She was my childhood friend… someone I could talk to, someone who would listen. Just having her by my side gave me peace. Maybe I was just trying to ease the weight of my guilt.”

She was his confidant; someone he trusted with everything.
Hearing him admit it only added to my anger.

“If she became crown princess, we planned to secretly adopt a child from a distant royal relative and pass it off as our own. Rosaline knew everything and agreed to help keep it all hidden. That made her… convenient.”

They were in this together from the start.

After spilling it all, Erik bit his lip and clenched his fists.

“I’ve always felt terrible for what I did to you. Not a day went by without guilt. But I couldn’t let the Harvin royal family be tainted. As crown prince… that was the one thing I had to protect.”

He knew how painful it was—and yet still chose to push all the suffering onto me.

“I really was selfish. I stole your future… your five years…”

“I’ve heard enough. What good does it do to confess all of this now?”

“You’re right. It’s just a confession. But… I only came because he told me to.”

“He?”

That strange comment made me pause.
Just then, the door opened again.

Standing there was Prince Luans, the second prince.

With his usual calm smile, he stepped inside.

“Forgive the intrusion… but I have a matter to discuss regarding my foolish brother.”

“Wha—Lu-Luans!? How dare you—”

“Brother… I told you to confess everything and apologize. But now that I’ve heard the full story, I can only shake my head.”

Closing the door behind him, Luans looked at both Erik and me, then smiled again.

“But now, at last, I—who’ve been kept in the shadows all this time—can finally step into the light.”

“…What are you saying?”

“Lady Filia, I have a proposal.”

Luans extended his hand toward me and said softly:

“May I be the one to judge my brother’s crimes?”

“You’re serious?”

“I know it’s a bold request. But I’ve spent my life tied down as the second prince, hidden from the spotlight.
Now, I finally have the chance… to become crown prince.”

“…”

“I want a flawless start. And the best way to earn the people’s trust as the next king… is to personally bring justice to my brother.
If you agree, Lady Filia, I promise you generous rewards.
As political strategy goes… it’s not such a bad deal, is it?”

Becoming the next king—something Luans had long given up on—was now within reach.
Given that, I could understand why he’d make such an ambitious offer.